Hi Timothy,
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidel;ines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
[quote] I noticed you said stay away from less than 3lbs density foam and emphasize a lot on the materials that the mattress is made from. I am planning to spend around $1500 on a new queen size mattress.
What are the minimum specifications I should have?[/quote]
3 lb density “foam” can either be a very high quality material or a very low quality material depending on the type of foam it is. The foam density guidelines I would suggest are in post #4 here.
There is no specific theoretical “ideal” with mattress specs either in terms of the suitability or the durability of a mattress because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved including your body type and sleeping positions, the types of materials and mattresses you tend to prefer, and your budget range but there is more detailed information about the many factors that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
There is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person but if a mattress is well inside the comfort/support range that is suitable for someone and isn’t close to the edge of the range that is too soft for someone when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines I linked then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.
It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a maximum reasonable expectation for any mattress no matter what the quality of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.
Having said that … with higher quality materials throughout a mattress and/or for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with higher quality/density and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam or natural fibers is much more likely than with less durable materials and with the most durable mattress constructions and materials it wouldn’t be uncommon for someone to sleep “well enough” on a mattress for 20 years before needing to replace it.
You typically won’t be able to find out the gel percentage in most foam layers but the choice between different types of materials or mattresses is a preference not a “better/worse” choice. Some people may like the feel and performance of a mattress that contains some gel foam layers and some may not like mattresses that contain gel materials at all. There is more about gel materials in post #2 here.
Outside of making sure you choose good quality versions of the types of materials you prefer … the type of materials or mattresses is always a preference choice.
You can see how the site and the time and efforts that go into it are supported in the Our Services/how we survive link in the main menu and there is more detailed information in post #4 here.
Phoenix