I am 5’2’ 110lbs a side sleeper …Here are my questions
- suggestions for mattress - I prefer natural materials
- foundation - box spring vs platform
I am not in a large metro area
Thanks very much!!!
Hi Nyhama,
Welcome to the site 
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
There is more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” or “how natural is natural enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress. These types of issues can be complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
Most mattresses today don’t use a box spring (that has springs inside it) and are designed to be used on either a firm non flexing foundation or a platform bed but a good retailer or manufacturer will be able to tell you about the type of support system that is best for the specific type of mattress you purchase… There is more about the different types of support systems that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses in post #1 here.
Once you reach step 3 in the tutorial I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that are closest to you.
Phoenix