Hi amadden11,
You’re welcome! I think that you’re confusing “how” to choose with “what” to choose. You are correct that it is impossible for me to make specific suggestions for you regarding a mattress because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
The steps in the mattress shopping tutorial go into great detail of the steps to follow and how to evaluate any mattresses you’re considering.
However to make it a bit easier for you, in its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress (see the durability guidelines here).
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Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
As price was a major factor for you, I linked to some of the best “value-priced” mattress options in my earlier reply. Did you phone any of those companies and ask them for their suggestions based upon your needs? They would generally be best suited to offer more specific advice based upon your requirements and what they have to offer you in their line that might be most appropriate.
You’d have to be specific about which mattress you were considering, as IKEA has quite a few different offerings. Unfortunately, they aren’t too complete with their details on any certifications that they might contain, and it might be a situation where you have to phone or email them for more complete information. I’m guessing you’re curious about polyfoam certifications like CertiPUR-US, or latex certifications like Oeko-TEX. Most latex you are likely to encounter will have a certification such as Oeko-TEX. There is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications such as Oeko-tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, C2C, and CertiPUR-US in post #2 here, if you’re curious.
Yes, the plus option would be necessary and recommended for a latex mattress. I personally haven’t had an experience with this platform bed base, but perhaps some of the more knowledgeable members here have ordered one and can share their comments.
Phoenix