innerspring mattress recommendation plus dealer for same in Maryland (latex too heavy for me!)

[phoenix]

Hi sleepygirl,

The closest list to you is for Baltimore, MD here. I know you’ve probably seen it but I thought I’d add it just in case and I added a couple of options to it as well.

I then visited Bedding Barn and found the salespeople knowledgeable and friendly. I understand the reasoning behind their no-return policy but I’m just one of those people who always needs to feel I can return if I really want to. It is worth it to me to pay more for that option. I also went to RoomandBoard but did not find any of their beds particularly comfortable for me. I have read some good reviews about a place in Maryland called RealDeals Furniture and Bedding. I believe they carry the Eclipse mattresses. I was also thinking about going to some of the places listed in the post that are in Virginia, although they are all quite a ride away for me, so I’m not sure whether it’s worth it

I certainly understand the importance of an exchange policy for some people and it makes sense to find out all the details for the retailers you visit so you can add it to your “value equation”.

What I would suggest is to call and talk with any of the retailers you plan to visit and make sure they carry the types of mattresses you want to test (latex/innerspring hybrid, polyfoam/latex hybrid, all latex etc). In many cases websites are not up to date so I would always talk to a retailer in person and ask some specific questions … including whether they have all the information about the layers in their mattresses … before visiting them. This will give you a much better sense of the type of knowledge and service to expect when you get there.

I do wonder one other thing about latex. Although I don’t seem to have any allergy to latex, I wonder what segment of the population does and whether this is something I should be concerned about.

You can read a bit more about latex allergies in post #2 here. Because the surface proteins that are the main cause of latex allergies have been washed off (unlike products like gloves and condoms) and because the latex is covered … latex allergies don’t generally present a problem with mattresses and there are many retailers who have gone decades without ever seeing a latex allergy problem. Of course for someone who has the much more rare type 1 allergy then this would be a different story.

I have to say that this mattress shopping is really getting me rattled. When I read the horror stories some people have posted about how their new mattresses have made their back problems so much worse even though the beds seemed comfortable in the store, it makes me quite nervous. Your advice always sounds so calm and rational, I’m hoping I’ll be able to adopt that approach and make a good decision.

I think that some of the most important things to keep in mind are to make sure you test each mattress you are seriously considering for long enough (at least 15 minutes fully relaxed on each mattress) and in all the positions you usually sleep in. You can see some suggestions for testing for pressure relief here and for testing support/alignment here and in post #11 here. Besides this … enlist the help of knowledgeable salespeople … and if there seem to be two similar options I would tend towards firmer rather than softer. You can always “fix” a mattress that is too firm by adding a topper but its much more difficult to fix a mattress where the support core is too soft or the comfort layers are too thick and soft. If you take your time and trust what your body is telling you and never buy a mattress on the same day you are testing them (so you can go home and check to make sure it has the quality and value you want) then your odds will greatly improve of making a great choice.

Phoenix