Hi Grateful,
While it can be “tempting” to try and compare the “value” of a mattress purchase based only on comparing the amount or cost of the raw materials inside a mattresses and in some cases it can be helpful to make “apples to apples” comparisons between mattresses that use the same materials or components and have a very similar design (the same type and thickness of materials or components and the same or a very similar cover for example), the “raw material” value of a mattress is only one part of making meaningful “value” comparisons and can be very misleading when it comes to the value of a mattress purchase in “real life” (see post #4 here).
The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is “suitability” and how well it matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) which “translates” into how well you will sleep on the mattress. Only you can feel what you feel on a mattress or decide which one you would most likely prefer and that you believe is likely to be the best match for you based on your preferences and testing on different materials and types of mattresses (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) or in the case of an online purchase your more detailed conversations with an online manufacturer or retailer so they can help “talk you through” the options that may be best for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here. There would be little value in a mattress purchase where you don’t sleep well on the mattress regardless of the quality of the materials or the price of the mattress.
Outside of the suitability of a mattress … the quality and durability of the materials and how long you sleep well on it over the years before you cross the subjective thresholds between “sleeping well” to “sleeping OK” to “tolerating it” and eventually deciding you need to replace it would be the next most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase. There would also be little value in a mattress purchase where the materials in the mattress are likely to soften or break down too quickly relative to the price you paid. This would also not be covered by a warranty because they only cover defects and foam softening and the loss of comfort and support that goes with it isn’t considered to be a defect unless it also has visible impressions that are deeper than the warranty exclusions (see post #174 here).
The guidelines I would suggest to make sure there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in a mattress you are considering are in this article and there is more detailed information yet about the many factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to. Neither one of the mattresses you are considering have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design so both of them would make good choices in terms of durability.
Once you have eliminated the worst options that either aren’t suitable for you or have lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design … then you will be down to a list of finalists that you can compare for “value”. When you are down to finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and if there are no clear winners between them then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice between them based on your local testing, your more detailed conversations and interactions with each of them, your confidence about the suitability of each one, the prices, the options you have after a purchase to exchange or return the mattress (or in some cases individual layers) in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to 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 range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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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.
These will give you the best possible chance of making the most suitable choice, the most durable choice, and the best “value” choice that is available to you.
Neither one of the options you are considering would be a “mistake” in terms of quality and durability but nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and only you can decide which of them you are most likely to prefer and which one you believe is the best value for YOU regardless of whether it may be the best value for someone else.
Phoenix