I think this might sound like a silly question. But I really want to try a few types of mattresses that aren’t typically found in the typical furniture and mattress stores.
Thanks to TMU - which has given me an amazing education on mattress shopping! - I found two trusted stores. And there’s another nearby that looks good. But one makes only latex mattresses (and I am very much looking forward to trying them out!).
The others have mattresses that are out of my range. For instance, I really want to try a latex comfort layer over pocketed coils and I have my eye on the hybrid at Sleep EZ. But the store in my state has a similar hybrid that costs $3k! I guess it’s okay for me to go there, but can I be honest? Do I need to pretend that I’m really going to spend $3k on a mattress? I hate doing that and I want to be fair to the store.
By the way, I’m looking for a mattress because the one I bought last year was all wrong for me. After reading all the information here, I feel foolish. I realize that I don’t really know what the mattress is made of! Some kind of polyfoam, maybe memory foam? I looked on their website and realized that they didn’t make it clear.j
Anyway, I’d appreciate any advice on mattress shopping etiquette. If I’m going to ask retailers to be honest with me, I’d like to do the same for them.
Janet
Hi janet444.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum. 
We are so glad you’ve been able to identify two great outlets in your area and that you’ll be able to do some in-person testing!
If you’re worried they may not be willing to answer questions or something to that effect, then you could be honest in the fact that you are interested in testing latex hybrids, but aren’t looking to buy “today.” Ultimately, a truly quality retailer will put the legitimate best interests of their customers above their own profit, and shouldn’t treat you differently even if they know you’re not going to be making a purchase that day…or ever.
You can simply let them know you’re new to latex mattresses, and want to do ample testing (which is true!) to see if you like the feel, and to identify which ILD would be your best match should you choose to go that route.
Sorry to hear of the mattress that ended up being a poor fit for you! I do hope you’re able to identify the best mattress for your sleeping stats through your testing. If you have any additional questions in preparation for your journey to the store(s) we are happy to assist!
NikkiTMU
Thank you, Nikki! That all makes me feel much better about it.
Janet
Hi Janet.
I’m so glad! I hope your in store testing goes swimmingly.
NikkiTMU
Thanks! I just looked at their website again, and there is at least one mattress that appeals to me and is within my budget. So that makes me feel better. And I can recommend them to others if I like the store and sales people. I can’t wait to finally lie down on these mattresses instead of just reading about them!
Hi Janet.
I look forward to all of your updates, mattress and pillow related. I hope you have a really positive in-person testing experience!
NikkiTMU
I do have an update. I went to Gardner Mattress - realized they were not as unaffordable as I thought. And I found a mattress I love. BUT it is somewhat out of my budget and I might go with SleepEZ instead. I’m weighing the options.
My biggest concern is that the only one that relieved my pressure points was the soft, 3" Talalay layer over pocketed coils. I just hope it’s not too soft. I’m going to review what I learned from this site to get a handle on that.
Now I feel I should try Dunlop options but the only store that has those is very close to me but has super expensive mattresses. Mostly Naturepedic and it’s not clear to me that they are worth the cost. I’ll have to dress up in my finest clothes and pretend I’m wealthy lol. 
I should add that Jordan’s Furniture - very popular in New England - does have their own Dunlop mattresses, made locally. And to their credit, they give a long list of everything in the mattress. But it’s just such a weird, long list. It seems like they put the right amount of Dunlop latex but then add some other stuff in between, as though they’re diluting them. I’d feel fine going to Jordan’s Furniture, but I’m not sure if I’ll get the true feeling of Dunlop from their mattresses.