Just starting out

[phoenix]

Hi marie,

There are many outlets in the greater Chicago area but very few that I would spend any time with. The few that were listed in the Chicago thread really are the outlets that I would choose in the area.

But for those that are OK with either lower quality and value, less selection, or with a longer drive there are other options as well …

Store Locations - Room & Board is another possibility in Chicago. their mattresses are made by Restwell in Minnesota but the quality and value is not in the same range as what I’ve already listed.

The other choices you mentioned … Beloit Mattress in Beloit, WI and Gateway mattress (now closed) in Milton, WI compete well with the best in the industry. The Milwaukee area has one other manufacturer that I would consider if you are willing to drive into WI anyway and they are listed in post #2 here.

There is also a Denver Mattress in Rockford. They are a regional factory direct manufacturer which makes a range of good quality and value mattresses including two mostly latex models (Snowmass and Aspen) but they don’t make any memory foam and I wouldn’t consider any of the other brands they also carry.

Other than that … good choices are further away in northern Indiana (post #4 here) and in Lafayette (see post #2 here.

I was surprised that I couldn’t find any other recommendations for other local shops in the larger Chicago area. Did I miss something, or are the options here very limited - although high quality?

You haven’t missed anything and Chicago is not that different from many other areas in terms of the number of high quality choices (although some areas such as Los Angeles have more). In some areas there are none at all within reasonable driving distance and in these cases an online purchase from a manufacturer that specializes in online purchases and has the skills, knowledge, and experience to help their customers make good choices is generally the best option.

Bear in mind that the major manufacturers and the chain stores and mass market outlets that sell them dominate a huge percentage of many markets and even though they have far lower quality and value … and are far more difficult to shop because they don’t release the type of meaningful information you need to really know what you are buying … they also advertise heavily and because consumers mostly don’t know any better or know how to tell a high quality mattress from a lower quality one … the larger more heavily advertised manufacturers sell huge amounts of these types of mattresses. Most consumers just don’t realize they have much better options and “follow the advertising” or the “special sales” which are fake and only marketing tactics. There are not a lot of higher quality manufacturers or even sleep shops compared to mass market outlets.

Would I find similar products at each??? Is there a difference in what they sell that would help me determine where to visit first?

Similar generically in terms of materials and similar in overall value but not similar in specifics no. I always recommend calling every outlet you are considering visiting before you go there anyway … even if they are local … and I would tell them about your body type, sleeping style, budget, any material and other preferences you have (such as memory foam like Tempurpedic) and ask them which mattresses they think would be better choices for testing and why. These types of conversations will go a long way to helping you decide if a longer drive is worth the time and driving involved and give you a sense of what to expect when you get there.

Verlo Mattress - I have never been in one of their stores, but there is one VERY close to me. I read that you wouldn’t make them your first choice in the Chicago area - how come??? Is it just because their products are inferior?

Their products and value are better than average … especially when compared to most other types of mainstream outlets. In many areas they are among the best quality and value available. In Chicago though … it’s tough to compete with a manufacturer who is among the very best in the country in quality/value terms so it’s a relative thing even though they are a better choice than most other mattresses available in the Chicago area.

Also, I looked at the Milton, WI store. Do they only sell traditional spring mattresses?

Yes although they use higher quality foams and other materials and have very high quality and value for their budget range which is why they are also a member here.

From reading here last night and today I am excited at the possibility of finding something like the Temperpedic which both my husband and I liked at a better price. We started at the chain stores just to see what the hype was all about with the new mattresses, but sticker shock brought me here.

The two most important functions of a mattress are pressure relief and posture/alignment and everything after that is preferences. these are the targets that should be the “standard” that all the mattresses you test should be measured against. I would avoid the temptation to set any mattress as your standard … particularly Tempurpedic (there are many other memory foam mattresses that people like much more and that also have much better value). Post #2 here talks more about the different needs and preferences that may be important to you.

Phoenix