Hi scarlet113,
Your question is a little bit too broad to provide any specific comments that aren’t already included in the mattress shopping tutorial but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
As you know I think highly of SleepEZ and they are one of the members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They have been in business since 1976 and they have built a great reputation over a period of many years and there are many members here that have purchased from them and been very happy with their purchase.
Outside of any local options that may be available to you … there are also other retailers or manufacturers that also sell component latex mattresses online so if you wish to broaden the options that you are considering then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them also sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex (including 100% natural Talalay and Dunlop and certified organic Dunlop) that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices. Post #3 here also includes a list of online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses online as well.
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.
When you are purchasing online then the guidance that comes from the manufacturer in combination with any testing you have done is all you really have to go by but a knowledgeable manufacturer will help you choose a suitable layering combination that will work well for the large majority of people and rearranging layers or exchanging layers will generally find a suitable layering combination for the majority of people where their initial layering combination wasn’t suitable for them so there is only a small minority that don’t end up finding a layering combination that works well for them.
Again I’m not clear on the specific question you are asking but there is more about some of the pros and cons of a quilted cover vs a more stretchy knit cover (which are the two main types of covers that you will usually encounter) in post #12 here and the posts it links to.
I would agree that most people in your weight range or even significantly higher wouldn’t normally “need” more than 9" of latex although there may be some people that prefer a thicker mattress and/or additional layers (see post #14 here).
Phoenix