Hi ssh33,
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Washington, DC area are listed in post #2 here.
Emails can be great if you have a very simple question that has a black and white or single sentence answer but when you are dealing with an online manufacturer I would encourage you to talk with them on the phone (or a live chat at the very least but this would be less effective than a voice conversation) for anything more complex than that (such as asking for advice about comfort choices or for details about the options they have available) because almost all mattress questions have an “it depends” in the answer or involve “unasked questions” that you may not realize need to be asked or require more information that you may not know needs to be provided first before the original question itself can be answered with any meaning.
Many questions that “seem” simple can be much more complex than most consumers realize and can be difficult to deal with in lengthy emails or written communications that can get very complex and have much less “tone” and context than voice or real time communications. It can sometimes take days or weeks of back and forth email exchanges before you are even on the same page where a question can really be answered. Talking through your questions and more complex information on a phone call can often cover more ground in minutes than emails can cover in days … and they will also give you a much better sense of the knowledge and experience of the people you are dealing with.
Phoenix