Hi us2k1gt,
As you can see in the steps in post #1 here (and the information it links to) … I think that one of the most important parts of any mattress purchase is who you buy from rather than what you buy. If you are working with a knowledgeable and experienced manufacturer or retailer … they will not only be able to show you the mattresses that “feel good” in a showroom … they will also be able to help educate you about the differences between what works in a showroom and what will work in your longer term experience in the bedroom. They will also help you know the difference between good quality materials and construction that will last and lower quality materials that won’t.
If you are in the Birmingham area … one of the first places I would visit (and perhaps the last) is Royal Bedding. They make some very good quality and value mattresses and the Sleep Harmony/Glideaway memory foam mattresses they carry also use good quality/value materials. I also think very highly of Tom the owner there. The Sleep harmony mattresses may not have the same feel as other memory foam mattresses (how a mattress feels and performs is not the same as quality and you can’t “feel” the quality of the materials in a mattress) … but if one of them does provide you with the feel and performance you are looking for then it would be likely to be much better value.
You may also be surprised that once you know a bit more about different materials and some of their pros and cons … that you may even choose something else completely (or not :))
While many (but not all) of the Tempurpedics use good quality materials … they are one of many memory foam manufacturers that do and as you mentioned they are not good value in comparison to other mattresses (either sold locally or online) that use similar or even better quality materials but have much better value.
You’ve probably seen this already but the list of better possibilities in the Birmingham area I know of are in post #57 here.
The point the salespeople are making is valid IMO. A mattress can be one of the most important consumer purchases you make in terms of its effect on your overall wellbeing. Buying a mattress that doesn’t “work” and affects the depth and quality of your sleep can have a bigger effect on how they feel overall than most people realize. That also doesn’t justify paying more than necessary for what are often inferior materials that don’t last or overpriced mattresses though.
My “best” suggestion is to first read the steps and information linked in the post I linked and then to connect with the “experts” who can help you find what feels and performs well for you in the short term but will be just as good in the long term and who understand the difference between just price (where you get what you pay for or less) and “value” (where you get more than you pay for compared to most or even all of your other choices).
Hope this helps … and feel free to post with any questions you may have along the way.
Phoenix