Hi Krasen2013,
I’m happy to help with how to choose, to identify any potential weak links in a mattress, or to help you eliminate any of the worst choices but the specifics of what to choose are up to each person to decide. There is no “theory at a distance” that can choose a specific mattress for you and your best odds are to follow all the steps in the tutorial post one by one.
The first step I would take is to narrow down the choices you have tested locally to one so you can use a single mattress as your reference point. No matter what the quality or value of a mattress, if it isn’t a suitable match for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in terms of PPP then it would have little value to you.
Next I would have a more detailed conversation with each of the online retailers or manufacturers you are considering that has a mattress that is a reasonable approximation for that mattress so you can draw from their knowledge and experience with their mattresses. You can read more about the different ways one mattress can “match” another one in post #9 here but since budget is a primary issue for you and the useful life of the mattress is less important I would focus more on a mattress that is a good approximation in terms of feel, and PPP rather than one that matches the exact design and density of each layer which may be more costly. Any return or exchange policy may also be an important part of your personal value equation.
Once you have narrowed down your choices to “good and good” (which you have because all of the mattresses you are considering are from the online memory foam list and are good quality/value) … then post #2 here has some guidelines about making final choices.
There isn’t a list for the Aspen, CO area in the forum so over the course of the next few days as I have the time I’ll take a look at some of the retailers in the area to see which of them may be among the better options or possibilities in the general area although the options that are close to you appear to be fairly limited.
Phoenix
ADDED: I looked at the stores within a 100 mile radius of Aspen and these are the better options and possibilities that I could see (subject of course to being able to find out the specifics of their mattresses). I’ve also included the brands they carry that I would focus on that you are more likely to be able to find out the type and quality of the materials and components inside them.
Denver Mattress® - The Easiest Way to Get the Right Mattress Glenwood springs, CO. Regional factory direct manufacturer that makes a wide range of mattresses including latex, memory foam, and innersprings that use higher quality materials. They are open and transparent about the materials they use but I would focus only on the mattresses they make and not the major brands they also carry.
http://www.afwonline.com/ Glenwood Springs, CO. They carry Therapedic in a range from lower end to several gel memory foam (no latex). They told me they will call the factory for foam specs if asked.
http://www.coloradomattresscompany.com/ Minturn, CO. I talked with Bob Rollins here and they sell a range of Sherwood mattresses including memory foam and latex hybrids which are generally in a better quality/value range than most mainstream mattresses. He is more knowledgeable than most about foam quality specs and mattress materials and said he will provide the information that his customers need to make informed choices.
These are the better possibilities I could see out of over a dozen stores I looked at and/or talked to in the general area.
