Hi itschris917,
You have some great options in the general Milwaukee area and two of our manufacturing members are also within reasonable driving distance. They are included in post #2 here.
What I would suggest is that you make a list of the features that you need and prefer in a mattress and “rate” each mattress (say on a subjective scale of 1 - 5) against your needs and the preferences that are most important to you.
What you need:
This is about the two main functions of every mattress. They are …
Pressure relief in all your sleeping positions and in all the pressure points of your body (most commonly hips and shoulders) … especially on your side if this is one of your sleeping positions.
Posture and alignment in all your sleeping positions. This is about making sure that your spine is in its neutral alignment when you are completely relaxed on the mattress (which would normally involve at least 15 minutes on the mattress to “simulate” the pre-sleep state when your muscles “let go”).
There are links to more information in step 4 the tutorial post about testing a mattress for support/alignment and comfort/pressure relief.
What you prefer:
This is about all the many preferences that are more or less important to different people and that are part of your personal “value equation”. The most common of these (among others that may be important to different people) include …
Microclimate, breathability and temperature control (perhaps the most important of the preferences). You can read more about the factors involved in temperature regulation here and more about microclimate here.
Slow or fast response materials and where in the range you prefer
Sleeping “on” vs “in” the mattress
Motion isolation with small and large movements
The ease of movement or movement restriction on the mattress for changing position and “other activities”
Edge support for those who sit or sleep on the edge of a mattress
“Roll together” for those who sleep close together in the center of a mattress
Overall “feel” (such as the difference between combinations that include the “feel” of innersprings and/or different types of foam in the comfort or support layers)
Durability of materials in the mattress
Durability of construction (such as one or two sided)
Quality and performance of materials and construction
Ability to open the mattress and exchange layers or make changes after purchase
Warranty and warranty exclusions (which are often more important then the warranty itself). You can read more about mattress warranties here.
Budget limitations and range
Price vs quality and “commodity” value of materials
Mattress only or foundation included (and the type)
Natural materials vs synthetic
The type of cover and quilting (if any) you prefer
Your choice of retailer or manufacturer:
This part of a consumers preferences and “value” is about the differences between buying from different retailers or manufacturers whether they are local or online. Who you buy from can in many cases be just as important as what you buy and are part of the overall value of your purchase. The ability to test a mattress in person for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) for example can be important … especially if it is done with the help of someone with the knowledge, experience, and integrity to help you make your best choices … and some of the many other objective and intangible benefits that each retailer offers can make a significant difference in long term satisfaction with your choice.
The different “value added” options that go with the mattress (delivery, financing, bonuses like pillows or a protector etc).
Options after purchase (returns, comfort exchanges, layer exchanges, warranty returns, adjustments, after sale service etc. and the specific costs and procedures involved with each). This also means that if you aren’t confident that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP that you have some good options remaining in either a softer or firmer range and aren’t “stuck” with a mattress that doesn’t work well for you with few good quality/value options available to exchange for.
The knowledge and service of the outlet you buy from and their ability to help you choose a mattress that is suitable for your specific and unique needs and preferences.
The importance of supporting a particular retailer or manufacturer (for any other reasons that are important to you)
These and others could all be part of each person’s value equation and the importance of each of them (except your two basic needs) may be different for different people. Some of these are easily overlooked and may only become an “issue” at some point after you have purchased the mattress. It always makes sense to think about all of them ahead of time.
I would suggest that you measure every potential mattress purchase against these needs and preferences (or the ones that are important to you) so that you have a common yardstick to measure every mattress against. This is much more effective than trying to set any particular mattress as a “standard” and trying to “match” what are often more vague (or difficult to objectify or accurately remember) subjective impressions as your point of reference. You can read more about “matching” one mattress to another in post #9 here and the other posts it links to.
This will help you make more meaningful comparisons and find much better quality and value and will increase the odds that your choice will be as good in real life and the long term as it seemed in the showroom or online.
Calling each of the manufacturers or retailers first with some good questions or information about what you have already tested and what is important to you will help you find out what they offer that may be in line with what you are looking for and your conversation can also give you a sense of what to expect and the knowledge and service of the outlet if you decide to visit them. In most cases … a first step that includes the choices of outlet and knowing what is most important (for you) in a mattress can be a bigger part of both short and long term success than choosing the mattress itself.
Hope this helps 
Phoenix