Hi Ivanhoe,
I’m not quite clear what your asking or suggesting.
I don’t think that anyone could “rank” the thousands of mattresses available because there are just too many variables and personal preferences involved. It also wouldn’t be possible to “rank” materials because as you say this is also a personal preference and each material has better and worse versions.
I think that eliminating the worst choices in terms of retailers or manufacturers and focusing on the better ones can be one of the most effective ways to find the best possible mattress. This is the reason for the steps that are listed in the linked post after my signature in each post I make. For those who follow these steps … they would bypass Macy’s completely (and most of the other chain stores and mass market outlets) and focus their energy on finding the better local retailers and manufacturers that have the experience and knowledge to provide good guidance and can give them the quality, value, and service that they are looking for.
Who you work with can be one of the most important parts of mattress shopping and then you have the help and guidance you need to “rank” each mattress according to your own personal value equation. It’s always your own “ranking” that is important not the “ranking” of others who may be very different from you.
Phoenix