Hello,
First let me say that I love, love, LOVE this site and think you are amazing for helping others with this confusing and stressful decision. I am one of those people struggling right now. My husband and I are trying to find a suitable mattress but to no avail. I thought I loved the rhapsody (tempurpedic) and then loved the “my side” (I think that’s the name) by sleepys. (I was a gold and he’s a blue). I love plush, soft, “sink right in” mattresses and he likes firmer ones. I’m 5’11, 140 pounds and he’s 6’2, 185. We can’t seem to agree on anything. Then I found this website. We live just south of Baltimore in Columbia, md. Is there any store in particular that you would recommend us checking out? We’ve been to sleepys, the healthy back store, mattress warehouse… Now that I have a better idea of what to look for (latex or memory foam), I just need to know the place to go to find a good deal.
Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Mook3223
Hi Mook3223,
While there are no factory direct manufacturers within 50 miles of you that I know of (which I always find strange since I would think the Baltimore - DC corridor would have more choices) … there are certainly choices which are better than others and IMO better value than the ones you mentioned. A side to side “split” may be a good option for you because of your different preferences (where each side can be custom made for each of you but without the excessive cost of the myside mattress).
Some of your better options that are within 60 miles of you include …
http://americanfoamcenter.com/ Fairfax, VA., Hagerstown, MD. They are a foam store but are also a local factory direct mattress manufacturer. I talked with Robert (who is the owner) and was very impressed. It’s clear that he “knows his stuff” about foam. He has been making mattresses for 50 years and is the kind of person that will give you accurate information. He also has a “showroom” (of sorts) where different materials and layers can be tested. He uses high quality materials like Latex (Dunlop and Talalay), high quality polyfoam up to 2.8 lbs (true HR foam) and memory foam from a quality American supplier. They are a high quality and good value choice, especially for the area, and I would certainly suggest that anyone in the DC area include them in their research. Make sure you call first because Robert is the person there with the knowledge.
(UPDATE 6/17/17: Forum member reports that AFC no longer sells to public.)
http://winndom.com/retailers/ Wholesale manufacturer who sells through local retail outlets. Their retail store finder has a list of outlets. I have talked with them and I know they work closely with their retailers and provide good quality and value. In particular though … I would talk with Michelle at http://www.bedcraftersbymichelle.com/ in Williamsburg, VA who works very closely with them and is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful about all their mattresses and mattress materials and construction in general and custom builds every Winndom mattress she sells. She is a great resource for Winndom regardless of which retailer you are dealing with.
http://www.urbanmattress.com/ Vienna, VA. Retail direct outlet for their own house brand (Urban organics latex mattresses), along with a range of mattresses made by Sherwood, Suite Sleep, and VI Springs (ultra premium). Good people who have always been knowledgeable and open about their mattresses when I have talked with them. Some good value.
http://www.roomandboard.com/ Washington, DC. Retail direct outlet for mattresses made by Restwell Mattress. They carry a range of mattresses including latex, latex hybrids, and memory foam including some which can be customized side to side. Check foam densities for memory foam and polyfoam carefully here to make sure they are good quality.
http://www.savvyrestnaturalbedroom.com Factory direct manufacturer in Vienna, VA and Rockville, MD.
http://www.themattressorganic.com/ Savvy Rest direct outlet in Columbia, MD. They make or carry many options of different high quality “choose your own layering” mattresses with zip covers made of both Dunlop and Talalay latex and which include side to side splits. They are more costly than other very similar mattresses however that are available online or from other manufacturers but are a good place to test various latex layering schemes.
Some retail outlets near you that carry some “alternative” brands that may have better value than most national brands or typical chain stores but don’t offer side to side splits (to my knowledge) include …
http://www.healthyback.com/ Retailer in Bethesda, Rockville, MD and Alexandria, Vienna, Fairfax, VA. Carries Pure Talalay Bliss which are a high quality talalay latex mattress line which is better value than most national brands but are more than latex mattresses made by most local manufacturers.
http://mattressfame.com/ Retailer in Rockville, MD. They carry several brands which may have better materials, quality, and value including Therapedic, Eclipse, and Eastman House, Englander, Pure latex bliss. They carry latex, latex hybrids and other options such as gel memory foam that may have some better value and are open to supplying the specs of their mattresses (to the degree that the information from their manufacturers allow it) so customers can make more meaningful comparisons.
http://www.abbafutons.com/ Gaithersburg, MD Foam and Upholstery shop that also sells some mattresses and futons. Talked with him and he knows his foam. Carries poly and memory foam but no latex. Sells Otis futons and basic foam mattresses.
http://www.mattresstraditions.com/ Retail Outlet in Falls Church, VA. They carry several brands but their best value is probably Classic Brands (a smaller national brand) and Winndom (a regional brand). They also carry Natura which makes a side to side split but I don’t know if they carry it and even if they did Natura is not great value. Winndom will often work with their local retailers to make custom variations of their mattresses so a side to side split may well be possible.
Shop Affordable Home Furnishings & Home Goods - IKEA Baltimore. Carries a Dunlop latex (85% natural) over pocket coil mattress and an all Dunlop (also 85% natural) latex mattress. Both of these would be quite firm however they would make a good base for an additional softer talalay latex topper. Also see post #3 here.
http://www.mattressstoremd.com/ Annapolis, Kent Island, MD. Has a Serta all latex mattress made to their specs (with an inch of poly on the bottom). Retonic latex hybrids (2" and 4" latex) and all latex (with 1.5" poly on top). good people locally owned. Mostly mainstream major brand mattresses.
http://magicmattress.com/ Westminster, Eldersburg, MD. Paramount, Restonic, and Symbol. Long term retailer with good factory connections and said he would get foam specs if asked (and make sure you ask).
http://www.americanmattressinc.com/ Crofton. Carry Restonic and Symbol. They also carry Body Tech mattresses although I would make sure you check the foam quality/density specs with these because it’s likely that they use lower quality materials.
http://www.discountmattressoutletonline.com/ Laurel, MD. Therapedic gel and latex hybrids. Said he would provide specs for all his mattresses.
http://www.mtairymattress.com/ Mt Airy, MD Carries Restonic Gel (but but no latex). Have a good relationship with the Restonic factory so will get foam specs.
There are some local manufacturers a little further away towards the Wilmington/ Philadelphia that may also be well worth a phone call or a visit and they are included in the list in post #4 here.
So while there isn’t a single outlet that has the best of all worlds, (distance, quality, value, service) at least you have some better choices … especially if you are willing to do a little driving.
Hope this helps
Phoenix
I saw that there is Classic Brands, in Jessup, MD, where latex and memory foam mattresses are made. Apparently you have to email them to make an appointment to try out the mattresses.
Hi artmomma,
Classic Brands is a wholesale manufacturer only and only sells to dealers. Their showroom is in High Point and is not available to consumers.
They do have a dealer locator on their site though.
Phoenix
Thanks for this list! I’m just starting to look to buy a mattress in the Baltimore area, and this is super helpful!
Hi photuris,
I’m glad it could help you.
If you have questions along the way of course you’re welcome to post them and I’m looking forward to any feedback you have a chance to provide about your mattress shopping experiences.
Phoenix
I live in Fallschurch VA,
Are these companies honest with the material used in their products and do you recommend buying a mattress from them ?
Hi sayedhamdani,
The specs of a mattress would come from the manufacturer of a mattress and if that’s the source of the specs and the manufacturer is reputable and has been in business for some time they would normally be accurate yes.
If you have followed the steps in the tutorial post then I would recommend buying any mattress that is a good match for your personal value equation but there are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved in a mattress purchase for anyone to make specific recommendations for someone else.
I’m certainly happy to help with “how” to choose and how to avoid the worst choices but “what” to choose and which retailer or manufacturer you are most comfortable dealing with is up to each individual person to decide.
Phoenix
I was able to find a a latex mattress around where I live, It was the latexbliss model nature line according to the salesman. He told me mattress height was10" and it had 6" core and 4 "layer, Talalay all natural latex. It felt good but I didnt feel comfe sleeping on my back, It felt soft but not too soft. It didnt say what ILD number the core or the layer was…
Since I am in on a budget, Will the EcoSleep® Talalay Latex with EcoSleep® Latex Support and Designer Cover be as good quality, Will the Pressure relief, Posture and alignment will be similar or more firm.
I prefer to sleep on a mattress, Rather than too sleep in…
Hi sayedhamdani,
You can see the specs of the Nature in post #2 here. I would be very careful about knowing the type of latex in the mattress though because the blended Talalay versions are much more common than the 100% natural versions of the PLB mattresses (and the 100% natural versions of the Pamper, Nature, Nutrition, and Beautiful are no longer listed on the PLB site and they are being phased out). If it has a 20 year warranty then it’s blended talalay.
Many retailers are confused about this because PLB calls blended Talalay “natural” and 100% natural Talalay (which only has a 10 year warranty) “all natural” and the very slight difference in terminology and the common use of “natural” in the description of both is the source of a lot of misleading information provided by many retailers who don’t know (or in some cases don’t want their customers to know) the difference between them.
Ecosleep uses blended Talalay latex which is the same quality material as the blended Talalay used in the PLB mattresses although the designs are different so one or the other may be a better or worse match in terms of PPP depending on your body type, sleeping positions, and personal preferences. The only way to know which one is a better match for you would be your own personal testing or experience on the mattress because even though the quality of the materials would be the same … the designs and the thickness and firmness of the layers are different.
Latex has a more “on the mattress” feel than memory foam which is a more “in the mattress” material and it is also a much more resilient and springy material (see post #2 here) but you will sink in more deeply and be more “in” the mattress with softer latex than you would with firmer latex … especially in the comfort layers.
Phoenix
I live in DC and we are remodeling our house with a new master suite and room for a new king size bed. My Dutch husband has never thought about the process of actually testing mattresses but complains about many of them where we have lived overseas and in hotels. The posting with all the possibilities is wonderful! My sister in Chicago after expensive trial and error went to a place that made mattresses for university dorms and got just what she wanted. I think the foam center in Va. is a great idea. We need to test out various options to see what suits us.
Thank you so much for this information. I shall report back on our progress.
Hi JFKinDC,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
There is another forum list for the Washington DC / Northern Virginia area in post #2 here that may also be helpful although there is also a lot of overlap between them.
Phoenix
So I know this is an old topic. I found this topic during a search about shopping for mattresses in Baltimore. My son is attending college in Baltimore and will live off campus next year. I have discovered that there are no factory direct manufacturers in the general Baltimore area. We live near Cleveland, Ohio and always get our mattresses from “The Original Mattress Factory”. However, this regional chain is not anywhere close to Baltimore. Is there a comparable retailer in the Baltimore area? Since my son will only live in the Baltimore area a few years, I don’t want to spend outrageous money but I also don’t want any cheap crap for a mattress that we will get rid of in 2-3 years. I like The Original Mattress Factory because they have good quality products and are at a very reasonable price.
Hi Solar Win.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum!
For some reason, there really is not much in the way of factory direct mattress manufacturers in the Washington, DC area.
Two of our trusted members, CozyPure and Richmond Bedding, are within 2 to 4 hours’ drive of DC – but they also deliver. I’d certainly recommend taking a look at what they offer!
You may wish to browse through all of our Trusted Members, as nearly all of them offer free shipping nationwide.
OMF are a great source of mattresses, with ethical business philosophy so I understand why you’d want to give them your business… Although we are not providing any longer listings of outlets or manufactures in specific geographic locations due to the fast-changing mattress landscape, I was curious and did a brief scan of one of our old listings to see what’s available in addition to our trusted members I mentioned above in the event, you’d just prefer to go to a brick and mortar location…
Here are a number of options that provide better quality/value than the mainstream choices in the area (just keep in mind that these are not companies vetted by the mattress Underground so you may need to do some deeper research for each of the products you may consider from them… provided that they are transparent about the materials they use in their beds…
• winndom.com/ Wholesale manufacturer who sells through local retail outlets. Their retail store finder has a list of stores that carry them (I would call the retailer to make sure it’s up to date). I have talked with them and I know they work closely with their retailers and provide good quality and value.
• yelp.ca/biz/ostrows-organic-mattress-superstore-bethesda-3 Bethseda, MD. They carry Savvy Rest component latex mattresses and OMI latex mattresses along with their own Ostrowpedic mattress as well.
• roomandboard.com/ A retail direct outlet for Restwell. They sell a range of latex, memory foam, and other mattresses with fairly good value. Make sure you check the density of any polyfoam or memory foam in the mattress you are considering as some of them may be on the low side.
• healthyback.com/ Retail outlet with stores in Bethesda, Rockville, MD and Vienna, Alexandria, Fairfax, VA. They carry a version of the Pure Latex Bliss mattress line that is a high-quality Talalay latex mattress. They are great for testing latex and better quality and value than latex mattresses made by most major brands but higher priced than most local manufacturers. They have good knowledge and service and are very informative and helpful.
• mattresstraditions.com/ Retailer in Falls Church. They carry quite a range of alternative brands (some of which are more costly and some of which are much less). Classic Sleep (a smaller national brand) and Winndom (a local wholesale manufacturer) may be better value here.
• mattressfame.com/ Retailer in Rockville, MD. They carry several brands that may have better materials, quality, and value including Therapedic, Eclipse, and Eastman House, Englander, Pure latex bliss. They carry latex, latex hybrids, and other options such as gel memory foam that may have some better value and are open to supplying the specs of their mattresses (to the degree that the information from their manufacturers allow it) so customers can make more meaningful comparisons.
• abbafutons.com/ Gaithersburg, MD Foam and Upholstery shop that also sells some mattresses. Talked with him a while back and he knows his foam. Carries polyfoam and memory foam but no latex. Sells some basic foam mattresses.
• themattressorganic.com/mattress.php Columbia, MD
• creativeclassics.com/ Retailer in Alexandria, VA. They also carry Savvy Rest component latex mattresses.
• mtairymattress.com/ Mt Airy, MD Carries Restonic Gel (but no latex), and Reverie latex mattresses. Said they would get foam specs from their factories for those that ask.
• mattressstoremd.com/ Annapolis, Kent Island, MD. used to have all latex mattresses made to their specs (with an inch of poly on the bottom). Retonic latex hybrids (2" and 4" latex) and all latex (with 1.5" poly on top). Good people locally owned. Mostly mainstream major brand mattresses though.
I’d strongly recommend when assessing any product to be sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to verify that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Hoping this helps and best of luck to your son at college!
Phoenix