Hi Akirk70,
Unfortunately, without knowing the details of the layers in the mattresses … I am working “blind” and there is no way to really assess the relative quality or value of a mattress. This would also be true for any customers who shop for brands or at outlets where the quality of the layers in a mattress aren’t disclosed. This is one of the main reasons that I put so much emphasis on transparency and the willingness of a manufacturer and/or an outlet to tell their customers what is in their mattresses. Marketing stories that only talk about “potential benefits” without disclosing the materials that create those “benefits” are mostly misleading and even when they’re not they give no indication about how long those benefits or the mattress itself may last before it loses it’s comfort or support (which isn’t covered in any warranty) or it’s real “value” compared to other mattresses that use the same or similar materials.
On the assumption that you are dealing with http://www.grandhomefurnishings.com/index.php … I went to take a look at the models they carried and the only information on the site is the brands and in some cases the models they carry but no information about what is in them. With the exception of the Shifman, they are all mainstream major brands which don’t disclose meaningful iniformation about the contents of their mattresses and brands that I would tend to avoid completely. The very few models they make that in some cases may have better value they don’t seem to carry (such as the Simmons Natural Care).
This leaves the Shifman which in most cases (depending on the model) uses higher quality materials and construction methods but also carries a “price tag” to go with it. Here again … knowing the “value” would depend on knowing what was in it. At least they would be two sided which will extend the life of the mattress. I would also take a look at the law tag which could give you a clue about what was in it even though it would say nothing about where the ingredients were located which is also an important part of estimating how a mattress will wear over the long term (the upper layers of a mattress are the most subject to wear and premature softening).
Hopefully … Grand Home Furnishings would be able and/or willing to give you a layer by layer breakdown of the mattresses you are considering (at least to the degree that their supplier makes this possible which is often an issue as well). To them though this request may seem completely “off the wall” even though it is something every consumer should be provided about every mattress in a store. This information needs to include the density of any polyfoam or memory foam in a mattress which is the most important “quality spec” and the one that is most often excluded from descriptions.
In general terms and based on probabilities … the Shifman would probably have the best quality but you are in their lower range and there would likely be some “suspect” materials in it as well so it’s still really not possible to know this for sure. It’s like buying furniture that looks and performs great when it’s new but that has cheap particle board hidden behind the veneer which is waiting to break down much more quickly than an identical piece of furniture in look and function that uses MDF or better yet real wood and will last much longer.
If you do decide to go in the direction of a refund (assuming that is even a possibility) then some of the better choices in or near Kingsport include …
Furniture Row® Store Locations - Store Hours & Addresses Johnson City, TN. This is the only factory direct manufacturer that is close to you. They make a range of mattresses including two mostly latex models called the Snowmass and the Aspen but don’t make any memory foam. Their own mattresses have good quality and value but I would avoid the major brands they also carry. NOTE: The Snowmass and the Aspen have been replaced by the iChoice which has latex and memory foam options.
Some of the retail outlets near you that have “possibilities” (bear in mind that finding better quality and value here would depend on finding out the “quality specs” of the mattress layers and that not all outlets are able or willing to provide this) are in the following list with the brands that I would suggest focusing on that may have some better value. I would also suggest calling these to “interview” them first along the lines of this article to get a sense of what to expect if you go there.
http://www.zaksfurniture.com/ Johnson City, Kingsport, TN. Jamison, Restonic, Southerland.
http://www.thesleepzone.com/ Johnson City, Kingsport, TN. Advanced Sleep Concepts, Englander.
http://familymattresscenter.com/ Kingsport, TN. Southerland
http://www.midwaybristol.com/ Bristol, VA. Symbol, Springwall, Bed Boss.
http://www.manta.com/c/mm85gs1/new-wave-bedroom Greeneville, TN. Pure Latex Bliss (Talalay latex) , Park Place. I have talked with Joe here and he is very knowledgeable about materials and mattress construction and would be well worth including in your research.
http://robertsfurnitureonline.com/ Greeneville, TN. Jamison, Symbol. Very helpful smaller outlet with good staff.
So overall … if you can find out more about the layers in the mattresses you are considering for an exchange it would be very helpful (even if it’s only law tag information). Most often though, getting this information can be like pulling teeth … even though it’s one of the most important parts of mattress shopping and should be easily available at every outlet that sells mattresses.
Hope this helps a bit and let me know if you find out any more.
Phoenix