Hi twinkletoes,
“Mattress people” is a word I use for people who are knowledgeable about mattresses, mattress materials, and mattress construction and are focused on service and helping to educate their customers about what the differences between the many different mattresses really are and helping them make better choices that fit their needs and preferences in the showroom but also in their bedroom months or years down the road. This article will give you a sense of what to look for in the better outlets.
Outlets like Macys and Mattress Discounters sell mostly major brands and for the most part they won’t be able to tell you the quality of the materials in their mattresses. In most cases they won’t even understand the importance of knowing and when you ask about things like foam density they will just roll their eyes. They use words like “good quality” that are meaningless because there is no way to know the quality of a mattress without knowing the quality of the layers that are in it and they won’t be able to tell you this. They are selling the label on the mattress and the stories that are attached to it rather than the quality of materials in the mattress. The better the story … the more expensive the mattress.
Smaller independent or more local manufacturers that sell factory direct or through local sleep shops will tend to put their money into the quality of the materials in the mattress and don’t need a story or advertising to sell their mattresses. They are usually a source of better quality and value in every price range and with every type of material. The choice of latex, memory foam, traditional innerspring/polyfoam, or any other type of mattress is a personal preference but no matter which direction you go … if you first find the better outlets … you will end up with a better mattress.
Some of the better choices or possibilities in the San Francisco/Oakland area are in post #2 here.
You have some very good choices available.
Phoenix