Hi sharpshopper,
Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Charlotte, NC area are listed in post #2 here.
I’m guessing that the salesperson you were dealing with was relatively new or possibly uninformed because I know that OMF has spec sheets that show all the density specs of all the polyfoam and memory foam layers in their mattresses but many of their salespeople aren’t used to more educated consumers that ask for “layer by layer” specs so you may need to insist that they look them up or call someone that can provide them. There is absolutely no excuse for any of their salespeople to make you wait until next Friday.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure 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.
For the most part they are generally better quality/value choices than most of the larger manufacturers in the industry but I would always assess any mattress on a “mattress by mattress” basis rather than based on the name of the manufacturer because most manufacturers make some mattresses that may be well worth considering and others that may not be worth considering at all and the only way to know the difference is by knowing the specifics of all the materials and components inside it.
Phoenix