I am in desperate need of some opinions, because I’m at my wits end, and so far my own first impressions have backfired. So where do I even begin? (Sorry this is going to be long, strap in.)
In January, my 30 year old mattress finally kicked the bucket. To put this in perspective, I’m a 30 y/o female (about 5’7, 180lb), and my parents got it when I was born. I loved that thing, and when they were sick of it after about ten years, I gladly took it off their hands for the next 20 years. It was just a big firm mattress with a layer of egg shell foam on it just so I couldn’t feel the rough top.
Out of desperation I stopped at a local chain retailer and after probably 3 hours bought a Sealy Roseway Plush and an adjustable base. Silly me buying a eurotop when I wanted a firm bed. A week later I felt like I was sleeping in a hammock and called in for my comfort exchange. Ended up getting a Therapedic luxury plush with gel foam/pocket coils after much convincing from the only friendly manager I could find willing to even talk to me after I said the word “exchange.” It felt great for about 3 weeks… adjustment aches and all. Then my hips were caving into a crater, and nothing else seemed to be molding to my body at all. I’d feel like I couldn’t move, roll over, wait for the bed to spring back up, and sleep terribly. Started waking up with horrible lower back pain that my gut was telling me was not adjustment aches anymore and it only got worse. I understand and expect some discomfort on a new mattress, especially after having the other one most of my life, but this just felt wrong, and I had not/still have not been doing anything that leads me to believe the discomfort is anything but the mattresses I’m sleeping on.
Well, now I’m stuck with a $1500 mattress I can’t sleep on. So I accepted I’ll have to try and get a portion of my money back by trying to sell it and eat the rest of the cost.
Went to another retailer. Ended up deciding I really liked the Pranasleep Peace Plush (old school innerspring, “Everlast” foam, quilted top). It felt more like a traditional mattress and was cozy to boot. Plus it was cheaper than the other thing that betrayed me so that helped lessen the blow. I’ve had it over 2 months now with a 90 day exchange, and I do REALLY like the bed, but I’m starting to have pain again in my back and nerves in my hip and I just don’t think it’s supportive enough. Comfortable, but not supportive. I end up sleeping in weird positions and feeling tense all through the night. My upper body has felt great, and my posture’s been great on the softer bed, but my back once again hates me. It also sleeps hot unless I have my Bedgear cooling protector on it which firms it up some but isn’t the most comfortable thing ever (I tried a thinner cover but without the cooling effect I was dying and it didn’t have a lot of give on the soft mattress… felt kind of like sleeping on a cot instead of the bed).
I went today by appointment to try and find an alternative even though I can’t exchange yet. There were two I was looking at, but I’m leaning towards another Prana because I do like how they’re constructed and the general feel of them. The salesman was lobbying for a Sterns and Foster Rockwell Luxury Firm, and it’s comfortable, but it reminded me a little too much of the Therapedic.
The one I liked best was the Pranasleep Bryant Firm. Which is supposedly all talalay latex with a quilted foam top. It felt weird at first laying down, but after being on it for a few minutes, felt like I wasn’t laying on much at all. A little harder on the shoulder than the plush beds I’ve been trying the past couple months but not bad (and I assume breaking in/body impression will take any edge off of that?). I don’t care about bounciness or motion transfer - I sleep alone and tend to/like to move frequently through the night without disturbing my sleep.
My struggle is not knowing much from personal or word of mouth experience about latex beyond what I read online and what the salesmen pitch, and not knowing much about the particular model as their information isn’t the most detailed even asking the company itself and there are zero reviews for that particular bed. Also that I keep being told my sleeping position I was so used to on my good ole hunk of 30 year old bed was horrible and I should use a softer mattress, but that’s clearly not been going well (I tend to sleep at a weird half side/half stomach angle but it’s always worked for me). The mattress is also double the cost of the one I currently have, and with as much discomfort I’m currently in, I’m paranoid I’ll do the one time exchange and get stuck with something I end up hating even more and then be out more money than I’d spent before.
I guess my questions are: If anyone can explain if the bed seems like a good alternative for the price point, and also if it would be a better option for someone prone to stomach sleeping?
tl;dr series of too soft/not suppotive/possibly just bad beds and only have so much money will latex be better for me pls halp thanks 
! Thanks joining in and for your question.
. As the experience with your first purchase isn’t part of your question, I’ll skip over to the second purchase details: