Hi kmz7,
[quote]Well, need-less-to-say my head is spinning! Thank you for your quick response! I wish I had time to try out all these different places. I’m going to try Verlo in West Chester tomorrow, wish I had better specs to give to make it easier. Could you help with that a little??
I’m 5’9" and weigh 130lbs. I’m a side sleeper with frequent shoulder pain[/quote].
Unfortunately there are too many variables, unknowns, and preferences to use a formula to choose a mattress and your own testing is the only reliable way to choose with a local purchase (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). If you follow the steps one by one you will have the highest odds of making the best choice and also buying a mattress that will be good quality and value that you won’t regret buying in a year or two or sooner because it’s softening or breaking down. I wish I had a “magic formula” that could choose a mattress for someone else out of all the thousands that are available but unfortunately that doesn’t exist and only you can feel what you feel on a mattress. One of the most important parts of a successful purchase is “finding the experts” and working with retailers or manufacturers that have the knowledge and experience to give you good guidance, have your best interests at heart, and can tell you what is in their mattresses so that when you find a mattress that is a good match for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences that you can also have some reasonable assurance that the mattress won’t soften or breakdown so quickly that in a year or two you need to replace it (outside of warranty coverage).
I would keep things as simple as possible, follow the steps in the tutorial post one at a time, and use your personal testing to find out which types of mattresses and materials work best for you and that you prefer. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts but in the end you will end up with a much more suitable and durable mattress so you won’t have to repeat the process for many years :).
Phoenix