Hi uccjeb,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and feedback about the Tuft & Needle Five … I appreciate it :).
I don’t make any specific mattress suggestions … zoned or otherwise … because only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in any mattress choice for anyone to be able to predict with any certainty which mattress will be the best “match” for you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). I can certainly help with “how” to choose and I’m always happy to answer any specific questions you may have or act as a “fact check” but only you can decide which specific mattress is best for you.
There is more information about zoned mattresses in this article and in post #11 here and the posts it links to.
There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress (locally or online) in post #2 here that can help you minimize the risks involved in each of them.
There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
With a “one size fits all” mattress where there is only one firmness option you will generally find that it will be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of the population, a “good” match for a larger percentage, an “OK” match for a larger percentage yet … and for those where it’s not a “good enough” match then they usually have a good return policy that lets you start all over again choosing another mattress with little risk outside of the time you spent trying the mattress or returning it.
From the sounds of your feedback it sounds like your mattress is an “OK” match for you but only you can decide whether it’s “good enough” or whether to start over again with a mattress that may be more suitable for you in terms of PPP but the good news is that you chose a mattress where there was little risk in trying it
The mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that are reasonably close to you as well.
Phoenix