Hi EKLarsen12,
Welcome … and I’m glad you found us 
[quote]I think that I’ve entered the state of “being overwhelmed from too much research.” I’ve been browsing your website, and a few others as well. Anyways, let’s cut to the chase:
I have never had good sleep on any mattress I’ve used. I frequently wake in the morning in pain, stiff neck, sore ribs (side/stomach sleeper) and more often than not knee pain. I’m 145 lbs and 5’6", so not over weight, but have always suffered from knee-joint pain. That being said, I’ve always inherited my mattress, from whatever Mom bought, or a college dorm bed, or whatever was left by the past tenant in a rental home. So that’s quite possibly part of the problem.[/quote]
I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
I would also keep in mind that the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
[quote]I’ve decided to try a foam mattress, since all other mattresses were spring and I’m intrigued by the spinal alignment and pressure relief possible with foam mattresses. It was simply easiest for me to do research online, and of course the online-only beds came into the picture. The three I’m interested in are: Bear Mattress, Loom and Leaf by Saatva, and Leesa. I have checked out their foam densities, and each mattress have some small negative points (only small because I too am small, haha):
Bear ($850)= 1" 3.0lb and 1" 3.0lb “quick response foam”
L&L ($999)= 5.8" mystery foam (they told me it was proprietary, but between 1.5-1.8 lb) in the topper, 2" 4lb memory foam, 2" and 5.5" 1.5lb (again, proprietary but described as 1.5-1.8 lb)
Leesa ($890): 2" 3.0 lb memory foam[/quote]
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). I would be cautious about excluding any type of mattress based on “theory” or assuming that one type of mattress will be better for you than another unless you have confirmed that you tend to prefer them based on your own personal experience.
You can see some comments about what I call “simplified choice mattresses” in general in post #1 here and you can see some more specific and detailed comments about the three mattresses you are mentioning along with many of the other “simplified choice” online mattresses in post #2 here in the same topic.
A good trial period that lets you test a mattress in your bedroom instead of a showroom without risk can certainly tell you whether a mattress is a “good enough” match for you in terms of PPP but it won’t tell you anything about the durability of the materials inside it or the mattress as a whole or how long it will maintain the comfort and support that was the reason you purchased it in the first place. It also won’t tell you how your mattress compares to the other options that were available to you … only whether it is “good enough”. I would be cautious with choosing a mattress that uses lower quality/density materials that could be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability when there are so many other options available that use higher quality materials that meet the quality/durability guidelines.
As I mentioned I would also be hesitant to choose a mattress that uses lower quality and less durable materials that could be a weak link in the mattress.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Minneapolis area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meet your criteria and the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #2 here.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.
The only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress or combination of materials and components will be a good match for you in terms of PPP will be based on your own careful testing or personal sleeping experience.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: Sleep Recovery Technology™ – Bear Mattress
I don’t have any personal experience with Celliant but I have heard some good feedback about it from some people who have (and retailers that sell products with Celliant fabrics) and as you mentioned there is some science behind the claims. I certainly wouldn’t expect miracles and many people may not notice anything that they can specifically describe but you can read a little more about how it works here.
You can also get mattress protectors with Celliant (see here) if you would like to try it out in a lower cost product.
Phoenix