Hi Strat,
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Long Island area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #4 here.
Sleepy’s focuses on major brands that generally use lower quality and less durable materials and as you probably know from your reading here I would avoid the major brands and the chain stores specialize in them (see the guidelines here).
You can see some comments about Bob’s mattresses in post #4 here and as you can see I would be very cautious about any mattress purchase from them.
[quote]I looked at your brand recommendations here. The only brands with well-reviewed mattresses in the price range I’m shooting for are Brooklyn Bedding and Dreamfoam Bedding.
Brooklyn Bedding appears to only sell one bed, and it’s latex instead of memory foam. I’m not sure that I’ve actually tried laying on a latex bed, so I’m hesitant about it. I’ve heard mixed things about latex beds in general, and that particular bed seems to have mixed reviews here on this forum. I know I really like the feel of gel memory foam, and they have the highest customer satisfaction scores, so that’s what I’ve mostly been looking at.[/quote]
As I mentioned in my last reply … I would avoid using mattress reviews as a reliable source of information about whether any mattress will be either a suitable or a durable choice for you and they will generally be more misleading than helpful (see post #13 here). There are much more reliable ways to choose the best quality/value mattress that will be a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP, quality and durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Having said that … both Dreamfoam and Brooklyn bedding are members here (they are actually sister companies) which means that I think highly of both of them and like the other members here I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
If you are considering online choices then the tutorial post includes several links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of and in addition to the list you mentioned some of the better online options I’m aware of that are in lower budget ranges are listed in post #4 here and there are also some very good options in the “simplified choice” mattresses that are listed in post #2 of this topic.
There is 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 in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress but when you can’t test a mattress in person (or if you can and you are still uncertain) then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept well on and liked that they are familiar with, any special considerations you may have, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about helping you to “match” their specific mattress designs or firmness options to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else so that in combination with your own personal testing you can make a “best judgement” choice.
There is also more about the pros and cons of latex vs memory foam in post #2 here but since the choice between different types of materials and components and different types or categories of mattresses is a preference choice (see this article) the most reliable way to know which material you prefer would be based on your own personal testing and experience. Some people have very different preferences than others.
If you follow the steps of the tutorial post one at a time along with the information in the posts I linked in my replies (most of which are also in the tutorial) then you will have the highest odds of making a purchase that is the “best value” for you.
I would always keep in mind that the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase is how well you will sleep on the mattress (PPP) followed by how long you will sleep well (durability and the useful life of the mattress) followed by all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
While the price of a mattress is important of course … the “value” of a mattress purchase is what is really important and price is just one of many parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase. The mattress you sleep on will have a bigger effect on how you feel and your overall well being than almost any other significant purchase you can make and when you look back on a good quality mattress purchase in a decade or more you will remember much more about how well you slept on it and how long you slept well than you will about the price you paid and relatively minor differences in price that have only a small effect on the yearly cost of ownership spread out over the years will be much less important to you.
In other words … making value comparisons are always much more important than just making price comparisons which won’t necessarily reflect the value of a mattress purchase relative to your own unique needs and preferences and the specific criteria that may be most important to you.
Phoenix