Hi mvbed,
As you can see in mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here … I don’t recommend any specific mattresses for people because there are too many variables and unknowns involved for someone else to know which mattress may be the most suitable for a particular person based only on “theory at a distance”.
You will find though that the “norm” for a manufacturer is that their entire mattress lineup would have similar “value” although some of the higher budget mattresses also tend to have a slightly higher margin. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any mattress made by one of the members here if it was suitable in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and if it was the best match for my personal value equation (all the objective, subjective, and intangible factors that are part of every mattress purchase that are most important to me)…
When you are considering visiting a local manufacturer or retailer … I would always talk with them first on the phone as a matter of course (whether they are local or involve a drive) to ask any preliminary questions that may be important to you and to get a better sense of what they offer and their overall approach with customers. You will find that Dan is very knowledgeable, open and transparent about what he makes and then you can decide based on the phone conversation whether the trip would be worthwhile but as you probably know … Bay Bed and Mattress is among the manufacturing members here which means I consider them to be among the best quality/value in the country.
Phoenix