Hi EmrysTuatha,
[quote]I read over Sleeping Style, Preferences, and Statistics Overview of this site.
Based on what I have read on TMU, I suspect we are looking for a mattress with a ~4" support layer, probably using latex to provide an initial softness and firm up as it compresses. The Support Layer will need to be on the firm side. Given Sleeper A’s overheating situation, latex seems to be a good fit for the comfort layer as well. We would like a mattress with a durable outer layer, as our current Sleep Number has increased sag because the bottom fabric has split like a pair of pants causing the foam edges to bow out and sink the pillow top into the middle. We both have a desire to have the “sink-in” feel, but upon review of mattress toppers or pillow tops, we would probably want to avoid these. A quilting layer made of wool would be nice but not a ‘MUST’. I am intrigued by the idea of a 2-sided mattress, but again, this is not a MUST.[/quote]
I would keep in mind that the suggestions that you read in the overviews are very generic and aren’t meant to be specific suggestions or guidelines that would apply to any specific person.
Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would only be a very small percentage of people) … I would avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex combinations of information or specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you or how it will compare to another mattress and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience and if this isn’t possible then on more detailed conversations with a knowledgeable manufacturer or retailer.
While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … when you try and choose or compare a mattress based on complex combinations of “comfort” specs that you may not fully understand then the most common outcome can often be “information overload” and “paralysis by analysis”. Even the best mattress designers in the industry are often surprised at what a mattress they design “should have felt like” when they design it and what it “actually feels like” when they test out their new design.
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.
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) and how well you sleep the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the quality/durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
I would also be very cautious about brand shopping in general because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and all manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Many manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from lower quality and less durable materials to higher quality and more durable materials in a wide range of prices. The name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress (which are the two most important parts of a mattress purchase). There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here.
In other words … outside of your own careful testing to make sure that a mattress is suitable for you … I would focus more on the quality and durability of the materials inside it than on the name of the manufacturer on the label.
There are certainly some manufacturers that can custom build a mattress but there is also more information in the first part of post #2 here about some of the different ways that can be used to accommodate a couple that have very different body types or sleeping styles or that for other reasons have different needs and preferences in a mattress.
[quote]Location: Indianapolis, IN
Travel Distance: <500 Miles[/quote]
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Indianapolis area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #2 here (including DIY Natural Bedding ).
Some of the other forum lists that are a little farther away include the Cincinnati, OH list here and the Dayton, OH list here and the Louisville, KY list here and the Lexington, KY list here and the Champaign/Springfield/Peoria list here and the Chicago list in posts #2 and #4 here and the South Bend/Fort Wayne list here and the Columbus, OH list here and the Evansville, IN list here and the St Louis/Carbondale list here.
That’s not a 500 mile radius but there are probably more than enough choices in these lists already.
If you are looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses (including latex, and latex hybrid mattresses) in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and return/exchange policies that would be well worth considering.
In its simplest form (and for those that don’t have a lot of time to read) … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to first finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in (either locally or online) and that you have confirmed can provide you with all the information you need to know to make an informed choice and make meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix