Hi Ginger,
The only factory direct in or around the Roanoke area that I’m aware of is Sleep Essentials and of course you’ve already been there. I must say though that I’m somewhat surprised that you found all their mattresses “squishy” because they have some firm latex mattresses in their lineup (40 ILD core and 30 ILD comfort layer) which most people would find too firm.
A mattress is only as good as the materials that are in it so without the layering information there is no way to know it’s real quality. I can tell you though that the Simmons Beauty rest mattresses have a lot of lower density polyfoam in the layering and like all the major brands are poor value compared to more open and transparent independent manufacturers who use higher quality materials and sell for lower prices. Lower quality materials, including lower density polyfoam, can be quite comfortable in a showroom … they just don’t keep their original qualities of comfort and support for nearly as long as a mattress that uses higher quality materials and components. The biggest issue with the major brands is not usually the support layers or innersprings but the soft and low density/quality foams that are used in the comfort layers which are the “weak link” of these mattresses.
The same general rule would hold true for Shifman. To make an accurate assessment or comparison of any of their models you would need to know the details of the layering, components, and construction inside the mattress you were looking at. They make some high quality mattresses that use natural materials (such as cotton) “old style” hand building methods (such as 8 way hand tied boxsprings and hand tufting) and some lower quality mattresses with lower quality materials including polyfoam in them. They are all two sided which is a durability bonus but I would question their overall “value”.
In general … the brand label on a mattress means little unless you know of a particular manufacturer that wants you to know the materials they use and want you to make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. These types of manufacturers are mostly local or smaller independent brands that you won’t see advertised and are usually (although not always) available more locally or regionally. These are the sources of most of the best quality and value in the country.
There are not a lot of great options in the Roanoke area and it appears that one of the best that are there doesn’t make mattresses that you particularly like.
Some of the other options that may be worthwhile including in your research are in post #3 here (Lynchburg/Charlottesville area), Post #5 here (Alta Vista and surrounding area), and post #2 here includes some smaller manufacturers in the High Point, NC area.
Some of these involve some travel so I would tend to talk to the ones that interest you on the phone first about the types of mattresses that may interest you (I would use local stores to find out the general types of mattresses and materials you prefer) and ask some questions along the lines of this article to make sure they are worth a visit.
If I have a chance I’ll take a look more locally in Roanoke to see if there is anything that stands out as promising other than what is listed and post them here if I do.
Phoenix