Hi shawn.peerless,
Almost any mattress that uses good quality materials and has no “weak links” in the design or materials (at least relative to your body type) will likely last you 10 years and after that the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be changes in the needs or preferences themselves as we all “age” rather than the mattress itself so anything over 10 years … while it’s certainly possible with materials such as latex … would really be a “bonus”.
There are quite a number of mattresses as well that use component systems so one or more of the layers can be replaced without replacing the whole mattress which can be useful because the weak link of a mattress is usually in the comfort layers rather than the deeper support layers.
I think that one of the most important parts of choosing a local mattress is the type of testing you do and how well you “approximate” your actual sleeping conditions. There are many people who only spend a minute or two on the mattress and only test for the initial “showroom feel” rather than testing for comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment and this can have a lower chance of success than random chance alone (see this study). This is especially important when you have more challenging circumstances, body types, or health conditions.
Did you try their latex topper? In many cases if you need just a little bit of extra cushioning to “allow” your shoulder to sink in a little more then a relatively thin and soft topper (in the range of 1" to 2") can make a significant difference. Most “all foam” mattresses don’t have or in most cases need edge support in “real life” because most people don’t sleep with concentrated weight on the outside two or three inches of their mattress so it’s more commonly seen with innerspring mattresses but for those who prefer it for various reasons (sleeping, sitting on the edge, or getting in and out of bed) it can certainly be a preference. There is more about edge support with latex mattresses in post #3 here and there is also more about edge support in other mattress types here and here.
In some cases a good zoning system can be helpful with more challenging circumstances. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here.
It does allow for changes in firmness under the mattress yes so in theory it can be beneficial but in real life in some cases it can be helpful with alignment and in some cases much less so. How much of an effect it has would depend on the thickness of the mattress and the body type of the person. Some people would notice a meaningful difference and others wouldn’t and this is one of those cases where your own testing with both options (a rigid non flexing support system or their adjustable support system) would really be the only way to know whether it’s an improvement that you would notice.
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York area are listed in post #2 here.
Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad the site can help. I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding and of course any comments or questions you may have along the way.
Phoenix