Recommendations for memory foam / gel in raleigh durham area, NC

[phoenix]

Hi diggis_tennis,

i know saving 1000-1500 bucks is a big deal but i am also looking for a mattress which i dont have to worry about for next 8-10 yrs atleast (although warranties run for 25 yrs).

Warranties have little to nothing to do with the useful life of a mattress and only cover manufacturing defects … not the loss of comfort and support which is the main reason people need to replace a mattress (see post #174 here about warranties).

The only way to make a meaningful assessment of how long a mattress may last for you is if you know the specifics of all the layers and components in the mattress. Without this information, “quality” or “durability” is just a meaningless word and you would be fortunate (and probably unlikely) to get 8 - 10 years of good service from a mattress.

i called up lake mattress and they may have good quality mattress but what i am worried about is that these local stores dont have any return / exchange policies which make it tough to decide. i would like to try the mattress out for a few days.

Lake mattress is open and transparent about their mattresses and has much better quality and value available than the mainstream brands. Good and objective testing (using the testing guidelines) will greatly improve your odds of making the most suitable choice and return or exchange policies are one of the “traps” in the industry that add to the cost of a mattress (the people who need to exchange a mattress pay for the ones who don’t test carefully and do and it’s often a new profit center for a store as well) but of course that’s all part of each person’s “personal value equation”. Good testing will generally be “close enough” that only minor “fine tuning” changes are needed (if at all) and they can also replace or change out a layer for a reasonable cost which is a much more effective and less costly option to have. In many cases when you are dealing with a mainstream store that has an exchange policy it’s just a way for them to encourage a “quick” decision with the marketing spin that “you can always exchange it” only to find out you are “locked in” to exchanging for another lower quality or even worse value mattress that will cost you even more than your original purchase.

any quick way to go about with this?

The fastest and most effective way I know is to follow the steps in the tutorial post. A mattress is one of the most important purchases you can make and will have a significant effect on how you feel over the next decade or more and a rushed decision will often be a poor one more often than not. It’s always best to make an informed choice that won’t lead to buyers remorse or a completely unsuitable or low quality/value choice and leave you with few good options after a purchase … even with an exchange.

Phoenix