Hi Wrewster,
The problem with “brand shopping” is that you aren’t buying the brand … you are buying a specific mattress … and most manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from very low quality that in some cases may only last you for weeks or months to much more premium mattresses that use higher quality and more durable materials that will have a much longer useable lifetime. In terms of quality and durability … a mattress is only as good as the type and quality/durability of the materials and components inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress. 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. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here).
The most reliable way to assess the durability of a mattress or whether it has any potential weak links is to make sure that you find out the type and quality of the all the materials inside it (see this article) and there is more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here…
Restonic is a licensee group of independent manufacturers that often make their mattresses differently in different areas of the country. Many of the licensees are family owned private manufacturers that are fully transparent and others are less transparent about the materials they use. They make some good quality and value mattresses but a brand name makes little difference to me because a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it. I list them as a good option or “possibility” in many of the forum lists because depending on the prices and service of the retailer and the specifics of the mattress they can be a “better value” choice and you have higher odds of being able to find out the specifics of what is in the mattress than many other larger manufacturers in the top 15 (see this article) which means you would be able to identify any weak links in a mattress make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. While latex itself is among the most durable materials in the industry … I would make sure that you can find out the specifics of all the materials in any mattress you are considering because if a particular mattress has more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality/density materials such as low density polyfoam above the latex then there would be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability no matter how much latex may be in the mattress.
You can see my comments about Bedinabox in post #2 here. I would be very cautious here because they use 3 lb memory foam which is a lower quality and less durable material than I would suggest in this budget range.
Mattress warranties only cover defects in the materials and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or when you may need to replace it and longer warranties are more about marketing than anything else. If there is an actual defect in the material it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress are a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
Phoenix