Hi NerdyVibe,
It’s a good thing you were 'doubting yourself" because the Beautyrest (or any other major brand) is certainly not a mattress i would consider. If you haven’t already … the best “advice” I would provide would be to make sure you have read post #1 here which has the information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and avoid the worst ones. If you follow the steps it lists then you will significantly improve your odds of making the best possible choices. It will also help you understand the importance of knowing the quality details of all the layers and components of a mattress before you consider buying it because it is the only way to know the quality or value of any mattress or make meaningful comparisons between them. A mattress is only as good as it’s construction and the materials inside it … no matter whose label is on it.
You can also read more about warranties (which are mostly about marketing and have little practical value in most cases) in post #174 here. They only protect against manufacturing defects and the foam softening that goes along with lower quality materials and the loss of comfort and support that goes with it is the biggest reason people need to replace a mattress but is not a “defect” that is covered by a warranty.
Yes … it is one of the factors that can play a significant role in the longevity and durability of a mattress compared to a one sided mattress that uses the same materials and design (on one side). Of course the quality of the materials themselves can play just as big a role as whether a mattress is one or two sided. The “down side” of a two sided mattress is that the design possibilities are a little more restrictive because of the need to minimize thicker and softer layers in the bottom of the mattress which can reduce the support qualities of a mattress.
As you can see in post #2 here … there is a big difference between the feel and performance of a mattress and it’s quality and durability. Even the lowest quality materials can feel great in a showroom because you can’t feel quality. The reason you need to know the quality specs of a mattress is so that you can identify any potential “weak links” in the mattress and make more meaningful quality and value comparisons with other mattresses. Better salespeople will have the knowledge and experience to help you do this. The “comfort specs” (vs the quality specs) of a mattress are not necessary to know when you are testing mattresses locally because with careful and objective mattress testing your body will tell you what you need to know in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) and very few people that don’t make mattresses or have significant experience with different types of foam and materials would be able to use them in any meaningful way to decide on which mattress was most suitable for them.
I would never consider a mattress where you are forced to make a completely “blind” purchase and are not able to find out the quality of the materials that are inside it and the “real” quality and value of a mattress (which would exclude all of the major brands).
There is little point to having a mattress that feels great at first only to discover that lower quality materials have softened or degraded much more quickly than you expected and your mattress no longer provides the comfort and support that you need in just a few years (and sometimes much sooner) and the unweighted impressions are not yet deep enough to be a warranty issue … assuming there are not other reasons for the manufacturer to deny warranty coverage.
Phoenix