Hi sanman,
You’ve probably already read this but just in case … the first place I to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that will help you how to choose the mattress that is the best match for you in terms of quality/value and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Rochester, NY area are listed in post #11 here.
The pillow thread here should be helpful. There are some basic “needs” for a pillow (based on body type and sleeping position) but beyond that a pillow choice is mostly about preferences.
[quote]I hope I gave enough info and that I’ve read enough about latex and layers.
In case you are wondering about my budget, I’ve learned over the years to not go out of my way to find low-end items, but make your budget, find what is the best of that category, research more and branch out to similar item types, refine, stretch your budget, find coupons or refurbs but not lowering your standard. I don’t want to make a mistake this time, so I’m going to go slow. I can go upwards of $1000, but I don’t want to go over $2000, because for that money, I’d rather buy other things than have that extra margin of quality without diversity.
I probably want to buy something over $800, but I’d prefer to not be overly frivolous and not go over $1600[/quote]
I don’t know the size you are looking at but this would certainly be enough to make a good quality/value purchase although it’s probably a little low for many “all latex” mattresses (although there are certainly some in the higher end of your budget range).
You will need some kind of support system that is suitable for your mattress. This could be a metal or wooden bedframe with a foundation or box spring to support the mattress (depending on the type of mattress you choose), a wooden or metal platform bedframe combination that can be used directly under a mattress, or an adjustable bed. There is more about the different types of support systems that would be suitable for different types of mattresses in the foundation thread here.
Phoenix