Hi FishinDVM,
The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here (there is also a shorter version at the end although I would suggest at least reading through the longer version) which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
In terms of durability a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label and I would avoid shopping at the larger chain stores and I would also avoid the major brands (including Stearns & Foster) or any manufacturer or retailer that either can’t or won’t provide you with the type and quality of all the materials and components inside any mattress you are considering (see the guidelines here). These types of purchases are one of the most common reasons for buyers remorse from the softening, breakdown, or sagging of the materials in the mattress much too quickly after a purchase relative to the price you paid. The information you need to make an informed choice about the durability of any mattress is in this article.
Two of the more important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to buy a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of what I call PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences that can help you assess and minimize the risks involved in each of them and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Long Island area (subject to the “value” guidelines I linked) are listed in post #4 here and it also includes a link to the New York City list as well.
Latex is one of the most durable foam materials in the industry and the Pure Latex Bliss mattresses are certainly high quality and durable choices and have no lower quality materials or weak links in their design although they are also in a higher budget range than some other latex mattresses that use the same or similar materials.
Pure Latex Bliss mattresses have MAP pricing (minimum advertised pricing) and there are some dealers that sell them for this but dealers are allowed to sell for less as long as they don’t advertise it and they are certainly available for less than their suggested retail prices. If you do decide on one of their mattresses there are some PLB dealers that will ship across the country listed in post #32 here that you can call to use as a pricing reference point and I would start by giving Jeff a call at Matt-To-Go who is one of the members of this site.
Phoenix