I would like to thank everyone here and, of course, especially Phoenix for providing such a great site with invaluable information you just can’t find anywhere else.
I wanted to share a couple of tidbits I’ve learned for others who may be in the same spot I was.
Short version:
1, Educate yourself on mattresses **
2. Go lay on mattresses of all types, even ones you don’t think you want **
3. Ask as many questions as possible
4. Shop around (local and online)
** But don’t go crazy with either of these or you’ll end up in analysis paralysis
Sounds painfully obvious but I really had to force myself to go try mattresses out in person. I so prefer to buy just about everything online. But this was critical to me - even if I decided to buy something similar online. By dumb luck, I tried an all latex mattress (Savvy Rest Serenity) just to see what the fuss was about and it was instantly just perfect for me (in the store - I’ll report back on real world usage once I get it).
I also found out by talking to a couple of dealers and Savvy Rest directly that, without question, I’d get a much better deal going through a dealer vs. purchasing directly from them. The dealer I went with gave me 15% off and charges $95 delivery (white glove, set-up) - a far cry from the $200 shipping and set it up yourself price online.
Due to my own scheduling needs, I won’t get the new mattress until March - I’ll definitely report back on how it all turns out but I’m pleased with this journey so far.
And if anyone cares to hear my thought/research process from how I went from not even remotely considering a latex matrix to going with Savvy Rest, a pretty darn expensive latex mattress, I’m happy to share if you want.