Hi Alysal,
The first thing I would do is read the tutorial post here. Rushing to buy a mattress will often lead to poor value purchases which is a shame because what you buy will have a big effect on how you feel for the next decade or so. A mattress is one of the most important purchases most people make.
As you can see from this thread and others on the forum … none of the choices you are looking at are particularly good value (or in the case of the iComfort good quality either) and the best quality and value will usually be from a local factory direct manufacturer or a better sleep shop that are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, use higher quality materials, and have better prices.
Some of the better choices in and around the Tampa, Clearwater, St Petersburg area include …
https://www.pittsburghmattressfactory.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer with outlets in Ellenton and Bradenton. They make a variety of mattresses including double sided and true HR polyfoam (the best kind of polyfoam) and Dunlop latex. While they are not “cheap” and are priced higher than many independent manufacturers, they do use high quality materials and would be worth a phone call and/or a visit as a reference if nothing else.
https://www.manta.com/c/mm2fvf1/bartow-mattress-upholstery Local factory direct manufacturer in Bartow, FL. They have been making mattresses for over 100 years and make traditional two sided innerspring mattresses as well as 6" two sided latex mattresses on a working box spring. They are open about providing information about the quality/density of any of the materials or layers in their mattress. They will make memory foam mattresses but like many smaller manufacturers tend to prefer more resilient materials so they tend to discourage it and may not have any memory foam on their floor.
https://www.matterbrothersfurniture.com/ Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs, Naples, Fort Meyers, FL. They are a local manufacturer that makes a range of mattresses including latex and polyfoam/innersprings (and some memory foam). The sales people there are often not as knowledgeable about the materials they use however (for example they know little about the foam density they use) but they told me they would find out if asked. Certainly a better option and higher quality and value than larger name brands or mass market outlets but would require some research because being a manufacturer with several stores the knowledge level of all the salespeople on the floor may not be up to the “norm” of most local manufacturers.
HOME - InnoMax Smaller national brand normally sold through retail outlets but with a factory direct outlet in Clearwater. Makes a range of mattresses including latex and memory foam and better value.
Body Rest Mattress Manufacturer in St Petersburg and Tampa. They sell to retail stores but they have a local showroom where consumers can test their mattresses and be referred to a retailer. They are owned by Commercial Bedding and make the Green Karma line which uses PET recycled materials which are rather unique and a non toxic and durable alternative to traditional polyfoam as well as their Green Earth and
Panache lines which includes latex, innersprings, and memory foam.
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http://www.orlandomattresscompany.com/ and Atlas Mattress Factory Lake Hamilton, FL. They are local manufacturers who are working in partnership and make a range of good quality mattresses. They generally make commercial mattresses for hotels and cruise liners but they also sell direct to customers at the Atlas Mattress showroom. They make traditional mattresses (innerspring/polyfoam using a wide range of foam densities depending on budget), latex, latex hybrids, and microcoils and are transparent about the type and quality of the materials that they use. Both Orlando Mattress and Atlas Mattress can provide information about the materials inside any of their mattresses. They can also custom build.
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810 beds Retail outlet with outlets in Tampa, Brandon, St Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Tarpon Springs. Carries Panache and Body Rest mattresses (both owned by Commercial Bedding) and Serenity Mattress which are both local brands. He has a very close relationship with both and can order a custom mattress if necessary. Better value than most retail outlets, knowledgeable and helpful.
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http://www.somnissleep.org/ Retail store in Tampa. Carries Innomax, Organicpedic (OMI), and Reverie mattresses which are all high quality mattresses but some of them are in higher budget ranges. They also carry mLily which are a Chinese memory foam import. The owner is knowledgeable and focuses on the materials in a mattress rather than “marketing stories” which of course is a sign of a better outlet and better customer service.
www.clearwater-discount-mattress.com/ or http://www.tampabaydiscountmattress.com/index.html Retail outlet with outlets in Palm harbor and Tampa. Carries several alternative budget brands that tend to use higher quality materials and have better value than most major brands. While they don’t know every detail of the foams in their mattresses (they don’t actually make them), they have told me that they will find out for you so that you can avoid having too much low quality materials in your mattress.
https://bedpros.com/ Retailer with stores throughout the area. They carry Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses which are a high quality talalay latex mattress and because the specs are known can also provide a rough blueprint for an online purchase where the value may be better. I would not consider any of their other mattresses or let them steer you in any other direction using “sales techniques” (I don’t know them but many chain stores do this). There is nothing else there that I would consider unless they can provide all the specs you need that will “prove” that it would be worth considering.
http://www.mattressdr.com/ Retail store in Tampa and also sells on ebay. Carries Diamond mattresses.
https://www.designinteriorsfurniture.com/ Tampa. Carry a wide range of Jamison mattresses.
https://www.thebetterbackstore.net/ Port Richey. Carry Jamison which makes some higher quality mattresses including gel memory foam and latex.
https://www.mattressavenue.com/ Port Richey, Spring Hill. Carry Pure Latex Bliss talalay latex mattresses. I would avoid the major brands they also carry.
Contact Famous Tate in Florida Tampa, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Oldsmar, Spring Hill, Brandon, Port Richey, Wesley Chapel. They carry Therapedic mattresses (including latex hybrids) but make sure you can find out the specifics of all the layers in any mattress you consider here.
This topic also has some feedback from one of the members here about their experiences with some of the manufacturers mentioned here.
Hopefully this will help you a bit … and I would certainly take the time to do a little research if you can but if your time is limited it is exceptionally important to only go to outlets who will tell you exactly what is in every mattress they sell rather than telling you stories based on “comfort” alone which may feel great in the store but will have little relationship to how a mattress feels or performs when it is in your home or the quality or durability of the materials in it.
Phoenix