Thanks for all of the recommendations and informative threads. I’ve done quite a bit of reading over the last day on this subject. I’ve also called or researched most of the factory direct manufacturers that are in state. I have found interest in a few of them, especially columbia bedding store and charleston bedding.
What has really caught my interest is Foam Order that I mentioned before. I called their showroom and got a very knowledgeable gentleman on the phone. After discussing some of my needs and comfort requirement as well as budget he pointed me toward their Larkspur mattress. The specific composition of the model we discussed is comprised of two layers of foam at 3" thick per for a total thickness of 6" of mattress. He seemed to think the “medium” variety would suit my needs well, but that of course it was impossible to know until I had more of a preference on the different kinds of foam , density and ILD numbers. This I agree with especially considering suggestions from you and articles on this site.
Anyway, I was hoping to get some opinions on the composition of this mattress and the price point of which it falls within.
Larkspur mattress.
6" thick, Eastern King size
base layer is poly v34 3" thick (Density: 2.6 lb/ft3, ILD: 34.) Their premium poly foam has a 15 year warranty against any dipping, flattening, or softening
Comfort layer is Dunlop “natural sense” all natural latex at 28 ILD (also available in 25 ILD in this variety)
Comes with cotton inner cover to contain both foam layers, and a zip up outer cover
This mattress delivered with 50% off shipping, and he applied a 10% discount code comes to $970
The person I spoke with seemed to think that for myself and my wife that we wouldn’t need any more than 6" of mattress for sufficient support. Especially in this range of firmness. I would be perfectly happy with the height of this bed on my box spring.
I especially liked the fact that this company was selling me the foam, not the mattress with a very vague notion of what’s in it. I also discussed making the comfort layer of progressively softer latex to a talalay top layer of a low ILD number. He said it could significantly change the feel, but that it’s completely subjective.
Anyway, my first step is still finding somewhere that I can try mattresses where they can show me the compositions of them. That way I can get a feel for what I like. Ultimately though, the people at foam order have impressed me.