After reading and printing out all of your GREAT info, I went into the mattress stores as their worst nightmare - an old lady armed with a clipboard of research. 
Still, I found I was a more than a bit overwhelmed with the choices in my lower price range.
I need two queen beds.
At a local mattress store, I went through a 5 minute computer “test”, supposedly designed by Duke University (?). It involved my lying down on a machine bed while it “evaluated” the pressure. (Back sleeper here). They came up with a color code, then supposedly matched it to a choice of 3 beds in my price range that would “work” for me. I have no idea if that is legit; however, they came up 4 bed choices on their floor, including a middle-of-the road Northwest Bedding bed, (plush for me, they said, rather than Euro or Firm), . Northwest Bedding (from Spokane), makes their own lines of beds, but also puts together a bed for this store called the “Madison” line. This local mattress store has been around our Montana city for years, has great reviews, and the owner apparently has Northwest build the three styles according to his own specs. There are few reviews on Northwest Bedding; however, this store has done business with them for over 23 years, and when I called the factory direct they were very helpful and informative.
For the first bed, I purchased the Northwest Bedding plush two weeks ago… ($528 in one of those “forever sales” that the retailers all have). The back pain I’d been experiencing in my 10 year old sagging Sealy has improved, but is still there! I need to try it a week or so longer, I guess. (before 30 days to return it are up). It’s hard to tell yet if it’s my bad back, or the bed.
Now, I am looking for a second bed. (I sleep in the basement in the summer and main floor in the winter as I cannot afford A/C!). After sleeping for a few night’s on a Doctor’s Choice Plush at my son’s house on a visit last Fall, I found it quite comfortable, with minimal pain. The problem is that it was called a “Madison Plush”, and Denver Mattress tells me, “the Doctor’s Choice Plush is the same bed, renamed”. ???
The 2nd bed will be one in which I sleep 8-9 months of the year, but I need to keep it in a lower price range, also. ($500-700) From what I read on your site, that will limit me to an innerspring again. In my price range, I have narrowed it down to another Northwest bed or a Doctor’s Choice.
Part of the dilemma of whether I’ll keep the new Northwest bed concerns firmness. Based on what I’ve read, the plush will begin to sag pretty quickly. I wonder if it would help to get a firm in either brand, then use a foam topper for a few years until the mattress softens? Or will it matter? (The mattress store where I bought the Northwest bed says that toppers don’t help because they can change and defeat the purpose of the original bed surface.) You seem to think that the Doctor’s Choice is an “okay” mattress, and their warranty is a non-prorated 15 years, rather than 10 for the Northwest. I am wondering if I were to get a Doctor’s choice firm, instead of a Plush, and then buy a topper - might that possibly help back pain at all? (I realize that all of this stuff is totally subjective, of course).
Since you are aware of the stats for the Doctor’s Choice Plus, here’s those for the Northwest PLUSH bed I just bought, for comparison:
10 year warranty, non-prorated for the life of warranty (Although I hear that shipping to the factory and back may be pricey!)
They also note that it does not cover “normal softening or recovery time of cushioning components, i.e. poly-foam, latex, Visco-elastic, or get impregnated Visco-elastic, which occurs during normal use of product. Longer recovery times and up to 30% softening of “firmness” is normal for these components and is not considered to be a defect in the material", i.e. not covered.
It has a 650 Inneract support system, i.e. verti-coil a.k.a. alternating coils… opposing coils turned in opposite directions, running vertically with body lines for increased postural support. The wire is 13.5 gauge versus 14.5 for the Doctor’s Choice.
There’s 1.5 lb soy-based bioflex, 3 1/2” of supersoft convoluted foam, which I believe includes a 2" piece of top to foam encasement, and another 1 1/2" of safeguard fiberfill, bioflex supersoft foam with a circular knit cover for the top. The top is also water-base glued to the convoluted layer of quilting on top.
I realize you cannot make a decision for me, but my wee brain, (and lousy back), would sure appreciate some suggestions to consider for the next purchase - and whether it might be a good idea to pay the $67 return fee for the Northwest and get two of the Doctor’s Choice mattresses with longer warranties.
As as aside, I love the games they play in this business. Denver Mattress has a 4 month trial period, but a $45 delivery charge and a $25 restocking fee, where the other local store has a 30-day trial period, free delivery, but a $67 return fee! :S Aaaaargh!
Thanks for any ideas you can give me on this! Your site is awesome, by the way.
