The Mattress Pecking: Anything Come Between Mass-Produced and Luxury?

I am trying to identify the right king-sized mattress to purchase for my wife and me. I have read these forums, conducted some online research, spoken to a couple of friends in the furniture industry, and visited a local sleep store to get an idea of options. I know to avoid the no-flip, single-sided sleep system. I want an innerspring mattress and not a foam or "hybrid". Based on the experience and the 10 minutes we spent on the Simmons Beautyrest mattresses in the store, we seem to prefer a firm to medium-firm mattress.

The buying process has been complicated by a few factors. 1 - We live in a small state with limited mattress options. The area stores offer a limited selection of single-sided mattresses from Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, Restronic, and some promotional brands. I'm advised flippable Jamisons are offered by one or two family-owned furniture stores in small towns. We are nowhere near Royal-Pedic, Shifman, McRoskey, Hastens, Hypnos, or Duxiana retailers. 2 - Even if these high-end mattresses were accessible to us, they appear to be out of our price range. After purchasing a house and taking a better job that paid less money, a Shifman (or the less-expensive Royal-Pedic) mattress is not doable. I'd budgeted about $2,200 for the mattress. $3,000 is the upper limit.

Are there any mattress manufacturers that would be dramatic improvements from the Sealy/Serta/Simmons line but also below the price of the so-called "luxury" lines like Royal-Pedic and Shifman? There seems to be a huge price gap (and at least from research, a corresponding quality gap as well) between the "S" brand tier and the Shifman/Royal-Pedic tier and nothing in between.

Your collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Linchpin,
A couple things to note, to me it doesn't sound like you have really come across a salesperson that has done your mattress shopping needs justice yet. I can tell this by the information you have provided. The main thing to keep in mind is that different mattress configurations are going to work best for different sleeping styles. While everyone typically starts off by saying that they prefer a "firm" mattress, it is important to understand what "firm" means, as the term is commonly misused. We always want a firm mattress in relation to the support system or the coil system (in most cases). This is independent of the FEEL of the mattress. Basically, the support for your back comes from the coil system, while the feel of the mattress comes from the pressure relieving materials on top (various iterations of foam). This is important because whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach will dictate whether you are best suited for a firm mattress with a soft top, or a firm mattress with a harder top. Typically, here is what you should look for depending on how you prefer to sleep:

Side Sleeper- Firm mattress with a soft top. This is important because you need your hips and shoulders to be able to sink into the bed without cutting off your circulation, while having the support system still come up to support your mid section for proper spinal alignment. A good way to test this when trying out mattresses is to lay on your side like you would typically do when going to sleep, have someone look at you and verify that your hips, shoulders, and back are all in alignment (not bowed down) and slide your hand under your midsection. You should feel a fair amount of resistance. This means the mattress is allowing your hips and shoulders to sink in, but still coming up to meet you in your midsection.

Back Sleeper- Typically a firm mattress with a mid to soft top. You should feel the mattress coming up to support your lumbar area without feeling like you are "hunching" too much.

Stomach Sleeper- Typically a firm mattress with a hard top. You want to ensure that your back isn't bowing or arching while you sleep. One thing to note is that this way of sleeping is terrible for you. It is hard on your organs and back. Break this habit if possible.

Frequently people will say some combination of these positions or that they change positions frequently at night. Almost without fail these people are side sleepers who have been sleeping on a mattress that is too hard and not pressure-relieving enough. As previously mentioned, as a side sleeper you need your hips and shoulders to be able to sink into the bed without putting pressure on them. We have some pretty important veins that run through these areas, and if you are on a mattress that is too hard the blood flow is slowed or impeded. When this is the case one of two things happens, either A) Your body recognizes this and sends a signal to your brain to adjust to fix the issue (tossing and turning), or B) You wake up in the morning with that numb, tingly arm feeling going on. Both of these are terrible in terms of your sleep cycles (a whole topic in and of itself), and will result in you getting less REM sleep and feeling less rejuvenated upon waking.

So that long winded explanation aside, I would challenge a couple of things. I am not sure that whoever told you that you should stay away from a one sided or "no-flip" mattress was correct. At one point in time, all mattress manufacturers used "working" box-springs (meaning they had actual coils in the box-spring). And while it is true that a one sided mattress with a working box-spring could be problematic and effect the longevity of the set, this is no longer the case. One sided mattresses are designed to work differently. Now, when you a retailer or manufacturer touting that you get "twice the bed" with a two sided mattress, it is mostly marketing hype. I went into more explanation here: http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...r-Platform-Bed.
So depending on what type of mattress (hard, soft, middle) you are looking for, I would say look for the iterations of the top tier manufacturers that are in your price range. My personal choice is KingsDown. Historically KingsDown is as good or better than Dux, but at around half to 75% of the price. This is still up closer to the $4k range. In the past several years, however, they have produced multiple lines that are in more accessible price ranges. They are some of the best mattresses produced in the world, in my opinion and myself and all of my family members sleep on KingsDown products. Outside of that, you really need to find a mattress that fits your individual needs. Some coil systems are specifically designed for people with lower back pain, upper back pain, partners not disturbing each other, etc. If you cannot find a salesperson that knows their products inside and out, leave. You spend more time on your mattress than you do in your car, will probably have it for the next 10-15 years, and it can directly effect your productivity during the day.

Buying bedding is the 'black hole' in the furniture industry. You'll get numbers thrown at you - specs - promises and warranties and your head will swirl from it all leaving you confused and baffled. I like to simply things by saying "all bedding feels good when its new", and pretty much that's a truism. The trick is in how long they last. There's the thing you won't find out from specs and testimonials from chiropractors. The "S" beds (as we call them) typically are used up in 6 to 8 years of man/woman couple use of 300 nights per year or so. When you see the ridge develop in the middle of the bed, or the sides no longer have support, they're done. Toss 'em out. Most people won't do that however - and hold onto them for several more years until they're REALLY bad.

The better beds don't really work or sleep any better than the less costly ones, but they last much longer...usually twice the lifespan of those "S" beds. That's what you're really paying for. New beds always feel so much better when you get them - regardless of maker - because you've been sleeping on a used up bed too long.

Why do they last longer? Because of the interior material components. "S" beds are blown foam, quality beds are typically cotton or nearly pure latex. Expensive and costly raw materials - hence the higher costs. You can spend less for a bed and toss it out more frequently, or spend more and have a longer service life. Even an inexpensive 'Hotel Grade" bed will sleep pretty good for about three to four years. Pretty much that's what it comes down to in my opinion.