OP here! Mattress update!
I don't know how to write anything but a novel, so here we go. lol
I went to two mattress stores. At the first store (Mattress Firm), I had my choices narrowed down to a Tempur-pedic (hybrid) and a Sealy (hybrid), but they both felt similar, and I couldn't tell enough difference to confidently make a choice. They both felt "good" but really no feeling other than good. Like, I didn't just sink onto one and think, "This is it." The Sealy was almost half the price with the same warranty, but so many people rave about the TP, that I just wasn't sure. The salesman (manager?) was very nice and didn't push higher priced mattresses. He suggested all the ones I tried except for the Purple and Nectar, which I wanted to try because of the hype. More on that later. He did say that the TP would last longer than the Sealy with a likely lifespan of 12-15 years. I also tried an all memory foam TP, and I was very surprised to find that I did not like that as well as I did the hybrid. I tried to haggle the price or get them to throw something in, but that was a no-go, because of their Labor Day sale.
So then I went to our locally-owned store (Beautyrest Gallery). I tried several mattresses and found one (a hybrid Beautyrest) that was very close to being "it." There was a marked difference in feel between it and the others I had been trying in both stores. Because of my hip bursitis and angular body-type, the salesperson said that the TP might be too dense of foam for me. They had the same TP mattress at this store that I was considering at the first, so I laid on it. I couldn't believe the difference in feel between the TP and the Beautyrest I was considering. Thank goodness I didn't get the TP. The salesman at Mattress Firm assured me that the TP would be good for my pressure points, but the salesman at this store was right--it felt too firm after finding the Beautyrest. Then he had me try one more mattress from a company I'd never heard of. The company is Southerland, and the mattresses are made in Oklahoma City from all US-sourced materials. They have a 12-year warranty vs. the standard 10-year warranty. I laid down on it and was shocked. This was it. Very similar to the Beautyrest but a bit more cushy. I went back and forth between the Beautyrest and it to be sure but ultimately bought the Southerland. Everything was on their Labor Day sale, so I didn't get any haggling done, but I did get him to throw in a waterproof/allergy proof mattress pad. ($70)
So then I decided to treat myself to an adjustable base after trying them out in the stores. He had two models and suggested the lower price model for me, because it would only be me using it, and for me, the massage function (available on the higher-end) wouldn't be anything I would use. It mainly just shakes the bed, so I don't really know how it "massages," but I digress. It had a 10-year warranty, but he said he wouldn't be concerned with that, since it won't get heavy use. So he checked the availability and asked me if I was in a hurry to get it. I told him I wasn't. He stood there for a moment, and then he said, "You know what? We have the higher-end model in stock, so I'm just going to upgrade you to it free of charge, so you don't have to wait on your bed." Wow. That is some customer service. I was thrilled. Between the upgraded base--which adjusts, massages, and get this...has a LIGHT underneath that is controlled by the remote...so you can SEE UNDER YOUR BED and it provides subtle lighting at night like if you have to get up to go to the bathroom or something--and the free mattress pad...PLUS they could deliver it all Monday evening, I was super happy. They will completely set it up for me and take away the old mattress, which they donate or dispose of according to the condition of it. All that is rolled into the price of the bed, so I got one blanket price for the whole she-bang instead of everything being listed at separate prices like Mattress Firm did. Which all I had to do was add it up, but it was convenient to have the total cost done for me. And I was very happy to be supporting a local store.
Now about the "bed in a box" beds. I hated the Purple mattress. I laid on the cushiest one, and I felt like I was lying on an egg crate mattress that moved from side to side. I had read that people either love them or dislike them, and I fall into the latter camp. Definitely not for me. The Nectar? I liked it!!! I tried the Nectar Premier because of needing a cushier bed. If I was wanting to go the bed-in-a-box route and/or needed to stay more on the lower-end cost side of a mattress purchase, that would definitely be one to consider. The original Nectar bed is firmer than the Premier. I hope this helps someone also in the same boat as I was. I just hope the bed is "all that" once I get it here and try it out. You never know until you've slept on one how it truly is.
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