Consider An Innerspring First - A conventional innerspring mattress is the most common choice and often the least expensive. Memory foam, which was developed to protect astronauts is heat-sensitive and conforms to your body. Tempur-Pedic is the big name but there are other brands. Not all memory foam feels the same, and it can take time to get used to. A third option is the inflatable type that lets you choose a different firmness for each half of the bed. Select Comfort is the major such brand.
Decide Where to Shop - Buy at a store, not online or over the phone, unless you've already tried the identical mattress in a store. Online customers typically return their mattresses at a higher rate than those who buy in a store. So if you do decide to buy online, check the return policy.
Department stores have frequent sales and lots of brands but they tend to be crowded, cluttered, and short on sales help. Bedding stores such as Sleepy's and 1-800-Mattress, and furniture stores such as Seaman's, offer plenty of variety and were less crowded. Salespeople here are also more attentive and willing to bargain.
Tempur-Pedic is sold at a variety of stores but discounts are few and far between.
Understand the Name Game - Manufacturers usually modify any innerspring mattress they make for different sellers, changing the color, padding, quilting, patterns, and so forth. Then each seller can call the mattress by a different name. This also allows a seller to claim to have the "absolute lowest price" because no one else has the exact same mattress. Consumers are the losers because you can't comparison shop.
Some bed makers provide helpful information on their websites. Go to www.simmons.com, for example, and you'll uncover basics about the company's flagship Beautyrest lines; the Classic, World Class, and Exceptionale. You'll see those names wherever you find Beautyrest and all beds in each line share attributes.