FWIW.....I spent a couple of years (casually, like you) looking for a new mattress before finally pulling the trigger. It's been a few years since I actually bought one but my thoughts from the experience:
- There is a definite 'lifespan' difference between a $300 mattress and a $1000+ mattress. My previous purchase (a cheap-o 'hotel quality' mattress for $300 or $400) only held up for a few years.
- Don't pay more than 50% of the retail value. It may take several store visits over a period of time, but you will eventually find a bazillion dollar mattress for relatively cheap. My current mattress retailed around $1200 but I paid under $500 (The Brick Mattress Store, FWIW).
- Just go for it, don't over think it. Looking back, spending all that time sleeping on a crappy mattress while looking for the perfect replacement was foolish. My current mattress only met (let's say) 80% of my criteria, but its been terrific overall and certainly worth the money.
- Buy a mattress without the fancy pillow top. It's easy to add a quality pillow top for a decent price afterwards.
tldr; Get into the $750+ retail bracket, stick with a brand name (Sealy, Serta, Simmons), and buy one that has a huge (50%+) retail price cut (may take a couple of store visits to find).
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