Similar to the post down below, I'm needing a new set of bedding. Not interested in the air/sleep # type beds, mainly cause I'm too tight to pay that kind of money for something I'm not sure about. Plus, I can't help but wonder if the air beds are like the water bed craze several years ago. Don't think I want memory foam, heard too many complaints about over heating and I can't sleep when I'm hot. So, how does one make a decision on a conventional mattress/box apring set-up? Not a problem to tell which ones lie good in the store, but is there any way to know how long they will last and which ones are there for the long haul? We have an independent mattress factory here owned by an individual, maybe I need to just follow 95h's advice and go there. Now that I think about it, we bought a mattress for a baby bed from there 27 years ago. Put it in the attic probably 20 years ago. Recently got it down for our first grandchild. I was expecting the  plastic cover would be brittle and crack from the extreme heat and cold, but it seemed to be as good as new. Did I just answer my own question?