Hi sheep123,
Thanks for taking the time to share your comments about your brother's experience at Texas Mattress Makers ... I appreciate it

. I would certainly agree that they are well worth considering for anyone that is in reasonable driving distance.
On to my question: my brother will be taking my mom to Texas Mattress Makers to pick out a new mattress soon. She is currently on a knock off Sleep number mattress in which the baffles are failing, she can no longer pump up the baffles, and it's like she's sleeping on a partially deflated mattress...
While I'm not a big fan of airbeds in general (see
this article
) ... if the only issue is that the air bladder is failing then she may be able to replace them under warranty,
She is on a bit of a limited budget, and I was looking at Texas Mattress Makers website. In her budget (up to $800 for a full set), I see there are several in the $400-$800 price range that are "eurotop" or "pillowtop". I generally have thought it's best to stay away from these types of mattresses, but I'm wondering, what about if a eurotop or pillowtop is from a quality maker? My mom needs soft pressure point relief, and I have a feeling she is going to like one of the pillow top makes.
There are a couple of "quilted comfort foam" eurotop models from Texas Mattress Makers (Madison, Monte Carlo, New York models). In the higher price range, there are a couple "Low profile Softech™ Micro Pocketed Coil Topper with foam padding" (the River Oaks model and the Bel Air Model).
Just wondering if buying a Eurotop from a quality manufacturer would be ill advised? I know to stay away from them from the big S makers...
The issue with many pillowtops or eurotops isn't so much the pillowtop or eurotop design of the mattress as much as the quality and durability of the materials that the major manufacturers (which represent the large majority of pillowtop or eurotop mattresses that people purchase) use inside their mattresses.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the "value" of a mattress purchase in
post #13 here
which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or the exchange/return options that are available to you).
While I can't speak to how any mattress will "feel" for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances ... outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can't "feel" and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out
information listed here
so you can compare the materials and components to the
quality/durability guidelines here
to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Texas Mattress Makers uses higher quality and more durable materials in their mattresses than the major manufacturers and if one of their pillowtop or eurotop mattresses is a good "match" in terms of PPP and if the materials and components in a pillowtop or eurotop mattress meet the quality/durability guidelines I linked then they can certainly make a suitable and durable choice that would be well worth considering.
Phoenix