I was one of the original "Simmons haters" on this forum, as I had one that didn't even last a year before it was killing me (and that was before I had all these back problems from an accident, etc.)

Read a lot of reviews and do further checking before buying a Simmons.

I still say, go with strong springs (any brand that has decent springs), get the most ULTRA firm you can get (this basically just means "very little cheap foam padding" - as opposed to the pillowtop plush types which have "way too much cheap foam padding") and put your own toppers on top.

I could be wrong, of course, because a mattress is a very individual thing.

But I really think how it feels doesn't matter all that much if you just get something with strong springs and little padding and then add your own toppers. I'd say, the firmer the better, as long as you don't feel the springs poking you!

Mattresses using the same coil unit feel different because of what goes over it. A mattress made with more precompressed material will feel much firmer than one made almost entirely of soft PU foam. And naturally the more foam the softer the mattress is going to feel no matter what's underneath it.

I don't know how reputable the store you were shopping at is, but the one I bought my mattress from has an excellent reputation so I just told the salesman I wanted a mattress with a good strong coil unit. He showed me the cut away of various mattresses so I could see the gage of the steel inside for myself. The mattress I chose not only had good sturdy coils, it had more of them in the center third of the mattress to provide better lumbar support.

Too bad they had to undermine all this nice support with cheap PU foam that only gets softer and less supportive as time goes by--but by buying a mattress with a basically sound support unit I know that I can replace the foam when the time comes and still have an innerspring that will last for at least twenty years.

Need your advice as I'm getting frustrated with the shopping for the new mattress.

I keep seeing the advice of " going with strong springs (any brand that has decent springs), get the most ULTRA firm you can get (this basically just means "very little cheap foam padding" - as opposed to the pillowtop plush types which have "way too much cheap foam padding") and put your own toppers on top."

I found this Serta mattress hotel series online at Sam's club and wondering if it's a right one.

First of all it is double sided, means I can slip on both sides and it will require to flip it over from time to time. My understanding is that's a good thing. It is hard to find such mattresses anymore as the manufacturers shifted to non-flipping mattresses in the past couple years.

Second, my impression is that mattress has decent springs and little cheap foam. Please, correct me and provide your comments if I'm mistaken.

The bad thing is I cannot try it anywhere in the stores before buying.

Here's the specification of the Queen size mattress (Serta Master Suite Firm):

Mattress height - 10.5''

Innerspring:

Coil counts - 800, 14 3/4 Gauge

 Continuous Wire Unit

6 Gauge Border Wire

Quilted Panel

1 Layer of Pillo Fill Plus

FireBlocker

7/8'' High ILD Convoluted Foam

1/2'' Quilting Foam

Patented Advanced Comfort Quilt Construction

Upholstery

1'' Firm Poly Foam

Insulator

Fireblocker Insulator Pad

Ticking

Designer Damask

Here's the marketing broshure for this mattress

http://www.serta.bc.ca/documents/MasterSuiteFirm.pdf

Thanks in advance for all you input