I guess it's pretty common that manufacturers bed models have different names at different stores making it nearly impossible to compare pricing.  On the Stearns and Foster website I couldn't even find different models.  But I did find a Sealy model that is offered at several places. It's the Sealy SpringFree™ Fairway Dunes.  Our local Raymour and Flanigan furniture sells the queen for $2519.  It just so happens that I found it on line at several other mattress companies.  It's also $2519.  Does Sealy and other mattress companies mandate the selling price?  A lot of companies do share this practice on their products.  I also noticed that these mattress stores pretty much all say "We will not be under sold"!! 

I also noticed that these major manufacturers latex beds have more pads than the generics like SleepEz.  They just use more/different layers of thinner latex/foam.  This gets more and more confusing!!

We quit trying to learn about latex when we decided it wasn't for us.

Interesting that all Sealy "latex" mattresses only have something called "luxury latex foam" and so far I can't find a definition of what that means.  I suspect it is a marketing label for fake latex.  Looking online at latex mattress comparisons of the S-mattress companies only Simmons uses descriptions that seem to show that they use natrual latex in their mattresses.

Reading posts from forum members that are much more experienced with latex it looks like the way to go is avoid the big name mattress makers.  You can find 6 inch natural latex cores starting at around $600 and if we were ever going to try latex we would buy a core and put a softer foam topper on top of it if we found it necessary but we both are comvinced that for our personal tastes and bodies that ain't nothin' on the mattress market today that can compare with our waterbed with topper combination.

Anywho, looks like buying a "real" latex core and adding a topper layer if necessary could get you same comfort for around a grand instead of the very expensive name brand mattresses you mentioned - IMO - anybody that pays $2500 for a mattress got a VERY bad deal.

Best Wishes!