Hi eanderson,
1. I decided the SavvyRest Earthspring was too expensive, but if I were to go with an innerspring mattress, it looks like Pure Echo from mygreenmattress.com and Naturepedic are two of the only options. I know the Naturepedic is quite firm -- do you know if the Pure Echo is just as firm, and if the two are comparable in construction and quality? Also, I'm not finding a lot of info on either company's shipping costs and return policies -- do you know? This is where Sleep EZ seems to have a serious edge...
The
Pure Echo Line from MyGreenMattress
uses a good quality innerspring along with cotton and wool for padding and an organic cotton ticking. Latex is also an option and they are great value for those who are looking for this type of mattress or are in this budget range. The shipping costs are listed in the link ($185) and it can be built two sided for an extra 20%. The links to their return policy and warranty are on the same page. I would talk to them about the "relative firmness level" because they would know much more than me how it would compare to other mattresses. It would also need a waterproof cover for a child. It is rated as a "medium" but this means different things to different people.
The Naturepedic uses different components including a different innerspring and doesn't have wool (only cotton) and has a waterproof cover on one side (less breathable) for one model and a quilted cotton quilting ticking for the other which is also available in a two sided version. They are both significantly more that the Emily but I would probably talk with Tim at My Green Mattress to see if they were familiar with it and to see if they can give you some sense of how they may compare. I would personally prefer wool because of its benefits but this is a personal preference.
IMO .. the Pure Echo is better "value" (My Green Mattress ... like the other members here ... have some of the best "value" in the country). Both use high quality but different components and materials and there are no harmful chemicals in either.
In terms of an all latex mattress ... SleepEz has two choices for a 6" model (two 3" layers). One is the SleepEz 7000 and the other is
their Special
. Both use two 3" layers but the special doesn't have the wool quilted cover and uses 100% natural dunlop in the core layers rather than having a choice between Talalay and Dunlop. Having two 3" cores provides the ability and flexibility to customize the layers which can be an advantage for some people.
Arizona Premium also offers a
6" solid core latex mattress
with wool quilting but shipping and exchange options may be more limited.
Rocky Mountain mattress also has a
6" latex mattress with wool quilting here
.
CozyPure also offers a slightly higher priced
all latex mattress here
.
In most cases ... innerspring mattresses are not available as a component system (where you choose your own layers) and are shipped as a unit through regular truck freight (individual layers can be shipped through UPS in many cases) but it may also be worth talking with
Bay Bed and Mattress
who makes an innerspring mattress with customizable latex comfort layers which they can ship across the country.
All of these are good value choices although there are many differences between them and I would talk in person to any of these that you are interested in about any information that isn't on their site or questions you may have (they all know more about their mattresses than I do

). They are all very accommodating with questions about their products on the phone and may even suggest some further options.
2. The Ultimate Dreams mattress -- even the "natural" one, which is $200 more, still has 2.35 pound high density HR base foam in it. What is that, and is it all natural?
The base foam in their mattresses and is a high quality polyurethane foam which is American made and most people would consider "safe" but polyurethane foam is not a natural material. It also contains 1.5" of polyurethane foam in the quilting layers. They are excellent value as well but polyurethane is not a natural material and this may be important for those who are looking for more natural or organic options. Latex also comes in different versions and you can read more about these
in this article
.
There may also be some local options or manufacturers in your area that also have similar mattresses and if you let me know your city or zip I'd be happy to let you know about any I'm aware of.
Phoenix