I thought the same thing when I went net shopping for mattresses last year! You can get some incredible deals from online warehouse places, too, but they are seconds, or returns, or overstock... I couldn't research brands fast enough to make up my mind.
I ended up buying futon mattresses (I really hate springs) and wool toppers from here:
http://www.northernnaturals.com/futon-mattresses.html I still love them... and they smell absolutely incredible.

more people want natural mattresses, makes it more affordable
