Buying a Mattress

[clean]

they've changed the control system on their beds so that the only way you can operate it is by using a smart phone!  What a joke.  I'm not going to mess around with that.

not a Sleep Number Commercial...
I updated our mattresses about a year ago, I think. I did note that they have the option to use a cellphone to control the bed, but (a year ago, anyway) they still had the option (maybe for a small added fee) to get a controller similar to the old ones I was used to .  (I use the controller - which can control both beds- but My Bride uses her phone, and the added sleep monitoring that it provides.)

I admit that I was a little disappointed that the new mattresses did not work as well with my older adjustable base.  The former mattresses were bolted to the adjustable frame.  The new ones connect to the new bases in some other way, or the connectors are in different places.  So my new mattresses are on the base, and held down by a bracket at the end of the bed - so the mattress can move a bit.  The good news is that I think that it makes it easier to make the bed, but once a week or so, I have to reposition the bed to the center- which takes very little effort.

A new base was NOT going to happen.  The base itself is very expensive, but the new bases have even more features that would be nice, but I can live with the old ones (after all, I drive a 22 year old car too!)   

[mahagonny]

I used to take a nap between classes by lying down on the long desk in the adjunct faculty office. My pillow was a stack of 8 X 11 paper.

Good luck with your situation. I recommend firmer rather than softer. I think it's better for your back in the long run.

Wife says we have a beautyrest. It's good. Sides are pretty rigid.

[mythbuster]

I saw the New Yorker article over the weekend. Amusing, but did not actually answer my question of how to determine which is optimal without actually interacting first.  I think the actual answer is you can't, unless you limit yourself to the brands available at Mattress Firm and the like. 
     I stopped by our local Mattress Firm and the sales pitch was annoying and exceedingly old school. I got the sense the sales guy really wanted to call me "honey", which is a BAD idea on his part. He also REALLY wanted to sell me the adjustable base, which we are not interested in. He was shocked that we didn't have a TV in our bedroom.
    We have a Consumer Reports account and reading the reviews is hilarious because the first will claim Mattress A is like sleeping on hard rock, and the next will call it too soft with a crater in the middle. So much like student evals in that regard.
    Based on the ones I have tested and various other sources I have a guess of which we should try. It's an online only brand. But convincing Mr. Buster to order it blind it a TALL task. He's the type who needs to self evaluate all options before deciding.
  We have guests coming at the start of November, so we need to get something in place by then.

[clean]

For a guest mattress, that YOU are highly unlikely to use, it seems that you are going to a lot of trouble.
find a local store, even a costco, and get one that fits the box spring you already have. 
Minimize the hassles & the costs!

[mythbuster]

   We actually use our guest mattress quite a bit for just us.  We also have a decent number of people stay with us, as all relatives are a distance away and we live in an appealing locale.  Also, our mattress is getting on in years, so if we can find a good one now, then we can just swap ours into the guest bed. Hence why we want one that is better than just acceptable,

[clean]

Then the 'guest bed' is a red herring!
You are not shopping for a 'guest bed', but a replacement for your bed, and your current bed becomes a guest bed.

this certainly changes the shopping style, and involves Mr Buster more. 

IF you have a sleep number store in the area, it is worth the look.  Whether it is worth the BUY is a different question that only you two can answer!