We are starting to wake up with back and shoulder problems. I just recalled our current bed is going on 10 years old and I suspect that's the issue. It looks like its been a year or two since we had a mattress thread and I know tech changes so....
Who do we like for mattresses? I'm not really picky, she seems to like soft, I'd like to keep it below 2k but I'd consider more if it gets us the rest and lets us start the day with full mobility.

Mrs. Mike decided we needed a sleep number mattress. It has helped immensely with her hip pain.
Before this we had a tempur-pedic , for 15-16 years

The wife and I went with two twin-xl mattresses on twin adjustable frames. Worked out very well, both of you can pick your firmness and preferred sleeping positions. The wife picked a firmer and I picked a softer Tempur-Pedic hybrid mattesses. The good part is that you both don't need to use the same mattress firmness or even the same manufacturer. They did seem a bit pricey but her back problems going away made it a very good investment.

When we decided to buy we went to a couple of stores and laid on various mattresses for a fair period of time to see if she would start hurting. When you test a mattress make sure to give it a chance to start hurting your backs, hips, etc. Move on when that happens.

Those aren't <$2k. With today's inflation not sure what having in mattresses is.

They are, however a great choice, Bytes

I appreciate it so far. I will take a larger bill with alleviated pain so the stated budget was more ballpark than anything else.

My bil and wife have sleep number beds and they state they love them. I am not sure which model they have as there are many types. Our beds are getting to that time we need to replace them and I am contemplating some as well.

We were were not sleeping well and waking up sore and went with a sleep number bed. No regretts. I don't mind the price tag at all, sleeping well is money well spent.

ETA: if you look at sleep number, they run 3 or 4 sales a year, the sales team will even let you know when the next one is.

I prefer Simmons Beautyrest.

Go in a try them out. We had decided on Purple because that's what was best when we were in last. Didn't buy that time, but the next time in we tried a Serta Hybrid. That's what we ended up buying. One mattress and adjustable base, and some pillows at a little under 4k.

Now as I age lower back pain and tightness is a part of life. It works its way loose about 15 minutes after I'm up and going, and returns when I tire. A change in mattress didn't make a difference. My wife on the other hand reports a great improvement.

I bought Sterns and Foster last year. Excellent mattress.

Latex. 100%

We had a sleep number bed for a year and had nothing but issues with it. They came out to the house on three separate occasions and after having to call them the forth time I wanted a refund. They refused so I filed a BBB complaint and then they agreed to refund our money. We then bought a Helix and it is the most comfortable mattress we’ve ever had. I highly recommend Helix.

My next one will probably be a Hilton one:

https://www.hiltontohome.com/p...tress-and-box-spring

My wife and I wanted a Tempur-Pedic mattress for years. First we bought a Brand-X memory foam mattress from Denver Mattress Co. It was aww-iight. Then we bought a more expensive Serta hybrid. Never really liked it and it seems like it was worn out way too soon. A couple years ago we finally bought our Tempur-Pedic. We also bought a motorized platform for it. I have chronic GERD and elevate the head slightly to sleep (and the feet just slightly); it helps. In the morning, we raise the the head and feet and enjoy a cup or two of coffee. We got medium firmness on the recommendation of the salesperson (we thought we wanted firm). Good choice. We both sleep very well. Can’t imagine a better mattress.

My wife and I bought a Purple mattress about 3 months ago and are very happy with it. I was skeptical when first looking into them but a local store has many brands set up to test out. When pressing down on the Purple with your hand it feels very soft but is much more firm when you lay on it and allow the waffle-gel pattern to work as designed. The king was on sale for ~$1500 and came with a money back guarantee (equivalent amount in store credit).

Another satisfied purple owner. Previous was a tempurpedic we had for maybe 15 years, although the new tempurpedics have improved, we both agreed on the purple whereas we differed on which tempurpedic we liked.

mygreenmattress is what we went with. Organic natural latex hybrid, shipped to our door. Love it!

How is the purple mattress for motion isolation? Besides pain I awake when partner moves around.

I used nothing but waterbeds until around 3 years ago after staying at a Sheraton hotel and discovering how nice their mattresses were.

Now I use nothing but a Sheraton Mattress.

Our Tempurpedic is great and has lasted past ten years.
Considering the things people do and pay to deal with back problems as they age, these are a great value.