On Monday, I mentioned that Kris and I are ready to replace our 15-year-old mattress. I don’t sleep well on it, though I sleep fine on other mattresses. I only mentioned this to illustrate a point, but I was surprised at how many readers commented on my situation.
Jason’s comment was typical:
I’ve found that sleep is the absolute root of everything. With decent sleep, I’m a better man, father, athlete, spouse, employee and all around person. With poor sleep, I’m just getting by at best, an irritable mess at worst.
I’d replace that mattress yesterday, as others have already said. Think of the other things you “just do” when they wear out and become unsafe or function poorly — car tires, toothbrushes, sponges, knives, ladders, etc. The mattress very easily fits into the same category.
Unfortunately, “an irritable mess” pretty much describes me lately, and I’m sure that a lot of this stems from poor sleep. I don’t need more convincing. I’m ready to purchase a new mattress. But how do I go about it without getting ripped off? For some reason, I think of mattress shopping in the same way I think about shopping for a used car.
In the same discussion, EBYT wrote that she sold mattresses while attending university. She offered the following tips for mattress shopping:
Mattresses are hugely marked up (at least here in Canada). I bought one for staff price (brand new, not a display model) that cost 50% less than what we were selling it for. They still made money off of me. Either wait till they go on sale, or make sure you ask for a good deal. Good mattress/box sets start around $1,500 “regular” price.
Make sure you buy a mattress pad so you get full warranty. The salespeople will try to sell you on the manufacturer’s 10-year warranty, but they don’t always tell you the warranty is void if you stain it.
To go along with the warranty thing, always buy the matching mattress/boxspring set. Mismatching usually voids the warranty. The boxspring is usually only about 10-15% of the mattress set’s price so don’t try to cut costs there, or by using your old “perfectly good” boxspring.
Don’t be afraid to test the beds on the showroom floor — that’s what they’re there for.
Another reader suggested buying a mattress from a warehouse club. Kris and I made a trip to Costco the other day to look at their mattresses. As always, the prices are great but the selection is poor. Plus, there’s no way to “sleep-test” the mattresses (which are just in a big stack in the middle of the store). Would it be bad form to sleep test at a mattress store and then buy from Costco? Could I even find the same models?
Then Garrison contacted me. “My home just flooded and due to renters insurance I was thrown into the market for a new mattress,” he said. “I called up my long-time best friend whose entire family is in the mattress business. I used his advice in my purchase and I’ve been completely satisfied.” Here’s what Garrison’s friend, Justin, had to say.
I’ve written a lot here to help you buy a mattress. Once I started thinking about this, all sorts of information came back to me. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Make sure there is at least a 30-day trial period. This is a deal-breaker and you should absolutely not purchase a bed without this guaranty, no matter what else they are offering. Most beds take 4-6 weeks of sleep to really break in and feel how they are going to feel long-term. Don’t give up on a bed after a few bad nights right away. Your body will have to adjust to the new bed.
You should only use a bed about 10 years. Don’t pay more for a bed just because it has a warranty longer than that. The one exception would be a Tempurpedic-brand bed. Those come with long warranties and should last longer than 10 years.
Remember that if you need to get rid of your old bed, a lot of places will do that for you if you have your new bed delivered.
Beds are expensive. For a decent king size, you’ll spend anywhere from $1,200 to $4,000, depending on what you are willing to pay for. Realistically, I’d recommend closer to $2,000 than $1,000, especially for a king size. King sizes typically run about $300 higher than queens. Keep in mind that over 10 years a $2,000 bed is only like $15 per month, and you spend 1/3 of your life in bed, so it is probably the best “value” of anything you purchase. You get what you pay for when it comes to mattresses.
Ask for a “low-profile” box spring. They will make the bed 6 inches lower to the ground than a regular box spring and should be the same price. You usually have to specifically request that sort of thing. You might have to wait a few extra days to get the bed then.
Remember that you will need a new bed frame for a king size bed. A frame is going to run about $50 at the low end, to $100 at the high end. I’ve never heard of a frame breaking, so I don’t know why you would need a high-end frame. The salespeople get bonus commissions on those though, so they will try to sell you one if they have them.
They’re also going to try selling you a “mattress protector” or “mattress pad.” If it is a cushioned pad, then don’t bother; you are getting a new bed so why in the world would you need a pad for it, right? But, if it is a waterproof style that comes with a stain warranty for the bed, then it is worth thinking about. We used to sell mattress protectors that cost $80, and they had a 10-warranty that if the bed stained through the mattress protector, they would give you the purchase value of the bed so you could get a new one.
The reason this is important is because if the bed gets stained or ripped, you will lose the 10-year warranty and will lose the 30/60/90 day trial period. They won’t take back a stained or ripped bed. Also, you can take the protectors off and wash them and they prevent mold from forming inside the bed and get keep the bed fresher overall. They really are a good buy.
If you venture outside these brands, you are taking a chance. In my opinion these are the best four, and are considerably better than the alternatives. Serta is popular at the lower price points, but I don’t think they’re really worth their price, from a value perspective, especially at higher price ranges. Simmons and Sealy are better options at the upper ranges.
Bed Tips
The most important thing is that you lay on the bed for a couple minutes in the store the same way you would lay on it at home. If you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it at home (you wouldn’t believe how many people think they will like a bed better at home even though they don’t like it in the store).
If at least one of you spends a lot of time sleeping on your side, if you go with an innerspring mattress I recommend a Simmons Beautyrest. The coils are uniquely designed and are great for side-sleepers because they are “individual pocketed” rather than all connected together like on most beds. Also, if either of you move around a lot and disturb the other person, the Simmons Beautyrest will cut down on that disturbance some. Second choice would be a a Sealy Posturepedic, which is what I have. It is a brand more designed for back-sleepers, but they make great beds.
On the other hand, if you are willing to try something new, Tempurpedic or Stearns & Foster are great brands. They aren’t innerspring though. [Note: The author says that Stearns & Foster does offer innerspring mattresses now.]
Tempurpedic is made from visco memory foam, and Stearns & Foster is made from latex foam; no springs in either one. People either love them or hate them. They are very unique. They are fairly firm, but I know plenty of people who prefer soft beds who absolutely love these even though they are firm. Plus, you won’t feel the other person moving around on the bed at all. The Tempurpedic is the bed that has the infomercials where a person jumps up and down on the bed and the glass of wine doesn’t spill that is sitting on the bed. That actually works.
If either of you get hot during the night, then you will want “natural fibers,” like wool, silk, etc. Polyester is bad if you get hot. But, if you spend over a $1000, then all the beds at that price range are probably natural fibers.
Dealing With a Salesperson
If the salesperson is any good, he will actually be your best resource.
Mattress salespeople are pretty good at finding the best fit for customers — if you are willing to answer their questions. If you return the bed they lose the commission, so they do want to find the best fit for you. They might try getting you to spend some extra, but if you stay firm to your price max then they won’t push it because they are all so desperate right now that they won’t want to make you leave. The more information you give them, the more they’ll be able to help. The worst thing that can happen is that you spend a few extra bucks and get an even better bed. No big deal.
If the salesperson starts talking about “coil counts,” they either don’t know what they are doing or are just trying to sell you on the bed. Coil counts don’t matter unless that is the only difference between two beds. The coil type and steel gauge are much more important.
If you are looking at an innerspring mattress, ask whether the bed has any kind of “edge support.” The edge where you get out of bed is the first place that will break down, so the mattress should either have some type of heavier steel gauge for the coils or some sort of heavier foam around the edge.
The salesperson might want to do a “comfort test” with you by laying you down on two or three beds as soon as you get in the door, and the price might be really high on those couple beds. Go ahead and do it. It is just going to help him and you narrow down the options by eliminating a bunch of beds based on their firmness/softness levels.
Here’s some advice about specific stores:
Ashley Furniture is a decent company, but their furniture tends to be overpriced. I’m not sure whether their mattresses are also overpriced, but that is something to keep in mind.
Sears sometimes has a good mattress sale. Looking at their prices online, it looks like their “regular” prices are overpriced, but their sale prices are very good, so that might be a good place to look as long as they are still on sale when you purchase. Sam’s Club and Costco don’t have the trial periods, and they don’t let you lay on the beds in the store, so I’m wondering if Sears is the same way.
Macy’s is majorly overpriced. Avoid them. They overprice their beds more than anybody else in the business. I’m talking several hundreds of dollars too high.
If a store is willing to negotiate mattress prices, then they are overpriced, so make sure you get them down a considerable amount. Mattress manufactures contractually set minimum prices that they allow retailers to sell their mattresses at, so they either have to price them at that minimum or overprice them and negotiate. Most of the larger chains just price them at the minimum right away.
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There are 260 comments to "How to buy a mattress".
Michelle says15 July 2009 at 13:18
Like you, we needed a new mattress. However, our current financial situation prevented us from spending that kind of money right now. We aren’t in debt, but my business is taking in about 40% less income than it was just a year ago, thanks to my clients who are cutting back on spending right now as well as a few who have gone out of business.
For about $120, we bought a memory foam cover from Costco. It’s fabulous. The only downside was the smell of the foam first out of the box — let it breathe in the garage or outdoors for a day or two first. We also have a mattress that is about 13 years old. This foam pad will enable us to get few more years out of our old mattress before we have to buy a new one. In a few years, hopefully, we’ll be in a better position to buy a new mattress with cash.
We also bought a couple of memory foam pillows from our chiropractor’s office — it really helped reduce my husband’s neck problems and subsequent migraines. Total cost was about $250 for everything, and we are both sleeping much better. Money well spent!
Oddly, buying a mattress is even more opaque than buying a car. It’s very unlikely that you will be able to find the exact model of a mattress you test drive in a store at Costco because there is a ton of white-labeling and different models (even within the same brand) depending on the distributor. Consumer Reports doesn’t provide mattress ratings because of the millions of variations and lack of consistency, but they do have a guide: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/bed-bath/mattresses/mattress-guide/
I always get nervous buying a new bed because of all these factors. My advice: spend as much time as you can spare test-driving. Lie on each bed for more than a few minutes, as the too-hard / too-soft revelations don’t come right away. And, if possible, buy from a place that has some sort of exchange offer within 30 days. We had to change up last time we bought a bed and I was so glad we were able to exchange.
There’s an even better way. The mattress stores only offer exchanges and many of them require restocking fees and multiple delivery fees if you use the one-time exchange option that some offer. If you don’t get a good mattress the first or second time, you’re out of luck.
I did a lot of research on stores and was appalled by what I read on review sites about people being stuck with a mattress that made them hurt when they slept on it and not being able to afford a new one. My daughter suggested I look at direct, online sales. I was skeptical at first but many of them offer 100 – 365 sleep night trials with a full money back guarantee. I was lucky, there was a lot of information to guide me to the right mattress online–way more than I ever got in a furniture store. I tend to be analytical and the more money I’m spending, the more analytical I am.
I found this guide very helpful. https://bestmattress.reviews/mattress-stores/ It reviews dozens of mattress stores and online sellers based on how much risk the customer assumes when they buy there.
One thing about price comparison or testing a mattress at one store and then buying at a warehouse club is that mattress stores do not use the same name for the same mattresses in order to prevent you from price shopping. Mattress salesmen are very similar to used car salesman. The funniest information I found online about buying a mattress was walk into your local mattress store, ask the salesman what is on sale and then yell in unison with him, “EVERYTHING’S ON SALE”. I ended up buying a memory foam topped mattress with a cooling layer (important for foam) from Costco for about half what most mattress stores were offering. I just pulled it out of the racks and lay on it on the floor in the warehouse for awhile, so I got a good test of the mattress and entertained the local shoppers.
For my part, I bought a pillowtop mattress and boxsprings set from Costco about ten years ago, and it’s holding up extraordinarily well.
As far as finding a model of the Costco mattress to test elsewhere: you can probably do it, if you’re clever. Goods sold at warehouse clubs nearly always have unique manufacturer model numbers assigned just to the version sold by that club, but by comparing features you can usually figure out which regular model number it corresponds to. I haven’t tried mattresses, but I do that with appliances all the time.
virginia @ where you hang your hat says15 July 2009 at 13:30
We need a new mattress, too, but are waiting before we drop a bit of cash on it. I’ve been considering Barbara Flanagan’s advice, from Flanagan’s Smart Home. She recommends a 100% natural latex mattress for its long life – 20+ years, renewability and sustainability, and biodegradability. She cites a lot of other very good arguments I won’t go into detail about. You should check out the book; I think it’s up your alley.
Also, if you’re planning on ever moving (houses or furniture) be sure and get mattress with handles. We’ve got a big floppy queen with no handles and it’s a huge pain to move.
I just bought a new mattress about a month and a half ago. I am fortunate to live in a large metropolitan area (LA) and there are many (probably a couple dozen) mattress stores within just 5 miles of my house.
I went in five or six different stores, gave the salesman my budget ($1,000) and let him give his spiel and show me the mattresses. I laid on each one a couple minutes and after a couple quickly got an idea what I really wanted. If you tell the salesman the best deal you’ve gotten so far, he’ll suddenly be able to match or beat it. After shopping for a few hours, I narrowed it down pretty quickly to three mattresses that met all my criteria and were quite close in comfort. I ended up with a queen size memory-foam pillowtop with foam encasement with boxspring for just a bit under $1000 out the door – on a mattress with a tag price of $2000. Make sure to negotiate delivery and disposal of your old mattress with the price and don’t be afraid to walk out on a good deal if you’re not 100% sold. I was also able to get $30 off since I didn’t need a new frame. 10 years is a pretty standard warranty but be sure to get a protector (I bought mine from Overstock.com, not the mattress store) to ensure it doesn’t get stained as this does indeed void the warranty.
My sister’s boyfriend (who is an AWESOME negotiator), recently bought a mattress, and he used similar tactics one would use for a car. He shopped around. He talked to a salesperson, mentioned that he had a few options. He negotiated, struck a deal, and then WALKED AWAY WITHOUT BUYING. Then he came back a few hours later and negotiated them down a few more dollars. When they finally settled on a price (and this just had me in awe), they rang it up and started to add on tax, he said “No, I’m paying X amount, and not a penny more.” He had them refigure the price, to include the tax. He walked out with the mattress he wanted.
When my husband and I bought a new bed a couple of years ago we went to an outlet store for a name brand mattress manufacturer. Many of what we saw were “last year” models and they took a larger percentage off the price of the mattress the longer it had been in the store. We decided that we liked a very firm mattress — apparantly we are in the minority because there were several and we were able to buy a set that had been there for several months. We paid about $450 the warranty and delivery included. Look around for an outlet store!
The biggest racket the mattress industry has pulled to date is the “no-flip” mattress. I think Simmons started it, and other companies followed suit, and now it’s virtually impossible to find a two-sided mattress.
“No-flip” mattresses are touted as being convenient and easy for the consumer, but in reality they are huge money savers for mattress giants – basically, half the manufacturing cost and mattress life at the same sale price. This is like advertising a “no oil-change car”, where the car still requires oil but the cap is glued on.
I bought the mid-range latex mattress from Ikea (queen size, $699) and I LOVE it. I’ve never slept better, I can flip the thing if I so desire, and it doesn’t get all “shweddy” like memory foam. I cannot endorse it enough. Latex seems to be the perfect happy medium for couples with different firmness needs, it lasts forever (my aunt has had hers for over 30 years) and it’s reasonably priced if you get it somewhere like Ikea.
We were just down in California and went to their store in San Francisco and tried them out. We went with a coil spring with foam top mattress, Keetsa Pillow Soft. Its the middle one, not too firm, not too soft.
Last night was the first night sleeping on it, but it was good, much better than our Sealy. I’ll post back in a few nights about how it is.
As for the Sealy we bought it 5 years ago at the Costco Home store, which is now closed. But they used to have all the beds in stock all the time and setup to try out. Our course it felt good, but over time the mattress just started to sage in the middle.
We also found out they but a stiffer area around the edges of the Sealy since alot of people just sit on the edge to test beds out. So it holds up better for showing in a store.
Last night we took back the bed to Costco, no questions asked and got a full refund. So at least if you buy a bed from Costco and don’t like it, you can take it back.
I actually bought a new mattress afew months ago from Ikea. I fell asleep on it in the showroom. They actually woke me up as they were closing. They loved having me sleeping as others were looking at beds..
Wow, I’m fascinated! When I moved to Portland I went to PJ’s Sleep Shop on Hawthorne and bought myself a mattress and boxspring for $250, which included frame and delivery. I have no qualms over my bed and it’s still in fine shape four years later. I had no idea most people spent so much, or haggled so much, or found it so difficult. I count my blessings — I guess I’m just an easy sleeper?
In my experience, it’s virtually impossible to find the exact mattress at two different stores. Sometimes you may find similar features at two locations, but not to the extent where I would definitively say that it’s the exact same thing with a different name.
I had very good luck finding a queen size mattress at Sam’s Club maybe 4 years ago, and paid maybe $400 (mattress & boxspring) for what I believe is comparable to a $750-$1,000 furniture/mattress store. (I normally avoid Sam’s & Wal-Mart, but I did make an exception in that case, given the vast price difference. I’m willing to pay a little extra to a locally owed store, but not 3 or 4 times as much.)
When I went looking for a king size mattress after getting married, I found that the discounts at Sam’s were far greater for the queen than it was for the kind, enough that I wasn’t willing to take the risk of the lack of a better chance of trying it out. We saved a bundle by NOT getting the matching boxspring, (which would have been maybe $400 extra) and got one elsewhere for $100. I do not believe it affects our warranty, nor would I believe it would for many others, given that many beds are not designed to accommodate a boxspring at all, or are only designed to go with one of the “low profile” boxsprings.
That said, I have no experience with returning a mattress under warranty, but my assumption is that it’s impossible, given all the other conditions. Everything I looked at had some sort of “inches of sag” requirement that I cannot fathom ever being met, short of parking my car on it for a couple days. Even horribly-broken in mattresses don’t sag multiple inches when no one is on them, and it’s the increased give when weight is applied that is the actual defect.
If you have an Ikea near you, they have excellent mattresses (no assembly required!). They are also very economical, but make sure you test one out first!
We also bought our mattress from IKEA. (In fact, we have an IKEA mattress on our bed and on our guest bed too.) I can’t for the life of me remember which styles we purchased, but I was very pleased with the range of prices and styles offered. Plus by shopping at IKEA we were able to lay on the sample beds as long as we wanted and we didn’t have to deal with any bed salesmen either. (Avoiding bed salesmen isn’t as important as trying out the beds, of course, but it sure was nice to be able to make a decision without someone hovering near us!) 🙂
I’m not sure how this didn’t make the final cut of my article, but here’s a story I meant to include but apparently edited out:
In April, Kris and I spent a weekend on vacation in Bend, Oregon. We rented a house with some good friends. We do this every year, and we actually rent from one of our friend’s family members.
Anyhow, Kris and I had the “second-best” bedroom this year, and the bed was amazing. It’s been years since I slept well at home, but sleeping on this mattress was no problem. It was awesome. I felt rested all day long.
“We should write down the make and model,” I said as we were packing to leave.
“I’ll remember,” Kris said. (I could never remember something like that.) She claims she still knows the info, but I’m going to try to check with our friends first to see if they can have somebody check on it for me.
My thought is: I’ve tested this mattress for three nights and know I love it. I might as well get the same model. I have no idea what it will cost, but I do know it’s a pillow-top…
I recently did some shopping around for mattresses, and I found that I really hate the “used car”-type sales people at stores dedicated to only mattresses. I really hate haggling and readily admit that I am no good at it. I ended up buying from Sears, they had a nice area with sample models that you could lie on, non-invasive salespeople, clearly posted prices that are lower than most other places (lower if there is a sale on), and they deliver (mine was free, part of the special), and cart away your old bed. They didn’t have a huge selection, but I am not a really fussy person when it comes to beds. I think I will buy any future beds there too. I don’t work for Sears, and don’t usually even shop there.
Also: Kris and have questions about the boxspring. Is it necessary? We’ve removed ours from our bed and have been going without it for the past couple of weeks. Neither of us has really noticed a difference. What’s the boxspring for?
I pretty much disagree with all the advice listed. My biggest concern was with getting a mattress that had toxic fire retardents (like bromide). Do some research on the fire retardents, they’re nasty stuff, linked to breast cancer and a bunch of other fun things. They are in any common mattress, you have to go out of your way to find natural materials like wool, latex, memory foam, etc, that won’t have it.
We went with Savvy Rest, a natural latex bed. It was $1800 for a full sized, but it is supposed to last about 30 years. No toxic fire retardents required.
In most cases you can’t test the Savvy Rests (we are lucky to have a local distributor) but you won’t find any complaints about them. I absolutely love ours.
For toxic free lower cost, I agree with the IKEA latex. Latex feels a little funny at first (like not firm enough), but again, you won’t ever hear complaints.
Do some research on the fire retardents before buying.
Although you can often return a mattress if you don’t like it, it’s a hassle. I was considering a Tempur-Pedic a few years ago and discovered that some friends had one. A few weeks later, they were away for a weekend, and invited me to spend the night at their place and try out the mattress. I’m glad I did because I didn’t like it much! So, try “sleeping around” and see if you can find the perfect mattress that way.
Wow – didn’t expect my comment to be mentioned in your latest post – blinked a couple of times lol. I’m a “she” by the way, but no worries – no way to tell 😉
I am a big fan of COSTCO, but don’t know a lot about their mattresses. I would go for it if you know that it’s returnable for a 100% refund. They have some great discounts. Usually 2 weeks is a good enough time frame to judge whether a bed is working for you or not. Sometimes it takes a while for your back to adjust to a new bed. Look for stores with a good return or exchange policy (look for terms like “sleep satisfaction guarantee”).
Yes, the big manufacturers have a lot of mattresses that are similar in different stores, but under different names (the Serta “Panda” at one store was the same as the “Gold 4000″ I bought a few years back, for example). This is where going to a lot of different stores comes in handy.
You’ll notice a lot of beds with memory foam and latex foam, and some beds that are advertised as such (the top few inches are memory or latex foam vs. being built into a pillowtop). If you’re a hot sleeper, I would NOT recommend buying a bed that is labeled as latex or memory foam. They REALLY absorb & radiate heat. If these materials are built into the pillowtop then that is a different story, and they do tend to help with comfort (my bed has a half inch of memory foam built into the pillowtop).
Oh, and don’t be afraid to get a soft bed. They’re all built with back support in mind. My bed is one of the softer ones that was on the market at the time and I still love, love, love it.
As far as the beds being no flip, that’s because a lot of them have pillowtops that are 10” thick and it would not make sense to have a mattress that is even thicker with that on both sides (you’ll need to buy deep pocket sheets for most mattresses on the market today as it is). Rotate the mattress head to toe every 6 months and you will be fine. Some settling of “comfort” layers is normal.
I don’t know if you can see my email (comments requires it), but if you can, feel free to send me a message if you have any more Qs.
When shopping for a bed, spend at least 15 minutes laying on it before deciding. If it stays comfortable for that long it should fit your needs. Falling asleep, as Mark did, would cinch the sale for me.
I highly recommend looking into a “hotel bed.” These beds are designed specifically for individual hotel chains. You buy a new bed, it is not a used bed. My wife and I purchased the W Hotel bed. We love it!
Check out the dealnews.com link for a 40% off coupon. We used it to purchase our bed and all of our bedding.
I love my matteress from the Denver Mattress Company. The think what sold us was their price and construction. The had actual leading brand mattress cut aways on the wall and you got to compare the construction to the ones made by the Denver Mattress. For the price, they had more springs, and material than the other name brands. They are at the furniture rows in WA and OR too.
My wife and I LOVED The Original Mattress Factory. Much like #28, they had cut outs of the competition and of their own beds and they took the time to explain why their beds were better. And there was no pressure at all.
We shopped at a few “normal” mattress stores and it felt a lot like buying a used car from the shadiest people in town. They make it hard to comparison shop because “Everything is on sale” (but, only through the weekend and the one you’re interested in is the last one they have in stock.)
Try a ComforPedic mattress. We bought one a few years ago after laying on all kinds of mattresses including memory foam and latex. This bed uses a combination of the two to provide good comfortable support that’s not too hot and is available in several firmness levels. We absolutely love the mattress. We bought from Mattress World since we like the idea of supporting their local ownership. They also seem to be pretty active in various charity activities, which I think is nice. We did haggle a bunch, but the sales people were kind about it.
A couple of years ago it was time for a new mattress. My better ½ and I had some out of town trips and stayed in a few hotels. At one point we stayed at a Marriott in Nashville. The bed was UNBELIEVABLE. So much so we took off the sheets to find out who made it. Jamison from North Carolina…very pricey…. I saved up and now have this incredible bed. It just sucks you in and puts you to sleep…just what a bed should do!
I worked for a furniture liquidator in high school and one item we always sold out of as soon as we got them in were mattresses. We would pick up slightly used mattresses from hotels (a lot of better chains replace their mattresses every three years), clean them and resell them for under $150 per set.
There are some pretty strict laws about how these mattresses must be cleaned, making them a perfectly safe option. I slept on a used mattress for several years. It was great – high quality, comfortable and cost me almost nothing.
If you do shop from a furniture liquidator, it’s a bit luck of the draw on exactly what they’ll have in stock – but if you’re looking for something specific, you can usually convince them to call you if they get it in.
The boxspring supports the mattress. If you don’t use it, the coil alignment in the mattress will be screwed up eventually. VERY IMPORTANT to use unless you have a platform bed (pretty much a slab of wood vs. the 5 or so slats beds usually come with).
I would say look for a place that builds their own mattresses. In a couple of states, there is a place called Original Mattress Factory that made a bed that I still use occasionally and have used for longer than 10 or 15 years. When I switched to a bigger bed, I bought one from there, and the salesmen were not pushy in the least, and the prices were reasonable. I would highly suggest it.
A while ago I found the following website very helpful in explaining what’s going on when you buy a mattress: http://www.mattressscam.com/
There are lots of ads at this site, but I found the information useful.
I just recently (2 days ago) pricematched an online distributor cymax.com at Sleep Country USA, and saved 50% off of their advertised retail on a Simmon’s World Class Plush Pillowtop “Madrid”. I was shocked at how willing they were to pricematch. The online store had free delivery, no tax, and Sleep Country also hauled away the old bed. The “retail” price is a joke! I only now wonder if I could have gotten even 60-75% off the retail price. I do love my new mattress, and feel like I got a great deal.
With Costco’s liberal return policy, I think you can test out beds and then return them if they don’t give you a good night’s sleep. They’ll also have a larger selection online. We got our memory foam mattress online and love it.
Just got a 1 inch latex topper for our 2 year old Cal King. The springs in a bed will hold up pretty good, but the foam and padding will eventually compress. Our bed was getting lumpy (initially mistaken for spring sagging) in our spots and the topper has made a world of difference.
So I’d say get a nice firm bed without a ton of padding and then add your own comfort layers. I like the feel of latex (little bit of spring) compared to memory foam.
Definitely NOT bad form to test one out in a store and then buy at Costco! We tested a bunch out at a mattress store and we both really liked the Tempurpedic Celebrity. But 5 grand + tax for a mattress?! NO THANKS!
We ended up purchasing online from Healthy Foundations. We ordered their 13″ mattress and it was delivered in the mail. We LOVE it! And best of all, it was only $2079 shipped (no tax) instead of over $5000. They have a 1-year return policy in case you don’t like it, but if you like Tempurpedic, it’s a safe bet you’ll like this one as well.
I was really glad to get rid of our 8-year-old mattress. I’ve heard Costco has good memory foam mattresses, too. Just buy from someplace that has a good return policy and don’t be afraid to return it if it doesn’t work out.
@ebyt wrote: “If you’re a hot sleeper, I would NOT recommend buying a bed that is labeled as latex or memory foam. They REALLY absorb & radiate heat.”
I think this used to be true, and it was a concern for us since we live in a warm climate. The Healthy Foundations 13″ mattress has something called a “CoolMax” layer on top that’s supposed to prevent this. It sounded like marketing BS to me, but with a 1-year guarantee I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.
I have no complaints…you can sleep directly on it and not feel warm like some of the older memory foam mattresses and pads! Pretty cool stuff (no pun intended 😉 I think times have changed, especially for the pricier memory foam.
Holy cats! GRS reader Garrison just sent me a l-o-n-g e-mail from his friend, a mattress salesman. The e-mail contains all sorts of fantastic tips for mattress shopping. I know it may seem strange to have two mattress-related posts in a short period of time, but I’m going to ask permission to re-post the e-mail here at Get Rich Slowly. Maybe I’ll post it once Kris and I are done with our shopping. Some great stuff here.
I have a platform bed. I think boxsprings are the hugest ripoff going – AND they’re a pain to move (I’ve moved 9 times in the last 16 years, though the pace is slowing). My parents never had a box spring either, and I met a woman from England who says no one has them over there (I forgot to look for that when I was in the UK this spring).
The Costco out in Hillsboro has tester mattresses and a much wider selection that most. It’s a bit of a drive from SE, but we got ours there and LOVE it. You could look online and if you see any interesting call the store and ask if they have display models. I’m pretty sure they had one example of every model.
We bought our last mattress from Ikea — a midrange inner-spring, and I find it quite comfortable. Since we got a bedframe with lots of slats, no boxspring. Featherbed on top is lovely, too.
We purchased our last bed from the factory showroom in a city about 100 miles away. It was located in a lower-rent district but had an enormous range of beds of all price ranges set up to try out. Sales people were helpful in providing information but not pushy. Even adding the cost of shipping we ended up with a good price. Disposal of the old one was no trouble. The local Habitat for Humanity resale store was happy to pick it up for resale, since it had been well protected and was unstained, even after 30 years of use.
The bed which felt best when lying on it in the store was a low-medium price. We had both slept on a twin size of the same model at a friend’s house, and she had a king of that model which she liked.
CAVEAT: We didn’t BOTH lie down on the bed in the store at the same time. It was wonderful with one person on it; but with the weight of two bodies, both of us immediately rolled toward the middle–on a brand new bed! We later learned from another buyer that this was also a problem on the queen size with this model, whereas the extra support provided by the center rail of a king frame avoids this issue.
Had we lived in the same town as the manufacturer, we would have traded for a different model. Because of long distance shipping, however, we took a different approach: simply put the 3/4″ plywood board which we’d used on the old bed between mattress and box springs on the new bed. No more rolling to the center. The new mattress is less firm than the 30 year old one we’d been using, and the cushioning on top is an improvement. Also, we find that as we get older it’s easier to get up from a higher bed.
Would we purchase from this distance again? Yes, we would certainly consider it if the price difference warranted.
A side benefit is that we were able to replace the mattress on an electric hospital bed at the same time for a very reasonable price, and shipping cost didn’t change. This manufacturer supplies mattresses to most of the nursing homes in the state, and the sales rep. was able to guide us in the most appropriate direction for our needs. Since our current use of this bed is more for guests and for occasional use when someone in the family is ill, he recommended that we consider purchasing a standard mattress instead of a hospital bed mattress. He warned that it would not hold up as well under heavy use of the head and foot adjustments, but suggested it would probably be more comfortable as long as it did last. That has certainly been our experience, and we greatly appreciated the guidance in that direction.
And, if you can’t afford a new bed for awhile, a 4′ x 8′ 3/4″ plywood sheet between mattress and box springs can revive some pretty bad mattress/box spring sets very inexpensively. Measure your mattress and have the excess cut off when you purchase it. Cut the plywood about 2″ narrower than the mattress.
We bought a memory foam mattress on Overstock and we absolutely love it. No springs required, we don’t notice any excess heat (we live in Florida and run the AC very conservatively). We got a king pillow-top firm for about $700. It came UPS in a duffle bag and grew to full size in about an hour after opening.
No more aching shoulders for me and not stiff back for my husband, we’d buy it again in a heartbeat and our only regret is not buying it sooner.
We got a floor model Tempur-Pedic type mattress from Macy’s Home a few months ago. It was orginially about $2500 and we paid $700 for it. Because it was a floor model, half of it is firm and half is soft, which is perfect since my husband prefers a firm mattress and I like a soft one. Maybe some people wouldn’t like to buy a floor model mattress, but it didn’t bother us!
JD – please do post the e-mail if the writer is fine with it. I’m curious about the great tips! I’m not in the mattress market now (being a petite person helps keep the weight load down and less wear on the coils) but I know I’ll have to get a new one at some point.
Any new mattress I have ever slept on had a strong chemical odor for a good week after taking the plastic wrap off. While I am not advocating that you don’t purchase a conventional mattress, I am advocating that you let it air out a bit before sleeping on it. Inhaling that stuff can’t possibly be good for you.
J.D please post the e-mail from the mattress salesman! I’m going to be in the market for a new mattress really soon, and have NO idea what to look for. But it really must be done, DBF and I are a wreck all day and don’t sleep too well on his 15 year old, springs coming out, and bent boxspring bed!
I went through this ordeal about a year ago when we moved house.
I’d definitely recommend avoiding spring matresses (they only wear out anyway) and get one of the memory foam based models with an emphasis on low partner disturbance. Not a cheaper one, trust me you’ll get a longer life out of it.
It takes a while to get used to no springs moving about, but trust me, after a week of the best night sleep you’ve ever had you’ll love it.
I had to laugh when I read the part about trying out a bed, and Kris remembering the model number. Every store uses different model numbers AND names to confuse you. There is very little chance of finding it, and this is one of the ways mattress comparison shopping is made virtually impossible!
We had the unfortunate experience of leaving a cat at home on vacation with no access to her litter box. A friend came to check on her after a day, but by then she had already used our bed as her litter box. (ew!)
We needed a mattress that day, so we went to Ikea. We ended up buying a cheap king mattress ($300) with a more expensive cover ($350). We tried out all the combinations until we found the one we liked the best. I’ve never had a more comfy bed.
We also bought my son a new mattress from Ikea. He chose a latex mattress, and I have to say it’s just as comfortable if not moreso than ours!
The 2 great things about buying from Ikea:
1) take it home that day!
2) no salespeople trying to upsell us
We (regretfully) bought a thick non-flippable pillowtop King about 2 years ago that (on the showroom floor) felt absolutely devine. At the time we were experiencing a lot of additional stress with our business, waaay overpaying at $1800. 🙁
Despite rotating it head to feet and back several times as recommended, within 12-18 months it had developed two deep and uncomfortable wallow-like indentations where we each slept (OK, we’re not exactly *tiny* people, but at 150lbs for me and 200lbs for hubby we’re not XXL, either).
Checked with store on warranty; turns out that since at delivery they had to slightly bend mattress in the center longways to fit it up our narrow staircase a notation had been made in the internal paperwork that nulled all warranties. Bummer.
Desperate for a solution, we flipped it over onto its lumpy, scooped out pillowtop, exposing the uber hard but perfectly flat bottomside, bought a memory foam topper from Costco for about $120 bucks, slapped it on, and it now feels and sleeps like a DREAM… I love it!
I’m sure you’re getting no end of opinions on this…
The key to a restful sleep is having your spine straight and aligned when you’re sleeping. I sleep on my side. My partner sleeps on his stomach. For, us, memory foam and the right pillows do the trick.
We got a great deal on our first memory foam mattress from Costco, and our second from Overstock.com Compared to spring mattresses, futons, etc., I’ve never slept better. And the mattresses last longer.
Looking for low-partner disturbance (I’ve got a few lbs on my wife) and really enjoying the comfort, we decided we wanted memory foam but that was out of our budget.
So instead of paying big bucks for a fancy name brand, I Googled: foam wholesale city, st, which returned a list of foam wholesalers in my area. I called around and told them what I wanted: to make my own memory foam mattress. They were on board with it and cut foam to my dimensions. They even suggest I could save money by not doing all memory foam and also recommended a place that would sew on a cover.
$500 later I had my custom memory foam bed, and this was back when they were going for thousands.
I love it and sleep especially well knowing what a good value I got.
Hat tip to Dwell who published a reader’s letter that gave me this idea.
I work in Customer Care at a furniture store. The best advice I can give you is to go to a major retailer, not Costco. A lot of the larger furniture dealers offer 30 day guarantees. My company offers a 30 day comfort guarantee for a small fee you can reselect to something else (and they give you two weeks to do it after the 30 days; in fact today I took a call from a customer who bought the mattress in April and due to extenuating circumstances couldn’t get in contact with us in time. I spoke to my manager and we are going to let them come in to reselect.) Also, depending on the company, they offer extra protection if you buy their mattress pad. My company will match the manufacturer’s 10 year warranty if you buy their pad and will extend that warranty to cover stains and rips. (They will even cover bodily fluids! (Most places won’t.)) My company will clean the mattress, if they can’t clean it they will replace the mattress one time for free. I’m sure that other companies will offer this, and it costs about the same a mattress pad would.
Also, be sure to ask how the warranty works. If you make a claim do you need to contact the manufacturer yourself or will the store handle it? (At my company we send our technicians out to measure it, deal with the claim internally, and have you into the store the next day to reselect.) Despite what someone posted above you CANNOT use the mattress handles to move the bed. If they rip off your warranty is voided.
You do not need to necessarily use the matching boxsprings. If you have a platform bed you don’t need them, if you have existing boxsprings and you haven’t changed the type of mattress (i.e. latex to latex; or springs to spring) you may not need the boxsprings. It’s very important to also make sure you pick the right size, do you need 5″ boxes, or 9″? If it’s a King they don’t make regular boxsprings, they come split (doesn’t affect comfort/warranty). If it’s a Queen you have the option, but will a regular Queen box fit up the stairs?
Another good point someone made above is to treat it like any other large purchase. Don’t however go in thinking I will spend X amount. If you have the money go in thinking “I need to sleep better. I need this to destress my life.” And lay on all the mattresses. If the most comfortable one is $600 buy it; if it’s $6000, that sucks, but 80% of your life is spent through sleep (Hardly any mattresses cost $6000, and we only sell about 3 a year, you’ll probably spend around 1,000-2,000.) Definitely price shop. Definitely walk out after getting a quote, come back, and when they write the order up state “I will only pay [reasonable amount].” A customer did that at my store and we knocked about $500 off their order.
Other key things to bring up: Do they offer free delivery? (A lot of mattress companies [Sealy, Stearns and Foster] will pay the company to deliver the mattress. Don’t pay for delivery.) Will they remove the old bedding? (My company does for free.)
Lastly, treat this as an investment. Sealy, Stearns, and Tempurpedic all offer 20 year warranties on some of their beds. Look at what the return will be. Sure, you can buy a $300 mattress from Costco but in 19 years when your mattress is defective will they refund every penny to you for a new mattress?
Actually one last thing: do not remove the bedding law tag! You will void your warranty even if you purchase extra protection. The tags are the only way to track how old your bed it. Keep your original receipts, most companies only hang onto them for 10 years.
P.S. – If you tell larger companies the ‘name’ of the mattress you are looking at with another company they can usually find a match in their showroom (because they know what their store calls that mattress!) If you have a savvy enough salesperson you’ll walk away happy with a price you can live with. (If you lived in New York I’d tell you to stop by my store so I could get you the best deal!) Good Luck!
*Edit* If you find the manf and model # of the bed you slept on bring it into a larger retailer. They may be able to special order, or find something close. It’s worth a try.
To the person whose worried about hazordous chemicals: Larger retailers are now offering organic options that forgo those materials. I think Sealy (possibly Simmons) just came out with a line (unfortunately it’s specifically geared for my store but they may have similar lines at other retailers.)
JD, if you or your wife have any further ?s drop me a line. I don’t want to advertise for my store here (against company policy) but I will do what I can to help you out. I know a few bedding rep’s and can get your questions answered ASAP!
If you can get away with it… I’ve been sleeping on the floor for the past year and a half. Never been better 🙂 Great support, and infinite arrangement options depending on what you have around (sometimes just toss my 3 different-thickness blankets in the middle of the room — random bedding!)
Of course, everybody that knows turns their nose, and I’ve been threatened with harm (and a forced cot purchase) by a friend if I don’t “get my act together” soon.
That leads me to the next adventure in non-mattress sleeping arrangements: Hammocks. Indoor hammock stand build underway.
All that to say, mattresses aren’t the only option =)
I definitely recommend Mattress World. After doing a ton of research on mattresses, I realized (as others have mentioned) that it’s almost impossible to compare models from store to store. With all the slight variations, re-branding, and custom models for particular stores, they don’t exactly make it easy.
Mattress World was local, they had a large selection, and there was a “30% off everything in the store” sale. We arrived at the store 1/2hr before closing just intending to peruse and ended up purchasing a mattress an hour later. The salesman didn’t rush us at all and was more than happy to stay past closing.
As far as mattress types go, this was more or less our thinking… Typical innerspring mattresses can be quite comfortable but don’t have long warranties. Select Comfort (“Sleep Number”) beds are comfortable, adjustable, and have 20-year warranties. However, the warranty is prorated after the first 2 years and the two couples I know who have purchased them had to replace the pumps after a year or so. Memory foam has a long warranty, but it’s hard, slow to adjust to your body (making it uncomfortable if you roll around much), and tends to hold in the heat. Latex is comfortable, has a long warranty, and adjusts to your body much faster than memory foam. Needless to say, that’s what we ended up getting.
I love pillowtops but was a bit concerned about how long they would hold up. I didn’t want to have an otherwise nice bed ruined five years later by a squashed pillowtop. The mattress we got has a pillowtop made out of latex or something (I can’t remember right off) and springs right back. If it sags more than 2″ during the 20 year warranty, they will replace it for free.
Anyway, I’m not sure if it was just the salesman we had or what, but I didn’t have to haggle at all. At one point while my wife and I were looking around, he came up to us and said, “I was just on the phone with my supervisor and she said I can give you 40% off anything you buy tonight.” Obviously, that was a huge incentive to buy something that night. We finally settled on a queen size Englander latex mattress which ended up being about $1,700 after the discount and went to check out. We got a nice waterproof mattress pad for around $150 minus 40%, and the salesman threw in a sheet set for free. A quick note about the mattress pad: If you try out the mattress and decide you want to return it, there can be absolutely no stains on it, so the mattress pad is good insurance.
As if this comment isn’t already long enough, here’s a few more random thoughts:
– Latex is h-e-a-v-y. It takes some serious effort to rotate the mattress (it has a pillowtop so you can’t flip it, just rotate)
– We’ve had the mattress about a year and it’s showing no signs of wear. It’s just as amazingly comfortable as when we bought it.
– Box springs. I don’t get it. Mattress manufacturers would have you believe they’re an integral part of a bed. We have a platform bed from Ikea, and if we’re missing out on something, I sure can’t tell.
– Get ready for sticker shock. Mattress stores are famous for sales. When I walked into Mattress World, I just about wet myself from the prices. I knew everything was 30% off, but it’s still shocking to see all the “original” prices.
OK, I’ll shut it down now. Good luck on the shopping and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
We have a memory foam mattress from Costco. It *does* absorb a lot of heat, but we also have jersey sheets, so I’m sure these combine to make it worse. I should get around to buying new sheets…
Heat issue aside, I LOVE it. I have a horrible back. Traditional mattresses exacerbate the pain. On the memory foam, I can sleep flat without a pillow, if my back so demands.
usually there’s plenty of room at the warehouse clubs to lay the mattress out and get a quick feel for it. just go when it’s not too busy and no one should be too annoyed. i’ve bought/helped buy several mattresses over the years at Sam’s Club and everyone’s been happy with them. of course, if you just don’t like what they sell (very limited selection as you say) you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Whatever you do JD, don’t skimp on a good mattress. Check out the medium firm pillow tops and happily spend $1,000 if you can. With the amount of time spent sleeping, it’s a no brainer!
Okay, I know it sounds crazy, but I am going to post the e-mail from the mattress salesman sometime soon. He gave me permission to do so. I’ll wait until Kris and I actually buy our mattress, but then I’ll do it.
About our mattress hunt (as mentioned in comment #20): My friend was able to track down the type of mattress I like. It’s from Costco, which is great. If things go well, we’ll be sleeping on it by the weekend. Maybe even tomorrow, if I can borrow the van from the box factory.
Hell yeah we did. Sorry if a company makes a product with a 10 year warranty and after a couple years it goes to crap why wouldn’t we. The bed had actually been bad for a while, but we just dealt with it.
And one of the selling points when we were buying the bed at Costco was that we could take it bake for a full refund if we ever had any issues with.
I’ve got a latex mattress from IKEA. I went for latex because I’m allergic to mold and apparently mold doesn’t live on latex mattresses as well as on foam ones.
That’s one difference to consider that you can’t feel just by test-sleeping in the store.
I’m really looking forward to reading that email. I always love reading tips from ‘the inside’, especially for something I’ll be shopping for in the coming months. Hope you post it soon! 😉
I bought a new mattress last summer after 10 years with the same one… it’s actually a futon because I can’t stand springs and I also dislike soft beds.
With a firm, good quality futon, my GF almost completely eliminated her back pains. We also sleep soooooo well at night.
A queen size firm futon cost me approx $600.
Although be warned, once you get used to a GOOD QUALITY futon you’ll never be able to sleep on a regular mattress again.
Sherry & John over at Young House Love recently went through buying a new mattress, and had some great info to share! They ended up getting a nice natural latex one, and that really appeals to me!
I have a long-healing shoulder injury, and our mattress is barely cutting it anymore. The worst part is it’s only about 5 years old! However, it was a really cheap model that my husband and I could afford while in university. I’d like to replace it, but it’s not really high on our big-ticket item list yet. 🙁
The mattress I slept on at a child (still in the guest room at my parents’ place) is amazing and even after 20+ years is still the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on. Too bad it’s a twin size! :p
When my wife was pregnant, we needed to get rid of the old mattress, her back was killing her constantly.
We ended up with a Select Comfort sleep number bed and it has been the greatest matress we’ve ever had. We both have our sides set to our preferred settings and if our preferences ever change, it’s just a click away.
Let me answer some of the posts You should read Sara’s post it is full of good info except be careful of comfort exchanges some have hidden clauses and can cost more than original mattress.
Buying a cheap bed is just plain bad. A bed is a very important health aid and like many things you will pay for it later in life. If you read about REM sleep you will purchase a good mattress to start.
The latex recommendation is a very good one for support,lack of pressure on the body, dust mites and other allergens free, large initial cost but cheaper when averaged out over time.(go to any major spring manufacturer’s website and you will see they say a mattress should be changed every 5 to 7 years because of contamination.
Mattress pad is unnecessary but a good mattress cover is important. If you don’t know which are good see protect-a-bed but it isn’t the only one.
The suggestion to use mattress toppers is not good they should extend the mattress comfort not provide it. In general they use lower forms of foam than the mattress itself and wear out quickly need replaced making your mattress purchase more expensive than it should be.
From my Aug ’09 Sam’s Club receipt – queen size mattress = $498.76 and, right now, they are even cheaper – around $350. They are probably trying to make space for Xmas items….
@Erica: I can’t speak for everyone or every mattress, but I worked there just over 2 years ago so it hasn’t been that long, and I had customers tell me that they were burning up on the memory foam mattresses, so just something to consider I guess. Maybe some of the more expensive ones do have cooling layers now.
I’m sure this has all been said at some point in the previous 70+ comments, but when we were searching for a mattress a year ago, going to different stores, multiple times, and laying on many different beds was invaluable. And then trying out ones we liked again on a different day–we often found that we didn’t like them as much a second time, and our solid first choice early on ended up being much less desirable.
Our final choice came down to two models by the same company, the main difference between them is that one was $100 more (although it was on sale, the other wasn’t) and had a memory-foam pillow top. When it came down to it, we opted for the slightly higher-priced one, with the justification that it was likely we’d go out and purchase a topper for it at some point down the road and would probably spend at least $100 on one then.
But to reiterate some of the comments: you should definitely buy a mattress cover. Any type of stain on the mattress voids most warranties, so it is a solid $50 or so investment, so to speak.
The best sleep I ever had was on my futon – no box spring, just a good mattress on a wood frame. It was about $700 new but was awesome. Unfortunately my wife doesn’t think it’s nice enough for the master bedroom.
Next time we go mattress shopping I’m going with something natural – like a featherbed – that doesn’t have the chemical smell like most products sold now. Last thing I want to do is be sleeping on something 8 hours a night that is emitting chemicals right up my nose.
This is location-specific, but we just bought a Sleep Designs mattress from Bubba’s Beds (I know!) in Spring, TX, and had a GREAT experience. The salesman was friendly, knowledgeable, and not one bit pressuring.
We immediately liked a mid-range bed, and he didn’t ever try to steer us toward the more expensive models. Sleep Dynamics mattresses are all made in the US. We have a platform bed, and the price without the box spring was terrific (with the box spring was still pretty good).
I second getting a platform bed. They are standard in Europe and eliminate any need for a box spring. We bought one for practical reasons – we couldn’t fit a queen box spring up the stairs of our old home – but we have grown to love it. We had to spend about $500 on the platform, but it has a great headboard and will save in the long run, since we never have to buy a box spring again. Check them out if you are in the market for a new bed.
I have a fairly good mattress, but was curious about the Tempurpedic mattresses with the “Memory Foam”. Some people I know hate them and others love them. They are a lot so it’s a big chunk to swallow if I’m in the first group.
I did a search and found a place called thefoamfactory.com (or something like that). They sell the memory foam mattress pads up to 4″ thick. I had read somewhere that 4″ is overkill so I got the 3″ thick mattress pad for something like $154. I LOVE IT! So does BF.
For the future, I will probably buy a bare basics mattresses and just supplement with a new pad as it wears out. I’ve had this pad for over a year and it’s still like new.
I like memory foam and find that you can get great deals on thick memory foam mattresses at Overstock.com. See what you think. I currently have a set of the pillows and they discolored after two years of continuous use, but are still firm, cool, and comfortable, although yellow-ish rather than white as they originally arrived. I think I paid around $40 for two including shipping.
The advice I will throw in. Look up and see if there is a local mattress factory in the area. Maybe I am just fortunate, but there is a direct to costumer mattress factory near my house that my family has been buying from my whole life. You will get a mattress at easily half the price. The place that I deal with is all family owned and the customer service is second to none.
And I agree with everyone that say a good nights sleep is a cure all.
Like many previous posters, I agree that mattress selling/buying is akin to selling/buying cars. Mark-up is huge, hard to compare, big sales commissions etc. And, like many, I agree that you should buy a standard firm mattress and top with feather bed or memory foam. Easily replaceable in a few years if necessary.
The last time I bought a mattress I used 1800mattress.com (10 yrs ago). Great company, great exchange policy, competitive pricing, got shipping free at the time.
One note, before that purchase I had got a pillowtop Sealy locally. I lived to regret that purchase. After about a year my shoulders started hurting. Since I travel a lot I noticed that didn’t occur in most hotel rooms. Turns out that since I’m a side sleeper with my arm typically up under my head the pillow top was throwing off the angle on my shoulder. Got the new mattress from 1800mattress without a pillow top and shoulder problems disappeared within a week. Yah!
Looking forward to mattress hints. My husband and I dipped our toes in mattress shopping a couple months ago, and found it confusing, hard to compare similar mattresses, and potentially very expensive. We have a firm mattress with no additional padding. It isn’t that old but has become uncomfortable. We tried a 3″ memory foam pad but it didn’t provide enough back support for me, and my husband detested the feel of it. I thought we would have to buy an expensive 1K+ bed to find something we both liked. As a last ditch bought a 1.5″ latex topper and our bed feels 10x better.
Based on what I read here I think for next time I will either get a Ikea (maybe latex) bed, or a basic firm bed and get a latex topper for the top that can be periodically replaced. Call me old fashioned, but I also do not like the idea of a “no flip” mattress.
I like the old full-motion waterbeds, but my wife nixed that years ago. We’ve gone through Spring Air, Denver Matress Company, other cheap mattresses, one very expensive mattress, a heated gel mattress with a memory foam top, and a 22″ high double pillow top mattress (that was a real joy to find sheets for)… and now are considering the sleep number air bed or perhaps just another mattress from Sears. I think the lesson I’ve learned over the years is just find something reasonably priced that you like, and plan on replacing it in 5 years. Buying a very expensive mattress doesn’t guarantee it’ll last longer, so just accept the planned obsolescence that the matress companies build in, and buy a new one when it sags.
Nobody can advise you on what mattress is right for you because there are so many different body types and sleeping patterns. If you REALLY have trouble sleeping, ask your primary care doctor to refer you to a sleep disorder clinic. You may need a CPAP!
My wife and I definitely overspent on our new mattress. We got sucked into the Sealy mattress display room while we were buying new bedroom furniture, and upon testing about 10 or so of the 30 mattress to choose from, we picked a better than average Sealy. Even though there is a 20 year warranty if it loses more than 1″ of padding (by permanent compression or foam degradation) where its apparently replaced, and it was an excellent feeling matress, I know that we overpaid in retrospect.
A matress is probably one of those things where you should buy an average model which will be comfortable enough, and expect it to last only 5 years or so and then replace with another.
1. Look at Latex mattresses…they are a little expensive but last,last, and last. They are incredibly supportive too. They don’t transfer motion like spring mattresses either. Natural is best but synthetic are very, very good too.
2. Don’t get Tempur Pedic….too hot in summer…rock hard in the winter…hard to move around on one…they are just odd.
3. Don’t pay full price…mattresses are like used cars…use the same tactics. It’s crazy but true.
4. Comparing styles is somewhat difficult because different stores rename the mattresses. However, my last purchase…Sterns and Foster Latex comes in something like 4 types, firm, plush, ultra plush….etc…just ask which one is the plush and it shouldn’t matter the name.
5. Buy a good pillow too…here, tempurpedic do ok…still can get hot though…but it’s not your whole body.
6. Get a King Size bed if your room allows…you wake up less with your spouse in the bed…I’m a light sleeper so this is a must. Spend the money now instead of later.
7. Don’t get a crazy pillowtop mattress…they crush down…form body molds…
8. Get a latex mattress…yea, it’s worth repeating.
Much more interesting conversation than anticipated! 😀
I hate memory foam. I slept on it once at my in-laws’ house; once it “memorizes” your shape you’d better not move! I am a wiggler so it’s no good for me.
Our current mattress came from a furniture liquidator. It was a hotel mattress for 1 yr and cost us $99, king size plus box spring. 4 yrs later it’s still great. However that liquidator is closed – plus I think that was a one-time deal – so we’ll have to come up with something else next time. I shopped around for a mattress when I moved out of my ex’s place, and I hated it; too many choices, prices through the roof, annoying salespeople. I love both Ikea and Costco so would probably go with one of them in the future. Limited selection is a good thing in my book! 😀
Two years ago, we bought a “Natura” (www.naturaworld.com) natural latex mattress. They also offer organic mattresses but we actually liked this one better. We got it from a local “natural” sleep store, we spent a lot of time lying around on the various ones, and since it was a quiet time in the store, no one bothered us. The owner was actually quite helpful and didn’t do the hard-sell with us. I have chemical sensitivities and did NOT want a mattress with fire retardants etc. on them. Natura actually required a letter from my doctor and then they made the mattress special for me without the chemicals etc. We are super happy with it. Yes, it cost a small fortune, but it’s definitely worth it. I have a bad back from a 1996 car accident and this is the only mattress I’ve truly been comfortable on since then. Also, latex is AWESOME for people with allergies since the evil little dust mites can’t live in them. After sleeping on a latex mattress, I’d never go back to the other kind. We also have 2 Ikea latex mattresses (one for our son and one for our extra bed) and we are extremely happy with those as well. They also don’t have the chemicals on them, because they have to adhere to better European standards. For anyone in Seattle, another great option is http://www.soaringheart.com, they make their own mattresses and the staff was very mellow and helpful. We almost bought one there but liked the Natura better.
I bought a new mattress a few years ago. First I went to HOM furniture. I did try out their various designs (pillow-top, non-pillow top, firm vs not-so-firm) and found out what I liked. I was ready to buy but the salesman was absolutely horrible–condescending, insulting, etc when I asked questions. So I left.
I ended up buying a similar style mattress & box spring mail order from Pottery Barn. They delivered the new one, put it on the bed, and they took away the old mattress & box for the same price as what HOM wanted. It was sooo nice to avoid that horrible salesman!
I think the key is to visit mattress showrooms enough to discover what kind of firmness you want and whether you like the pillowtop style or not.
Then just buy one of reasonable quality and expect to spend around $1200 for mattress+box. Figure on buying another in 10 years because no mattress will still feel great after that.
I’m utterly surprised at not seeing a long line of tempurpedic recommendations. Everyone I know that actually owns one cannot stop finding good things to say about them. My best friend sold me on them after watching my husband and I throw good money after bad probably 30 times in our 12 years of marriage, trying to find a bed that would allow both of us sleep well.
We’d tried to fix the problem with new mattresses. Over time we’ve had the no-name cheapy, the Sealy, the Simmons and the 100% Latex. None of them solved the problem. We were constantly exhausted, running on fumes, even with adequate quantity of sleep, we were not getting any good quality.
Throughout our quest for good sleep, we also tried just about every mattress “topper” product on the market. We had baffles, feathers, down-alternative, memory foam, high-loft, prima-loft, egg-crate, rejuvenators, multi-zone…you name it.
We have a set of high-quality fleece sheets which were damaged beyond repair with less than 6 months of use (pre-Tempurpedic), simply because I would toss and TURN (essentially rotating 360 degrees multiple times each night) and I stretched them out beyond what they could recover from. Every morning I’d wake up with a pile of fitted sheet scrunched up underneath me from the turning, whether the sheets were fleece, flannel, silk, satin, cotton or bamboo.
Essentially, we threw money down the drain on just about every product possible just to AVOID spending money on a Tempurpedic.
Tempurpedic has a “line” of different beds just like most other manufacturers, but it’s not so much about “the-pricier-the-better”, but rather different styles that fit you. We went to our local stores to try them out, and even tried the same model at multiple stores to see if it really was the one we wanted. In the end, it was the free-trial that convinced us to actually take the plunge. What other mattress company allows you to sleep on their product for 90 days, then will happily take it back if you don’t like it? It’s an amazing offer that says a lot about the faith the company has in their own product. I’ve purchased electronics equipment with shorter a WARRANTY than the bed trial.
This is definitely the ONLY bed I’ve ever slept in well, as an adult. (we went with the Rhapsody bed) No more never-ending spiral of money down the drain for every new promising product. We sleep well. And when we don’t (let’s face it, if someone tells you they sleep great all the time on anything, they’re lying), it generally is either because we didn’t go to bed early enough or because we’re having problems that we worry about instead of sleeping. But since we got our Tempurpedic 3 years ago, not once have I had a bad night’s sleep because of the BED!
Jennifer (looking forward to yet another restful night, sinking into my cuddly Tempurpedic Rhapsody)
PS – One more quick thing. I suffer from unbearably hot feet. I can sleep if any other part of me is hot, but when my feet get hot, I am MISERABLE! I have had this since I was a little kid, and the only way to get around it was to stick my feet out of the covers, where they’d eventually cool off and I’d go back to sleep…then they’d get COLD and wake me up and I’d have to start all over again. That is one more problem eliminated with the Tempurpedic. Not once have I suffered a “hot foot” episode, which used to occur several times a week at least. 🙂
We’ve got a mid-range IKEA mattress and pillow top on our bed and are pretty happy with them. The guest bed has a lower-end IKEA mattress which we don’t like nearly as much, but it’s okay.
I really like that IKEA sells the mattresses and pillow tops separately – you can pick out which combination you like best, everything can be flipped and rotated, and if there’s an unfortunate messy accident, you can get away with keeping the mattress and replacing the pillow top.
Go with the mattress that Costco sells (Sleep Innovation?Novafoam?), I’ve bought it. This is the similar technology to Tempurpedic. My wife & I are very satisfied with our sleep and recommend this highly to anyone shopping for a new mattress. This is excellent value for money and can be used without box springs.
Definitely treat mattress shopping like you would for car shopping – it’s all negotiable, there are many shady tricks, and you might get ripped off even with a major “sale” price.
My first experience – I was railroaded into trying and ordering the top of the line special before I even knew what features I wanted or needed. Called to cancel my order because I realized my gullibility that same day, and, without any prompting from me, they literally dropped the price by $800 so I wouldn’t cancel. If it was that quick, they must still be making a handsome profit.
My husband and I bought our first mattress for our first home not long ago and found some fantastic ways of saving big bucks in the process.
First up, we opted for a platform bed. Actually, because my husband is rather clever with materials and had a good idea, he built the bed himself out of salvaged, beat-up plywood. A bit of time and some very inventive staining techniques resulted in a gorgeous (and extremely sturdy) bed that people thought we purchased in a modern artsy furniture store. More importantly, platform beds preclude the need for a boxspring. I dislike boxsprings, the very concept of them seems wasteful in terms of money and materials.
Next up, we hunted down our mattress. We visited a whole bunch of stores, and when we went into one of the mid-to-high end stores, we hit it big. The sales lady asked us where else we were looking and why, and we told her straight up that we were on a pretty strict budget. She then said to try out the mattresses in the store and find one we liked, and she would see if she could find that mattress in the warehouse listed as “unsellable.”
Why are they unsellable? Because if the mattress has a smudge or a mark on it – probably caused by a hole in the plastic packaging that let in a bit of dirt – it cannot be sold on the salesroom floor. They end up getting rid of them by offering them at steep discounts.
We found a mattress we loved, and to our luck there was one with a tiny smudge in the warehouse. Hey presto, we got our brand new mattress at a 55% discount! This is an excellent brand name mattress that is unbelievably comfortable, and would have been out of the price range we were looking at had it not been for it’s status as “unsellable.”
I had to look REALLY hard to find the smudge, and a damp cloth and careful dabbing removed it. Granted, the store didn’t make nearly as much profit off my sale, but I’ve since sent two other people there and they’ve each bought mattresses from that store.
So yes. Find a reputable mattress stores and ask them about damaged, smudged, imperfect, or otherwise “unsellable” mattresses. It’s remarkable how much can be saved.
Also, in terms of comfort, we found that pocket coils were heads and shoulders above anything else we tried. They really do have better support, and we can hardly feel one another moving and flailing during the night (we are both…uh…active sleepers).
The Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort is definitely the way to go – do not buy a mattress until you at least try out the Sleep Number one (go through the whole demonstration at the store).
We have three mattresses in our home – my daughter’s bed (formerly ours) is a very good ‘conventional’ queen-size mattress – no-flip pillow-top style (it was not cheap to purchase). If I were to lie down on it right now, it feels wonderful – HOWEVER, if I were to sleep on it night after night, it would quickly “sag” or “hammock” – not good. This type of ‘wear-in’ is inevitable in my mind with any ‘conventional’ mattress. (Perhaps buy two beds and alternate sleeping on each one? 🙂 )
My son’s bed (ours before the other one) is a mid-range “conventional” queen-size mattress purchased at a warehouse club and since upgraded with a fairly nice memory-foam type topper. Everyone in our family agrees that this is the worst of the three. Although I have not tried a “real” Tempurpedic, my experience with the relatively thick foam topper on my son’s bed leads me to think the Tempurpedic would be more of the same, and I dread the ‘frozen in place’ feeling from the deeper foam (as well as ‘heat’ issues). Also the foam inevitably breaks down in the key support areas where weight is concentrated.
My wife and I sleep on a king-size Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort. This bed is one of the best purchases we have ever made – if anything would qualify as ‘life-changing’ this bed would come close.
The adjustability is great: a) side to side, his vs. hers; b) over time you can compensate for any ‘wear-in’ of the pillow top; c) special situations – rough day and you want it extra-soft, home sick and reading in bed sitting up and want it firmer, ‘extra-curricular’ activities, or just want to try a different setting for sleep.
Be sure to get the demo and also read every word of the instruction manual – when i tried out the bed without guidance, I completely missed the concept.
If you understand it and use it correctly, this bed opens up amazing possibilities for restful sleep (hint: explore softer settings over time than you are initially comfortable with). There really is less tossing and turning all night, and I go to sleep EXTREMELY quickly when I hit this bed.
I spent more than I wanted to on this bed, but gritted my teeth and bit the bullet and would not go back now.
We saved a little bit of money by not buying Select Comfort’s platform for the bed – instead we kept our old king-size box springs and I cut pieces of 1/2″ medium-density fiberboard to cover them – this gives you the totally flat and firm surface required for the system to work correctly. (We tossed the king-size mattress we had used for only a couple of years which was a disappointing warehouse-club purchase.)
Pay attention to the pillow you use as well; I paid relatively good money for a real down pillow that I can ‘adjust’ (I’m not a fan of the foam pillows that they sell at the Select Comfort store).
Believe me when I tell you that I am as/more frugal as the next guy, but a bed is an excellent place to splurge (and also a place where you can throw away a lot of money if you’re not careful). Go with the Sleep Number!!!!
Sorry that I couldn’t read all the posts just now to make certain that I’m not duplicating information that you’ve already been given. If I have,you may just ignore me :).
I recently learned that Walmart.com sells memory foam mattresses. After researching I found them to be a better price than overstock or costco. It’s a little odd to purchase a mattress without having tried it, but there were many goods reports from buyers on the website and the mattress can be returned if it is not what you expected. Further, the mattress is squished into a little box and can be picked up in the back of a van or truck (really!) from the store that you have requested if be delivered to. This eliminates the cost of shipping and the need to be home when delivery personnel arrive. After having our mattress for a few months, I think we are happier with it then we have been with any other mattress in over 20 years of marriage. Walmart – really :). Only time will tell if it will hold up over the years, but the price was right.
@56:
“I remember seeing signs at IKEA that they seem to have a decent exchange policy if you don’t like what you get too.”
Yes, you can test a mattress for 90 days and bring it back for a full refund if you don’t like it. It was a main reason why I bought there, but I am very happy with my Latex mattress from there, so I didn’t had to use this offer anyway.
Here is Sweden there was a storm in a teacup about matresses- it turned out that the top-of-the line brand matresses were only just slightly better than the IKEA matress, which cost literally 1/10th the price. Usually Ikea is also generous about exchanges and returns.
Wow- so many people interested in how you sleep, J:D 😉
Brilliant post. The mattress I’m currently sleeping on I’m disappointed by, having not known anything about mattresses when I made the purchase. Now when I go back to a shop I’ll be much better informed – thank you!
I do agree to both of you, This is one of the best guide on how to purchase a mattress. Very useful and informative information. All of the things that you need to know before buying a mattress were already listed on this article.
Thanks for the great post. I’ve been reading your blog for a while. I was surprised by what you said about negotiating mattress prices. My wife and I bought a bed a few years ago at a major retailer and they brought the price down considerably, so I was under the impression that negotiating the price was always necessary. Sleepy’s was our culprit, but then again we didn’t shop at other stores so I can’t say we did our homework thoroughly.
“Mattress salespeople are pretty good at finding the best fit for customers” – I had to chuckle at this item. A few years ago, when I was buying a mattress for my son’s bed, I wanted the same kind of pillow top mattress I had. A salesperson actually told me to buy a cheaper/less comfortable mattress because “children don’t really need the extra comfort”. Like my son was not worth the money. Needless to say, I walked/ran out of that store. I eventually bought a very nice pillow top mattress at another store. The salesperson there adviced me to buy the waterproof mattress protector, in case there were any “accidents”, and that was good advice.
Great post…I always felt misinformed when shopping for a mattress. We planned on getting a new mattress in the next year, but I think with this info we might start shopping a little early. Thanks
My wife and I just bought a mattress (Seriously JD, why is it that we’re always doing the same thing at the same time…) We found Sleepy’s too salesy. We bought our mattress, a sealy I think, from a local independent Mattress store because we liked how it felt and the price was very reasonable. They threw in the mattress pad for free.
Having a new mattress has reduced the number of times I wake up at night. Very much worth it
Two years ago, we made a HUGE purchase at Havertys. We bought a Temperpedic split King-size with each split side separately adjustable (like the Craftmatic commercials). We also purchased a very nice frame and matching bedside stands (our first nice furniture in 13 years of marriage). WE LOVE IT, both the Temperpedic and the adjustable frames. We did 30 months, 0% finance – around $9k for all – but we love it and hopefully (knock on wood) should never need to make another mattress/bed purchase in our lifetime.
We just bought a new Stearns & Foster king size bed from Sealy’s Mattress and More stores. It has individually pocketed coils, and my wife loves it (I still miss my waveless waterbed, but she’s hated it for years). I can agree with JerichoHill, though. I don’t wake up near as much as I used to.
This is perfect advice, though. I found similar information on other websites and used it in the store. We probably laid on 10-15 different beds over 3 different stores, and definitely did the 5-10 minute “try it out” thing.
The only quibble I have is that if you do opt for a mattress cover, the coating that keeps stains, etc. from soaking through reflects heat and sort of negates the use of natural fibers. Although, at the price points suggested, I agree you won’t find much else.
I’ll also agree that the salespeople aren’t absolutely horrible, but they do like to baffle with bulls**t. I heard coil counts more than once. However, the 3 salespeople we spoke with tried hard to help us find a good fit. Ask them about the gauge of the coils (lower number is stiffer, typically).
Oh, and seriously opt for the mattress cover. It wasn’t a week after we had it that one of our dogs threw up on the mattress and soaked all the way through to the cover. Saved us the 60 day return policy.
This is great information! I’m looking to replace the inexpensive bed I bought in a pinch for grad school, and these points will be really helpful for shopping!
I’d like to know what Justin has to say about Verlo mattresses which are sold in factory-direct stores. We’ve bought mattresses from Verlo for both our bedroom and our guest room.
As both the article and other comments said, definitely get the protective mattress cover. It’s invaluable. (Or well, its value equals the cost of replacing the mattress, at least!) As Sean said, the negating of the natural fiber effect is an unfortunate side-effect, but it is a good trade-off, I think. And you may now be able to find more natural covers these days.
I also found that at some of the smaller stores, you can generally negotiate for free delivery and often a free metal bed frame so long as you’re paying cash. It might not work so well with the department stores, but our local Serta dealer and one of the other furniture stores (smaller chain) both offered that after a little negotiation. Since we were moving from a futon to a real bed in our first apartment, the frame and delivery were musts, and even with some additional shopping around during those 30-days, (looking for other furniture), our deal on the actual mattress price didn’t suffer for the free stuff.
This article reads like it is – a sales pitch from a guy whose family has been in the mattress business for X years. Lie long enough and even the liars themselves start to believe it…
I’ve never paid more than half price for a mattress. Go to Sleepy’s or whatever mattress store you like, find a bed you like, then sit and wait out the grueling back-and-forth negotiation that has to take place and if the price doesn’t come down by 50% off the tag then go to the next closes Sleepy’s (or whatever) and tell them you want X bed for X dollars. I guarantee, as someone who has done this numerous times, that it will work. Mattress salesmen are typical losers who can’t get a real job and will do everything they can to make a sale. Sleepys is a classic joke but the rest are all the same.
And…if you pay more than $1500 for a mattress then you paid too much. And the mattress ‘protector’? Good luck getting the warranty work done regardless of whether you throw money away on a ‘protector’. Unless you’re pissing on your bed then what’s the point?
lol mark, you idiot. you’ve purchased beds “numerous” times. sounds like you are definitly not an itelligent being and obviously buying quality for your “numerous” purchases, i hope your not mattress shopping less than every 12 years.
i am a mattress salesman. so i am a “loser” with nice car and a nice house that helps meet peoples needs especially the elders in the community. if thats being a loser i am game for that.
not everyone needs the 4000 dollar mattress sets and that i agree. just depends on ones situation. people with chronic back, arthritis etc… needs more than a person like myself or obviously you, they do need help from tempurpedic/simmons or other brands with more innovative comfort layers for pressure relief.
and if you have a saleman giving you 50% off, hes probably a drug addict that is selling you a piece of junk that is highly overpriced and you can go purchase another mattress in 5-7 years from the same crap company
also some people without the pains just like the idea of maximizing their sleep. if you are telling me youd sleep the same on a 500 dollar mattress as opposed to a high end mattress then you truly are lost. i suppose athletes that sleep in high altiude chambers is probably just a gimmick too?
i show people beds in all price ranges and can tell you the ins and outs of each mattress a person lays on. if they dont feel $1000 difference then i take right back to the less expensive model.
so before you go judging and being very sterotypical, just buy a platform foundation and put a pad on top of it. since it doesnt make a difference at least get that something that will last to save you from ANOTHER mattress buying experience at sleepys. come see me ill even give you the 50% off just for the entertainment value of taking you to school 😉
I disagree with all your mattress advice. And I come from a family of bad backs, so we do need the best. Buy mismatched sets and you can get great mattressess and box springs for under $1,000 for a set. I’ve never paid over $800 for both (that IS queen size, I’ve never bought a king, granted). I disagree completely that you need to spend $2,000! Read Consumer Report’s analysis before you do that, please!
Don’t know what path you’re headed down here, but if you decide that a Tempurpedic is what you and Kris are looking for, then I would like to suggest you check out Angel Beds (www.angelbeds.com) before you buy. After falling in love with a Tempurpedic a few years ago but deciding it was outside my budget range, I did some sleuthing and took a risk ordering the comparable Angel Bed and couldn’t be happier. I do not notice any difference in the feel of the mattress and 2 years later it’s still looks and feels like it’s brand new.
Since then, I’ve sold a few friends on these beds and they’ve reported the same results. Also, a quick review of their website shows that they’re now offering free delivery and free return shipping for 90 days if you decide to return. That’s an improved policy from when I bought.
Again, don’t know if that’s the path you’re headed down, but feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Thank you for all of the tips and information. I’m glad you spent two days on this subject. We have to get a new mattress and I know it’s going to turn into a major project!
Mark is 100% on the mark: this is how I’ve gotten every mattress in my life:
“This article reads like it is – a sales pitch from a guy whose family has been in the mattress business for X years. Lie long enough and even the liars themselves start to believe it…
I’ve never paid more than half price for a mattress. Go to Sleepy’s or whatever mattress store you like, find a bed you like, then sit and wait out the grueling back-and-forth negotiation that has to take place and if the price doesn’t come down by 50% off the tag then go to the next closes Sleepy’s (or whatever) and tell them you want X bed for X dollars. I guarantee, as someone who has done this numerous times, that it will work.”
We recently bought two beds from a chain store (1 queen, 1 full for $1900 or so). However, when I mentioned this to a co-worker, he suggested I check on their website and it’d probably be less if I ordered it online. He had shopped in the store to find the one he wanted, but went to the chain store’s website to buy it for less! The same company! After checking his suggestion out, we canceled the in-store order. However, instead of just ordering them online, we did some shopping around and found a local company (here in NJ) that manufactures their own mattresses. (And they had coupons in the bulk coupon mailer we get.) We got similar beds, and replaced a third one, for a little more than we were spending on the two at the chain place. And we know people who have bought from them in the past and their reputation is wonderful. Whether you’re buying from a chain store, online, or a local manufacturer, it’s best to shop around and get your best deal first.
You forgot to mention the Sleep Number bed! It’s the best purchase my husband and I ever made. He likes really soft mattresses, but I have fibromyalgia and need a really firm one (I like sleeping on the floor, if that gives you a clue) or my back hurts too bad to sleep. The Sleep Number bed seemed to be the only way we could both be comfortable. I didn’t think I would like it, because I’ve slept on air beds on the floor at my in-laws’ house, but this feels totally different. We paid about $1200 for the lower-end queen size mattress and “foundation” (basically the box spring that supports the mattress). It does come with a 20-year warranty, but like the Tempurpedic, it’s supposed to last longer than a traditional mattress. We have pets with claws, too, and I was nervous that they might puncture the bed. After having it for 5 years now, I can say there is no way that will happen. It’s really well built, and we LOVE it!
How timely! I am shopping for a mattress right now, though I am looking at the organic and all natural brands.
I think I am going with the Royal-pedic inner coil one, but the natural latex options are interesting too.
Your guest’s notes on the price range is very comforting. the Royal-pedic I am looking at is right in the middle of his price range. I love it when I don’t have to pay extra for environmentally sustainable and healthier options!!
As another person who’s family was in the mattress business, I have to say you missed the money saving boat on this one. The last time I bought a Queen size bed, it cost me $400. Many mattress companies have outlet stores. For example, in Sacramento, Sleep Train has Boxcar Bedding. DON’T go to one of those scary liquidator stores but instead, visit a genuine overstock and mismatch for an independent seller.
Tip 1: You do not need to have the matching mattress and boxspring. In some cases, you are better off creating a custom mix and match that suits your needs. (Some people who really like a low profile mattress actually opt for a plywood base, no boxspring.)
Tip 2: Genuine mattress outlets leave more room for negotiation. The mattress I purchased was a special order that no one had ever picked up. Since it wasn’t on the regular market, no one was coming looking for it and I got a really good deal.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your friend repeated the sales information that every floor person and manager has ingrained for years. (Trust me, I’ve heard it before). While $15 a month may not seem like much, those purchases do add up, and as you can see from other commenters, can easily be twice what you should really be paying.
I would like to support the fact that we can save some money on buying home items from outlets as I have experienced with getting a good deal on buying some furnitures and bed frame from “rooms to go outlet” in 2013. It’s still a brand new product,but sometimes some people never picked up or some items got damaged esthetically during delivery.
I have to add one more brand to your list: Select Comfort (Sleep number bed). We’d had our bed for about 7 years and we love it. My husband likes a firm bed and I like a soft bed. We can each set our side however we want it. If I’d had a tough day, I can change the firmness of the bed with a click of a button. My husband had back trouble before we got the new bed and his back has been much better since we got it. I’d never go back to a traditional bed. They also cost about the same as a traditional bed.
All of it sounds like solid advice (espeically about buying a low-profile box spring)… except for the pricing. When I got my first apartment after graduating college I slept on an inflatible matress (how’s that for frugal?!). After about 6 months I had some money saved up and bought a pillow top queen size matress, box spring and matress pad for under $400. Lucky too, because anything more expensive than that I wouldn’t have been able to afford. I bought a matress off the floor, which I’m sure made a difference. And I lived in a college town, which may have been a factor as well.
And I definitely disagree that the only reason to get a matress pad is for the warranty and stains. If ever the dog pees on the bed (like mine did) or morning coffee gets spilled, the mattress pad will more than pay for itself for saving the matress.
It seems like from my experience, and several other replies, that getting a quality matress under $1000 is definitely possible. Keep your eyes peeled for a good deal JD!
I would suggest exploring the Sleep Number bed option. They are high priced, but if you never have to replace it, quality comes cheaper. While I can sleep on most anything, after I married my wife, we went through bed after bed, replacing first my waterbed, then a variety of mattresses (always the high quality ones mentioned in this article, such as, and including the Sealy Posturpedic). My wife could never find a comfortable one, and we would end up replacing it with another. Then we went to the Sleep Number, and we are both happy. As they are air chambers, there are no springs or fabric to break down over the years, so I see no reason they won’t last forever. We got the next most expensive, excluding the top of the line with the 9″ foam topper (if you are sleeping on air, why would you need 9″ of foam?), and opted for split bed with controls allowing each side to sit up or recline independently, as we both like to read before bedtime. While YMMV, I do believe, in my case at least, that this is the best bed I could have bought, and over the years, will be the cheapest, based on my history of replacing mattress/box springs sets.
There are some great tips in this article–the list of brands that he recommends, the idea of the 30-day trial period, and the admonition (that I wish I’d heeded) that if you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it more at home.
However, I find myself reluctant to accept any advice that says I should spend $2-$4,000 on a mattress. That’s $400 per year! (the mattress I own now cost that much) Who can afford that, for one thing? And for another, I have heard way too many people like Beth and Mark above say that mattresses are grossly overpriced and there are ways to get them for less.
A detailed post on how to buy a great mattress close to cost would be truly valuable.
Brad @ Twenty Something Sense says17 July 2009 at 07:49
Good Tips!
One thing you will not find at your local mattress store is a wide selection of Air Mattresses. In fact no retail store carries more than a couple of them. The internet is the only place that offers all of the different types and brands available.
If you are looking for an Air Mattress – check out http://www.bestairmattressreview.com to see all of the available options and reviews of the top mattresses.
You might not want to sleep on an Air Mattress every night, but they sure are useful for when you have guests in town.
I would also suggest asking for a split box spring. It comes in two halves and works just as well as a regular box spring. When it comes time to move, you don’t have to struggle getting around corners or through stairwells because each half fits through standard doorways. I got mine for the same price as a regular box spring just by asking the salesman, even though they were listed at $99 more.
For me the problem was not finding a bed that was comfortable, but one that would last more than 3-5 years without developing sags in the middle. I did a lot of research online, and it seemed that overall people really liked the Tempurpedic beds more than any others, and they tended to last longer too. I ended up getting a NovaForm memory foam mattress from Costco for about $500 and so far are happy.
I would say, always research online before you buy…or even try!
I wouldn’t rule out Sam’s. You can’t try them out at the store, but when I bought mine, they said that I could return it any time in the first year if I was not happy with it.
Unfortunately I have to agree with you. We bought king Setra mattress from Sams Club. After 5 years I have to buy new one. I have big hole in the middle of the mattress.
I could swear that about a year ago, you had a post about buying mattresses from a guest-poster. I remember it saying how it is hard to compare prices because one company gives the same mattress different names depending on what store it will be sold in.
However, I can’t find the post here anymore. Does this ring a bell or did I actually read it somewhere else?
if a king should be about $300 more than a queen than your price range seems to high to me. i got a queen size posturpedic set (mattress and box spring) on sale at macys for $500 a few years back. i don’t think prices went up that much in that time.
Not sure if this will be helpful, but some other bloggers just bought a new mattress that they heavily researched and decided to go with an environmentally friendly version.
Not cheap from a bottom-line cost perspective, but I think we need to start factoring in the implicit social and economic costs of our purchasing choices more often.
I had a bed frame break on me. (I mean, not literally _ON_ me — I was on the bed at the time.) My (now-ex) wife and daughter jumped onto the bed while I was on it it too.
I think that was the point where we decided it was time to lose weight.
We just purchased Simmons Black Beauty Rest – king size for $3K.. A bit expensive, but it’s been such an improvement over our old, $500 queen size one..
I figure if I can pay $10-50K for a car that will last 5-10 years and is used for less than an hour/day (if you average it out), I can spend $3K on a mattress that will last 10 years and will be used 8 hrs a day..
A good steel bed frame is pretty sturdy–the one I have previously belonged to my parents. The cheaper wooden ones are definitely breakable with, um, vigorous use.
Can’t help but agree with Mark & Beth — the prices he is quoting seem waaay over what is necessary. We just bought an amazing mattress for $700.
I was looking forward to this post — REALLY hoping this guy would address some of the points brought up in the mattress scam website: http://www.mattressscam.com. Primarily the fact that these companies have different names for their different “models” depending on the store you go to — so you can NEVER compare prices.
Check out the mattressscam site — it has much deeper insights from an informed consumer’s perspective.
Folks, the high prices in this post are a legacy of its origins. This was an email from Justin to Garrison that addressed Garrison’s needs and budget. I tried to strip the personal stuff (location, budget, etc) but wasn’t as thorough as I could have been.
Tyler@FrugallyGreen has the right idea. Interestingly, the Angel Bed “Celeb” model looks identical to the one at Healthy Foundations (healthyfoundations.com — where I ended up ordering after testing a Tempur-pedic and liking it.) The Healthy Foundations one is a bit cheaper and also comes with a 1-year warranty.
I cannot under any circumstances recommend that anyone buy a Tempurpedic after sleeping in the Healthy Foundations bed for 2 weeks now. My friend bought 2 memory foam mattresses from Costco and feels the same way. When you buy Tempurpedic, you are paying for their commercial airtime, not for some perceived quality that other brands don’t have.
Of course, I’m sure Healthy Foundations and Angel Beds both have a great markup, but at least it’s $2K instead of the $5K+++ that Tempurpedic wants!
FYI, my Healthy Foundations bed was made by Jeffco Fibres here in the US. You may be able to buy direct if you really want substantial savings on a memory foam or latex mattress. They’re at jeffcofibres.com.
I’m still a huge fan of buying mattresses online. Plus, sales tax is 0. Of course, in Oregon, you don’t have to worry about that…but here in CA, where sales tax is 9.25% (!!!) it’s a huge concern.
The upshot is brands do not matter and contrary to conventional wisdom you do not get what you pay for. A mattress is almost a commodity. You’re paying for marketing. Yes there are some really poorly made mattresses out there but they are the outliers – marketing fluff is the norm. Obfuscation is the only technique they’ve got to increase their margins.
The human body (especially the brain) is the opposite. There a million variables on what it takes to get a good nights sleep – with good being the key word. Everyone is different. Tell me exactly why the box spring is important. Tell me why you would pay for a mattress pad over just using cheap egg crate. Explain to me why we sleep four feet instead of one foot off the ground. Heck, after reading all the mattress articles I’m not even sure what the words “firm” and “soft” mean anymore.
I just want to get a good night’s sleep. I’m feeling the best tactic is to test many mattresses – even spend a night in a hotel. Then find out the best way to describe the model (not the brand – Sealy Executive Plush is gibberish). Last shop around till you find the best deal on your chosen model. Same technique as buying everything else really.
We recently bought a new mattress in Portland. I can give a high recommendation to the BedMart located in the Pearl. We tried a bunch of different stores in southeast Portland and either were not finding what we wanted or dealing with really aggressive sales people. We ended up buying a Tempur-Pedic Classic from the aforementioned BedMart. The woman who helped us (sorry, don’t remember her name) is one of the owners. She was super knowledgeable, but did not hound us. She gave us some advice, showed us some mattresses we might like, and left us alone to try the mattresses out and discuss them. WRT the Tempur-Pedic I can also make a favorable recommendation. My wife wanted a soft mattress, I wanted a firm mattress. The Tempur-Pedic is totally amazing- we are both very happy. Good luck on your own mattress hunt.
I recently bought a bed in my new apartment and went to several stores. I recommend checking out several places and negotiating for the best price. It can only benefit you. Lie on as many as possible. It is difficult to judge a few minutes vs a nights sleep but you can get a general idea.
I’m definitely saving this and the other article, but I wish it had been published two weeks ago. My hubby and I just bought a mattress and box springs for our spare bedroom, and so far it seems to be fine. We will be looking to replace our queen size waterbed with a new mattress and box spring set soon and this info will be invaluable.
My hubby is a much better negotiator than I am (I take him with me for car purchases as a matter of course), so I’m fairly certain he got a good deal on the mattress/box springs. Previously, I had been scouring the Internet for info about buying a mattress and I was convinced that it was ten times worse than buying a car. I was afraid that we’d get ripped off big time, but it seemed to work out OK. We got it from a local outlet-type place here in western PA called Original Mattress Factory, and as I mentioned, it seems to be a fine, general purpose mattress. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised at the way the entire transaction turned out.
If you’re dying for a Temperpedic mattress, but don’t want to shell out an insane amount of money, you can get comparable memory foam matresses at Costco or Overstock.com for much less. I purchased my first memory foam from Costco, (Novaform brand) and my second from Overstock (can’t recall the house-brand, there), and both were terrific. They’re as good as Tempurpedic, not nearly as expensive, and I’ve never slept better in my life.
Lol, re frames breaking I remember when mine broke. My very overweight (especially at that time) grandmother sort of threw herself down on the bed and the nearest corner broke. It’s much funnier now than it was as the time, as this was my bed.
I don’t think a more expensive frame would have necessarily helped with that, and we replaced it with another cheap enough frame that did just fine (after she’d left).
We knew some of these when we bought the mattress I have now and I think we made a good buy. We used a mattress liquidator, so they only had last year’s models but my parents had used them before and the salespeople were quite attentive and helpful.
Learned several years ago while shopping for a mattress that different stores will have the exact same mattress as another store, but with a different name on it (same brand). Makes it hard to do price comparisons this way, the way the stores like it. We found stores would price match if we found the same brand mattress with the same coil count (indicating the same exact mattress). I hate shopping for mattresses as much as shopping for cars.
My Sam Club does let you try out the mattresses. They have one of each model on a sort of pull-out that slides out from under the shelves. My wife and I got a queen-sized Sealy for $600 just about a year ago and we’re very happy with it.
My wife and I bought a new bed when we moved. Having just arrived and not knowing where anything was, we went to a couple of mattress stores in an area containing a lot of furniture stores. The first one didn’t have anything we liked, or anything in our price range. In the second store, we had a creepy salesman who followed us around. We couldn’t get far enough away from him to discuss the beds we tried, and ended up sneaking out of the store when he went to the back to check on something.
In the end, we did what Wayne’s friend did and found a bed we liked in a chain store and ordered from their online store for less. The bonus for us was that there weren’t any salesmen in the department. After our encounter with Mr. Creepy (who wouldn’t shut up about coil counts), we just wanted a room full of beds to ourselves.
I agree with Mark and Beth, who said it sounded like a sales pitch. Especially the thing about “beds are expensive (2-4K)”, and what’s the worst that would happen, you pay a little more for a nicer bed? Well what if you don’t need a nicer bed and you just paid $300 more than you needed to?
I also thought it was interesting where he said regardless of warranties, beds do not last longer than 10 years. For the longest time one of the selling points of more expensive beds is that they were built better and lasted longer. If it’s not coil count, not natural verus unnatural fibers, not longevity, he still doesn’t explain why a 2K bed is worth getting over a 500-700 bed, which is what I want to know.
I DO agree about having a mattress protector. We have “protect a bed” on all of our beds, totally worth the cost!
10 years for a mattress? The one my wife and I have is currently 20 years old and still great. I also can’t imagine spending more than $1000 for a mattress – that’s ridiculous.
Your mattress store should handle pickup of the old mattress – but if it’s in the same truck DON’T DO IT. That means all the old mattresses are being hauled away in the same trucks the new mattresses are in, and that means BEDBUGS. If you live where I do (NYC) they are everywhere and incredibly difficult to get rid of. You don’t want to be inviting them in because some guy’s contaminated mattress is up against your new one in the truck. Confirm before delivery that the store won’t have your mattress in a truck with old ones.
I always buy my mattresses from a place that sells mismatches. You can get a top quality mattress where the fabric print is different on both sides for a deep discount – and it’s new! Who actually cares about the print on the mattress fabric anyways. 🙂
My family is in the furniture business and the only mattress brand I have ever had is Jamison. I personally think they make the best mattresses. And forget the metal bed frame, which will break. Splurge on a good quality wood bed, it’s worth every penny and will last forever.
We purchased a Stearns & Foster queen bed a few years ago. I cannot say enough good things about it! My back has been better (low back issues) and I’d do it all over again. I agree that cost isn’t everything, but you sometimes pay for what you get. Try it out and I bet you’ll love it. We got a midrange version (not the extra pillowy type) and I think they were a bit mismatched as well, so the cost was lower. I didn’t realize how badly I was sleeping before we got the new bed. Good luck!
A mattress is one of those places I don’t worry about paying a good amount. When we first got married we bought a really nice Sealy Posturpedic Presidential edicion mattress and it was the best $1000 we have ever spent (that was 11 years ago). Our mattress is still as comfortable and firm as it was 11 years ago and I know we’ll get at least another 5-8 years out of it.
My next mattress is going to be a organic wool one with no VOC’s so I it’s going to cost a pretty penny, but that’s why I’m already saving for it.
I didn’t have a lot to go on when I bought my mattress, but I got lucky. Coming right out of college and an 8 year stint sleeping on the same futon, I knew I wanted something comfortable, king size, and not cheap. I got a king size Simmons Beautyrest for $1500 after taxes with a new frame. I’ve yet to buy a mattress protector, but I’m seriously considering it now. I absolutely love my bed, though I think I might prefer them just a bit firmer. The model I have has a five inch thick pillow top with memory foam. Its super-soft! 🙂
I agree with #52 Jonathan – it’s ridiculous to me too, and I wonder if the bedding industry has convinced consumers they need more, just as the housing industry convinced consumers they need granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
This advice is lacking. There are many good brands to consider beyond the good ones mentioned. Therapedic, Kingsdown, Natura come to mind. Also Select Comfort, mentioned in the posts with its Sleep Number airbed. There are other non-coil types that should be considered, too, especially for people suffering from back pain. Memory foam is the generic for Tempur-Pedic, some good, some not-so-good. Check the actual thickness of the memory foam layer (vs. the base foam). Latex beds are great, natural back supporters, though they can be expensive (probably will be my next mattress). Local furniture stores often offer Tempur-Pedic and other lower-priced memory foam options that you can compare.
To anyone shopping for a mattress, I recommend that you go to consumerreports.org and in their search box type: 10 mattress myths and then click on “mattresses, mattress myths” and it’ll bring up the 10 myths, many of which have been discussed here.
Hey, this is Justin, the person who wrote this little screed on beds. This is my first time to this site (looks fantastic by the way; I’ll be back), so I hope I’m not breaking any protocol or anything by posting down here in the comments. I want to address several things, because this the information was stuff I emailed to my friend Garrison off the top of my head. Keep in mind that all my comments were tailored to my friend’s specific circumstances (especially the price range because he was paying by using insurance compensation) and I was trying to help him from across the country, so not everything is going to apply to everybody everywhere.
RE comments about price negotiation: I said that most of the larger chains don’t negotiate prices, but I guess that could be true only of the geographic area I was located in. The mattress retail industry varies geographically, so some (or most) parts of the country may still predominantly use negotiation. For the company I worked for, we were simply not allowed to negotiate mattress prices, period. And our main competitors in that area had the same policy. It could be different elsewhere. I wish every store would go to this policy because it certainly takes a lot of the stress out of the process.
RE price in general: You can certainly get a quality bed for less than I recommended to my friend. My recommendation was tailored to his circumstances. The most important thing is comfort. If you feel just as much comfort on a $500 bed as on a $1500 bed, then there is no reason to spend more. Everybody has their own preferences for comfort. But if you are somebody who likes the feel of the $1500 bed best, then I recommend that bed because you will get better sleep if it is more comfortable. My main point for my friend was that he is not automatically being ripped off if he spends $2000 on a bed.
RE comments about frames breaking: I consider myself corrected. Thanks for the info. In 2 years of selling mattresses and 8 years of part-time delivery of them, I never came across a frame that had broken, and none of my co-workers ever mentioned anything like that happening. I would constantly see people still using frames that were 20 years old or more. I should clarify that when I said “bed frame,” I was referring only to standard steel frames, and not a headboard/footboard/rails combination.
RE comments about mattress protectors: Yes, using a protector/pad will cancel out the benefit of natural fibers. But, I still recommend it for at least the sleep trial period so that the bed can be returned, if necessary. And I recommend it long-term for anyone who doesn’t have major temperature variations at night that could benefit from the natural fibers. And if you have allergies, it is great to have something you can take off the bed and wash.
RE Barb’s comment about Verlo: I haven’t heard of Verlo mattresses. Several mattress brands are regional or specialty/niche, so information could be difficult to find. Also, some companies sell the exact same bed in different locations but give it different names.
RE comments about Sleep Number: I intentionally didn’t mention them because I had an idea of what my friend was looking for, and Sleep Number would not have been a good fit. My experience with Sleep Number beds was that people either love them or hate them and there isn’t much of a middle ground. We had an inordinate number of problems with them where I worked, but some people absolutely loved them.
RE comments about outlet stores: I agree, outlet stores can be a great place to find a deal on a bed. But some of them can also be shady operations. I was not familiar with the outlet store’s in my friend’s area, and that is why I did not recommend he go to one. If you go to an outlet store, keep in mind that a lot of them don’t offer the trial period, and sometimes they sell beds that other people tried and returned from the non-outlet stores.
RE comments about cross-shopping prices: It is true that mattresses are given different names at different stores locally and across different regions. I don’t have any tips to get around that. I guess you just have to figure out what is in each bed and compare them to see if it is the same bed at each location.
RE durability: Based on my own experiences, I think 10 years is an appropriate estimate of how long I recommend sleeping on a bed. But obviously people more tolerable of bed softening will get more (body weight will obviously also have an effect). As of a couple years ago, manufacturers of innerspring mattresses were telling salespeople that the beds are designed to last 12 years. And most customers I had seemed to be in the 12-15 year range, and were only coming in after their bed had become unbearable. Thus, I think a 10-12 year estimate for the bed staying comfortable is appropriate for most people. Some people will get more, and some less.
We had a double bed — which fit our 1960s bedroom much better than our current queen — but it wasn’t quite big enough not to feel that someone was taking up too much room. On the other hand, when we go to hotels, the king size beds feel too big — we don’t need that much room…. and I’m glad, because the queen size sheets don’t cost as much as the king sized…
also, I too wonder about the 10year life of a mattress–shouldn’t that vary according to, say weight of users, and other considerations? we have a sweedish bed frame that has a wooden slats, not a box spring under the mattress, I would think that would make a difference, too…
Forgot to add to my earlier comments above — when you read the article from Consumer Reports listing the 10 Mattress Myths, to the right of Myth No. 2 is a Video that you can click on. Be sure to see the video as it gives consumers excellent buying advice on mattreses.
Mattresses, like window shades, which are regularly priced at 70% off “list,” are typically sold at a “sale” price. I would take “list” price with a grain of salt: the “sale” price is the regular price.
Also, I’d be interested if anyone ever mae use of a mattress guarantee. What was the outcome?
Best bed I’ve ever owned is the memory foam mattress I got from Overstock for about $350 ($2.95 S&H). I sleep like a little baby on it, and had enough cash left over for a spiffy new duvet cover and shams!
I read all the info on consumer reports site (back when I paid for it) then religioust checked Craigs list for weeks until I saw what I wanted. We bought a Sealy Posturpedic king size pillow top extra firm for $480. It had been purchased and used for display in a Street of Dreams home. Now it fuels MY dreams. No guarantee, but I don’t care about that anyway. We’ve had it a year and its awesome.
Very interesting how mattress has great value due to the long duration that we spend in it. I always opt for the cheapest mattress, but I guess just one person does not need a great bed. Great perspectives, though, on what to look for.
For what it is worth, Radisson Hotels Deluxe rooms are outfitted with SLEEP NUMBER beds. I have stayed in three such rooms. In two of the rooms, the bed did not ‘hold’ its sleep number..i.e. when set at 85, 6 hours later it had slipped…one bed down to 5! In the other room, I did not like the 85 rating, even though I always like a firm mattress. The hotel manager said this is common, and had doubts about the wisdom of outfitting the hotel with these SLEEP NUMBER beds.
If you live on the east coast, BJ’s Wholesale Club will accept returns on mattresses within 30 days. They seem to be decent mattresses for the money, but everyone has their preference.
Not to come off as a frugality Nazi, but when my daughter moved in, I gave her my bed, bought two exercise mats, and started sleeping on the floor. I’ll never go back.
If you have them in your area, check out Denver Mattress (they’re all over the country). Great prices and quality – they make their own – not rebrands. No haggle upfront pricing too (doesn’t hurt to try, though). Way better than the two Posturpedics I had before. If I recall correctly, about $900 got me a queen mattress with pillowtop and individually wrapped coils, a low profile box spring, bed frame, mattress pad, pillows, cleaning kit, and delivery. I think the most expensive conventional mattress they sell retails for around $1000, and they have their own versions of the Tempurpedic and SleepNumber too.
I would also add that you can haggle for the bedframe as well. I got it thrown in for free, including the “upgrade” to the higher level frame, and didn’t bring it up until after the price was settled.
I have to disagree with his brand recommendations. We have had horrible experience with Sealy, especially when trying to enforce the warranty. We replaced it after three years with a Serta, which had served us well previously, and has done so again. I’d turn and run from a Sealy mattress.
Dear JD,
I live in the tropics(India). We each use a cotton mattress around 2 Inches thick, weighs less than 10 Kgs, costs around US$10 (500 Rupees). The pillows, usually a single one, is also a slim one. Feels quite comfortable.
Have you tried sleeping on the floor with just a blanket below you? This also is OK with me.
I’ve had a Select Comfort (Sleep Number) bed for six years and love it (original cost, $500). Renters, especially, should consider it for ease in moving.
As many have commented, beds are a very individual thing, but value shoppers should certainly consider this brand. I did a thorough review of my model on Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_439613886084 if you’re interested and by comparison, you can read some of the more negative reviews on that site as well.
As a general comment on mattress selection, “pillow-tops” add a huge amount to the cost of the mattress and are likely to break down or wear out or compress or stain or mold long before the rest of the mattress. Save your money and buy a memory-foam topper instead, which you can inexpensively replace when it breaks down in a few years.
chalk me up as tempurpedic fan, and i was very skeptical. the only problem i have with tempurpedic is that i sleep so well, i can’t sleep my 12 hours anymore. seriously, i feel too rested, which pisses me off, because i really like sleeping.
We bought not one, but two mattresses for the price we had budgeted, with platform-style frames that have plenty of storage underneath, no boxsprings. We originally budgeted $900, and got such a great deal, we bought two.
I had read the Slate article that basically states that all mattresses are rip offs, essentially the same thing with more marketing buzzwords. We tried a local furniture warehouse place, and their best price was $600. We left to see if any other stores nearby had a good deal. The next store we went to had a very similar mattress, regular price over $750, but was on sale for $325. Our daughter got an upgrade (and we got a guest bed) as well, since the deal was so good.
I think it was more comfortable in the store than the one we had looked at that cost more. After sleeping on it for almost two months, I love it. I wake up refreshed rather than sore. I have some pretty serious back issues due to a motorcycle accident 10 years ago, so I’m not the average buyer, either.
I didn’t read ALL the other posts so forgive me if I’m repeating someone else….
My wife and I spent $3200 for a SLEEP NUMBER BED, king size, middle-of-the-road(in price) model,
and have never slept better. It’s actually an air mattress, so it doesn’t wear out. We’ve had no problems with it. I never get a comparable nights sleep on ANY regular bed.
ITS THE BEST PURCHASE WE’VE EVER MADE IN OUR LIVES.
BTW, I do not work for SLEEP NUMBER.
Thanks for all the info, but I have to be honest that I did not have to use any of this. I bought a mattress this past weekend from a Mattress Warehouse. Prices were clearly listed and definitely reasonable, and actually all on sale, no hassle. The salesman let us look around, lay down, and just ask him the questions. When we decide on a bed, Simmons BeautySleep plush top, he looked it up and it turned out that it was $150 off the list price. We left in less than 30 minutes with a queen size bed/box spring for $583, delivery included. We also live in Baltimore, so it wasn’t some rural area. Our budget was 800-1,000 and we def beat that. I was really nervous after reading all the comments here and the mattressscam.com site.
I’m 28 years old, and have had 3 mattress sets since leaving home. They have all been used. Many people shy away from used, but you just have to be picky in what you get.
The frame I bought. I forget how much I paid, but it’s your basic metal snap together frame on wheels. I always recommend getting a good frame. Get one that expands to different sizes.
The first bed was around $100 from a classified ad. I ended up leaving it in a basement for 10 months and it got moldy, so I had to pitch it. The second bed came from a friend. The third bed was an upgrade (twin to queen — I ended up giving the twin to a friend). Many furniture stores that sell new beds will often get rid of their client’s old beds for free. The one near us would retain good-shape mattresses in the back of the store for a few weeks. They were given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. This way, they saved on disposal fees.
You want to inspect the bed for anything bad — pee stains, mold, insects, etc. Most people get rid of a bed because they got a new one from somewhere else — or they are moving and no longer need it. Very few people will try to sell a crummy bed. You can also check out the house that the bed is in. If something smells funny, just walk away, But by checking out a few furniture stores and classified ads, you can usually pick up a really good bed for free or extremely cheap.
Great post–I never thought the art of buying a mattress could be so interesting, but it gave me a lot to think about–especially since our current mattress is almost 10 years old…
I bought a foam mattress from Costco for an amazing price and I have absolutely no regrets. It’s extremely comfortable and, after 3 years, still feels like new.
I think all foam mattresses are basically the same so try one out at a mattress store. Just make sure to tell the salepeople you’re just browsing so as not to lead them on.
I disagree regarding the 30-day trial, and i have a suggestion.
Choose a larger retailer mattress store that has a no returns policy, but then negotiate with the salesman to write in the comments that this is an exception, and that you have a thirty day trial.
Companies that have a 30-day trial delivery used beds. Especially department stores, who don’t normally have a clearance center for floor models and returns.
They can’t send those back to the vendor, except for Tempur-pedic, so they end up RE-BAGGING the beds.
Also, always insist on examining the mattress when it is IN the bag.
Stay away from Select Comfort. The 20-year warranty is really only a 2 year full warranty, and an 18-year prorated warranty, and parts that shouldn’t fail in 3 years (pump, remotes) have a tendency to do so. Most people don’t think about needing to set aside money for maintenance of their mattress, but with Select Comfort you will need to do so.
Unless you and your spouse have drastically different ideas of comfort, you can likely find a regular mattress that will be a better match than deal with the “trench effect” of Select Comfort mattresses (the valley that develops between the air chambers).
Try consignment stores. I was in one looking for a futon a few months ago when I moved into a summer apartment and I was surprised to find many ‘new’ high-quality, name-brand mattresses there. Apparently the deal is that mattress stores cannot sell a mattress as ‘new’ once it has been taken out of the plastic, so if someone returns a mattress for any reason, they can’t sell it again. Ergo, they take it to the consignment store where it is sold for a discount. How much? I don’t know- they all seemed really expensive to me, a college student that ended up on a $15.38 Goodwill twin.
My husband and I love our Select Comfort Sleep Number bed!
1) we planned in advance and bought it with 18 months same as cash. We set aside a lump sum of cash in a CD to mature 1 month before the 18 months expired and put monthly “payments” into a savings account so we earned the interest ourselves. Paid the entire amount off with one month to spare!
2)The Sleep Number bed has a 60 day in home trial, so you know for sure you like the bed during the trial period.
Select Comfort beds have a 30-night in home trial, not 60. And the customer is responsible for return shipping. (~$100) Initial shipping or delivery/setup fees are not refundable. (~$50-200).
I bought my mattress at Sears about 7 years ago. It was definitely a good deal (hundreds less than the competition, free box spring, free frame rails, free delivery, free take away). At the time they had a mattress section of that store where you could try out mattresses. They’ve since redone the store and that one no longer sells mattresses. There are a few others in my area that still sell mattresses, though.
You have to buy when they have a sale to make it worthwhile. You should probably visit other stores first, as the salespeople at Sears [at least in my area] tend to be less knowledgeable and the selection can be quite limited compared to other stores.
Truly a great and timely article on mattresses. Since we are also in the market for new pillows, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to the best to buy or things to consider.
Here again is the mattress salesperson’s favorite line “you spend a third of your life in bed….”
That third of your life is the third of your life during which you are unconscious.
I know a lot of people blame their mattresses for back pain, etc. Mattresses today are far more “advanced” than mattresses of old. Perhaps physical deconditioning is a much larger factor than mattress subtypes.
With all due respect, I don’t agree that “you get what you pay for” in regards to mattresses. I think most mattresses are just fine for the average individual – if you want to fool yourself into thinking you have a luxury item, so be it.
I work for a mattress company, not in sales however. 2 quick observations.
Most places do NOT have trials. And think about it, that’s nasty. Do you want a bed that some unknown has had for a month? It would be like permantly staying at a hotel. no thanks. They come in sealed plastic bags for a reason. Most places call this a “comfort guarantee”.
Also, to the people saying just buy cheap and you don’t get what you pay for… that is extremly incorrect. The differences are very substantial. Of course once I started working where I do, I bought something new, night and day doesnt even begin to explain it.
oh, btw, the rest of his advice from this article is excellent and spot on.
Thanks for this article. I read about this article just one day before planning to buy a new KING size bed. I went to ‘The Bedroom Store’ and asked for Tempeurpedic mattress. I loved the ‘DeluxeBed’, but I am concerned about the mattress getting hot. I love to sleep cold. Then the sales man showed me one more brand called ECO. Supposedly this company designs bed for hospitals and have just got into the market. Sales person said this mattress is memory foam and more breatheable. I felt nice to sleep on it in the store and price was a bit less than Tempeurpedic. Can someone comment on these new environment friendly ECO beds ?
My one question would be thoughts on the Sleep Number beds. My girlfriend is a back sleeper for 90% of the night, while I am side and stomach, short of putting two singles together, I don’t see many good options for that kind of thing other than a Sleep Number. I’ve tried them in the store, and it seems nice, but trying a mattress for 30 days is sort of a hassle in my opinion. Any comments on those beds?
I have been working in the mattress industry for almost 20 years and would like to address one of the more prevalent opinions that I have encountered in this thread. The idea that mattresses are usually “ripoffs”. I know that there are stores out there that frequently mark their product up so that they can later mark them down for sale prices. There are also stores that will consistently offer those same products at fixed prices. This is marketing. I can guarantee that you will not find a model that most stores price at $2000 for $400. The margins don’t work that way.
In the retail world it isn’t unusual to encounter products that are marked up 10 or 15 times what they cost to manufacture. Mattresses are very rarely marked up even 100%. In the retail furniture industry most operations cannot achieve even a 10% profit margin even in a great year.
I’m not saying that some stores have better deals than others. I am trying to address a common misconception that most people overpay for a mattress. If you visit even two stores and compare mattresses with due diligence it is unlikely that you will end up overpaying for a mattress which is, after all, a very personal preference.
It’s worth noting that some aspects of the matress business are definitely a racket. More specifically the exact same matress can be marketed under several different names, thereby allowing retailers to promise that they offer the lowest price on a particular mattress or they’ll pay the difference.
I bought a mattress recently and can say with certainty that in the New England area, it appears that you can negotiate down significantly on price at Sleepy’s etc. Most were priced $1K-$3K and you could get them down to $600-$800. I did try to be a stickler on negotiations and I think I really hit the minimum around $600 though, because I threatened to leave and actually did leave and the salesperson did not relent at all.
I got a frame on Craigslist for $20 because they would not throw it in. I got a pillowtop mattress that is king size for $800, but I am unimpressed with it, still can’t believe how much it cost. I sleep no better on it than any other mattress I’ve had, actually worse because of the cover making me sweat like crazy. I bought my last king size mattress for $75 on Craigslist and I actually liked that one better. It looked a little sketchy since it was used, but I put the mattress cover over it and no problem. I ended up buying the fancy one because my husband refused to let me get another used mattress because it fueled his OCD concerns. 🙂
beware of mattress warranties! i single out serta because i can talk about my expreience here, but it seems like a lot of the manufactures have the same warranty. it’s pretty meaningless.
hubby and i bought a $2700 serta perfect day king size mattress (“sensational”) 3 years ago to replace our older mattress. the sagging “body impressions” from the old mattress put a lot of pressure on my mid/lower back because it wasn’t supporting my body. the serta was very comfortable at the store and we were told that it was top of the line and guaranteed for 10 years. i didn’t mind paying the price, thinking that we’d get a good night’s sleep for 10 years. wrong!
this mattress has the same “body impressions”/sagging issues, and it’s killing my back. for $2700, i expect much better! i’ve called serta about the warranty. get this, they will only consider fixing the situation if the body impression is at least 1.5” deep measured from the hill in the middle of the bed to the edge. you can definitely feel how little support there is at the sagging areas (maybe worn out springs?) compared to other parts of the bed, but wait, the fluffy pillow top is so resilient, that you can’t see it and it makes measuring nearly impossible.
very, very disappointed at having spent in essence $900 a year for a mattress that’s garbage. never again. i’d be better off buying a new cheaper mattress each year.
Sorry, I do not agree with you. You bought a mattress and sleep on that for few days. You have enough warranty and trail time. But your back pain has started by using this mattress. Now if mattress company change you mattress free of cost, what is the benefit? Already you got pain from this mattress.
I think most of the people make this mistake when they are buying the mattress. Its better if they check the mattress review on internet before buying any mattress. This way they can get clear idea what they are going to buy.
I am offended by the remarks made in this article. Who does this person think they are suggesting that mattresses are hugely marked up and that the sales associate should be “ground down” to a “good deal”. Most mattresses are marked up 50% just like any other retail item that is purchased at wholesale and re-sold at retail. Where is it written that a customer can negotiate the selling price of a mattress?? Do they go into Best Buy and negotiate the selling price of a refrigerator. Do they negotiate the price of a “Big Mac” at the drive-thru? No they don’t…the mattress sales associate who has had the proper training to help a customer make an educated selection deserves to be paid for the time spent with the customer and educating them.
Yes, it is poor taste to test the feel of a mattress in a mattress store and then buy it from Costco. The customer doing this is causing the sales person that helps them to miss a potential sale while he/she is helping the shopper and for what? To educate them while he/she has absolutely no chance to paid for the time spent with the customer? This type of behavior is disrespectful of the sales associate. AND what about the customer that saw the mattress at Costco for $600 and asks the mattress store to match the price when the store’s wholesale cost was $550. The sales associate that helps that customer is going to make absolutely not one dime and will have to go to the bottom of the list and work through the rotation of all the other sales associates before getting another opportunity to try to earn a living. If customer likes the price at Costco, they should buy the darn thing there. If they are going to the mattress store because the service is better, they get free delivery and the sales staff is more knowledgeable, the customer should have to pay extra for those amenities.
For the trial period, 30 days is the minimum. I would recommend more if you can find retailer that offers such. Make sure you have all the details and you should not have to buy anything or pay extra for a trial period.
Sleep is way too important and you need to test it over several nights to make sure the mattress gives you the proper support AND conformance.
Chicago Mattress Store says20 November 2009 at 20:31
Just from an inside perspective, 30 day trials aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. A lot of times mattress companies will then re-use the mattress and re-ship it as new.
We just purchased a S&F Luxury King mattress with the regular box spring. Also bought a new bed which will accommodate both kinds of mattress. We have this week to change to the low profie (delivery is on Friday). Our top mattress is 14″, so should I assume based on comments above, we can switch to the low profie and there would be no difference in comfort? My concern is our nightstands will be much lower than the bed staying with the regular boxspring. Also, we were told S&F will only allow stores to discount up to 10%, which is what we received. After purchasing, I did try to find another just like ours (to compare prices) and do not see it. Ours is the Chestnut St with the Stearns Estate boxsping. Would you know what other S&F would compare with Chestnut Street? Sorry, I know I have several questions in this…any information will help. Thanks!
I recently purchase an Angel Bed with a 90 day refund if not satisfied. I returned a as new condition, well packaged bed within 60 days. Angel Beds wants to charge $358 for a mattress cover they say is soiled. It wasn’t, the picture they sent me had a boot print on it. (Which was undoubtedly done at Angel Beds.) The driver that picked up my shipment accepted it as well packaged. I have no picture from Angel Beds regarding the packaging. this leads me to a greater concern. If a mattress is returned, will Angel Beds use the original mattress or discard it>
does 30 day trial periods as you advise mean you will get a used matt set in someones home. do you believe a company will throw a trial matt away or sell to next customer.
My credentials: I have been a member of mattress forum for many years and have read all about them both from consumers’ viewpoints and from people in the business. I consider myself an expert.
The basics that you need to know are this: All the major mattress makers these days – including Sealy and Sterns and Foster, etc. – use too much cheap polyurethane foam in them.
NEVER BUY A PILLOW TOP or your mattress will stop providing support within a few weeks or a few months. The pillowtop is almost always made of low-density poly foam which will not provide proper support for your back. This is the “sucker” purchase. They know you’ll be back to buy a new bed in the not-too-distant future if you get one of these. Then they’ll tell you that you need to buy a “better bed”. But none of them are really that much better, they all use poly foam.
The mattress companies all used to make flippable beds (ones that you can turn over so one side does not get overly used) that lasted 10-20 years so if you’ve had your bed for 15-20 years you probably have or had a good one. BUT NONE OF THE MAJOR MATTRESS MAKERS NOW MAKE BEDS OF THAT QUALITY! None are flippable and all are made with poly foam. If you don’t believe me ask around.
So what do you do? You have several choices:
Keep your good springs on your old mattress and do a mattress surgery, throwing out all the old foam and put in new latex layers instead. Google “Englander mattress surgery” for more info about taking your mattress apart and renovating it.
OR:
Find a small factory that makes mattresses the “old way” – flippable, and no or almost no poly foam. It will cost more but will be worth it if you choose a good one with good materials.
Or buy a pure latex mattress. Flobeds comes to mind, or SleepEZ. Do some research on latex beds. Latex lasts for 10-20 years and has very good support for your back.
The main point here is that ALL major manufacturers (most begin with an S) are now making mattresses with a lot of poly foam that breaks down quickly and does not provide good support. Be aware. IF you don’t believe me ask them how much polyurethane foam is in it. Even a FIRM will have 3-4″ of poly foam in it. This foam is the cheapest money can buy and will break down very quickly. They used to use all kinds of better materials but no longer do they do that. To get a great mattress now should cost you $2500-4000 in a KING. Expensive, yes, but its an investment in your well being.
Tempurpedic? My opinion is that it does not provide enough support for one’s back. If you really feel the need to try it, make sure you get the return privilege in writing and get back all or most of your money if you return it after 30 days or whatever they say you get to try it. I tried one and found it did not support my back. I have read many others that returned theirs as well. I feel these mattresses feel great for people who “can sleep on anything”. Not so great for those who have back or neck issues. Tempurpedic also sleeps too hot for many people, though this can be corrected by a wool mattress cover and a silk comforter – both of which are very expensive.
Latex is the foam of choice, either on top of springs or by itself. Be careful though: Some “S” companies say it’s a latex mattress but it’s either only partly latex with poly foam, or it’s pure synthetic latex which is not as good as a latex blend such as a Talalay processed latex, or a 100% natural latex, also processed via Talalay method. Dunlop latex tends to be much harder and denser, good maybe for a base, but not so good for toppers or mid-layers. IMHO.
This is the truth. I did a ton of research before we purchased our new bed. Full latex was the most comfortable but also the most expensive. We settled for a Latex Pillowtop from Lebeda Mattress. Super comfortable and great back support.
It still impresses me to see that in practically every walk of life, buyers are looking for the newest and the ideal on the market. Except when shopping for a mattress, it still seems that people today are drawn to the ‘same old same old’ one mattress fits all coils and springs. But that’s not the big kicker; the big deal comes when you actually price these mattresses. To get a quality coils and springs mattress you have to pay somewhere between $1500US -$3000US to get the relaxation levels you want and then you are still really buying an expensive foundation with a memory foam pillow top, which is what is offering the comfort you feel. So, let’s say you spend $2000US, you now own a 100lb wooden box filled with coils and springs and what sold you was the $200US pillow top.
So why not simply take the time to really see what choices are out there? You will find many other options that take benefit of our newest concept, are not only half the price but provide a healthier environment for you to sleep. All the new kinds of mattresses and beds are specifically designed sleep systems that supply the right assistance to minimize pressure to acceptable ranges for different body types and sleeping postures, maintaining back and spine alignment. The coils and springs mattresses can only say this when they come with the memory foam pillow top. The coils and springs can’t really “fill in the gaps” to support the parts of your body that do not sink into the coils, such as your lower back.
Coils and springs mattresses’ biggest claim to fame is that the coils work separately so when you move, your companion isn’t going to. Great, but how much does that matter if you’re not relaxed and you wake up weary and stiff? And in all credibility, I don’t know anyone who actually “bowls” in bed.
So much information here, and a lot of it conflicting! I’m shopping for a bed in Southern Ca, and I keep seeing an ad from local seller “Sit and Sleep.”
The fellow in the ad says over an 8-year period, a mattress will Double in Weight due to accumulated moisture and dust. Then they show a picture of a dust mite.
Ulgh!
This post is full of sales pitch. I laughed when I read that “Most of the larger chains just price them at the minimum right away.”
Read the article from Slate http://www.slate.com/id/93956 to get a funny and impartial view on the mattress industry. The bottom line is get the most comfortable one you can get at the cheapest price. All those springs, coils, gauge, foam, pillow, silk, organic fibers are all a marketing gimmick. And yes, you have to negotiate.
As a non-US resident I have to chip in some advice. If you have an IKEA about try their mattresses – they have a whole selection of their own and some to take away or deliver.
I personally got a foam mattress from them. Not paying for the name of some of the high end brands in my country. The foam mattress is the best mattress I’ve ever bought – it’s comfortable and shapes to you and if you have a bad back it’s the best decision you’ll make.
Buying a mattress is no walk in the park. You have to consider your budget, your sleep preferences, the size of the mattress–the whole nine yards. When buying, consumers should never get pressured by sales people. They tend to get really pushy and you might end up buying something totally not suited for you. Even if you have a mattress warranty, it still does not provide 100% assurance. So get the upper hand when choosing and be very picky when it comes to mattress comfort.
For those of you considering a pillow top mattress, I have some advice (for what it is worth)…
My husband and I purchased a king sized pillow top mattress about three years ago from an outlet store (sorry I don’t recall the brand name). It was a great bed EXCEPT that the pillow top was only on one side of the mattress (and sewn on). SO YOU CANNOT FLIP IT! This was fine for the first couple of years; however, now there is a bit of a “mountain” in between where the two of us sleep. The bed is still pretty comfy, but it is very doubtful we’re going to get our full 10 years out of it. We’re probably going to have to get a new bed in the next year or so (which is why I’m re-reading this post!).
If you love the beds with pillow tops, make sure that either it is removable or that there is a pillow on both sides of the mattress so you can flip it occasionally.
I have to caution those with interest to exercise an option (to #36 Heather & #85 Andy) buy from a mattress factory. I’m not disagreeing…an urgent note of caution:
The worst experience I’ve ever had, was an interaction I’ve had with “VERLO”. “Custom made” was so seductive. Julie, wanted my money and she sold and sold…until I was dry, and the options were exhausted. The salesperson, franchiseee, AND the people at the corporate headquarters had clear priorities. Not me. The Mattress came to me defective, and uncomfortable yet NOT DEFECTIVE ENOUGH. The debt lasted longer than my comfort. They showed no interest in my satisfaction, and they were right. I was not satisfied. No repair, replacement, or refund was possible. They were neither rude nor interested.
tester des produits says25 September 2012 at 13:34
When shopping for a bed, spend at least 15 minutes laying on it before deciding. If it stays comfortable for that long it should fit your needs. Falling asleep, as Mark did, would cinch the sale for me.
Thanks for sharing this useful information. i was really thinking about to buy new mattress for my bedroom. This information will really help me to find out the best mattress sets.
Avoid sleepy’s. I was lied to on many occasions. Also, if you do go with sleepys, try it in the store then buy online. You won’t get very good service at a chain. The beds are overpriced, the sales people don’t tell the truth… I could go on.
Getting a comfortable and good night’s sleep depends upon numerous factors like stress level, temperature of the room and comfort. However, it would be a great idea to start from the basics. In simple words, your mattress has a major role to play in giving you maximum relaxation and comfortable sleep. CHOOSE WISELY.
I purchased the most expensive bed in the shop took up sleepys offer of an exchange of it didn’t work out and they exchanged alright but because I had bought the most expensive mates in the shop they would not reimburse me the difference when I had to take a cheaper one. They were having a sale and both were on sale and kept putting me off and not returning calls until the sale was over… Now they are saying the cheaper one is more expensive and they should be charging me the difference but “kindly” are not going to. What a load of crap.
Great post!
This one can really help me out in buying mattress for our new house. Buying a mattress is one of the major purchases you can make for you home. You will likely spend more time on your mattress than any other piece of furniture that you own.
I have been doing research for a mattress purchase. The mattress underground seems to be a great resource with a lot of tips and educational material about the materials, and construction methods of mattress (like progressive vs differential construction), the difference between HR and HD foam (sometimes these are incorrectly used interchangeably)
The writer for that page recommends to stay away from the big 4. Not that they can’t make a good bed, rather you can find better value elsewhere. The trick is to find a salesperson that knows what they’re selling and is interested in finding you the right bed rather than profit margin (good luck with that at a chain store)
They should be able to tell you what is in every single layer of the mattress and why. What is in the comfort layers, what is in the mattress core support layers. They should be able to tell you if it’s dunlop or talalay latex, all natural or synthetic or blend. They should be able to get the specs of the foam/poly fills like the density etc.
If you’re too lazy to do the research and find someone good to help you make the purchase, then you are at the mercy of the salespeople….some are great and will help you, some will just nickle and dime you into a bad overpriced bed.
I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently do you update your web site?
Replacement mattress for Sterns & Foster latex “Garden Grove Plush Mattress” no longer available.
My son has to sleep on his side. He and his wife love this mattress and says our spare bed is too hard. Do have any close approximation to this mattress.
Thanks for sharing your insights on how to buy a new mattress. I agree with you when you said “If you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it at home”. I know that mattress testing in the store may seem a bit embarrassing, but it’s the only way that you’ll know if it’s the right one for you. Sharing this short feature on polyurethane mattresses, just in case someone’s thinking of buying one. 🙂
Great post, and timely, as we are in the market for a new mattress.
In researching mattresses, I have found that two XL twin mattresses are the same size as one king-size mattress. And buying two twins is a lot cheaper than buying a king! Two XL twins could be put on a king-size box spring, from what I can tell.
Since my husband moves around a lot in his sleep, we are considering this as an option. Is there any reason we should not do so?
I am a mattress salesman, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I read!! The only thing I’ll dissagress with is the coil count, and getting the salesman to go down in price, and here’s why.
Coil count ISN’T huge, you’re right. The guage and type of coil is much more important, but, when you’re comparing a beatyrest with more materials in it, twice the coils and micro coils to the line just underneath it, you’ll mention the fact that it has twice the coils. But I’ve NEVER sold a bed just on the coil count. People don’t care much for that anyway.
And now for the price: Mattress companies do not have a minimum we need to sell their sets for, unless they’re memory foam like Tempur-Pedic, Serta Icomfort, Sealy Optimum etc.
We price our beds how we want (or how the company wants) and sell accordingly. The company I work for gives you an awesome guarantee on price (we price match after purchase)
We can’t sell a mattress at cost because then the margin on the sale is too low (we can’t sell below that margin) and it brings down our numbers and pay.
So, if something is on sale, it cuts into the salesman’s pay, but if they can go a little lower, they will, because something is better than nothing.
Great article though!!! I loved you talking about trying out the first 3 beds, and the value in the protector etc. Great stuff!!
There is a lot of good information here, but a lot of it is out of date since it’s 5 years old. Most of it is fine, but there are a bunch of little things that need updating.
1) The Tempurpedic mattresses are now only a 10 year warranty. They should still last longer than a typical mattress, but the warranty no longer reflects that.
2)Serta mattresses are aiming for the higher end than they used to. Their new iSeries and iComfort mattresses are pretty high quality. Conversely, the Stearns and Foster mattresses tend to be a bit overpriced for what you get, and get low ratings on both Consumer Reports and Sleep Like The Dead.
3) Most beds use individually pocketed coils now. In 2009 when this was written, Simmons was virtually the only ones to use them. This is no longer the case.
Don’t ever buy a pillow top or non-turn bed. If a mattress salesman tells you that modern mattresses don’t need to be turned, he or she is lying. Non-turn beds really won’t last as long because the ‘up’ side (pillow top or memory foam) will wear out much more quickly than the mattress itself.
I have an ostomy, so their is always the potential for a leakage. Despite not having one in years, the risk still exists. That said, a mattress cover is a must for any new mattress I get. The problem is that I also find having any type of unnatural fibers under me makes me sweat. Does a mattress cover exist, or is it not possible, that can protect the mattress and still let my body breathe properly? I’d hate to spend $1000 – $2000 on a new mattress and destroy its comfort with a $100 cover.
The easiest form of a mattress protector is really a lightly quilted fitted sheet. It provides minimal protection against liquids and little if any protection from dust mite things that trigger allergies. As well as conventional natural fabrics new types of synthetic protector or topper have appeared through the years including memory foam and spacer materials. These are more expensive compared to conventional protectors but add the benefits of pressure relief and regarding the later, the ability to become washed.
There are 260 comments to "How to buy a mattress".
Like you, we needed a new mattress. However, our current financial situation prevented us from spending that kind of money right now. We aren’t in debt, but my business is taking in about 40% less income than it was just a year ago, thanks to my clients who are cutting back on spending right now as well as a few who have gone out of business.
For about $120, we bought a memory foam cover from Costco. It’s fabulous. The only downside was the smell of the foam first out of the box — let it breathe in the garage or outdoors for a day or two first. We also have a mattress that is about 13 years old. This foam pad will enable us to get few more years out of our old mattress before we have to buy a new one. In a few years, hopefully, we’ll be in a better position to buy a new mattress with cash.
We also bought a couple of memory foam pillows from our chiropractor’s office — it really helped reduce my husband’s neck problems and subsequent migraines. Total cost was about $250 for everything, and we are both sleeping much better. Money well spent!
Good luck!!!
My friend’s dad once told him – always have good shoes and a good mattress, you’re usually on one or the other! Great advice I’d say!
Oddly, buying a mattress is even more opaque than buying a car. It’s very unlikely that you will be able to find the exact model of a mattress you test drive in a store at Costco because there is a ton of white-labeling and different models (even within the same brand) depending on the distributor. Consumer Reports doesn’t provide mattress ratings because of the millions of variations and lack of consistency, but they do have a guide:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/bed-bath/mattresses/mattress-guide/
I always get nervous buying a new bed because of all these factors. My advice: spend as much time as you can spare test-driving. Lie on each bed for more than a few minutes, as the too-hard / too-soft revelations don’t come right away. And, if possible, buy from a place that has some sort of exchange offer within 30 days. We had to change up last time we bought a bed and I was so glad we were able to exchange.
There’s an even better way. The mattress stores only offer exchanges and many of them require restocking fees and multiple delivery fees if you use the one-time exchange option that some offer. If you don’t get a good mattress the first or second time, you’re out of luck.
I did a lot of research on stores and was appalled by what I read on review sites about people being stuck with a mattress that made them hurt when they slept on it and not being able to afford a new one. My daughter suggested I look at direct, online sales. I was skeptical at first but many of them offer 100 – 365 sleep night trials with a full money back guarantee. I was lucky, there was a lot of information to guide me to the right mattress online–way more than I ever got in a furniture store. I tend to be analytical and the more money I’m spending, the more analytical I am.
I found this guide very helpful. https://bestmattress.reviews/mattress-stores/ It reviews dozens of mattress stores and online sellers based on how much risk the customer assumes when they buy there.
One thing about price comparison or testing a mattress at one store and then buying at a warehouse club is that mattress stores do not use the same name for the same mattresses in order to prevent you from price shopping. Mattress salesmen are very similar to used car salesman. The funniest information I found online about buying a mattress was walk into your local mattress store, ask the salesman what is on sale and then yell in unison with him, “EVERYTHING’S ON SALE”. I ended up buying a memory foam topped mattress with a cooling layer (important for foam) from Costco for about half what most mattress stores were offering. I just pulled it out of the racks and lay on it on the floor in the warehouse for awhile, so I got a good test of the mattress and entertained the local shoppers.
Don’t buy a pillowtop. Get a featherbed. You will get more out of it by flirting and cleaning it. That is fluffing.
Stacy at Birds and Bills wrote recently about mattress shopping.
For my part, I bought a pillowtop mattress and boxsprings set from Costco about ten years ago, and it’s holding up extraordinarily well.
As far as finding a model of the Costco mattress to test elsewhere: you can probably do it, if you’re clever. Goods sold at warehouse clubs nearly always have unique manufacturer model numbers assigned just to the version sold by that club, but by comparing features you can usually figure out which regular model number it corresponds to. I haven’t tried mattresses, but I do that with appliances all the time.
We need a new mattress, too, but are waiting before we drop a bit of cash on it. I’ve been considering Barbara Flanagan’s advice, from Flanagan’s Smart Home. She recommends a 100% natural latex mattress for its long life – 20+ years, renewability and sustainability, and biodegradability. She cites a lot of other very good arguments I won’t go into detail about. You should check out the book; I think it’s up your alley.
Also, if you’re planning on ever moving (houses or furniture) be sure and get mattress with handles. We’ve got a big floppy queen with no handles and it’s a huge pain to move.
I just bought a new mattress about a month and a half ago. I am fortunate to live in a large metropolitan area (LA) and there are many (probably a couple dozen) mattress stores within just 5 miles of my house.
I went in five or six different stores, gave the salesman my budget ($1,000) and let him give his spiel and show me the mattresses. I laid on each one a couple minutes and after a couple quickly got an idea what I really wanted. If you tell the salesman the best deal you’ve gotten so far, he’ll suddenly be able to match or beat it. After shopping for a few hours, I narrowed it down pretty quickly to three mattresses that met all my criteria and were quite close in comfort. I ended up with a queen size memory-foam pillowtop with foam encasement with boxspring for just a bit under $1000 out the door – on a mattress with a tag price of $2000. Make sure to negotiate delivery and disposal of your old mattress with the price and don’t be afraid to walk out on a good deal if you’re not 100% sold. I was also able to get $30 off since I didn’t need a new frame. 10 years is a pretty standard warranty but be sure to get a protector (I bought mine from Overstock.com, not the mattress store) to ensure it doesn’t get stained as this does indeed void the warranty.
My sister’s boyfriend (who is an AWESOME negotiator), recently bought a mattress, and he used similar tactics one would use for a car. He shopped around. He talked to a salesperson, mentioned that he had a few options. He negotiated, struck a deal, and then WALKED AWAY WITHOUT BUYING. Then he came back a few hours later and negotiated them down a few more dollars. When they finally settled on a price (and this just had me in awe), they rang it up and started to add on tax, he said “No, I’m paying X amount, and not a penny more.” He had them refigure the price, to include the tax. He walked out with the mattress he wanted.
When my husband and I bought a new bed a couple of years ago we went to an outlet store for a name brand mattress manufacturer. Many of what we saw were “last year” models and they took a larger percentage off the price of the mattress the longer it had been in the store. We decided that we liked a very firm mattress — apparantly we are in the minority because there were several and we were able to buy a set that had been there for several months. We paid about $450 the warranty and delivery included. Look around for an outlet store!
The biggest racket the mattress industry has pulled to date is the “no-flip” mattress. I think Simmons started it, and other companies followed suit, and now it’s virtually impossible to find a two-sided mattress.
“No-flip” mattresses are touted as being convenient and easy for the consumer, but in reality they are huge money savers for mattress giants – basically, half the manufacturing cost and mattress life at the same sale price. This is like advertising a “no oil-change car”, where the car still requires oil but the cap is glued on.
I bought the mid-range latex mattress from Ikea (queen size, $699) and I LOVE it. I’ve never slept better, I can flip the thing if I so desire, and it doesn’t get all “shweddy” like memory foam. I cannot endorse it enough. Latex seems to be the perfect happy medium for couples with different firmness needs, it lasts forever (my aunt has had hers for over 30 years) and it’s reasonably priced if you get it somewhere like Ikea.
My wife and I just bought a new mattress. Its a Keetsa, http://www.keetsa.com/
We were just down in California and went to their store in San Francisco and tried them out. We went with a coil spring with foam top mattress, Keetsa Pillow Soft. Its the middle one, not too firm, not too soft.
Last night was the first night sleeping on it, but it was good, much better than our Sealy. I’ll post back in a few nights about how it is.
As for the Sealy we bought it 5 years ago at the Costco Home store, which is now closed. But they used to have all the beds in stock all the time and setup to try out. Our course it felt good, but over time the mattress just started to sage in the middle.
We also found out they but a stiffer area around the edges of the Sealy since alot of people just sit on the edge to test beds out. So it holds up better for showing in a store.
Last night we took back the bed to Costco, no questions asked and got a full refund. So at least if you buy a bed from Costco and don’t like it, you can take it back.
Ken
I love it and it was a good price. 🙂
Wow, I’m fascinated! When I moved to Portland I went to PJ’s Sleep Shop on Hawthorne and bought myself a mattress and boxspring for $250, which included frame and delivery. I have no qualms over my bed and it’s still in fine shape four years later. I had no idea most people spent so much, or haggled so much, or found it so difficult. I count my blessings — I guess I’m just an easy sleeper?
Good luck with the purchase!
In my experience, it’s virtually impossible to find the exact mattress at two different stores. Sometimes you may find similar features at two locations, but not to the extent where I would definitively say that it’s the exact same thing with a different name.
I had very good luck finding a queen size mattress at Sam’s Club maybe 4 years ago, and paid maybe $400 (mattress & boxspring) for what I believe is comparable to a $750-$1,000 furniture/mattress store. (I normally avoid Sam’s & Wal-Mart, but I did make an exception in that case, given the vast price difference. I’m willing to pay a little extra to a locally owed store, but not 3 or 4 times as much.)
When I went looking for a king size mattress after getting married, I found that the discounts at Sam’s were far greater for the queen than it was for the kind, enough that I wasn’t willing to take the risk of the lack of a better chance of trying it out. We saved a bundle by NOT getting the matching boxspring, (which would have been maybe $400 extra) and got one elsewhere for $100. I do not believe it affects our warranty, nor would I believe it would for many others, given that many beds are not designed to accommodate a boxspring at all, or are only designed to go with one of the “low profile” boxsprings.
That said, I have no experience with returning a mattress under warranty, but my assumption is that it’s impossible, given all the other conditions. Everything I looked at had some sort of “inches of sag” requirement that I cannot fathom ever being met, short of parking my car on it for a couple days. Even horribly-broken in mattresses don’t sag multiple inches when no one is on them, and it’s the increased give when weight is applied that is the actual defect.
If you have an Ikea near you, they have excellent mattresses (no assembly required!). They are also very economical, but make sure you test one out first!
Thanks, Karawynn! I added a link to Birds and Bills in the body of the post.
We also bought our mattress from IKEA. (In fact, we have an IKEA mattress on our bed and on our guest bed too.) I can’t for the life of me remember which styles we purchased, but I was very pleased with the range of prices and styles offered. Plus by shopping at IKEA we were able to lay on the sample beds as long as we wanted and we didn’t have to deal with any bed salesmen either. (Avoiding bed salesmen isn’t as important as trying out the beds, of course, but it sure was nice to be able to make a decision without someone hovering near us!) 🙂
I’m not sure how this didn’t make the final cut of my article, but here’s a story I meant to include but apparently edited out:
In April, Kris and I spent a weekend on vacation in Bend, Oregon. We rented a house with some good friends. We do this every year, and we actually rent from one of our friend’s family members.
Anyhow, Kris and I had the “second-best” bedroom this year, and the bed was amazing. It’s been years since I slept well at home, but sleeping on this mattress was no problem. It was awesome. I felt rested all day long.
“We should write down the make and model,” I said as we were packing to leave.
“I’ll remember,” Kris said. (I could never remember something like that.) She claims she still knows the info, but I’m going to try to check with our friends first to see if they can have somebody check on it for me.
My thought is: I’ve tested this mattress for three nights and know I love it. I might as well get the same model. I have no idea what it will cost, but I do know it’s a pillow-top…
I recently did some shopping around for mattresses, and I found that I really hate the “used car”-type sales people at stores dedicated to only mattresses. I really hate haggling and readily admit that I am no good at it. I ended up buying from Sears, they had a nice area with sample models that you could lie on, non-invasive salespeople, clearly posted prices that are lower than most other places (lower if there is a sale on), and they deliver (mine was free, part of the special), and cart away your old bed. They didn’t have a huge selection, but I am not a really fussy person when it comes to beds. I think I will buy any future beds there too. I don’t work for Sears, and don’t usually even shop there.
Also: Kris and have questions about the boxspring. Is it necessary? We’ve removed ours from our bed and have been going without it for the past couple of weeks. Neither of us has really noticed a difference. What’s the boxspring for?
Actually, I’m going to go google this…
I pretty much disagree with all the advice listed. My biggest concern was with getting a mattress that had toxic fire retardents (like bromide). Do some research on the fire retardents, they’re nasty stuff, linked to breast cancer and a bunch of other fun things. They are in any common mattress, you have to go out of your way to find natural materials like wool, latex, memory foam, etc, that won’t have it.
We went with Savvy Rest, a natural latex bed. It was $1800 for a full sized, but it is supposed to last about 30 years. No toxic fire retardents required.
In most cases you can’t test the Savvy Rests (we are lucky to have a local distributor) but you won’t find any complaints about them. I absolutely love ours.
For toxic free lower cost, I agree with the IKEA latex. Latex feels a little funny at first (like not firm enough), but again, you won’t ever hear complaints.
Do some research on the fire retardents before buying.
Although you can often return a mattress if you don’t like it, it’s a hassle. I was considering a Tempur-Pedic a few years ago and discovered that some friends had one. A few weeks later, they were away for a weekend, and invited me to spend the night at their place and try out the mattress. I’m glad I did because I didn’t like it much! So, try “sleeping around” and see if you can find the perfect mattress that way.
Wow – didn’t expect my comment to be mentioned in your latest post – blinked a couple of times lol. I’m a “she” by the way, but no worries – no way to tell 😉
I am a big fan of COSTCO, but don’t know a lot about their mattresses. I would go for it if you know that it’s returnable for a 100% refund. They have some great discounts. Usually 2 weeks is a good enough time frame to judge whether a bed is working for you or not. Sometimes it takes a while for your back to adjust to a new bed. Look for stores with a good return or exchange policy (look for terms like “sleep satisfaction guarantee”).
Yes, the big manufacturers have a lot of mattresses that are similar in different stores, but under different names (the Serta “Panda” at one store was the same as the “Gold 4000″ I bought a few years back, for example). This is where going to a lot of different stores comes in handy.
You’ll notice a lot of beds with memory foam and latex foam, and some beds that are advertised as such (the top few inches are memory or latex foam vs. being built into a pillowtop). If you’re a hot sleeper, I would NOT recommend buying a bed that is labeled as latex or memory foam. They REALLY absorb & radiate heat. If these materials are built into the pillowtop then that is a different story, and they do tend to help with comfort (my bed has a half inch of memory foam built into the pillowtop).
Oh, and don’t be afraid to get a soft bed. They’re all built with back support in mind. My bed is one of the softer ones that was on the market at the time and I still love, love, love it.
As far as the beds being no flip, that’s because a lot of them have pillowtops that are 10” thick and it would not make sense to have a mattress that is even thicker with that on both sides (you’ll need to buy deep pocket sheets for most mattresses on the market today as it is). Rotate the mattress head to toe every 6 months and you will be fine. Some settling of “comfort” layers is normal.
I don’t know if you can see my email (comments requires it), but if you can, feel free to send me a message if you have any more Qs.
When shopping for a bed, spend at least 15 minutes laying on it before deciding. If it stays comfortable for that long it should fit your needs. Falling asleep, as Mark did, would cinch the sale for me.
I highly recommend looking into a “hotel bed.” These beds are designed specifically for individual hotel chains. You buy a new bed, it is not a used bed. My wife and I purchased the W Hotel bed. We love it!
Check out the dealnews.com link for a 40% off coupon. We used it to purchase our bed and all of our bedding.
http://dealnews.com/The-W-Store-coupon-40-off-no-minimum/302777.html
I love my matteress from the Denver Mattress Company. The think what sold us was their price and construction. The had actual leading brand mattress cut aways on the wall and you got to compare the construction to the ones made by the Denver Mattress. For the price, they had more springs, and material than the other name brands. They are at the furniture rows in WA and OR too.
@ebyt (#25)
D’oh! I apologize for the mistaken gender. Totally my bad. (Especially since I can see that your e-mail address contains a female name.)
I appreciate the tips, and Kris and/or I may very well e-mail you with questions. Thanks for the offer!
Haha ok thanks J.D. 🙂
My wife and I LOVED The Original Mattress Factory. Much like #28, they had cut outs of the competition and of their own beds and they took the time to explain why their beds were better. And there was no pressure at all.
We shopped at a few “normal” mattress stores and it felt a lot like buying a used car from the shadiest people in town. They make it hard to comparison shop because “Everything is on sale” (but, only through the weekend and the one you’re interested in is the last one they have in stock.)
Try a ComforPedic mattress. We bought one a few years ago after laying on all kinds of mattresses including memory foam and latex. This bed uses a combination of the two to provide good comfortable support that’s not too hot and is available in several firmness levels. We absolutely love the mattress. We bought from Mattress World since we like the idea of supporting their local ownership. They also seem to be pretty active in various charity activities, which I think is nice. We did haggle a bunch, but the sales people were kind about it.
A couple of years ago it was time for a new mattress. My better ½ and I had some out of town trips and stayed in a few hotels. At one point we stayed at a Marriott in Nashville. The bed was UNBELIEVABLE. So much so we took off the sheets to find out who made it. Jamison from North Carolina…very pricey…. I saved up and now have this incredible bed. It just sucks you in and puts you to sleep…just what a bed should do!
I worked for a furniture liquidator in high school and one item we always sold out of as soon as we got them in were mattresses. We would pick up slightly used mattresses from hotels (a lot of better chains replace their mattresses every three years), clean them and resell them for under $150 per set.
There are some pretty strict laws about how these mattresses must be cleaned, making them a perfectly safe option. I slept on a used mattress for several years. It was great – high quality, comfortable and cost me almost nothing.
If you do shop from a furniture liquidator, it’s a bit luck of the draw on exactly what they’ll have in stock – but if you’re looking for something specific, you can usually convince them to call you if they get it in.
The boxspring supports the mattress. If you don’t use it, the coil alignment in the mattress will be screwed up eventually. VERY IMPORTANT to use unless you have a platform bed (pretty much a slab of wood vs. the 5 or so slats beds usually come with).
I would say look for a place that builds their own mattresses. In a couple of states, there is a place called Original Mattress Factory that made a bed that I still use occasionally and have used for longer than 10 or 15 years. When I switched to a bigger bed, I bought one from there, and the salesmen were not pushy in the least, and the prices were reasonable. I would highly suggest it.
A while ago I found the following website very helpful in explaining what’s going on when you buy a mattress:
http://www.mattressscam.com/
There are lots of ads at this site, but I found the information useful.
I just recently (2 days ago) pricematched an online distributor cymax.com at Sleep Country USA, and saved 50% off of their advertised retail on a Simmon’s World Class Plush Pillowtop “Madrid”. I was shocked at how willing they were to pricematch. The online store had free delivery, no tax, and Sleep Country also hauled away the old bed. The “retail” price is a joke! I only now wonder if I could have gotten even 60-75% off the retail price. I do love my new mattress, and feel like I got a great deal.
With Costco’s liberal return policy, I think you can test out beds and then return them if they don’t give you a good night’s sleep. They’ll also have a larger selection online. We got our memory foam mattress online and love it.
Just got a 1 inch latex topper for our 2 year old Cal King. The springs in a bed will hold up pretty good, but the foam and padding will eventually compress. Our bed was getting lumpy (initially mistaken for spring sagging) in our spots and the topper has made a world of difference.
So I’d say get a nice firm bed without a ton of padding and then add your own comfort layers. I like the feel of latex (little bit of spring) compared to memory foam.
Hi J.D.,
Definitely NOT bad form to test one out in a store and then buy at Costco! We tested a bunch out at a mattress store and we both really liked the Tempurpedic Celebrity. But 5 grand + tax for a mattress?! NO THANKS!
We ended up purchasing online from Healthy Foundations. We ordered their 13″ mattress and it was delivered in the mail. We LOVE it! And best of all, it was only $2079 shipped (no tax) instead of over $5000. They have a 1-year return policy in case you don’t like it, but if you like Tempurpedic, it’s a safe bet you’ll like this one as well.
I was really glad to get rid of our 8-year-old mattress. I’ve heard Costco has good memory foam mattresses, too. Just buy from someplace that has a good return policy and don’t be afraid to return it if it doesn’t work out.
And whatever you do, don’t buy a Tempurpedic! 😀
-Erica
do you still like your healthy foundations mattress? Any problems?
@ebyt wrote: “If you’re a hot sleeper, I would NOT recommend buying a bed that is labeled as latex or memory foam. They REALLY absorb & radiate heat.”
I think this used to be true, and it was a concern for us since we live in a warm climate. The Healthy Foundations 13″ mattress has something called a “CoolMax” layer on top that’s supposed to prevent this. It sounded like marketing BS to me, but with a 1-year guarantee I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.
I have no complaints…you can sleep directly on it and not feel warm like some of the older memory foam mattresses and pads! Pretty cool stuff (no pun intended 😉 I think times have changed, especially for the pricier memory foam.
-Erica
Holy cats! GRS reader Garrison just sent me a l-o-n-g e-mail from his friend, a mattress salesman. The e-mail contains all sorts of fantastic tips for mattress shopping. I know it may seem strange to have two mattress-related posts in a short period of time, but I’m going to ask permission to re-post the e-mail here at Get Rich Slowly. Maybe I’ll post it once Kris and I are done with our shopping. Some great stuff here.
I have a platform bed. I think boxsprings are the hugest ripoff going – AND they’re a pain to move (I’ve moved 9 times in the last 16 years, though the pace is slowing). My parents never had a box spring either, and I met a woman from England who says no one has them over there (I forgot to look for that when I was in the UK this spring).
Let us know what you find out!
The Costco out in Hillsboro has tester mattresses and a much wider selection that most. It’s a bit of a drive from SE, but we got ours there and LOVE it. You could look online and if you see any interesting call the store and ask if they have display models. I’m pretty sure they had one example of every model.
We bought our last mattress from Ikea — a midrange inner-spring, and I find it quite comfortable. Since we got a bedframe with lots of slats, no boxspring. Featherbed on top is lovely, too.
We purchased our last bed from the factory showroom in a city about 100 miles away. It was located in a lower-rent district but had an enormous range of beds of all price ranges set up to try out. Sales people were helpful in providing information but not pushy. Even adding the cost of shipping we ended up with a good price. Disposal of the old one was no trouble. The local Habitat for Humanity resale store was happy to pick it up for resale, since it had been well protected and was unstained, even after 30 years of use.
The bed which felt best when lying on it in the store was a low-medium price. We had both slept on a twin size of the same model at a friend’s house, and she had a king of that model which she liked.
CAVEAT: We didn’t BOTH lie down on the bed in the store at the same time. It was wonderful with one person on it; but with the weight of two bodies, both of us immediately rolled toward the middle–on a brand new bed! We later learned from another buyer that this was also a problem on the queen size with this model, whereas the extra support provided by the center rail of a king frame avoids this issue.
Had we lived in the same town as the manufacturer, we would have traded for a different model. Because of long distance shipping, however, we took a different approach: simply put the 3/4″ plywood board which we’d used on the old bed between mattress and box springs on the new bed. No more rolling to the center. The new mattress is less firm than the 30 year old one we’d been using, and the cushioning on top is an improvement. Also, we find that as we get older it’s easier to get up from a higher bed.
Would we purchase from this distance again? Yes, we would certainly consider it if the price difference warranted.
A side benefit is that we were able to replace the mattress on an electric hospital bed at the same time for a very reasonable price, and shipping cost didn’t change. This manufacturer supplies mattresses to most of the nursing homes in the state, and the sales rep. was able to guide us in the most appropriate direction for our needs. Since our current use of this bed is more for guests and for occasional use when someone in the family is ill, he recommended that we consider purchasing a standard mattress instead of a hospital bed mattress. He warned that it would not hold up as well under heavy use of the head and foot adjustments, but suggested it would probably be more comfortable as long as it did last. That has certainly been our experience, and we greatly appreciated the guidance in that direction.
And, if you can’t afford a new bed for awhile, a 4′ x 8′ 3/4″ plywood sheet between mattress and box springs can revive some pretty bad mattress/box spring sets very inexpensively. Measure your mattress and have the excess cut off when you purchase it. Cut the plywood about 2″ narrower than the mattress.
We bought a memory foam mattress on Overstock and we absolutely love it. No springs required, we don’t notice any excess heat (we live in Florida and run the AC very conservatively). We got a king pillow-top firm for about $700. It came UPS in a duffle bag and grew to full size in about an hour after opening.
No more aching shoulders for me and not stiff back for my husband, we’d buy it again in a heartbeat and our only regret is not buying it sooner.
We got a floor model Tempur-Pedic type mattress from Macy’s Home a few months ago. It was orginially about $2500 and we paid $700 for it. Because it was a floor model, half of it is firm and half is soft, which is perfect since my husband prefers a firm mattress and I like a soft one. Maybe some people wouldn’t like to buy a floor model mattress, but it didn’t bother us!
JD – please do post the e-mail if the writer is fine with it. I’m curious about the great tips! I’m not in the mattress market now (being a petite person helps keep the weight load down and less wear on the coils) but I know I’ll have to get a new one at some point.
Any new mattress I have ever slept on had a strong chemical odor for a good week after taking the plastic wrap off. While I am not advocating that you don’t purchase a conventional mattress, I am advocating that you let it air out a bit before sleeping on it. Inhaling that stuff can’t possibly be good for you.
@ Ken #13
Am understanding correctly? You slept on a mattress for 5 YEARS and then asked for a refund?
WOW that is unbelievable.
J.D please post the e-mail from the mattress salesman! I’m going to be in the market for a new mattress really soon, and have NO idea what to look for. But it really must be done, DBF and I are a wreck all day and don’t sleep too well on his 15 year old, springs coming out, and bent boxspring bed!
I went through this ordeal about a year ago when we moved house.
I’d definitely recommend avoiding spring matresses (they only wear out anyway) and get one of the memory foam based models with an emphasis on low partner disturbance. Not a cheaper one, trust me you’ll get a longer life out of it.
It takes a while to get used to no springs moving about, but trust me, after a week of the best night sleep you’ve ever had you’ll love it.
I had to laugh when I read the part about trying out a bed, and Kris remembering the model number. Every store uses different model numbers AND names to confuse you. There is very little chance of finding it, and this is one of the ways mattress comparison shopping is made virtually impossible!
We had the unfortunate experience of leaving a cat at home on vacation with no access to her litter box. A friend came to check on her after a day, but by then she had already used our bed as her litter box. (ew!)
We needed a mattress that day, so we went to Ikea. We ended up buying a cheap king mattress ($300) with a more expensive cover ($350). We tried out all the combinations until we found the one we liked the best. I’ve never had a more comfy bed.
We also bought my son a new mattress from Ikea. He chose a latex mattress, and I have to say it’s just as comfortable if not moreso than ours!
The 2 great things about buying from Ikea:
1) take it home that day!
2) no salespeople trying to upsell us
Good luck shopping!
I remember seeing signs at IKEA that they seem to have a decent exchange policy if you don’t like what you get too.
We will be in the market shortly so I too look forward to any tips.
We (regretfully) bought a thick non-flippable pillowtop King about 2 years ago that (on the showroom floor) felt absolutely devine. At the time we were experiencing a lot of additional stress with our business, waaay overpaying at $1800. 🙁
Despite rotating it head to feet and back several times as recommended, within 12-18 months it had developed two deep and uncomfortable wallow-like indentations where we each slept (OK, we’re not exactly *tiny* people, but at 150lbs for me and 200lbs for hubby we’re not XXL, either).
Checked with store on warranty; turns out that since at delivery they had to slightly bend mattress in the center longways to fit it up our narrow staircase a notation had been made in the internal paperwork that nulled all warranties. Bummer.
Desperate for a solution, we flipped it over onto its lumpy, scooped out pillowtop, exposing the uber hard but perfectly flat bottomside, bought a memory foam topper from Costco for about $120 bucks, slapped it on, and it now feels and sleeps like a DREAM… I love it!
I’m sure you’re getting no end of opinions on this…
The key to a restful sleep is having your spine straight and aligned when you’re sleeping. I sleep on my side. My partner sleeps on his stomach. For, us, memory foam and the right pillows do the trick.
We got a great deal on our first memory foam mattress from Costco, and our second from Overstock.com Compared to spring mattresses, futons, etc., I’ve never slept better. And the mattresses last longer.
My story:
Looking for low-partner disturbance (I’ve got a few lbs on my wife) and really enjoying the comfort, we decided we wanted memory foam but that was out of our budget.
So instead of paying big bucks for a fancy name brand, I Googled: foam wholesale city, st, which returned a list of foam wholesalers in my area. I called around and told them what I wanted: to make my own memory foam mattress. They were on board with it and cut foam to my dimensions. They even suggest I could save money by not doing all memory foam and also recommended a place that would sew on a cover.
$500 later I had my custom memory foam bed, and this was back when they were going for thousands.
I love it and sleep especially well knowing what a good value I got.
Hat tip to Dwell who published a reader’s letter that gave me this idea.
I work in Customer Care at a furniture store. The best advice I can give you is to go to a major retailer, not Costco. A lot of the larger furniture dealers offer 30 day guarantees. My company offers a 30 day comfort guarantee for a small fee you can reselect to something else (and they give you two weeks to do it after the 30 days; in fact today I took a call from a customer who bought the mattress in April and due to extenuating circumstances couldn’t get in contact with us in time. I spoke to my manager and we are going to let them come in to reselect.) Also, depending on the company, they offer extra protection if you buy their mattress pad. My company will match the manufacturer’s 10 year warranty if you buy their pad and will extend that warranty to cover stains and rips. (They will even cover bodily fluids! (Most places won’t.)) My company will clean the mattress, if they can’t clean it they will replace the mattress one time for free. I’m sure that other companies will offer this, and it costs about the same a mattress pad would.
Also, be sure to ask how the warranty works. If you make a claim do you need to contact the manufacturer yourself or will the store handle it? (At my company we send our technicians out to measure it, deal with the claim internally, and have you into the store the next day to reselect.) Despite what someone posted above you CANNOT use the mattress handles to move the bed. If they rip off your warranty is voided.
You do not need to necessarily use the matching boxsprings. If you have a platform bed you don’t need them, if you have existing boxsprings and you haven’t changed the type of mattress (i.e. latex to latex; or springs to spring) you may not need the boxsprings. It’s very important to also make sure you pick the right size, do you need 5″ boxes, or 9″? If it’s a King they don’t make regular boxsprings, they come split (doesn’t affect comfort/warranty). If it’s a Queen you have the option, but will a regular Queen box fit up the stairs?
Another good point someone made above is to treat it like any other large purchase. Don’t however go in thinking I will spend X amount. If you have the money go in thinking “I need to sleep better. I need this to destress my life.” And lay on all the mattresses. If the most comfortable one is $600 buy it; if it’s $6000, that sucks, but 80% of your life is spent through sleep (Hardly any mattresses cost $6000, and we only sell about 3 a year, you’ll probably spend around 1,000-2,000.) Definitely price shop. Definitely walk out after getting a quote, come back, and when they write the order up state “I will only pay [reasonable amount].” A customer did that at my store and we knocked about $500 off their order.
Other key things to bring up: Do they offer free delivery? (A lot of mattress companies [Sealy, Stearns and Foster] will pay the company to deliver the mattress. Don’t pay for delivery.) Will they remove the old bedding? (My company does for free.)
Lastly, treat this as an investment. Sealy, Stearns, and Tempurpedic all offer 20 year warranties on some of their beds. Look at what the return will be. Sure, you can buy a $300 mattress from Costco but in 19 years when your mattress is defective will they refund every penny to you for a new mattress?
Actually one last thing: do not remove the bedding law tag! You will void your warranty even if you purchase extra protection. The tags are the only way to track how old your bed it. Keep your original receipts, most companies only hang onto them for 10 years.
P.S. – If you tell larger companies the ‘name’ of the mattress you are looking at with another company they can usually find a match in their showroom (because they know what their store calls that mattress!) If you have a savvy enough salesperson you’ll walk away happy with a price you can live with. (If you lived in New York I’d tell you to stop by my store so I could get you the best deal!) Good Luck!
*Edit* If you find the manf and model # of the bed you slept on bring it into a larger retailer. They may be able to special order, or find something close. It’s worth a try.
To the person whose worried about hazordous chemicals: Larger retailers are now offering organic options that forgo those materials. I think Sealy (possibly Simmons) just came out with a line (unfortunately it’s specifically geared for my store but they may have similar lines at other retailers.)
JD, if you or your wife have any further ?s drop me a line. I don’t want to advertise for my store here (against company policy) but I will do what I can to help you out. I know a few bedding rep’s and can get your questions answered ASAP!
If you can get away with it… I’ve been sleeping on the floor for the past year and a half. Never been better 🙂 Great support, and infinite arrangement options depending on what you have around (sometimes just toss my 3 different-thickness blankets in the middle of the room — random bedding!)
Of course, everybody that knows turns their nose, and I’ve been threatened with harm (and a forced cot purchase) by a friend if I don’t “get my act together” soon.
That leads me to the next adventure in non-mattress sleeping arrangements: Hammocks. Indoor hammock stand build underway.
All that to say, mattresses aren’t the only option =)
I definitely recommend Mattress World. After doing a ton of research on mattresses, I realized (as others have mentioned) that it’s almost impossible to compare models from store to store. With all the slight variations, re-branding, and custom models for particular stores, they don’t exactly make it easy.
Mattress World was local, they had a large selection, and there was a “30% off everything in the store” sale. We arrived at the store 1/2hr before closing just intending to peruse and ended up purchasing a mattress an hour later. The salesman didn’t rush us at all and was more than happy to stay past closing.
As far as mattress types go, this was more or less our thinking… Typical innerspring mattresses can be quite comfortable but don’t have long warranties. Select Comfort (“Sleep Number”) beds are comfortable, adjustable, and have 20-year warranties. However, the warranty is prorated after the first 2 years and the two couples I know who have purchased them had to replace the pumps after a year or so. Memory foam has a long warranty, but it’s hard, slow to adjust to your body (making it uncomfortable if you roll around much), and tends to hold in the heat. Latex is comfortable, has a long warranty, and adjusts to your body much faster than memory foam. Needless to say, that’s what we ended up getting.
I love pillowtops but was a bit concerned about how long they would hold up. I didn’t want to have an otherwise nice bed ruined five years later by a squashed pillowtop. The mattress we got has a pillowtop made out of latex or something (I can’t remember right off) and springs right back. If it sags more than 2″ during the 20 year warranty, they will replace it for free.
Anyway, I’m not sure if it was just the salesman we had or what, but I didn’t have to haggle at all. At one point while my wife and I were looking around, he came up to us and said, “I was just on the phone with my supervisor and she said I can give you 40% off anything you buy tonight.” Obviously, that was a huge incentive to buy something that night. We finally settled on a queen size Englander latex mattress which ended up being about $1,700 after the discount and went to check out. We got a nice waterproof mattress pad for around $150 minus 40%, and the salesman threw in a sheet set for free. A quick note about the mattress pad: If you try out the mattress and decide you want to return it, there can be absolutely no stains on it, so the mattress pad is good insurance.
As if this comment isn’t already long enough, here’s a few more random thoughts:
– Latex is h-e-a-v-y. It takes some serious effort to rotate the mattress (it has a pillowtop so you can’t flip it, just rotate)
– We’ve had the mattress about a year and it’s showing no signs of wear. It’s just as amazingly comfortable as when we bought it.
– Box springs. I don’t get it. Mattress manufacturers would have you believe they’re an integral part of a bed. We have a platform bed from Ikea, and if we’re missing out on something, I sure can’t tell.
– Get ready for sticker shock. Mattress stores are famous for sales. When I walked into Mattress World, I just about wet myself from the prices. I knew everything was 30% off, but it’s still shocking to see all the “original” prices.
OK, I’ll shut it down now. Good luck on the shopping and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
We have a memory foam mattress from Costco. It *does* absorb a lot of heat, but we also have jersey sheets, so I’m sure these combine to make it worse. I should get around to buying new sheets…
Heat issue aside, I LOVE it. I have a horrible back. Traditional mattresses exacerbate the pain. On the memory foam, I can sleep flat without a pillow, if my back so demands.
usually there’s plenty of room at the warehouse clubs to lay the mattress out and get a quick feel for it. just go when it’s not too busy and no one should be too annoyed. i’ve bought/helped buy several mattresses over the years at Sam’s Club and everyone’s been happy with them. of course, if you just don’t like what they sell (very limited selection as you say) you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Whatever you do JD, don’t skimp on a good mattress. Check out the medium firm pillow tops and happily spend $1,000 if you can. With the amount of time spent sleeping, it’s a no brainer!
Gluck!
Rgds,
RB
Okay, I know it sounds crazy, but I am going to post the e-mail from the mattress salesman sometime soon. He gave me permission to do so. I’ll wait until Kris and I actually buy our mattress, but then I’ll do it.
About our mattress hunt (as mentioned in comment #20): My friend was able to track down the type of mattress I like. It’s from Costco, which is great. If things go well, we’ll be sleeping on it by the weekend. Maybe even tomorrow, if I can borrow the van from the box factory.
@Gina
Hell yeah we did. Sorry if a company makes a product with a 10 year warranty and after a couple years it goes to crap why wouldn’t we. The bed had actually been bad for a while, but we just dealt with it.
And one of the selling points when we were buying the bed at Costco was that we could take it bake for a full refund if we ever had any issues with.
And so we did.
Ken
I’ve got a latex mattress from IKEA. I went for latex because I’m allergic to mold and apparently mold doesn’t live on latex mattresses as well as on foam ones.
That’s one difference to consider that you can’t feel just by test-sleeping in the store.
I’m really looking forward to reading that email. I always love reading tips from ‘the inside’, especially for something I’ll be shopping for in the coming months. Hope you post it soon! 😉
I bought a new mattress last summer after 10 years with the same one… it’s actually a futon because I can’t stand springs and I also dislike soft beds.
With a firm, good quality futon, my GF almost completely eliminated her back pains. We also sleep soooooo well at night.
A queen size firm futon cost me approx $600.
Although be warned, once you get used to a GOOD QUALITY futon you’ll never be able to sleep on a regular mattress again.
Sherry & John over at Young House Love recently went through buying a new mattress, and had some great info to share! They ended up getting a nice natural latex one, and that really appeals to me!
I have a long-healing shoulder injury, and our mattress is barely cutting it anymore. The worst part is it’s only about 5 years old! However, it was a really cheap model that my husband and I could afford while in university. I’d like to replace it, but it’s not really high on our big-ticket item list yet. 🙁
The mattress I slept on at a child (still in the guest room at my parents’ place) is amazing and even after 20+ years is still the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on. Too bad it’s a twin size! :p
When my wife was pregnant, we needed to get rid of the old mattress, her back was killing her constantly.
We ended up with a Select Comfort sleep number bed and it has been the greatest matress we’ve ever had. We both have our sides set to our preferred settings and if our preferences ever change, it’s just a click away.
We’ve had it over 4 years and it is excellent.
Let me answer some of the posts You should read Sara’s post it is full of good info except be careful of comfort exchanges some have hidden clauses and can cost more than original mattress.
Buying a cheap bed is just plain bad. A bed is a very important health aid and like many things you will pay for it later in life. If you read about REM sleep you will purchase a good mattress to start.
The latex recommendation is a very good one for support,lack of pressure on the body, dust mites and other allergens free, large initial cost but cheaper when averaged out over time.(go to any major spring manufacturer’s website and you will see they say a mattress should be changed every 5 to 7 years because of contamination.
Mattress pad is unnecessary but a good mattress cover is important. If you don’t know which are good see protect-a-bed but it isn’t the only one.
The suggestion to use mattress toppers is not good they should extend the mattress comfort not provide it. In general they use lower forms of foam than the mattress itself and wear out quickly need replaced making your mattress purchase more expensive than it should be.
You’re hoping to still be a mess, just a less irritable one?
From my Aug ’09 Sam’s Club receipt – queen size mattress = $498.76 and, right now, they are even cheaper – around $350. They are probably trying to make space for Xmas items….
@Erica: I can’t speak for everyone or every mattress, but I worked there just over 2 years ago so it hasn’t been that long, and I had customers tell me that they were burning up on the memory foam mattresses, so just something to consider I guess. Maybe some of the more expensive ones do have cooling layers now.
I’m sure this has all been said at some point in the previous 70+ comments, but when we were searching for a mattress a year ago, going to different stores, multiple times, and laying on many different beds was invaluable. And then trying out ones we liked again on a different day–we often found that we didn’t like them as much a second time, and our solid first choice early on ended up being much less desirable.
Our final choice came down to two models by the same company, the main difference between them is that one was $100 more (although it was on sale, the other wasn’t) and had a memory-foam pillow top. When it came down to it, we opted for the slightly higher-priced one, with the justification that it was likely we’d go out and purchase a topper for it at some point down the road and would probably spend at least $100 on one then.
But to reiterate some of the comments: you should definitely buy a mattress cover. Any type of stain on the mattress voids most warranties, so it is a solid $50 or so investment, so to speak.
The best sleep I ever had was on my futon – no box spring, just a good mattress on a wood frame. It was about $700 new but was awesome. Unfortunately my wife doesn’t think it’s nice enough for the master bedroom.
Next time we go mattress shopping I’m going with something natural – like a featherbed – that doesn’t have the chemical smell like most products sold now. Last thing I want to do is be sleeping on something 8 hours a night that is emitting chemicals right up my nose.
Definitely check out IKEA! They have recently put a lot of focus on expanding their range and quality of mattresses. You could save a lot of money!
This is location-specific, but we just bought a Sleep Designs mattress from Bubba’s Beds (I know!) in Spring, TX, and had a GREAT experience. The salesman was friendly, knowledgeable, and not one bit pressuring.
We immediately liked a mid-range bed, and he didn’t ever try to steer us toward the more expensive models. Sleep Dynamics mattresses are all made in the US. We have a platform bed, and the price without the box spring was terrific (with the box spring was still pretty good).
They only have locations in Spring and Tomball, TX, but I recommend them. http://www.bubbasbeds.net/
I second getting a platform bed. They are standard in Europe and eliminate any need for a box spring. We bought one for practical reasons – we couldn’t fit a queen box spring up the stairs of our old home – but we have grown to love it. We had to spend about $500 on the platform, but it has a great headboard and will save in the long run, since we never have to buy a box spring again. Check them out if you are in the market for a new bed.
When I moved in with my boyfriend a month and a half ago, he got my good knives and pots, and I got his bed. I still think I won more 😀
I have a fairly good mattress, but was curious about the Tempurpedic mattresses with the “Memory Foam”. Some people I know hate them and others love them. They are a lot so it’s a big chunk to swallow if I’m in the first group.
I did a search and found a place called thefoamfactory.com (or something like that). They sell the memory foam mattress pads up to 4″ thick. I had read somewhere that 4″ is overkill so I got the 3″ thick mattress pad for something like $154. I LOVE IT! So does BF.
For the future, I will probably buy a bare basics mattresses and just supplement with a new pad as it wears out. I’ve had this pad for over a year and it’s still like new.
I like memory foam and find that you can get great deals on thick memory foam mattresses at Overstock.com. See what you think. I currently have a set of the pillows and they discolored after two years of continuous use, but are still firm, cool, and comfortable, although yellow-ish rather than white as they originally arrived. I think I paid around $40 for two including shipping.
The advice I will throw in. Look up and see if there is a local mattress factory in the area. Maybe I am just fortunate, but there is a direct to costumer mattress factory near my house that my family has been buying from my whole life. You will get a mattress at easily half the price. The place that I deal with is all family owned and the customer service is second to none.
And I agree with everyone that say a good nights sleep is a cure all.
Like many previous posters, I agree that mattress selling/buying is akin to selling/buying cars. Mark-up is huge, hard to compare, big sales commissions etc. And, like many, I agree that you should buy a standard firm mattress and top with feather bed or memory foam. Easily replaceable in a few years if necessary.
The last time I bought a mattress I used 1800mattress.com (10 yrs ago). Great company, great exchange policy, competitive pricing, got shipping free at the time.
One note, before that purchase I had got a pillowtop Sealy locally. I lived to regret that purchase. After about a year my shoulders started hurting. Since I travel a lot I noticed that didn’t occur in most hotel rooms. Turns out that since I’m a side sleeper with my arm typically up under my head the pillow top was throwing off the angle on my shoulder. Got the new mattress from 1800mattress without a pillow top and shoulder problems disappeared within a week. Yah!
Looking forward to mattress hints. My husband and I dipped our toes in mattress shopping a couple months ago, and found it confusing, hard to compare similar mattresses, and potentially very expensive. We have a firm mattress with no additional padding. It isn’t that old but has become uncomfortable. We tried a 3″ memory foam pad but it didn’t provide enough back support for me, and my husband detested the feel of it. I thought we would have to buy an expensive 1K+ bed to find something we both liked. As a last ditch bought a 1.5″ latex topper and our bed feels 10x better.
Based on what I read here I think for next time I will either get a Ikea (maybe latex) bed, or a basic firm bed and get a latex topper for the top that can be periodically replaced. Call me old fashioned, but I also do not like the idea of a “no flip” mattress.
I like the old full-motion waterbeds, but my wife nixed that years ago. We’ve gone through Spring Air, Denver Matress Company, other cheap mattresses, one very expensive mattress, a heated gel mattress with a memory foam top, and a 22″ high double pillow top mattress (that was a real joy to find sheets for)… and now are considering the sleep number air bed or perhaps just another mattress from Sears. I think the lesson I’ve learned over the years is just find something reasonably priced that you like, and plan on replacing it in 5 years. Buying a very expensive mattress doesn’t guarantee it’ll last longer, so just accept the planned obsolescence that the matress companies build in, and buy a new one when it sags.
Nobody can advise you on what mattress is right for you because there are so many different body types and sleeping patterns. If you REALLY have trouble sleeping, ask your primary care doctor to refer you to a sleep disorder clinic. You may need a CPAP!
My wife and I definitely overspent on our new mattress. We got sucked into the Sealy mattress display room while we were buying new bedroom furniture, and upon testing about 10 or so of the 30 mattress to choose from, we picked a better than average Sealy. Even though there is a 20 year warranty if it loses more than 1″ of padding (by permanent compression or foam degradation) where its apparently replaced, and it was an excellent feeling matress, I know that we overpaid in retrospect.
A matress is probably one of those things where you should buy an average model which will be comfortable enough, and expect it to last only 5 years or so and then replace with another.
I’ll be brief. Here goes:
1. Look at Latex mattresses…they are a little expensive but last,last, and last. They are incredibly supportive too. They don’t transfer motion like spring mattresses either. Natural is best but synthetic are very, very good too.
2. Don’t get Tempur Pedic….too hot in summer…rock hard in the winter…hard to move around on one…they are just odd.
3. Don’t pay full price…mattresses are like used cars…use the same tactics. It’s crazy but true.
4. Comparing styles is somewhat difficult because different stores rename the mattresses. However, my last purchase…Sterns and Foster Latex comes in something like 4 types, firm, plush, ultra plush….etc…just ask which one is the plush and it shouldn’t matter the name.
5. Buy a good pillow too…here, tempurpedic do ok…still can get hot though…but it’s not your whole body.
6. Get a King Size bed if your room allows…you wake up less with your spouse in the bed…I’m a light sleeper so this is a must. Spend the money now instead of later.
7. Don’t get a crazy pillowtop mattress…they crush down…form body molds…
8. Get a latex mattress…yea, it’s worth repeating.
Much more interesting conversation than anticipated! 😀
I hate memory foam. I slept on it once at my in-laws’ house; once it “memorizes” your shape you’d better not move! I am a wiggler so it’s no good for me.
Our current mattress came from a furniture liquidator. It was a hotel mattress for 1 yr and cost us $99, king size plus box spring. 4 yrs later it’s still great. However that liquidator is closed – plus I think that was a one-time deal – so we’ll have to come up with something else next time. I shopped around for a mattress when I moved out of my ex’s place, and I hated it; too many choices, prices through the roof, annoying salespeople. I love both Ikea and Costco so would probably go with one of them in the future. Limited selection is a good thing in my book! 😀
Two years ago, we bought a “Natura” (www.naturaworld.com) natural latex mattress. They also offer organic mattresses but we actually liked this one better. We got it from a local “natural” sleep store, we spent a lot of time lying around on the various ones, and since it was a quiet time in the store, no one bothered us. The owner was actually quite helpful and didn’t do the hard-sell with us. I have chemical sensitivities and did NOT want a mattress with fire retardants etc. on them. Natura actually required a letter from my doctor and then they made the mattress special for me without the chemicals etc. We are super happy with it. Yes, it cost a small fortune, but it’s definitely worth it. I have a bad back from a 1996 car accident and this is the only mattress I’ve truly been comfortable on since then. Also, latex is AWESOME for people with allergies since the evil little dust mites can’t live in them. After sleeping on a latex mattress, I’d never go back to the other kind. We also have 2 Ikea latex mattresses (one for our son and one for our extra bed) and we are extremely happy with those as well. They also don’t have the chemicals on them, because they have to adhere to better European standards. For anyone in Seattle, another great option is http://www.soaringheart.com, they make their own mattresses and the staff was very mellow and helpful. We almost bought one there but liked the Natura better.
I bought a new mattress a few years ago. First I went to HOM furniture. I did try out their various designs (pillow-top, non-pillow top, firm vs not-so-firm) and found out what I liked. I was ready to buy but the salesman was absolutely horrible–condescending, insulting, etc when I asked questions. So I left.
I ended up buying a similar style mattress & box spring mail order from Pottery Barn. They delivered the new one, put it on the bed, and they took away the old mattress & box for the same price as what HOM wanted. It was sooo nice to avoid that horrible salesman!
I think the key is to visit mattress showrooms enough to discover what kind of firmness you want and whether you like the pillowtop style or not.
Then just buy one of reasonable quality and expect to spend around $1200 for mattress+box. Figure on buying another in 10 years because no mattress will still feel great after that.
I’m utterly surprised at not seeing a long line of tempurpedic recommendations. Everyone I know that actually owns one cannot stop finding good things to say about them. My best friend sold me on them after watching my husband and I throw good money after bad probably 30 times in our 12 years of marriage, trying to find a bed that would allow both of us sleep well.
We’d tried to fix the problem with new mattresses. Over time we’ve had the no-name cheapy, the Sealy, the Simmons and the 100% Latex. None of them solved the problem. We were constantly exhausted, running on fumes, even with adequate quantity of sleep, we were not getting any good quality.
Throughout our quest for good sleep, we also tried just about every mattress “topper” product on the market. We had baffles, feathers, down-alternative, memory foam, high-loft, prima-loft, egg-crate, rejuvenators, multi-zone…you name it.
We have a set of high-quality fleece sheets which were damaged beyond repair with less than 6 months of use (pre-Tempurpedic), simply because I would toss and TURN (essentially rotating 360 degrees multiple times each night) and I stretched them out beyond what they could recover from. Every morning I’d wake up with a pile of fitted sheet scrunched up underneath me from the turning, whether the sheets were fleece, flannel, silk, satin, cotton or bamboo.
Essentially, we threw money down the drain on just about every product possible just to AVOID spending money on a Tempurpedic.
Tempurpedic has a “line” of different beds just like most other manufacturers, but it’s not so much about “the-pricier-the-better”, but rather different styles that fit you. We went to our local stores to try them out, and even tried the same model at multiple stores to see if it really was the one we wanted. In the end, it was the free-trial that convinced us to actually take the plunge. What other mattress company allows you to sleep on their product for 90 days, then will happily take it back if you don’t like it? It’s an amazing offer that says a lot about the faith the company has in their own product. I’ve purchased electronics equipment with shorter a WARRANTY than the bed trial.
This is definitely the ONLY bed I’ve ever slept in well, as an adult. (we went with the Rhapsody bed) No more never-ending spiral of money down the drain for every new promising product. We sleep well. And when we don’t (let’s face it, if someone tells you they sleep great all the time on anything, they’re lying), it generally is either because we didn’t go to bed early enough or because we’re having problems that we worry about instead of sleeping. But since we got our Tempurpedic 3 years ago, not once have I had a bad night’s sleep because of the BED!
Jennifer (looking forward to yet another restful night, sinking into my cuddly Tempurpedic Rhapsody)
PS – One more quick thing. I suffer from unbearably hot feet. I can sleep if any other part of me is hot, but when my feet get hot, I am MISERABLE! I have had this since I was a little kid, and the only way to get around it was to stick my feet out of the covers, where they’d eventually cool off and I’d go back to sleep…then they’d get COLD and wake me up and I’d have to start all over again. That is one more problem eliminated with the Tempurpedic. Not once have I suffered a “hot foot” episode, which used to occur several times a week at least. 🙂
We’ve got a mid-range IKEA mattress and pillow top on our bed and are pretty happy with them. The guest bed has a lower-end IKEA mattress which we don’t like nearly as much, but it’s okay.
I really like that IKEA sells the mattresses and pillow tops separately – you can pick out which combination you like best, everything can be flipped and rotated, and if there’s an unfortunate messy accident, you can get away with keeping the mattress and replacing the pillow top.
A few folks have already mentioned it, and I don’t know whether or not it’s an option for you but The Denver Mattress Company offers EXCELLENT value.
http://www.denvermattress.com/
Go with the mattress that Costco sells (Sleep Innovation?Novafoam?), I’ve bought it. This is the similar technology to Tempurpedic. My wife & I are very satisfied with our sleep and recommend this highly to anyone shopping for a new mattress. This is excellent value for money and can be used without box springs.
Definitely treat mattress shopping like you would for car shopping – it’s all negotiable, there are many shady tricks, and you might get ripped off even with a major “sale” price.
My first experience – I was railroaded into trying and ordering the top of the line special before I even knew what features I wanted or needed. Called to cancel my order because I realized my gullibility that same day, and, without any prompting from me, they literally dropped the price by $800 so I wouldn’t cancel. If it was that quick, they must still be making a handsome profit.
Hi J.D.!
My husband and I bought our first mattress for our first home not long ago and found some fantastic ways of saving big bucks in the process.
First up, we opted for a platform bed. Actually, because my husband is rather clever with materials and had a good idea, he built the bed himself out of salvaged, beat-up plywood. A bit of time and some very inventive staining techniques resulted in a gorgeous (and extremely sturdy) bed that people thought we purchased in a modern artsy furniture store. More importantly, platform beds preclude the need for a boxspring. I dislike boxsprings, the very concept of them seems wasteful in terms of money and materials.
Next up, we hunted down our mattress. We visited a whole bunch of stores, and when we went into one of the mid-to-high end stores, we hit it big. The sales lady asked us where else we were looking and why, and we told her straight up that we were on a pretty strict budget. She then said to try out the mattresses in the store and find one we liked, and she would see if she could find that mattress in the warehouse listed as “unsellable.”
Why are they unsellable? Because if the mattress has a smudge or a mark on it – probably caused by a hole in the plastic packaging that let in a bit of dirt – it cannot be sold on the salesroom floor. They end up getting rid of them by offering them at steep discounts.
We found a mattress we loved, and to our luck there was one with a tiny smudge in the warehouse. Hey presto, we got our brand new mattress at a 55% discount! This is an excellent brand name mattress that is unbelievably comfortable, and would have been out of the price range we were looking at had it not been for it’s status as “unsellable.”
I had to look REALLY hard to find the smudge, and a damp cloth and careful dabbing removed it. Granted, the store didn’t make nearly as much profit off my sale, but I’ve since sent two other people there and they’ve each bought mattresses from that store.
So yes. Find a reputable mattress stores and ask them about damaged, smudged, imperfect, or otherwise “unsellable” mattresses. It’s remarkable how much can be saved.
Also, in terms of comfort, we found that pocket coils were heads and shoulders above anything else we tried. They really do have better support, and we can hardly feel one another moving and flailing during the night (we are both…uh…active sleepers).
J.D.,
The Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort is definitely the way to go – do not buy a mattress until you at least try out the Sleep Number one (go through the whole demonstration at the store).
We have three mattresses in our home – my daughter’s bed (formerly ours) is a very good ‘conventional’ queen-size mattress – no-flip pillow-top style (it was not cheap to purchase). If I were to lie down on it right now, it feels wonderful – HOWEVER, if I were to sleep on it night after night, it would quickly “sag” or “hammock” – not good. This type of ‘wear-in’ is inevitable in my mind with any ‘conventional’ mattress. (Perhaps buy two beds and alternate sleeping on each one? 🙂 )
My son’s bed (ours before the other one) is a mid-range “conventional” queen-size mattress purchased at a warehouse club and since upgraded with a fairly nice memory-foam type topper. Everyone in our family agrees that this is the worst of the three. Although I have not tried a “real” Tempurpedic, my experience with the relatively thick foam topper on my son’s bed leads me to think the Tempurpedic would be more of the same, and I dread the ‘frozen in place’ feeling from the deeper foam (as well as ‘heat’ issues). Also the foam inevitably breaks down in the key support areas where weight is concentrated.
My wife and I sleep on a king-size Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort. This bed is one of the best purchases we have ever made – if anything would qualify as ‘life-changing’ this bed would come close.
The adjustability is great: a) side to side, his vs. hers; b) over time you can compensate for any ‘wear-in’ of the pillow top; c) special situations – rough day and you want it extra-soft, home sick and reading in bed sitting up and want it firmer, ‘extra-curricular’ activities, or just want to try a different setting for sleep.
Be sure to get the demo and also read every word of the instruction manual – when i tried out the bed without guidance, I completely missed the concept.
If you understand it and use it correctly, this bed opens up amazing possibilities for restful sleep (hint: explore softer settings over time than you are initially comfortable with). There really is less tossing and turning all night, and I go to sleep EXTREMELY quickly when I hit this bed.
I spent more than I wanted to on this bed, but gritted my teeth and bit the bullet and would not go back now.
We saved a little bit of money by not buying Select Comfort’s platform for the bed – instead we kept our old king-size box springs and I cut pieces of 1/2″ medium-density fiberboard to cover them – this gives you the totally flat and firm surface required for the system to work correctly. (We tossed the king-size mattress we had used for only a couple of years which was a disappointing warehouse-club purchase.)
Pay attention to the pillow you use as well; I paid relatively good money for a real down pillow that I can ‘adjust’ (I’m not a fan of the foam pillows that they sell at the Select Comfort store).
Believe me when I tell you that I am as/more frugal as the next guy, but a bed is an excellent place to splurge (and also a place where you can throw away a lot of money if you’re not careful). Go with the Sleep Number!!!!
David
Sorry that I couldn’t read all the posts just now to make certain that I’m not duplicating information that you’ve already been given. If I have,you may just ignore me :).
I recently learned that Walmart.com sells memory foam mattresses. After researching I found them to be a better price than overstock or costco. It’s a little odd to purchase a mattress without having tried it, but there were many goods reports from buyers on the website and the mattress can be returned if it is not what you expected. Further, the mattress is squished into a little box and can be picked up in the back of a van or truck (really!) from the store that you have requested if be delivered to. This eliminates the cost of shipping and the need to be home when delivery personnel arrive. After having our mattress for a few months, I think we are happier with it then we have been with any other mattress in over 20 years of marriage. Walmart – really :). Only time will tell if it will hold up over the years, but the price was right.
@56:
“I remember seeing signs at IKEA that they seem to have a decent exchange policy if you don’t like what you get too.”
Yes, you can test a mattress for 90 days and bring it back for a full refund if you don’t like it. It was a main reason why I bought there, but I am very happy with my Latex mattress from there, so I didn’t had to use this offer anyway.
Here is Sweden there was a storm in a teacup about matresses- it turned out that the top-of-the line brand matresses were only just slightly better than the IKEA matress, which cost literally 1/10th the price. Usually Ikea is also generous about exchanges and returns.
Wow- so many people interested in how you sleep, J:D 😉
Brilliant post. The mattress I’m currently sleeping on I’m disappointed by, having not known anything about mattresses when I made the purchase. Now when I go back to a shop I’ll be much better informed – thank you!
I agree. Almost five years, the post is still worth reading. I shared on my facebook with my friends.
I do agree to both of you, This is one of the best guide on how to purchase a mattress. Very useful and informative information. All of the things that you need to know before buying a mattress were already listed on this article.
Thanks,
Walter
Thanks for the great post. I’ve been reading your blog for a while. I was surprised by what you said about negotiating mattress prices. My wife and I bought a bed a few years ago at a major retailer and they brought the price down considerably, so I was under the impression that negotiating the price was always necessary. Sleepy’s was our culprit, but then again we didn’t shop at other stores so I can’t say we did our homework thoroughly.
Oh, one thing I would add is look for mattress liquidators (example: http://www.mattressliquidatorsonline.com) as they quote great prices.
Wow, great post! One of those purchases that rarely come up but when it does, you want to do it right. Thanks to Justin for the great info!
“Mattress salespeople are pretty good at finding the best fit for customers” – I had to chuckle at this item. A few years ago, when I was buying a mattress for my son’s bed, I wanted the same kind of pillow top mattress I had. A salesperson actually told me to buy a cheaper/less comfortable mattress because “children don’t really need the extra comfort”. Like my son was not worth the money. Needless to say, I walked/ran out of that store. I eventually bought a very nice pillow top mattress at another store. The salesperson there adviced me to buy the waterproof mattress protector, in case there were any “accidents”, and that was good advice.
Great post…I always felt misinformed when shopping for a mattress. We planned on getting a new mattress in the next year, but I think with this info we might start shopping a little early. Thanks
My wife and I just bought a mattress (Seriously JD, why is it that we’re always doing the same thing at the same time…) We found Sleepy’s too salesy. We bought our mattress, a sealy I think, from a local independent Mattress store because we liked how it felt and the price was very reasonable. They threw in the mattress pad for free.
Having a new mattress has reduced the number of times I wake up at night. Very much worth it
You’ve *never* heard of a frame breaking? I can think of 3 just in my circle of friends.
Two years ago, we made a HUGE purchase at Havertys. We bought a Temperpedic split King-size with each split side separately adjustable (like the Craftmatic commercials). We also purchased a very nice frame and matching bedside stands (our first nice furniture in 13 years of marriage). WE LOVE IT, both the Temperpedic and the adjustable frames. We did 30 months, 0% finance – around $9k for all – but we love it and hopefully (knock on wood) should never need to make another mattress/bed purchase in our lifetime.
We just bought a new Stearns & Foster king size bed from Sealy’s Mattress and More stores. It has individually pocketed coils, and my wife loves it (I still miss my waveless waterbed, but she’s hated it for years). I can agree with JerichoHill, though. I don’t wake up near as much as I used to.
This is perfect advice, though. I found similar information on other websites and used it in the store. We probably laid on 10-15 different beds over 3 different stores, and definitely did the 5-10 minute “try it out” thing.
The only quibble I have is that if you do opt for a mattress cover, the coating that keeps stains, etc. from soaking through reflects heat and sort of negates the use of natural fibers. Although, at the price points suggested, I agree you won’t find much else.
I’ll also agree that the salespeople aren’t absolutely horrible, but they do like to baffle with bulls**t. I heard coil counts more than once. However, the 3 salespeople we spoke with tried hard to help us find a good fit. Ask them about the gauge of the coils (lower number is stiffer, typically).
Oh, and seriously opt for the mattress cover. It wasn’t a week after we had it that one of our dogs threw up on the mattress and soaked all the way through to the cover. Saved us the 60 day return policy.
This is great information! I’m looking to replace the inexpensive bed I bought in a pinch for grad school, and these points will be really helpful for shopping!
I’d like to know what Justin has to say about Verlo mattresses which are sold in factory-direct stores. We’ve bought mattresses from Verlo for both our bedroom and our guest room.
As both the article and other comments said, definitely get the protective mattress cover. It’s invaluable. (Or well, its value equals the cost of replacing the mattress, at least!) As Sean said, the negating of the natural fiber effect is an unfortunate side-effect, but it is a good trade-off, I think. And you may now be able to find more natural covers these days.
I also found that at some of the smaller stores, you can generally negotiate for free delivery and often a free metal bed frame so long as you’re paying cash. It might not work so well with the department stores, but our local Serta dealer and one of the other furniture stores (smaller chain) both offered that after a little negotiation. Since we were moving from a futon to a real bed in our first apartment, the frame and delivery were musts, and even with some additional shopping around during those 30-days, (looking for other furniture), our deal on the actual mattress price didn’t suffer for the free stuff.
This article reads like it is – a sales pitch from a guy whose family has been in the mattress business for X years. Lie long enough and even the liars themselves start to believe it…
I’ve never paid more than half price for a mattress. Go to Sleepy’s or whatever mattress store you like, find a bed you like, then sit and wait out the grueling back-and-forth negotiation that has to take place and if the price doesn’t come down by 50% off the tag then go to the next closes Sleepy’s (or whatever) and tell them you want X bed for X dollars. I guarantee, as someone who has done this numerous times, that it will work. Mattress salesmen are typical losers who can’t get a real job and will do everything they can to make a sale. Sleepys is a classic joke but the rest are all the same.
And…if you pay more than $1500 for a mattress then you paid too much. And the mattress ‘protector’? Good luck getting the warranty work done regardless of whether you throw money away on a ‘protector’. Unless you’re pissing on your bed then what’s the point?
lol mark, you idiot. you’ve purchased beds “numerous” times. sounds like you are definitly not an itelligent being and obviously buying quality for your “numerous” purchases, i hope your not mattress shopping less than every 12 years.
i am a mattress salesman. so i am a “loser” with nice car and a nice house that helps meet peoples needs especially the elders in the community. if thats being a loser i am game for that.
not everyone needs the 4000 dollar mattress sets and that i agree. just depends on ones situation. people with chronic back, arthritis etc… needs more than a person like myself or obviously you, they do need help from tempurpedic/simmons or other brands with more innovative comfort layers for pressure relief.
and if you have a saleman giving you 50% off, hes probably a drug addict that is selling you a piece of junk that is highly overpriced and you can go purchase another mattress in 5-7 years from the same crap company
also some people without the pains just like the idea of maximizing their sleep. if you are telling me youd sleep the same on a 500 dollar mattress as opposed to a high end mattress then you truly are lost. i suppose athletes that sleep in high altiude chambers is probably just a gimmick too?
i show people beds in all price ranges and can tell you the ins and outs of each mattress a person lays on. if they dont feel $1000 difference then i take right back to the less expensive model.
so before you go judging and being very sterotypical, just buy a platform foundation and put a pad on top of it. since it doesnt make a difference at least get that something that will last to save you from ANOTHER mattress buying experience at sleepys. come see me ill even give you the 50% off just for the entertainment value of taking you to school 😉
I disagree with all your mattress advice. And I come from a family of bad backs, so we do need the best. Buy mismatched sets and you can get great mattressess and box springs for under $1,000 for a set. I’ve never paid over $800 for both (that IS queen size, I’ve never bought a king, granted). I disagree completely that you need to spend $2,000! Read Consumer Report’s analysis before you do that, please!
Hey JD,
Don’t know what path you’re headed down here, but if you decide that a Tempurpedic is what you and Kris are looking for, then I would like to suggest you check out Angel Beds (www.angelbeds.com) before you buy. After falling in love with a Tempurpedic a few years ago but deciding it was outside my budget range, I did some sleuthing and took a risk ordering the comparable Angel Bed and couldn’t be happier. I do not notice any difference in the feel of the mattress and 2 years later it’s still looks and feels like it’s brand new.
Since then, I’ve sold a few friends on these beds and they’ve reported the same results. Also, a quick review of their website shows that they’re now offering free delivery and free return shipping for 90 days if you decide to return. That’s an improved policy from when I bought.
Again, don’t know if that’s the path you’re headed down, but feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Thank you for all of the tips and information. I’m glad you spent two days on this subject. We have to get a new mattress and I know it’s going to turn into a major project!
Mark is 100% on the mark: this is how I’ve gotten every mattress in my life:
“This article reads like it is – a sales pitch from a guy whose family has been in the mattress business for X years. Lie long enough and even the liars themselves start to believe it…
I’ve never paid more than half price for a mattress. Go to Sleepy’s or whatever mattress store you like, find a bed you like, then sit and wait out the grueling back-and-forth negotiation that has to take place and if the price doesn’t come down by 50% off the tag then go to the next closes Sleepy’s (or whatever) and tell them you want X bed for X dollars. I guarantee, as someone who has done this numerous times, that it will work.”
As an insurance agent, I loved reading that a renters insurance policy claim funded his mattress purchase.
Thanks for the great tips!
We recently bought two beds from a chain store (1 queen, 1 full for $1900 or so). However, when I mentioned this to a co-worker, he suggested I check on their website and it’d probably be less if I ordered it online. He had shopped in the store to find the one he wanted, but went to the chain store’s website to buy it for less! The same company! After checking his suggestion out, we canceled the in-store order. However, instead of just ordering them online, we did some shopping around and found a local company (here in NJ) that manufactures their own mattresses. (And they had coupons in the bulk coupon mailer we get.) We got similar beds, and replaced a third one, for a little more than we were spending on the two at the chain place. And we know people who have bought from them in the past and their reputation is wonderful. Whether you’re buying from a chain store, online, or a local manufacturer, it’s best to shop around and get your best deal first.
You forgot to mention the Sleep Number bed! It’s the best purchase my husband and I ever made. He likes really soft mattresses, but I have fibromyalgia and need a really firm one (I like sleeping on the floor, if that gives you a clue) or my back hurts too bad to sleep. The Sleep Number bed seemed to be the only way we could both be comfortable. I didn’t think I would like it, because I’ve slept on air beds on the floor at my in-laws’ house, but this feels totally different. We paid about $1200 for the lower-end queen size mattress and “foundation” (basically the box spring that supports the mattress). It does come with a 20-year warranty, but like the Tempurpedic, it’s supposed to last longer than a traditional mattress. We have pets with claws, too, and I was nervous that they might puncture the bed. After having it for 5 years now, I can say there is no way that will happen. It’s really well built, and we LOVE it!
How timely! I am shopping for a mattress right now, though I am looking at the organic and all natural brands.
I think I am going with the Royal-pedic inner coil one, but the natural latex options are interesting too.
Your guest’s notes on the price range is very comforting. the Royal-pedic I am looking at is right in the middle of his price range. I love it when I don’t have to pay extra for environmentally sustainable and healthier options!!
As another person who’s family was in the mattress business, I have to say you missed the money saving boat on this one. The last time I bought a Queen size bed, it cost me $400. Many mattress companies have outlet stores. For example, in Sacramento, Sleep Train has Boxcar Bedding. DON’T go to one of those scary liquidator stores but instead, visit a genuine overstock and mismatch for an independent seller.
Tip 1: You do not need to have the matching mattress and boxspring. In some cases, you are better off creating a custom mix and match that suits your needs. (Some people who really like a low profile mattress actually opt for a plywood base, no boxspring.)
Tip 2: Genuine mattress outlets leave more room for negotiation. The mattress I purchased was a special order that no one had ever picked up. Since it wasn’t on the regular market, no one was coming looking for it and I got a really good deal.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your friend repeated the sales information that every floor person and manager has ingrained for years. (Trust me, I’ve heard it before). While $15 a month may not seem like much, those purchases do add up, and as you can see from other commenters, can easily be twice what you should really be paying.
I would like to support the fact that we can save some money on buying home items from outlets as I have experienced with getting a good deal on buying some furnitures and bed frame from “rooms to go outlet” in 2013. It’s still a brand new product,but sometimes some people never picked up or some items got damaged esthetically during delivery.
I have to add one more brand to your list: Select Comfort (Sleep number bed). We’d had our bed for about 7 years and we love it. My husband likes a firm bed and I like a soft bed. We can each set our side however we want it. If I’d had a tough day, I can change the firmness of the bed with a click of a button. My husband had back trouble before we got the new bed and his back has been much better since we got it. I’d never go back to a traditional bed. They also cost about the same as a traditional bed.
All of it sounds like solid advice (espeically about buying a low-profile box spring)… except for the pricing. When I got my first apartment after graduating college I slept on an inflatible matress (how’s that for frugal?!). After about 6 months I had some money saved up and bought a pillow top queen size matress, box spring and matress pad for under $400. Lucky too, because anything more expensive than that I wouldn’t have been able to afford. I bought a matress off the floor, which I’m sure made a difference. And I lived in a college town, which may have been a factor as well.
And I definitely disagree that the only reason to get a matress pad is for the warranty and stains. If ever the dog pees on the bed (like mine did) or morning coffee gets spilled, the mattress pad will more than pay for itself for saving the matress.
It seems like from my experience, and several other replies, that getting a quality matress under $1000 is definitely possible. Keep your eyes peeled for a good deal JD!
I would suggest exploring the Sleep Number bed option. They are high priced, but if you never have to replace it, quality comes cheaper. While I can sleep on most anything, after I married my wife, we went through bed after bed, replacing first my waterbed, then a variety of mattresses (always the high quality ones mentioned in this article, such as, and including the Sealy Posturpedic). My wife could never find a comfortable one, and we would end up replacing it with another. Then we went to the Sleep Number, and we are both happy. As they are air chambers, there are no springs or fabric to break down over the years, so I see no reason they won’t last forever. We got the next most expensive, excluding the top of the line with the 9″ foam topper (if you are sleeping on air, why would you need 9″ of foam?), and opted for split bed with controls allowing each side to sit up or recline independently, as we both like to read before bedtime. While YMMV, I do believe, in my case at least, that this is the best bed I could have bought, and over the years, will be the cheapest, based on my history of replacing mattress/box springs sets.
Sounds about right!
There are some great tips in this article–the list of brands that he recommends, the idea of the 30-day trial period, and the admonition (that I wish I’d heeded) that if you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it more at home.
However, I find myself reluctant to accept any advice that says I should spend $2-$4,000 on a mattress. That’s $400 per year! (the mattress I own now cost that much) Who can afford that, for one thing? And for another, I have heard way too many people like Beth and Mark above say that mattresses are grossly overpriced and there are ways to get them for less.
A detailed post on how to buy a great mattress close to cost would be truly valuable.
Good Tips!
One thing you will not find at your local mattress store is a wide selection of Air Mattresses. In fact no retail store carries more than a couple of them. The internet is the only place that offers all of the different types and brands available.
If you are looking for an Air Mattress – check out http://www.bestairmattressreview.com to see all of the available options and reviews of the top mattresses.
You might not want to sleep on an Air Mattress every night, but they sure are useful for when you have guests in town.
I would also suggest asking for a split box spring. It comes in two halves and works just as well as a regular box spring. When it comes time to move, you don’t have to struggle getting around corners or through stairwells because each half fits through standard doorways. I got mine for the same price as a regular box spring just by asking the salesman, even though they were listed at $99 more.
For me the problem was not finding a bed that was comfortable, but one that would last more than 3-5 years without developing sags in the middle. I did a lot of research online, and it seemed that overall people really liked the Tempurpedic beds more than any others, and they tended to last longer too. I ended up getting a NovaForm memory foam mattress from Costco for about $500 and so far are happy.
I would say, always research online before you buy…or even try!
I wouldn’t rule out Sam’s. You can’t try them out at the store, but when I bought mine, they said that I could return it any time in the first year if I was not happy with it.
Unfortunately I have to agree with you. We bought king Setra mattress from Sams Club. After 5 years I have to buy new one. I have big hole in the middle of the mattress.
I could swear that about a year ago, you had a post about buying mattresses from a guest-poster. I remember it saying how it is hard to compare prices because one company gives the same mattress different names depending on what store it will be sold in.
However, I can’t find the post here anymore. Does this ring a bell or did I actually read it somewhere else?
if a king should be about $300 more than a queen than your price range seems to high to me. i got a queen size posturpedic set (mattress and box spring) on sale at macys for $500 a few years back. i don’t think prices went up that much in that time.
Not sure if this will be helpful, but some other bloggers just bought a new mattress that they heavily researched and decided to go with an environmentally friendly version.
Here’s the link:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/06/time-for-a-new-bed/
Not cheap from a bottom-line cost perspective, but I think we need to start factoring in the implicit social and economic costs of our purchasing choices more often.
I had a bed frame break on me. (I mean, not literally _ON_ me — I was on the bed at the time.) My (now-ex) wife and daughter jumped onto the bed while I was on it it too.
I think that was the point where we decided it was time to lose weight.
We just purchased Simmons Black Beauty Rest – king size for $3K.. A bit expensive, but it’s been such an improvement over our old, $500 queen size one..
I figure if I can pay $10-50K for a car that will last 5-10 years and is used for less than an hour/day (if you average it out), I can spend $3K on a mattress that will last 10 years and will be used 8 hrs a day..
A good steel bed frame is pretty sturdy–the one I have previously belonged to my parents. The cheaper wooden ones are definitely breakable with, um, vigorous use.
Can’t help but agree with Mark & Beth — the prices he is quoting seem waaay over what is necessary. We just bought an amazing mattress for $700.
I was looking forward to this post — REALLY hoping this guy would address some of the points brought up in the mattress scam website: http://www.mattressscam.com. Primarily the fact that these companies have different names for their different “models” depending on the store you go to — so you can NEVER compare prices.
Check out the mattressscam site — it has much deeper insights from an informed consumer’s perspective.
Folks, the high prices in this post are a legacy of its origins. This was an email from Justin to Garrison that addressed Garrison’s needs and budget. I tried to strip the personal stuff (location, budget, etc) but wasn’t as thorough as I could have been.
Tyler@FrugallyGreen has the right idea. Interestingly, the Angel Bed “Celeb” model looks identical to the one at Healthy Foundations (healthyfoundations.com — where I ended up ordering after testing a Tempur-pedic and liking it.) The Healthy Foundations one is a bit cheaper and also comes with a 1-year warranty.
I cannot under any circumstances recommend that anyone buy a Tempurpedic after sleeping in the Healthy Foundations bed for 2 weeks now. My friend bought 2 memory foam mattresses from Costco and feels the same way. When you buy Tempurpedic, you are paying for their commercial airtime, not for some perceived quality that other brands don’t have.
Of course, I’m sure Healthy Foundations and Angel Beds both have a great markup, but at least it’s $2K instead of the $5K+++ that Tempurpedic wants!
FYI, my Healthy Foundations bed was made by Jeffco Fibres here in the US. You may be able to buy direct if you really want substantial savings on a memory foam or latex mattress. They’re at jeffcofibres.com.
I’m still a huge fan of buying mattresses online. Plus, sales tax is 0. Of course, in Oregon, you don’t have to worry about that…but here in CA, where sales tax is 9.25% (!!!) it’s a huge concern.
-Erica
I’m in the market for a mattress. I got to this Slate link from J.D.’s last article on mattresses:
http://www.slate.com/id/93956/
The upshot is brands do not matter and contrary to conventional wisdom you do not get what you pay for. A mattress is almost a commodity. You’re paying for marketing. Yes there are some really poorly made mattresses out there but they are the outliers – marketing fluff is the norm. Obfuscation is the only technique they’ve got to increase their margins.
The human body (especially the brain) is the opposite. There a million variables on what it takes to get a good nights sleep – with good being the key word. Everyone is different. Tell me exactly why the box spring is important. Tell me why you would pay for a mattress pad over just using cheap egg crate. Explain to me why we sleep four feet instead of one foot off the ground. Heck, after reading all the mattress articles I’m not even sure what the words “firm” and “soft” mean anymore.
I just want to get a good night’s sleep. I’m feeling the best tactic is to test many mattresses – even spend a night in a hotel. Then find out the best way to describe the model (not the brand – Sealy Executive Plush is gibberish). Last shop around till you find the best deal on your chosen model. Same technique as buying everything else really.
Hey JD,
We recently bought a new mattress in Portland. I can give a high recommendation to the BedMart located in the Pearl. We tried a bunch of different stores in southeast Portland and either were not finding what we wanted or dealing with really aggressive sales people. We ended up buying a Tempur-Pedic Classic from the aforementioned BedMart. The woman who helped us (sorry, don’t remember her name) is one of the owners. She was super knowledgeable, but did not hound us. She gave us some advice, showed us some mattresses we might like, and left us alone to try the mattresses out and discuss them. WRT the Tempur-Pedic I can also make a favorable recommendation. My wife wanted a soft mattress, I wanted a firm mattress. The Tempur-Pedic is totally amazing- we are both very happy. Good luck on your own mattress hunt.
I recently bought a bed in my new apartment and went to several stores. I recommend checking out several places and negotiating for the best price. It can only benefit you. Lie on as many as possible. It is difficult to judge a few minutes vs a nights sleep but you can get a general idea.
I’m definitely saving this and the other article, but I wish it had been published two weeks ago. My hubby and I just bought a mattress and box springs for our spare bedroom, and so far it seems to be fine. We will be looking to replace our queen size waterbed with a new mattress and box spring set soon and this info will be invaluable.
My hubby is a much better negotiator than I am (I take him with me for car purchases as a matter of course), so I’m fairly certain he got a good deal on the mattress/box springs. Previously, I had been scouring the Internet for info about buying a mattress and I was convinced that it was ten times worse than buying a car. I was afraid that we’d get ripped off big time, but it seemed to work out OK. We got it from a local outlet-type place here in western PA called Original Mattress Factory, and as I mentioned, it seems to be a fine, general purpose mattress. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised at the way the entire transaction turned out.
If you’re dying for a Temperpedic mattress, but don’t want to shell out an insane amount of money, you can get comparable memory foam matresses at Costco or Overstock.com for much less. I purchased my first memory foam from Costco, (Novaform brand) and my second from Overstock (can’t recall the house-brand, there), and both were terrific. They’re as good as Tempurpedic, not nearly as expensive, and I’ve never slept better in my life.
Lol, re frames breaking I remember when mine broke. My very overweight (especially at that time) grandmother sort of threw herself down on the bed and the nearest corner broke. It’s much funnier now than it was as the time, as this was my bed.
I don’t think a more expensive frame would have necessarily helped with that, and we replaced it with another cheap enough frame that did just fine (after she’d left).
We knew some of these when we bought the mattress I have now and I think we made a good buy. We used a mattress liquidator, so they only had last year’s models but my parents had used them before and the salespeople were quite attentive and helpful.
Learned several years ago while shopping for a mattress that different stores will have the exact same mattress as another store, but with a different name on it (same brand). Makes it hard to do price comparisons this way, the way the stores like it. We found stores would price match if we found the same brand mattress with the same coil count (indicating the same exact mattress). I hate shopping for mattresses as much as shopping for cars.
My Sam Club does let you try out the mattresses. They have one of each model on a sort of pull-out that slides out from under the shelves. My wife and I got a queen-sized Sealy for $600 just about a year ago and we’re very happy with it.
My wife and I bought a new bed when we moved. Having just arrived and not knowing where anything was, we went to a couple of mattress stores in an area containing a lot of furniture stores. The first one didn’t have anything we liked, or anything in our price range. In the second store, we had a creepy salesman who followed us around. We couldn’t get far enough away from him to discuss the beds we tried, and ended up sneaking out of the store when he went to the back to check on something.
In the end, we did what Wayne’s friend did and found a bed we liked in a chain store and ordered from their online store for less. The bonus for us was that there weren’t any salesmen in the department. After our encounter with Mr. Creepy (who wouldn’t shut up about coil counts), we just wanted a room full of beds to ourselves.
I agree with Mark and Beth, who said it sounded like a sales pitch. Especially the thing about “beds are expensive (2-4K)”, and what’s the worst that would happen, you pay a little more for a nicer bed? Well what if you don’t need a nicer bed and you just paid $300 more than you needed to?
I also thought it was interesting where he said regardless of warranties, beds do not last longer than 10 years. For the longest time one of the selling points of more expensive beds is that they were built better and lasted longer. If it’s not coil count, not natural verus unnatural fibers, not longevity, he still doesn’t explain why a 2K bed is worth getting over a 500-700 bed, which is what I want to know.
I DO agree about having a mattress protector. We have “protect a bed” on all of our beds, totally worth the cost!
10 years for a mattress? The one my wife and I have is currently 20 years old and still great. I also can’t imagine spending more than $1000 for a mattress – that’s ridiculous.
This is great info!
Your mattress store should handle pickup of the old mattress – but if it’s in the same truck DON’T DO IT. That means all the old mattresses are being hauled away in the same trucks the new mattresses are in, and that means BEDBUGS. If you live where I do (NYC) they are everywhere and incredibly difficult to get rid of. You don’t want to be inviting them in because some guy’s contaminated mattress is up against your new one in the truck. Confirm before delivery that the store won’t have your mattress in a truck with old ones.
I always buy my mattresses from a place that sells mismatches. You can get a top quality mattress where the fabric print is different on both sides for a deep discount – and it’s new! Who actually cares about the print on the mattress fabric anyways. 🙂
Don’t pay retail for a mattress.
My family is in the furniture business and the only mattress brand I have ever had is Jamison. I personally think they make the best mattresses. And forget the metal bed frame, which will break. Splurge on a good quality wood bed, it’s worth every penny and will last forever.
We purchased a Stearns & Foster queen bed a few years ago. I cannot say enough good things about it! My back has been better (low back issues) and I’d do it all over again. I agree that cost isn’t everything, but you sometimes pay for what you get. Try it out and I bet you’ll love it. We got a midrange version (not the extra pillowy type) and I think they were a bit mismatched as well, so the cost was lower. I didn’t realize how badly I was sleeping before we got the new bed. Good luck!
A mattress is one of those places I don’t worry about paying a good amount. When we first got married we bought a really nice Sealy Posturpedic Presidential edicion mattress and it was the best $1000 we have ever spent (that was 11 years ago). Our mattress is still as comfortable and firm as it was 11 years ago and I know we’ll get at least another 5-8 years out of it.
My next mattress is going to be a organic wool one with no VOC’s so I it’s going to cost a pretty penny, but that’s why I’m already saving for it.
I didn’t have a lot to go on when I bought my mattress, but I got lucky. Coming right out of college and an 8 year stint sleeping on the same futon, I knew I wanted something comfortable, king size, and not cheap. I got a king size Simmons Beautyrest for $1500 after taxes with a new frame. I’ve yet to buy a mattress protector, but I’m seriously considering it now. I absolutely love my bed, though I think I might prefer them just a bit firmer. The model I have has a five inch thick pillow top with memory foam. Its super-soft! 🙂
I agree with #52 Jonathan – it’s ridiculous to me too, and I wonder if the bedding industry has convinced consumers they need more, just as the housing industry convinced consumers they need granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
This advice is lacking. There are many good brands to consider beyond the good ones mentioned. Therapedic, Kingsdown, Natura come to mind. Also Select Comfort, mentioned in the posts with its Sleep Number airbed. There are other non-coil types that should be considered, too, especially for people suffering from back pain. Memory foam is the generic for Tempur-Pedic, some good, some not-so-good. Check the actual thickness of the memory foam layer (vs. the base foam). Latex beds are great, natural back supporters, though they can be expensive (probably will be my next mattress). Local furniture stores often offer Tempur-Pedic and other lower-priced memory foam options that you can compare.
To anyone shopping for a mattress, I recommend that you go to consumerreports.org and in their search box type: 10 mattress myths and then click on “mattresses, mattress myths” and it’ll bring up the 10 myths, many of which have been discussed here.
RE comments about price negotiation: I said that most of the larger chains don’t negotiate prices, but I guess that could be true only of the geographic area I was located in. The mattress retail industry varies geographically, so some (or most) parts of the country may still predominantly use negotiation. For the company I worked for, we were simply not allowed to negotiate mattress prices, period. And our main competitors in that area had the same policy. It could be different elsewhere. I wish every store would go to this policy because it certainly takes a lot of the stress out of the process.
RE price in general: You can certainly get a quality bed for less than I recommended to my friend. My recommendation was tailored to his circumstances. The most important thing is comfort. If you feel just as much comfort on a $500 bed as on a $1500 bed, then there is no reason to spend more. Everybody has their own preferences for comfort. But if you are somebody who likes the feel of the $1500 bed best, then I recommend that bed because you will get better sleep if it is more comfortable. My main point for my friend was that he is not automatically being ripped off if he spends $2000 on a bed.
RE comments about frames breaking: I consider myself corrected. Thanks for the info. In 2 years of selling mattresses and 8 years of part-time delivery of them, I never came across a frame that had broken, and none of my co-workers ever mentioned anything like that happening. I would constantly see people still using frames that were 20 years old or more. I should clarify that when I said “bed frame,” I was referring only to standard steel frames, and not a headboard/footboard/rails combination.
RE comments about mattress protectors: Yes, using a protector/pad will cancel out the benefit of natural fibers. But, I still recommend it for at least the sleep trial period so that the bed can be returned, if necessary. And I recommend it long-term for anyone who doesn’t have major temperature variations at night that could benefit from the natural fibers. And if you have allergies, it is great to have something you can take off the bed and wash.
RE Barb’s comment about Verlo: I haven’t heard of Verlo mattresses. Several mattress brands are regional or specialty/niche, so information could be difficult to find. Also, some companies sell the exact same bed in different locations but give it different names.
RE comments about Sleep Number: I intentionally didn’t mention them because I had an idea of what my friend was looking for, and Sleep Number would not have been a good fit. My experience with Sleep Number beds was that people either love them or hate them and there isn’t much of a middle ground. We had an inordinate number of problems with them where I worked, but some people absolutely loved them.
RE comments about outlet stores: I agree, outlet stores can be a great place to find a deal on a bed. But some of them can also be shady operations. I was not familiar with the outlet store’s in my friend’s area, and that is why I did not recommend he go to one. If you go to an outlet store, keep in mind that a lot of them don’t offer the trial period, and sometimes they sell beds that other people tried and returned from the non-outlet stores.
RE comments about cross-shopping prices: It is true that mattresses are given different names at different stores locally and across different regions. I don’t have any tips to get around that. I guess you just have to figure out what is in each bed and compare them to see if it is the same bed at each location.
RE durability: Based on my own experiences, I think 10 years is an appropriate estimate of how long I recommend sleeping on a bed. But obviously people more tolerable of bed softening will get more (body weight will obviously also have an effect). As of a couple years ago, manufacturers of innerspring mattresses were telling salespeople that the beds are designed to last 12 years. And most customers I had seemed to be in the 12-15 year range, and were only coming in after their bed had become unbearable. Thus, I think a 10-12 year estimate for the bed staying comfortable is appropriate for most people. Some people will get more, and some less.
We had a double bed — which fit our 1960s bedroom much better than our current queen — but it wasn’t quite big enough not to feel that someone was taking up too much room. On the other hand, when we go to hotels, the king size beds feel too big — we don’t need that much room…. and I’m glad, because the queen size sheets don’t cost as much as the king sized…
also, I too wonder about the 10year life of a mattress–shouldn’t that vary according to, say weight of users, and other considerations? we have a sweedish bed frame that has a wooden slats, not a box spring under the mattress, I would think that would make a difference, too…
Forgot to add to my earlier comments above — when you read the article from Consumer Reports listing the 10 Mattress Myths, to the right of Myth No. 2 is a Video that you can click on. Be sure to see the video as it gives consumers excellent buying advice on mattreses.
Mattresses, like window shades, which are regularly priced at 70% off “list,” are typically sold at a “sale” price. I would take “list” price with a grain of salt: the “sale” price is the regular price.
Also, I’d be interested if anyone ever mae use of a mattress guarantee. What was the outcome?
Best bed I’ve ever owned is the memory foam mattress I got from Overstock for about $350 ($2.95 S&H). I sleep like a little baby on it, and had enough cash left over for a spiffy new duvet cover and shams!
I read all the info on consumer reports site (back when I paid for it) then religioust checked Craigs list for weeks until I saw what I wanted. We bought a Sealy Posturpedic king size pillow top extra firm for $480. It had been purchased and used for display in a Street of Dreams home. Now it fuels MY dreams. No guarantee, but I don’t care about that anyway. We’ve had it a year and its awesome.
Very interesting how mattress has great value due to the long duration that we spend in it. I always opt for the cheapest mattress, but I guess just one person does not need a great bed. Great perspectives, though, on what to look for.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Great and much needed information here. Now to begin saving . . .
For what it is worth, Radisson Hotels Deluxe rooms are outfitted with SLEEP NUMBER beds. I have stayed in three such rooms. In two of the rooms, the bed did not ‘hold’ its sleep number..i.e. when set at 85, 6 hours later it had slipped…one bed down to 5! In the other room, I did not like the 85 rating, even though I always like a firm mattress. The hotel manager said this is common, and had doubts about the wisdom of outfitting the hotel with these SLEEP NUMBER beds.
If you live on the east coast, BJ’s Wholesale Club will accept returns on mattresses within 30 days. They seem to be decent mattresses for the money, but everyone has their preference.
Not to come off as a frugality Nazi, but when my daughter moved in, I gave her my bed, bought two exercise mats, and started sleeping on the floor. I’ll never go back.
If you have them in your area, check out Denver Mattress (they’re all over the country). Great prices and quality – they make their own – not rebrands. No haggle upfront pricing too (doesn’t hurt to try, though). Way better than the two Posturpedics I had before. If I recall correctly, about $900 got me a queen mattress with pillowtop and individually wrapped coils, a low profile box spring, bed frame, mattress pad, pillows, cleaning kit, and delivery. I think the most expensive conventional mattress they sell retails for around $1000, and they have their own versions of the Tempurpedic and SleepNumber too.
we are just about to buy a king size mattress, so this post was very interesting to me!
I would also add that you can haggle for the bedframe as well. I got it thrown in for free, including the “upgrade” to the higher level frame, and didn’t bring it up until after the price was settled.
I have to disagree with his brand recommendations. We have had horrible experience with Sealy, especially when trying to enforce the warranty. We replaced it after three years with a Serta, which had served us well previously, and has done so again. I’d turn and run from a Sealy mattress.
Dear JD,
I live in the tropics(India). We each use a cotton mattress around 2 Inches thick, weighs less than 10 Kgs, costs around US$10 (500 Rupees). The pillows, usually a single one, is also a slim one. Feels quite comfortable.
Have you tried sleeping on the floor with just a blanket below you? This also is OK with me.
Regards,
Satej Datar.
I’ve had a Select Comfort (Sleep Number) bed for six years and love it (original cost, $500). Renters, especially, should consider it for ease in moving.
As many have commented, beds are a very individual thing, but value shoppers should certainly consider this brand. I did a thorough review of my model on Epinions.com http://www.epinions.com/content_439613886084 if you’re interested and by comparison, you can read some of the more negative reviews on that site as well.
As a general comment on mattress selection, “pillow-tops” add a huge amount to the cost of the mattress and are likely to break down or wear out or compress or stain or mold long before the rest of the mattress. Save your money and buy a memory-foam topper instead, which you can inexpensively replace when it breaks down in a few years.
In college I would buy my mattress from a hotel near campus.
chalk me up as tempurpedic fan, and i was very skeptical. the only problem i have with tempurpedic is that i sleep so well, i can’t sleep my 12 hours anymore. seriously, i feel too rested, which pisses me off, because i really like sleeping.
Quick anecdote.
We bought not one, but two mattresses for the price we had budgeted, with platform-style frames that have plenty of storage underneath, no boxsprings. We originally budgeted $900, and got such a great deal, we bought two.
I had read the Slate article that basically states that all mattresses are rip offs, essentially the same thing with more marketing buzzwords. We tried a local furniture warehouse place, and their best price was $600. We left to see if any other stores nearby had a good deal. The next store we went to had a very similar mattress, regular price over $750, but was on sale for $325. Our daughter got an upgrade (and we got a guest bed) as well, since the deal was so good.
I think it was more comfortable in the store than the one we had looked at that cost more. After sleeping on it for almost two months, I love it. I wake up refreshed rather than sore. I have some pretty serious back issues due to a motorcycle accident 10 years ago, so I’m not the average buyer, either.
Great tips.
We expect to be in the market for a new set in the Spring . . .
Thanks for sharing.
READ THIS POST!!!!!!
I didn’t read ALL the other posts so forgive me if I’m repeating someone else….
My wife and I spent $3200 for a SLEEP NUMBER BED, king size, middle-of-the-road(in price) model,
and have never slept better. It’s actually an air mattress, so it doesn’t wear out. We’ve had no problems with it. I never get a comparable nights sleep on ANY regular bed.
ITS THE BEST PURCHASE WE’VE EVER MADE IN OUR LIVES.
BTW, I do not work for SLEEP NUMBER.
My husband and I suffered from serious sticker shock when we went shopping last year for a mattress to replace our aging kingsize.
We ended up taking a chance on the Overstock.com memory foam mattress for about $700 (it’s only $650 right now, and couldn’t be happier.
Thanks for all the info, but I have to be honest that I did not have to use any of this. I bought a mattress this past weekend from a Mattress Warehouse. Prices were clearly listed and definitely reasonable, and actually all on sale, no hassle. The salesman let us look around, lay down, and just ask him the questions. When we decide on a bed, Simmons BeautySleep plush top, he looked it up and it turned out that it was $150 off the list price. We left in less than 30 minutes with a queen size bed/box spring for $583, delivery included. We also live in Baltimore, so it wasn’t some rural area. Our budget was 800-1,000 and we def beat that. I was really nervous after reading all the comments here and the mattressscam.com site.
I’m 28 years old, and have had 3 mattress sets since leaving home. They have all been used. Many people shy away from used, but you just have to be picky in what you get.
The frame I bought. I forget how much I paid, but it’s your basic metal snap together frame on wheels. I always recommend getting a good frame. Get one that expands to different sizes.
The first bed was around $100 from a classified ad. I ended up leaving it in a basement for 10 months and it got moldy, so I had to pitch it. The second bed came from a friend. The third bed was an upgrade (twin to queen — I ended up giving the twin to a friend). Many furniture stores that sell new beds will often get rid of their client’s old beds for free. The one near us would retain good-shape mattresses in the back of the store for a few weeks. They were given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. This way, they saved on disposal fees.
You want to inspect the bed for anything bad — pee stains, mold, insects, etc. Most people get rid of a bed because they got a new one from somewhere else — or they are moving and no longer need it. Very few people will try to sell a crummy bed. You can also check out the house that the bed is in. If something smells funny, just walk away, But by checking out a few furniture stores and classified ads, you can usually pick up a really good bed for free or extremely cheap.
Great post–I never thought the art of buying a mattress could be so interesting, but it gave me a lot to think about–especially since our current mattress is almost 10 years old…
I bought a foam mattress from Costco for an amazing price and I have absolutely no regrets. It’s extremely comfortable and, after 3 years, still feels like new.
I think all foam mattresses are basically the same so try one out at a mattress store. Just make sure to tell the salepeople you’re just browsing so as not to lead them on.
I disagree regarding the 30-day trial, and i have a suggestion.
Choose a larger retailer mattress store that has a no returns policy, but then negotiate with the salesman to write in the comments that this is an exception, and that you have a thirty day trial.
Companies that have a 30-day trial delivery used beds. Especially department stores, who don’t normally have a clearance center for floor models and returns.
They can’t send those back to the vendor, except for Tempur-pedic, so they end up RE-BAGGING the beds.
Also, always insist on examining the mattress when it is IN the bag.
Stay away from Select Comfort. The 20-year warranty is really only a 2 year full warranty, and an 18-year prorated warranty, and parts that shouldn’t fail in 3 years (pump, remotes) have a tendency to do so. Most people don’t think about needing to set aside money for maintenance of their mattress, but with Select Comfort you will need to do so.
Unless you and your spouse have drastically different ideas of comfort, you can likely find a regular mattress that will be a better match than deal with the “trench effect” of Select Comfort mattresses (the valley that develops between the air chambers).
More info on my issues are on my website:
http://punaro.com/index.php/2009/06/derek/select-comfort-customer-service-failure/
http://punaro.com/index.php/2009/06/derek/select-comfort-learns-the-real-power-of-twitter/
And there’s a great post at Consumerist’s site:
http://consumerist.com/5313471/dont-put-too-much-faith-in-select-comforts-20+year-warranty
Try consignment stores. I was in one looking for a futon a few months ago when I moved into a summer apartment and I was surprised to find many ‘new’ high-quality, name-brand mattresses there. Apparently the deal is that mattress stores cannot sell a mattress as ‘new’ once it has been taken out of the plastic, so if someone returns a mattress for any reason, they can’t sell it again. Ergo, they take it to the consignment store where it is sold for a discount. How much? I don’t know- they all seemed really expensive to me, a college student that ended up on a $15.38 Goodwill twin.
My husband and I love our Select Comfort Sleep Number bed!
1) we planned in advance and bought it with 18 months same as cash. We set aside a lump sum of cash in a CD to mature 1 month before the 18 months expired and put monthly “payments” into a savings account so we earned the interest ourselves. Paid the entire amount off with one month to spare!
2)The Sleep Number bed has a 60 day in home trial, so you know for sure you like the bed during the trial period.
Select Comfort beds have a 30-night in home trial, not 60. And the customer is responsible for return shipping. (~$100) Initial shipping or delivery/setup fees are not refundable. (~$50-200).
I bought my mattress at Sears about 7 years ago. It was definitely a good deal (hundreds less than the competition, free box spring, free frame rails, free delivery, free take away). At the time they had a mattress section of that store where you could try out mattresses. They’ve since redone the store and that one no longer sells mattresses. There are a few others in my area that still sell mattresses, though.
You have to buy when they have a sale to make it worthwhile. You should probably visit other stores first, as the salespeople at Sears [at least in my area] tend to be less knowledgeable and the selection can be quite limited compared to other stores.
Truly a great and timely article on mattresses. Since we are also in the market for new pillows, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to the best to buy or things to consider.
Here again is the mattress salesperson’s favorite line “you spend a third of your life in bed….”
That third of your life is the third of your life during which you are unconscious.
I know a lot of people blame their mattresses for back pain, etc. Mattresses today are far more “advanced” than mattresses of old. Perhaps physical deconditioning is a much larger factor than mattress subtypes.
With all due respect, I don’t agree that “you get what you pay for” in regards to mattresses. I think most mattresses are just fine for the average individual – if you want to fool yourself into thinking you have a luxury item, so be it.
I work for a mattress company, not in sales however. 2 quick observations.
Most places do NOT have trials. And think about it, that’s nasty. Do you want a bed that some unknown has had for a month? It would be like permantly staying at a hotel. no thanks. They come in sealed plastic bags for a reason. Most places call this a “comfort guarantee”.
Also, to the people saying just buy cheap and you don’t get what you pay for… that is extremly incorrect. The differences are very substantial. Of course once I started working where I do, I bought something new, night and day doesnt even begin to explain it.
oh, btw, the rest of his advice from this article is excellent and spot on.
Thanks for this article. I read about this article just one day before planning to buy a new KING size bed. I went to ‘The Bedroom Store’ and asked for Tempeurpedic mattress. I loved the ‘DeluxeBed’, but I am concerned about the mattress getting hot. I love to sleep cold. Then the sales man showed me one more brand called ECO. Supposedly this company designs bed for hospitals and have just got into the market. Sales person said this mattress is memory foam and more breatheable. I felt nice to sleep on it in the store and price was a bit less than Tempeurpedic. Can someone comment on these new environment friendly ECO beds ?
>>Stearns & Foster are great brands. They aren’t innerspring though.
I’ve had a S&F innerspring for nearly 10 years now. (Yeah, time to start thinking about replacing it…)
After reading that, I don’t know how much else to believe from this guy.
My one question would be thoughts on the Sleep Number beds. My girlfriend is a back sleeper for 90% of the night, while I am side and stomach, short of putting two singles together, I don’t see many good options for that kind of thing other than a Sleep Number. I’ve tried them in the store, and it seems nice, but trying a mattress for 30 days is sort of a hassle in my opinion. Any comments on those beds?
I have been working in the mattress industry for almost 20 years and would like to address one of the more prevalent opinions that I have encountered in this thread. The idea that mattresses are usually “ripoffs”. I know that there are stores out there that frequently mark their product up so that they can later mark them down for sale prices. There are also stores that will consistently offer those same products at fixed prices. This is marketing. I can guarantee that you will not find a model that most stores price at $2000 for $400. The margins don’t work that way.
In the retail world it isn’t unusual to encounter products that are marked up 10 or 15 times what they cost to manufacture. Mattresses are very rarely marked up even 100%. In the retail furniture industry most operations cannot achieve even a 10% profit margin even in a great year.
I’m not saying that some stores have better deals than others. I am trying to address a common misconception that most people overpay for a mattress. If you visit even two stores and compare mattresses with due diligence it is unlikely that you will end up overpaying for a mattress which is, after all, a very personal preference.
It’s worth noting that some aspects of the matress business are definitely a racket. More specifically the exact same matress can be marketed under several different names, thereby allowing retailers to promise that they offer the lowest price on a particular mattress or they’ll pay the difference.
I bought a mattress recently and can say with certainty that in the New England area, it appears that you can negotiate down significantly on price at Sleepy’s etc. Most were priced $1K-$3K and you could get them down to $600-$800. I did try to be a stickler on negotiations and I think I really hit the minimum around $600 though, because I threatened to leave and actually did leave and the salesperson did not relent at all.
I got a frame on Craigslist for $20 because they would not throw it in. I got a pillowtop mattress that is king size for $800, but I am unimpressed with it, still can’t believe how much it cost. I sleep no better on it than any other mattress I’ve had, actually worse because of the cover making me sweat like crazy. I bought my last king size mattress for $75 on Craigslist and I actually liked that one better. It looked a little sketchy since it was used, but I put the mattress cover over it and no problem. I ended up buying the fancy one because my husband refused to let me get another used mattress because it fueled his OCD concerns. 🙂
Craigslist, used memory foam mattress and pillow: $300 + $10 gas + 3 hrs personal time.
beware of mattress warranties! i single out serta because i can talk about my expreience here, but it seems like a lot of the manufactures have the same warranty. it’s pretty meaningless.
hubby and i bought a $2700 serta perfect day king size mattress (“sensational”) 3 years ago to replace our older mattress. the sagging “body impressions” from the old mattress put a lot of pressure on my mid/lower back because it wasn’t supporting my body. the serta was very comfortable at the store and we were told that it was top of the line and guaranteed for 10 years. i didn’t mind paying the price, thinking that we’d get a good night’s sleep for 10 years. wrong!
this mattress has the same “body impressions”/sagging issues, and it’s killing my back. for $2700, i expect much better! i’ve called serta about the warranty. get this, they will only consider fixing the situation if the body impression is at least 1.5” deep measured from the hill in the middle of the bed to the edge. you can definitely feel how little support there is at the sagging areas (maybe worn out springs?) compared to other parts of the bed, but wait, the fluffy pillow top is so resilient, that you can’t see it and it makes measuring nearly impossible.
very, very disappointed at having spent in essence $900 a year for a mattress that’s garbage. never again. i’d be better off buying a new cheaper mattress each year.
Sorry, I do not agree with you. You bought a mattress and sleep on that for few days. You have enough warranty and trail time. But your back pain has started by using this mattress. Now if mattress company change you mattress free of cost, what is the benefit? Already you got pain from this mattress.
I think most of the people make this mistake when they are buying the mattress. Its better if they check the mattress review on internet before buying any mattress. This way they can get clear idea what they are going to buy.
I am offended by the remarks made in this article. Who does this person think they are suggesting that mattresses are hugely marked up and that the sales associate should be “ground down” to a “good deal”. Most mattresses are marked up 50% just like any other retail item that is purchased at wholesale and re-sold at retail. Where is it written that a customer can negotiate the selling price of a mattress?? Do they go into Best Buy and negotiate the selling price of a refrigerator. Do they negotiate the price of a “Big Mac” at the drive-thru? No they don’t…the mattress sales associate who has had the proper training to help a customer make an educated selection deserves to be paid for the time spent with the customer and educating them.
Yes, it is poor taste to test the feel of a mattress in a mattress store and then buy it from Costco. The customer doing this is causing the sales person that helps them to miss a potential sale while he/she is helping the shopper and for what? To educate them while he/she has absolutely no chance to paid for the time spent with the customer? This type of behavior is disrespectful of the sales associate. AND what about the customer that saw the mattress at Costco for $600 and asks the mattress store to match the price when the store’s wholesale cost was $550. The sales associate that helps that customer is going to make absolutely not one dime and will have to go to the bottom of the list and work through the rotation of all the other sales associates before getting another opportunity to try to earn a living. If customer likes the price at Costco, they should buy the darn thing there. If they are going to the mattress store because the service is better, they get free delivery and the sales staff is more knowledgeable, the customer should have to pay extra for those amenities.
For the trial period, 30 days is the minimum. I would recommend more if you can find retailer that offers such. Make sure you have all the details and you should not have to buy anything or pay extra for a trial period.
Sleep is way too important and you need to test it over several nights to make sure the mattress gives you the proper support AND conformance.
Good article.
Just from an inside perspective, 30 day trials aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. A lot of times mattress companies will then re-use the mattress and re-ship it as new.
We just purchased a S&F Luxury King mattress with the regular box spring. Also bought a new bed which will accommodate both kinds of mattress. We have this week to change to the low profie (delivery is on Friday). Our top mattress is 14″, so should I assume based on comments above, we can switch to the low profie and there would be no difference in comfort? My concern is our nightstands will be much lower than the bed staying with the regular boxspring. Also, we were told S&F will only allow stores to discount up to 10%, which is what we received. After purchasing, I did try to find another just like ours (to compare prices) and do not see it. Ours is the Chestnut St with the Stearns Estate boxsping. Would you know what other S&F would compare with Chestnut Street? Sorry, I know I have several questions in this…any information will help. Thanks!
I recently purchase an Angel Bed with a 90 day refund if not satisfied. I returned a as new condition, well packaged bed within 60 days. Angel Beds wants to charge $358 for a mattress cover they say is soiled. It wasn’t, the picture they sent me had a boot print on it. (Which was undoubtedly done at Angel Beds.) The driver that picked up my shipment accepted it as well packaged. I have no picture from Angel Beds regarding the packaging. this leads me to a greater concern. If a mattress is returned, will Angel Beds use the original mattress or discard it>
does 30 day trial periods as you advise mean you will get a used matt set in someones home. do you believe a company will throw a trial matt away or sell to next customer.
My credentials: I have been a member of mattress forum for many years and have read all about them both from consumers’ viewpoints and from people in the business. I consider myself an expert.
The basics that you need to know are this: All the major mattress makers these days – including Sealy and Sterns and Foster, etc. – use too much cheap polyurethane foam in them.
NEVER BUY A PILLOW TOP or your mattress will stop providing support within a few weeks or a few months. The pillowtop is almost always made of low-density poly foam which will not provide proper support for your back. This is the “sucker” purchase. They know you’ll be back to buy a new bed in the not-too-distant future if you get one of these. Then they’ll tell you that you need to buy a “better bed”. But none of them are really that much better, they all use poly foam.
The mattress companies all used to make flippable beds (ones that you can turn over so one side does not get overly used) that lasted 10-20 years so if you’ve had your bed for 15-20 years you probably have or had a good one. BUT NONE OF THE MAJOR MATTRESS MAKERS NOW MAKE BEDS OF THAT QUALITY! None are flippable and all are made with poly foam. If you don’t believe me ask around.
So what do you do? You have several choices:
Keep your good springs on your old mattress and do a mattress surgery, throwing out all the old foam and put in new latex layers instead. Google “Englander mattress surgery” for more info about taking your mattress apart and renovating it.
OR:
Find a small factory that makes mattresses the “old way” – flippable, and no or almost no poly foam. It will cost more but will be worth it if you choose a good one with good materials.
Or buy a pure latex mattress. Flobeds comes to mind, or SleepEZ. Do some research on latex beds. Latex lasts for 10-20 years and has very good support for your back.
The main point here is that ALL major manufacturers (most begin with an S) are now making mattresses with a lot of poly foam that breaks down quickly and does not provide good support. Be aware. IF you don’t believe me ask them how much polyurethane foam is in it. Even a FIRM will have 3-4″ of poly foam in it. This foam is the cheapest money can buy and will break down very quickly. They used to use all kinds of better materials but no longer do they do that. To get a great mattress now should cost you $2500-4000 in a KING. Expensive, yes, but its an investment in your well being.
Tempurpedic? My opinion is that it does not provide enough support for one’s back. If you really feel the need to try it, make sure you get the return privilege in writing and get back all or most of your money if you return it after 30 days or whatever they say you get to try it. I tried one and found it did not support my back. I have read many others that returned theirs as well. I feel these mattresses feel great for people who “can sleep on anything”. Not so great for those who have back or neck issues. Tempurpedic also sleeps too hot for many people, though this can be corrected by a wool mattress cover and a silk comforter – both of which are very expensive.
Latex is the foam of choice, either on top of springs or by itself. Be careful though: Some “S” companies say it’s a latex mattress but it’s either only partly latex with poly foam, or it’s pure synthetic latex which is not as good as a latex blend such as a Talalay processed latex, or a 100% natural latex, also processed via Talalay method. Dunlop latex tends to be much harder and denser, good maybe for a base, but not so good for toppers or mid-layers. IMHO.
This is the truth. I did a ton of research before we purchased our new bed. Full latex was the most comfortable but also the most expensive. We settled for a Latex Pillowtop from Lebeda Mattress. Super comfortable and great back support.
It still impresses me to see that in practically every walk of life, buyers are looking for the newest and the ideal on the market. Except when shopping for a mattress, it still seems that people today are drawn to the ‘same old same old’ one mattress fits all coils and springs. But that’s not the big kicker; the big deal comes when you actually price these mattresses. To get a quality coils and springs mattress you have to pay somewhere between $1500US -$3000US to get the relaxation levels you want and then you are still really buying an expensive foundation with a memory foam pillow top, which is what is offering the comfort you feel. So, let’s say you spend $2000US, you now own a 100lb wooden box filled with coils and springs and what sold you was the $200US pillow top.
So why not simply take the time to really see what choices are out there? You will find many other options that take benefit of our newest concept, are not only half the price but provide a healthier environment for you to sleep. All the new kinds of mattresses and beds are specifically designed sleep systems that supply the right assistance to minimize pressure to acceptable ranges for different body types and sleeping postures, maintaining back and spine alignment. The coils and springs mattresses can only say this when they come with the memory foam pillow top. The coils and springs can’t really “fill in the gaps” to support the parts of your body that do not sink into the coils, such as your lower back.
Coils and springs mattresses’ biggest claim to fame is that the coils work separately so when you move, your companion isn’t going to. Great, but how much does that matter if you’re not relaxed and you wake up weary and stiff? And in all credibility, I don’t know anyone who actually “bowls” in bed.
So much information here, and a lot of it conflicting! I’m shopping for a bed in Southern Ca, and I keep seeing an ad from local seller “Sit and Sleep.”
The fellow in the ad says over an 8-year period, a mattress will Double in Weight due to accumulated moisture and dust. Then they show a picture of a dust mite.
Ulgh!
Thank you for the links to Consumer Reports
This post is full of sales pitch. I laughed when I read that “Most of the larger chains just price them at the minimum right away.”
Read the article from Slate http://www.slate.com/id/93956 to get a funny and impartial view on the mattress industry. The bottom line is get the most comfortable one you can get at the cheapest price. All those springs, coils, gauge, foam, pillow, silk, organic fibers are all a marketing gimmick. And yes, you have to negotiate.
As a non-US resident I have to chip in some advice. If you have an IKEA about try their mattresses – they have a whole selection of their own and some to take away or deliver.
I personally got a foam mattress from them. Not paying for the name of some of the high end brands in my country. The foam mattress is the best mattress I’ve ever bought – it’s comfortable and shapes to you and if you have a bad back it’s the best decision you’ll make.
Buying a mattress is no walk in the park. You have to consider your budget, your sleep preferences, the size of the mattress–the whole nine yards. When buying, consumers should never get pressured by sales people. They tend to get really pushy and you might end up buying something totally not suited for you. Even if you have a mattress warranty, it still does not provide 100% assurance. So get the upper hand when choosing and be very picky when it comes to mattress comfort.
J.D., did you ever post the email from the mattress salesman??
For those of you considering a pillow top mattress, I have some advice (for what it is worth)…
My husband and I purchased a king sized pillow top mattress about three years ago from an outlet store (sorry I don’t recall the brand name). It was a great bed EXCEPT that the pillow top was only on one side of the mattress (and sewn on). SO YOU CANNOT FLIP IT! This was fine for the first couple of years; however, now there is a bit of a “mountain” in between where the two of us sleep. The bed is still pretty comfy, but it is very doubtful we’re going to get our full 10 years out of it. We’re probably going to have to get a new bed in the next year or so (which is why I’m re-reading this post!).
If you love the beds with pillow tops, make sure that either it is removable or that there is a pillow on both sides of the mattress so you can flip it occasionally.
I have to caution those with interest to exercise an option (to #36 Heather & #85 Andy) buy from a mattress factory. I’m not disagreeing…an urgent note of caution:
The worst experience I’ve ever had, was an interaction I’ve had with “VERLO”. “Custom made” was so seductive. Julie, wanted my money and she sold and sold…until I was dry, and the options were exhausted. The salesperson, franchiseee, AND the people at the corporate headquarters had clear priorities. Not me. The Mattress came to me defective, and uncomfortable yet NOT DEFECTIVE ENOUGH. The debt lasted longer than my comfort. They showed no interest in my satisfaction, and they were right. I was not satisfied. No repair, replacement, or refund was possible. They were neither rude nor interested.
Commenter #5 didn’t like it when the salesperson told her: “children don’t really need the extra comfort.”
She probably doesn’t like Reader’s Digest’s Guide to Mattress Shopping either then: http://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/home-improvement/guide-mattress-shopping
…where they advise to “skimp on the kids’ mattresses.
wait, so how do you remove the stains from it? I thought that you were going to explain how to do this.
When shopping for a bed, spend at least 15 minutes laying on it before deciding. If it stays comfortable for that long it should fit your needs. Falling asleep, as Mark did, would cinch the sale for me.
Thanks for your information that help me decide to buy the best mattress in best price.
For many years, back pain did not let me sleep. Two months ago I decided to buy a foam mattress – it was my best decision in my life;)
Thanks for sharing this useful information. i was really thinking about to buy new mattress for my bedroom. This information will really help me to find out the best mattress sets.
Avoid sleepy’s. I was lied to on many occasions. Also, if you do go with sleepys, try it in the store then buy online. You won’t get very good service at a chain. The beds are overpriced, the sales people don’t tell the truth… I could go on.
I suggest Keetsa beds. Best ever.
Hey your site is very helpful. I really got a lot from it. Thank you very much.
Getting a comfortable and good night’s sleep depends upon numerous factors like stress level, temperature of the room and comfort. However, it would be a great idea to start from the basics. In simple words, your mattress has a major role to play in giving you maximum relaxation and comfortable sleep. CHOOSE WISELY.
Great tips. I always felt misinformed when shopping for a mattress. Thanks
Great read! Glad someone really ‘cut to the chase’!!
I purchased the most expensive bed in the shop took up sleepys offer of an exchange of it didn’t work out and they exchanged alright but because I had bought the most expensive mates in the shop they would not reimburse me the difference when I had to take a cheaper one. They were having a sale and both were on sale and kept putting me off and not returning calls until the sale was over… Now they are saying the cheaper one is more expensive and they should be charging me the difference but “kindly” are not going to. What a load of crap.
Great post for mattress. Keep posting
Great post!
This one can really help me out in buying mattress for our new house. Buying a mattress is one of the major purchases you can make for you home. You will likely spend more time on your mattress than any other piece of furniture that you own.
Thanks for sharing this.
I have been doing research for a mattress purchase. The mattress underground seems to be a great resource with a lot of tips and educational material about the materials, and construction methods of mattress (like progressive vs differential construction), the difference between HR and HD foam (sometimes these are incorrectly used interchangeably)
The writer for that page recommends to stay away from the big 4. Not that they can’t make a good bed, rather you can find better value elsewhere. The trick is to find a salesperson that knows what they’re selling and is interested in finding you the right bed rather than profit margin (good luck with that at a chain store)
They should be able to tell you what is in every single layer of the mattress and why. What is in the comfort layers, what is in the mattress core support layers. They should be able to tell you if it’s dunlop or talalay latex, all natural or synthetic or blend. They should be able to get the specs of the foam/poly fills like the density etc.
If you’re too lazy to do the research and find someone good to help you make the purchase, then you are at the mercy of the salespeople….some are great and will help you, some will just nickle and dime you into a bad overpriced bed.
I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently do you update your web site?
Thanx for the info I learned some useful things
Replacement mattress for Sterns & Foster latex “Garden Grove Plush Mattress” no longer available.
My son has to sleep on his side. He and his wife love this mattress and says our spare bed is too hard. Do have any close approximation to this mattress.
Thanks,
Thanks for sharing your insights on how to buy a new mattress. I agree with you when you said “If you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it at home”. I know that mattress testing in the store may seem a bit embarrassing, but it’s the only way that you’ll know if it’s the right one for you. Sharing this short feature on polyurethane mattresses, just in case someone’s thinking of buying one. 🙂
Great post, and timely, as we are in the market for a new mattress.
In researching mattresses, I have found that two XL twin mattresses are the same size as one king-size mattress. And buying two twins is a lot cheaper than buying a king! Two XL twins could be put on a king-size box spring, from what I can tell.
Since my husband moves around a lot in his sleep, we are considering this as an option. Is there any reason we should not do so?
I am a mattress salesman, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I read!! The only thing I’ll dissagress with is the coil count, and getting the salesman to go down in price, and here’s why.
Coil count ISN’T huge, you’re right. The guage and type of coil is much more important, but, when you’re comparing a beatyrest with more materials in it, twice the coils and micro coils to the line just underneath it, you’ll mention the fact that it has twice the coils. But I’ve NEVER sold a bed just on the coil count. People don’t care much for that anyway.
And now for the price: Mattress companies do not have a minimum we need to sell their sets for, unless they’re memory foam like Tempur-Pedic, Serta Icomfort, Sealy Optimum etc.
We price our beds how we want (or how the company wants) and sell accordingly. The company I work for gives you an awesome guarantee on price (we price match after purchase)
We can’t sell a mattress at cost because then the margin on the sale is too low (we can’t sell below that margin) and it brings down our numbers and pay.
So, if something is on sale, it cuts into the salesman’s pay, but if they can go a little lower, they will, because something is better than nothing.
Great article though!!! I loved you talking about trying out the first 3 beds, and the value in the protector etc. Great stuff!!
There is a lot of good information here, but a lot of it is out of date since it’s 5 years old. Most of it is fine, but there are a bunch of little things that need updating.
1) The Tempurpedic mattresses are now only a 10 year warranty. They should still last longer than a typical mattress, but the warranty no longer reflects that.
2)Serta mattresses are aiming for the higher end than they used to. Their new iSeries and iComfort mattresses are pretty high quality. Conversely, the Stearns and Foster mattresses tend to be a bit overpriced for what you get, and get low ratings on both Consumer Reports and Sleep Like The Dead.
3) Most beds use individually pocketed coils now. In 2009 when this was written, Simmons was virtually the only ones to use them. This is no longer the case.
Don’t ever buy a pillow top or non-turn bed. If a mattress salesman tells you that modern mattresses don’t need to be turned, he or she is lying. Non-turn beds really won’t last as long because the ‘up’ side (pillow top or memory foam) will wear out much more quickly than the mattress itself.
I am getting ready to buy a mattress and this article was extremely helpful! Thank you!!!
I have an ostomy, so their is always the potential for a leakage. Despite not having one in years, the risk still exists. That said, a mattress cover is a must for any new mattress I get. The problem is that I also find having any type of unnatural fibers under me makes me sweat. Does a mattress cover exist, or is it not possible, that can protect the mattress and still let my body breathe properly? I’d hate to spend $1000 – $2000 on a new mattress and destroy its comfort with a $100 cover.
The easiest form of a mattress protector is really a lightly quilted fitted sheet. It provides minimal protection against liquids and little if any protection from dust mite things that trigger allergies. As well as conventional natural fabrics new types of synthetic protector or topper have appeared through the years including memory foam and spacer materials. These are more expensive compared to conventional protectors but add the benefits of pressure relief and regarding the later, the ability to become washed.