Comparisons > Mattress Price Comparison Prices By Mattress Type Low- Vs Mid- Vs High-Priced Mattresses Low-Priced Mattresses (up to $700 queen) Mid-Priced Mattresses ($700-$1800 queen) High-Priced Mattresses ($1800+ queen) The following table compares low-, mid-, and high-priced mattresses on key criteria. The following is true for the price categories overall; a particular brand or * The first rating is for everyday adult use, and the second rating is for limited adult use or everyday child use. – In about 30% of cases on average, low-priced mattresses are used only on a limited basis (temporarily, occasionally, lightly). – Low-priced mattresses tend to have less durable construction and materials as well as fewer features than more expensive mattresses. Also, most have relatively short warranties (10 years or less). – Many low-priced mattresses are available mostly or only online. (See buying a mattress online: what you should know.)
is not a complete list of mattresses in the up-to-$700 (queen) price range; it includes only those for which we have collected 65+ owner experiences from diverse, credible sources. Select a brand for a detailed description and ratings. – Mid-priced mattresses are usually purchased for regular daily use, as opposed to limited use. – They tend to have at least somewhat better construction, materials and features than low-priced mattresses. Warranties tend to have a length of at least 10 years. – Mid-priced mattresses in several cases are available in stores, not only online. – The list below (sorted by price) is not a complete list of mattresses in the $700-$1800 (queen) price range; it includes only those for which we have collected at least 65 consumer experiences from diverse sources. – The mattresses in this price range tend to use superior construction and materials and offer more features than low- and mid-priced beds. Warranty lengths tend to be 10+ years.
– Owner satisfaction overall tends to not be higher for mattresses in this price range compared to beds in the other ranges. – These mattresses are often available in mattress stores, not only online. The list below (sorted by price) is not a complete list of mattresses in the $1800+ (queen) price range; it includes only those for which we have collected at least 45 owner experiences from diverse sources. Select a brand for a detailed description and ratings. After my post about mattress shopping the other day, 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.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. Here are the brands to focus on: 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. 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. 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. 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: 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.