At Consumer Reports, we usually advise you to lie on any mattress you’re considering for at least 15 minutes. But because warehouse clubs display mattresses standing up and websites offer only pictures and descriptions, you need to rely on those companies’ return policies. And from our research, buying from them is fairly low-risk. Here are three top-pick memory foam mattresses from our mattress tests that you can buy online or at Costco. This warehouse club received the second-highest satisfaction score from readers in our survey of subscribers’ experiences with mattress stores. Costco doesn’t say outright what its return policies are for mattresses, but from what we can tell, the company aims to satisfy and won’t charge for shipping and handling if you contact them within a reasonable period of time, such as a few months after purchase. That goes for the website and the stores. You don’t need to save the box. Recommended mattress from Costco: Spring Air Back Supporter Natalie, $1,200.
If you really need to try the company’s mattress, you’ll have to go to either New York City or Los Angeles for one of Casper's only physical showrooms. Casper offers just one model in six sizes. Otherwise, you get 100 nights to decide whether to keep it. If not, Casper will let you exchange or return it for your money back with no restocking or other fees. Shipping is free, too. Recommended mattress from Casper: The Casper, $850. You can try both mattress models that Tuft & Needle offers at its showroom in Phoenix, and it has a 30-night trial period. No mattresses actually go back to the company; instead, you’re asked to donate it to a charity and show the seller the receipt for a full refund—or full credit toward an exchange. (If no charity is nearby, the company will arrange to have the mattress picked up.) No need to save the packing materials. Recommended mattress from Tuft & Needle: Tuft & Needle Ten, $500. Prefer to try it in a store? For more choices, including top-rated innerspring, memory foam, and adjustable air mattresses see our full mattress Ratings and recommendations.
—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)Looking for the best mattress for your money? To cut through the clutter of advertising you'll see out there, Consumer Reports has a look at the best mattresses and mattress retailers. The magazine broke out their findings by category: Traditional innerspring, memory foam and adjustable air. In each category, Consumer Reports recommends a best buy, as well as other mattresses they recommend based on ratings. Innerspring: The Denver Mattress Doctor's Choice for $500. The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Trust Cushion for $1,275 is also a best buy in this category, with a higher rating, but it's obviously a bit more expensive. Memory foam: Tuft & Needle Ten for $600. (Message from Tuft & Needle: "We don't actually use any memory foam in our mattress. We use our own time of polyfoam, T&N Adaptive™ foam. We created it with a foam scientist to have the pressure relief and comfort of memory foam and the breathability and support of latex foam.")
The Novaform 14" Serafina Pearl Gel (Costco) is also a "best buy" pick for this category, but it's more expensive at $800. Adjustable air: Sleep Number c2 Bed for $800. It's important to remember that price does not necessarily equate to satisfaction with mattresses. A more expensive mattress may not make for a better product. For more tips on finding the right mattress for you, check out Consumer Reports' buying guide here. Read more: What you need to know about sleeping pills On the question of retailers, Consumer Reports ranked the Original Mattress Factory stores as the top choice for customer satisfaction. Costco Wholesale was a close second. The high placement for Costco may reflect their return policy on mattresses: A full money back refund without penalty and no time limit. That really makes Costco stand apart! I particularly like the warehouse clubs for mattress shopping, and I've long advised people to test the mattress right there in the store for an extended period.
Bring a book or tablet to Costco or Sam's Club and get those mattresses off the displays or yank them off the walls. Then lay there for 15 minutes and see how you like the feel before you buy. There's one more option I want to mention to you. Casper is a new mattress company that's beloved by millennials. Their mattress comes via package delivery in this tiny box and you open it and watch it unfold before your eyes. The mattress, which sells for between $500 and $950, is made of memory foam and latex. Here's the reason a lot of young people really like this company: Casper gives you 100 nights to test out their mattress. If you don't like it, you send it back for 100% refund. Need to Buy a Mattress? Read This Before You DoWhy doesn't Angie's List rate attorneys?Landscaping: What do your neighbors do that drives you crazy?How much does it cost to be a member here?How much does it typically cost to paint a 2100 square foot house on the exterior? That's very difficult to answer without seeing the house.
As one poster said, the prep is the most important part. On newer homes that don't have a lot of peeling paint, the prep can be very minimal even as low as a couple or a few hundred dollars for the prep labor. On a 100 year old home with 12 coats of peeling paint on it, then the prep costs can be very high and can easily exceed 50% of the job's labor cost.A 2100 sq ft two story home could easily cost $1000 just for the labor to prep for the paint job. That number could climb too. Throw in lots of caullking or window glazing, and you could be talking a couple or a few hundred dollars more for labor. Painting that home with one coat of paint and a different color on the trim could run roughly $1000 or more just for labor. Add a second coat and that could cost close to another $1000 for labor. For paint, you may need 20 gallons of paint. You can pay from $30-$70 for a gallon of good quality exterior paint. The manufacturer of the paint should be specified in any painting contract. Otherwise, the contractor could bid at a Sherwin-Williams $60 per gallon paint and then paint the house with $35 Valspar and pocket the difference.