The last time I bought a mattress for myself was about 11 years ago. I bought a fairly new full-sized one off a coworker. Four moves and a decade later, we’ve decided it’s time to replace it with an adult (and sometimes an extra toddler)-sized bed. When we started looking, I was shocked at the prices. $3000 for a mattress? What the heck are these things made of? Knowing very little, we went shopping for a mattress and other things on a Saturday morning. The first place, we stopped, Sleepy’s, seemed nice enough. We laid on a few and honed in on the one that we both felt most comfortable in. Meanwhile, Audrey discovered the fun of letting herself fall backwards onto mattresses and did it all over the store. She was giggling and the whole store couldn’t help but look and smile at her. Unfortunately, we soon stopped smiling. When we found something we liked, the seemingly helpful salesman started to get more aggressive. He asked how much we were looking at paying and I made up a number on the spot, something way below the listed price on the bed.
The said he would “talk with his manager” and see if he could get us that price. Then he started asking us if we could commit and have it delivered tomorrow. Anne had walked outside to give Audrey a break by that point, so I said I had to go out and talk with her about it. We talked about it for a bit, then decided we didn’t like the high-pressure sales pitch, so we got ready to leave. I had the car started up when the salesman came out and approached the car window. He then said that he had “talked to his manager” and he could give us the price we wanted AND a free “platinum package”. I said we would talk about it and let him know. We again decided this was sketchy, but to make good on my promise, I went in and gave him my phone number and left. Later that day we went to Jordan’s Furniture, generally known to be a reputable place with reasonable places. The salespeople there were nice and NOT high-pressure. Prices were generally lower, but strangely, we couldn’t find the mattress we found at Sleepy’s.
They had Sertas, but not the one we liked. Being indecisive, we left with a couple new names of ones we liked. Later, we went to Mattress Discounters. The woman there was not pushy and told us about the BBB complaints that Sleepy’s (a 700-store chain) had gotten. We decided to think some more and head home. At home, I did some research online and I found something strange – I couldn’t find much of anything on the mattresses we saw that we liked. I found some mattresses, many of the same brand, but not the same models. I later came to find out that this was completely intentional. The mattress industry is one big scam. There is no way to make an objective decision on a mattress using actual facts. Here’s a few things that the mattress industry does to get you: 1. They mark up their prices 100% to 200%!! No wonder the first guy was able to get his “manager” to give me such a steep discount. They were probably still going to make hundreds of dollars of profits on it.
2. They give the same mattresses different names in different stores or they set up exclusivity agreements by mattress line in certain stores. This makes it impossible to comparison shop because… 3. They make it really had to get actual facts about the mattresses. Stuff like coil counts, materials, overall construction are shrouded in secrecy. But that doesn’t really matter because… 4. There’s no objective measure of mattress quality. Consumer Reports won’t rate them because they can’t get the data and there’s no testing that actually says higher coil counts are better or the number of wires in the coils makes a difference in any way. You’re left to deciding how much you believe the marketing. Is a pillow top made of alpaca hair any better than one made of cotton? Your guess is as good as mine. 5. There’s very little online reviews of mattresses, probably because the model names are so fractured. The ones I did find looked more like content-free sites designed to attract referral credits.
With some more research, I found out that it was somewhat possible to compare mattresses models from different places. It turns out that they really only make one hardness variation in each line. So you can assume that a Plush Firm mattress in the “Classic” line, is the same as another Plush Firm in the Classic line, even if they have different names. was very helpful in figuring this out. We were able to understand which mattresses we saw and how they related to each other. For example, the mattress we liked at Jordan’s was a product line better than the one we saw at Mattress Discounters, even though they came out to the same price! Clearly Jordan’s had the better deal, but US-Mattress had an even better deal. So I did something I never thought I could do, buy a mattress over the internet. I’m pretty sure it’s the same one we saw in the store and the free delivery and frame were a good deal. I’m sure that even if I’m getting it at half the price I saw it listed at elsewhere, they’re still making a decent profit on it.
Anne and I agree that buying a mattress is worse than buying a car. While both have sketchy salespeople, when you buy a car, you can compare them on MPG, size, features, etc. Multiple dealers have the same models so you can compare prices and make an informed decision based on their invoice prices. There’s none of that when buying a mattress. Our mattress should arrive in a few weeks. Hopefully we’ll just find it comfortable enough to have to avoid going through buying a mattress again for at least another 11 years. UPDATE: The mattress arrived quickly and in good condition. We’ve been sleeping on it for several nights and while it feels comfy, I’ve had some upper back soreness which seems to be related to the new mattress. Hopefully it will go away. Otherwise, we’ll have to find another one and do a $100 exchange I guess. For detailed warranty information, see our Diamond Mattress Warranty Brochure. Warranty Guidelines & Coverage Details What is Covered Under the Warranty
What is Not Covered Under the Warranty How to Make a Claim Adjustment Period: As with a new pair of shoes, after so many uncomfortable years on your old bed it may take time for your body to get accustomed to your new mattress. This period of adjustment varies, from as brief as one week, but normally takes 2 to 4 weeks to get fully used to your new mattress as your muscles and joints recondition themselves. Body Impressions: The comfort layers of a mattress naturally conforms to your body and often results in impressions. These body impressions are normal and therefore do not mean the mattress is defective.*To prevent excess body impressions you must rotate your mattress – whether it is “one-sided” or “two-sided." A “body impression” occurs when the comfort layers of a mattress naturally settle and conform to an individual unique body. “Sagging” is often caused by an improper foundation or frame. A stable, supportive frame is necessary in the prevention of sagging.
To comply with the warranty queen and king size mattresses must be on a frame that has solid center support. The queen must have at least one center leg, and the king must have at least two legs to ensure proper bed support. Make sure that all legs are level. Queen frame with one leg center support. King frame with two legs on center support. A hardwood frame should have a minimum of 5 cross slats and a center leg for center support. Replacement of one piece of your mattress does not mean the other piece will be automatically replaced. Prior approval must be received before returning your product to a Diamond Mattress dealer or factory. All transportation costs must be paid by the purchaser of the mattress and/or foundation In the event the original store of purchase is no longer in business Diamond Mattress will try to find an alternative to help as a courtesy, but this is not a guarantee. The warranty is effective whether the mattress is purchased with matching foundation, or either mattress or foundation is purchased separately.
However, use of an improper foundation may cause damage to the mattress and voids this warranty. Diamond Mattress maintains sole discretion regarding the repair or replacement of products. Your product will be repaired or replaced without charge according to the terms set forth in this warranty, should the defect be due to faulty workmanship or structural defects. Charges will be applied for items not covered by the warranty, such as the mattress fabric and handles. This warranty is valid only for the original purchaser, and valid only for residential use. Contract and commercial usages are not covered by this warranty. There are 3 levels of coverage that varies depending on the model purchased: 1. Standard: 20 Year Limited Non-Prorated, body impressions greater than 1-1/2 inches 2. Direct Contact: 20 Year Limited Non-Prorated, body impressions greater than ¾” (.75”) 3. Direct Contact GEL: 25 Year Limited Non-Prorated, body impressions greater than ¾” (.75”)
Coils or wires that are loose or protruding through the fabric Splitting wood, loose or sagging beams Wood or metal protruding through the fabric Normal Body Impressions (1-1/2“ or less for standard mattresses or .75” or less for Direct Contact mattresses with DC warranty Code. See warranty for details.). Damage due to soiling, stains, burns, or unsanitary condition. Comfort level / preference of firmness. Structural damage caused by an incorrect bed frame. Damage due to an incorrect or old foundation. Damage due to improper care of your mattress and misuse (see Mattress Guide for details.). Clearance bedding, “as is” bedding, or floor models. Damage or bending of border rods or the spring unit, which is cause by improper handling. Bed handles and Cover fabrics. or mail the completed form to:Diamond MattressAttn: Warranty Department3112 East Las Hermanas St.Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221 Step 2: You will be contacted by a representative from the Warranty Department within 48 hours after your Warranty Claim Form is received.