What I know about buying a mattress I’ve learned from the best: Insiders who have retired from the sleep product industry.It is impossible to compare by make and model from one store to another. No wonder mattress retailers are so quick to promise that if you can find the same mattress at a lower price they’ll give it to you for free. They know that will never happen because no other store carries that exact mattress.Each mattress manufacturer makes “levels” of mattresses for the stores that sell their brand: Very cheap, decent cheap, good and best. That’s not what they call them, but you can tell by the pricing within each manufacturer’s line of products.A very cheap mattress is about 10 percent materials (foam, steel, padding) and 90 percent air. A mid-level mattress is about 40 percent materials and so on. The more material, the better the product and the higher the price. A high-quality mattress will be 90 percent materials which means it will be the heaviest of those you try to lift.
Go ahead, lift the corner of a mattress. If it’s light as a feather you can be sure it is a very cheap, low quality mattress.The heavier the person(s) who will be sleeping on the mattress, the heavier you want the mattress to be. You spend 30 percent of your life on your mattress. It makes a lot of sense to spend twice the price of a cheap mattress to have it last four times as long.A pillow top mattress is a normal mattress with a layer of extra padding on top. The pillow top will wear out and flatten down long before the actual mattress begins to show a dent. But it is attached permanently. You’ll pay at least $150 more for a pillow top (double that if it has a pillow top on both sides). Buy a great mattress pad instead. Then throw it away when it mashes down and buy a new one. Using this technique, you will have a mattress that lasts many years longer.Once you’ve narrowed your choices to two or three, get comfortable for at least 15 minutes on each of the beds you are considering.
Do not be shy about taking a short nap on the beds you are considering. Do not make a decision based on the way it looks or by sitting on it for 30 seconds.At the very least you should get free delivery and removal of your old mattress as part of the deal you make in a mattress or department store. And at the most? You could get a price reduction, a mattress cover, sheets and pillows too. Remember the first rule of negotiating: Always ask for more than you’re willing to accept. That way when your opponent comes back and agrees to only some of your counter offer, both of you have the opportunity to come out winners. Question: How old is the mattress you sleep on every night?Buying a mattress- Is it possible to do cheaply? November 23, 2014 Subscribe Our 15 year old starter mattress is in a bad way. We have very little funds to spend on a mattress. We've found some in our price range, but also found there is a whole cottage industry of used, refurbished and slightly-bed bug infested mattresses.
Is it possible to find something inexpensive but not one of the above? The old mattress has outlived itself by a number of years. Sagging, springs sticking out, very difficult to sleep in. It's time to buy a new mattress, but both my husband and I are out of work, making it a horrible time to buy a mattress. If it was possible to sleep in this mattress still, we would. What we were hoping for is a cheap mattress to get us through a year or two, and hopefully we'd be financially stable by then - and if we weren't, well a cheap mattress would be the least of our worries. I thought it would be an easy thing to do. We ordered a mattress from one of the chain of stores. It seemed like it would be fine, but something didn't sit right with me; so I wanted to do some digging, and discovered this company has a lot of problems, selling used mattresses as new, not honoring their warrantee or making it very difficult to do so, and in some cases, selling mattresses with bed bugs. Since we haven't taken delivery of it yet, we canceled our order.
Some more googling, and unfortunately many of these problems are not unique to this chain. I've seen mattresses for sale at home-improvement type stores for $200-$400. My initial thought was it would be great if we could get a no frills mattress like ones in that $200 range, but made slightly better. I.e. forego the pillow top in favor of better materials. Now I'm not so sure. I'm terrified we're going to unwillingly get a second hand mattress or a mattress with a warehouse full of bed bugs. What are the options? Where should we go? We're trying to keep the price under $350. I read a few of the threads here, and it sounds like costco is a popular option, but their prices are outside our budget and we're not a member. Sam's club was also mentioned, but I don't know I trust any Walmart subsidiary to not have the same problems. And I still don't have a membership there.Edit ArticleHow to Buy a Mattress Two Methods:Researching Before PurchasingPurchasing Your MattressCommunity Q&A
Buying a mattress is one of the most major purchases you can make for your home. You will likely spend more time on your mattress than any other piece of furniture that you own. For this reason, take a few steps to make sure that you buy the best mattress for your lifestyle. Visit mattress websites to see what’s offered. If you haven’t purchased a mattress in a while, it’s good to see what options are available before going to a store. Check prices online to see what you feel is reasonable based on what is being offered. Mattress brands are often coming out with new styles of mattresses including ones that offer adjustable firmness levels and temperatures. Decide how high-tech you want your mattress to be, as some of these may only be available at specialty stores or online. Look up what special features may be offered by each mattress brand including a trial period or money-back guarantee. If desired, you can print this information to bring to the store with you.
Decide on a level of firmness. Although this is difficult to determine without first testing mattresses, a few physical factors can help direct your decision. If you have back problems, consider a medium-firm to firm mattress choice. These are best for supporting your lower back and reducing back pain. Pillow-top mattresses are best for people who aren’t too light, as they won’t have enough weight to suppress the top and the springs to a point that it makes a difference in comfort. Larger people typically find pillow-top mattresses more comfortable for this reason. Ignore the spring count that is given as proof for a mattress’ supposed quality and firmness or softness. Studies have shown that the number of springs doesn’t actually affect how comfortable the mattress is. Measure the space you plan to put the bed. Nothing is worse than finding and purchasing your perfect mattress, just to realize you can’t fit it in your house. Check your space availability in your bedroom, and then decide on a size of mattress to fit.
Twin mattresses are the smallest size, and measure on average 39”/75”. The next largest size after a twin mattress is a full or double mattress, which measures at 54”/75”. The queen sized mattress is the most commonly purchased by couples for its size and relative price. It measures at 60”/80”. King size bed is the largest standard sized mattress available. Some mattress brands and stores offer an extra large bed called the California king, which measures at 72”/84”. Be sure the mattress size you intend to purchase not only fits inside your bedroom, but also through all doors used to enter the room. Find a store(s) to shop at.In order for you to know how well you like a mattress, you must test it out in the store. Search around looking for mattresses that meet your criteria, and then lay on each to see how you like them. Lay on each mattress for at least 2-3 minutes, and up to 15. The floor models are out specifically for this reason, so don’t be hesitant to lay in the store for a bit.
Ignore descriptors on tags such as “ultra plush,” “super soft,” or “extra firm.” These aren’t regulated terms and are used freely within each mattress brand without consistency between them. Instead, just lay on the mattress to get a feel for how soft or firm it is. Try a firm, a plush, and a pillow-top mattress to get a feel for which type you prefer. Compare these types all within the same mattress brand to get the most accurate idea of which you like best. Ask to see a cutaway of the mattress if it’s available, so you can see exactly what it is you may be sleeping on. Ask about a comfort guarantee. A comfort guarantee varies between brands, but is a certain period of time after you’ve purchased your mattress in which you can return or exchange it for free. Always do this before you purchase and verify at purchase to make sure you are getting the correct information. Find out how long the comfort guarantee lasts for, as this can be different depending on each brand.
Learn if you must pay for shipping to/from your home if the mattress doesn’t work out for you. This way you won’t be surprised by extra costs later. Take it for a trial run. Purchase the necessary mattress add-ons. Although buying just a mattress is all that seems necessary, you must also purchase a minimum of a box spring to support it as well. Always buy a new box spring with your new mattress, as old box springs wear out over time and lose the desired support and firmness. Purchase a waterproof mattress protector to cover your new mattress. This not only makes cleanup easier should something spill on it, but will keep the warranty intact. Many warranties void out if the mattress is stained or spilled on.The prices of mattresses can often be lowered with a little bartering done with a sales associate or store manager. Use the numbers you found online earlier to determine if you are getting a good deal. Include the cost of old mattress pick-up and the delivery and setup of the new mattress in the total cost.