# Help A Doper Out - Buying A New Mattress **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330 "2006-03-29T00:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/1 "2006-03-29T00:55:45Z")
OK Dopers, I have the money, I have the desire and I have the time. The only thing I lack is the education and the huevos that I need to get a good deal on a great mattress/boxspring. Teach me! How can I get a great mattress set for $300 - $400? What should I look for? What is the best name brand? Does more money equal a better mattress? How do I avoid being ripped off? I am an empty vessel. Fill me with your knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/2 "2006-03-29T02:33:59Z")
$300-$400? Good luck. You’ll be looking at springs the size of those on a pickup. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/3 "2006-03-29T02:46:01Z")
It’s been a while since I bought my last one, which was a king, a figure of perhaps $1800 comes to mind. Besides price, the importaint thing is understand what type of matterss you really like - don’t assume you are tough and need a stiff matterss or something like that- get the wrong type and it will affect your sleep. Assuming you have saved up the $400 and the price is about 4x that, you make have some additional time, so pay attention to mattersses. If you go to a hotel, friend’s house and sleep over and have a great night sleep, see what kind of matterss they have ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/4 "2006-03-29T03:10:58Z")
$400? Try Goodwill. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/5 "2006-03-29T03:30:59Z")
What size? $400 for a king isn’t going to get you much of anything to write home about, while $400 for a twin will get you a much better deal. I’ll echo **kanicbird** ’s comment: what mattresses have you enjoyed? Check places like Costco and Sam’s Club (or their equivalent in your area): the selection is much more limited, and you can’t really try them out, but the prices are better. I’d reccomend going for a regular mattress (not a pillow top), then customizing it with your own ‘pillow top’. Feather bed, foam mattress, lots o’ body pillows: whatever floats your boat. Nice thing with going that route is as your needs change, you simply change whatever you have on top. Just don’t get a crappy mattress and try to change it into a dream bed by adding something to it: it’ll help, but you’re better off spending more money for a better bed to begin with than trying to bring a bad bed up to better standards. * * * \<\< Those who can’t write, write help files. \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/6 "2006-03-29T05:08:49Z")
I would buy one from a place that has a guarantee, so that if you get one that is too firm or too soft, you can exchange it for a different level of firmness. We bought a top of the line king mattress set last summer and I believe it was around $2200 CDN. (I don’t exactly remember - it was so much money I have a mental block about it). So for your $400 you may not have a lot of options. Try them out, don’t be in a big hurry, don’t get pressured into spending more than you can afford, and be thankful that at least you don’t have to worry about having a bunch of choices. Some places will give you better deals if you will take a mattress & boxspring that don’t “match” - it’s worth asking about. And I don’t know if the Goodwill suggestion was facetious or not, but Goodwill only accepts mattresses of a certain calibre (at least where I live), so you may very well find something there that will suit you. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/7 "2006-03-29T07:53:54Z")
I just went through Mattress Buying Hell last month. I decided that I wanted a Sealy Posturepedic. You know, brand name, reliable, etc. I had already ordered a platform frame, so all I wanted was the mattress, no box spring. I found that that a local department store was the only store around here that had a mattress department. I went there and tried out the Posturepedic models, and decided on the best one. I was then informed that they wouldn’t sell me just the mattress; I’d have to buy the box springs too. So I went on line, and discovered that Sears sells Posturepedics and will sell just the mattress. So I went to the nearest Sears, only to find that they no longer have a mattress department in the stores, you have to buy on-line. So I came home, went on-line to the Sears web site. It turns out that their models are totally different than the ones I tried out in the department store, and there was no way for me to know how comfortable the Sears models were. Not only that, but every store that sells Posturepedics has its own model names. And all the descriptions used terms like Pillow Top, Euro Top, Euro-Pillow Top, Plush Pillow Top, Plush Euro Top, etc. And nowhere on the Sears site or the Sealy site did they define what these terms meant. So I started thinking: If I were in the mattress business, would I make it impossible for consumers to buy my product? Would I put up obstacles, making it as difficult as possible for people to do any comparison shopping? So I figured “screw Sealy,” and went to the Original Mattress Factory. They make their own mattresses, and you can try all the models in their showroom. I found one that was about half the price of the Posturepedic, and felt better than the one I liked in the department store. I now have the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on, and it only cost me around $700 for a king-size. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/8 "2006-03-29T16:03:39Z")
When I was looking, I ran across a website that had a definitive analysis of what to look for when buying a mattress. Can’t find it now. But it talked about things like coil density and how the coils are tied together, etc. Very informative. I would go to several sellers and ask for a copy of the specifications for the mattress you think you want. Then compare the construction. If it’s not built well, it will only last you about five years, instead of the 8-10 years for a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/9 "2006-03-29T16:05:08Z")
[Found it!](http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/guide.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/10 "2006-03-29T16:52:59Z")
There is nothing worse than shopping for a mattress. Buying a car is far less stressaful, since you can be sure that all Toyotas and Chevys are the same. The same can’t be said about all Sealys and Sertas. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/11 "2006-03-29T17:06:03Z")
I’ve got three words for you… **Original Mattress Factory** It’s a bit of a drive for you… there is a factory and showroom in Winter Park FL… but well worth it in my opinion. GrizzWife and I just bought a fabulous king mattress and boxsprings (get the edge-stiffeners, they’re free!) and spent about $900. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/12 "2006-03-29T20:47:15Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Try them out, don’t be in a big hurry Following up on this, don’t make a snap judgment a few seconds after lying down on one. Spend at least a full minute, and preferably longer if the salesperson will let you. A mattress may be pleasantly firm at first, and then become irritatingly hard over a longer duration. I spent a couple of minutes on each and picked one on the firm side; after a couple of weeks of experience with it, I went to a foam shop and got an inch-thick topper for it that made it perfect. Re prices, I got a queen-size mattress and box spring at an outlet for under $800. So you don’t have to break the bank, but you do have to spend a little more than you’ve mentioned. And as mentioned, you can skimp on the plush-top feature and get a foam layer separately. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/13 "2006-03-29T21:08:19Z")
I dunno, I’ve never seen the point of box springs. My bed has wooden slats which support the mattress just fine. I spent about $250 on my mattress (which I bought at a store which specializes in “European” style bedding) and have no problems. I just can’t see why people feel the have to spend thousands of dollars on a matress system when probably 90% of the world’s population manages to sleep just fine without one. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/14 "2006-03-29T21:14:41Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > I dunno, I’ve never seen the point of box springs. My bed has wooden slats which support the mattress just fine. Some beds don’t work particularly well without the box spring. On mine, for example, the bottom of the headboard goes down only so far; without a box spring there would be a pretty sizeable gap. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/15 "2006-03-29T21:21:59Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Some beds don’t work particularly well without the box spring. On mine, for example, the bottom of the headboard goes down only so far; without a box spring there would be a pretty sizeable gap. Yeah, I guess I should add that my bed is also “European” style and is designed to be used without a box spring. (not expensive tho’, it’s a $200 steel framed [Ikea bed](http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15558&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=60963&langId=-1&parentCats=15558*15617*16173)) Most American beds are designed to be used with box springs because Americans want box springs. Personally, I think box springs are a scam initiated by the mattress industry. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/16 "2006-03-29T21:27:05Z")
Hubby and I will be looking at new mattresses in the near future, and were all excited about Pillow Top mattresses, which have become all the rage since we bought our last mattress, 15 years ago. Then, I found a financial advice article in a magazine which advises _against_ buying a Pillow Top for the simple reason that the pillow top will get squished down and worn out _years_ before the actual mattress needs to be replaced. :smack: Why didn’t _I_ think of that?? ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/17 "2006-03-29T21:53:02Z")
My girlfriend sells mattresses (and other furniture). If you really can only spend $400, then your best bet is to make friends with someone who sells mattresses so you can get them to buy it on their discount. The mark-up on those puppies is ginormous. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/18 "2006-03-29T22:37:22Z")
Check out [http://craigslist.org](http://craigslist.org) or the classifieds. Your only hope at getting a good mattress for $400 is to get a good, used one. But don’t get one that’s been used good. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/19 "2006-03-30T00:19:05Z")
OK, so after going to a few stores today it seems my estimate of $400 was extremely low. I found nothing decent for under $800. Fine, if that’s what I need to spend then that’s what I need to spend. So, knowing that I’m going to get screwed how can I get over on these salespeople? How much leeway do they actually have on the price? How about asking for a free frame and free delivery? How can I play hard ball with these people? ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/20 "2006-03-30T01:03:10Z")
I have a pillow top king (Serta) with box springs that cost us $1000 two years ago. The pillow top squishes down and forms a sort of pocket that forms to your body. I love it. We said to the salesman that sold us the thing (we went to a local furniture store) that we wanted a free frame and a discount on the delivery. He actually did the “I’ll have to ask my manager” schtick. Then we got the frame we wanted and a 50% discount on the delivery. One thing I learned is that every store has different names for their mattresses, even within brands. Store A that sells Sertas will have different nomeclature for their matresses than Store B in the same shopping center that also sells Sertas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330.md?page=2)