# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**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 30, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/21 "2006-03-30T01:07:13Z")
Watch for sales. Around here, it seems like every other month some place is offering to beat some other place’s prices. a little time could net you a real deal. Also think about showroom demo models. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/22 "2006-03-30T01:36:15Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > 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? Well, when we bought our last set about 15 years ago, the place advertised Free Delivery and Set Up _or_ Free Frame. We talked them into free delivery and set up, free haul-away of our old set, free frame, two free pillows and one free sheet set that was actually reasonable quality (something around a 250 thread count, IIRC). I think you’re more likely to get more “freebies” thrown in than $$ knocked off the bottom line. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/23 "2006-03-30T02:08:43Z")
I got a nice queen set from The Original Mattress Factory for about $550 a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/24 "2006-03-30T02:25:30Z")
How many “Original Mattress Factories” are there? I’ve heard of a whole bunch. We have one right here. They just moved from Garwood to Scotch Plains. We got a new mattress for Christmas and purchased it from them. It was a pleasant and painless experience. And the mattress is TO DIE FOR! It’s a latex foam mattress. It’s so fabulous. What am I doing sitting here at the desk when I could be laying on my wonderful new mattress? See ya! ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/25 "2006-03-30T16:54:27Z")
If you want some good, well-researched advice on how the mattress industry works, [Consumer Reports](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home.htm) has a really good article about mattress shopping. It’s available online but you need to be a subscriber (about $30 a year but I’ve found it to be totally worth it). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330/26 "2006-03-30T17:13:54Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > 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. Good advice - longer is even better. Consumer Reports recommends spending at least 15 minutes: > [@Consumer Reports](#): > > Don’t be embarrassed to lie down on lots of mattresses in the store. Salespeople expect it. Wear loose clothes, and shoes that you can slip off. Spend at least five minutes on each side and your back (your stomach, too, if that’s a preferred position). Panelists who took beds home for a monthlong trial rarely changed the opinion they formed after the first night. On the whole, their opinions also tracked with those of our 15-minute testers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-doper-out-buying-a-new-mattress/350330.md?page=1)