I am going to need a new mattress and am wondering if anyone has come across any methods of getting a good deal. This is assuming I have a good idea what model I want.
A major caveat is that it has to be a mattress where I can return it to the store either for a refund or store credit (preferable a refund, but I would take store credit). Some good deals involve floor models and discontinued models, which usually can’t be returned.
Does anyone know? Are some stores better than others (are department stores better than mattress stores)? Are there other places to look?
I would buy it from a big chain retailer, not a local store, and not a mattress store. Returned mattresses are usually a total loss for the retailer, sleazy mattress chains may try to weasel out of a return. My father owns a small furniture store, if he takes a return for any reason other than a manufacturing defect, he doesn’t get compensated from the manufacturer. The returned mattress is used, and can’t be resold.
Filene’s has a good selection of higher end mattresses, and reasonable prices.
Shop online. Amazon and Walmart have all the comfortable mattresses a (wo)man could ever need. If you’re paying more than 1k for something to sleep on, you’re paying for advertising and fluff rather than substance.
Costco. It was probably 40% off a roughly equivalent department store model, when the department store was having its big annual sale. Only one choice in store, though, and a handful online.
I went to a Slumberland clearance center. Best $800 I ever spent was on our King sized mattress. It wouldn’t have been quite so much if I didn’t spring for the $80 3 month warrantee mattress cover (I have an evil peeing cat). The $800 was without a box spring- we have a platform bed. But the kings were significantly more than the other sizes, so if you just need a full mattress set I bet you could get something decent for less than $500. Check the ads for specials- we got a $100 off discount and put $100 down to have them hold it at that price for a month.
Ikea mattresses are actually way more expensive than I expected them to be. And less comfy.
I’m interested in this as well, given that my mattress set is about twenty years old. What I’ve wondered is how you select a mattress. Presumably if you visit a mattress store, you can lie on each mattress for a few minutes, but does that give you any real idea what they will be like?
Research. And, read lots and lots of reviews. That’s what I did. I knew that I wanted a memory foam mattress with a firm underpinning, so I went with a combination memory foam/spring mattress (this one). Altogether, it was less than $450 for my queen mattress and platform frame.
If you don’t already know what kind of mattress setup you like (firm, soft, springy, foamy, latex, platform, box spring) it might behoove you to lay on a few and try them out. But I’ll never shop in a mattress store again.
That is my concern too. So I need a place that allows me to return the mattress either for store credit or a cash refund. Preferably a place with a ‘no hassle’ return policy, so no restocking fee and (if possible) no delivery fee to take it back. A lot of places will take a mattress back and have 30 day guarantees, but most only offer store credit. So I’d need to go somewhere where there are multiple mattresses I think I’d like. right now I’m drawn to the iComfort foam and some innerspring mattresses. But I’d like to go to a place where if one doesn’t work I can exchange it for another. However you have to buy a decent mattress cover if you do that.
You can research and test a mattress, but your body is not someone elses and you can’t tell until you try it. What helps other people (pillow tops) give me horrible insomnia. And there is no way I could tell that by lying on a mattress for 2 minutes in the middle of the day. That was something I had to figure out by buying some featherbeds and foam pillow tops and experiencing the negative consequences of that firsthand. If I get a mattress that is not right for me (which I think means too soft on the top) I will probably end up sleeping on the floor within 2 days.
Because of this reason I can’t use Costco, I don’t think they offer refunds on mattresses.
Buying a mattress online is about the worst idea in the world. We just bought a new one, and I researched the various types first, and then we went to all the mattress stores in town and a few department stores and tried them out - and we even went back for a second try. They are surprisingly different even with just a few minutes of tryout.
We found that memory foam didn’t feel great at all and we bought latex which we love - but each person is different.
We bought last Labor Day during a big sale about everywhere. Definitely wait for sales, as these things are pretty expensive. We decided to spring for a more expensive mattress than we had before. My back and leg pain disappeared, and I’m getting up less often, so it is worth it.
Oh, and decide on your budget - there are huge price differences. If you can afford to spend $1,000 you might as well not waste time looking at memory foam.
Holiday sales are a good idea, however sometimes that affects your ability to return or exchange the mattress.
Another idea is groupon, occasionally mattress suppliers will sell gift certs at a discount there. Mattress firm recently sold a $200 gift card for $50 on groupon. Plus you can sometimes get coupons online too to add to the deal.
I came across this site a while back, it’s a surprisingly detailed guide to how the mattress industry works and how to avoid being ripped off. It has some good tips and is actually fairly interesting in it’s own right.
My Ikea memory foam mattress is the thickest one they sold; it’s about half the thickness of my Sealy memory foam from Sam’s at my real house. All in all, it’s not too bad given the price, and it’s a step up from the Chinese mattress my house came with by default (it’s a board or something disguised as a mattress).
for a more expensive mattress than we had before. My back and leg pain disappeared, and I’m getting up less often, so it is worth it.