Mattress Buying Tips

Once Best Bed Guide has helped you to narrow your search of mattresses and retailers, it's time to head out to the stores.

Even if you intend to purchase your bed over the phone or internet, we recommend you first visit one or more stores to try the mattresses.

We also strongly suggest you do your homework in advance — you don't need to be a mattress expert, but a little knowledge in advance of your store visit will help you make a better decision and make better use of your time. Use Best Bed Guide to narrow your search as much as possible in advance so that you can focus your time in the store on the following:

Confirming your mattress preferences

We recommend trying as many beds as you feel is necessary. It will help to wear comfortable clothes on your store visit, preferably with shoes that can be easily removed, and with pants rather than skirts or dresses. Lie on each mattress for several minutes in the position you typically sleep. This will help inform or confirm your preferences, particularly with respect to support and comfort. Research has proven that the impressions people have in as little as 10-15 minutes of lying on a mattress tend to be highly consistent with longer-term satisfaction. In other words, if you find a bed comfortable for 15 minutes in the store, you are also likely to find it comfortable for a whole night at home.

Determining which beds match up against your criteria

Find a friendly and knowledgeable salesperson. Communicate your criteria, and ask him/her to help you determine which mattresses match up with these preferences. Ask to see beds that fit your criteria across a range of different price points. Remember, your personal preferences do not necessarily correlate with price differences — for example, there are firm mattresses at both the high and low ends of the price spectrum.

Choosing the best mattress among your consideration set

Once you have determined which beds are in your consideration set, the final selection will be a matter of choosing the best mix of comfort, support, durability and value. Think back to your Personal Mattress Criteria as you make your final decision. Remember that value is a function of both the price of the mattress as well as the value of any other services provided by the retailer, such as free delivery, financing, etc.

Negotiating a fair price for the bed you want

Depending on the type of retailer, the price of your bed may be a matter of some negotiation. Similar to car dealers, most mattress stores (including some department stores) offer negotiated discounts as a matter of practice, meaning that the salesperson will be prepared to negotiate a price with you on the spot. Be sure to ask them for their best price, and be prepared to shop elsewhere if your research suggests it is still not a good value. Be aware though that many of today's higher-end "specialty" beds have a set price that is not negotiable and rarely discounted. Also, as special offers and sale periods are common in the mattress business, it is worth asking your salesperson whether the bed you want will be going on sale anytime soon.

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