Buying a New Mattress in 2014

[Birdie Num Nums]

Inspired by recent news articles that claimed early January was an optimal time to buy a new mattress, I tried to revive an old thread here with a fresh post, but that thread was too old.

I realize that the type and brand of mattress is extremely personal. How do you go about figuring out what your body likes best?

What about sellers, return policy, disposing of your old set? Such as Costco and Sleep Country? Or?

Can't complain 'bout Costco's return policy. Its Web site says they charge ~$80 to take your old mattress away. What about Sleep Country's return policy? Their TV ads say they'll take your old bed set away when they deliver the new one. Does SC charge to take away your old set? Are there better dealers, return policies, etc., in your opinion, than Costco or Sleep Country?

What say you, with 2014 upon us, 'bout getting the best price, selection, return policy, returns, and so forth on a new mattress set these days?

[Animorph]

We just went around to all the stores and tried everything out. Turns out just a few were as soft as we needed, and the best were very thick.

We ended up with a custom Latex foam mattress. We were able to specify the layers we wanted, it was a reasonable height, and it was cheaper than the other mattresses we liked.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Animorph We just went around to all the stores and tried everything out. Turns out just a few were as soft as we needed, and the best were very thick.

+1 That's what I did the last time I bought a mattress and I took plenty of time trying them out, too. You can't know in two seconds if a mattress will work for you or not, IMO. When they delivered the new mattress, they removed the old one at my request. I think most small to mid-sized stores do. Had they not, I am not sure what I would have done. I suppose I would have had to put it out at the curb.

You might run into a good after Christmas sale somewhere, but sleep is so important that I would not buy an uncomfortable mattress simply because it is cheap.

Don't know anything about Costco or Sleep Country. We just got our first Costco in Louisiana this fall, and I am reluctant to pay the $55/year for a store I know nothing about as of yet. AFAIK, we don't have Sleep Country here.

[FI by 2024]

I bought a memory foam mattress at Costco on sale for $550 (king size). I think the queens are $500. I love it. My reading in bed has actually gone dramatically down because I fall asleep basically as soon as I hit the mattress.

I was worried about the too firm/too soft dilemma, especially since they only have a smallish square to try out (not enough to lay down on) so I read reviews online. There are some good comparison sites out there that say "If you like this brand, here are some comparable alternatives." I found the alternatives for the Costco one, tried them, liked them, and made the purchase. So glad I did.

[bmcgonig]

Costco has the best return policy ever. They will take anything back. I bought two mattresses there and returned both of them. Since you can't test their mattresses on the floor most of the time, they are fine with it.

[F4mandolin]

Just over a year ago we bought a new bed from Sleep Country. They really try to stick a big price on you to begin with.....but if you put them off a little bit the price comes down a bit (but still not cheap). We went with a queen size elec. adjustable bed (no split controls). We both quite like it....but.....we won't ever buy the exact same mattress again. Just over a year and the middle has compacted quite a bit. It's also one of the mattresses that you can only sleep on one side......maybe for the flexibility? It's quite a comfy mattress, but I wouldn't buy the same thing again. In another year it will likely need replacing.

[bUU]

I was encouraged to buy a new mattress by a friend who just couldn't stop talking about this wonderful bed she bought. Years later I'm still convinced it is the most comfortable bed ever.

BedInABox.com PacBamboo Memory Foam Mattress Reviews – Viewpoints.com

[Lsbcal]

We bought a new mattress and box spring a few months back at Macys. Their return policy included a 15% fee. DW wanted a softee and I wanted a firmer one. We tried to compromise but the first one was just too firm for even me. I got the store to waive the 15% fee and we got a pillow top type that works fine now.

I thought I needed a firmer mattress but it turned out that I really did not. It more has to do with the way I sleep and my posture in bed. Very specific to my back issues.

One pointer, if you try the in-store demos they most often have been around awhile and are broken in. The new one you get might seem a lot firmer, at least at first.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R We just got our first Costco in Louisiana this fall, and I am reluctant to pay the $55/year for a store I know nothing about as of yet.

Oh my! I can't imagine life without Costco. I can't even imagine living somewhere that doesn't have one. I'm sure I've saved thousands of dollars during each year of purchases there. And being able to return things with no hassle even years later is worth far more than the $55 fee I pay to them.

Just this year I had an air mattress begin to leak after two years of use. They took it back no questions asked. It cost around $120.00, so just that alone paid for the past two years of memberships.

Please promise me you will go to the store and at least check it out. You'll wonder why you would every shop anywhere else once you do.

And yes, I do purchase all my mattresses from Costco, and have always had a great experience with them.

[zinger1457]

As others suggested, it certainly helps to be able to try one out before hand, especially considering how much the good ones cost. From staying at Westin hotels/resorts I really like their 'Heavenly Bed' and will probably purchase one if/when I ever decide to replace my current one. Some people swear by the 'Sleep Number Beds' but after staying at Radisson hotels which have them I found they weren't for me. I still like my latex foam mattress with a down bed topper so I'm in no rush to upgrade.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R ...(snip)... Don't know anything about Costco or Sleep Country. We just got our first Costco in Louisiana this fall, and I am reluctant to pay the $55/year for a store I know nothing about as of yet. AFAIK, we don't have Sleep Country here.

This is OT but Costco will probably let you go in and just have a look. You may have to get a pass at their front desk.

We dropped our membership because we didn't use it enough. Many of their goods have to be purchased in large quantities to realize the savings. Good for large families. Return policy is apparently excellent.

[Buckeye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R +1 That's what I did the last time I bought a mattress and I took plenty of time trying them out, too. You can't know in two seconds if a mattress will work for you or not, IMO. When they delivered the new mattress, they removed the old one at my request. I think most small to mid-sized stores do. Had they not, I am not sure what I would have done. I suppose I would have had to put it out at the curb. You might run into a good after Christmas sale somewhere, but sleep is so important that I would not buy an uncomfortable mattress simply because it is cheap. Don't know anything about Costco or Sleep Country. We just got our first Costco in Louisiana this fall, and I am reluctant to pay the $55/year for a store I know nothing about as of yet. AFAIK, we don't have Sleep Country here.

Costco lets you return anything, including your membership!

[Ready]

And also of great importance, Costco treats its employees with respect, pays above average wages, and never marks anything up more than 15%. They take pride in offering low prices to its members, not maximizing profits for themselves.

The mattress industry is sleazy. Manufacturers offer different names and styles for different retailers to make it very difficult to comparison shop between retailers. Unlike buying a TV set, where there is a unique manufacturer part number, you won't find that in the mattress industry. Retailers often mark up their products more than 100%, only to then offer 50% off sales that make you think you're getting a great deal.

If you really want to deal with all that you can, but if you buy at Costco you just get a fair price without all the haggling. And if you don't like the mattress, you just return it.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal We dropped our membership because we didn't use it enough. Many of their goods have to be purchased in large quantities to realize the savings. Good for large families.

That's what I did with my SAMS membership. I live very close to SAMS (much closer than to Costco), but I just don't buy enough for a membership to be an intelligent move at all.

[audreyh1]

We really like the mattresses produced by Denver Mattress Company. As good as the big name brands but often rated higher, and much less expensive. They are not available in every state.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Don't know anything about Costco or Sleep Country. We just got our first Costco in Louisiana this fall, and I am reluctant to pay the $55/year for a store I know nothing about as of yet. AFAIK, we don't have Sleep Country here.

You don't need a membership to go in to buy alcohol or prescriptions from the pharmacy. That's a good way to go in and look around.

Plus they would give you a day pass anyway - but at least you know you can buy the above items if you wish.

And they take cash or AMEX - not Mastercard or VISA.

[Accidental Retiree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready And also of great importance, Costco treats its employees with respect, pays above average wages, and never marks anything up more than 15%. They take pride in offering low prices to its members, not maximizing profits for themselves. If you really want to deal with all that you can, but if you buy at Costco you just get a fair price without all the haggling. And if you don't like the mattress, you just return it.

A few months ago, we finally upgraded to a king bed, and after shopping all around, we followed the suggestion of friends who raved about their Costco mattress purchase and bought one when it went on sale.

After 2 weeks, I knew the mattress topper was too squishy, so I bundled it up and took it back for a refund. We tried the mattress without a topper, and it was still too squishy. I went away for a few days and came back and found the squishy mattress much improved.

That was because DH had turned it upside down and I was sleeping on the bottom of the mattress. THAT was about firm enough, and I admired his ingenuity in problem-solving, but that was not the way I wanted to go.

So, Costco picked up the by-then 2-month-old mattress and gave me full credit for it. Once I got the refund, I purchased their firmest mattress with the gel foam topper we like. Success at last.

A little over a month after we took delivery, I saw that Costco had that mattress on sale, for $200 off what we'd just paid.

I emailed them and they credited my card for the price difference.

I love Costco.

[Mulligan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready And also of great importance, Costco treats its employees with respect, pays above average wages, and never marks anything up more than 15%. They take pride in offering low prices to its members, not maximizing profits for themselves. The mattress industry is sleazy. Manufacturers offer different names and styles for different retailers to make it very difficult to comparison shop between retailers. Unlike buying a TV set, where there is a unique manufacturer part number, you won't find that in the mattress industry. Retailers often mark up their products more than 100%, only to then offer 50% off sales that make you think you're getting a great deal. If you really want to deal with all that you can, but if you buy at Costco you just get a fair price without all the haggling. And if you don't like the mattress, you just return it.

I always wondered about that. Last time I bought one, I tried to price compare a bit and gave up as I couldn't find the same names to compare with. Probably will be buying one in the next year also. I love my softer mattress, but the first 5 minutes in the morning my back is so stiff I can barely bend over. I noticed harder mattresses at hotels I have stayed out my back is not stiff when I wake up, so I guess I will look that direction even though I do not want to. One thing is for sure it will remain a king size one.

[KB]

Mulligan, if you like a softer mattress you might consider adding a foam topper to whatever mattress you get. You can buy either 3 or 4 inch toppers that add a nice cushion to a mattress but you can still have a firm base.

[Mulligan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KB Mulligan, if you like a softer mattress you might consider adding a foam topper to whatever mattress you get. You can buy either 3 or 4 inch toppers that add a nice cushion to a mattress but you can still have a firm base.

I will remember that when shopping, KB. I haven't ever had the experience of a foam topper on a mattress yet.