Those are some of the questions that enter our minds when we feel like our old mattress needs replaced. We also buy infrequently, so every time the prices of mattresses can surprise us. However, sleep is critical to quality of life, and a good bed will make you sleep better.
Now to the hype, will this bed or that one really do a better job? It all depends on your expectations. Let's say you are in your early 20's, you are reasonably active, and have no back injuties or pain. In this case almost any quality bed will improve your sleep. Please note I said QUALITY, that word is important. Quality comes at a price. Quality beds have been designed by good engineers to offer great support. Quality beds take into account the materials they use, making sure that the materials perform as designed, and return as much time as is feasible. Quality beds use high quality ingredients. Quality beds will last longer, making the difference in cost insignificant at best, and swing the overall cost of ownership in their favor. Which is why most of us tend toward name brand manufacturers. Most, if not all put a lot of research and developement thought into their product. They have been around for years, and desire to continue for years to come, you can't do that if you get a reputation for bad mattresses. That doesn't mean that smaller manufacturers are bad, many put a lot into their beds, keeping abreast of research done by others, they often can be a good source for a bed. And some of the major players aren't always as they seem. One manufacturer I am aware of has a name plate that has been around for years. But a couple years ago went into banckruptcy and the name was sold to cover debts. The new company was just that, a new company, looking to use the name to get instant recognition. There are several other major manufacturers that have problems since around 2008. So keep in mind, brand names aren't always what they appear to be.
That being said, I doubt that in any boardroom or office of any company selling mattresses there has ever been a disscussion about how to make people sleep worse. There are four basic styles of sleep technology, Spings, Water, Foam and Air Supported. Let me fill you in on my bias, I work for a Comfortaire dealer, it first company to market Air Supported sleep system, back in 1981. I promise to be as open minded as possible.
I suggest that buying as local as possible is a great strategy. Local stores usually have their owner on hand. If it is possible to make a deal, they are who you need to talk to. The possibily of finding Mr. Serta in the store is remote at best. If you present a deal to a local merchant, and he or she can make a little money, the odds are they will accept it. On the other hand, major chains have price lists which cannot be deviated from, if the rep wants to keep their job. I saw a quarterly report recently. The number of units was up slightly, however same store profit was up almost double. There is a disconnect, the company kept more money from every sale, Wall Street Loves them! Did their customers get a 'deal'? They can do that in several ways. Reduce costs, things like reducing quality of foams, removing parts that you won't feel in the showroom, or forcing employees to be more productive, reducing labor costs. Bottom line, their customers paid more per unit than last year, either in dollars or quality. The chains do most of the advertising as well. Advertising is a cost of the bed you buy from them, a good deal may be available from a lesser known dealer because they control this cost. One chain we are familiar with spends almost half of the cost of their beds on advertising, advertising is not bad, but there is a proper level. They could make money selling their beds at half their current price, just by eliminating advertising. If I mentioned their name probably 95% or more of you would recognise them. Which is what advertising is for...
Get to know the rep, he is much more an expert in mattresses than you are. Find a rep that you feel a trust for, but verify their claims. know how their beds are made, what quality of components are used. Where did the mattress come from? What is the warranty? Who supplies the warranty, the manufacturer or the store? How restrictive is the warranty? See, a warranty is great, but not if it is set up to not protect you. There is a common phrase in most spring warranties for instance, that says sagging is not covered unless it is a certain amount, almost never has a mattress sagged that much, how good is the warranty. Spring beds are designed to last no more than 10 years, a 20 year warrnaty would indicate that it isn't worth the paper it is written on. Sometimes the warranty is just a way to encourage repeat buying. A 20 year warranty may be in force and your bed sags. You call the store and complain, they send out a rep to measure. They are so sorry that the sag isn't enough to get you a new mattress, but they feel sorry for you, so here is a 'great' deal on a brand new bed.
Other materials will last longer, like foam beds. Quality foam has a much longer useful life than the typical spring bed. There's the word quality again... there are many types of foam, and the manufacturing process can vary. As with almost any other product, there are ways that speed up the process that may not feel different in the showroom, but will impact the longevity of the product, and the overall ownership costs. Jimmy Bob's (hope that isn't a real manufacturer) mattress factory may have a cheap price, because of cheap materials. They don't expect to be in business when the product starts to fail, good money with no longterm commitment. You can find these people, they hang around bargain centers, internet auction sites, flea markets and the like. Their foam is low quality, as well as internal components. A lot of times they try to mimmick a major players name, a player with a good reputation, but the mattress is like half the price. My Grandmother taught me you get exactly what you pay for. Is it ok to buy, sure, just don't expect it to last as long as the name brand equivalent.
Do research yourself, there are more than a few sites that review mattresses. Sites like Consumer reports, or SleepLikeTheDead.com offer good insights to each brand. Google the company name and "problems" see what the results are, but please keep in mind that only consumers that feel wronged generaly post negative reports, take it with a grain of salt, but quiz the rep and see if their response makes sense. And keep in mind that sometimes competitors will post negatives about their competition, mostly it is impossible to know for sure.
So out the door you head, you want to visit some showrooms and try out the bed. Don't short change this step! Plan to spend some time experiencing the mattresses you are interested in. Let the rep know what your needs are, and see wht they offer. Try it out, not for a couple minutes, but maybe like 15 minutes per mattress. If the rep tries to move you too quick, explain that you need to try it longer. A good rep will understand and give you the time you need. The best will also give you space, so that you and your partner can discuss the bed. Also keep in mind that manufacturers try to promote their products by buying the rep through spiffs. If you specifically wanted to look at Tempurpedic, and they suggest you try another first, they are probably being spiffed by the other manufacturer. Limited assortments can be a good thing. If there are 50 or 75 beds available, and 5 or 7 manufacturers in the showroom, the reps tend to be more tour guides, they will have a general over view of different beds, but they can't be expert in all of them. They will, however, know which one will get them the best commission.
Sometimes, the more expensive beds are better, sometimes not. We love it when someone enters the store asking "what is your top of the line bed?" It gives us the opportunity to point out that all our beds are the same quality (since we only have one manufacturer) but different materials, designed to do different things, and that affects the price of the bed. Do you need all the materials, or just a select subset? Depends on how you sleep if you have issues, and how you view your bed. Our least expensive bed as an example is as supportive as our most expensive. A stomach sleeper would be happier on the lesser expense bed, a side sleeper would normally prefer a middle to upper end by price bed. A back sleeper is happier in the middle.
What's the best type? Bottom line is they all have their proponents. Springs have been around since the 1800's, and air supported adjustable systems are somewhat newer. Are springs intrinsically bad? Nope, but I would like to suggest it is old technology. Is foam the best stuff ever? Nope, but for many it is a great nights sleep. Will air take away pain? In certain situations yes, but others no. What about water? Again it is a good surface, but maintenace needs to be accounted for.
So once you have tried the beds you think will help you the best, take time to talk with your partner and get their input. Consider all the 'facts' presented by all the reps. Talk to friends, family, and neighbors to see what they sleep on, and how well they sleep. They have no reason to lie to you, they don't get paid to talk about beds.
Lastly, don't rule out any technology, there are only 4 major types, try them all. Some people just don't like the feel of one or the other. They may find memory foam confining, or air adjustable confusing, or springs just too hard. There is a right bed out there, put a smile on, open your mind and SHOP.
Sleep well!
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