Mattress shopping

[Buzzard]

It's time for the Buzzards to get a new sleep set. I'ts been 20 year since the last one so who new the options that are out there now!! Pillowtop, eurotop, memory foam, and on and on. Any experts out there? I dont wanna cheap out as we spend a good third of our lives in bed.

Anyone clue me in to some basics...what to look for, etc. Best place to buy? From what I can remember....don't know if it's still like that, but mattresses were something you'd never pay regular price on as there'd usually be a good sale on somewhere, sometime. Still that way? Looks like Sleep Country doesn't list their prices online.

[puckluck]

I've got a good hookup if you want me to PM you the number?

I just bought a queen size pillow-top mattress with the box spring for $450. If you don't need the box spring I think it's about $100 cheaper.

[Buzzard]

^ Sure! Or are they the kind that fell out of the back of a truck somewhere?

[PeteLFan]

I need a new mattress as well. If you go to places like united furniture they usually have good deals in the back.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

^ Sure! Or are they the kind that fell out of the back of a truck somewhere?

You won't even notice the tire tracks if you put it in one of those sanitary mattress bags.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

^ Sure! Or are they the kind that fell out of the back of a truck somewhere?

No the guy has to order them. I got his number from a friend and we both used him and were happy.

He has different models set up in his basement and you pick which one you want and in which size and he orders them for you and will deliver for $30 (or at least that's the price he charged me).

Gotta fish hs number out of my old phone and will PM you when I get it.

[Mass_nerder]

I posted some tips for mattress shopping in another mattress thread a while ago:

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

some tips:
-stiff doesn't equal support.
I worked in a mattress shop a few years ago, and everyone always came in asking for a firm bed, which always led me to ask whether they were looking for a firm bed, or a supportive bed.
Plenty of softer beds, provide just as much support as a firm bed.

-A lot of retailers will try to dazzle you with the mattress's spring count. You might think that a higher spring count equals higher quality and better support but this is often not true.

-A lot of mattress manufacturers run their helical lacing (thin wires linking the independent springs) head to toe, which can cause the hammock effect. It's generally better to find one with helical lacing running across the bed, from side to side.

-Pay attention to any awkward stairwells, or small elevators you will need to use to get the mattress into your place...most mattresses with a boarder wire don't have a large of range of motion when bending, without causing permanent damage.

-When you're looking at pillow top construction, latex is a good thing to have, because it's an open cell foam, meaning it won't trap body heat and still provides lots of comfort.

-Don't get sucked in to a bed because it includes memory foam. Memory foam, in the thin layers usually provided in a typical pillow top, doesn't really give you any noticeable added benefit. It's kind of a buzz word to get people excited about the mattress.

-Stay away from "full" memory foam beds, unless you have serious back problems; memory foam is a closed cell foam, which means it doesn't dissipate heat very well. Men are generally "hot" sleepers, so the build up of heat can make for an uncomfortable night. A lot of memory foam mattresses aren't a full slab of memory foam either...Generally you get about 4-5" of memory foam on top of a generic foam base.

-A box spring is an important part of the whole "sleep system", so don't try to skip out (unless the mattress is specifically designed to go with out i.e. Ikea)
The box spring amounts to about 1/5 of the entire price, so you're not going to get a huge discount if you skip it. Most manufacturers require you to have a box spring in their warranty terms.

-Mattress manufacturers sell the same bed to multiple retailers with different model names, so it's tough to compare mattresses from store to store. Look at what's in the mattress, rather than the name.

-I'm sure it's been said several times, but don't pay the listed retail price; you can always get a discount. Keep your eyes out for sales at all times.
Again, speaking from experience, we had a mattress promotion on almost every week, selling them for 30-40% less than the typical listed price.

[vanisleflamesfan]

It seems that this thread comes up often.

Not really a comment on anything specific, I just find it odd.

[bomba]

This thread saved me a lot of money:

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/kings...ountry-573270/

[peter12]

Mattress-buying has got to be one of the most hassle-filled transactions that a consumer can go through nowadays. Manufacturers are not open with information regarding their products, and due to the vast amount of differentiation in the market, it is almost impossible to do an accurate price comparison. Thankfully, the market is also highly competitive, and as everyone here as said, you can often get a decent deal.

A few warnings, however... Innerspring mattresses, ie. the most common mattress on the market, have an extremely high failure percentage, estimated around 40% within the first year. That is, 40% of innerspring mattresses will have noticable sagging or other failure within 1 year of use. Compare this to the often enormous price tag that comes with the high-end innersprings, like Kingsdown or Simmons, and this is a terrible deal for the consumer. Factory warranties, touted as a good deal on the front end, seem to be almost impossible to fulfill.

The last year, I went through 3 innerspring mattresses due to this problem, one, a Simmons Beautyrest, and the other two, Sealy mattresses. I'm not a fatty, I only weigh about 175 lbs. It's just the crappy construction.

I'm also a grad student, and pretty poor, so I eventually just went to IKEA, and got one of their mid-level foam mattresses. I've been FAR happier with this than anything else, and I saved about $500 compared to what I spent on mattresses so far. I'm not recommending IKEA at all, but I think you should consider looking at what you can afford in latex or foam before you spend some big bucks on an innerspring.

Here's a good website that provides some data on the various brands/types/makes/etc...

http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/bed-...view-home.html

[REDVAN]

I've bought two mattress sets in the last 3 years.

First one at sleep country on mix and match- it's their house brand but I love it. The other was a special order from a friend who worked at a hotel... I hated that set so I let the ex have it when she left.

Moral: price doesn't equate to awesomeness. To each their own.

[red sky]

I got a Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe king size delivered last Friday from Sleep Country and so far so good. It is definitely different from your regular bed but my back issues have already improved, which is amazing. I was original going to get a "show home" model and thus save a bit of money on the mattress, with a thrown in sheet set as well. Apparently they sold that one at a different store so they gave me a brand new one instead for the same price. I am paying over 12 months with no interest so that at least cuts into any huge up front cost. The Tempurpedic's have a 20 year warranty so hopefully I can manage to get a new one within that time.

[Sinny Darino]

Hey there! Do not go with the $450 mattress the guy said above. I did that once (the same kind of deal) and within a year the thing was sagging, ragged and falling apart. Not really a good deal if you have to replace the damn thing once a year.

The next mattress my wife and I bought was from Sears. We went there on Boxing day when the mattress itself was an actual 50% off, and we received a 25% off bonus sticker when we walked in the door. We got our $3500 top of the line pillowtop mattress for just over $1000. This included free delivery and everything.

Never pay full price for a mattress, as I think they are the most rediculously marked up product on the market (ever). Wait till a good sale, 60%-75% off somewhere. Hell, wait till Boxing Day and go over to Sears.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Sinny Darino

Hey there! Do not go with the $450 mattress the guy said above. I did that once (the same kind of deal) and within a year the thing was sagging, ragged and falling apart. Not really a good deal if you have to replace the damn thing once a year.

I didn't realize there was only one mattress being sold for $450.

There is no way mine will be falling apart within a year. It is a very good quality mattress.

[vanisleflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Sinny Darino

Hey there! Do not go with the $450 mattress the guy said above. I did that once (the same kind of deal) and within a year the thing was sagging, ragged and falling apart. Not really a good deal if you have to replace the damn thing once a year.

Maybe you're just a really rough... umm... sleeper?

[mykalberta]

I recently purchased a King Size from Ikea with bed frame, first time I have gone without a box spring and I have no complains thus far.

[Deuce Bigalow]

I've got a full memory foam mattress, got it off of ebay actually, ha. Sleeping on it was a bit wierd at first, since it was so different from my previous mattress. However, now I find that every spot is the sweet spot, I love it. Be warned though, if you don't have a matterss cover they DO get quite warm. I haven't found it to be a problem when I use one though.

[Sylvanfan]

Bump...

I can no longer sleep more than about 6 hours until I start feeling back discomfort. I get up and do my normal daily routine and I'm fine until I've been in bed again. My mom recently got a tempurpedic bed and let me try it out for about 4 nights. I no longer had any back issues.

But I can't afford one based on the prices I've seen. Anyone know much about the other foam style mattresses? I think I need something that is pretty supportive. Anyone tried A NovosBED?

[-TC-]

I sleep on memory foam with a 3" down mattress pad on top....best of all worlds, I even traded in a down pillow (which I've always slept on) for a memory foam neck pillow and now sleep better and deeper than I ever have

[Sr. Mints]

My mattress is just a little bit softer than the floor, and I love it. If you're in the neighbourhood of 6'4' - 6'6"+ I'd say get a king sized bed. Having your feet hang off the bed or hit the end board sucks.