What to Know When You Buy a New Mattress

Let’s face it: You’re not sleeping well at night. You wake up exhausted, your back aches in weird spots and you simply don’t feel like you’re well-rested. All of these are signs that you need a new mattress. It can be pricey to buy a good-quality mattress, but the saying goes that you get what you pay for. If you waste money on cheap mattresses, then you will be replacing them more often and therefore be spending more money in the long run. Before spending a dime on a new bed, familiarize yourself with the buying process.

Know the Terminology

If your last mattress was a good one, then it’s probably been a while since you last made the purchase and you might not be familiar with what’s popular in mattress construction today. Innerspring mattresses are the ones that you are probably the most familiar with: The squeaky, springy ones that tend to break over time and end up ridiculously uncomfortable. Although they are still on the market, innerspring mattresses are less popular than they used to be. Thanks to modern technology that has improved the typical mattress, they are more commonly made with other, more durable materials.

• Memory foam is very popular with mattresses. It cradles your body when you lie on it, allowing you to sink into your bed and feel like you’re Mama Bear. Memory foam famously retains the shape of whatever was last pressed into it, which makes it a super comfortable, lightweight material. Another great feature is that it repels dust mites, serving as a more hygienic choice. It is also popularly used in other things like helmets, shoes and furniture cushions.
• Latex mattresses have become even more popular in recent years, especially as people make more of an effort to go green and use recyclable materials. Latex ticks that box and so many more: These kinds of mattresses don’t require rotating or flipping and they are not made with chemicals. The downside? They are on the pricey side, but if you are looking for a luxury mattress then latex might be the option for you.
• If you’ve heard of a hybrid mattress, this is an affordable option that blends a memory foam and innerspring mattress model together. It is made with coils, but they are typically better cushioned and don’t move around as much, plus the top pad is covered with a memory foam layer. This can serve as a good compromise when you want the feel of memory foam but can’t afford a mattress that costs that much.

Start Looking (And Bring Your Sleeping Partner With You)
If you share a bed with somebody, it’s essential that the pair of you find your mattress together. What is comfortable for you might feel atrocious to your partner and vice versa. Now’s the time that you tour several different stores and check prices, models and speak to representatives about payment plans and pricing. Be sure to ask about any promotions or sales that might be happening at the moment.

Don’t buy yet though! Only after you’ve gone to several different mattress stores and have compared prices should you even consider buying yet. Shopping around is simply for educational purposes. Take note of things like:

• What brands did you like? Were there any brands you didn’t like?
• At which price point are you the most comfortable? Which mattresses fall into that price range? Were any of those the ones that you found the most comfortable?
• Think about the store itself. Are you loyal to any particular shop, or is there a reason you prefer to avoid certain ones? How did the salesperson react to you when you left without buying anything — do you even want to give your business to them?

Decide on The Mattress and Figure Out How to Handle the Old One

Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to move forward with the transaction. If you can pay cash then that’s fantastic, but ask about financing options if that’s not a reality for you. Do they have a payment plan? Do you qualify for in-store credit? Ensure that you already know how you will handle payment before pulling out your credit card to make the most informed decision at the time of purchase.

Ask about delivery as well. Many, if not most, mattress delivery people will haul away your old mattress when you pay for delivery, so ask about this feature at the time of purchase. If they don’t haul away the old one, then you need to know what to do with it. You can’t just throw your old mattress in a dumpster; there are particular ways to deal with mattress disposal.

Sleep Tight!

Ahhhhh…now that you see how dreamy your new bed is, you can also appreciate just how uncomfortable your old one was. Fall into bed every night knowing that you made the best purchase for your sleeping situation.