Buying a Mattress
As an industry insider with decades of industry experience, having been both on the good side and bad side of the mattress retail business, I am well aware of and have unfortunately participated in some disdainful sales tactics in order to close more mattress deals. Being a participant in these tactics opened my eyes to the reality that the standard mattress business model was deeply flawed and in need of change. In this article, I’m going to go to great lengths to share with you the insider information, they do not want you to know, in order to help you avoid overpaying when you buy a mattress. Some of these tips may be shocking and some may just be plain common sense, but I’m sure that it will provide you with some real value if you’re in the market for a new mattress.
Tip# 1 – Avoid Big Box Stores
It’s all about the sale
Jam-packed with bait and switch models, huge sales, freebee throw-ins, and high-pressure tactics that will leave the average mattress shopper totally disarmed, you may find yourself quickly overpaying at big box stores. If you really don’t want to negotiate for the betterment of your sleep for a mattress that will last you for the next 10 years then this is a place you should definitely try to avoid. Slick-talking salespeople who are experts at cornering you into a “yes”, and offering a deal that seemingly can’t be beat is what they do best.
What to do
What we recommend for anyone shopping at the big box stores is to grab the exact specs of your selected mattress – like how many coils, the different layers of foam in the mattress and anything else that may be relevant. Write these details down and head around town or send some emails out to your local mattress stores and see if they have something that matches those specifications. Of course, trying out the mattress before to ensure its comfort level is a must prior to purchase, but you don’t need to waste your time jumping from store to store.
Tip# 2 – Be Wary of Foam Mattresses
While foam mattresses can be great, they’re not for not everyone; if you’re someone who likes foam beds that’s amazing and this tip might not be for you, but if you’re someone who dislikes foam mattresses and are wondering why everything online is a foam mattress in a box then this tip may shed some light on the issue.
Due to the highly portable, highly shippable, and mass-producibility of foam boxed beds, any company, typically smaller outlets, social media influencers, or anyone else with a voice and an audience online can peddle these mattresses. Typically they disguise their sales pitch as ‘honest’ reviews, but you will probably notice an affiliate link or promo-code used to give a kickback to the influencer; this not only drives the cost up for you, but their review is usually moderately scripted and they will never say anything negative (since they want you to buy using their promo-code).
Tip# 3 – Buy Local
Buying a locally made mattress is probably the simplest way to guarantee that the mattress you’re buying is at the lowest price. Obviously, this works best when you’re in a big city like Toronto, but even local mattress retailers in nearby cities should have a leg up on the big box outfits. If you do find a company who manufactures and sells locally then purchasing your mattress from them will ensure that you’re keeping a large portion of your money where it belongs – in your pockets.
Tip# 4 – Avoid Big Budget Marketers
If you’re just starting to look for a mattress and you’ve seen a lot of promotional marketing from that mattress company before you’ve made your purchase, be prepared to over-pay. Simple as that.
Mattresses are not purchased on impulse, many people, in fact, hate buying mattresses, but the big mattress companies spend a fortune to sell you on a mattress even before you need one. Smaller companies like Dozy only market to you a mattress when you search for one on Google; that’s really the moment when it counts. The bigger companies spend fortunes to market their brands to you, so you will be familiar with their brand when you do need to buy a mattress, and it does works, but you ultimately end up paying for the marketing when you purchase your mattress.
I hope this article helps you to make a better-informed mattress purchase and to keep a large portion of your money in your pockets, whether you’re purchasing at a showroom or if you plan to click the checkout button online.
Dave Owen