HOW TO BUY A BED...
the right way.
ABOUT ME!
Since my little page is designed to give tips and advice on how to buy a bed, I won't dwell too much on who I am. I am 26 years old and live in northeast Ohio. I've sold mattresses of all types, ranging from springs, to foam, water and air, since I was 18. My short eight years in the business has taught me alot about bedding, accessories, and most importantly what you are looking for! So take a moment and read further if you're in the market for a new bed. I hope to save you a lot of time... and cash!
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO.
I know quite well just how aggrivating it is when it's time to replace your sleeping surface. Most bed stores have anywhere from 10 to over 100 mattress sets on their sales floors, making it near impossible to think about exactly what you want. Fun Fact: most people shopping for a bed will spend over 3 hours just perusing the product... in one store! Eventually, this results in a person picking one at random that seemed o.k. at the time, but they end up hating later and replacing again in less than 5 years! It's a vicious cycle. So do yourself a favor and spend as much time as you need to, but don't drive yourself crazy! Remember, this is the most used and most important piece of furniture in your home!
Decide carfully, and stay within a budget if you have one, but don't go cheap on yourself. If you try something that feels great but is slightly out of your budget, you thank yourself a million times for going a little over. The only one you can blame later is yourself!
Finally, I can not stress this enough:
PLEASE LAY DOWN AND TRY THE BEDS!
It's like trying a shoe on, and the only reason that bed stores even exist!
It may change the way you look at a particular mattress entirely!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
Number One: ALWAYS GET A COMPLETE SET!
- A mattress and boxspring are designed by the company to go together for specific reasons. More than just something to elevate the mattress to a comfortable level, a boxspring's springs are specifically designed to properly support it's matching mattress. This way, you'll maximize your mattress's full potential and you won't experience quick breakdown!
- This also applies to other mattress types (foam, air, etc...) that have solid foundations. They too are also designed to maximize the life of your mattress. If you already have a solid foundation and are looking for a type of mattress that supports what you have, then by all means buy the mattress only and save a few bucks there. But never put springs on a solid platform! (Common warranties will go anywhere from 10 to 20 years, but the industry recommends you replace your mattress every 5-7 years! One of their life-lines.)
Number Two: ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO YOUR SALES PERSON!
- There are a number of important things you'll want to know. First, and most importantly, long-term comfort. Who wants to spend $1,000 or more for something that will make them feel worse than they already do, or worse, break down in less than a year? Ask if they have any proof-materials or something with statistics on the product and/or customer comments. This will help narrow it down for you quickly.
- Never be afraid to ask for a deal! Almost %100 of the time it's possible. The only exceptions may be larger, corporate owned stores that have nation-wide fixed prices and promotions.
- Warranty information is neccesary. Ask specifically how the warranty works and ask them to describe possible problem scenarios. No retail salesperson likes the word "problems", but remember, this is for you and they'll gladly give you any information you want to know.
- Don't go by brand name recognition alone. I understand there is a bit of security by going with the big name brand, but you never know. If you include all of the big names with all of the local manufacturers in the country, you litterally have tousands of brands to choose from! All I'm saying is that there is a lot more out there than you might think. For example, we have a local manufacturer where I live that has been going strong for over 80 years, and some customers I've spoken with tell me they'll buy nothing else! When you're at the store, take the opportunity to see the whole line of products, not just a select few.
Number Three: IGNORE THESE THINGS ENTIRELY!
- Don't waste your money and time with such gimmicks as "mattress topper pads" that are designed to give a little more padding or add a few inches to your mattress. These are strictly designed to be very temporary solutions until you can find a more comfortable mattress. Don't use something at home to try to add comfort, such as egg-crate foam or extra quilts. After all, it's what's "inside" your mattress that is supporting you (springs, air chambers, water, etc.)
- Now, don't confuse a mattress topper pad with a "mattress pad". They're two different things entirely. A mattress pad is simply a protective cover that goes on before your sheets, and it's sole purpose is to protect your investment (the mattress). It's thickness will usually go from as thin as a sheet to about an inch thick. Look for the thread count. The higher the thread count, the more your mattress is protected from dust and mites!
- When you see things like this, don't fall for them, please. Every single mattress company that ever existed uses the angle of spinal alignment in their advertising. In fact, forget the advertising all together and lay down on it. See how it FEELS. What one mattress will feel like to you will feel completely different to someone else!
Number Four: SPECIAL NOTE!
- NEVER EVER EVER EVER BUY A MATTRESS OR SET THAT IS USED OR REFURBISHED! Even a company refurbished mattress, although sterilized and up to code, is no good at all. You will run into problems galore from warranty issues to "hidden surprises". To put it bluntly, it's the same thing as the thrift clothing stores that sell used underwear. Yes, they exist!
PRODUCT TYPES
INNER-SPRINGS
- There are a few different styles of inner-springs. First, a traditional top (flat on top, no extra padding sewn in) is best for the firmness purist. Second is the pillow top, better all-around for everyone. You can still get a very firm bed if you like with a pillow top. Just remember that in most cases there are more than one of you in the same bed, so it's good to comprimise!
- Coil count matters only a little bit. I''ve seen mattresses with very low coil counts that will stand the test of time better than ones with maximum counts. No matter the count, once "one" coil goes awry in a mattress, it starts a domino effect that will eventually diminish the rest of them over time.
FOAM
- There is only one type of foam bed I could ever come close to recommending to anyone, and that's memory foam. In all cases, foam tends to degenerate the fastest. Although memory foam is a terrific product, it's best left for accessories like pillows and "temporary" mattress topper pads. When I used to sell the foam beds, I often asked people for feedback, and got 2 primary responses:
1.) The bed gets warm and STAYS warm every night. (This is why brands such as Tempur-pedic(tm) has the word "tempur" in it.)
2.) People have told me that they had experienced a kind of "stuck" feeling once they had fully sunk into it, and as a result turning was difficult.
So all in all, foam has it's advantages but does come with some disadvantages. My best advice is to at least lie down and try it. Many local retails carry them now, so you won't have to take a chance ordering over the phone. Worse comes to worse, most memory foam mattress companies allow you to return it for a full refund! (With a small, reasonable return ship fee.)
AIR
- Air is a wonderful choice for couples who can't seem to comprimise, or those who have specific sleeping problems or disorders. However, it's not limited to these people alone. Some people simply prefer the option having a bed "their way", and air is the only thing that can do it fully. It's very popular now, but it's not new technology. It's been around for almost 40 years now, but unfortunately started showing up around the same time as waterbeds did, and of course we know how quickly waterbeds rose in popularity. Better late than never for air!
WATER
- Water is definately on it's way out. When I first started selling beds in 1995, they had just about hit their peak. There aren't too many benefits of sleeping on water other than the heat. A lot of times people buy waterbeds because they hate their inner-spring beds and need an alternitave. Most times, though, it's because they've been sleeping on water already for quite some time and it works for them. (If that's you, more power to ya!)
If you absolutely MUST buy a waterbed for the first time, just remember to ask the general important questions (warranty, comfort, proof-materials, etc.) Also, DON'T get the full-wave bladder! Get the semi-waveless or better yet wave-less one. If it works for you, it works. If not, don't say I didn't warn you!
YOUR SALESPERSON
Be nice to your salesperson! Their smiles and eagerness to help you get a better night's sleep are genuine! They're not there to try and squeeze you for every penny. The dozens of people I've worked with have proven that to me. In most cases, selling mattresses and bedding products is their career, not just a place to work. Of course, they do depend on you as part of their income, as most work on commission. You might just form a life-long business relationship!
REVIEW
I hope I helped you out at least a little bit! Let's go over the basics one more time:
- LAY DOWN ON THE BEDS
- ASK FOR INFO / PROOF MATERIALS
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