8 IMPORTANT TIPS WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE FOR A MATTRESS
It is impossible to generate specific criteria or lists to choose the perfect mattress that meets the particular needs of every individual. Any website touting such a list raises cause for concern. Instead, we wish to provide you with the most essential and simple attributes to look for while shopping for online and in-store mattresses. The tips listed below can serve as a guide to help you to narrow your search and save time in your hunt for the best mattress for your unique needs. We aim to provide this list to reduce a few of the hardships shoppers often experience during this particular “grudge purchase.” These tips pull back the curtain on some mysticism associated with mattress shopping. It's important to note that some mattresses are better than others. This should be determined by the individual shopping for the bed and not a particular company or salesperson. It is an easy process. Please keep it simple; we suggest not getting lost in the weeds. Read below our transparent tips when shopping for a new mattress.
TIP #1 Real Images
When looking at any mattress, look for brands that use un-doctored photographs (photographic imagery) or samples of the product’s interior components and layers. While digital renderings illustrating the interior features of a mattress are “pretty” and well done, they do not precisely depict what the material looks like inside. Digital renderings only give you a sense of the layered makeup; why not just show it? This should give you pause and make you ponder why. Most times, it is because the material is simple and unimpressive. While not always the most inspiring feat of engineering, mattresses can be well-built without being flashy or full of marketing glitz.
TIP #2 Certifications
Do they matter? The short answer is: Yes. However, be cautious of misleading certifications. Necessary certifications for natural or organic mattresses include GOLS OEKO-TEX, and GREENGUARD GOLD. GREENGUARD GOLD is one of their most important; let us explain why. It ensures that the fully assembled product has been measured for various pollutants and harmful chemicals. Be wary of certifications such as CERTIPUR-US, as they are sponsored and created by the polyurethane foam industry. More on that here from a savvy reddit user who did exhaustive research on CERTIPUR-US. All certifications must be verified via unbiased third-party certificates (laboratories/organizations). It is best when these certifications are readily presented and substantiated with documentation.
TIP #3 Be cautious of uniquely branded componetnt descriptions and fancy product labels
There are various foam fabrication techniques and formulas. However, the raw materials used in today’s mattresses are relatively small, and the pool of industry suppliers is even smaller. Some of this was explained well by that funny show Adam Ruins Everything. Some basic rules of thumbs when researching this aspect of mattress shopping include:
• You should be able to search google for the product name or foam type.
• A google search of the product name or bed name should return multiple results of retailers offering that same bed or material(s).
• Search results for a type of foam layer should return an array of brands that also use that same foam.
This will allow you to find the best and most convenient purchase option. We can assure you that a few genuinely unique, patented, proprietary mattress components are used in building mattresses. Sadly, these tactics glorify a standard product or construction style for most mattress retailers and brands. Total transparency provides a better expectation for overall product performance.
TIP #4 Comfort Scales
Almost all online mattress companies and retailers will display a scale of firmness. We attempt to express how soft or firm a mattress is on this scale. This is typically a scale of 1-10. While looking at this is essential, one must understand that comfort is subjective. A single individual or standardized measurement does not formulate these scales or ratings. Each brand speculates on them. Most online retailers will intentionally rate their mattress as a 5 or 6 to appeal to a broader audience. This aspect is the most significant reason for customer returns or dissatisfaction. It is strongly suggested that you exercise caution with this. If your #1 priority is the perfect firmness level, it is recommended that you try before you buy. This will save you much hassle. It is reported that well over 20% of online mattress purchases are returned. Purchasing a mattress online is widely reported as pain-free. However, thousands of consumers that would beg to disagree on this after going through the process.
TIP #5 Star Ratings
Star ratings are a great tool developed by websites. They provide essential insight into customer satisfaction with a particular brand, product or service. However, we must point out that almost all “mattress reviews” from consumers are returned to mattress companies within the first week or two of ownership. Is this claim able to be substantiated in the long term? A massive number of good reviews is excellent. On one hand, you should consider that most of these reviews are not based on years of use and overall performance. On the other, reviews can be beneficial to get a good sense of the brand’s return policy, delivery processes, overall customer care, and willingness to service its customers.
Navigating various Mattress Review Websites can be confusing. These websites can assist you in becoming familiar with multiple mattress brands. However, shoppers must note that most of these websites are merely a new version of the traditional Retailer they speak so ill of. Take caution. Some of these sites are simply Rabbit Holes!
TIP #6 Honest Content
The mattress industry is hundreds of years old. We have always found it odd that most mattress review sites' lists rarely contain any of the top ten mattress manufacturers. Are we to believe that only newly hatched start-up brands are the only companies that can build a top ten-rated mattress? In our research, we could only find one legitimate mattress review website. This website offers direct consumer input alongside their professional opinion. They review bed-in-a-box brands and most of the current top ten mattress manufactures. You will also notice they DO NOT provide a Top Ten List. This approach offers the most honest input with no brand bias.
TIP #7 Affiliate Top Ten Mattress Rankings
The mattress industry is very competitive, and brands are paying HEFTY commissions (up to 20% of the total cost) to third-party reviewers and affiliate websites to be relevant. You will notice many of the same brands on websites with top-ten ratings. Viewing these websites and YouTube videos can almost get a sense of a mattress company’s advertising budget. It’s important to note these listings come with a financial bias based on their potential cut of the sale, as stated above. The real question is, what is the mattress company sacrificing in the actual product to afford such generous advertising budgets? Affiliate link disclosures are mandated by the FTC. It is highly recommended that you make note of any review websites offering any arranged ranking lists such as top ten mattresses, top twenty mattresses for side sleepers, etc... It’s reasonable to assume that the brands closer to the top of any list directly correlates to that brand’s generosity in terms of kickbacks. The world is changing, and you should consider these websites to be nothing more than a new kind of mattress retailer. Search engines and review websites have replaced the cost of maintaining a physical storefront in this new world. Mattress review websites are a “place” of business without a physical storefront.
TIP #8 Is that Review Site owned or affiliated with a Mattress Brand?
Most may not know unless one has scoured the internet countless hours that some, if not most, of these mattress review websites and affiliate websites, are owned and operated by the actual mattress brands themselves. Have you ever seen that funny episode of Adam Ruins Everything? Furthermore, have you watched some of these "mattress experts" try to debunk this funny episode? Sadly, we think Adam was pretty much spot on...
The below list may shock you… Buyer Beware. See for yourself.
Magnuson, Michael. “Review Sites With Ties to Mattress Companies.” Good Bed, Goodbed.com, 2021, www.goodbed.com/guides/biased-mattress-review-websites/.
LIST OF CONFLICTED MATTRESS REVIEW WEBSITES:
Sleepopolis
sleepopolis [dot] com
Notes:
Casper financed the acquisition of this site by lending $5 million to the owners of Mattress Clarity in 2017. After an ownership change in 2020, this site is now part of the same company as Mattress Advisor, which has ties to Leesa (see below).
Mattress Clarity
mattressclarity[dot] com
Notes:
The owners of this site borrowed $5 million from Casper to acquire Sleepopolis in 2017. After an ownership change in 2020, this site is now part of the same company as Mattress Advisor, which has ties to Leesa (see below).
Mattress Advisor
mattressadvisor[dot] com
Notes:
The lead investor in Mattress Advisor and its portfolio of mattress review sites (One Better Ventures) is also the primary investor in Leesa. When the Mattress Advisor website was first launched, it contained a disclosure that has since been removed regarding Leesa's connection to the site.
Best Mattress Brand
bestmattress-brand[dot] org
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Mattress Nerd
mattressnerd[dot] com
Notes:
After an ownership change in 2018, this site is now part of the same company as Mattress Advisor, which has ties to Leesa (see above).
Honest Mattress Reviews
honestmattressreviews[dot] com
Notes:
This site is currently owned by a company that is backed by Brooklyn Bedding. Previously, a court ruled that this site failed to disclose a “significant business relationship” with GhostBed.
Sleep Junkie
sleepjunkie[dot] org
Notes:
Owned and operated by Amerisleep. In mid-2020, the NAD determined that it is insufficiently clear and conspicuous for consumers visiting Sleep Junkie to know that this site is an "advertising website owned and operated by Amerisleep, a mattress company whose products are being touted on the sites." In response to this ruling, Amerisleep stated that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s modification recommendation and ensure consumers understand that the sites include advertising content."
Sleep Authority
sleepauthority[dot] com
Notes:
This site is owned and operated by DreamCloud, LLC, which operates Nectar, DreamCloud, Level, and Awara.
Memory Foam Mattress
memoryfoammattress[dot] com
Notes:
Published by Relief Mart, producer of the Tempflow mattress brand.
Savvy Sleeper
savvysleeper[dot] org
Notes:
Owned and operated by Amerisleep. In mid-2020, the NAD determined that it is insufficiently clear and conspicuous for consumers visiting Savvy Sleeper to know that this site is an "advertising website owned and operated by Amerisleep, a mattress company whose products are being touted on the sites." In response to this ruling, Amerisleep stated that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s modification recommendation and ensure consumers understand that the sites include advertising content."
Mattress Inquirer
mattress-inquirer[dot] com
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
The Best Mattress
thebest-mattress[dot] org
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep. As of mid-2020, this site redirects to savvysleeper [dot] org, another Amerisleep property (see above).
Slumber Sage
slumbersage[dot] com
Notes:
The owners of this site borrowed money from Casper to acquire Sleepopolis.
Mattress-Reviews
mattress-reviews[dot] com
Notes:
This site is published by Novosbed, which is prominently disclosed on both the header and the home page.
Top Mattress Choices
topmattresschoices[dot] com
Notes:
This site is operated by Helix.
Mattress Journal
mattressjournal[dot] com
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Memory Foam Mattress Guide
memoryfoammattress-guide[dot] org
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
What’s the Best Bed
whatsthebestbed[dot] org
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Consumer Mattress Reviews
consumer-mattress-reviews[dot] com
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Best Mattress Online
bestmattressonline[dot] com
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Best Mattress Reviews
bestmattress-reviews[dot] org
Notes:
Site authors are employees or consultants of One Mall Group, parent company of Amerisleep.
Best Mattresses
bestmattresses[dot] org
Notes:
This site is operated by Eight Sleep.
We believe mattresses can be purchased online as well as offline. We encourage consumers with a more discerning comfort or firmness preference to try before they buy. Our over 40 years of experience in this business has assisted a great deal in developing this purchasing guide. Our priority is to eliminate our customers' hassle, frustration, buyer remorse, and waste. In the end, we believe this will be better for both our customers and our environment.