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Ten tips

Buy mattress that gives you good night's sleep

By LAURA T. COFFEY
Published January 29, 2006

Shopping for a mattress can be one of the most daunting experiences a consumer will face. Everything about it can be confusing: the mattress names and classifications, the retailers' and manufacturers' claims, the pricing schemes at different stores. To help you navigate the mattress maze, consider these tips.

1. Know the rules of the game. Ads for "blowout sales" exhort you to act fast, but stores offer such sales all the time. By shopping around and being alert, you can pay at least 50 percent less than list price for an innerspring mattress. Even discount prices can be subject to additional reductions, so be sure to haggle.

2. Try mattresses out for at least 15 minutes. Don't be embarrassed about lying down on the mattresses displayed in the showroom. In fact, wear loose-fitting clothing when you shop for this precise purpose. Rather than lying on your back only, make a point of trying out your normal sleeping position.

3. Classifications can confuse. Don't rely too heavily on manufacturers' many quality classifications, which may include "premium," "superpremium," "ultrapremium" and "luxury," and firmness levels, which may include "pillow soft," "plush," "cushion firm" and "superfirm." Instead, test multiple mattresses to find out what feels the most comfortable.

4. Ask about comfort guarantees. You might be given a time frame, ranging from several weeks to several months, to return or exchange a bed that's not working for you. Read the fine print, though: Sometimes you'll have to pay for delivery if you send it back, along with a percentage of the total price. Other times, you won't have to spend a dime.

5. Don't buy used. Some retailers sell used bedding without being completely upfront about what they're doing. If you want a new mattress, make sure the one you're considering has a new mattress tag, and ask the retailer to write "new" on the receipt. Don't let heavy plastic wrapping prevent you from examining the tag.

6. Do you really need a new box spring? Box springs can cost as much as the mattress itself, even though their construction is quite simple. Keep your old box spring if it's in decent shape, even if the retailer says you'll void your warranty if you don't buy a mattress and box spring as a set. That may not be true, so check.

7. Ask about disposal. Some stores will bring your old mattress set to the curb for trash pickup, while others will take it away free of charge or for a nominal fee.

8. Inspect the mattress upon delivery. Don't accept it if it's damaged or it isn't the mattress you ordered. Keep the receipt, and don't detach the "Do not remove" tag from the mattress. You'll need both the receipt and the tag if you have to make a warranty claim.

9. That said, don't depend on warranties. They may last 10 to 20 years, but mattress warranties don't cover regular wear and tear or comfort concerns; they cover defects in workmanship and materials only. If you complain that your mattress is sagging, an inspector will need to see that the sag is more than 11/2 inches deep.

10. What about alternative, specialty mattresses? The most expensive beds on the market, all advertised heavily on TV, include Duxiana, Select Comfort and Tempur-Pedic. They typically cost $1,500 or more. Before you buy, test them out for more than 15 minutes - you might love them, or you might be surprised to find that you truly can't stand them.

-- Sources: Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov)

[Last modified January 24, 2006, 20:14:02]