Best Place to Buy a Mattress
If you need a new mattress and find yourself utterly overwhelmed by all the choices, you’re not alone. This guide was designed to help you figure out how to find the best mattress for your individual needs. Not only must you choose the right mattress, but you must decide where to buy it. Where’s the best place to buy a bed? Will you find the best mattress brands online or in a brick-and-mortar store?
We’ve detailed the best mattress retailers online and specified whether they have a brick-and-mortar showroom where you can try the mattresses out for yourself. If you’d rather buy online, all of them have at least a 100-night sleep trial with free shipping and returns. We’ll cover the mattress type, price, return policy, warranty, and whether they offer a risk-free sleep trial.
With 5 mattress models, Amerisleep mattresses have something for everyone who wants to have a cool, comfortable night with the right support for back pain and pressure points.
Amerisleep mattresses feature a soft and breathable cover to promote better sleep.
The top comfort layer uses Bio-Pur®, which has an advanced open-cell structure that has more air space between the particles without losing any of its supporting ability. The additional air space makes the Bio-Pur® layer five times more breathable than traditional memory foam, which means you sleep nice and cool all night.
Another benefit to the open-cell structure is the bounce. It springs back 10 times faster than its traditional memory foam counterpart, so you won’t ever feel “stuck” or bogged down.
Bio-Pur® is made from partially plant-based oils, rather than 100 petroleum oils, making it cleaner and more eco-friendly. The CertiPUR-US certification also guarantees that the mattress is low is VOCs.
HIVE® is the acronym for Harnessing Intelligent Ventilation & Energy. This layer is firmer where you want it and softer where you need it, providing targeted support via hundreds of hexagon-shaped cutouts. There are five comfort zones in the HIVE® layer:
Head Shoulders Back Hips Feet
The hexagons are grouped closer together in the zones where you need more support—the head, back, and feet. Your shoulders and hips need more cushion, so the hexagons are spaced further apart to increase softness where you need it the most.
The Bio-Core® layer supports all the other layers. While it’s not plant-based like the Bio-Pur® layer, it’s the reason the other two layers can shine.
In addition to its online presence, Amerisleep has retail locations in several states. If you live near a retail location, you can try their mattresses out in person!
Price: $999 for the AS1 in queen size
Mattress Type: Memory foam
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 20 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Zoma is an online mattress retailer that offers one advanced mattress. This bed is loved by athletes and those that live an active lifestyle. Its ability to provide deep, restorative sleep helps sleepers wake up refreshed and ready for the day. The medium firmness of the mattress makes it perfect for most sleep positions–including back, side, and combination sleepers.
The cover of the Zoma mattress features a soft, knit fabric that keeps air circulating the bed. Beneath this cover are 3 unique layers of foam. The first layer features Triangulex™ technology. This foam is segmented with triangular cutouts zoned to give you the ideal balance of cushioning and support. Near the hips and shoulders, the foam offers a deeper compression. Near the back, head, and neck, the cutouts give firmer support.
Next is a layer of Reactiv™ technology. This transition layer contours to the curves of the body to give you pressure-free support. The base layer of the Zoma is made of Support+ foam. This durable layer provides extra support to the mattress, helps prevent sinking, and keeps your spine in a healthy position.
Although Zoma does not have a brick and mortar location, they offer a generous 100-night risk-free sleep trial. This trial allows you time to become accustomed to the bed and ensure it’s right for you.
Price: $850 a queen size
Mattress Type: Memory foam
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Avocado has one mattress which has a bevy of features that justify its higher price tag. The Avocado is an organic mattress with:
A button-tufted cover made from GOTS organic certified cotton
Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 Certified wool which wicks away moisture and acts as a fire barrier
Sustainably harvested GOLS organic certified latex foam
Depending on the mattress size, it can have up to 1,414 pocketed innerspring support coils and five ergonomic zones. It’s GREENGUARD Gold Certified, and you’ll enjoy sleeping on the finest in natural cushioning with an internal, zoned pressure-point support system. This mattress is mostly biodegradable and recyclable.
For $400 more, you can get an optional European-style pillow-top, which adds 2 inches of pure comfort and pressure point relief. Certified non-toxic, there are no chemical fire retardants and no petroleum-based polyurethane foams.
Avocado takes part in several charitable initiatives:
1% for the Planet — they donate 1% of all corporate revenues to vetted environmental nonprofits
Kula Project — brings entrepreneurial fellowships to villages in East Africa
Post-Landfill Action Network — a zero-waste movement led by students
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation — helps our world in many eco-friendly ways
1% for Open Space — a local consortium of local businesses who preserve open spaces in Colorado
Avocado offers a $50 mattress discount to verified members of select service communities such as educators, emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, military, firefighters, and police. Their site says it’s on top of any current mattress discount, but also says it’s not able to be combined with other offers.
Avocado has two showrooms where you can experience their mattress for yourself: Hoboken, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California.
Avocado offers third-party financing on their mattresses.
Price: $1,399 for a queen
Mattress Type: Hybrid
Sleep Trial: 1 year
Warranty: 25 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Tuft & Needle has two exceptional mattresses at reasonable prices. Their mattresses feature a breathable, super soft cover that is not meant to be removed, so you’ll only be able to spot-clean it. This company uses its own proprietary T&N Adaptive® Foam, which is comfortable for all kinds of sleepers.
While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a more expensive mattress, it’s a substantial value for your money with a competitive sleep trial, warranty, and free returns.
Tuft & Needle has donated over $9 million worth of mattresses to charitable causes between their return policy, school fundraising program, and direct product donations. Their employees have donated more than 1,500 hours to help those in need.
They have several showroom locations across the U.S. as well as a few retail partners. If you live near a location, you could test out their mattresses in person.
Returns will likely be donated to charity. Tuft & Needle offers third-party financing.
Price: $595 for their original mattress in a queen size
Mattress Type: Memory foam
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Our bargain-priced entry in the list, Zinus has 12 mattress models to choose from. Even their most luxurious model is just over $600.
Made of CertiPUR-US® Certified foam, the company sells good mattresses for a low price. The only concern is with the less expensive foam, they may sleep hotter than pricier mattress brands. At this price, springing for a cooling topper shouldn’t break the bank.
If you need a new bed on a budget, this company has mattresses with the right price tag, not to mention a competitive sleep trial and warranty. These mattresses are popular on Amazon, so you can read more reviews there to help you make a decision. Buyers are raving about the customer service, which is essential even with a budget mattress.
Zinus is a strictly online business, so there are no showrooms.
Third-party financing is available.
Price: $156 for the Green Tea memory foam 6-inch mattress in queen size
Mattress Types: Memory foam, hybrid
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Brentwood Home is an online business and has four mattress options: Cypress Bamboo Gel, Cedar Natural Luxe, Crystal Cove, and Oceano. Their materials range from sustainable, non-toxic kapok from South East Asia, New Zealand wool to wick away moisture, North Dakota buckwheat, GOLS certified organic latex and organic cotton from Texas with no chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
Most of their mattresses are on the pricier end of the spectrum. Their selections include a very attractive-looking vegan bed, the Crystal Cove, which may be of interest to those who embrace such a lifestyle.
Third-party financing is available.
Price: $600 for the Cypress Bamboo Gel medium mattress in queen size
Mattress Types: Memory foam, hybrid
Sleep Trial: 1 year
Warranty: 25 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Purple’s ® claim to fame is being the World’s First No-Pressure® Mattress designed to eliminate pressure points using their Smart Comfort Grid™ system. The cover is a viscose/polyester blend. The base and middle layers of their mattresses use CertiPUR-US® certified polyurethane foam. Their Smart Comfort Grid is made of a Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ material and is temperature-neutral.
If you’re looking for natural materials, you won’t find it in this one, but it’s hypoallergenic and non-toxic. If you have a lot of pain and sleep hot, this mattress may be worth a try for you.
You can try a Purple® mattress in-store. The website gives you locations based on your zip code.
Returns are donated to charities.
Purple® gives a 10% discount to all active military, veterans, retired military, reservists, military spouses, and registered dependents, which applies to any Purple order.
Third-party financing is available.
Price: $999 for the original mattress in queen size
Mattress Type: Hybrid
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Bear is a family business out of New Jersey with a focus on athletes. Their showroom is located in Hoboken, NJ.
Their mattress covers are quilted and hand-tufted with Celliant® Infrared Yarn Technology, which absorbs body heat and releases it back to you as infrared energy.
Bear uses multiple layers of foam of varying densities, each with their own job. These layers combine to keep you sleeping cool and comfortable with plenty of support for pressure points so that you can perform at your best the next day.
The company likes to give back and does so in several ways:
They proudly partner with Good Sports, which is an organization that provides footwear, apparel, and equipment to kids in need. They’ve donated to every state in the U.S.
Bear itself has donated over $150,000 and 2,700 pieces of equipment to local sports programs for kids in Jersey City, New Jersey.
When Bear processes a return, they find a charity in the area and donate the mattress when they come to pick it up.
Bear gives a 15% discount to armed forces, veterans, and military families.
Bear has three mattresses: Bear Mattress, Bear Pro, and Bear Hybrid.
Price: $840 for the original Bear in queen size
Mattress Types: All foam, hybrid
Sleep Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10-20 years, depending on the mattress model
Delivery/Returns: Free shipping and returns
Offline Stores vs. Online Retailers
Is buying a mattress online the best way to shop these days, or should you opt for an in-store experience? Both methods of shopping have their advantages, and we aim to show you what those are so that you can begin your mattress buying journey with confidence.
We also want to clear up the best place to buy a mattress by dispelling popular mattress myths.
Department Stores and Showrooms
When mattress shopping, you may be used to a typical department store or mattress store showroom with offerings from several of the big-name mattress companies. There are some perks to shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, such as:
Testing different mattress brands
Possible price-matching guarantees
Free disposal of your old mattress
Freebies like box springs, sheet sets, or pillows
Mattress sales
Sure, the possibilities of these perks are great, but are they worth the hassle in the end? You can lie down for a few minutes on the different mattress brands in the showroom, but not for long enough to know whether a particular mattress will be right for you.
If you’re an excellent negotiator and you already know what you want, you could take the price into your local mattress company. They might match it.
A department store or showroom will likely offer you free disposal of your old mattress, which can be hard to pass up. However, it’s not the only way to get rid of your old mattress.
For instance, if there are still some years left in your bed, you could donate it to a shelter. Another idea is to use your local Freecycle (most areas have one) and gift your old mattress to someone in your community who can use it. If you have no way to deliver it, you can specify the giftee must pick it up. Donating or giving it away keeps it out of a landfill for at least an extended lifespan.
Sometimes mattress stores will have a sale where they offer something free if you buy any size mattress over a certain dollar amount. Freebies like box springs, sheet sets, or pillows can be nice perks, but often the quality isn’t anything you’d typically buy for yourself anyway. If you have a newer bed frame, you may not even need a box spring.
Mattress sales can be tempting, even if the mattress on sale isn’t the type you were planning on getting. This can have disastrous results for your back and other pressure points. It may also get you stuck with a hot mattress or worse. If you’re going to shop at a brick-and-mortar store, it’s best to go in with a plan and stick to it—especially if you’ve already decided on the mattress you think is best for your body.
In most brick-and-mortar mattress stores, you’re dealing with a middleman. He or she buys mattresses at wholesale cost and then either adds a markup or uses the suggested retail price. There’s nothing wrong with this classic arrangement, but when you’re shopping for the best mattress you can afford, the markup may get between you and the right bed. So what are your other options?
Online Retailers
Stellar customer service doesn’t only happen in the realm of the brick-and-mortar. You can have a great shopping experience online. You can take all the time you need without a salesperson hovering or asking if you’re ready. You can research and research some more, and no one is going to know or care.
You’re going to find two different types of online mattress companies:
Companies direct-selling their own brand of mattresses
Retailers selling a range of mattress brands
Companies that direct-sell their beds online don’t always have a brick-and-mortar store, so you may only be able to buy online. These sellers don’t have a middleman or the costs of a showroom, which means you may get more mattress for your money. It’s still worth checking at the bottom of their site for showrooms or retail partners since some of them do have a physical storefront.
The other type of online retailer sells a range of mattress brands from different manufacturers. They often have lower prices and may have price match guarantees. Quality mattress retailers will offer a risk-free sleep trial.
Aside from the price tag, the most significant benefit to buying online is reading the thousands of mattress reviews from real customers just like you who’ve already purchased the mattresses you’re looking at. Not only do they share how pleased they are with the bed, but they will also share their discontent.
In the reviews, you’ll find others with the same issues as you, such as hip problems, a bad back, or hot flashes, and you can see how well the mattress has worked for them. You’ll read whether the foam cracked after a week or the mattress arrived with mildew, or whether a mattress for couples truly suited two people.
Reviewers often share their bed setups too, like whether they needed to add a box spring, are using slats, or have an adjustable bed frame.
Did You Find the Best Place to Buy Your Mattress?
You’ve learned about a variety of ways to shop for a good mattress that’s right for you, whether you prefer to shop in a brick-and-mortar store or enjoy hassle-free shopping online. There are many benefits to each method of mattress hunting, but in the end, it comes down to which are going to fit your budget, suit your sleeping position, and complement your lifestyle. Since you now know the best places to buy a mattress, you can move forward with confidence toward the best sleep you’ve had in years.