How to buy a mattress, plus deals on mattresses you can shop President's Day weekend

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January is an excellent month to find deals on mattresses. Getty Images

President's Day mattress deals are here. Top mattress brands including Casper, Essentia, Saatva and Purple are all slashing prices on mattresses for the holiday weekend. The best part is, you don't need to interrupt your long weekend travel plans to find a mattress store. All these President's Day mattress deals can be found online.

One reason why online mattress shopping is so popular: pricing. Online-purchased mattresses typically cost 15 percent less than comparable in-store models -- and sometimes less than half the retail price. And there's little risk involved: These mattresses typically come with flexible return policies and lengthy trial periods.

For decades, buying a mattress involved visiting a mattress or department store and testing models in the flesh. But, thanks to the rise of direct-to-consumer mattress brands and bed-in-a-box technology, many shoppers are shifting mattress shopping habits online.

It's not easy knowing how and where to shop for a mattress online, especially if you've never done it before. But below, all of the information you need to buy a mattress online without fear, plus great deals available on mattresses now. (Note that all mattress prices listed are for a queen, the most popular mattress size.)

What kind of mattresses can you buy online?

FotoDuets

When you buy a mattress from a store, it usually involves in-home setup via a delivery service. But most online mattress companies use standard ground delivery via a shipping company. To simplify that shipping, the companies typically use bed-in-a-box or mattress-in-a-box packaging. Before shipping, a process dubbed "roll-packing" compresses the mattress and vacuum seals it in plastic, minimizing size. After unboxing, it quickly expands into a full size mattress, ready for sleeping within 24 to 48 hours.

Foam mattresses dominate the online mattress market -- memory foam compresses more efficiently than other types and tends to be more cost efficient. Recently, however, conventional coil/innerspring, gel and hybrid mattresses have surged in popularity.

One of the most appealing aspects of memory foam? It cradles a body to relieve pressure points, and then returns to its original shape. This makes it a great sleeping surface for people with back issues. Memory foam has evolved over the past three decades, offering much more bounce back, a cooler sleep experience and more longevity, all at a lower price point. There's also cool gel memory foam, which offers a firmer and cooler sleeping experience. For sleepers partial to old-school innerspring and coil mattresses, hybrids are a great option, combining the support of innerspring and the cradling quality of gel or foam.

Testing a mattress and returns

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Testing a mattress prior to purchase generally isn't an option when shopping online. That said, nearly every online mattress seller offers a generous trial period and easy return and exchange policies -- which often work in your favor. Instead of simply testing a mattress in a showroom, you can sleep on it for days or even months, generally risk-free.

Most companies have also made the return process seamless, refunding money and covering shipping or pick-up costs as well. Some companies will even donate your unwanted mattress to charity, and still give you your refund.

Do you need a boxspring and bed frame?

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You should always consider your bed frame before buying a mattress. Most mattresses don't require a boxspring as long as you use them with a slatted bed frame.

And don't forget to factor in the depth of the bed frame. For example, if your frame is deep, you want to avoid a super-thin mattress.

The biggest and best President's Day mattress deals

Essentia Stratami full mattress: $2,472

Essentia

Essentia's President's Day sale includes 20% of everything including a free gift per mattress.

The Stratami mattress is one of the brand's best sellers. It's made with sustainable and ethical farming practices. The mattress is vegan, made with certified-organic latex and is impervious to dust mites, making it an ideal choice for allergy sufferers. It can be ordered in a twin, twin XL, full, queen and king.

Essentia Stratami full mattress, $2,472 (regularly $3,090)

Casper Wave hybrid queen mattress: $2,460

Casper

Casper is offering up to 15% off its mattresses until February 22. Casper's President's Day sale includes 10% off of everything else.

This Casper mattress is highly rated by customers. It's outfitted with gel pods that lift your waist and lower back for better alignment. The mattress is made with Casper's AirScape 3 + cooling gel technology, which helps prevent the mattress from becoming hot.

Casper Wave hybrid queen mattress, $2,460 (regularly $2,895)

If you tend to sweat while you sleep, the Casper Wave hybrid can also be purchased with Casper's Snow Technology. The brand's advanced cooling feature is made with a layer of cooling gel that helps prevent overheating for up to 12 hours.

Casper Wave hybrid queen mattress plus Snow Technology, $2,885 (regularly $3,395)

Casper also offers a supportive foam pillow with the same cooling Snow Technology.

Casper foam pillow with Snow Technology, $139

Saatva Classic queen mattress: $1,495

Saatva

Saatva's President's Day sale includes $200 off a purchase of $1,000 to $1,999 until February 21. Score this queen-sized Saatca Classic mattress for $200 off right now.

Saatva Classic is a popular hybrid mattress. It can be ordered in two heights and various levels of firmness, ranging from plush soft to firm. It offers two layers of coils and a pillow top filled with pressure-relieving memory foam. Saatva also provides a generous, risk-free trial period of 180 nights.

Saatva Classic queen mattress, $1,495 (regularly $1,695)

During Saatva's President's Day sale, save $450 on a purchase of $4,000 or more. This Solaire adjustable mattress in a split California king offers 50 firmness settings on both sides and claims to have virtually no motion transfer.

Saatva Solaire adjustable California king mattress, $4,145 (regularly $4,595)

Purple queen mattress: $1,274

Purple

The Purple mattress is having a President's Day sale. The Purple mattress is $125 off. The Hybrid mattress is $200 off. The Hybrid Premier is up to $300 off. The brand is also offering up to $200 off bedding bundles.

Technically foam models, Purple mattresses feature the company's Purple Grid technology, which layers hyper-elastic polymer between tiers of foam or coils, depending on the model. The traditional Purple mattress features two levels of the brand's trademark gel, paired with dual-layer foam, while the Purple Plus boasts two extra layers of comfort foam. The Purple Hybrid adds pocked coils for more airflow and durability, and the Purple Hybrid Premiere 3 or 4 -- luxury models -- offer three or four inches of the buoyant-feeling gel. Every mattress comes with a 100-night, risk-free sleep trial period.

Purple queen mattress, $1,274 (regularly $1,399)

Purple queen Hybrid, $2,199 (regularly $2,399)

Purple queen Hybrid Premiere, $2,749 (regularly $2,999)

Nod by Tuft and Needle queen mattress: $450

Tuft and Needle via Amazon

This memory foam mattress is made with two layers of open-cell foam. The first layer provides cushiony comfort while the second layer provides support. The mattress is available in sizes twin to California king.

Nod by Tuft and Needle queen mattress, $450 (regularly $500)

Novilla queen mattress: $335

Novilla via Amazon

This four-layer foam mattress features a gel top layer to keep you cool and an egg crate-designed foam layer to increase airflow and prevent your mattress from feeling hot. The multiple foam layers are meant to distribute pressure and mold to your body ensuring a comfortable sleep. The mattress is available in sizes twin to California king.

Novilla queen mattress, $335 (regularly $380)

Sweetnight full mattress in a box: $392

Sweetnight via Amazon

Sweetnight says this mattress resists sagging. The bedroom essential is constructed with individually wrapped innersprings and features gel memory foam for support and pressure relief. The medium-firm feeling mattress is available in full, queen and king sizes.

Sweetnight full mattress in a box, $392 (regularly $503)

Avocado Green queen mattress: $1,439

Avocado

Avocado Green mattresses are 10% off for President's Day, through February 28. Avocado Green offers a number of environmentally friendly mattresses, including the Avocado Vegan, a PETA-approved, no-wool hybrid. All the company's mattresses are constructed from non-toxic, natural and organic materials. The Avocado Green Mattress is made with 100% organic latex, 100% organic wool and 100% organic cotton -- and no polyester, polyurethane or toxic fire retardants.

Avocado also offers one of the most generous trial periods: one year.

Avocado Green queen mattress, $1,439 (regularly $1,599)

Serta 7" cooling gel memory foam queen mattress: $349

Serta via Amazon

Amazon has a Serta mattress on sale. This cooling gel foam mattress uses compression technology to pack the mattress into Serta's smallest carton yet, making it an ideal choice for people who live alone and might have trouble transporting a mattress from the front door to the bedroom.

Serta 7" cooling gel memory foam queen mattress, $349 (regularly $399)

Zinus 12" green tea cooling gel memory foam queen mattress: $284

Zinus via Amazon

This Zinus mattress is infused with green tea for what Zinus calls its "most cooling formula yet." The thick memory foam mattress includes a 10 year warranty.

Zinus 12" green tea cooling gel memory foam queen mattress, $284 (regularly $350)

Layla memory foam queen mattress: $949

Layla

Whether you suffer from intermittent back problems or are on the fence about whether you prefer a softer or firmer mattress, Layla serves as both. Available as both a memory foam and hybrid, this clever sleeping surface offers "flippable firmness," soft on one side and firm on the other. And, constructed out of a pressure-relieving antimicrobial copper foam, it helps you sleep cooler, cleaner and more comfortably. Layla offers a 120-night, money back guarantee.

This mattress is $150 off for President's day and comes with two free pillows.

Layla memory foam queen mattress, $949 (reduced from $1,099)

Birch Luxe Natural by Helix queen mattress: $2,499

Birch by Helix

Birch is an offshoot of popular mattress brand Helix, offering comfortable and luxurious beds, responsibility sourced and sustainably produced, handcrafted and assembled in the USA. The mattresses are also Greenguard Gold certified and GOTS certified organic. They offer two options, including the upgraded Birch Luxe Natural (shown here), made with materials such as organic cashmere, organic New Zealand wool, Fairtrade cotton and Pulse latex. This medium-firm hybrid limits motion transfer with the help of 1,000 individually wrapped steel coils and natural latex to cradle the body and relieve pressure points.

Use the code PRESDAY400 to save $400 on this mattress and receive two free pillows at checkout.

Birch Luxe Natural by Helix queen mattress, $2,499 (reduced from $2,899)

Brooklyn Custom queen mattress: $1,312

Brooklyn Bedding

Brooklyn Bedding recently unveiled a completely customizable mattress. Available in three sizes -- queen, king or California king -- options include firmness (soft, medium or firm), comfort (gel-infused with deep compression support; an all-natural responsive and breathable latex; or a contouring TitanFlex with pressure-point relief) and top fabric (organic cotton, luxury cooling or recovery).

Everything from Brooklyn Custom is 25% off during the brand's President's Day deals until February 21.

Brooklyn Custom queen mattress, $1,312 (reduced from $1,749)

Shop more mattresses

Tempur-Adapt queen mattress

Tempurpedic

Tempur-Pedic released the first memory foam mattress in the 1990s. The Tempur-Adapt, which comes with a 90-day, risk-free trial, boasts multiple layers of memory foam and coils. The 11-inch mattress is a good option for sleepers who like mid-level firmness paired with superior motion absorption.

Tempur-Adapt queen mattress, $2,299

The Emma Original queen mattress

Emma

The best-selling mattress in the U.K., Emma launched an all-foam mattress in 2015 in Europe, expanding to the United States in 2019. They only offer one, tri-level, all-foam model at a moderately affordable price point. The ultra comfortable sleeping surface is soft but supportive, designed to isolate motion, relieve pressure, align the spine and also regulate temperature. Emma offers a 100-night, satisfaction-guaranteed, risk-free trial.

This mattress deal does not appear to be related to President's Day.

Emma original queen mattress, $934 (reduced from $1,099)

Zinus Ultima queen mattress

A budget-friendly mattress with overwhelmingly positive Amazon reviews, Zinus Ultima boasts 12 inches of memory foam at an under-$400 price point. Infused with green tea and charcoal, the mattress controls odors while absorbing moisture and provides firm-plush, pressure-relieving support.

Zinus Ultima queen mattress, $429

Tuft & Needle Original queen mattress

Tuft & Needle/Amazon

One of the top-selling and user-supported mattress brands on Amazon, Tuft & Needle offers a great mattress value. With two layers of foam -- a firm and supportive base with a plush, cooling top layer -- the medium-firm, 10-inch mattress is made out of chemical free materials and is both Greenguard Gold and CertiPUR-US certified. The company offers a 100-night trial; that said, the brand maintains that 95% of customers opt to keep sleeping on Tuft & Needle mattress.

Tuft & Needle Original queen mattress, $761 (reduced from $895)

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