Mattress sales tactics: How to avoid being ripped off buying a mattress

The mattress details are overlooked in shops

Any discussion about the components of the mattress will be discussed at an incredibly high level, confusing you even further. If you ask for any more information you will probably get even more high-level confusion or just shown even more beds. You get further and further confused.

Looking at the mattress description can you actually tell what’s inside it?

• What spring gauge does it have?
• Whats the spring insulator layer?
• What upholstery or comfort layers does it contain?
• What’s the GSM, Blend, Density or layer order of these fibres?
• Is it a one or two-sided mattress?

The bottom line is none of this is helping you choose the correct mattress. It is just helping you choose something, anything that will make a sale. Let us stop that scenario. This is where we come in. There is no need to go through any of the above. Using this site or speaking to one of our friendly experts can help you understand the right mattress choice much faster and with zero spin

What you really need to know to be able to choose a mattress

It’s such a shame that retail mattress sales are seen as a competitive sport rather than properly assessing which mattress would be suitable for you. You’re never asked the right questions meaning that your search for your new mattress is purely based on budget and how quickly you can make a decision to buy.

With decades of experience, we can condense the correct requirements gathering exercise into 3 main points.

1. What spring tension do you need?

This is the most vital question when choosing a mattress. Spring tensions are not the same of ‘comfort’ or ‘mattress feel. The spring tension is entirely dictated by your body weight. If you choose a bed based on soft, medium or firm and expect it to feel like that you’re going to be disappointed, This rating nearly always refers to the spring tension of the mattress and not the ‘comfort layers’ or ‘upholstery feel’ of the mattress. See our handy table below to work out exactly which ‘Spring tension’ you need.

2. What’s your budget and what to expect

The next question really is to identify the kind of upholstery and spring unit your budget can afford. There’s no point being shown 100% Natural Fibre hand made mattresses if you have a budget of say £500. The pricing table below will help you identify what you can expect for our budget to help you identify suitable models.

3. Choose the overall comfort or feel of the mattress

This is where most people go wrong. They mistakenly choose the spring tension as the comfort feel leading to years of awkward and uncomfortable sleep. Given that most retailers have very stringent guarantee and return conditions you need to make sure you don’t fall into this trap.

The upholstery layers on top of the spring or support unit will provide the overall feel of the mattress. This is where you really need expert advice to help explain how each layer works independently and when combined. For example, horsehair acts as both a spring and a resistant layer whereas wool is a softer primary layer. Our team of experts can help identify what layers you need for say a soft, medium or firm feel in the mattress based on your budget.

You should always avoid a one-sided mattress where possible. This is another common mistake when buying a mattress, especially in a bed sale. You’re tricked into thinking ‘Turn free’ mattresses are actually a benefit when they are not. Unless you’re paying half price for the mattress then a no-turn bed should always be avoided when possible.

Top 5 Mattress Sale Tips

1 – You don’t need to physically try out a mattress. In fact, often going about it this way means you miss vital research and information required to choose a suitable mattress. A 15-second session lying on a showroom bed won’t give you a good indication of the comfort, durability or structure of the mattress.

2- Gather your requirements for your new mattress first, to really understand what you need it to provide you with and any weight considerations, especially if it’s a shared bed.

3 – Do your research before you set off to an online retailer or retail shop. You’re unlikely to get the level of information you require from sales staff. Use our guides so you know how to compare mattresses before you step out the door.

4 – Be wary of Sale signs, especially given the recent office of fair trading enquiry into misleading RRP prices and sales of retailers. Do you feel the bed you’re looking at ever was worth the RRP? Your requirements should come first and then budget close second, a perceived good deal is not a good buy if it’s not the right bed for you!

5 – Ask ‘what does that mean?’ don’t just take someone’s word for it. If you’re given product details query what that means for you in terms of comfort, durability and support in the mattress. What is the density, depth and construction method of these memory foams or latex layers? If you feel uncertain then trust your instinct!

Summary

If you are unsure, you can speak directly to an expert who can provide honest advice without the spin. If you’re planning on visiting a mattress retailer read our top 5 tips to at least be armed with some guidance to save confusion. You could always choose the alternative which is to give our small friendly team a call on 0161 437 4419 and chat through your options from the comfort of your own home. We can provide comparisons if you do want to hit the shops to test some out, but with our 60 days love it or return it guarantee you probably won’t want to!

We also have our own online outlet were we discount returned mattresses. Far more transparent than a fake sale or alternatively you can buy from our mattress clearance range. Why not have a look? Alternatively get in touch with our small friendly team and drop us a message below for free impartial mattress advice.