ExecutiveChronicles | What to Look For When Buying a Mattress Online | Sixty-nine percent of Americans have purchased an item online. But, there are still some items that people prefer to test out first.
How can you shop for perfume, for example, without knowing what it smells like? And what if those shoes pinch your toes despite being your correct size? You might have thought the same about buying a mattress. After all, we spend a third of our lives either asleep or attempting to drift off. And choosing an uncomfortable mattress means you’ll be doing a lot less of the former.
That said, shopping for a new mattress online is now easier than ever. If the chance to avoid pushy salespeople and high retail mark-ups can’t convince you, maybe the generous trial periods and high customer satisfaction ratings will.
But what should you look for when buying a mattress online? Keep reading to find out!
Trial Period and Return Policy
Online mattress companies can offer high-quality mattresses at much cheaper prices because they don’t have the overhead costs of brick-and-mortar stores. But, while the price is one of the many advantages of buying a mattress online, the main downside for many customers is not being able to “try” a bed out before you buy but you can buy mattress on lengthy trial period from Isense Beds.
Although we’d argue that sitting on a mattress in a busy store for 10 minutes doesn’t exactly show you how it will feel to sleep on it, this quick test can answer some immediate questions. For example, you’ll soon be able to see whether you love the feel of a memory foam mattress or whether it’s a little too firm for your tastes.
To address these concerns, most online mattress retailers offer a generous trial period of 100 days or more whenever you buy a mattress from them. This gives you ample time to test out the mattress at home and return it risk-free.
But, don’t just assume that all mattress companies are the same. When choosing a mattress, one of the first stops on a retailer’s site should be the terms and conditions page. This will explain how long the trial period is, whether there’s a return fee, and how much of your money you’ll get back. Online companies often arrange to pick it up and most give you a full refund but it pays to make sure before you buy.
Different Mattress Types
You might be surprised by how many online shopping options there are when it comes to different mattresses. In fact, certain mattress types, such as hybrid models, are often more available online than in stores. Here are the mattress types you can choose from:
Innerspring Mattresses – This traditional mattress option uses a steel coil support core topped with a foam comfort layer. This type of mattress offers superior level support, while their bounciness makes them perfect for sex. That said, innerspring mattresses don’t tend to contour to the body as well as other types of mattresses.
Memory Foam Mattresses – These mattresses are all-foam, offering a firm base and the feeling of being ‘hugged’ as they conform to your body. While they last longer than traditional innerspring beds, they are known for trapping heat so you should avoid this material if you sleep hot.
Hybrid Mattresses – These mattresses combine a pocketed coil support core with multiple layers of foam for added comfort on top. These mattresses can contour to the body in the same way as a memory foam mattress but don’t trap heat in the same way, offering a cooler sleeping experience.
Latex Mattresses – Using latex foam from rubber trees, these mattresses offer plenty of bounce and a rounded contour to the body. Although, latex mattresses are one of the most expensive options and they emit an off-gassing smell for up to a month.
Airbeds – These mattresses have an air chamber for support topped with foam comfort layers, offering adjustable firmness via an electric air pump. While airbeds are one of the most durable options, they tend to be on the pricier side.
Firmness
The degree of firmness you should aim for depends a lot on your usual sleeping position. While we all change position throughout the night, most of us are either side sleepers, stomach sleepers, or back sleepers.
As many as 74 percent of Americans sleep on their side. If you’re one of them, it’s important to find the best mattress for your sleeping style. The sweet spot for most side sleepers is a soft to medium firmness, with extra firm options like memory foam being the worst choice. In contrast, stomach sleepers tend to find an extra-firm mattress more comfortable, while back sleepers fall somewhere in between the two.
More and more online retailers offer flippable mattresses with different levels of firmness on both sides. This allows you to try out both options to see which you prefer. And, with a 100-day trial period, you can be sure that you’ll get ample opportunity to do so.
Pressure Relief
A mattress that’s too firm or too soft for your usual sleeping style can aggravate pressure points. These are the spots on your body where you place the most pressure when lying down. For example, side sleepers find that they experience more pressure on their hips and shoulders.
The good news is that modern mattresses are designed to minimize these pressure points and provide a larger area of support to avoid overstressing key areas of the body. And, while there’s no single best mattress for everybody, the best mattresses should help you maintain good posture when lying down, keep your spine in a neutral position, and support your pressure points – regardless of how you lie on it.
Buying a Mattress Online
While you might never have considered buying a mattress from an online retailer before, there’s never been a better time to take advantage of the options and prices that only online shopping can offer.
And, with the help of this guide, it’ll be a lot easier to navigate the process of choosing a mattress that suits your needs and preferences.
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