Things to Remember When Purchasing aMattressPosted by Victor Busciglio

Purchasing a mattress is one of the most important home furnituredecisions you can make. Your sleeping comfort at night depends on howwell you select your mattress, that’s why. But with a 101 makes, features,designs and costs of mattresses, it is so easy to go astray on thisparticular shopping expedition. To avoid buying a mattress that you willregret later on, here some points to remember when buying one.

Set a budget. New mattress and box spring sets can cost fromaround $500 to more than $5,000, depending on the manufacturer, bedsize, special features, and how diligent you are about shopping for deals.Figure out a ballpark figure of what you’re willing to spend, but don’tlow­ball it. Ideally, you’re going to spend a third of the next 10 years on thisbed. You want to invest in one that will be exactly right for you.

Measure twice; buy once. Good carpenters follow the adage “Measuretwice, cut once.” The same applies to buying mattresses. If you’re tradingup to a larger bed, you want to make sure you have enough room. Afull­size mattress, which is barely big enough for two small people, is 54inches wide and 75 inches long, while a queen­size bed is 60 inches wideand 80 inches long.

Try out as many beds as you can. The only way to figure out whichbed is right for you and your budget is to try out as many as you can. Hopon, and spend a few minutes trying them out. Just remember: If it doesn’tfeel right in the store, it won’t feel right in your home. Repeat this processat two or three more stores, taking notes as you go about the beds youlike.

Avoid sales pressure. Good salespeople will ask questions about yoursleeping preferences that should guide you to several mattresses in yourprice range. And they have incentive to help you find one that’s right, sincetheir commission goes away if they lose a sale. But try to keep a pokerface while trying out the beds. As with buying a new car, you should be theone in control.

Look out for unnecessary extras. Once you’ve settled on a mattress,you will get special offers for designer bed frames and expensivemattress pads. In most cases, these aren’t good deals. Well­made steelbed frames can be found at wholesale stores like Costco for a fraction ofthe price, and you can find better prices on mattress pads at linen anddepartment stores..

Out with the old, in with the new: Many mattress sellers offer freedelivery and removal of your old mattress if your bed purchase is above acertain price, with regular delivery fees for lower­priced models typicallyrunning around $70. But stores may waive or slash delivery fees if they’repotential deal­breakers. If mattress removal is going to run more than $25,you’re better off using a mattress recycling service.

Change your pillows. If you have allergy problems, it may not be pollenin the air that’s causing your problems. It just might be your old pillows,which can harbor dust mites and dead skin cells. Celebrate your new bedwith a set of brand­new pillows, and plan on replacing them every year ortwo. Protective covers can extend your pillows’ life span and cut down onallergens, but both down and fiber­filled pillows offer less head and necksupport the longer they are used.

Focus on comfort. You must be comfortable on it. The best sleepingexperience derives from how comfortable you feel, not on how expensiveor cheap is the mattress.

Find the right feel. Firmness is not always better while softness is notalways good. The mattress must be firm but not too soft.

Don’t rush. If you buy a mattress with some urgent things in mind, likelyas not you will end up with the mattress that is not right for you.

Look for a good warranty. With a good warranty, you are protectedfrom unforeseen damages.