Consumers have brought the shopping experience home by purchasing products from toys to food online. It’s no longer a trend to buy products online, it’s just how things are done. There are, however, a few taboo products people are skeptical about purchasing over the Internet. Mattresses are certainly in this category.
This is changing, because the best place to buy a mattress is often online. Have consumers changed their minds about online mattress sales? Not really. The mattress companies have simply made it much easier to buy a bed online, give it a test run at home for an agreed upon time, and the ability to return the bed no questions asked.
You may be on the market for a new bed, but still wary of purchasing one online. The following is a game changer. Let’s take a closer look at how to buy a mattress online the right way.
Mattress Test Drives At Home
Yes, this really does exist. And it actually makes sense that most mattress companies are letting customers buy beds and return them if it doesn’t quite work out. It’s kind of like putting money down and dating a new mattress. Here’s how it usually works:
- You do online research and pick a mattress based on the reviews and ratings
- You store your old mattress somewhere (don’t sell it) and buy your new one
- Next, you test drive your mattress for a number of days (30, 60, 90 days)
- If you like it, the deal stands and you are sleeping better
- If the mattress is keeping you up at night, you return it and get a full refund
Now this is usually how it goes. But before you order a new mattress online, it’s a good idea to know a bit more about how this all works.
Understand The Type Of Mattress It Is
The type of mattress is part of the online bed buying journey, since the different types can come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, if you opt for memory foam, it comes rolled
tightly in very long, narrow box. You then cut away the box and let the memory foam mattress expand into a bed over 24 hours.
It’s a pretty cool thing to watch. This makes buying a bed online much easier, since it can be shipped to your home quickly. It also takes a lot less effort to move the bed into your home and bedroom.
The type of mattress is important to know, because you may have to change your bed frame. Memory foam, for instance, is best with slatted bed frames since they are closer together and the mattress won’t get punctured by box spring material. You certainly don’t want to get your new mattress and have the wrong bed frame, so always keep that in mind.
Make Sure The Trial Period Is Long Enough
It can take months to decide if you like a mattress enough to keep. Memory foam is very firm at first, only softening up after 60 or 90 days. This makes it essential to get a long enough trial period before purchasing a mattress online. Most online mattress sales come with a standard 100 day test period. Some will have longer though.
Some major brand mattress companies have 120 days, or even a full year to test out their beds before making a decision. Just be sure to stay away from the 30 day trials when shopping online.
What Is The Return Policy?
Knowing more about the return policy after the trial period is another important way to buy a mattress online the right way. For example, how do you return the memory foam bed that came in that tight, vacuum-sealed packaging? The good news is that you normally don’t have to.
Many mattress stores that sell beds online would rather not get the mattress back at all. Instead, they want you to donate it locally, and then issue the refund in full once they get the donation receipt. If you do need to return it, most bed companies will coordinate and pay to get it picked up and shipped back to their warehouse.
In Conclusion . . .
Buying a mattress online can be done right. You very well could find the best bed you’ve ever slept on via a digital shopping experience. It is also easy and more affordable to buy online, since the prices can be dropped significantly, or there are great sales and promotions. Do some research online and see if any mattress peaks your interest.
