Trying a Mattress in a Store vs Online

Trying a Mattress in a Store: Advantages and Any Cons

Shopping for a mattress in a store lets you test firmness firsthand, although the experience is often brief and doesn’t reflect what it’s like to sleep on the mattress over multiple nights. In addition, higher prices, potential delivery delays, and sales pressure can make in-store shopping less convenient.

Briefly Try the Mattress On-Site

Being able to lie down and physically feel the mattress beneath in the physical store is appealing to many who want to gauge firmness, support, and overall comfort firsthand. This method of testing the mattress, though, is limited in time. Five minutes in-store does not necessarily give you a sense of whether it will be comfortable for eight hours of sleep.

About Same-Day Pickup

In-store shopping also enables you to walk out with your mattress the same day. However, there can be a wait if the mattress on display is not in stock, so the store must order it, or if you arrange professional delivery. Limited delivery schedules and seasonal delays can extend the potential wait. There may be additional delivery fees, too, whereas the Saatva Classic Mattress has free white glove delivery, which includes in-room delivery, setup, and removal of your old mattress at no extra cost.

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Pricing for In-Store vs. Online

Mattresses in stores also often have higher prices than comparable models online. That is largely due to the costs associated with operating a brick-and-mortar location, such as rent and property costs, utilities, and inventory management. Traditional stores also often have a middleman, further increasing prices.

Sales Support

There are both pros and cons to salespeople in the store. While staff can answer questions about mattresses in the showroom, such as firmness and materials, they can pressure you into deciding hastily. That can make it challenging to consider what mattress is the best fit.

What about Online Mattress Shopping? Pros and any Limitations

Online mattress shopping is popular for the convenience and affordability that traditional stores rarely match. While some people hesitate about not testing the mattress in person first, the at-home trials that several leading brands include provide a more realistic measure of comfort. That makes it easier to find which mattress most suits you.

At-Home Trials

The top mattresses online include sleep trials that extend from several weeks to months, depending on the brand. Saatva offers a generous 365-night sleep trial with its Classic Mattress, giving you the opportunity to try it at home for significantly longer than a few minutes in a physical store. In the unlikely case you are not fully satisfied within that period, you can return it for a full refund, with a relatively small processing fee to cover pickup.

Cost-Effective, in a Range of Sizes

Buying online is often more affordable than in-store when it comes to mattresses. There is no middleman markup and no operating costs associated with a showroom, such as rent and utilities.

Shoppers benefit directly, with high-quality mattresses like the Saatva Classic available online at a reasonable price. The Classic Mattress is built-to-order and constructed with premium materials, including a plush Euro top, individually wrapped coils, and a breathable organic cotton cover.

Many brands like Saatva also include free delivery with online mattress orders, along with offers for online shoppers. That’s further cost-savings, whichever Classic Mattress size is chosen:

• Twin
• Twin XL
• Full
• Queen
• King
• Split King
• California King
• Split California King

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Convenient and Pressure-Free

Shopping online means you can browse at your own pace without a salesperson hovering over you. The process doesn’t have sales pressure like you might feel in a physical showroom, so you make the mattress purchase when you feel ready, which can lead to a more confident choice. Plus, you can shop on the web any time of the day, rather than being limited to store hours.

Returns and Warranties

In addition to long trial periods, top mattress brands online often back their products with strong warranties. For example, the Saatva Classic Mattress has a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty, extending for as long as you, the original owner, possess it. The policy outlines protection against defects in workmanship and materials, and the terms for mattress repair or replacement.

Easy returns are common with top mattresses online. Saatva handles returns through white glove pickup, with a reasonable processing fee, in the unlikely case you decide the Classic Mattress is not for you within 365 nights of delivery. There’s no transporting the mattress to a physical store to return it, which many brands require for in-store purchases. That makes the online process more convenient with less stress.

More Informed Decision-Making

The best online mattress brands provide tools to help you make the right decision, effectively taking the place of in-store staff. Saatva offers live chat, product descriptions, buyer reviews, and a help center on its US site, as well as 24/7 phone support. These features give you the info you need and can be more thorough than a brief in-store conversation, as you get the details directly from the manufacturer.

Delivery and Setup

Many mattresses online are rolled and compressed into a box to conveniently ship to your door, often with free delivery. What differentiates the Saatva Classic from many mattresses-in-a-box is that it has the luxury feel of an innerspring mattress with the convenience of online shopping. The Classic Mattress ships flat, fully assembled, and is hand-delivered and set up in your room, all at no additional cost.

Several brands online offer optional white-glove delivery that includes setup and old mattress removal, removing any stress, yet few include it standard, like Saatva. In-store delivery, on the other hand, can involve limited schedules, additional fees, and stock availability problems.

Addressing any ‘But I Can’t Test It First!’ Concerns

You may worry about not testing a mattress in a store before purchase. However, brief showroom visits rarely reflect long-term comfort.

Many people find that trying a mattress in a store for a few minutes vs online ordering doesn’t guarantee how it will feel night after night. That highlights a key benefit of online shopping: extended home trials that let you experience a mattress over a set period under your normal sleep conditions rather than a few minutes in a showroom. For instance, Saatva includes a 365-night home trial with its Classic Mattress.

At home, you can evaluate the mattress during your normal sleep routine to determine if the support and comfort are what you need, rather than a quick first impression in a store. This makes trying a mattress in a store vs online a very different experience, with online often proving more accurate for what to expect, as you have time to evaluate the mattress at home.

In the rare instance the mattress doesn’t meet your expectations, many online brands offer a full refund within the trial period, with some requiring a minimal fee to cover return processing. Thus, unlike a brief showroom test, at-home trials provide a realistic measure of comfort.

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How Can You Choose a Mattress Online without Trying in a Store?

In other words, how do you know which mattress to choose when you can’t physically lie on it before purchase? Selecting the right mattress online involves considering key factors, such as:

Sleep Style and Preferences

Consider your favorite sleep position, such as side, back, stomach, or a combination of these. Different positions require different amounts of support and firmness because the way your body rests on the mattress affects pressure points, overall comfort, and spinal alignment. The mattress type you prefer for sleeping, such as memory foam, innerspring, latex, or hybrid, should also guide your decision.

Reading the mattress description online is helpful as it typically tells you firmness, type, and whether it is most suited to certain sleep positions. That makes it easier to decide what is right for you. For example, side sleepers typically need soft to medium firmness to cushion the shoulders and hips, while stomach sleepers often require a firm mattress to keep the spine aligned.

The Saatva Classic is made to order in the firmness you want. Thus, the luxury innerspring mattress can accommodate all sleep styles. The Plush Soft option typically suits side sleepers, while Luxury Firm has a medium firmness popular with all sleep styles. Firm suits many stomach sleepers or back sleepers who prefer a firmer mattress.

Body Weight

Your body weight affects how a mattress is likely to feel and perform. Plus-size sleepers may need a firmer mattress like the Saatva Classic in the Firm comfort level, which provides sturdy support with dual coil layers, helping prevent excess sinking.

Lighter sleepers may benefit from softer mattresses for pressure relief, such as the Classic in Plush Soft. Average-weight sleepers may prefer the Luxury Firm (medium-firm), balancing support and comfort.

Specific Needs

Specific needs, such as sleeping hot, back pain, and sensitivities, can also affect which mattress online is best. Leading brands online provide firmness ratings and even zoned support models, such as the Classic Mattress, which has a Chiropractic Seal of Approval, to help you find the right fit. If you have chronic pain or another medical concern, see a doctor to ensure your mattress choice supports your health.

Online Reviews

Reading online reviews can help you determine how well a mattress is likely to perform in real life. That makes determining whether it is a good fit for your sleep environment easier.

Find important details like mattress type, construction, pros, any limitations, and trial periods of popular mattresses online in our reviews. These insights can help you make a confident choice without testing the mattress briefly in-store.

Based on our team’s research and review of several leading mattresses online, we formed a short list of the Top 10 Best Mattresses Online. This list makes it simple to compare the best mattresses online and choose what’s right for you.

Who Online Mattresses are Best For

Online mattresses suit those with busy lifestyles who value convenience and time, such as busy professionals and parents. Rather than traveling to showrooms, you can shop from home, compare models, and have the mattress delivered to your home. Saatva even includes white-glove mattress setup, while other popular brands typically only offer it at an additional fee.

Along with being convenient, quality mattresses online can be more affordable. That appeals to budget-conscious shoppers. Without a middleman, many online brands can offer lower prices on high-quality mattresses than a mattress you briefly try in a store.

Shoppers who want strong protection on their investment can benefit too, as most leading mattress brands online provide trial periods and manufacturer warranties. Saatva’s 365-day home trial and lifetime warranty coverage are excellent examples.

Choosing online versus trying a mattress in a store also appeals to those who like having the time to test a mattress at home. Finally, online shopping is well-suited for those seeking specific features or eco-friendly materials, such as Saatva’s Classic Mattress, which may be challenging to find in local stores.

Conclusion: Trying a Mattress in a Store vs Online

While testing a mattress in-store offers the immediate benefit of lying down on it, the in-store experience is brief and often doesn’t reflect how the mattress will feel after weeks of sleeping on it. In-store purchases can also come with higher prices and added pressure from sales staff, often making the process less convenient than it at first seems.

By contrast, online mattress shopping provides long at-home trials, affordability, and warranty protection when you choose leading brands. Delivery to your door is convenient, too. Top brands like Saatva make the online decision even easier with premium features, free white-glove delivery, a 365-night home trial, and a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty for the Classic Mattress. For many shoppers, ordering online is the smarter option.

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