Mattress Shpping.

[Flounder]

Hey guys.

I am 20 years old and in college, and it's about time I get rid of the twin bed I have had for as long as I can remember.

Largely because as a big guy, I need a big bed, my old mattress is dying, and instead of spending $350 on another twin, I might as well spend the extra $100 and get the full. Plus, ladies don't dig the twin.

Never done this, before, just curious how you all would go about it? Do I just go and lay on them until I find one I like, then shop around and buy it? Or is there something specific I should be looking for? Can you generally wheel and deal for the box spring and frame?

I know I want to get a Sealy or something in a reputable brand, I feel like buying a generic mattress is just bad business.

Any thoughts and input is welcome.

[SvilleKid]

I guess it all depends on how long you intend to use that mattress! As it will probably take a lot of use and abuse, you may want to go for a less expensive set that will make it thru the college years, but maybe not far beyond. Then, when you get set up at a more permanent address, go in for a really good set! As everyone has different desires in cigars, so to, it is, with mattresses! Some like them firm, some like them hard as rocks. Best bet is to go to a real mattress store, not a department store. Most department and multi-product stores now only use display beds that are scaled down models, and will not give you a good try. I definitely would NOT buy one without first trying it out!

[Zeuceone]

I thought you ment shipping,

My buddy delivers furniture/ mattresses and he gave me a good deal on a cal king pillow top. Its like sleeping on clouds.

[Zeuceone]

I thought you ment shipping,

My buddy delivers furniture/ mattresses and he gave me a good deal on a cal king pillow top. Its like sleeping on clouds.

[Chainsaw13]

I went through this same situation a few years back looking for a mattress. Best thing to do is go to a store with a large variety and try each one out to find the firmness level you like. On the ones you do like initially, lay on them for 10-15 minutes if possible. This will give you a better indication of how well you'll like the mattress than just laying on them for a minute or so.

Now one thing you will find is you can't comparison shop to much between stores. Each will have their own line of the same brands. This is done intentionally to make it hard for the customer. It also allows them to run their ridiculous sales since a competitior can't match. You'll also find that there's a huge markup on mattresses. Even the sale prices are inflated with what you can find online. I bought mine from a online place called Sweet Dreams Mattress. If you find a brand you do like, they can cross reference it with their own models and you can get the same thing for a lot better price. I think the mattress I got went for $900 at the store, i got it for under $700 delivered. Well worth checking out.

[ArgusP2]

find the firmness you like, then try out that firmness in different brands, from there you can make am informed decision...

[WittyUserName]

I would buy a sleep number bed. I have a queen and it is the best bed I have ever owned/slept on. They can be a bit pricey but they are guaranteed to last you at least 25 years. The best I can tell you is that it is like when the Care Bears would sleep on the clouds. I implore you to go check them out before buying a regular mattress.

[jjirons69]

As an adult you spend nearly a third of your life on a mattress. A child spends even more time. It's a big deal, at least to me. Make sure you set aside some time and try to test each model thoroughly. Buying a mattress shouldn't be an in-and-out procedure. Also, buy the biggest you can afford. No one complains their bed is too big.

[DBall]

Ethan, go to Metro Mattress in Pittsford or one of the many places around the area... you can buy it there and they usually ship stuff for free.

[floydpink]

I just went through a long process in deciding on the mattress I wanted to buy.

We'd been on a sagging Queen mattress that came with the bed and I was experiencing lots of back pain each morning.

I knew it had to be a king or larger and headed out to look at a Sleep Number at my chiropractor's suggestion. Didn't care for it.

Came VERY close to special ordering a Marriott mattress, which I sleep on a lot and find to be one of the best in the world.

Tried the Tempurpedic memory foam and felt it to make me feel sucked into the mattress and hot.

After 3 weeks of trying out and researching, wound up with the Simmons Beauty Rest World Class line.

The manufacturers change the name of the particular mattress depending on the store selling it, but it's this one with several different levels of foam over pocketed coils topped with a plush pillow top, which was the part that all the mattresses I liked had, including the Marriott mattress.

The price shocked me a bit, but after it was rationalized that you spend 30% of your life in bed, I made the leap and have loved it.

I also realized that when you're young, soft is about all that matters and spending a couple thousand on a mattress is something I wouldn't have ever dreamed of. When you hit mid life, that changes.

http://www.simmons.com/products/bran...cfm#worldClass

http://www.simmons.com/products/bran...cfm#worldClass

When I got my daughter and I new mattresses I went to Mancini's Sleepworld. I got their brand. A pillowtop queen for me and a very nice twin for her. I think they wanted like $1100-1200 for both, but I kept insisting on them for $800 out the door. They delivered them for $800 out the door, frames and all, and took away our old stuff. After two years we're still happy with our beds.

[pektel]

I got rid of my mattress after college. If you are not married/in a relationship, that mattress is going to get ABUSED.

Remember guys, when in college, beds are used for far more things than sleeping.

I'd get something cheap for now. Check out a clearance/outlet place. I got my college bed at a Slumberland outlet center for a few hundred bucks. Not one complaint from either me or my "guests" during those college years.

[massphatness]

Oddly, this popped up today on Yahoo!

How to Buy a Bed

[shilala]

For whatever reason, I was in a waterbed for years. They rated between suck and not so bad.
10 or 15 years ago I finally couldn't take anymore and went shopping. It took months to find the time to hit all the different places and try all the different stuff. The first things to go were the gimmick matresses. The sleep number and aerospace engineered light years ahead mattresses were super uncomfortable, even though I'd set my mind on them.
Then I found a Sealy Eurotop double sided pillow top. It was sheer heaven, and it was priced as such. It was worth every dime.
When I got divorced I took another angle. I found the Sealy mattress I wanted, then shopped it on eBay. I saved over $500 on that deal, shipping included. I'm on that mattress right now and after 6 or 7 years, it's still heaven.
Like Jamie said, the bigger the better (ours is a king). I doubt you have that kind of room, but get as big as your budget allows. Consider the cost of bedding, too.
Try to stay with big name, proven companies. Get the info off the mattresses and from the salesmen and write it all down. Take it home and shop eBay. Don't be afraid to consider an imperfect, they may have a scuff or dirty spot that'll clean right up with Resolve. With eBay, some Resolve, and some elbow grease, you could probably save 50%, or afford twice the bed.

[floydpink]

speaking of stains and scuffs, I would seriously consider a good mattress protector as any stains void the warranty and over time, all mattresses stain without the protector.