Bed buying tips

There’s nothing like buying a new bed, or mattress. However, when you go into a bed shop, you might not always buy the product you think you want. Bed shops have clever ways of directing you discreetly towards products they’d like you to buy. If you’re not aware of these little tricks, you can end up buying the ‘wrong’ product. 

We want you to buy the right products for yourself and be happy with your purchases. That’s why we’ve put together this small collection of insider tips so you can decide what’s best for you when browsing and buying in a bed shop. We start with the all-important tip of knowing your stuff before you go inside.

Bed Buying Tip Number One - Research before you enter the store

If you visit a bed shop and haven’t done any research before you go in there, you’re playing into the sales staff's hands. Generally, retailers know things you don’t know about the products, and this information asymmetry allows them to steer you towards expensive products that you might not need. Buying your mattress from an online retailer can be a great money-saving tip. Physical showrooms have a lot of overheads, such as fancy lighting, décor, and sales staff. Online retailers have fewer of these costs, meaning they can pass these savings on to you.

So do some research before you start browsing. Decide what you want out of your bed. Know what works best for you. Have an idea of the measurements. Then tell the salesperson what you want. With the research behind you, you’ll know if they’re giving it to you.  

Not only this, taking time to research helps you to keep more pounds in your pocket. Entering a store armed with extra knowledge evens out the playing field and gives you the chance to haggle for a better deal. At the very least, you have an idea of whether another store sells the same product cheaper, which is a handy bargaining tool and can walk away if the retailer can’t offer you a satisfactory deal.

Bed Buying Tip Number Two - Check the specs, not the name

When you’re shopping for a product, especially if you’re looking for a mattress, you should concentrate on the product's features. Forget about the brand. Brands produce white label mattresses and distribute them to different retailers; the thing is, they put different labels on them, which makes the mattress look unique to the store. Ultimately, what it means is that different stores could be charging you very different prices for the same mattress. 

Take the brand out of the equation, note down the product details, and look around. It will help you spot the same mattress in different bed shops so you can pay the best price for your mattress.

Bed Buying Tip Number Three - Know that recommended retail price is just a recommendation 

When manufacturers make a product, they recommend a price to the seller: the recommended retail price (RRP). Whether the seller follows the recommendation and sells it at that price is up to themselves. The RRP doesn’t have any real bearing on the store price. It’s a suggestion, opinion, recommendation… nothing more. 

When you see it, though, you'll think you’re getting a major discount. Admittedly, the retailer might be selling it for more than they could, but you should think about your own needs. Cut the RRP out of the equation. Does the product meet your needs? Then you can decide whether it’s worth the price the retailer is asking for it. 

Many shops have specific offers or discount periods where you can take advantage of even better prices and offers. Good times to buy can be around holidays, such as Easter or Christmas, Bank Holidays, or of course, in recent years the Black Friday sales.

It can be worth looking out for, or even actively searching for discount vouchers or coupons. These may be for a certain amount of a particular spend, or with some retailers even a brand-specific discount code.

Bed Buying Tip Number Four - Always check the returns policy before you buy

You’re going to need more than 15 minutes in the store to know whether your purchase is the right one truly. Before you dive in and request a 30- or 60-day trial, however, make sure you know exactly what the returns policy is. 

One way or another, you’re going to have to pay something, regardless of what the trial suggests. If you don’t like the mattress, you’ll have to pay for the mattress but choose something else in the range; pay a flat fee for the company to collect the mattress or pay to swap the mattress. Bottom line: the trial isn’t free.

Arm yourself with these insider tips, and you’ll be able to shop much better for your bed and mattress. You’ll feel you’re getting the right value for the right price. Ideally, you’ll be much happier with your purchase, knowing that the decision to buy it came from you rather than because of some retail industry trickery.

Related Pages

• Bed Frames – The Complete Buying Guide