How to buy a mattress

A mattress can be a major investment, and shopping for one is challenging for consumers.

Price comparisons are difficult because brand names and styles within the same brand differ from one store to another. In addition, you may also be looking at used bedding that appears to be new.

A new mattress will usually have a white tag or label stating that it contains “all new materials, consisting of…”  If you don’t see a tag, shop at another store where it’s clear what you’re buying.

Up to 10 percent of mattress sales involve used or renovated bedding, some of which may appear to be in excellent condition.

Bedding that has been used is a potential health hazard. It could harbor bacteria, mold, fungi, blood, other bodily fluids, hair, skin, pollen, dust mites, or allergenic residues from pets and insects.

Here are tips from the Federal Trade Commission on mattress selection:

• Shop around. Mattress prices and quality vary greatly.

• Ask if the retailer sells used bedding. If used mattresses are sold and you want a new one, make sure your mattress has a "new" mattress tag.

• Make sure you look at the tag on the actual mattress you're buying, either before you leave the store or before the delivery person leaves your house. Don't let the heavy plastic wrapping stop you from looking for – and at – the tag.

• Ask the retailer to write "new" on your sales receipt if you've been told you're buying a new mattress. If it turns out that the mattress is used, you'll have stronger recourse.

• Avoid retailers with mattresses that don't carry tags. You don't know what you're getting, regardless of what the salesperson claims. It's what's in writing that counts.

• Ask about the retailer's return and refund policies, and get copies in writing.

Consumer Reports offers these suggestions on how to buy a mattress:

• Getting started. Think about buying a new mattress if you wake up tired or achy, you tend to sleep better at hotels than at home, your mattress looks saggy or lumpy, you're over age 40, or your mattress is five to seven years old.

• Choose a size. Most sleepers shift positions during the night, and cramped quarters can keep them from moving freely. Standard mattress dimensions are: king, 76 x 80 inches; California king, 72 x 84 inches; queen, 60 x 80 inches; full or double, 53 x 75 inches; and twin, 38 x 75 inches.

• Consider an innerspring first. A conventional innerspring mattress is the most common choice and often the least expensive. Memory foam, which was developed to protect astronauts against g-forces, is heat-sensitive and conforms to your body. Tempur-Pedic is the big name, but there are other brands. Not all memory foam feels the same, and it can take time to get used to. Another option is an inflatable mattress; with this kind you can choose a different firmness for each half of the bed. Select Comfort is the major brand.

• Try it out. Take 15 minutes before you buy and lie on the mattress in your usual sleeping positions.

Two other things to consider:

• Be sure you understand the terms of the financing, if you accept the store's financing. If you accept a payment plan in which you pay no interest over a specified number of months, you may have to pay interest if you make a payment late.

• Check out the prices of organic mattresses if you want to reduce your exposure or the exposure of a child to chemicals.

See the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports for a ranking of 10 mattresses and 14 stores that was based on a survey of readers. Consumer Reports is available at most libraries. Or sign up for Consumer Reports’ online service for $5.95 a month or $26 a year.

Good luck with your mattress shopping. Take your time and take notes as you go from store to store. That helps to reduce the complexity of buying a mattress.