Buying a mattress online, if you're doing it for the first time, might not seem like it makes good sense. However, at Realhomes.com, we're veterans of online mattress buying and – thanks to good experiences – really in favour of it over buying a mattress in store.
So, let us debunk the myth that going in store to buy a mattress is your best option. It really isn't. Read on to be persuaded...
And when you're done, you might just like to check out our best mattress buyer's guide. Cynical, maybe, but it does include the best brands (we've tested them all) at the best prices (thanks, price comparison tool).
1. You get a 100-day free trial
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Most modern mattress and bed companies now offer a free trial period when you order your mattress online – some up to 100 days long. That means, for up to three months, you get to sleep on your mattress in your own bedroom, wearing whatever you wear when you're in bed. Contrast that to going in store on a Saturday, lying self-consciously on an undressed mattress in a hot store full of other shoppers for, oh, five minutes, wearing your clothes, possibly your coat and almost certainly your shoes.
Doesn't really compare, does it?
Each mattress company's trial length differs, but some also offer free trials on other products you might like to trial at the same time. Casper, for example, offer free trials on bedding, pillows, furniture, glow lamps and even dog beds. Find out more in our Casper mattress review.
2. You get a no quibbles return
If, at any time within your free trial, you're unhappy with the mattress you've bought online, you can return it for free, without its packaging, as long as you haven't damaged it.
Each mattress company's trial period and returns policy is slightly different, so do check before you buy. However, using Simba as an example, once the return is sorted they’ll send a courier over to remove the mattress from your home and donate it to a local charity or recycling centre.
They will then refund you the full value of your mattress and if you paid using instalments, you'll be refunded whatever you had paid up until that time and the agreement would be cancelled. Returns are free, but any premium delivery charges will not be refunded.
Not bad, eh? Read our Simba review if we've got you interested. Do bear in mind that if you buy a mattress at Amazon, all returns have to be dealt with by them and terms and conditions may differ.
3. Unbiased mattress reviews give you the low-down
It's pretty tricky to research the mattress you've just hopped on and off of in store. If you're hunting down the best mattress for your needs online, you can do all the metaphorical legwork from your own home. We've carried out tons of unbiased mattress reviews – an experienced member of our team has inflicted thorough mattress testing on herself, her husband and family. You can read all our mattress reviews on our dedicated page. But do bear in mind that what you need to choose a mattress suited to your sleep position (more on that in a minute).
4. Mattress buying guides help you define your sleep position
If you've read our guide to choosing a mattress, this might be old news. If you haven't, you might not know that you should choose a mattress to suit your sleep position, be it side, back, front or fidgety... Each sleep position requires a different mattress firmness and filling to be really comfortable.
So, have a think about your most usual sleep position, and whether you suffer from backache or allergies, too, and pick your mattress accordingly. Our guides to reviewed mattresses will help:
- Best mattress for stomach sleepers
- Best mattresses for side sleepers
- Best mattress for beating back pain
- Best mattress for allergy sufferers
5. Double mattresses can come in an easy-to-handle box
Thought buying a mattress online would mean that a great big slab of mattress appears in your hallway, only to languish there until such a time as a couple of burly friends are available to help you carry it upstairs. Think again, some mattresses can be delivered in a box that's about the size of a small child (although somewhat heavier).
And don't worry, these mattresses are designed so that they can be folded small, so the boxing doesn't affect quality. You simply have to unfurl and leave them to return to their intended size. Use our guide to the best mattresses in a box to find the right one for you.
6. You can use price comparisons to get the best deal
If you're looking for a mattress deal, the best place to find one is online. Okay, there might be a store sale you can take advantage of if you buy on the high street, but can you be sure that the particular mattress on sale isn't cheaper elsewhere?
Plus if you buy online, you can use price comparison buttons (like ours) to ensure you get the best deal that very minute...
Check out our latest mattress deals for bargains.
7. Some mattress retailers will dispose of your old one
Having a new mattress delivered is all very exciting but what do you do with the old one? That's a whole lot of furniture to dispose of.
Many mattress companies will dispose of your old mattress when you buy a new one. Dreams, for example, has a recycling service that’s fast, convenient and environmentally friendly; they simply pick up your old bed or mattress directly from your home when they deliver your new one, and recycle your item at their own specialised bed and mattress recycling centre.
8. You can buy a pillow to match your mattress choice
If you've read our guide to choosing a pillow, you'll know that a new pillow should ideally be bought at the same time as a new mattress – or at least with the mattress' fillings and firmness rating in mind. So, if you've got a hard mattress, a soft pillow will be your best bet; with a soft mattress, a firmer pillow will be the best choice. That said, like mattresses, pillows are very much an individual choice. Our top pick is the Simba Hybrid pillow, which can be customised (by you, at home, easily) to suit your sleep position and mattress. But if that's out of your budget range, you'll find lots more of what we think are the best pillows in our buyer's guide.
9. You can order mattress toppers online, too.
Same principles apply. In fact, mattress toppers are a better online buy because how they feel is very much dictated by what's underneath them. Just check out those T&Cs so you know what you're signing up for. Find all the best mattress toppers in our guides.
10. You don't have to get out of bed to order a mattress online
Laptop on, cup of your favourite brew to hand, the latest ep of Game of Thrones on. Enough said.
More on choosing mattresses:
- How to clean a mattress
- 10 reasons why you should buy a memory foam mattress topper
- Leesa mattress review