When Is the Best Time to Buy a Mattress

You can buy a mattress at any time of the year, right? Yes, but there are times of the year where you can save even more money on a new mattress. A good mattress may initially cost between $500 to $5000, but the bigger mattress sales tend to take at least a few hundred dollars off the price.

The best time to buy a mattress is during one of the big sales days, but you can find promo codes and discounts year-round if you can’t wait. Even more important than knowing the best time to buy is having the certainty that your mattress is well worth its price—a low priced mattress isn’t worth it if it only lasts you a couple of years.

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Our Recommendation: Zoma Mattress

Best Mattress for Hip PainWe offer our Zoma Mattress at an affordable price year-round. The 11-inch tall mattress has three foam layers.

First is a 2-inch layer of gel memory foam with Triangulex™ technology. Triangulex™ features triangular cutouts that soften the shoulders and legs sections of the mattress; the cutouts also increase airflow to create a cooling mattress.

Next is 2 inches of our latex-like Reactiv™ foam. Reactiv™ improves the mattress’s adaptability, which makes it easier for you to change sleep positions and stay on top of the mattress.

At the base is 7 inches of our Support+ foam, which supports the top two layers to deter sagging.

A breathable polyester-spandex blend cover encases the mattress. The cover’s knit stretches to create air channels that keep you cool.

A queen size Zoma Mattress is $750 and comes with free shipping and returns, a 100-night sleep trial period, and a 10-year warranty. If you decide a Zoma Mattress isn’t the right bed for you after 30 nights, we will give you a full refund.

What Are the Big Sales Days?

If you’re looking to buy a new mattress but don’t need one immediately, you might want to wait for one of the year’s big sales days. Many retailers offer discounted prices as early as the week leading up to the sales day.

What’s the Best Month to Buy a Mattress?

The month of May is the best time of year to buy a mattress. New mattress models are often released in June, so stores seek to clear out their older stock in May to make room for the new models. In particular, Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest mattress sales events of the year.

When Should I Immediately Replace My Mattress?

If your old mattress is in poor condition, you might not be able to wait for the next big sale. You should replace your mattress if it’s sagging beyond an inch, if you’re waking up consistently with neck pain or back pain, if you feel tired even after a full night of sleep, or if your allergy symptoms tend to worsen in the morning.

You can restore a sagging mattress with firm pillows or a mattress topper to create a more even sleeping surface, but these are only temporary fixes. You can also check your mattress warranty to see if the indentations are deep enough to warrant a replacement.

Should I Shop Online or In-Store?

Shopping online and shopping at a mattress store offer different forms of convenience. Online shopping makes it easier to compare mattress models, but a mortar store lets you try out a mattress and ask a salesperson any questions you may have.

If you’re shopping on a budget, you can’t beat online mattress prices. Mattress stores do have the advantage that you can often negotiate for a lower price, but often the lowered prices still can’t match the deep discounts an online brand offers. Unless you love to haggle, online prices are the better deal.

Many customers like to try an in-store mattress before buying, but a 2011 study found that a few minutes lying on a mattress in a store doesn’t prepare you for what it’s like to lie on that mattress every night. We always recommend purchasing a mattress with a sleep trial, so you can return it if it’s not to your liking.

Don’t Rush into a Decision

It’s always tempting to choose something with a reasonable sale price. However, you shouldn’t impulsively buy a mattress you want to use for the next seven or so years.

Do your homework before you commit to a mattress—read customer reviews, review the details of the mattress’s sleep trial, warranty, and/or return policy, and double-check all of the mattress’s certifications.

Other Mattress Buying Considerations

Finding the best mattress for you comes down to more than just keeping an eye out for the latest mattress deals. Knowing your preferred mattress type, size, and firmness will speed up the search for your perfect mattress.

Types of Mattresses

More important than getting a low sales price is finding the type of mattress right for you. Each mattress type has a significantly different feel, so you might sleep better on one type than you would on another.

Memory Foam

Memory foam responds to heat and pressure, which is why it molds to your body when you lie down on it. Its responsiveness relieves pressure in sensitive areas such as your shoulders, hips, and back—chronic pain sufferers tend to get a better night’s sleep on a memory foam mattress.

Memory foam is also one of the best mattresses for motion isolation, as the material absorbs movement at the point of impact. If you share your bed, memory foam eliminates sleep disturbances caused by a partner’s tossing and turning.

Traditional memory foam retains body heat, causing sleep disturbances. Many manufacturers add cooling gels, copper, or graphite to absorb and disperse heat. New memory mattresses may have a chemical smell, but this often disappears within 3 to 7 days.

Latex

Latex conforms to the body like memory foam does, but whereas memory foam cradles a person, latex keeps them lifted with its springy bounce. Latex has an inherently firm feel, which is why many mattress brands offer an optional pillowtop.

Natural latex is made from rubber tree sap. There are two different processes to create natural latex, Dunlop and Talalay. Dunlop is firm and created without any added chemicals, while manufacturers add polyurethane fillers when producing Talalay latex to soften it. Since it takes extra effort to make, Talalay is more expensive.

Synthetic latex is manufactured from organic compounds. A synthetic latex bed is safe for anyone with a latex allergy. However, synthetic latex is far less durable than natural latex—synthetic latex might last six years, while natural latex mattresses can last 15 or more years.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses’ popularity is fading, but many customers still choose a spring mattress because it’s familiar, widely available, and inexpensive. Plus, it’s hard to beat the bounce of the mattress’s coils.

However, the coils are linked to innerspring mattresses’ two drawbacks—the lack of pressure relief and the short lifespan. Innerspring mattresses tend to have thin comfort layers, so you’re likely to feel the coils press up against you when you sleep on it, building pressure instead of alleviating it. When the coils wear out, the mattress loses support and sags—and this loss of support can happen in as little as three years.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are perfect for people who like the comfort of memory foam and the bounce of an innerspring. Every hybrid mattress has a coil base and 2 to 3 inches of foam.

Most hybrids have a pocketed coil system, where each coil is individually wrapped to prevent motion transfer. Firmer foams may wrap around the coil layer’s perimeter, creating edge support.

Hybrids are one of the more expensive types of mattresses, as they mix high-quality coils and foams.

Sleeping Position

No matter your preferred sleep position, you need a mattress that keeps your spine in neutral alignment. The right mattress firmness for each position can maintain proper spinal posture.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers enjoy quite a few health benefits—clearer airways for less snoring and reduced chances of sleep apnea, reduced acid reflux, and less pressure on the heart.

A mattress for side sleeping should have a soft to medium feel. The mattress must be able to conform to your hips and shoulders to relieve pressure and maintain spine alignment. Consider a memory foam, latex, or hybrid mattress—innerspring mattresses tend to lack the contouring a side sleeper needs.

Back Sleepers

If you’re a back sleeper, you’re one of the rare few—only 10 percent of people sleep on their backs, according to a 2012 survey. Sleeping on your back might be the best position for neutral spine alignment, as your back is directly touching the mattress.

The best mattresses for a back sleeper have a medium-firm to firm feel.

Stomach Sleeper

We strongly recommend you switch to side or back sleeping if you’re a stomach sleeper. The position tends to pull your spine out of alignment as gravity pushes down on your stomach, causing back pain.

If stomach sleeping is the only way you can fall asleep, look for a firm mattress to maintain spine alignment. A pillow under your stomach acts as extra protection against sinkage.

Combination Sleeper

Also known as restless sleepers, combination sleepers switch sides or positions in the night. If you tend to wake up in a different position than you fell asleep in, try a medium mattress.

Mattress Firmness

Every person has a different ideal firmness. You can calculate yours by considering your sleeping position, body weight, and comfort preferences.

Remember, a side sleeper’s mattress should have a soft to medium feel, a back sleeper’s a medium-firm to firm feel, and a stomach sleeper’s mattress a firm feel.

Your body affects what mattress firmness is best for you because of compression—a mattress for a heavy person must withstand their weight through a firmer feel, while a petite person presses down less on a mattress and needs a soft bed to conform to their body. A heavy person weighs more than 230 pounds, and a petite person weighs less than 130 pounds.

Companies determine the firmness level of a mattress with a 1 to 10 scale.

Firmness Scale RatingFirmness Description
1Extra Soft
2 and 3Soft
4Medium-soft
5Medium
6Medium-firm
7 and 8Firm
9 and 10Extra-firm

Mattress Size

The right mattress size for you depends on three factors—your bedroom size, your budget, and whether you’re sleeping alone or with a partner.

Mattress SizeDimensions in InchesRecommended Room Size
Twin38 by 75At least 7 feet by 10 feet
Twin XL38 by 80At least 9.5 feet by 10 feet
Full54 by 75At least 9.5 feet by 10 feet
Queen60 by 80At least 10 feet by 10 feet
King76 by 80At least 12 feet by 12 feet
Cal King72 by 84At least 12 feet by 12 feet

If you’re sharing a bed, we cannot recommend anything smaller than a queen size mattress—some couples do share a full size mattress, but we don’t advise it as a full bed gives each partner only 27 inches of space. If you and your partner have different firmness preferences, try comparing the benefits of a split king to a king mattress.

Sleep Trials, Warranties, and Return Policies

A mattress with a sleep trial, a lengthy warranty, or a good return policy often have higher prices. Nonetheless, we strongly recommend buying a mattress with a sleep trial and warranty or at least a warranty and return policy, as these three policies can keep you from winding up with a poor quality mattress you can’t return.

Sleep Trial

A sleep trial period gives you time to test out your mattress at home. Most sleep trials span 90 to 120 days from the delivery date, although a few are as short as 60 days, and others are as long as a year. It’s not uncommon to take up to a month to adjust to your new mattress, so you should know before your sleep trial is over if it’s the right mattress for you.

Warranty

Warranties detail when a company will repair or replace a defective mattress—defects commonly covered include sagging greater than an inch, ripped seams or tears in the cover, cracked foam, and burst coils. Warranties do not cover expected wear and tear or damage from misuse.

Warranties are void if you do not take care of your mattress, such as keeping it on an unsupportive foundation or staining the mattress. You need to have a proof of purchase to make a warranty claim, so be sure to file your receipt away in a safe place.

Return Policies

Many inexpensive mattresses lack a full sleep trial, but a lengthy return policy can still offer you time to try out a mattress if you’re shopping on a tight budget. Look for a return policy that gives you at least 30 days to try out your mattress—and double-check that there are no hidden transportation or restocking fees.

Did We Help?

There are quite a few big sales scattered throughout the year that you can take advantage of to get a good price on a mattress. If your mattress needs an immediate replacement, you can usually find better prices online than in-store. Before you buy, look at not just a mattress’s price but its materials, size, firmness, reviews, certifications, sleep trial, and warranty.

This article is for informational purposes and should not replace advice from your doctor or other medical professional.

Michelle Zhang, Wellness Writer Michelle Zhang

Michelle Zhang is a regular contributor to our Zoma blog and is our go-to sleep researcher. In her time with Zoma, Michelle has researched and published many articles on widespread sleeping habits and troubles. In her time outside of Zoma, Michelle is an occupational therapist and long-distance runner. She believes leading a healthy lifestyle is the key to getting better sleep at night. Michelle's work has been featured on Men's Journal, The Frisky, and The Mighty.

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