Mattress Research Center > Find the Right Mattress > How to Shop

You spend a third of your life on your mattress. Choosing the right one can make a huge difference in your day-to-day activities. We know that most folks aren't entirely sure how to shop for a mattress. It can be confusing and stressful, so let us help you find the perfect mattress! If you'd like more information, you can always call us at 1-800-455-1052 and speak to one of our non-commissioned, factory trained staff who will be happy to help you out.

Want to Shop the Old Way - In Store?

Don't go anywhere without printing our Smart Shopping Mattress Guide! This free download has a ton of information to make your shopping experience go smoothly. Even better, it has an easy-to-fill-in guide so you can help us match your prefernces with our name brand mattress...at a lower cost with our 110% Low Price Guarantee! Save money and shop with confidence at US-Mattress!

Buying Online Has Many Advantages!

Most importantly, customer satisfaction! As an Internet Retailer Top 500 company, US-Mattress customers are four times more likely to be satisfied than typical industry standards. This is due in part to greater access to pertinent information and helpful selection tools like our Comfort Scale and Durability Charts. By carrying all the major brands, we maintain our unbiased independence - focused solely on getting you the best night's sleep. Choosing the correct mattress online is much easier when you don't feel high pressure sales tactics. No pressure here, shop at your convenience and your pace. We're here to help!

There Are Several Ways to Shop For a Mattress, Depending on What You Need

• Completely new to mattress shopping or don't know where to start? Try our 1-2-3 Method.
• Know what brand you'd like but aren't sure of the exact model? Use our Comparison Charts.
• Need a mattress fast? See our Get it Fast selection.
  
• Looking to upgrade to the best sleep science and technology? Shop our Latex & Visco Section.
  
• Want to know more about the inner workings of a mattress before shopping? We have all the information you need.
  

The 1-2-3 Way to Find Your Perfect Mattress

1. Select Size

This is probably the easiest of the decisions you'll need to make when learning how to shop for a mattress. If you're comfortable with the size you currently have, stick with it, but try to account for factors such as growth, sleep movement, and space restrictions.

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CAL KING

QUEEN

FULL

TWIN XL

TWIN

2. Select Comfort

Everyone enjoys a unique level of comfort. Thankfully, we have the only proprietary 10 Point Comfort Scale. It's simple to use and helps you find exactly the right mattress. Whether you prefer a 1 (super firm) or a 10 (super soft), you can find your perfect comfort level. The old method of laying down on a mattress for a few seconds won't tell you the true comfort rating. Check out our Comfort Scale to see where you fall.

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2

3

4

5

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7

8

9

10

HARD

SOFT

3. Choose Your Model

Now you're just a few clicks away from choosing your model. It may be tempting to buy the cheaper "no name" mattress you saw on sale at your local store...but don't! Remember, you'll be spending a third of your next few years on this mattress. If you don't recognize the name, you can't know what's actually in the mattress. That's why we only carry time tested name brands.

If you use the links above to find your mattress, you'll be able to refine your search by materials, brands, price, and more...so you can find exactly what you're looking for. If you're still having problems, don't worry!  US-Mattress is a Yahoo Top Service retailer. This means that customers that have purchased from our store have rated us as "excellent!" Our sales assistants receive training several times a year from the nation's top mattress brands, and they're ready to help you select the right mattress. Find out more about our guarantees and policies here.

Compare The Top Brands

Below is a brief summary of the five top brands that we carry. When you see the brand that fits your needs, you are done with this section and ready to select the model that's right for you. Just click over and start shopping. You can complete your selections online, or you can call one of our factory certified representatives that will help you select the right mattress.

Stearns and Foster

Stearns and Foster, often sold in the finest furniture and department stores, was established in 1846 and has been this nation's luxury brand for many years. The upholstery materials used in Stearns and Foster products are usually the best available. Durability and comfort have long been the reputation of this brand. Stearns and Foster sets have the highest average price. They do not produce any mid or lower priced mattresses. Queen sets range from $1,299 to $1,799. Click to Go

Sealy Posturepedic

Sealy Posturepedic is the largest selling brand in the United States and has been around since 1881. With their mass distribution and volume, Sealy affords today's mattress shopper the best mid-priced mattress sets available. Sealy offers a wide selection that blends comfort and durability with value to provide the best mid-priced mattresses. Queen sets range from $579 to $2,299, before any promotions. Click to Go

Simmons Beautyrest

Simmons Beautyrest has been produced with a pocketed coil since 1925. Trademarked as the "Do Not Disturb" mattress, the pocketed coil reduces more motion between partners than any other mattress in the industry today. If your partner's movement is keeping you from sleeping at night, this is the best choice for you. Built with luxury materials, Simmons motion technology design is well worth the price. Queen sets range from $749 to $2,199, before any promotions. Click to Go

Serta Perfect Sleeper

Serta Perfect Sleeper is a highly regarded, well respected brand. The Perfect Sleeper ranges in price from $799 to $1189, before any promotions. The Serta Perfect Day models are the top of the line and range from $1599 to $2999 in a queen. Click to Go

Bassett DreamMaker

Bassett DreamMaker comes in as the value leader. Bassett is the smallest of the 6 major brands, but carries a strong, well respected name. Bassett uses a coil that is very similar to the coil Simmons uses, so their mattress sets have good motion separation. Low cost with a real working box-spring and a good motion separation designed coil, Bassett is the fastest growing brand we carry. Queen sets range from $999 to $1,799 Click to Go

Spring Air

Spring Air is the smallest of the manufacturers that we carry. It is well made and uses a coil system similar to the Bassett and Simmons Beautyrest lines. The advantage of this type of coil is that it reduces the motion transferred from one person to the other. Without disruptions, you will stay in REM sleep longer and get a better quality of sleep. Spring Air Back Supporter mattresses range in price from $479 to $1699. Spring Air Four Seasons mattresses range in price from $949 to $1449. Click to Go

Compare Mattresses Within a Brand

When shopping in a store, it's impossible to see what's inside a mattress. But, here at US-Mattress we break down the specifications of each and every mattress so you know exactly what you're getting. Use our Easy View Compare Charts to find the foams and features that will make every night the best night of sleep you've ever had.

Sealy Comparison Charts: Firm, Plush, or PillowTop, EuroTop & BoxTop
Stearns & Foster Comparison Charts: Firm, Plush, or PillowTop & EuroTop
Simmons Beautyrest Comparison Charts: Firm, Plush-Firm, Plush, or Pillow Top & Summit Top
Serta Comparison Charts: Firm, Pillow Soft, or Pillow Top & Euro Top

More Mattress Information

1. Upholstery layers (the padding)
2. An innerspring coil unit
3. The box spring or foundation

Let's take a look at them:

1. The Upholstery Layers

The upholstery layers account for the major portion of today's mattress cost. Twenty years ago, the average mattress height was nine inches. Today, the average mattress height is fourteen inches. Standing at about six inches, the coil unit itself hasn't gotten much taller. However, the upholstery layers, commonly referred to as padding, are the reason for the thicker mattresses. Through research, the mattress manufacturers have found that adding more quantity and better quality of comfort materials provides a more comfortable sleeping surface and a longer comfort life.

These layers can consist of man made materials, natural fibers, and a variety of foams. Every bed will have approximately 3-8 layers of padding, with a different material for each layer. Looking at these three major components, the padding alone costs more than the innerspring unit and foundation/box spring combined. Trusted name brand manufacturers will give you better padding and more of it as you spend more. Wool, cashmere, silk, memory foam, and latex foam are commonly known and usually signal a better overall quality of padding. As with most items, these padding layers also come in different grades, so don't expect the wool in a $1,000 mattress to be as good as the wool in a $3,000 model.

2. The Innerspring Coil

The innerspring coil unit is the base of your mattress. It allows for even distribution of your body mass while you are lying down. The innerspring, often called the coil, will hold its strength for many years. The coils offer support to your body where you need it most. Sealy, Serta, and Simmons offer three or four different grades of innerspring coil units in their lines, usually giving you more coils as you go up in price. Stearns & Foster does not alter coil count. They use the same high quality coil count throughout their entire line.

Many people ask if more coils are better. The answer is...it depends. More coils are better when the manufacturer spaces the same size and type of coils closer together, providing more coils in the same size mattress. It is not wise to compare the quality of mattresses between brands based on coil count. For example, of all the major brands we sell, Stearns and Foster mattresses have the fewest number of coils, but they also use the thickest wire. Even with less coils, the Stearns and Foster coil unit has more working steel in it than any other mattress we sell. Realistically, there are just too many variables in coil design, function, and durability for consumers to understand what they are getting without spending days on coil research. You can be assured that all of the premium line mattresses we sell have a good innerspring unit. So you can focus on selecting the right comfort feel and particular model for your needs.

Also Learn about Latex and Visco foam mattresses.

3. Box Spring or Foundation?

Most of us know it as the box spring, but they can vary in design. Some manufacturers still use a true box spring that will have a coil or modular coil spring system within it. These coils act as little shock absorbers, so when force and weight are applied to the top of the mattress, the box spring will give slightly underneath. In many cases, a good box spring will extend the life of your mattress and help to prolong your investment. A working box spring has long been considered the best way to build a premium mattress set.

Recent changes in technology have enabled some mattress lines to use a foundation rather than a box spring. Framed in either wood or steel, foundations look like box springs but have no give or shock absorbing abilities. For example, the Simmons Beautyrest mattress sets are built on a foundation. The non-flexing base makes for a great "do not disturb" sleep that Beautyrest mattresses are known for. The base has no components to wear out, and provides a more rigid feel. The box spring has been around longer, but the change in today's mattress design allows for the use of a foundation in many applications.

Buy Your Mattress Now

So don't put it off! Rest in luxury now! Call us at 800-455-1052, and we'll help you select the right mattress for you. We are so confident we can find the right mattress for you, that we will exchange it for another one if you're not completely satisfied (see guarantee for details.)

Have more questions? Click for answers