• Shop with your sleep partner. Are you both comfortable in the same mattress? What is most important for each of you?
• If store doesn’t carry bedding, bring your own pillow to ensure you consider your entire body alignment. Many people buy a new bed but their neck is sore because their current pillow doesn’t work with their new bed. If your current pillow is old/you don’t like it, ask mattress sleep experts to help you select a pillow that matches your sleep preference and alignment while in your preferred sleeping position.
• Lay on the bed for 15 minutes in each of your sleep positions (side, back, stomach) for most accurate depiction of what the bed will actually feel like in your home. It takes most mattresses a while to “settle” as various layers of comfort materials compress.
• While lying on the mattress, do you feel evenly supported across your entire body? Do you feel any areas of pressure? Do you feel any gaps in support (i.e. small of your back)?
• Is the mattress clinically tested to improve back pain?
• Has the mattress been recommended by independent industry experts or health care practitioners (i.e. Consumer Reports, chiropractors, orthopedic physicians)?
• How easy is it to get in and out of the bed? Get in/out 3-4 times to determine if it feels too soft, is too high, etc.
• How easy is it to move from side to back to stomach sleeping positions?
• Do you feel your sleep partner move in the bed?
• If you’re temperature sensitive, do you feel warm when lying in the bed?
• How long has the bed model been on the floor? A foam or innerspring bed that’s been demonstrated to hundreds of people will feel much different than the new mattress you’d receive.
• Is there a break-in period for the bed before it will feel comfortable?
• How easy is it to adjust the bed to be firmer/softer through the years as your body and preferences change?
• If you like to sleep with a heated mattress pad or heated blanket, can it be used on the bed?
• If you have allergies, can the mattress be easily inspected and vacuumed on the inside and out to reduce bedroom allergens?
• Can the mattress be used with an adjustable base where you raise the head or feet?
• Are you able to see your pressure points on the bed through a computer imaging system to help you determine the level of comfort, firmness and support your body needs?
Mattress Size
• What is the biggest bed your room will accommodate?
• How easy will it be to move the mattress into your bedroom?
• How heavy is the corner of the bed to lift? Will it be hard to make your bed on a daily basis?
Mattress Durability
• How long is the bed tested to withstand normal wear and tear?
• How frequently will the mattress need to be replaced? The industry recommends replacing innersprings every 5-7 years, whereas other models, like the Sleep Number® bed, have much longer life expectancies and warranties to match.
Mattress Price
• What is the price and time frame for delivery?
• Does the store provide any financing options?
• Is the mattress on sale?
Mattress Services
• If you make a mistake, what is the return and exchange policy?
• Are you able to sleep on the bed for a test period of time?
• What are the delivery options?
• Will the store remove your old mattress?
• Does the store offer a reasonable warranty with minimal restrictions?
• Can you purchase the mattress only, and if so, is it still covered under warranty?
• Who warranties the product? The mattress manufacturer or the retailer? Who do you call for customer service issues?
• Is customer service easy to contact online and offline? (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, online chat, phone, email, in-person)
• Does the mattress require any maintenance? (i.e. need to be flipped, rotated, etc.)
• Do you feel comfortable with the sleep professional at the store? Can they provide recommendations to help answer specific sleep questions? Do they give you enough time to test the bed without feeling rushed?
For more help, contact Sleep Number at 1-888-411-2270, tweet us Twitter, join the Sleep Number community on Facebook or visit www.sleepnumber.com.
