Cheap and Discount Beds - A Guide to Getting Comfort and Quality

With the economy not doing very well, you are almost certainly looking for ways to spend less money.

But can you pay less for a new mattress and still hope to get good comfort and quality?

To find the answer to this question, among several others, my research team gathered data from at least 3,000 mattress owners. Based on this broad research effort, the answer to the question above is clearly yes.

Consider a Topper First

But before I discuss mattresses, it’s important to determine if you actually need a new one. More often than not, an aging mattress can be at least somewhat revitalized by using a mattress topper. Toppers are usually low priced, at least compared to new mattresses.

Memory foam bed toppers are very popular right now primarily because they tend to provide excellent comfort at a decent price. According to our research, 88 percent of memory foam mattress topper owners (100 out of 140) are pleased with their topper investment.

Nevertheless, if your mattress is in especially poor condition, then a topper probably won’t make much difference, and it’s time for a new mattress.

The foremost thing to know regarding beds is that paying more money for one does not inevitably mean that you will get a superior product.

Many Inexpensive Yet Good Options

Very good mattresses are available for around or even below $1,000. Understand, however, that you should not expect to get a bed with frills and extras if you pay less than $1,000 for it.

Some people have mattress sticker shock and think that even $1,000 is too much. Keep in mind, however, that $1,200 was the average price paid for a new mattress last year. Also, keep in mind that many mattresses easily sell for as much as $3,500 or more.

Low-cost options exist for several mattress types. For instance, smaller sized coil beds can sell for less than a grand. Even at this low price, however, a coil-based mattress may not be a good value. Based on our research, coil beds have a tendency to sag more often and faster than other types of beds, and sagging can greatly reduce a bed’s support and comfort.

Memory foam mattresses are more and more reasonably priced. For instance, Novaform / Costco and Isoform sell memory foam mattresses for around $1,000 that have very good customer approval, according to our research. And memory foam mattresses, as a group, will likely have at least somewhat more longevity than coil mattresses.

A simple waterbed can often be bought for less than $1,000. Waterbeds have good customer satisfaction, according to our research, and they tend to have excellent resilience. It’s also important to know that waterbed technology has come a long way over the decades. For example, waterbeds now can have stability that is similar to a conventional mattress.

Usually Beyond Reach

The types of mattresses that are often expensive and will likely be beyond reach of budget-conscious shoppers are air beds and latex mattresses.

In regard to air beds, I am not referring to the inflatable short-term mattress that you take out from the closet when guests stay over. I’m referring instead to beds that are primarily filled with air yet that have the appearance of a conventional bed. The Sleep Number bed and Comfortaire beds are good examples of these types of air beds.

Latex mattresses are growing in reputation because they have many advantages and few disadvantages, but prices for them are lofty.

In conclusion, if you’re on a tight budget, first determine if a mattress topper is the answer. If one is not, a memory foam bed or waterbed will likely offer strong value.

For ratings of mattresses of many different prices that are based on over 3,100 owner reviews, visit Mattress Ratings and Reviews or Mattress Comparison. The information is free.