Written by Jill Zwarensteyn, Editor
You’re ready to invest in a new mattress. Whether you’ve been researching for hours (maybe even days) or just started, most people ask this question: Where’s the best place to buy a mattress?
Mattresses can be bought online or in a brick-and-mortar store, and both have benefits. Of course, buying mattresses in-store has been around longer, and for many, this may be what you’re accustomed to. However, there are perks to purchasing online that you may not realize, including extra savings. In this article, we’ll review the pros and cons of different places where you can buy a new bed.
Not sure where to start? Read our comprehensive mattress buyer’s guide (updated for 2024). The guide makes it easy to find the perfect bed for your needs.
Did you know?
Shopping for a mattress online vs. in-store can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of time. Check out our best online mattresses to learn more.
Best Places to Buy a Mattress
Direct from the Manufacturer’s Website
Buying online has changed the mattress industry, and for many consumers, this is a welcome change. Rather than paying for added costs that can accumulate from buying through a store, purchasing directly from the mattress brand could save you money with lower price tags. You can also get straight to the facts about a mattress rather than having to sit through any pushy sales pitches.
While shopping online might be great, the main downside is that you can only feel the mattress after buying it. However, mail-order or online mattress brands make up for this through generous trial periods, anywhere from 100 days to a full year. This may be considered a perk, though, since you can actually sleep on the bed at home to get a better understanding of how it performs.
While some people may love not having to deal with overzealous salespeople, others may prefer having someone to answer their questions in person. Online brands provide ways to contact the company through email, phone, or an online chat representative.
Some of Our Favorite Online Mattress Companies
Here are five great mattress brands to consider.
1. DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid
DreamCloud is a brand known for providing luxury at a competitive price. Their DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid is the perfect blend of premium layers with an emphasis on pressure relief, cooling, and support. The bed’s cashmere-blend cover should provide plenty of soft comfort while adding to the bed’s luxurious look and design.
Read our full DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid review here.
2. Nectar
The Nectar brand focuses on quality memory foam beds, and with the addition of their new hybrid models, they have something for everyone. Perhaps most popular, though, is their flagship model, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress. This bed’s medium-firm feel combined with quality memory foam and poly foam layers should provide comfortable sleep to many individuals and couples.
Read the in-depth Nectar mattress review for more information.
3. Helix
Helix aims to help sleepers find their perfect mattress with their sleep quiz. However, their popular Midnight model is a great place to start. This hybrid mattress features a versatile medium-firm feel, premium foams, and durable individually wrapped coils. Sleeping on top of the Helix Midnight, you should experience cozy pressure relief and sturdy support for healthy sleep.
Explore the Helix Midnight review.
4. Saatva
Saatva is an online brand well-known for top innerspring mattresses. Their Classic model features excellent customization through different height and firmness options, allowing this mattress to complement a wide variety of sleepers.
Explore our Saatva mattress review.
5. Nolah
The Nolah brand offers shoppers a variety of mattress styles, but for the eco-conscious shopper, their Nolah Natural bed is a fantastic find. This eco-friendly latex hybrid features numerous certifications, including OEKO-TEX 100 Class 1, eco-INSTITUT, Rainforest Alliance, Cradle to Cradle, and GOTS. As a result, you should feel secure knowing your bed is good for you and the planet.
Browse our Nolah Natural review.
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| DreamCloud Premier Mattress | Nectar Mattress | Helix Midnight Mattress | Saatva Mattress | Nolah Natural Mattress | |
| Rating | |||||
| Firmness | Medium: 5.5/10 | Firm: 7.5/10 | Medium-firm: 6/10 | Multiple firmness options | Medium-firm: 6/10 |
| Material | Hybrid | Foam | Hybrid | Innerspring | Latex |
| Cooling | — | — | |||
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty | Lifetime warranty | 10-year warranty | Lifetime warranty | Lifetime warranty |
| Shipping | Free shipping | Free shipping | Free shipping | Free white glove delivery | Free shipping |
| Trial Period | 365 nights | 365 nights | 100 nights | 365 nights | 120 Nights |
| Best For | Back Sleepers, Hot Sleepers | Back Sleepers, Back Pain, Stomach Sleepers, Side Sleepers, Couples | Couples, Back Sleepers, Side Sleepers | Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Back Pain, Hot Sleepers, Seniors | Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Hot Sleepers, Back Pain |
Best Places to Buy a Mattress In-Store
Showrooms
The majority of online brands don’t have showrooms since they are expensive to maintain. However, there are some showrooms sprinkled throughout the country, providing a convenient way for shoppers to try out online brands’ most popular models in person.
A showroom usually has a variety of different brands unless it is a showroom of a particular company. Unfortunately, the downside to showrooms is that the price will be a bit elevated, mainly due to the same reasons mentioned above with other in-person shopping options. Furthermore, unless you live near a showroom, it may be harder to get to and less convenient.
Saatva
Saatva has 16 showrooms across the country located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, Paramus, New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, Portland, Oregon, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Seattle.
Each showroom includes its full mattress line, so you can find which Saatva works best for you.
Learn More: Where to Buy a Saatva Mattress
Purple
Purple Mattress has showrooms in many locations across the country. For example, they have 50 showrooms in the Bay Area alone, as well as multiple options in other cities in other states. States that include Purple Mattress showrooms include California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Each showroom should include all of Purple’s mattresses and even pillow options for you to try out.
Casper
Though Casper mattresses are sold in various partner stores across the country, their showrooms, or “Casper Sleep Shops,” are slightly more limited. Currently, they are in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and Connecticut.
Each of these Sleep Shops should carry a variety of Casper products, but they won’t necessarily have all Casper mattresses available to try. You can contact your closest Casper Sleep Shop before visiting to find out which Casper mattresses they carry.
Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic has multiple showrooms called “Tempur-Pedic Flagship Stores” in many states nationwide. These include Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Kansas, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, Iowa, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Utah, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Additionally, Tempur-Pedic mattresses are sold in partner stores in every state, in multiple locations. However, you’ll find the largest selection of Tempur-Pedic products in their flagship store, including all Tempur-Pedic mattresses as well as pillows and other accessories.
Amazon Marketplace
Marketplaces are usually online websites designated to sell a range of different products. Amazon is the biggest one of them. Many companies sell through Amazon, in addition to their official websites, mattress brands included. However, some brands primarily sell through sites like Amazon.
However, some of these brands selling through Amazon may not offer very comprehensive warranties or advantageous sleep trial periods. You need to account for this because buying one without trying it out could be more challenging.
Purchasing through sites like Amazon could save you money, and it’s convenient since they ship directly to you. However, it’s important to do your due diligence when it comes to product research. The reviews on these sites may not always be as reliable, so we encourage you to look through reviews on sites like Sleep Advisor to gain a better understanding of what you can expect from the product.
Check Out Our Guide: Top Rated Mattresses On Amazon
Speciality Stores
Specialty mattress stores tend to come with an online presence, but they are primarily an established brick-and-mortar venue. The main consideration here is that the price will be higher because the owner needs to buy or rent the space, maintain it, and pay the employees working there.
There are a lot of merits to these stores, though, because you get to try the mattress that you are about to purchase, reducing the return rate and the expenses associated with it.
Some of Our Favorite Mattress Specialty Stores
- Mattress Firm
Mattress Firm is one of the country’s oldest and most widespread mattress specialty stores. It was established about 90 years ago and has grown to include over 2,400 stores across 49 states.
Mattress Firm sells hybrid, memory foam, innerspring, bed-in-a-box, air mattresses, pillows, bedding, bed bases, and other furniture. What helps set Mattress Firm apart is that their sales team is given extensive training on matching clients with the right mattress, so even if you’re unsure what you need, they should be able to help you find out.
- Ortho Mattress
If you’re located in Southern California, Ortho Mattress is a great specialty store option. This company started in 1957 and has since grown to include over 60 stores in the region and options to shop online.
Ortho Mattress handcrafts their mattresses and then sells them directly, which cuts out the middle-man. This makes for a high-quality mattress at a lower price than some competitors. In addition to selling innerspring, hybrid, and memory foam beds, Ortho Mattress also has new mattress technologies like CoolQuilt®, SolidState®, and Titan®. This store sells its Ortho Mattress brand and other well-known brands like Beauty Rest and Aireloom.
- Sit ‘n Sleep
Sit ‘n Sleep is another mattress specialty store based in Southern California. This company has been family-owned for three generations and has recently been voted “The Best of the Southland” by The L.A. Times.
One reason we love this store is their selection. They sell a variety of mattress brands and types, including Dreamcloud, Nectar, Purple, Serta, Tempur-Pedic, and more. They also carry bed frames, bedding, pillows, and other furniture. We also love that this store uses “bedMATCH technology.” Here, you’ll simply lie down on the mattress, and bedMATCH will make hundreds of small calculations to determine whether or not this is the right mattress for you.
Department Stores
Department stores includes establishments like Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s. These stores do not specialize in selling just one product but rather a variety of items. Normally, these department stores will have a separated area dedicated to selling mattresses.
If you are visiting department stores frequently, you need to make sure that you grab the full value of your visitations. You may find it convenient for you to do your regular shopping and then check out the mattress section to pick one.
Department stores have friendly sales staff, and you could quickly finance the purchase. There are some disadvantages, though; those stores might only sell a few different brands, and the choice is limited by the physical space available.
Department Stores
Department stores do not specialize in selling just one product but rather a variety of items. Normally, these department stores will have a separate area dedicated to selling mattresses.
If you visit department stores frequently, you need to ensure you grab the full value of your visitations. You may find it convenient for you to do your regular shopping and then check out the mattress section to pick one.
Department stores have friendly sales staff, and you can quickly finance the purchase. There are some disadvantages, though; those stores might only sell a few different brands, and the choice is limited by the physical space available.
Some of Our Favorite Department Stores to Find Mattresses
- JCPenney
JCPenney is an established department store, founded in 1902. Like most other department stores, JCPenney has a variety of sections, including clothing for adults, children, men, and women, shoes, accessories, makeup, home goods, mattresses, and more. Their mattress selection includes most bigger name brands, such as Serta, Tempur-Pedic, Beautyrest, Sealy, Fieldcrest, and Stearns & Foster.
There are 663 JCPenney locations across the country, in nearly every state and territory including Alaska and Puerto Rico. Find your nearest JCPenney here.
- Macy’s
Macy’s is another department store with a long history. It was founded in 1858 in New York City and has since expanded to include 515 stores across nearly every state. These stores are often located in shopping malls, but sometimes they are stand-alone stores.
Currently, Macy’s carries Beautyrest, Casper, Hotel Collection, Sealy, Serta, Stearns & Foster, and Tempur-Pedic mattresses, as well as a variety of bed frames, headboards, and adjustable bases.
- IKEA
IKEA started as a small mail-order store in Sweden in the 1940s and has since become a global name. It is located in various states in the U.S. and 58 other countries across the world. This department store is known for its more modern, minimalist aesthetic and build-it-yourself furniture and accessories.
As far as mattresses go, IKEA carries both innerspring and foam mattresses in a variety of firmness options and sizes. They don’t carry other brands like Serta or Tempur-Pedic but rather various types of IKEA brand mattresses.
Furniture Stores
Furniture stores offer another option for shoppers seeking a new mattress. Of course, one of the most convenient qualities of furniture stores is that you can simultaneously look at bed foundations and bases while mattress shopping. Ashley Furniture is an example of a well-known furniture store that also sells mattresses.
While the upside to shopping in furniture stores is being able to speak with salespeople directly, some people may not prefer this if they feel the salespeople are just eager to make a sale. The advantage to furniture stores is that they may sell their own brand of mattresses and other popular brands you may recognize from other stores or online. Furthermore, furniture stores can offer both a brick-and-mortar and online shopping experience, depending on your preference.
Some of our Favorite Furniture Stores to Find Mattresses
- Ashley Home Furniture
Ashley Home Furniture was established in 1970 and has since become a global brand with stores across 155 countries. In the U.S., Ashley Home Furniture has 777 locations in nearly every state. These stores sell furniture for every room in the house, as well as outdoor spaces.
Ashley sells mattresses under its own brand, Ashley Sleep, as well as established brands like Tempur-Pedic, Purple, Stearns & Foster, Beautyrest, Sealy, Serta, Scott Living by Restonic, and GhostBed. The company also carries adjustable bases, foundations and bed frames, headboards, and other bed and bedding accessories.
- Living Spaces
Living Spaces are large storerooms that carry furniture and accessories for every room in the house. Many of their products are also available for same-day delivery, which means you can go into the store, pick out your item, and receive it later that same day.
They carry all types of mattresses (hybrid, innerspring, bed-in-a-box, and memory foam), as well as various bed frames and bases. Their brands include Tempur-Pedic, Purple, Revive, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, Beautyrest, Serta, Ghostbed, and eco-friendly Avocado mattresses.
These stores are located across California, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
Buying a Mattress Online vs. In-Store
Shop Online If You Want:
- A greater mattress selection – no matter what type of mattress you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it online. Most online mattress brands offer innerspring mattresses, hybrid mattresses, memory foam, and latex mattresses. Shopping online truly allows you to discover the best mattress for you.
- To shop from home – if that’s what you want and you don’t feel like going through the crowded department store or any other brick-and-mortar venue, the internet is the most excellent place for you.
- The best price – online prices are usually a lot more affordable because they often cut off the middleman. Additionally, there are fewer expenses to consider when you are selling something online, and this allows a lot more flexibility when it comes to pricing. If you wait for holidays like the after-Thanksgiving sale Cyber Monday or Black Friday to buy a mattress, the savings can be even greater.
Need help? Here’s how to buy a bed online.
Shop In-Store If You Want:
- To try before you buy – this is the most obvious benefit of conventional shopping. A mattress is an item that you likely want to feel before you purchase one, and regular retail stores provide you with this chance. This is the main reason for which the return rate is virtually non-existent.
- If you are not concerned with the price – if you want to go out and pick up a mattress tailored for you with less concern about cost, this is the thing to do. While it may take you more time, you can make a quick and decisive choice once you find the one.
Looking for more information? Check out our guide on How to Choose a Mattress.
Conclusion
There are different qualities that you would have to take into account when determining the best place to purchase a new mattress. However, we stick with the claim that direct online stores are the best places to buy budget beds as you wouldn’t have to pay significant middleman overhead in a traditional store.
However, if you prefer to try out the mattress before paying, it’s best to go into a regular store and find the unit that’s made for you.
Jill Zwarensteyn
Editor
About Author
Jill Zwarensteyn is the Editor for Sleep Advisor and a Certified Sleep Science Coach. She is enthusiastic about providing helpful and engaging information on all things sleep and wellness.
Combination Sleeper
Education & Credentials
- Certified Sleep Science Coach