Picking a mattress that's right for you

First , you need to decide what will be the most important attributes in a mattress.

Is it Comfort? Style? Size? Price?

Each thing you give weight to will change what will suit your needs greatly. Some looking for the health benefits of a mattress might want to consider buying a memory foam mattress, while others interested in style should look more towards designer beds as well as headboards. What's important to consider is also the lifespan of a mattress, obviously cheaper mattresses will have a shorter lifespan , and box springs last practically a lifetime, however mattresses over time start to take on moisture from the surrounding air and some wick sweat and can't lose it.

When it comes to total cost, the best way to figure it is to do your research on the lifespan of the bed system you're purchasing. Like I stated earlier , box springs seem to last forever as well as many types of railing and headboards. Some forged iron bedposts will last literally for centuries without any sort of wear, while very cheap mattresses will only have a lifespan of a few years. So the best thing to do is to take the cost of a mattress and divide by the total lifespan (in months) that your mattress 'should' last. For an average to higher-end mattress , it should last a minimum of 8 years, so to calculate it out it might look like : $2,000 / 96 (mo) = $20.83 per month to own the mattress.

Do be careful of mattress 'financing' schemes that may double your cost to own the mattress. All companies offering financing, whether interest free or non-interest free will be required to show you a good faith estimate on financing. BE SURE you pay it off during the free period , as some may increase to 5%, 10% or more in terms of yearly interest. Owning a good mattress is a important undertaking , like buying a car or a house. The same amount of thought, input and research should be invested into learning the types, the characteristics and the like.

There are alot of bed scams out there (surprise surprise) that you should be aware of.

MANY companies and individuals use the old trick called bait and switch. This means, they might advertise or post one particular model , but when you order it or pick it up , there will be minor , or even major differences between it and what you thought you were getting.

Another even more bold scam has been seen on craigslist recently. Scammers will post up very expensive, many times, designer or memory foam mattresses on the website for very minimal fees. When you attempt to purchase/pick it up , they will tell you that you must pay for it to be mailed. This of course is a complete rouse and the mattress doesn't even exist! You quickly lose your money as it is forwarded or wired overseas never to be seen again. Even paying by paypal many times will not avoid the scam , so be sure that you can meet the seller (if buying used/gently used).

Be leery also about used mattresses due to the recent outbreak of infestations. Bedbugs are becoming a major problem now, so doing research on these will be important , as well as learning how to treat them.