Mattresses can be one of those items that you need to buy when you need to buy, rather than waiting until the right time of the year, but if you can stick it out and shop around certain holidays, you can probably save some money. You can probably expect to score a deal around popular shopping days like Black Friday or the day after Christmas, but there are plenty of other times a year to buy a mattress. So when do mattresses go on sale? Let’s discuss.
Springtime
Ahh, springtime — flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and new mattresses are making their way onto showroom floors. Okay, you probably don’t associate that last part with the springtime, but maybe you should start if you’re in the market for a new bed.
Like cars or phones, mattresses get updates, and companies tend to release new models around the spring or summer. With that said, retailers want to stock the store with new inventory and will mark down the older models to move them out the door quicker. Experts also say you can ask to buy a showroom floor sample at a discounted rate when the retailer is stocking up on new inventory.
Keep in mind, though, showroom beds have been tested by the different shoppers coming through the store. Also, each store isn’t exactly alike, so you’ll probably want to ask a manager or owner exactly when they expect to be receiving new products.
Black Friday
Black Friday is huge for shopping in general — and that extends to mattresses too. You’re almost guaranteed to find some kind of deal either online or in-store on Black Friday. Some brands even offer their Black Friday deals the entire week of Thanksgiving.
Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is probably the biggest online shopping day of the year. The Monday after Thanksgiving is when online retailers often offer some of the best deals. Try comparing prices before you make a final purchase to ensure you save as much dough as possible.
Christmas
In the lead-up to Christmas, you’re likely to find a deal as retailers try to push gifting. Though mattresses aren’t a common gift, they are still a product that brands want people to buy. You may also find a deal the day after Christmas, which is another huge shopping day.
Monday holidays
President’s Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day are also very popular sale days, especially for something like a mattress. If you’ve got the day off work, you might as well look into spending that free time mattress shopping because they’re probably on sale.
4th of July
Yep, the 4th of July is another popular day for mattress sales both online and in stores. Some retailers may have limited hours in-store, so this might be a good time to try shopping online.
Anytime Online
If you stray from the “conventional” way to buy a mattress and browse through the online realm, you’ll find a lot of discounted beds all year round. Bed-in-a-box mattress brands like Casper, Leesa, Layla, and many others will constantly keep promotions running on their beds to stay competitive in the industry. Others like Purple and Saatva, however, seldomly give out discounts. So we wouldn’t hold our breath for any big price reductions from certain luxury brands, at least not very often.
How to Know You’re Getting a Good Deal
The good news is that most companies are honest with the deals they offer –– but that doesn’t mean every deal out there is worth jumping after. It’s true most of the holiday deals are better than full price, but knowing if it’s really worth it can be harder to decide.
Tips for identifying a good deal:
- Do your research –– When you’re shopping for your new mattress, it’s essential to know the original base price of the bed. From there, you’ll be able to compare the sales across sites or store locations.
- Read the fine print –– From the surface level, seeing $350 in savings advertised seems like a really good deal. To make sure it is actually a good deal, you need to read the fine print and find out the sale requirements. Many promotions require that you spend a certain amount to cash in on the savings. In many cases, you have to spend more to save money.
- Focus on the price, not the savings –– We all jump when we see 50% savings. But there are instances when a 50% sale isn’t better than a 10%. It all comes down to the original price of the mattress and the final price that you’ll pay. The percentage off doesn’t tell you the whole story.
It’s also worth noting that you do generally save money when you buy your mattress online. The mattress industry has one of the highest profit margins –– beds instore can be marked up as high as 30% to 50%. Keep in mind that you likely won’t pay that inflated price in the end, but it allows the salesperson to make you think you’re getting a good deal. When you’re paying close to what you would online.
How to Find the Best Mattress Deals
- Shop around — You might find a better deal at a third-party retailer rather than the mattress company’s own site, like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target or Amazon.
- Sign up for email coupons — Many companies offer discount codes when you sign up for an email list or send out email-exclusive discount codes.
- Keep an eye on the mattress site — If you sign up for the email list, you’ll know when companies are running sales, but otherwise, keep an eye on the brand’s website for any price drops.
- Ask for price matching — If you find a better deal but want to shop through the brand, you can always contact customer service and ask for price matching. It may not be a foolproof plan, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
- Pick out what you want and walk away — If you’ve picked out your mattress on the retailer’s website, put it in your cart and then close the page without purchasing. Some brands will email out a coupon to customers who have abandoned their carts.
Online vs. In-Store
When it comes to mattress shopping, you often have the option of shopping either online or in-store, and both have pros and cons. Some of our favorite mattress brands can only be purchased online, which makes the decision for you. But the beauty of shopping online is that you don’t have to leave home, and once you’ve ordered, the mattress comes right to your door. With some brands, they’ll even haul away your old mattress and put the new one right in its place. However, the biggest disadvantage to online-only shopping is that you don’t get to try out the mattress before purchasing as you do in a store. When you are able to try mattresses in a store, you can compare them and might even find a different (better) mattress than what you came in looking for. Plus, you can most likely shop in-store and still have the mattress delivered to your door for convenience.
Average Cost of a Mattress
The cost of a mattress can vary greatly. Some of the most budget-friendly options can run you just a few hundred dollars, but as you get into the higher-end brands that are made with more quality materials or even natural materials, you can be looking at prices close to $2,000 or even more. Most of our favorite brands fall in the middle of that spectrum, and our favorite luxury brands round out the top.
In our guide of Best Mattresses for the Money, we break down our favorite options that we consider to be the most cost-conscious. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the cheapest, but that you’re getting the best value for what you’re spending. Also, we feel like $1,000 for a mattress is a good base price to work from, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the Best Mattresses Under $1,000 so you can find a cost-efficient mattress that is still top quality.
How To Know It’s Time To Replace Your Mattress
If you’re debating whether you really need a new mattress or not, keep a lookout for these signs that scream YES.
- Your Bed Has Lumps And Sags — If there are visible sags, lumps, or an entire body imprint in your mattress, it’s important that you consider buying a new one as soon as possible. Impressions 1.5” or greater are linked to back pain, as they can cause your spine to sag into the mattress.
- You Wake Up In Pain — Your mattress could very well be the cause of pain. It could stem from sags and impressions we just mentioned, or your bed could be too soft/firm for your needs. Side sleepers need a soft bed to contour to the curves in their body, while back and stomach sleepers need something on the firmer end to support their back.
- You Purchased It 10 Years Ago — Experts say you should purchase a new mattress every 8-10 years or so, maybe 12 years if it’s a hybrid mattress that hasn’t been through the ringer.
- Constant Tossing And Turning — Adults should receive about 7-9 hours of sleep each night to maintain their mental and physical health, but that doesn’t happen if you spend a third of that time tossing and turning. It could be due to lumps and sags, or it could simply mean your mattress isn’t right for you.
- Significant Weight Loss or Gain — When you lose or gain a significant amount of weight, such as 50-100 lbs or more, your mattress will feel different to you than it did when you purchased it. The more you weigh, the softer a mattress is going to feel and vice versa.
- You Sleep Better On Unfamiliar Beds — If you go on vacation and find you sleep noticeably better on the hotel or Airbnb mattress, that means your bed just isn’t doing it for you. Everyone deserves to have that “I can’t wait to get back to my own comfy bed” feeling at the end of a vacation, so we suggest you look into purchasing a new bed.
