Buying A Mattress in A Physical Store VS Online: Pros and Cons

Did you know that the mattress you use can play a huge role in determining whether you get quality sleep or not? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, popularly known as the CDC, getting less than 7 hours of sleep daily exposes you to increased risk of developing chronic health complications. It is therefore crucial to keep this fact in mind when buying a mattress or a complete bed ensemble.

When it comes to finding the best mattress, several factors come into play. Some of these factors include warranty, durability, sinkage, sleep trial, motion disturbance, and pressure relief.

This means that you should invest enough time on research to ensure that you get the best deal.

benefits of buying a mattress online or instore. image by dieter robbins from pixabay
Check the firmness of your mattress for a good night’s sleep. Image by Dieter Robbins from Pixabay

Most people ask the following question when looking for the best mattress, ‘should I buy from an online store or should I buy from the traditional physical stores?’, Well, this is not a clear cut question as each of the two options presents a number of advantages and disadvantages. This is explained below;

Benefits of Buying a Mattress in a Physical Store

Long before the internet age, this was the only option to get a mattress or any other product for that matter. Physical stores mean that you have to walk into an actual store, select the best mattress and pay for it. Here are some of the reasons why you would want to choose this option:

  1. You can check the mattress there and then

One of the reasons why you would want to visit a physical store is the fact that you can see and try the mattress there and then. Physical stores allow you to check the build, the aesthetic as well as the support of the mattress before paying for it. Although most online platforms do offer some trial periods, most people don’t like the fact that they have to pay for the product first.

  1. A physical person to give you information and answer your questions

Another advantage of purchasing a mattress from a physical store is that you get a real person to walk you through the purchasing process. It is true that most of the online stores have fantastic customer service. However, interacting with a real person is excellent.

One of the advantages of physical interactions is that you get to analyze not only the product but also the person selling the product. If they are pushy, less knowledgeable or unprofessional, then you should probably reconsider your decision of working with them.

  1. You have a physical store to visit whenever necessary

Buying from an actual store means that you have a physical place to visit whenever necessary. Remember that you might need to replace your beddings, pillow, or mattress protector from time to time. While online platforms can work just as well, sometimes, you need a place you can just walk in whenever necessary.

Cons

Here are some of the disadvantages of buying a mattress from a physical store;

  • Pushy salesperson– If you are not a good negotiator, you might end up being pushed to buy a mattress by an aggressive salesperson. In some instances, you may end up buying the wrong or expensive product that doesn’t meet your needs or budget.
  • Time-consuming– As you have to go from stores to stores comparing prices etc.
  • Limited to a physical location– Hence you don’t have a wide range of options to choose from.
  • Lying on the mattress for a few seconds or minutes may not be enough for an informed decision– According to a recent study by RTI, even when people can experience the mattresses before buying them, only about 38% of them are able to select the right mattress for their needs. This means that feeling or experiencing a mattress in a physical store doesn’t always mean that you will be able to select the best mattress.
  • Lastly, being in a physical store, with so many choices can be overwhelming for some people.

Benefits of Buying a Mattress From an Online Store

For most people today, online purchases have become the order of the day. Here are some of the reasons why you would want to purchase your mattress from an online store as compared to a physical store;

  • A wide range of choices

Unlike physical stores which are limited to geographical location, online purchases provide a wide range of options to choose from. This is because you can literally buy from any online mattress dealer, so long as they can deliver in your area.

This means that you get a chance to compare the various mattress brands, prices, and quality.

  • Affordable prices

Most of the online stores are able to offer products at lower prices. This is because they don’t incur extra costs paying for physical stores or locations. Also, they don’t have to pay for so many employees as compared to physical stores. All this means that they can be able to offer better prices for their products.

  • Online reviews

The best thing about online purchases is that you can get informational online mattress reviews. Online mattress reviews mean that you don’t have to buy any product blindly since someone has already done some research for you and presented the facts in an informative and easy to understand way.

There are some top-websites out there whose primary role is to compare different mattress brands, their features as well as their prices. They understand that in this busy world, you rarely have enough time to do the research yourself. Try as much as possible to go through the various online mattress reviews as they will guide you when it comes to getting that ideal mattress for your needs.

Some Disadvantages of Online Purchases

  • No chance to try the mattress before purchasing it– Some people don’t like the idea of paying for something they have not tried or seen yet.
  • Too much hassle returning the mattress if it doesn’t satisfy you.

Buying a Mattress is Not Easy

It is clear that there is no superior or better option between physical store and online mattress purchases. It all comes down to your availability, budget as well as the experience you are looking for. Either way, buying a mattress takes time.

Study Claims That 40% of Adults Avoid Staying Away From Home Due to Bad Sleep. Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
Study Claims That 40% of Adults Avoid Staying Away From Home Due to Bad Sleep. Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.