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Mattresses are one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make. Fortunately, mattresses go on sale regularly throughout the year. Unless you have an urgent need to buy one right now, we recommend waiting until they go on sale to buy one. These are the best times of the year to buy a new mattress.
What time of year do mattresses usually go on sale?
You can usually get the best deals if you shop for a mattress during the holidays. The most ideal time of the year to buy a mattress is in May – particularly during Memorial Day weekend – but mattress stores usually run sales during other times of the year as well. Timing your purchase with the major holidays – such as Labor Day – is usually your best bet if you want to get a steeply discounted price.
May
May is by far the best time to buy a mattress. It’s common for mattress brands to release new models in June, so prices tend to drop as manufacturers clear out their inventory beforehand. This means that you can find a great deal on a high-quality mattress that was previously full-price.
Additionally, Memorial Day weekend during the last week of May is when most mattress stores really mark-down their prices. Most mattress shoppers know that Memorial Day sales are where you can find the best mattress deals of the year, and if you’re shopping online then you can compare the holiday sales from all of the many different brands and find a great deal on a new mattress.
You can expect to save up to 30% on your order when shopping online, and up to 50% when shopping in brick and mortar stores on Memorial Day. Keep in mind that online mattress retailers generally have lower prices than your local mattress store to begin with, so we generally recommend looking for online deals during Memorial Day.
Early spring
While we highly recommend waiting until May, if you absolutely need a new mattress then early spring is the best time to buy a mattress. The sales are usually steeper when you get closer to Memorial Day, but some mattress brands begin marking down their mattress prices a couple months before hand so they don’t end up stuck with too much inventory that they have to rush to sell in May.
The deals that mattress sellers offer during this period can vary, so we recommend checking in with a variety of different online retailers and brick and mortar stores so you can make sure that you get a good deal.
Other holiday weekends
You can find huge mattress sales during Labor Day, Independence Day, and Presidents’ Day. Most mattress companies offer their best prices during these holiday weekends and you can definitely save money if you time your purchase to coincide with one of them.
Virtually every mattress store will being running a sale during Labor Day, Independence Day, and Presidents’ Day; but the prices may vary considerably. Some online mattress brands may barely mark their prices down, while others may be running their biggest sales of the year. Definitely check prices in-store at Mattress Firm or your local mattress store as well as online brands to make sure you’re getting the best price on your new mattress.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Cyber Weekend (including both Black Friday and Cyber Monday) is the best time to buy a mattress during the winter months. Black Friday is typically regarded as the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and mattress brands offer some of their best sales of the year during this period. If you missed the spring shopping season and really want to save money on your mattress purchase, this is the time to buy.
Sales usually span the entire weekend, and online mattress brands in particular offer some incredible deals. You can also check your local brick and mortar store, as Mattress Firm and other retailers also mark down their inventory during the holiday shopping season.
When should I avoid buying a new mattress?
As you can see, there are several mattress sales throughout the year, so there is never really a bad time to go mattress shopping. In reality, the best time to buy a mattress is whenever you need to get rid of your old mattress. If you find yourself tossing and turning all night, and waking up with extreme pain or fatigue; then you really shouldn’t delay your mattress purchase. If you can wait for Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day, or any of the other major holidays then go for it; but don’t risk your health by sleeping on a poor-quality mattress any longer than absolutely necessary.
Mattress-buying tips
Buying a mattress during a holiday weekend or other sale period is the best way to save money on your mattress purchase (other than going the DIY route), but it’s not the only way. Here are some tips and tricks you can use to make sure you get a good deal when you buy a mattress.
Read reviews
Buying a mattress online seems like it would be a risky experience, but reading mattress reviews can help reduce the chances that you’ll make a poor decision. We review all of the most popular mattress manufacturers including Bear, Amerisleep, Saatva, and DreamCloud.
We have top-5 lists that will help you find the best mattress for your needs; whether you’re looking for a hybrid, memory foam, innerspring, or other type of mattress. You can also search for brands based on your sleeping position (side, stomach, and back). No matter what type of mattress you’re looking for, we have a recommendation for you.
We always recommend that consumers do their homework before buying a mattress online. The best mattress for someone else might not be the best mattress for you. If you’re buying online, we recommend using the chat feature that most online brands have. Tell the sales rep what your concerns are and they will help you determine which one of their mattress models is best for you.
Take advantage of sleep trials
The main advantage of buying a mattress in-store from brick and mortar sellers is that you can lay down on it and try it out before you buy. Mattress comfort is critical for your sleep quality, and it helps to know exactly what you’re getting before you buy. When you shop online, you have to trust the description on the website as well as professional and consumer reviews before making your decision.
Most online retailers offer a trial period (typically 101 nights). During this period of time, you can sleep on the mattress and return it free of charge if it doesn’t meet your needs. This negates a lot of the risk associated with buying online. If you sleep on the mattress and find that you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep, then you can contact the company for a refund or replacement. These trials are separate from the warranty that many mattress brands offer, which typically last for 20 years and protect you against manufacturing defects.
Try negotiating
When buying from department stores or brick and mortar mattress stores, you can usually negotiate the price with the sales rep. We recommend asking if they have any specials on new mattresses. You’d be surprised how many stores offer temporary promotions, exclusive discounts, or free accessories.
Of course, you can’t negotiate when you buy a mattress online. One thing you can do is to ask when they typically turn over their inventory and try to time your purchase with one of those periods of time, because prices tend to be lower when they are about to get new models in stock.
Purchase online
You can typically save the most money by buying from an online retailer. Unfortunately, mattress stores have more overhead and have to raise their prices to make sure that they turn a profit. Many mattress brands are much cheaper online than they are in brick and mortar stores.
The only real downside you’ll experience when you buy a mattress online is that you can’t try it before making your purchase. That’s why we recommend reading the fine print and making sure that the company offers a free trial on their product before you buy.
Most mattresses sold online are going to be memory foam mattresses, since they are easier to vacuum seal and ship directly to your house. These so-called mattress-in-a-box brands are the best way to get a good mattress deal. Buying online also makes comparison shopping easier, since competing brands are just a click away.
What is the best store to buy a mattress from?
Many people like shopping at brick and mortar stores since they can lay down on the bed and see how it feels before making their purchasing decision. There’s definitely nothing wrong with that, but we highly recommend shopping online instead.
Mattress manufacturers usually sell their products directly on their website. We highly recommend buying your next king mattress from companies like Idle Sleep, Zoma, and Eight Sleep. While you can buy a mattress on Amazon, dedicated mattress retailers usually offer the best discounts and typically have higher-quality products. Sleep is one of the most important aspects your health, and you owe it to yourself to buy the best mattress you can get your hands on.
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