Today’s question is from Sarah:
Would you or your readers please offer some advice on mattress buying? We need to buy a twin mattress for our son, who is leaving a crib, and haven’t a clue how to get a deal. Are there better times of the year than others to buy a mattress? Thanks for your help. – Sarah
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Subscribe for free email updates and be entered to win $100!
PREVIOUS POST: Walgreens: 469 square feet of toilet paper for $3.99
NEXT POST: How to Significantly Increase Your Income Without Working Harder (Part 5)
Money Saving Mom® is an upbeat and encouraging blog dedicated to helping you 
{ 95 comments... read them below or add one }
The cheapest deals around us is Big Lots. Plus they have 20% off coupons every once in awhile. We had to buy one in a hurry so we couldn’t wait for coupon.
Agreed! After looking at many ridiculously overpriced bedroom sets for our son when he was ready to move out of the crib, we went to Big Lots. We got a bed, matresses and dresser for about 1/3 of what we would have paid at any furniture store. We bought a reasonably priced bookshelf at Target that matched great, and he’s all set for a long time. His room looks awesome too!
We also bought a name brand mattress a big lots a few years ago, but were very disappointed in the quality. It was ok for about the first 6 months, but then slowly became less firm and hurt my hubbies back. We ended up having to buy another. So definitely be careful if you purchase there. My guess is the name brand mattresses sold there are of less quality than sold in the regular stores. SAMs club is where we bought ours and while a little more than Big Lots it has held up really well and was still cheaper than other mattress stores.
Did you guys rotate the mattress frequently? My inlaws own a furniture store and rotating the mattress makes a real difference in how it hold up.
Big Lots is a great place to find a deal on a mattress. Twice a year, they will offer a deal where the box spring is only $10 when you buy a mattress. They also offer layaway, to give you up to six weeks to have the needed cash to get the mattress, while locking in on the sale.
We bought our set at the end of January, putting it on layaway for 10% down and finished paying with our income tax refund.
Another good place to try is a major department store, like Sears or Macy’s. If they are retiring a model, they will sometimes have them marked down by 75%. My parents got a deal like that when they fitted all their guest rooms after we flew the coop. They bought a new queen set for themselves and two extremely nice twin pillowtop sets for $600. Ignore the brand name and just look for quality of workmanship in the mattress itself.
We got our mattress on sale at Sam’s Club for a really good price.
Yes – Sam’s Club! We have bought the last two mattresses that we needed at Sam’s, and they are great! (Especially our comfy pillowtop) The thought of going to one of those questionable mattress stores where you don’t know what you are buying just made my head hurt. Plus at Sam’s, there were about 3 choices, and they were all from reputable companies and a great deal. Even if you didn’t shop there the rest of the year, I think it would be worth the membership fee – you would still save money. (Off topic – Sam’s is great for tires also.)
Be married to a guy who sells mattresses! That’s how I got mine
Thanks for the very good practical advice!
Hey, say what you want about mattress salesmen, I have a fantastic bed and I got it for a fraction of the price!!!!! It was a great “first job after college” before moving on to bigger & better things–but we got to keep the bed!!
Yep! My husband worked at Brookstone in college. We got a $2000 Tempurpedic for $700. Gotta love those employee discounts!
Just make sure you get a waterproof mattress cover to go over it . . . They’re not much at Wal-Mart or Bed, Bath, Beyond, and it will save whatever mattress you buy from nastiness.
The $90 spent on our waterproof cover was worth EVERY penny when my water broke during the strenuous activity of taking a nap. My husband simply threw it in the washing machine instead of having to buy a new mattress.
Waterproof covers are great for protecting the mattress from all sorts of yuck.
especially for kids mattresses – there is only so much you can do to get the smell of an accident out without a waterproof liner.
We got ours at Sams Club as well.
Ditto the mattress cover! We bought ours at Sam’s (good quality, reasonable price) but we also bought bunk beds/twin bed style that don’t need box springs so we could just get a mattress.
Ditto. Get something platform style that doesn’t need box springs. Makes the inevitable falls out of bed not quite as far down!
And yes, I have always used bed rails – somehow all four of them have managed to fall out on way or another. One managed to go OVER the rail. Several have pushed the bed away from the wall, and then fallen down between the bed and the wall. Now I keep pillows on the floor to cushion the fall.
Sam’s seems to have good prices.
we bought a sealy … a trusted brand… my daughter laid on them and everything at Sam’s and when we got it home it wasn’t comfortable at all. We paid 99 for a twin/full… we felt like we had to get it right away (she out grew her bunk bed mattress) and the budget was tight. but a mattress really is an investment and u want it to be able to last as your child grows, because u don’t know when u can afford to purchase a new one, so it’s my opinion it is well worth investing in a more expensive and comfortable mattress. I wish I would have taken that bit of advice. Now she’s stuck with an uncomfortable mattress and back problems (not caused by the mattress, but the mattress def. contributes to the worsening) … your child is worth the investment.. so take some time and consider what u can afford. I purchased my mattress on credit same as cash 6 month plan… and I’ve had my mattress for 6 yrs and I would do it again… I am going to have to do the same for my daughter now too… so shop around look at Macy’s when they have their annual sale and some of the other places suggested here… but honestly mattresses are best purchased from a store who specializes in them…. if u r a risk taker u can find out where local hotels sell their mattresses when they are going to d upgrades and get one form them… I’d Tobi it and vacuum it half a dozen times out of bed bug paranoia- but it could work for you if you’re not paranoid.
I got mine on Overstock.com and used Ebates to get a % of my purchase price back.
We just did this for our son! We actually bought a Groupon to the Mattress Firm. All told, we were able to get a middle-of-the-road, really nice to me set for him for only $93 total. The Mattress Firm Groupon we bought was out about 6 months ago and they just did another one, so maybe it will be a semi-regular thing. With all of the daily deal companies out there, there’s bound to be something!
There’s also a store in our town that was closing and so had great deals, and another temporary store that bought closeouts from another store.
Be creative!
IKEA. They sell mattresses to go with their beds (which are both very reasonably priced), and they don’t need box springs. If you need a bed too, I’d recommend checking them out. We just bought our son’s big boy bed there and it’s really cute. The mattress was only an extra $100 I think, and it’s also super comfortable.
The cheapest mattress I ever bought was at Ikea, and I loved it so much. I gave it to my niece when I moved away, and she loved it too.
I think that a lot of furniture stores have sales around holidays…Columbus Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day… I would price some stores and see if any of them have a price match policy.
If you have any auctions near you I would call there, some of them also sell new mattresses as well as used.
I’ve heard that too. The mattresses go on sale around the red, white and blue holidays (President’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July.)
Here in our state (NC), it’s illegal to sell a mattress that is not covered in plastic. I know because I have a relative that works at an auction house. When they go to clean out an estate, they can sell the beds, just not the mattress if it is not covered in plastic. They just have to give them away or throw them away. He’s gotten all of his mattresses from estates and didn’t pay a dime. You might want to check out the law in your state and possibly auction houses or estate sales. We gave away a queen mattress at my aunt’s estate sale because we couldn’t sell it.
Buying a used mattress is not really recommended because of the bedbug problems going on everywhere. It just would not be worth any amount of savings!
In some states, like mine (Mass) it’s illegal to buy/sell used mattresses.
Keep ‘em in a toddler bed (that uses the crib mattress) as long as you can…
That’s what we do!
Same here. Even if you need the crib for a new baby, you can get another crib mattress for cheaper than a twin.
And it takes up less room! Our kids need to share a room for now, and a crib plus a twin bed wouldn’t leave much room for playing.
We just put a crib mattress on the floor and works great….
This is exactly what I was going to say. If you’re child is moving from a crib, keep him in a toddler bed for as long as you can.
…unless you have another little one for whom you’ll need that crib mattress again!
: ) That’s what happened to us.
Also, if you purchase a twin bed now, you’ll use it for a long time. The way we got the best deal was just shopping around and asking around. A few of our friends had children that moved up to twin beds right before our son so they had just recently done the research. We wound up finding an outlet mattress store in our town and got the twin mattress for a very reasonable price.
We bought ours at Sam’s too. I think it was $99. We didn’t use a box spring, we made a bunkie board so his bed isn’t so far off the ground.
Mattress stores are always having a sale! Buy something that is comfortable for an adult so it’ll still be comfortable for him as he gets older.
I worked at a small chain furniture store for over 3 years. They sold mattresses there. A lot of times mattresses will get discontinued. Also, furniture stores use mattresses to stage furniture. These are usually where the discontinued models end up. Floor model mattress & boxspring sets are cheaper than new and there is no harm in purchasing these because it is not like people slept on them. They have been covered with comforters the whole time they are on the floor. Whether you are going to a furniture store or a mattress store, let the salesperson know that you are interested in finding the best price possible and that floor models and discontinued models are an option for you. Get to know your prices before you go shopping AND get to know the perks of each place. Some places will offer free delivery, discounts on paying cash, discounts for financing, a free frame, a free pillow, a free mattress pad, etc. Bring in proof of all of the other stores perks for the best deal possible.
In 6 months we will be buying a new twin mattress set ourselves. Actually, my in-laws will probably buy it for our son as a gift but either way we will still be in search of the best deal. Good luck!
The mattress stores around here don’t completely cover the floor models with comforters.
no, not the mattress stores, the furniture stores that sell mattresses…those are the ones that cover the mattresses…so if she is looking for a twin mattress, perhaps they have a floor model mattress on clearance in the children’s furniture section of the store…ours were always 50% off or more in the children’s section
This is how we did it – end-of-year liquidation sales (clearing out inventory so they don’t have to pay taxes on it again!) at a local furniture store, not a chain. We got two twin mattress and box spring sets that we discontinued floor models for $89 each (for the set), with waterproof mattress pads ($10 each) and free delivery. Not a shabby deal in my opinion!
I also totally agree with the poster that said this is an investment! You spend roughly 8 hours a day lying on this and your children should be spending 10+ (roughly, depending on their ages). You want something that is supportive and going to last. It’s my understanding that a good mattress should last 10-15 years with regular care (turning, flipping, cleaning, etc.) and that it should be supportive all the way up until the end.
Anyway, that’s my $0.02!
Lea
We got a floor model that was a king size pillow top with memory foam that was priced at $4,500!! We walked out with it for $1,200, and it is the BEST bed ever!! Definately look for model close outs
We also got a great deal on a memory foam mattress from a furniture store close out. Best mattress we have ever owned and no need to flip it. $1000 for the king size mattress, box springs, and a leather topped coffee table we had wanted from the store (the table alone retailed for $800).
I bought top of the line orthopedic mattresses they were outrageously expensive regular price, I waited for a rock bottom sale, bought them at the close out (of the store) price and paid cash for an additional 20% off (which the store owner gave me at the last minute for paying cash on the spot) I got four mattresses for $ 89 a piece they should last over 20 years maybe even grandkids will sleep on them. Hubby made platform beds no need for box springs.
I don’t know what your budget is, but we were in a similar situation not too long ago where we needed to convert our son’s crib to a full bed. It skipped the twin and went from crib to toddler to full. In any event, we needed a mattress and boxspring, and we wanted something quality that would (hopefully) get him through at least jr. high if not longer (he’s 3). I researched a lot about mattresses and boxsprings and pricing on line and got lost in coil counts and fiber fill, etc. and so forth. Eventually, after talking to a lot of people, we ended up going to a major mattress retail chain. We found a great high end set that retailed in the area of $800. We asked the guy what the best possible price he could do was, and he quoted somewhere around the $600 range. We told him that this was still way too much, and he directed us to the next step down which he told us he could do in the $400 range, for both the mattress and boxspring. Still a very nice set, very comfortable. We said ‘thank you’ and that we needed to think about it and walked to the starbucks a block down and called some friends to bounce it off them. We then returned about an hour later and asked if there was any incentive to paying in cash, vs. credit, financing, etc. He told us that if we financed through them we could receive an additional 10% off. He also threw in a waterproof mattress cover (that he claimed retailed for $120) for free. Then when we discussed delivery, we learned that if they just shipped it to the store, or to a local warehouse for pickup, we could save another $90, since a full bed could easily fit in the back of our car. So when all was said and done, we got the set and the cover paying in the mid $300 range which was about 1/3 of what the pricetag said. Plus, we used their financing and did the no interest for 6 months to get the additional 10%, and we paid it off in 6 months, which was only about $60 a month. So not bad at all. I can’t imagine we would have done better at an Ikea, or another store, but I didn’t price compare. The bottom line is that prevailing consensus is that you can totally negotiate in a big mattress store, so give it a try, and like all things, don’t be afraid to walk away, or ask them what else they can do, or direct you to a similar item by the same manufacturer that might have a better price. Good luck!!
We have good luck at our local department store. They have a clearance section where they sell floor models, last in stock, etc. at greatly reduced prices. Combined with their 10 or 20% coupons we’ve gotten twin sets (good quality) for less than $100. Keep in mind that for a little one just leaving a crib they probably are light enough that they don’t need the fanciest coil system available.
Buy a mattress from Big Lots.
Check out a Sam’s or Costco in your area. We’ve purchased ALL of our mattresses from them. They sell Sertas (a name brand) for a decent price. They’re probably not the ‘best’ mattresses out there – but they’re the best for the price (that we’ve found so far!).
We bought matresses for our two little boys last fall at Costco…after much comparison of quality and price we found this to be the best bang for our buck:) We bought only the mattress at Costco, and got a boxspring and frame off Craigslist. (I am all for buying used and saving the difference, but a used mattress for my baby boys…couldn’t do it)
Not sure if someone said this or not but my husband and I were looking for a king size mattress when we got married and we went to a furniture store and the prices were outrageous. We couldn’t even get approved for credit so we left empty handed. We stumbled upon overstock.com. Yes, it was a risk to buy a mattress online but we read reviews like crazy and researched it and looked at the same mattress in a store then eventually bought it online. We joined a yearly overstock.com membership for $20 and they delivered the bed for free and assembled it in our sleigh bed. We spent $750 on it plus the $20 membership (I think by getting the membership, we got free shipping plus a percentage off so it was well worth it)… and the beds at the store were double that. I highly recommend it. We LOVE our bed.
we just bought our sons bunk beds (they can separate)which we saved on the box springs because we don’t need any and we bought one mattress at Ikea for $99 plus tax and another at Ashley’s Furniture because we had some credit there so it was free. and we didn’t think about this until know we had $240 credit so we could have bought 2 mattresses and just pay the rest. The mattress was $160 including tax. but we didn’t think of it we could have saved $25.
We just bought a new mattress for our bed. Check with Mattress Firm, or other stores. Mattress Firm was willing to price match, even with an online price with one of their comparable mattresses. Mattress companies are notorious for name the same mattress by two different names, depending on who is selling it. Get info about the coil count and construction of the mattress, then price match!
I’ve gone to thrift stores or Big Lots to buy my beds. I got a full sized bed at Big Lots (Sealy) for under $300. Hope that is a good price!
We bought mattresses a few months ago for two beds. After some research, we learned that mattress stores sometimes will sell their floor model for less money. In addition, prices are negotiable. You have more power to negotiate if you are making multiple purchases. In the end, we got a $2200 queen set floor model priced at $1100 for $700. We got a twin set for $100 with a frame included.
I know this might be random… but you could put the question on facebook to see if anyone has a mattress for free. One that someone was storing and not wanting to throw in a dumpster. We did that. We got several bites from empty nesters (that we knew) whose children were out of the house and they had twin mattresses lying around. The mattresses we got for our kiddos were in great condition (better than what we would’ve bought for our toddlers). I am definitely a clean freak and I was okay with having a pre-owned mattress from a clean person I knew.
I’ve had several friends who’ve done that. At least you know who the used mattress is coming from
I don’t have a problem with a used mattress from close friends and family – my Grandpa bought a new mattress and only used it for a few months before he had to move into a nursing home. He is happy that we can use it (it is an expensive mattress) and we are delighted to upgrade for free
We got most of our mattresses this way! We had friends who bought a model home that came with all the furniture. They gave us the twin bed that was there (brand-new). Their neighbors, who also bought a model home, didn’t need the two twin beds they got, either, and asked our friends if they knew anyone who needed them. We got three brand-new beds for free!
We were also given a used bed from someone who had a guest bed that they no longer needed. It had only been used 3 times.
I agree with a lot of the others. One of the best twin mattresses we ever bought, we got at SAMS.
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Craigslist yet in the comments (at least that I’ve seen). You have to be very careful about buying a mattress this way, but we bought one a few months ago from a nice family. They were moving and didn’t have room to take the mattress from their guest bed. It was from a pet-free, smoke-free home and had always been covered with a mattress pad. Since it was the guest bed, it was barely used and in great shape, but we got it for far less than if we’d gone to a store to buy a new one.
I’ve posted this above, but it bears repeating each time someone suggests buying a used mattress in the comments. Check your state laws first! In some, it’s illegal to buy/sell a used mattress. This is why the return fees for a used mattress during a trial period my state are so high, because it’s considered used and can’t be resold.
You can look up the Sam’s prices online. They are pretty reasonable, or sometimes, those weird out of the way overstock places have them for cheap, we got two box springs there in Joplin last year, I would not go to a place like Denver Mattress or something like that if you are looking for a bargain and for a little kid’s bed, I assume that you are thinking a bargain. Every now and then, there are “new” ones on Craigslist. Used might be gross, but if it was still in the plastic…..or just put the word out, as someone might have a slightly used one and they could be upgrading their kid to a full.
We did the toddler bed for a while, less of a fall, and takes up less room………..but I totally agree with the plastic cover and go for the zip up kind, not just the elastic.
BEWARE of buying a used mattress from auction or estate sales!! With the recent bed bug outbreak all over the U.S., no saving is worth the risk!
My husband and I are looking to upgrade to a king but, while it would be nice to have now, we don’t NEED it now. We have the money saved and now we’re just waiting for the right deal. We drove around to some local mattress stores, found the beds that we would like, then told the sales rep “this is the one we want. Get us a good deal and the commission is yours.” We’ve gotten a few calls telling us their manager would give us $200-$300 off if we buy today, but I’m holding off on a better offer. I know we’ll find a deal pretty soon so now we’re just playing the waiting game!
I’ve also read that March is the best time of year to buy mattress because that’s when new models come out and they are trying to get rid of older models.
I’ve seen a few Goodwills that sell brand new, in the plastic mattresses for affordable prices. I don’t know how great or if they are fancy, but it’s an option.
I used a Groupon for a local place (Sleep Outfitters) – it was $40 for $200 to spend. I had some Groupon credits and paid nothing for the Groupon – just the amount that exceeded $200, which wasn’t much since we were buying a basic twin for our 2-year old daughter! I’ve also seen Groupons for Mattress Firm.
One of the local thrift stores around me sells brand new mattresses (stores donate them because they cannot sell them) for really inexpensive. You may want to try there.
We bought our two year old daughter a mattress online at US Mattress. It was on sale for $500 which was below what I budgeted and I was sure it was the lowest price for that model because I compared it to other local retailers’s websites and other online retailers websites (to compare, since every store has different names for the same model mattresses, I took down the coil count, measurements, etc. and used that information to do a comparison). US Mattress has a 30 day price guarantee policy and the mattress we bought ended up going on sale for $400 so they sent us a check for $100! We also got free delivery where they set up the mattress for us and they charge no sales tax.
The mattress is a really nice Sealy Posturepedic model and we are very happy with it, as is my daughter.
I also recommend a mattress cover- we bought ours on Amazon for about $50 and it is just as good as the one we bought for our son a few years ago from the furniture store for $150.
I actually wrote about my experience on my blog
http://justcallmecheap.blogspot.com/2011/08/buying-mattress-on-line.html
Have you thought of trying freecycle or craigslist? I would make sure it is from a smoke-free home.
Check your state laws first. In mine (Mass) it’s illegal to buy/sell used mattresses.
We bought our sons a memory foam mattress(not the topper) for 99.00 for a twin at walmart. The boys loved them so much that we bought one for our queen bed and we will never go back to a standard mattress.
Good Luck Amber
Our daughter and her husband had a TemperPedic and hated it. They sold that and bought a king size memory foam mattress from WalMart.com and love it. One of our college kids bought a queen size one and he is very happy with that one. They do take a couple of days to expand to full size so do plan on that!
We also have a memory foam mattress (king size) and would never go back. It is great for my back and we were able to get it at a decent price through Black Friday sales.
Believe it or not, we bought twin mattress sets for our boys at Menards for a great deal. I believe the brand name was Serta.
I strongly urge you not to go cheap on a mattress. You spend over 1/3 of your life in bed. It should be top of the line quality for your health and quality of sleep. I paid $1200 for a new mattress over 8 years ago. It is still in superlative shape. I lay down and go “ahhhhhh!” It was worth every penny and still is to this day.
This may have been mentioned already, but ask a sales associate at a store that sells them about purchasing a floor model mattress. That’s how we’ve gotten all of our high-quality mattresses at a fraction of the cost. Also, don’t be afraid to haggle with a sales associate. Most of the time there’s a lot of wiggle room in the price and if they want the sale, they’ll do whatever they can to get it (especially if they’re paid on commission).
We got our mattress from overstock.com and love it!
There is a store called Sleepwell Mattress in my town. They sell mattresses that cannot be sold in regular stores for various reasons – damages to the packaging, or discontinued models, for example. We have bought several mattresses there and have always been pleased.
They are recommended by Dave Ramsey, although I do not know if they are a national chain or not. But you might ask around your town and see if there is any similar store.
We bought 2 (brand new and brand name) mattresses last year and got a terrific deal by looking on Craigslist. Often times, dealers list their sale items, which is great to compare prices. We ended up going with a wholesaler and saved a ton!
If you live near a JC Penny outlet store (go online to find locations), they have AWESOME deals. Prices are set by the size of mattress, but you never know what mattresses are available. Our outlet gets new shipments each Thursday. You can always use the 15% off coupon for doing an online survey. We bought a king size mattress for just under $400, but it retailed for over $8000. Funny to think that we bought it for less then the tax people would have spent on it!
Get a Sleep Number Bed. They are worth the extra money. Before ordering search e-bay for Sleep Number Bed coupons – each existing “owner” gets a 30% off for friends and family coupons twice a year. You can buy the coupon on e-bay for around $10 and then turn around and save 30% on a $2000 bed.
I’m not sure if someone has mentioned this yet, but we got our son’s mattress at the local mattress/appliance store, and it was the best deal around. The quality is good, the price was just about the same as Big Lots, etc., and they delivered it for free, which none of the other stores were willing to do. Also, when we went back a few months later for another mattress, we got a better deal on it since we’d shopped with them before, so it ended up being a good, long-term relationship to develop (they’ve also since sold us a dishwasher and installed it for less than anywhere else would too).
My first mattress I bought at Sam’s Club – used my parents membership and they helped me get it home, too. Ask around if you don’t have a membership or a pick-up truck. People are often happy to help for a free meal (invite them to dinner at your house for an inexpensive dinner) & socializing.
The only thing that I regret, is that I didn’t realize the mattress that I got is single sided – can’t flip it over, there’s no padding. We do rotate it and we are coming up on 5 years and still going strong.
We have been very creative with matresses at our house. We had a very nice King sized futon that we cut in half, sewed on a thrift store fitted sheet, and had two twin mattresses.
We always make our own slatted bed bases and skip the boxsprings. We usually use material on hand.
We have bought two brand new mattresses for very cheap at salvation army. They came from Sam’s club, and had black smudges on them. Black smudges do not effect the quality of a mattress. Buying used twin mattresses is really not a big deal if you can find one that is in good shape. If they sell them, they have to be sprayed, or new. There should be no bed bugs.
The Sears outlet can have cheap twin matresses, but the larger sizes I haven’t had as much luck with.
Futons can be a cheap solution as well.
I also heard of someone who used camp cots for their kids, another person used hammocks. There is no need for a mattress then!
I must echo the concerns about buying a used mattress. I’ve voiced these concerns before about buying any sort of used upholstery and have been criticized for being a “downer”, but the bed bug epidemic is very real in many parts of the country. No savings is worth an infestation in your home. Whatever you decide to buy, please make sure it’s new and that the sealed plastic cover is not removed until it’s in your home.
Whatever you do don’t buy cheap. I bought cheap in college and when I got pregnant the hubby and I both suffered. It got too painful at 5mo. We went to Ashley furniture and got a king size pillowtop for $500 it was a $1200 mattress. We will do the same for out daughter.
Before we got married, we needed a queen size bed (we had nothing). We asked our church and they put out a “hotline.” Within days, a member approached us saying she had a Queen size bed (frame, box spring & mattress) we could have. It was a guest bed that was only a few years old and had only been slept on a few times. We tried to pay her for it and she wouldn’t take any $. It’s been 3 years and it’s still in great shape – it’s a great bed!
All that to say, don’t be afraid to ask around!
Is there a Deseret Industries thrift store in your area? They sell new furniture, including mattresses and bedroom sets, for very reasonable prices. We got a bed from them and it’s like a rock, the most solid piece of furniture we own.
Another way to save is on the box springs. Box springs are expensive, but bunk boards are a lot cheaper (and lower, which is great for kids who might be too small to climb into a full-sized bed).
I got my queen mattress at the JC Penney outlet for $99, with the box spring. If you have a JC Penney outlet near you, you should check there.
I also recommend checking the warehouse clubs. You can also try Amazon. I really like memory foam, it’s cheap, comfortable, and easier to move. It’s safer to get a firm mattress for a little kid, especially if he’s very groggy when he wakes up in the night or doesn’t have strong neck muscles.
If you live in one of a few western states, check Deseret Industries stores. http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8064-1-4425-1,00.html
Even though it’s a thrift store, they make their mattresses brand new. We purchased one there for our daughter who was moving from a crib in the summer for about $220 for the mattress and box spring set. Everyone I have talked to who has used these mattresses have loved them and have been pleased with their wear.
my husband and I were just able to get a deal on a floor model.
We are in the process of moving, so I moved our mattress to clean underneath of the bed thoroughly. Our mattress is bottom of the line and should have been replaced years ago, as well the frame, so when I saw how poor of condition the frame was in, I just stuck the bed back on the floor. (After we move next month we are getting another bed and making a nicer frame.) I was amazed at the difference it made having the bed on the floor – the bed was much firmer since the box spring was better supported.
Its not the most ideal situation, but if you want to make an old bed that you are stuck with temporarily more comfortable, stick it on the floor.
Don’t buy a USED mattress. The average life span of a mattress is 10 years, so look at it as an investment. Buy a double sided mattress if you can find one and then flip/rotate it every month. if you are needing the boxsprings, than you MUST buy a new boxspring with the new mattress or you will automatically void any warranty you get (I don’t think you can get a warranty for just buying a mattress).
The best place I’ve found for purchasing mattresses is through Costco, not just because they sell good brands, but because they will also take it back and refund your entire purchase if the mattress fails for some reason. Also, if you watch their ads and website, they often put them on sale once or twice a year. If you order online, shipping is often included. We had purchased a memory foam bed 3+ years ago and it did not hold up as expected. They took it back and provided a refund with no problem!
Sam’s has Serta twin’s for a super price and they are quality products. Earlier this year our Fam purchesd 3 (bunk w/trundle)
Look for funiture outlets in your area. We have a couple near us where you can get a much better deal than in a retail store. They may also be willing to negotiate the price down even further.
You can also negotiate at a regular mattress store as well as ask about overstock, floor samples, etc. that may be available for a rock bottom price. However, in my experience, the regular retail mattress stores take more work to get the best deal because they really want to steer you to a higher price option.
Finally set the maximum price you are willing to spend ahead of time but keep this information to yourself. If a store doesn’t meet it, be prepared to walk out. They may give you a better price or option that they “forgot” to mention earlier to get your business. If not, move on to your next location.
They make high quality air mattresses now. Easy to move, easy to clean and no bed bugs.