Buying a used mattress is what scores of people imagine when purchasing a showroom demonstration mattress from a department store, furniture store, or mattress store, however it is not the same as buying a used mattress that has been slept in overnight for day’s weeks, months, or even years. So, what are the drawbacks, things to look for, and advantages to buying store floor model mattress sets? Here is a few helpful hints.
First look at the law label or tag that (DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW) everyone makes fun of to see what the original mattress manufacturing date was. This will tell you exactly how old the mattress set is.
Ask the retailer if the mattress includes the full manufacturers warranty. If it does not you can expect a very deep discount. If it includes a partial or a full warranty the mattress is worth more and dealer will add this extra value to the final cost that you pay, however this should still be a substantial discount from the mattresses’ original price.
Mattress and Furniture stores are typically very low volume, low foot traffic businesses unlike grocery stores, department stores, or discount stores. This is a good thing for bargain shoppers, when you consider less foot traffic = less wear and tear on demonstration floor model mattresses.
Retail stores that show mattress and boxsprings and other types of mattresses like memory foam, all natural latex, waterbeds etc. usually have a display area of beds showing anywhere from 30 to 80 mattress sets. You may want to consider that each one does not get test rested every time someone shops the store therefore resulting in less mattress wear for demos.
Most mattress models particularly in brand names like Sealy, Serta, Simmons, and Spring Air have annual model changes. Because of this fact most floor model mattresses are over a year old. Another thing to consider is that if a mattress retailer runs out of stock on a particular model, they may have sold off the floor model quickly since they were out of stock on new ones to save a sale. Retailers often get weekly mattress shipments and could simply replace it later in the week when the replacement stock came back in.
Salesmen often have a hard time getting customers to test rest mattresses for the industry recommended test rest of 15 minutes. It’s hard to believe but some customers buy them without even trying them, while the majority of shoppers spend approx. 1-5 minutes trying a mattress before they buy one. The point of this is, that the average demo model hardly has any wear on it.
Finally you may want to consider this one last thought: discounted floor models get very little use and are often worth the money, but if you still have reservations concerning the legitimacy of a floor model deal, then don’t buy it and walk away. If your gut is telling you no or you are not sure if you can trust the retailer consider talking with friends, family members, or coworkers who may have already bought there. If that is not possible you can also contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Their past customer service history could be an indicator of whether or not you would consider buying a floor model mattress from a company.
Douglas Belleville
Doug Belleville and his father Dave own and run STLBeds - a specialty sleep store located in Arnold, MO. The staff at STLBeds is highly educated about sleep, comfort and their special sleep products. STLBeds only carries high quality mattresses and bed-related products. You won't find the brand names here - click here to find out why!