You might be surprised to find out that the difference between expensive mattresses and cheaper ones is not as great as you might think. In many cases, you can find a great mattress for under 200, and offers a good night’s rest. We’re going to look into some of the differences between these mattresses and the most sophisticated ones on the market to see just what it is that people are paying more for.
Expensive Mattresses are Durable
One of the most important differences between a cheap mattress and an expensive mattress is the product’s durability. A mattress manufacturer who designed and produces a mattress with a price tag over $1000 is using higher-grade materials to ensure that the mattress will last for years, or even decades.
Cheap mattresses, on the other hand, cannot be held to the same standard even if they are well-built using reliable materials. Another point of difference is in the craftsmanship of the actual mattress production process – an expensive mattress benefits from more comprehensive quality control.
What About Comfort?
Comfort is an entirely subjective matter – it’s up to you. Although mattress experts will claim that a certain coil count or mattress thickness is optimal for a good night’s rest, the truth of the matter is that you can be perfectly comfortable in all kinds of conditions. Every human being is slightly different in that respect, and you’re best off following your intuition than looking at the mattress’ price tag.
Higher coil counts and natural fibers are things that legitimately add value to mattress products, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you absolutely need them in your bedroom. At the very least, cotton and wool are preferable to synthetic latex, but beyond that you are unlikely to see a huge jump in value due to “certified organic wool” being used in place of the regular kind.
Things That Don’t Add Value to Mattresses
As Blake Garfield points out, extra width does not make a mattress more comfortable or give it higher quality. In fact, it compromises the durability of the mattress in the long run, so avoid any salesperson using this in their pitch. Similarly, the “no-flip” design hasn’t been shown to produce any significant benefits for the consumer, so you shouldn’t feel impressed by it.
Poly foam is also a no-go as far as mattress quality is concerned. It is cheap, but you can find cotton mattresses for low prices as well.
Look Beyond the Product for Value
Before forking over a wad of cash on a mattress, consider what other costs are supported through the sale. If you go for a big brand-name mattress company, you’re also implicitly paying for their retail staff and marketing department, among many other things. A direct-to-consumer mattress fabricator, on the other hand, doesn’t need to cover so much overhead.
