One major complaint people have about the mattress industry is how difficult it is to comparison shop for mattresses. Every retailer seems to have its own name and model number for what should be the exact same mattress. They may use a different ticking (the “skin” of the mattress), or add a quarter inch extra of foam, or add 5 more coils, or some other minor difference to call it a different mattress. It can be difficult to comparison shop for a mattress, but it is not impossible. I will give you some tips to help compare mattresses among retailers.

Comparing Name Brands

Big name-brand manufacturers are usually the easiest to comparison shop on, even if everything has a different name. There are often lineups of mattresses within the brand which can be directly compared. For example, consider Simmons. They have several lines of mattresses. They have the BeautySleep lineup and the Beautyrest lineup. Within the Beautyrest lineup, they have Silver models, Platinum models, and Black models.

To make sure you’re looking at the same mattress, you need to look at the specs of the mattress. Compare each layer between the retailers. As a shortcut, you can also look at the height of the mattress (although there are some rounding differences. One place might call it 13″ while another says 12.5″, for example). Once you find a mattress in the same lineup with the same height (and the same firmness), it’s just a matter of double-checking the layers of foam.

Once you’ve found the mattress in the same lineup, the same height with the same foams as the mattress you liked, you have a match.

You can do two things with this information. You can just buy it online from the cheapest place, or take that price into your local mattress store and see if they can match or beat the price. Buying online is usually a little more convenient upfront, but brick-and-mortar retailers are sometimes easier to reach with customer service issues.

Check out our top picks for Best Online Mattresses

Other Factors to Consider

Price is not the only thing to consider when comparison shopping. There are a few other factors to look for.

Exchange policy

Make sure the retailer has either an exchange or a return policy. This is doubly true for internet retailers since you won’t have the chance to lie on that exact model of the mattress before buying it. Expect at least a 30-day exchange policy from a retailer. Some charge a second delivery fee, some charge a flat exchange fee, some charge a percentage of the original price.

Delivery

There are several factors to consider when comparing delivery services. What is the price? How quickly can it be shipped? Do you get to pick your own time window, or do they call you the day of delivery? Will the drivers set up the merchandise, or do they drop it off at your front door? It might be worthwhile to spend a little extra money to get the service that best fits your schedule.

Reputation

If all else is equal, consider the reputation of the retailer. Is this some fly-by-night internet company that will be out of business in a year? Or is it a nationwide brand that has been around for decades?

Please note the following before using the comparison charts:

It’s possible that some of the models aren’t exact comparisons. Companies sometimes put some kind of small “exclusive feature” in their mattress like an anti-microbial cover, or they change a layer of foam slightly. These should be considered “comparable models,” not necessarily exact.

Make sure you’re comparing the prices for the same size and whether or not a boxspring is included.

The price of the mattress shouldn’t necessarily be your only concern. Consider exchange/return policies, delivery fees, and delivery time in your decision.

This is only a few of the biggest retailers. There may be some other options, but these are the sites that I have found to be the most competitive.

Choose a brand below and we’ll help you find a better price!