Shopping for a mattress for your first time is tough. With different materials, structures, and feels, it's tricky to know what will work for you. Throw in a major sales event like Cyber Monday and it's enough to stress out even the most seasoned shopper.
As a sleep writer, I've come to know a thing or two about choosing the best mattress for your sleep needs and style. And while the Cyber Monday sales have discounted some of our favorite mattresses, it's also good important to know how to spot really good value vs good marketing.
So, I've shared my top tips for buying a new mattress, as well as rounding up the top 3 Cyber Monday mattress deals I've found. It's the perfect time to invest in your next bed, but make sure it's the right one for you. Let's take a look at how you can do that...
1. Consider your sleep position
The way in which you sleep has a big effect on how firm your mattress should be. Side sleepers need more cushioning to prevent pressure building up around their hips and shoulders and should generally choose a soft or medium firmness bed.
Back sleepers also need some cushioning, but also require support to keep their spine aligned, so will be best off with a medium firm mattress. And stomach sleepers need a firm (or medium firm) mattress to keep their hips raised.
Body weight also plays a part - lightweight sleepers may need a slightly softer mattress to allow them to get enough contouring, while heavier sleepers will need a firmer bed to prevent them sinking through the top layers and losing support.
2. Check it has a trial period
Some of the biggest discounts often appear on third-party websites but buying from these can be a false economy as you might not get offered a sleep trial or a warranty.
A decent sleep trial gives you the opportunity to try out a mattress in your own home and see if it's right for you. If not, you'll be able to return or exchange it within this period. Sleep trials vary but are usually between 90 nights up to a whole year's trial.
In addition, it's important to buy a mattress with a decent warranty. With the average lifespan of a mattress being around 10 years (it can be more or less depending on the type of mattress you buy), you want a warranty that will cover you for this period in case something goes wrong.
3. Don't buy on discount alone
It can be very tempting to just buy a mattress because a brand is offering a fantastic discount. Of course, we all want a bargain when we're shopping on Cyber Monday, but the mattress still needs to be comfortable, supportive and right for your sleeping style / body weight.
You also want to be sure that you're actually getting the best deal on a mattress. Reading through our guide to the best Cyber Monday mattress deals will help you to pick a mattress that is actually offering a good deal, and we've got plenty with extra discounts or free gifts.
