credit card debt - holding an empty wallet.Mattresses are everywhere these days. Or maybe they just seem to be with all of the bed-in-a-box brands popping up and delivering beds right to your door. It’s easier than ever to invest in a quality mattress. And it’s easier than ever to find a decent, quality made mattress at decent prices.

Yet simultaneously, it’s still possible to get wrapped up in a too-good-to-be-true sale. Or worse, be paying way over your budget for a mattress that you think is worth the price tag. Well, we’re here to provide some reassurance and guidance. It’s definitely possible to get a good quality mattress at a decent price – you just have to know what you’re doing.

Continue reading to learn about mistakes to avoid when shopping for a mattress so you can avoid overpaying and still get a sleep surface that will help you get the cozy zzzzs you deserve.

8 tips for buying a mattress at the right price

1. Decide on a budget ahead of time

Whether you’re buying a mattress on your own or with a partner, decide on a mattress budget range ahead of time. That way you can go into shopping with more ease and make a purchasing decision with more confidence. Don’t rush the process either. It may feel a little overwhelming to navigate the prices, types and brands but expect to take some time in comparing prices before landing on a good mattress.

2. Shop online

Often when you’re shopping for mattresses in person, the retailer may list the price drastically higher. It’s quite common for this to happen because they want to trick consumers into thinking they’re getting a great deal. They might mark up a mattress at around $4,000 but then offer a 50% bargain offering price at $2,000. However, you’re likely still overpaying for the mattress. But when you shop online this generally doesn’t happen and prices are more reasonable.

3. Find the mattress you want before it’s on sale

Don’t wait for a sale frenzy to look at mattresses. Do some research ahead of time and peruse retailers, brands and prices that match what you’re looking for in a mattress. It can be easy to overpay or make a rash decision in the heat of a sale moment. Refer to our complete guide to choosing the best mattress to get an idea of what to look for.

4. Then buy a mattress during “seasonal” sales

You know the mattress you want. Now it’s time to pounce on it once one of several yearly sales comes around. You can save significant money if you wait for Black Friday, Labor Day, Fourth of July and President’s Day. It will feel especially less overwhelming and chaotic to go into these sales knowing exactly what you need.

5. Seek out coupons and discount codes

Beyond a strict sale, you can also save and avoid overpaying for a good quality mattress when you take advantage of the model or brand specific coupon codes and discounts. Especially considering it’s not easy to negotiate prices online, you can type [mattress brand] coupon or [mattress brand] deal on the internet and see what comes up. Otherwise, plenty of podcasts, youtubers and even radio ads continue to offer meaningful discount codes for popular direct-to-consumer mattress vendors like Casper, Purple and Helix.

6. Be wary of additional fancy features

Tread cautiously if you’re being offered a price and they want to add on something extra such as a pillow top, box spring, etc. Instead, pay attention to what’s inside the mattress, the material it’s made up of, durability and any other important qualities you need.

7. Understand the warranty policy

Don’t put too much pressure on the warranty, but at least confirm what you’re paying for. It’s important to recognize that a warranty only covers defects at the hand of the manufacturer, and that would likely happen within the first year or so. That means that if normal wear and tear happens down the road, you won’t necessarily be able to claim warranty on that.

Base your buying decision more on the construction of the mattress, versus the warranty. The warrant is vital but you don’t need to give an arm and leg for it. The most important thing to do in order to avoid overpaying for your mattress is to learn about the density of the foam, the gauge of the springs and consumer reviews.

8. Read reviews from real customers

And that leads us to the last tip that can help you from overpaying for a mattress – the customer testimonials. Try not to be too swayed by what a mattress company says about themselves because they’ll just be speaking in a positive manner. If you’re on the fence about a price then double check reviews on the company or retailer site to see what people like you have experienced firsthand.

Higher price doesn’t mean higher quality

Yes—believe it or not, this applies to mattresses! Needless to say, you should look at anything under $500 with some skepticism. But that doesn’t mean that a mattress priced $2,000 or higher is the best of the lot.

Get a mattress that ticks off all your boxes and be mindful of the steps we’ve mentioned above. And at the very least, most online mattress companies have generous risk-free trial periods. So even if you feel like you overpaid for a mattress, you can test it out for a month or more to see if you end up liking it.