Sure, when you step into a mattress showroom, the sales placards might tell you all of the fancy differences between different beds with widely varying price points. A $3,000 bed can’t possibly be three times more comfortable than a similar bed that only costs $1,000… right? Mattress tests by our foam-cushioned cousins down the hall at Consumer Reports found that there’s very little objective difference, but “comfiness” isn’t really an objective measurement. [More]
beds
Mattress-Jumping Isn’t Just Child’s Play; It’s A Real Job
By 10.31.12
While most of the mattresses you sleep are tested by machines, some mattress companies actually pay grown adults real money to jump up and down on their product before it ships to stores. [More]
A Trick To Tell You When And How To Flip Your Mattress
By 2.20.12
You’re supposed to flip and rotate your mattress periodically to keep it from getting lopsided, but it’s easy to forget about the chore. It helps to find a method that helps you keep track of when you last flipped it and which way you’re supposed to plop it next. [More]
Do We Really Need To Market Beds Specifically To Guys?
By 9.24.09
The Wall Street Journal has some ridiculous looking photos of beds designed for the male shopper. Apparently guys want built-in coolers, safes, TVs, and iPod docks in their beds. Sorry, we mean “man caves.”
Sleepy's Exec Says Bedbugs Come From People
By 8.17.09
Buried in the controversy surrounding the exit of consumer reporter George Gombossy from the Hartford Courant was his article that looks at complaints against mattress company Sleepy’s. We though this bit of wisdom from Sleepy’s COO was worth repeating:
Don't Put Too Much Faith In Select Comfort's 20-Year Warranty
By 7.13.09
If you’re thinking of buying a Select Comfort mattress, you might want to budget in an extra $200+ every couple of years to replace the controllers that let you adjust the bed. That’s the commitment Henry seems to be stuck with. Although Select Mattress keeps telling him it’s a rare occurrence, it’s happened twice now with him with both controllers, and he’s not the only one.
Simmons Fluffs Hotel Mattress Price By $500
By 6.9.09
UPDATE: Simmons contacted Charles today, and the situation has been settled. As some commenters here guessed, the confusion came from the sales rep misreading the number 3 for an 8 on the computer screen. Everyone can rest easy tonight, even if it’s not on a fluffy mattress.
The Sleep Number Difference Is Mold
By 5.17.08
A recent class action claims that Select Comfort Sleep Number beds are nothing more than overactive allergen mills. According to the suit, the bed’s faulty air chambers allow moisture to form under the mattress foam, providing a perfect breeding ground for mold spores.
Beware The Craftmatic Bed Scam
By 3.11.08
The commercial says you can win a free Craftmatic bed, but all you’re likely to win is a salesman worming his way into your home. An Inside Edition investigation revealed some shady high-pressure tactics by Craftmatic bed salesmen targeting the elderly. Typical sales tactics involve starting with a high price, $5,000 and then using a series of phony price drops to get the person to buy today. The salespeople say the bed is so great that it will solve acid reflux and heart disease! And at a seminar where you learn to be a better Craftmatic bed salesperson, a hidden camera showed instructor Carolyn Nilson talking about the lengths she would go to to close a deal, saying “I’ve done it all. Dug checks out of the garbage that they didn’t shred…reactivated credit cards, gone to the bank.” Most contests are just “lead-generation” opportunities for the businesses. Warn elderly friends and family about the sleazy tactics of the Crapmatic sales force.
British Store Stops Selling "Lolita" Beds For Little Girls
By 2.4.08
Woolworths in London has pulled its Lolita bed from its online store after complaints from parents. A Woolworths spokesman said, “What seems to have happened is the staff who run the website had never heard of Lolita, and to be honest no one else here had either. We had to look it up on Wikipedia.
How To Buy A New Mattress
By 1.18.08
Elizabeth Mayhew of the Today Show gives a primer on mattress shopping, including the basics on types of mattresses, cost differences, what to look for, and when to replace your old one. “If you are a couple, shop together and if possible bring your pillows with you. Make sure you lie on a mattress for at least 10 minutes in your normal sleep position. Cuddle on it, and engage in light foreplay through your street clothes.” Okay, we made up that last sentence.
The U.S. Census: Beds Are Like, Totally Dangerous or Something
By 12.15.06
The New York Times has an article today about the U.S. Census 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Big news: We drink a lot of bottle water. More than beer, if you can believe that. The most dangerous consumer item is a bicycle, the second is a bed. Yes, “Bicycles are involved in more accidents than any other consumer product, but beds rank a close second.”
