Mattress shopping 101: Price vs. value

mattress shopping price vs value

When it comes to mattress shopping, you have tons of options when it comes to price. You can find mattresses at rock-bottom prices and many for thousands — even tens of thousands — of dollars. But the price tag isn’t always a great indicator of quality.

An inexpensive mattress might seem like a great deal, but if it only lasts you a year or two, it probably isn’t worth it. On the other hand, an extremely expensive mattress might seem like it’s the best that money can buy. But if that price includes a huge retail markup or excessive features that don’t really have any benefits, you might be paying way more than you should be.

That’s why it’s important to understand the difference between price and value when it comes to shopping for a mattress.

Price

There are a lot of factors that go into the price of a mattress:

Materials: Those mattresses that are sold a rock-bottom prices on major online retailers are typically made with very low-quality foams that often come from overseas. On the other end, ultra-high-priced brands might include luxury materials that don’t have any direct benefits to the sleeper. At OMF, we only use high-quality materials, but we also only use what works to provide actual benefits.

Labor: Was your mattress made by a machine or in an overseas factory? Or was it hand built by craftsmen who care about the quality of their products? Sure, there are cheaper ways to manufacture, but at OMF, we believe in hand-built and American-made products.

Transportation: If a mattress has to be shipped in from overseas, that cost will be added onto the final price tag. At OMF, we hand build our mattresses and box springs in our 12 factories around the U.S. and sell them at our local stores. This drastically reduces our transportation costs, and that savings gets passed onto our customers.

Retail markup: For many mainstream mattress brands, a huge chunk of the total price will come from the retail markup. Manufacturers sell their products to retailers, and those retailers add a big markup to the price tag so they can make a profit. At OMF, we only make our own products and sell them in our own stores, so there is no additional retail markup.

 

Value

Value has a lot to do with a product’s price — but there’s more to it. Value is about quality. It’s about getting a great product at a great price. When it comes to mattresses, value is about feeling confident that you are going to get the comfort, support, and durability you need, all at a price that is fair and honest.

Value isn’t always as easy to quantify, especially in the mattress industry. Mattress brands are purposely vague about the features and materials used in their products. At OMF, we believe in transparency. We have cutaways of each of our mattresses on display, so you can see and feel each material we use in our products. We also have a cutaway of a major brand’s product (which retails for several hundred dollars more than some of our highest-quality products), so you can judge its quality compared to OMF for yourself. All of our 12 factories are also open to the public every day. You are always welcome to stop by for a tour, even if you’re not in the market for a mattress.

So, the next time you go shopping for a mattress (or any major purchase, for that matter), go deeper than price. Find real value in order to get the most for your dollar.

Ready to start your mattress buying journey? Come to The Original Mattress Factory first. No one knows more than our team about what makes a great mattress great. Whether you buy from us or not, you’ll be better prepared to make a smart mattress buying decision. Find a store near you.