How to Test a Mattress Before Buying

When it comes to mattresses, shopping in-person is a must. This is because testing your mattress is the only way to be sure you’re getting exactly what you need for a good night’s sleep. A bed that sounds comfortable in the description might not, in fact, be the mattress of your dreams, so it’s important to see, feel, and test it before buying. But how do you test a mattress? Here are the essentials.

Lay in Your Usual Sleep Position

Perhaps this is an obvious tip, but it’s vital when testing mattresses that you test them out in your regular sleeping position. After all, laying on your back feels different than laying on your side, with the mattress supporting your body in different ways based on how that position distributes your weight. So if you’re a side sleeper, you won’t benefit from testing a mattress by laying on your back.

Take Your Time Testing

You might want to test out as many mattresses as possible in a short period of time, thinking this will be efficient. Or, you might lay down on the first one you come across and find that it’s immediately comfortable. However, instead of immediately getting up, whether to test out the next one or to grab your checkbook, lay there a little longer. Give it ten minutes. Change your position a few times. Is the mattress still comfortable or uncomfortable after that time? Possibly not.

Mattresses are designed to mold to our bodies to an extent, cradling and supporting us in our sleep. This is not an instantaneous thing, however. In fact, you might find that a mattress that’s soft as a cloud doesn’t support you in the right places the longer you lay on it. Or a mattress that seems too firm at first actually becomes perfect the longer you lay there. So when testing a mattress, don’t make snap judgements. Give yourself and the mattress time to adjust. If it’s still not a perfect fit, move on to the next mattress and keep trying. You’ll find your perfect mattress with time and patience.

Keep an Open Mind While Testing

It might be easy to assume that you already know exactly what kind of mattress you want, from the level of firmness to the material and size. Yet it’s still worth trying out other mattresses to compare. You might find you prefer a foam mattress to a traditional innerspring mattress. Or organic materials give you the same support as the traditional mattress you were originally considering, and is more comfortable to boot.

The fact is, by keeping an open mind, you give yourself more opportunities to find the best mattress for your needs. Even if it turns out your original choice was, indeed, the correct one, testing out other mattresses will still allow you to be sure and avoid buyer’s remorse or doubts.

The next time you’re looking to buy a new mattress, come to a Gardner Mattress showroom and test out our Natural Sleep Collection and Traditional Collection mattresses. You’ll be able to meet the expert craftspeople who will be building your mattress and try out display mattresses at your leisure. It’s the surest way to treat yourself to a high-quality mattress and a good night’s sleep.