Cheap mattresses at the Labor Day sale can cost more than expected

David Goldstein
| Specially for the Ventura County Star

Labor Day sales are coming up soon, and mattresses are one of the items that are often discounted this time of year. However, a budget mattress can cost you more in the long run.

If you rush to a sale, you may end up buying before you’ve decided on a mattress. Focusing primarily on price may mean compromising on quality or comfort. To avoid wasting natural and financial resources, it’s important to figure out what you want and then buy the right mattress.

Start with the most basic decision regarding mattress preference: firm or soft

Firmness is a matter of personal preference and trying out multiple mattresses in a store is a huge advantage over buying a mattress online. Many online retailers make up for this by offering long trial periods and free returns, but the return process can be cumbersome and may not be entirely free, so buying online can increase the likelihood of dissatisfaction and a shorter mattress lifespan.

Even if the end of a sale period is not imminent, buying a cheaper mattress can be more expensive in the long run. With foam mattresses, the quality, density and cooling properties of the material matter, so customer reviews are important to determine longevity. With innerspring mattresses, durability is easier to measure. The thickness of the steel and the number of springs make a difference. Counterintuitively, thinner steel results in a firmer bed that also lasts longer, assuming the bed is soft enough to suit the customer’s preferences.

“All-foam mattresses haven’t been around long enough to know whether they are more or less durable than innerspring mattresses,” says Mike O’Donnell, chief operating officer of the Mattress Recycling Council, a mattress industry nonprofit that manages California’s statewide mattress recycling program.

A 2022 council study found that the average age of discarded mattresses at recycling facilities across the state is 13.9 years. The distribution ranged from 1 to 49 years, so durability is important.

Sometimes paying just a little more can make a big difference. Richard Zurawik, manager of Mattress Warehouse in Oxnard, explains, “Our cheapest twin mattress is a standard innerspring mattress for $149, but for just $179 a customer can upgrade to memory foam or pocket springs for $199, extending the life of the mattress by three to five years.”

Pocket springs are harder to recycle, but can prevent premature disposal because they are beneficial in larger beds. They reduce “motion transfer,” the phenomenon of one person’s movements disturbing another person sharing a mattress. A split California king bed, made up of two separate mattresses placed side by side, is an even better solution for motion transfer, and also a way to give each partner their preferred firmness and materials.

Refurbished mattresses offer high-quality materials at an affordable price.

“When consumers buy a quality, refurbished mattress from a licensed, reputable reconditioner, they get more for their money,” says Don Franco Jr., vice president of Gateway Mattress Co. He adds, “Any mattress manufacturer can use cheap foam to make a thick mattress that looks good on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

As for the outer layers, reconditioners replace the textiles when they re-wrap the reusable core. This makes a big difference between a reconditioned mattress and one that is simply reused.

Longer warranties may correlate with quality, but look for proportion, expiration, and limitations. Sites like mattressclarity.com and sleepadvisor.com offer durability ratings based on the quality of materials and multi-day sleep tests. Consumer Reports tests beds with a 308-pound wooden roller and measures the resulting sagging or “change in support.”

When you purchase a new mattress, the retailers that supply it are required to offer free pickup of your old mattress. If you would like to pick up and dispose of the mattress using your own vehicle, you can find four drop-off locations in Ventura County at www.byebyemattress.com. Free bulky item pickup is offered once a year as part of most curbside pickup programs.

Eco-Tip is written by David Goldstein, an environmental resources analyst with the Ventura County Public Works Agency. This column was not written in his capacity as a member of the California Mattress Recycling Advisory Committee. He can be reached at 805-658-4312 or [email protected].

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