How To Test A Mattress In-Store Before Buying? [2024 Guide]

The Ultimate Mattress-Testing Guide 2023

SleePare is the place to test a mattress in-store. This guide will help you out when testing an online mattress in-store and answer any questions you might have about the process. 

SleePare allows you to evaluate a mattress by sleeping on it for 30 minutes so you can get a better feel for it and make a more informed selection.

How To Test A Mattress In-Store?

To test a mattress effectively, visit a store and lie down in your preferred sleep position for 10-15 minutes. Assess pressure points, motion transfer, and overall comfort. Research materials, construction, and firmness. Consider personal preferences and needs. If buying online, choose companies with extended trials and easy returns to test the mattress at home.

Fortunately, SleePare carries some of the most well-known online mattress brands, which you can test in our SleePare showrooms. 

SleePare collaborates with the best-selling online-only mattresses, allowing customers to test and purchase in-store and online with an exclusive coupon. While online mattress companies offer sleep trials, it is still recommended to test in person to find the best mattress.

Mattress Material Testing Guide

9 Sure-Fire Ways To Test A Mattress In-Store

1. How Do You Check The Firmness Of A Mattress?

The best way to check the firmness of a mattress is to try it out at the store. It is recommended to lie down on the mattress for at least 15 minutes in the sleeping position that is most comfortable for you at home. This should give you an excellent indication of whether or not this is the mattress for you. 

However, firmness is very subjective and difficult to measure. As a result, it’s critical to try out a mattress in a store and determine its comfort level based on how it feels overall. According to a study, 77% of sleepers who tried out different mattress firmnesses in stores were happy with their decision.

2. How Long Should I Test A New Mattress?

Consumer Reports state that the customers who spend more than 15 minutes testing a bed are happier with their choice than the people who spend less time. If you sleep for 5 minutes in every sleeping position, you can experience better adaptability of the mattress. After you’ve purchased the mattress, many companies have sleep trials where you can sleep on it for a set amount of time and return it for free. 

3. How To Test For Support And Spinal Alignment?

To test for support and spinal alignment, it’s best to lay on a mattress in-store or purchase one online and test it out during a sleep trial. Support and spinal alignment vary from mattress to mattress, so what you find comfortable might not be what your partner finds comfortable.

Mattress support tells you how well it allows the spine to maintain its alignment and evenlydistribute weight. Proper mattress support is crucial to the resting body. Lack of support may result in muscle ache, back pain, stiffness, and lack of sleep. If you’ve been experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, your mattress is most likely not providing enough support and spinal alignment. 

Your body isn’t a straight line; it has curves, and the appropriate mattress should support your back while supporting your arches. Back, side, and stomach sleepers will all require various levels of support in different places. 

Here’s how you can test out spinal alignment depending on your sleep position: 

Back Sleepers

Slide your hand under the small of your back while lying down on a mattress (the curve of your lower back). The mattress may be overly firm if your hand readily glides under your lower back curve. The mattress is probably too soft if your hand doesn’t slide through at all. 

Side Sleepers

Lie down on the side of your bed where you normally sleep. Ask someone to take a picture of your back or check your spine alignment. Check to see if your spine is straight. If it isn’t, switch to a different mattress. 

Stomach Sleepers

It’s difficult to test a mattress for stomach sleepers because no mattress can adequately support your spine in this position. Start by lying down on a mattress and feeling how it feels under your feet. Is it causing you to sink? If you answered yes, you have a problem with your spine. Lie on the bed for more than 20 minutes and note any pressure buildup or lower back pain.

4. How To Test The Comfort Level Of A Mattress?

When purchasing a new mattress, the most essential and apparent element to consider is comfort. The greatest method to assess and test the comfort of a mattress is to try it out in a store. Most internet mattresses don’t have this choice, which is why these firms have good trial and return policies.

Consider your preferred sleeping position as well as the firmness level of the mattress when determining whether or not it is comfortable. You will experience aches and pains as well as tossing and turning if your mattress is too firm or too soft. While sleep position and mattress firmness are related, what you consider comfortable is a matter of personal taste.

5. Recovery Test - How Quick Does A Mattress Bounce Back?

This refers to how well they absorb compression and how long it takes them to return to their former shape after the weight is removed. To determine the recovery time of a mattress, or how quickly it “bounces back”, you will need to test it out in various sleep positions. To start, lie down in your chosen sleeping position on a mattress. Shift positions and see how long it takes the mattress to return to its original shape. 

A memory foam mattress will normally have a faster response time than a gel foam mattress. Innerspring and latex mattresses have the quickest recovery times, whereas hybrid mattresses are somewhere in the middle, depending on the type of foam used in the comfort layer.

6. Temperature Regulation: Does It Make You Warm?

Temperature regulation in mattresses is more often than not designed to keep hot sleepers cool. However, there are some smart beds with heating technology. Many people complain of “sleeping hot,” which is caused by the mattress’s heat retention (this usually happens in memory foam mattresses). There are numerous mattresses available with innovative materials that allow for optimal ventilation and cooling.

If you’re a hot sleeper, avoid memory foam and synthetic latex mattresses. These materials have a tendency to trap body heat. Thicker mattresses made from synthetic materials still hold even more heat. Natural latex, breathable foams, innerspring, and hybrid mattresses sleep much cooler. Mattresses made from these materials are ideal for those who sleep hot. 

7. How Well Does A Mattress Cushion And Comfort You?

How well mattress cushions and comforts is dependent on the materials. As soon as you crawl into bed, you’ll realize how comfortable the top layer of the mattress is. As soon as you lie down, the comfort layer will cradle your pressure points and provide relief. You must test and feel a mattress to determine if it is comfortable for you. For some people, a firmer bed will feel just right, while others will prefer a softer mattress. Only you can accurately gauge what’s comfortable to you.

8. Motion Transfer: Does The Mattress Move When Your Partner Moves On It?

If you’re sharing a bed, it’s a good idea to go to the mattress store with your spouse and try out several mattresses. This will help determine how well a mattress reduces motion transfer when sleeping with your spouse, children, or pets. 

A mattress with the right amount of comfort and padding will reduce pressure points while you sleep, resulting in less tossing and turning, fewer aches and pains when you wake up, and overall better sleep. When your partner moves on the mattress, it moves, which can disrupt your sleep. You run the risk of being woken up by your partner’s changing positions because the mattress transfers too much of that motion to your side of the bed. 

Lay down on the bed with your spouse and have them switch positions while you rest on the opposite side. Take note of how much movement you are experiencing.

9. Edge Support In A Mattress

If you sleep with a partner that takes up the majority of the bed, you’ll enjoy a mattress with robust edge support. If you have children who might share your bed, or if you just need a little additional help getting in and out of bed, a mattress with excellent edge support is a great option. When testing a mattress, sitting on the mattress’s edge will give you an idea of whether the support is adequate. 

Conclusion

Testing and buying a mattress in store will provide you with the best mattress buying experience possible. When testing a mattress in-store, you can try out the mattress beforehand, get expert advice, and try out alternative options if the one you were looking at initially isn’t what you expected. 

If you’re shopping for a new mattress and live near one of our SleePare showroom locations, make an appointment to test out the best and newest online mattresses. Don’t live near one of our locations? Read our sleep blog! 

More Resources

• Where To Test Online Mattresses
• Mattress Buying Checklist
• Benefits Of Testing A Mattress In-Store Before Purchase

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