Lack of sleep, chronic back pains, and allergies could be signs that you’re in urgent need of a new mattress. But are you still trying to decide whether to buy your new bed online or at a local store? If yes, you might find the insights in this post useful. Aside from reading mattress reviews, taking note of the pros and cons of online and local store shopping might help.
Why You Should Be Wary about Where to Buy Your Mattress?
Your mattress can easily be one of the furniture at home you’re free to splurge on. It will be your source of comfort and relief for at least a decade. Yes, its quality might not be in the hands of the resellers. But the cost of your mattress purchase depends greatly on your choice of store. Besides, there are other ownership aspects wherein you might need help with as you use the bed. And where it’s bought determines whether you’ll receive the support you need.
Points of Comparison
You have two options when it comes to mattress shopping – online and brick-and-mortar stores. Consider the following benefits and drawbacks of each option based on different shopping factors.
Price
The hype about online shopping is well-grounded. For many items, the prices online are lower than those at brick-and-mortar stores. And it’s the same for beds. In many mattress reviews, consumers found it more cost-efficient to buy online. Beds sold online are 15% cheaper than those at local stores. This is because commissions and rental fees are taken from the total cost of the bed.
Ease of Returns
A bed is a major purchase. And you shouldn’t hesitate to return the item if it has defects or it doesn’t suit your needs. For local stores, returning a product is quite easy, considering that you’ve met the sellers and you know exactly where the store. Meanwhile, this isn’t always the case for online stores. Yes, many digital sellers offer a speedy and easy return and product replacement. But others prove to be a real challenge.
Availability of Trial Period and Warranty
Trial periods and warranty depend on the manufacturer. So this might be the same for beds sold online or at local stores.
For trial periods, some makers offer 100 nights (e.g., Purple, Aviya, Casper), while others offer 120 nights (Leesa, Layla, Zenhaven) and 365 nights (e.g., Dreamcloud, Nectar).
For warranties, some manufactures offer product quality assurance up to 5 to 20 years. Others offer a lifetime warranty.
Options
Sleep quality is a priority. And you need to look at and assess as many options as you can.
Retail stores can only display as many types and brands of mattresses as their store can handle. But for online stores, you’ll have a wealth of options. Ecommerce sites even have comparison tools you can use to evaluate different brands side by side based on shopping factors like price, features, and trial periods. Mattress reviews and customer feedback are also available for you to read before making a purchase.
Ease of Shopping
Yes, being able to see the beds in real life is a huge advantage when shopping at local stores. But if you’re running against time and don’t have minutes to spare for long queues, taking your shopping online is a great help. You can just set the delivery appointment and expect the item at your doorstep within a couple of days.
Customer Service
Sellers at stores only have a couple of minutes to outline the features and benefits of the product you’re eyeing. Plus, they have other customers to cater. This means their time with you might be limited. But at online stores, you can contact the reseller via email or chat and talk about the item to have all your queries are answered.
Conclusion
Shopping at local stores has been the main thing for centuries until ecommerce happens. This means it’s still a good option to consider. However, if you have time constraints or would like to take your time comparing items, online shopping might be a good fit for you. This option allows you to buy a bed in a few clicks. It also gives you some leeway of a couple of days to read reviews and compare items before buying.