Choosing A New Bed – 10 Essential Rules To Follow

It’s often not until you actually set out to buy a new bed that you truly realise just how tricky it can be. The reason being that the market is crammed with literally millions of beds and mattresses from thousands of suppliers – all of whom would like you to believe that theirs are the best. From the most opulent fabric beds to the simplest of divans, each bed comes with its own unique set of pros and cons. But as this is the kind of asset that will play a huge role in your life for many years to come, it’s not the kind of purchase that should be approached without plenty of thought.

As far as the experts are concerned, there’s no such thing as being too careful or taking your time too much when it comes to choosing your bed. This is, after all, the place you’re going to spend a third of your time and its impact on your health could be huge. As such, it’s important to know a few ins and outs of the bed buying process – more specifically the 10 golden rules to follow before handing over the cash and jumping in for a good night’s sleep.

And here they are:

1. Make sure you know what your priority is before you set about looking for the ideal bed. It could be that you need a better mattress to look after your back, maybe you need a bed that’s easier to get into and out of, perhaps you need a bigger bed or maybe you’re just out for something as cheap as possible. You need to know what you want before you can hope to find it…simple common sense.
2. Regardless of whether you’re buying online or otherwise, head out to a quality bed store before buying and try out a few different types of beds and mattresses. Don’t just assume that what you’re used to is as good as it gets – you might be in for a big surprise if you try a few others out.
3. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that firmness is everything. It’s perfectly possible to pay next to nothing for an ultra-firm bed that’s about as comfy and good for you as a sheet of stone. Likewise, you could spend a fortune on a bed that’s so soft and squidgy it’s impossible to sleep on. There’s more to beds than firmness alone – don’t forget this.
4. Try to get out of the habit of reading into the term ‘orthopaedic’ which means only that the mattress is very firm. It doesn’t mean it’s healthy, it doesn’t mean it’s of high quality and it doesn’t mean you’ll like it.
5. If you do head out to try out a bunch of mattresses, be sure to do so with your partner in tow. It’s important to remember that while it may seem just the ticket with you on the mattress alone, it could be rather different when the weight of a second person is added into the equation.
6. Remember that in order to take home a bed that’s of perfect quality and comfort, you need to think of the mattress and the bed as one single entity. Or in other words, don’t think of them in isolation as to have either a great bed and a terrible mattress or vice-versa will never breed a satisfactory result.
7. Be very careful when it comes to the sizing of the beds and mattresses you choose as things aren’t always as they appear to be. For example, the bed may say that it is king size, but this doesn’t mean it will accommodate a king size mattress from another brand or retailer. Things vary quite a lot from one brand to the next, so be sure to look at actual CM and MM sizes rather than classifications alone.
8. Don’t go OTT when it comes to frugality as you often get what you pay for. Spending a fortune doesn’t guarantee you an amazing bed, but spending pennies does guarantee you a lacklustre product – good beds are NOT cheap.
9. Take a look at the warranty that comes with the bed and bring this into consideration in terms of value for money. It might be pricey now, but if it’s guaranteed for 15 years, chances are it might be quite the bargain.

Last but not least, take your time and don’t ever be pushed into buying anything by any member of any sales team. It should come down to you and you alone to decide which bed to buy and when – and pushiness is essentially a sign that they’re more interested in commissions than your own satisfaction.