Many people today trust and rely on the internet, which serves as our modern-day encyclopedia of information and a source of artificial intelligence. Drawing from online sources for mattress information can offer valuable tips and insights as you navigate your mattress shopping journey. But, it is important to remember that each detail you find online about mattresses and sleep health may not be true-to-life or entirely accurate to your unique scenario.

Sleep specialists inherently recognize that the in-store experience of purchasing a mattress is the opposite of buying one online. Online shopping is convenient, and you have a superabundance of choices to browse on the internet. But that's it—you can only browse, not try. And while some figure that having all these options is a perk, others become indecisive, confused about mattress shopping, or overwhelmed by all the different options.

Nevertheless, in-store mattress shopping allows you to lie down on the mattress, experience its feel, and assess how it suits your body type and supports your weight. If you decide, you can also receive one-on-one personalized recommendations and advice from a real, in-person mattress expert.

In Person or In Stores: Which Mattress Shopping Approach Leads to a Better Night's Sleep?

Whether you prefer a more casual or in-depth shopping experience, the choice between shopping online or in a store naturally comes down to your personal preferences on how you prefer to shop. Regardless of how you like to pursue a new mattress, if you're not sleeping well and waking up sore and stiff, you should reevaluate your approach to achieve a more satisfying outcome.

Sure, buying a mattress online is easy, but instead of rushing the purchase by fast-clicking and hastily 'checking out' in the online shop, you should first consider which path to mattress shopping has the best potential to lead you to a better night's sleep.

Do you like gathering information, reading reviews, and researching products like mattresses at your own pace? Online shopping is a liberated zone where you can compare various mattress brands and often receive great deals during sales; online is likely the best option for you if you're fiercely independent when it comes to making your own buying decisions. The downside of an online purchase is that you may have limited perspective and lingering unanswered questions that may affect your level of comfort in the long run.

Meanwhile, quite the opposite encounter, an in-store purchase is probably your best option if you expect personalized, above-and-beyond service and familiarized responses to just about any mattress inquiry.

In-store shopping gives you access to sleep specialists and mattress experts who will answer your questions (even the ‘silly’ ones) while providing unique advice about sleep tailored just for you. Best of all, shopping in a retail store—such as Mattress World Northwest—gives you the opportunity to touch and try out top-quality mattresses before making an informed decision.

Online vs. In-Store Mattress Shopping

Purchasing a mattress in a local store, such as Mattress World Northwest, or buying online really comes down to your individual intentions and potential desire for an ideal result. 

But many professionals certainly agree that these days, when it comes to mattress shopping—that ‘try before you buy’—well, it's a thing.

Advantages of Shopping & Buying a Mattress In a Retail Store

In-person shopping at a retail mattress store grants you the gift of trying something before you buy it. That's right, you get to see if you like it— before you buy it!

Brick-and-mortar mattress shops give you this huge benefit—the chance to lay down and try different mattress styles and firmnesses to see which one fits you best. Online only shoppers, quite obviously, don't take advantage of the 'try before you buy' perk. Still, if you're mattress shopping, you should probably do this—thoroughly try them out—rather than merely sitting in front of your laptop or computer imagining what the mattress feels like based on reading specifications and descriptions of its physical attributes.

When shopping for a mattress in person at a local store, you will gain expert insight and professional guidance from sleep specialists. Experienced professionals, combined with an expert mattress technology selection process, are a worthwhile and valuable resource in helping you choose the best mattress for you.

As an added bonus, if you need a mattress sooner rather than later, buying one in-store will likely allow you to pick it up quickly at a local warehouse or schedule delivery sooner than purchasing a mattress online and waiting for it to ship.

Drawbacks of Browsing & Buying a Mattress In-Store

Shopping, in general, certainly has its downsides, for instance, when you can't find exactly what you need. When trying to select the right products for yourself or your family, you sometimes need or want more options to satisfy your purchase, which online shopping provides—all the options. 

Some consider it a drawback that many in-person mattress shops have limited space and can only display a select number of mattresses. As a result, the variety available in physical stores is often less than what you can find online. Still, do most of us need more than 50 different mattress options to find the right one?

Despite that, local mattress shops, such as family-owned and operated Mattress World Northwest, offer spacious showrooms that feature between 50 to 100 different mattresses on display, all in one location.

Smaller or mid-sized mattress stores usually showcase around 30 to 50 types and styles. With such a wide range of choices available, you’re sure to find a precise-fitting mattress that suits and soothes your body in any of the 25 Mattress World Northwest Showrooms.

One other drawback of purchasing a mattress in a retail store is that the sleep trial—or Comfort Guarantee—typically lasts between three to four months, compared to what many online brands offer: one entire year.

Regardless of whether you buy your mattress in-store or online, you will likely face delivery and processing fees when exchanging it. Online brands, such as Nectar and DreamCloud, offer an extended sleep trial of up to one year or 365 nights. That said, most people usually determine if they sleep better and feel satisfied with their mattress within about three months or 90 days.

Nevertheless, most major manufacturers, such as Beautyrest, Purple, or Avocado, offer sleep trials—currently 100 nights—that give you more than enough time to make an informed, satisfactory decision about your new mattress.

If you decide you prefer an online brand based on a friend's or family member's recommendation, don't forget that many of the once-online-only mattress brands, such as Nectar, Purple, Avocado, and DreamCloud, are now available to 'try before you buy' from stores like Mattress World Northwest.

Perks of Online Mattress Shopping

Shopping for a mattress online is definitely the most convenient option; you have the entire world of mattresses at your fingertips, 24/7. But that's just it—at your fingertips—where, instead, you should feel and experience mattresses with your back and body. 

Trying out mattresses before you try sleeping on one is especially important if you have medical conditions or suffer from chronic pain.

Regardless, a perk of online shopping is that there's no pressure to buy (except for your backache), and no one is around as you try mattresses that might interest you. Still, at least you have the option to try them.

Some may find it easier to compare brands through online resources and sites. Browsing the web allows them to shop around from one site to another without having to leave the comforts of home while sometimes finding an excellent value for a mattress.

Downsides of Browsing and Buying a Mattress Online

The major drawback of researching and buying a mattress online is that no matter how illustrative the website is or how descriptive the words about the mattress are, there’s absolutely no assurance that the mattress will feel good or support your body in any form or fashion. One of the only assurances you can possibly gain before buying a mattress is by trying it first. Some also rely on positive feedback or recommendations from friends or family members. Even then, personal preferences are subjective, and you might not like the same feeling mattress as Uncle Steve, Aunt Kate, or Tim, the neighbor down the street.

With online shopping, it's challenging to replicate the personalized service and satisfying experience that can be found in a retail store. You can come close if you can test one of the mattresses you found online inside a local showroom. Still, delivery or pick-up is quicker if you buy in-store.

Mattress World Northwest can quickly deliver and set up your products, displaying these reputable and once-online-only mattress brands in-store for your convenience:

• Purple
  
• Essential
• Restore
• Rejuvenate
  
• Avocado
  
• Green Mattress
• Luxury Organic
• Eco-Organic
  
• DreamCloud
  
• The DreamCloud Hybrid
  
• Nectar
  
• Memory Foam
• Hybrid

Expert Tips for In-Store Mattress Shopping

If you decide to try before you buy inside a store, these tips can help you get the most out of your in-store mattress-buying experience:

• Research mattress stores and read their reviews before visiting.
  
• Once you decide which store to visit, come prepared with details, such as the names of specific mattresses that interest you, to compare prices.
  
• Be aware of the best months to buy a mattress, which typically coincides with holidays like Presidents’ Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday.
  
• If applicable, assess the height of your current mattress and consider whether you prefer the new one to be taller or shorter.
  
• After narrowing it down to your favorites, spend about 15 minutes lying on a mattress that interests you the most. You should also sit on the edge, change positions, and move about, just as you would with your bed at home.

Shopping at Mattress World Northwest: An Optimal Way to Choose Confidently, Sleep Better, and Love Your New Mattress!

Online mattress shopping can become questionable and overwhelming as you discover more and more choices while trying to absorb and process the many options already available. Without trying mattresses and without the guidance of a knowledgeable mattress professional, it surely isn't easy to form any instincts about your options, and it certainly isn't easy to choose just one.

But, at Mattress World Northwest, we’re confident that we can get you to say “I love my new mattress!”

Shopping in-store helps you narrow it down and ask questions along the way about the right mattress for you. So, is it better to buy a mattress online or in-store? In the words of sleep specialists and mattress experts—your best bet is to try before you buy at Mattress World Northwest!