If you can wait until there’s a sale at one of the bigger retailers, you can likely get a better mattress for the same amount of money you originally planned to spend. And given how often mattresses are on sale, there’s no reason to buy one unless it’s heavily discounted. To get the best deal on a mattress, the ideal time of year to purchase is during the month of May. While you can’t always anticipate exactly when you need a new mattress, if you’ve had one for seven to ten years, it’s time to start thinking about shopping for a new one. If your mattress has become uncomfortable, we recommend you start looking for mattress sales sooner. If May doesn’t line up with your needs, don’t fret. The good news is that if you want a discounted product, you’re not limited to just one month. We researched and talked to experts to find out what other times of the year are best to buy a mattress—and save money on a top-tier one. Here are some of the best times of the year to buy a mattress.
The Best Times to Buy a Mattress
May
May is considered the best month to buy a new mattress. Many manufacturers come out with brand new products in June, so retailers have to clear out their inventory before then to make room. This means plenty of promotions and deals on previously full-priced products. Plus, Memorial Day weekend, which falls on the last weekend of May, offers tons of savings yearly, especially on mattresses. “Customers are shopping for mattresses throughout the year, but we tend to see an increase around major bedding holidays like Memorial Day [and] Labor Day,” says Jason Shapiro, Associate Director of Mattresses at Wayfair.
Early Spring
Early spring can be an excellent time to buy a mattress for the same reason you can often find a good deal in May. While inventory levels may drop closer to June—you won’t have as many options to pick from—the sales will be steeper given that retailers are on a time crunch to clear their shelves. If you can’t wait until May, March and April are both great months to start the search for a new mattress since some stores will start promoting deals to make sure they’re not scrambling to sell everything in the month of May. These discounts can vary, however, so check with your local stores or online first. It might be helpful to contact a retailer or mattress brand directly to ask when they turn over their inventory throughout the year, so you can pinpoint exactly when the best time is to get that new Queen mattress.
Holiday Weekends
Memorial Day weekend isn’t the only holiday weekend with mattress sales. Look for big mattress sales over both Labor Day and Presidents’ Day weekend, plus whichever weekend falls closest to the Fourth of July. “Wayfair runs promotions that coincide with major shopping holidays. In addition, we have two dedicated Mattress Markdown events every year around Presidents’ Day and July Fourth,” says Shapiro. Since many people have these days off from work, they tend to do more furniture shopping, both in-store and online, so retailers take this as an opportunity to sell more products with enticing discounts.
Cyber Five
Cyber Five is the five-day period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. While Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and Cyber Monday (the following Monday) are generally the biggest online shopping days, many sales span the entire weekend. If you need a new mattress and can’t wait until spring, we recommend seeing what deals pop up around Thanksgiving.
The Worst Times to Buy a Mattress
There’s no right or wrong time to buy a mattress, you’re just more likely to find a deal at certain times of the year. Generally speaking, you should buy one when the need arises—if you toss and turn at night, sleep better in a hotel, or often wake up due to discomfort, it might be time to splurge on a new mattress. You may end up paying full price if you shop in the summer, early fall, and the beginning of January given that there are limited promotions and plenty of new stock.
Mattress Buying Tips
Aside from knowing when to purchase a mattress, we’ve put together a few buying tips. Here are some important things to keep in mind.
- Do Your Research Unless you need to buy a new mattress immediately, we recommend taking the time to research your options. You can always go for a highly rated mattress, but it might be worth digging a little further to figure out which type is best for you. “We tell consumers to do their homework, know what they like, and share that with their sales rep. If buying online, use that chat functionality and ask questions,” says Mary Helen Rogers, VP of marketing and communications at Better Sleep Council. Memory foam mattresses are some of the most popular options today, followed by gel-infused foam mattresses and latex mattresses, which are similar to memory foam but slightly cooler and without the “sinking” sensation. You can also get a hybrid mattress, which combines foam or latex with a traditional spring system for better support. Before you move on to the next step, we recommend you have a sense of what you want. “Be ready and able to tell your selling associate what you currently sleep on, what you like and don’t like about that mattress, and if you have any body ailments.” Andrea Antinozzi, director of merchandising at BEDGEAR says.
- Test Out a Mattress
One of the best reasons to go to a store is to get a feel for the mattress you’re looking to buy. If you’re shopping with a partner, bring them, too. “There’s no one size fits all solution, so it’s important…to speak with a professional to assess factors like sleep type (do you sleep on your stomach, back, side), mattress preference (do you prefer a firm or soft feel), base type (do you want a box spring, lifestyle base—with or without a platform bed), and more,” Holly Saarie, Bedding Buyer at Raymour & Flanigan says. Once you’re at the store, you should test it out. “Lay fully down on the mattresses–in your most frequent sleeping position–close your eyes and rest a few minutes, allowing the mattress to adjust to you,” advises Timothy Baker, store operations manager for Mattress Firm. “Once you have narrowed it down to a few beds, go back and forth, taking your time before making a final decision.” While lying in a bed surrounded by other customers isn’t exactly relaxing, you can get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. If you’re shopping online this can be tricky to do, but most companies offer a free 100-day trial or something similar, as well as easy returns. - Negotiate While negotiating online is next to impossible, if you do visit a store and try out a floor model, you can try to bargain with the sales team. “Check out the latest sales online before going into the store and asking if they offer any in-store specials (temporary promotions, free accessories, or offline exclusive items),” says Firas Kittaneh, CEO of Amerisleep Mattress. You can contact a retailer or mattress brand directly to ask when they turn over their inventory throughout the year, so you can pinpoint exactly when the best time is to get that new mattress (right before new models arrive). You can also sign up for email promotions at your local mattress store to keep tabs on their sales throughout the spring months, and then use that to price match in-store.
- Watch for Stores Opening and Closing
If you’d prefer to buy a mattress in person, keep an eye out for store openings and closings. New shops often boast sales from the street to try to get more people inside, since you’re more likely to go to a new place if there’s a hard-to-beat discount happening. On the flip side, if a mattress store is closing, it has to clear out all of its inventory, meaning you might have a better chance of negotiating a good deal and walking out with a floor model. - Consider Buying Online While there are advantages to buying a mattress at a brick and mortar location, ordering online lets you compare retailers worldwide, and you don’t have to worry about overhead costs that an in-store purchase likely includes. Given the wider competition, the deals tend to be greater. “Shop in the comfort (and safety) of your home, and receive a mattress at your doorstep with no contact delivery,” Kittaneh says. In some instances, shipping is free. For those who don’t have an easy way to transport a mattress, this eliminates a lot of time and fuss.
- Bed Warranty
“Most name brand mattresses come with a 10-year, non-prorated warranty,” says Stephen Ferguson, director of merchandising at Mattress Firm. However, mattress warranties are not exactly straightforward, so be sure to read through them thoroughly. Check for coverage from manufacturing defects as well as indentations or sagging over time. “We strongly recommend getting warranty coverage that will replace your mattress if indentations deeper than ¾ of an inch develop. Most companies warranty your mattress once indentations reach 1-inch. But really anything deeper than ¾ of an inch could cause you to sink deeper into the mattress and your spine to bend out of alignment,” says Kittaneh. To further protect your bed and warranty, both Baker and Ferguson recommend shopping for a mattress protector, as many brands void a warranty if the mattress is stained or soiled.
Our Favorite Places to Shop for Mattress Deals
Amerisleep Saatva Wayfair Overstock Walmart Ashley Furniture Raymour & Flanigan
