How to cut through the marketing gimmicks of Sealy, Serta, and the rest

[TehBorken]

 Going to the Mattresses
How to cut through the marketing gimmicks of Sealy, Serta, and the rest.[font size="1"]
By Seth Stevenson
Posted Thursday, Nov. 23, 2000, at 2:30 AM ET
[a href="vny!://www.slate.com/id/93956/"]vny!://www.slate.com/id/93956/[/a]
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(excerpted)

Here's a fun game I play. First, I walk into a mattress store and ask what's on sale. Then, I throw my hands in the air and shout along with the salesman, "EVERYTHING'S ON SALE!!!!" Oh how we laugh, the salesman and I. And while he's still chuckling, I turn around and walk out, because I fricking hate mattress salesmen.

Is there a more maddening industry? They confuse us with silly product names (the Sealy Posturepedic Crown Jewel Fletcher Ultra Plush Pillowtop or the Sealy Posturepedic Crown Jewel Brookmere Plush?). They flummox us with bogus science ("pocketed coils"? "Microtek foundations"? "Fiberlux"?). And they weigh us down with useless features (silk damask ticking?). It's like buying a used car, and almost as expensive—I've seen mattresses going for $7,000. What's a consumer to do?

The secret to mattress shopping is that the product is basically a commodity. The mattress biz is 99-percent marketing. So just buy the cheapest thing you can stand and be done with it, because they're pretty much all the same. And that's all you need to know. But do read on—the world of sleep products is quite fascinating, and I'd like to share it with you.

What's the Best Brand?
Innerspring mattresses, particularly the Big S's (Simmons, Serta, Sealy), dominate the market. But how to choose among Serta and Sealy, Stearns and Foster, and King Koil? Or for that matter, between the Simmons Beautyrest Exceptionale Lenore and the Simmons Beautyrest Do-Not-Disturb Royalty Ultra?

Here's the lowdown: Mattress makers rename identical products for each different retail store. Different labels, exact same guts. Why? Obfuscation. It's hard to shop for the lowest price when you can't compare apples to apples. Lucky for you, they're all subtle variations on the same apple—not only within each brand, but even among different brands.

The heart of an innerspring mattress is the coils. Otherwise it's just foam, cotton, quilting, and stitches. But the big-name mattress makers (with some exceptions) all get their coils from a single company, Leggett and Platt, for their highest-end mattresses down to their lowest. This is akin to every single car on the market, Lamborghinis to Kias, using an engine made by Ford. Except that mattresses are far less complicated than cars. In fact, they're so simple that there's no real difference among them at all.

 

[ripper]

A very interesting read. Thanks for the info.

[P.C.]

First, I walk into a mattress store and ask what's on sale. Then, I throw my hands in the air and shout along with the salesman, "EVERYTHING'S ON SALE!!!!" Oh how we laugh, the salesman and I.

  That's SO hilarious, TehBorken.  

  We just went through this last fall, and I couldn't agree more.  The price variences from one store to the next on the same product were laughable.  We have a place here called Sleep Country, with commercials saying, 'Why buy a mattress anywhere else'? (actually they sing it)  Well, I'll tell you why you SHOULD buy your mattress anywhere else.  All of their stuff IS on sale...some by as much as 50% off....which just so happens to bring it down to a price that is STILL way higher than 'anywhere else'.

  It took us many weeks (even months) to cut through the bull and finally settled on a middle of the road priced mattress, which was still exorbitant in my opinion. AND I might add, IF Sleep country would have had a bizarre moment of reality and actually priced the mattress we chose for less....I would have gladly paid the extra, to purchase it 'ANYWHERE ELSE'.

[Russ]

I went to a small mom and pops store that my parents have been going to for years. I spent 2400 on mattress, box spring, and new metal frame.. just used my old headboard unit.

  It was one of those different layers and sections for your back and stuff. I actually sleep better than my old one, my back doesnt hurt in the mornings anymore either.

  IT was still cheaper than the bigger box stores would have charged me. And I got personalized service.

[P.C.]

Well, that's a good price comparitively, but it's still a stupid price IMHO.  What is it....some springs and a little fabric ?  In spite of what they try to convince you, it's not rocket science.

[Lise]

I hated buying mattresses. Felt like I was walking into a store that wanted to sell you used cars instead of mattresses.

  Good article to read, TB. Where were you when I bought my mattress???