Why You Should Shop for a Mattress on Cyber Monday
Mattress deals are traditionally part of the annual Black Friday chaos — and the deals typically continue the week of Cyber Monday.
The timing could be perfect for you, because chances are you could use a new mattress.
The Better Sleep Council recommends replacing your mattress every seven to 10 years to ensure you’re getting a good night’s sleep. More generally, it’s time to buy a new mattress if you regularly feel soreness and body aches and just aren’t well-rested in the morning.
While mattresses are fairly big-ticket items, there are many ways to save money when shopping for a new one — and avoid the struggle of paying off a huge credit card bill.
Don’t compromise on your sleep or health. Here’s how to find the best deals on mattresses, whether it's on Cyber Monday or at any other time of the year.
1. Know the best times of the year to buy a mattress
Shop major holidays
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping holidays after Thanksgiving do indeed mean serious deals at major U.S. mattress retailers. Often, you find low prices throughout November — and beyond.
To give a few examples, Mattress Firm offers major price cuts like up to $600 off mattress bases and 30% off some mattress styles, while Macy’s advertises its lowest prices of the season from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, such as queen mattresses starting at $139.
Uncomfortable with the idea of buying a mattress online on Cyber Monday? Online sellers typically have very liberal return policies if you're not happy.
Or, you might check out the merchandise in a brick-and-mortar store, then order online. Another suggestion is to see if a traditional store will match the low prices advertised online.
Presidents Day in mid-February brings more great mattress sales.
Recent Presidents Day deals have included Serta’s gel memory foam mattress selling for $195 (down from $899) and Therapedic mattresses starting at $189 at American Mattress stores.
The Fourth of July is one of the most popular times for mattress bargains. Sales often run for at least the entire week of July Fourth.
For the holiday in 2019, Mattress Firm and department stores put mattresses on sale both online and in-store, with queen mattresses starting as low as $197 at Macy’s and at $169.99 at Sears, reports SleepJunkie.org.
Online mattress retailers Casper and Leesa joined in, offering Fourth of July discounts ranging from $125 to $225 off select regular-priced mattresses.
Labor Day may offer sales on stationery and other back-to-school items, but that's not all. Many mattress sellers run sales starting the Friday of Labor Day weekend and running through Labor Day Monday and later.
Recent deals have included a free adjustable base with the purchase of a luxury mattress from Macy’s, and “king mattress for the price of a queen” and “queen for the price of a twin” deals at Mattress Firm.
Veterans Day is a time to thank American heroes for their service — and it brings the first of the year-end mattress sales.
In 2019, Casper and Leesa offered 10% and 15% off for Veterans Day, while a long list of other online sleep stores were giving $100 to $200 off mattresses, writes Tuck.com.
Shop toward the end of winter or start of spring
New mattresses start trickling into store showrooms in March and April.
Once the new full-priced models show up, customers can easily distinguish between the old and new and choose to buy last year’s mattresses at discounts.
If you’re shopping in March and there aren’t too many new models out yet, consider asking a manager when they'll be arriving — and make sure to return at turnover time to buy lower-priced older models.
Buy in May
The month of May is possibly the best time of year to get good deals at mattress stores. The mattress industry gives itself until June each year to complete its swap-out of last year's mattresses with the new models.
This means May — particularly Memorial Day weekend — is a great time to snap up perfectly good mattresses from the previous year at excellent prices.
Prices on new mattresses tend to be highest from June to September, until the Labor Day weekend sales roll around.
2. Follow these other money-saving tips
Here’s how to save even more on mattresses:
Shop Amazon Prime Day. For its “birthday” in mid-July, Amazon, the biggest online retailer, holds a major sale on everything — including mattresses. Originally, the sale lasted 24 or 48 hours, but in 2019, the event ran for 60 hours straight — and included a free concert headlined by Taylor Swift.
To access the sale, you need to be a member of Amazon Prime’s paid subscription service, which offers perks like free two-day delivery. You can sign up for a free trial before Amazon Prime Day begins, to get the deals. If you don’t want to keep and pay for the membership, then just cancel your subscription once the sale is over.
Shop overstock sales and overstock retailers. Online and brick-and-mortar overstock sellers collect unsold and unused mattresses from warehouses where they're being stored. These beds are then sold at a fraction of their retail value. This can be a great way to buy high-end mattresses at very low prices.
Start looking early. Don’t run out mattress shopping for one day and buy the first decent one you see. Instead, start looking for deals a week or two ahead of your shopping trip by checking store websites and local fliers. This way, you’ll know which retailers have the best prices that are worth investigating in person.
Set a budget for your new mattress and stick to it. Given all the competition between online and brick-and-mortar sellers, you're guaranteed to find a great new bed that fits your price range. It's a fairly major purchase, so avoid paying more than you can afford.
Ask questions before you buy. Some retailers may offer extremely low prices upfront but will tack on hidden fees, like additional “shipping and handling” costs if you return the mattress.
Explore buying a mattress online. Unlike traditional stores, mattress manufacturers that operate entirely via the web don’t pay for store locations or middlemen — and they pass those savings on to customers by selling high-quality mattresses for less.
Online mattress retailers including Casper, Helix, Leesa, Avocado Green Mattress, Saatva and others offer “sleep trials” that last anywhere from 100 nights up to a year.
If you decide you don’t like your new mattress within the time frame, you should be able to return it for free. Just don’t forget to read the fine print so you understand the return and trial policy, and any potential hidden fees.
Shop store closing sales. Thousands of stores across America are closing up shop every year, and that includes mattress retailers. Stay alert for store closing and liquidation sales in your area for great deals on mattresses throughout the year.
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