A mattress is one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make—after all, you spend approximately a third of your life in bed. The number of choices can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to lose sleep over it!
Seven Tips for Mattress Shoppers
- Size matters. If you’re sharing a bed, you should buy at least a queen-size mattress. A healthy person moves 40 to 60 times a night and makes lots of full-body turns. For sound sleep, you need freedom of motion.
- Test-drive different models. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes you can easily slip off so you can lie down. Compare a variety of support levels and styles within your budget. Finding a bed that feels right is a personal choice.
- Look under the hood. Ask the salesperson to show you illustrated or actual “cutaways” of the interior of the different mattresses and foundations. The mechanics of innersprings and foams vary widely, which can greatly affect comfort.
- Find a reputable dealer. Furniture stores, department stores and sleep specialty shops all sell mattresses. Ask friends and family for referrals. If you don’t feel your salesperson is knowledgeable or helpful, take your business elsewhere.
- Go for the best value, not the lowest price. To ensure long-term performance, buy the highest-quality sleep set you can afford. View it as a 7- to 10-year investment in your health and wellbeing.
- Get the details. If you choose to buy a mattress online, you won’t have the chance to try it out, so read the reviews, carefully check return and shipping policies—and be certain there’s customer support should a problem arise.
- Be sure it contains certified foam. A growing number of consumers want to be sure the flexible polyurethane foam used in their bedding (and upholstered furniture, too) are CertiPUR-US® certified. Certified foam is your assurance that the foam meets rigorous standards for content, emissions and durability and is analyzed by independent, accredited testing laboratories.
Here’s a list of companies selling products containing certified polyurethane foam.
For more information about mattress shopping (and advice on how to get a better night’s sleep), visit the Better Sleep Council.
Internationally Recognized Standard
One of the key considerations when you choose a mattress may be simpler than you think: being sure that the flexible polyurethane foam it contains meets CertiPUR-US standards for content, emissions and durability. This internationally recognized foam certification program was established in 2008 to combat imported substandard foams—some of which contained substances that had been banned in the U.S. or were listed by environmental and regulatory groups as containing chemicals that may cause cancer, may cause genetic defects, or may damage fertility or the unborn child. Our Technical Guidelines are a living document, updated frequently taking into consideration evidence-based, good science.
What CertiPUR-US Certification Means
When you buy products containing CertiPUR-US certified foam, you can be confident that the flexible polyurethane foam inside has been analyzed by independent, accredited laboratories and is:
- Made without ozone depleters
- Made without PBDEs or the following Tris flame retardants: TCEP, TDBPP, TDCPP or TEPA
- Made without mercury, lead and heavy metals
- Made without formaldehyde
- Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)
Although CertiPUR-US certified products might sport a special hangtag or logo with the CertiPUR-US logo, companies are not required to label their products or packaging. Visit our website for the current company list, which is updated weekly. Occasionally, a company is legitimately using certified foam but hasn’t taken the necessary steps to complete registration. If you contact us at info@certipur.us with details, we can research that for you, and notify the company about the registration process. Remember, if the company or brand is not listed on our website, we cannot know if the foam is certified.
If You’re Not Sure the Foam Is Certified
If you feel a company is misrepresenting the CertiPUR-US certification, please send specific information to info@certipur.us (or click here) and we will investigate. The integrity of our program is enhanced through vigilant protection. CertiPUR-US certified foams are tested and analyzed twice during the first year in our program and annually thereafter. In addition, we conduct random on-site foam production plant checks of participating foam producers to ensure compliance.