A mattress’ return policy is one of the most important considerations when buying a new bed. After all, you want to be able to spend your money without regretting it later on.
However, not every store has a good return policy and many people don’t know that they’re risking their money by purchasing from these stores.
It’s crucial you pick a company with a good return policy. What do we mean with good? Well, first, they need to actually have one. Second, they must give you enough time to actually try the mattress out.
Last, they must be sensible. Unfortunately, there are companies out there that are in for a quick penny and disregard their customer experience. Never buy from these companies. Don’t fuel their practices. Stay away from them.
In this article, you are going to learn about the various return policies you’ll find in mattress companies. You’ll also see how these differ, and which factors you should focus on.
Ultimately, you’ll walk away with the tools to shop for a mattress without getting scammed.
The Types of Mattress Return Policies
Different companies have different return policies. Always consult them before going on with your purchase, as they are a deal breaker.
There are a few different types of mattress return policies. Only the full one is worthy of our attention. The others are pretty bad, though of course it is possible you’ll never even need to make use of them. So, if you’re sure about your purchase, you can not worry about the return policy.
Full Refund Policy
The first type is the full refund policy, which means that if you change your mind about your mattress and decide to not keep it – even after sleeping on it for an extended period of time – then you will get 100% of your money back.
This is by far the best policy for the consumer, and it’s the one you should look for. There is a caveat: make sure it lasts for long enough. Most companies offer a 100-days money-back guarantee, which is good enough. But if it’s less than 30 days, stay away from them.
Editor’s note: some companies—like Saatva—offer a full refund, but still make you pay for shipping the item back to them.
Partial Refund Policy
Second there is the partial refund policy, which means that you will get a percentage of your money back and not 100%.
I advise avoiding companies that offer this type of policy, purely because there are enough with a full refund policy to make this irrelevant. Still, if the mattress of your dreams is only found with companies with a partial refund policy, go for it.
As long as you don’t mind taking the risk for a better reward, there’s nothing wrong with buying from a company with a partial refund policy.
Exchanges
The last type is exchanges – where they let you swap for a different size or model. This is the least generous type of return policy as it only puts you in a position to buy something else from them, not get your money back.
This is easily the worst type of refund policy. It locks you with a company, and if you find out their products are all low quality, you’re stuck with them. You want to keep your options open as much as possible, especially with something as important as a mattress.
When You Should Return Your Mattress
The first step is deciding if you should actually return your mattress. This right here is why you must ensure you are buying a mattress from a company with a generous return policy.
You need to sleep on a mattress for at least a month or 2 before deciding if it’s right for you. The more the better. That’s because our sleep is impacted by so many things it’s hard to gauge a mattress’ effectiveness in just a couple of weeks.
- Mattresses are made of materials that can be affected by various conditions. It is possible your mattress gets cut or broken during transport. This is an easy return. You don’t want to sleep on a broken mattress, because you can’t be sure that it’s stuffed properly, or that the damage won’t worsen over time.
- You should return your mattress if you wake up feeling tired or sore after sleeping on it for an extended period of time. This is the main reason you need a longer return period. You can’t know if you’ll sleep well on a mattress before trying it for a while.
- You should return the mattress if you start to develop allergies, infections, or illnesses as these are often due to poor quality mattresses.
- You should also return your mattress if it’s too hard or soft. This can be a deal breaker for many people, so make sure you sleep on the bed enough before deciding to keep it or not.
- If you don’t like how your sleep changes after a certain amount of time on the same mattress, then it’s important to know that returning it will not affect its resale value in any way.
- Lastly, you should know that mattresses need time to break in and change over time with use. So, don’t let a few days of bad sleep be the determining factor for whether or not you should keep a mattress.
All of these can be summed up in one sentence. Try your mattress for at least a month before returning it. Did your sleep quality improve? If yes, then you should keep it. Are you waking up more tired than usual, or aren’t feeling too well after sleeping? Then it might be time to consider returning the mattress.
Also Read: 9 Tips to Help Break in Your Memory Foam Mattress
Companies with the Best Return Policies
Looking through all companies’ return policies is exhausting. That’s why we made this list for you. Buying a mattress from these companies protects you and your money from bad purchases.
Of course, you should always make sure the return is sensible. Don’t just ruin the product and then try to return it. Have some respect for companies trying to satisfy their customers.
And, when the mattress is delivered to your house, always check for any damage-related flaws on the product (e.g., stains) if possible (not all mattresses are covered in plastic when you buy them, so it’s possible to see the flaws).
Here’s the list of companies with the best return policies.
Brentwood Home
It’s hard to top Brentwood Home’s return policy for mattresses. The company offers a full refund policy within 365 days. Yes, you’ve read it right. You have a full year to try your mattress before returning it.
Plus, the return process is very convenient. Their shipping team will come to your house and pick up your mattress free of charge. You won’t have to put the mattress back in its original box or anything. Just make sure it’s clean and you’re good to go.
And you’ll be doing a good deed too. Brentwood Home will gift the mattress to a local nonprofit, or recycle it. It won’t resell it.
All in all, it’s a great return policy that’s hard to beat.
Costco
For some reason, Costco doesn’t mention its return policy on mattresses online. However, you should know it’s—at least theoretically—unlimited. There is no time limit to mattress returns on Costco.
But in practice, the policy doesn’t work like that. If your mattress is older than 2 years it’s very likely Costco won’t take it back. One purchased within a year – a year and a half though will be fine, as long as it’s in good conditions.
If your mattress is older than two years old or has any damage-related flaws then chances are Costco won’t take it back with more than a year passing since the purchase.
Costco will come to your house and pick up the mattress with no additional charge to you. It’s a very generous return policy, don’t abuse it. Clean the mattress and make sure it’s in good condition before returning it. Imagine you send back a mattress riddled with bed bugs. That would be embarrassing and distasteful.
Amazon
The return policy is the same as with any other product on Amazon: it’s up to the seller. However, you can always contact customer service and ask them directly for more information about its mattress return policies. Some sellers could have a different approach so make sure you check before buying if that matters to you.
It’s also important to read the return policies closely. It might say that you can only get a refund if it doesn’t fit your bed frame for instance, which is not very convenient at all. But in most cases, it’ll be standard and straightforward as with any other online store.
Read More: How to Return a Mattress to Amazon?
Purple
Purple offers a 100 nights trial for its mattresses. You’ll get a full refund if you’re not satisfied with the mattress after 100 nights. It’s an excellent return policy, and very generous for customers who want to be sure they will like their purchase before committing.
The only downside is that Purple mattresses are notoriously heavy. They weigh over 200 pounds on average. If you have trouble moving furniture around this might not be a good option. The return process is very simple though, and you’ll get all your money back if the mattress just doesn’t work out for you.
How to Avoid Returning your Mattress
It’s always best to not need to return your mattress. After all, it’s a lot of hassle that could be avoided if you got one that works well for you. Here are a couple of pointers for when you go mattress shopping:
Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying a mattress.
- Buy quality products. The cheaper the mattress you buy, the more likely you’ll have to return it. Mattresses are one of the few items you should splurge on. Though I’d say that they’re more of an investment than a splurge. Sleep quality is important, and mattresses are one of its defining factors. You could end up with a faulty product, which would be even more of a hassle to return than it already is.
- Make sure the product fits your bed frame. It’s better not to buy it if that matters to you, rather than having to deal with it after.
- Don’t buy a mattress with the intention of returning it. If you don’t want to get ripped off, invest in one that’s worth your money and make sure everything fits just right before buying it.
- Check the height of the mattress. Make sure it will fit under your bed frame. If not, you won’t be able to take full advantage of it and there’ll be too much space between the top part of the mattress and the bottom part of the headboard.
- Buy a mattress with the right firmness factor. There are soft, medium, and hard mattresses. You should get one depending on your specific needs.
- Read the return policies. If you start having doubts, it’s best to contact customer service and ask them for more information about their mattress return policies.
Here’s a great video guide on how to pick the right mattress for you:
Conclusions
In conclusion, mattresses are big purchases and you need to always be aware of what the return policy is before buying.
Make sure it suits your needs so that if a sleep problem does arise there’s an easy way of returning the mattress without any consequences. The best return policies are those that let you try the mattress for an extended period of time and offer a full refund. Ideally, they should also come to your house and take the mattress themselves at no extra cost.
In this article, we made a list of companies that satisfy these requirements.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need return policies, and everyone would buy a mattress that perfectly suits them.
