Everyone deserves to sleep well at night, and it is possible to buy a budget-friendly bed that doesn’t compromise on safety, hygiene, or quality.
Prices for mattresses range from under £100 to several thousand, but we encourage you to spend as much as you can reasonably afford.
Generally, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for – both in product and service – so shop for the best value, not the lowest price. The better the materials used and the better the workmanship, the better the support and comfort, and the longer the bed will last. It is better to invest in a mattress that will last 7-10 years than one that needs to be replaced within the first few years because it has degraded that much.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean all expensive mattresses are great for you, so try out as many beds as possible that are within your budget. Usually, a more expensive mattress will feature high-quality materials like wool or cashmere, more springs or deeper layers of memory foam etc., so avoid these if you’re on a strict budget.
The good news is there are more affordable options on the market; open coil or open sprung mattresses are the most budget-friendly compared to their more expensive pocket spring counterparts.
If you are also replacing your bed base, a solid or platform top divan is more affordable than the more luxurious sprung edge divans and firm edge divans. Solid or platform top divans have a rigid non-sprung top panel, so bear in mind the bed will generally be firmer than a sprung option.
Other ways to save money include forgoing luxurious features such as hand-stitched side panels, decorative tufting, or special technologies such as moisture-wicking or temperature-controlling fabrics. They’re nice additions but not essential to achieving a good night’s sleep.
If you can, wait until the winter sales period or keep an eye out for other seasonal sales. Black Friday – Cyber Monday weekend takes place towards the end of November, and of course, the popular Boxing Day and New Year’s Day sales offer some fantastic deals on good quality beds and mattresses at purse-friendly prices.
We say, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Ask the salesperson if they would throw in a pair of pillows or even a headboard with your bed base. Check to see if they can offer a king size for the price of a double (the bigger the bed, the better you’ll sleep!).
Just remember, look out for the NBF-approved tick when buying a new bed. NBF-approved member brands have been rigorously and independently tested to ensure they do everything by the book and meet all the UK regulations on flammability, cleanliness and trade descriptions. The NBF-approved tick means you can sleep soundly at night, knowing your bed is safe, clean and honest!
Whatever you do, do not buy from the back of a van. Rogue traders continue to roam the streets in their white vans, trying to flog so-called “bargain” mattresses at prices that are too good to be true. And that’s because they usually are! Don’t compromise your or your family’s safety, and always buy from a genuine, reputable bed retailer or e-tailer. We have a handy Find a Retailer tool on our website to help locate your nearest stockist of NBF-approved brands.
Similarly, avoid buying a second-hand mattress from the increasingly popular social media marketplaces. As well as being unhygienic and likely shaped to someone else’s body, there is pretty much no traceability and no real way to tell the mattress is everything the seller claims it to be.
Finally, take good care of your bed to prolong its lifespan and save money when it’s time to get rid of your old mattress by checking if the company you are buying your new bed from will take away your old one for free. Better for the planet by avoiding landfill and better for your bank balance!
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