So, you’ve made the decision. It’s time to upgrade your mattress

. Whether you’re a first time mattress shopper ready to upgrade from your college full size or a seasoned mattress shopping veteran, it can be really perplexing. In this blog we’ll help you decipher the how’s and why’s of the mattress industry and how to compare in-store to online.

If you’ve been looking at purchasing a mattress for a while, you’ve probably noticed every store has a variety of mattresses that are near impossible to cross-reference with what you find online. Just about every major player in the mattress industry plays the name game. Many times the same mattress will have numerous names for the exact same or a very similar mattress. This can make it difficult to compare. For instance, Simmons ComforPedic by Beautyrest has an e-commerce line as well as an in-store line. Say you lay on a ComforPedic Seabrooke in your local retailer but you want to do some research on that model online. The alternate/online name for the ComforPedic Seabrooke is the Comforpedic St. Johns.

Confused yet?

There is a method to this madness. Simmons, for example, has multiple retailers that offer their products both in store and online and they have separate names for each division. This helps both Simmons and the retailer distinguish their sales in-store and online from one another. If you’ve found your dream bed in a showroom and have decided to purchase online or vise-versa, you should speak to a sales person to help you cross reference the model you’ve chosen. A well informed, brand educated sales associate at Sleep City knows the products well enough to provide you the cross reference.

Then there’s the ol’ switch-a-roo with bigger mattress retailers. Many mattress companies will create special lines for large retailers such as Macy’s or Sears. This throws a whole twist in the middle of your mattress search. These special mattress lines can be difficult to cross reference because they might not be exact matches to other models. The best way to find an equivalent would be to compare specifications and comfort levels.  If you like the ComforPedic Plush in a large retailer, you can probably bet the ComforPedic Plush is equivalent in a small retailer.

At the end of the day, if you’ve done your research and found an honest, reputable retailer, mattress shopping is well worth the work.   The name game confusion will be well worth the reward.  The most important thing is to find the mattress most comfortable for you.

Your body will thank you for a wonderful night’s sleep and the pain of shopping around will become a distant memory.

Happy hunting!