All
  • All
  • Products
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • Conversations
  • Social

mattresses

Mattress Buying Tips From Danny Seo
Bedrooms

5 Mattress Buying Secrets from an Insider

I'm excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo.
by

I'm excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo. Today, he's here to walk you through some simple, smart tips for buying a new mattress.

If you're like I was a few years ago, buying a mattress from a store was akin to purchasing a used car: stressful, high pressure, and not fun.
In 2009, I partnered up with the Simmons bedding company to create a line of eco-friendly mattresses called the Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo. It was my attempt to do a mainstream line of eco beds that would be sold in retail stores nationwide and come with all the bells and whistles Simmons mattresses are known for: great customer service, white glove delivery, long and trustworthy warranty. The line was a hit.

This post isn't about my beds, but about the insider tricks and tips I learned about the mattress business and what consumers should know and do when shopping. Here are my top 5 tips:

  1. Bring Your Pillow. When you sleep at home, most of us do not lay flat on your back, shoes on, head firmly pressed against a bare mattress. Yet, we do that all the time when "test driving" beds in stores. Since you can't strip down to your PJs in the store, do the next best thing: bring your pillow. Resting your head on whatever number of pillows you normally sleep on will give you a true feel for how a new mattress will feel when you sleep on it.
  2. Don't Bother Looking For a Lower Price. Some stores have the tagline "If you find a lower price, it's free!" but the truth is, you will likely never find a lower price. Regional chains work with mattress manufacturers to make special version of popular beds. So instead of just selling a Simmons Natural Care mattress, it could be called The Simmons Natural New Hope model or The Simmons Natural Care Iverness Valley. These model names are often unique to stores, so finding a lower price can be next to impossible. If you find a bed you like, negotiate with the store and don't bother shopping around.


Keep reading for three more matress-buying tips from Danny Seo!

Do You Pad the Crate?
Poll

Do You Pad the Crate?

For those pups who find safe havens in their crates, it helps to have a comfy cushion to come onto.
by

For those pups who find safe havens in their crates, it helps to have a comfy cushion to come onto. North, who rests inside one during the day, prefers to drag his crate pad out as soon as I come home and bring it next to me in the living room . . . which means I need to put it back myself every time I leave. I'm thinking of upgrading with an investment in a heavy-duty version like these beautiful Luxury Dog Crate Mattresses ($60) instead of my current lightweight counterpart. Do you pamper a pet by placing a product like this inside his crate?

Good, Better, Best: Green Mattresses
Good Better Best

Good, Better, Best: Green Mattresses

While green home products are often more expensive than regular products, they're also better for you.
by

While green home products are often more expensive than regular products, they're also better for you. There's a lot of offgassing that happens with regular mattresses, which can cause respiratory problems and illness. Considering that your face is breathing in those fumes for seven or eight hours a night, you might want to pony up a few more benjamins for a greener variety in your next mattress purchase.


Good: My sister's been sleeping on an Ikea Sultan Erfjord ($999, queen) for the past few months, and says the bed is "resiliant, but conforms to my body. It didn't have that new mattress smell, either, so I knew it wasn't offgassing much." This green mattress can be found in an easily accessible box store, and it's constructed from natural and synthetic latex, silk, eco-cotton and wool wadding.


Two even nicer green mattresses follow, so read more