Answer me honestly. How much do you know about mattresses? I mean, they’re not a frequent purchase. If you don’t know much, it’s perfectly normal – before I started working at Beds for Backs I knew next to nothing. Avoiding some mistakes which are really easy to make and you will be well on the way to working out how to buy the right bed for you.
Mistake #1 – Believing all the Hype
“Knowledge is a weapon, Jon. Arm yourself well before you ride forth to battle.” George RR Martin.
The Australian bedding industry is unregulated. This means that bed manufacturers can invent lies about their beds and nobody stops them. Very rarely are beds independently tested. And you can’t trust claims made by companies who test their own products.
So here’s what to do:
- Before you even leave the house: hop on the internet, speak to friends and find out as much as you can about mattresses.
- Don’t believe all the claims made by manufacturers unless they can show you proof.
- Ask for the results of independent testing.
- If they claim their beds are health products, check if they are GST free and hold this status with the Australian Tax Office. Only beds which are health aids will be GST free.
Mistake #2 – Failing to carefully consider their budget
“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” Dave Ramsey
It is amazing how many people go shopping for a big ticket item without first discussing the budget with their partner. You need to have an idea of what you are both happy to spend.
You also need to weigh up the pros and cons when allocating budget. Remember – a bed should be a health aid. You spend a third of your life in it. And a cheap bed with no support is going to royally damage your back. In fact, an expensive bed with no support will spoil your spinal health too. Which leads me to…
Mistake # 3 – Not Putting their Health First
“The first wealth is health.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Too many people wind up thousands of dollars poorer, only to wake up each morning with a sore back. A bed isn’t just about comfort and style – a bed should be healthy. It should have inbuilt support that keeps your spine straight. And all support is not created equal.
For those with healthy backs, sleeping on a bed with support will keep them healthy.
For those with back issues – in many cases the right bed is all you need to keep the doctor away. Many Beds for Backs customers find this to be the case.
A bed can’t always cure a bad back. But a bed which suits your specific needs can change your life. For many of our customers, a bed with adjustable support has allowed them to sleep without pain, often for the first time in years.
One last important note: A comfort layer (also known as padding) does not offer support. People are told that it is good for their spine if they have memory foam instead of latex or a firm bed instead of a soft one. This doesn’t even make sense. It is one of the myths about mattresses! Padding and level of firmness can increase your comfort level but that doesn’t mean it supports your spine. The only thing that can support your spine is support that is built into the springs or the padding of the mattress. Or a bed base which can be adjusted. This gives the best support in the world.
