Luxury Mattress Showroom Visit Checklist ======================================== A printable list of what to prepare, ask, test and get in writing before committing to a handcrafted mattress in the 5,000 to 15,000 dollar range. [ ] Measure the bedroom, the doorway and the stairwell, and run the numbers through the Bedroom Mattress Size Fit Planner (/tools/bedroom-mattress-fit-planner/) before you fall for a size on the showroom floor. [ ] Write down your sleeping position, your partner's position, approximate body weights, and any back, hip or shoulder issues that affect how you sleep. [ ] Set an all-in ceiling that includes the base, a protector, linens, white glove delivery, old mattress removal and sales tax, not just the mattress price. [ ] Wear comfortable clothes, bring your own pillow if you can, and set aside at least an hour so you are not testing beds in a hurry. [ ] Ask for the layers in order from the springs up, and roughly how much filling the bed holds in the size you want. [ ] Ask the spring count and wire gauge for your size, and whether the unit is built spring on spring. [ ] Ask whether the bed is hand tufted through the full depth or machine quilted on the surface. [ ] Ask whether the border is hand side stitched, and how many rows of stitching it carries. [ ] If the bed uses latex, ask what share is natural rubber, whether it is Dunlop or Talalay, and whether it carries a recognized organic certification. [ ] Ask where the mattress is made and by whom, including whether a contract workshop builds it for the label. [ ] If you share the bed, ask whether split tension, zip-and-link or a dual firmness core is available in your size. [ ] Lie on each candidate in the position you actually sleep in, not a polite public one, for at least ten to fifteen minutes. [ ] Side sleepers: notice whether the lower arm tingles or the shoulder cannot sink far enough for the spine to stay level. [ ] Back sleepers: notice whether a flat hand slides too easily under the lower back, a sign the lumbar curve is not being met. [ ] Stomach sleepers: notice whether the hips feel like they hang and the lower back arches. [ ] Have your partner lie down at the same time and turn over, and feel how much movement crosses the bed. [ ] Sit on the edge for a minute and check whether the border holds you or collapses. [ ] Smell the bed: a strong chemical odor usually points to foam rather than natural fillings. [ ] Get the lead time in writing, since handcrafted beds are often built to order and can take several weeks. [ ] Ask exactly what delivery includes: in-room setup, base installation, packaging removal and haul-away of the old mattress. [ ] Ask for the trial terms in writing: length, any collection or restocking fee, and whether it is a comfort exchange or a refund. [ ] Ask for the warranty text and find the sag depth that counts as a defect, whether coverage is prorated, which base is required, and whether stains void it. [ ] Ask whether the maker offers refurbishment or re-tufting later in the life of the bed, and at what cost. [ ] Record the all-in quote and the answers above on the comparison worksheet before you leave, while the details are fresh.