Why You Can Trust CNET How to buy Casper, Purple and other online mattresses in store
Want to try out an online mattress IRL before you buy? Here's where you can test popular brands before you commit.
It's the best of both worlds -- you can shop for a mattress online, but also try it out before you buy.
Long gone are the days of the dreaded old-school mattress shopping experience. From the pushy salespeople to the hefty prices and stingy return policies -- going into a brick-and-mortar store isn't exactly a fun way to buy a mattress. Enter, online mattress shopping to save the day. But while the perks of buying a mattress online are great (you get to skip the salespeople, save some cash and try it out for an extended period) you may still prefer to actually feel a mattress before you commit to buying one online.
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Even though online mattress retailers have made the mattress shopping experience way less of a hassle, brands are starting to catch on to the fact that it's a good idea to let people see and feel what they're buying IRL, especially given how personal buying a mattress can be. No one likes having to deal with the return process, after all, and mattress returns are no different. It's a hassle to have someone deliver a mattress, only to come back and pack it up again -- even if the original purchase is "risk free."
So, if you're interested in buying a mattress online, but are curious about trying them out IRL first, you've got options. Major retailers such as Macy's, West Elm, and Target are now selling popular online mattress brands in stores where you can go try them out. Brands including Casper, one of the biggest (and earliest) players in the online mattress movement, are opening brick-and-mortar stores or showrooms where customers can try the mattresses before they buy. And these innovative stores claim to be nothing like the traditional mattress retailers you used to dread visiting.
Below, you'll find an overview of eight popular online mattress brands and where you can try them out. (FYI: of all the popular brands, Layla was one notable company that does not stock any of their mattresses in stores where you can try them out.)
Read more: 9 signs it's time to replace your mattress
Casper
Casper is one of the original online mattress brands and one of the most popular. The company makes three different styles of hybrid foam mattresses, ranging in price from $395 to $2,695.
The brand recently started opening stores where you can try and buy its mattresses (and take them home the same day.) Some Target locations now carry Casper products, but you can't try the Casper mattresses in most Target stores. You can also try Casper products at Raymour and Flanigan, where they are on display to try and buy.
Leesa
Leesa makes two different types of mattresses (a classic and luxury model) and offers a generous 100-day trial period (although some brands now offer up to a year trial). Like Casper, Leesa hopped on the brick-and-mortar store experience bandwagon and now has "Dream Galleries" where you can try and shop the mattresses in select cities. You can also purchase Leesa mattresses at West Elm stores.
Read: How to buy a mattress online
Nectar
If you're looking for a mattress with a great warranty and a long trial period, then Nectar may be on the top of your list. The company offers a "forever" warranty and a 365-day trial period. It's one of the easier online mattress brands to test out IRL since the mattresses are now stocked in 1,500 Nectar Sleep Stores and various furniture and mattress stores nationwide.
Saatva
Saatva mattresses are unique compared to most online mattress brands since they aren't foam mattresses, but instead have inner-coil springs. Most online mattresses or "bed-in-a-box" styles are foam since they can be easily compressed and shipped in a box. You can check out the mattresses at select Macy's stores and also SleePare showrooms.
Purple
Purple is another popular brand that makes three different mattress styles (standard foam, hybrid, and premium hybrid) and offers a standard 100-day trial period. Primarily an online retailer, Purple does stock some mattresses at Macy's department stores as well as Mattress Firm locations if you'd like to test one out for yourself.
Avocado Green
Avocado Green is known best for making mattresses from organic and sustainable materials. Because of this, it's not the cheapest mattress out there (a standard queen mattress starts at $1,399) but if sustainability and material quality are important to you, then it may be worth shelling out the extra cash.
The mattresses are latex hybrid with inner springs made from recycled steel. The company also advertises its Made Safe certification (one of only three mattress brands) which means it's free from "all known suspected toxins, including fire retardants." Avocado Green has "Experience Centers" in select cities where you can try out the mattress before ordering online. It's good to note that the centers are essentially showrooms, so not stores where you can buy IRL and take one home.
Tuft & Needle
Looking for an eco-friendly mattress that won't break the bank? Tuft & Needle is worth looking into, especially if the Avocado Green mattress doesn't fit your budget. The mattresses are significantly less expensive than other leading online brands, and are made with foam that is CertiPUR-US certified, and the materials have a "Greenguard Gold" certification. You can check out the mattresses IRL in Tuft and Needle stores in select cities, or at Lowes, Crate & Barrel, Interior Define, and Unruh.
