We recently completed a yearlong field study to determine if trying out a mattress prior to purchase is a good indicator of the firmness that will satisfy the customer. The study compared customers who tested a mattress in a showroom to those who purchased the mattress sight unseen.
Spindle found that, of the customers who experienced the mattress firsthand in the Spindle showroom, 12.7% chose to adjust the firmness after purchase. Of those who bought the mattress sight unseen 13.3% asked for a comfort adjustment.
We’ve been in the mattress industry for over 25 years. Traditional retail stores see plenty of shoppers try out a few beds, decide on one ‘they really like’ and after a week want to exchange it for something else. The study’s results reinforced what mattress professionals have thought to be true all along: trying out a mattress in a store is not a reliable indicator of being satisfied with the mattress once you get it home.
Knowing what to expect from a natural latex mattress proved a more successful metric of satisfaction. The study found that 99.5% of shoppers liked their new Spindle mattress when they had tested — or were otherwise familiar with — a mattress of similar construction. Especially when they understood that Spindle’s unique design allows great leeway for adjusting the mattress’ firmness. Of the customers who had never experienced latex 96% were not satisfied even after the mattress had been made harder or softer.
Trying out different types of mattresses, like latex, memory foam, innerspring or hybrid, will teach you if you like a certain type of bed. But it’s not that great at helping you land on a particular firmness: soft, medium, firm for example.
