Why Labor Day Is One of the Best Times to Buy a Mattress
If you’ve been thinking about replacing your mattress, Labor Day can be a particularly good time to start looking. The holiday weekend has traditionally become one of the major mattress-shopping periods of the year, with many manufacturers and retailers offering promotions across a wide range of mattresses, adjustable bases and sleep accessories.
But a good Labor Day mattress purchase isn’t simply about finding the biggest percentage-off sign.
A mattress is something you’ll use for thousands of hours over its lifetime. Comfort, support, temperature regulation, materials and construction can matter much more over the long term than choosing whichever mattress happens to have the lowest advertised price.
That’s also why Labor Day can be useful for shoppers who have been considering a higher-quality or premium mattress. Promotions can make it easier to compare brands and potentially move into a mattress you might otherwise have passed over because of price.
At Bedding Mart, that means being able to compare established luxury manufacturers alongside some of today's most popular newer mattress brands, including Tempur-Pedic®, Stearns & Foster®, Taylor & Wells®, Helix, Casper and Nectar.
Why Do Mattresses Go on Sale Around Labor Day?
Mattress promotions tend to follow a fairly predictable calendar.
Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day have all become important shopping periods for the mattress industry. Manufacturers frequently coordinate promotions around these holidays, which means shoppers may find opportunities across multiple brands at approximately the same time.
Labor Day is particularly well positioned because it arrives as summer comes to an end and households begin transitioning into their fall routines.
For consumers, the real advantage isn't necessarily buying a mattress simply because it's Labor Day. It's having an opportunity to compare several mattresses while promotions are available across different categories and price points.
And there are more choices today than there were even a decade ago.
Today's Mattress Shopper Has More Choices Than Ever
There was once a fairly simple choice between a firm mattress and a plush mattress.
Today, shoppers can choose among traditional innerspring mattresses, memory foam, hybrids, cooling mattresses, luxury pillow tops, adjustable-base-compatible designs and mattresses engineered for specific sleeping preferences.
The growing number of choices is a good thing, but it can also make mattress shopping confusing.
Rather than beginning with a particular brand, it can help to think about what you actually want your mattress to do.
Do you prefer a mattress that contours closely around your body? Do you like the responsive feel of coils? Are you a hot sleeper? Do you prefer a substantial luxury mattress with a traditional feel? Do you share your bed with someone who has very different comfort preferences?
Those questions can help narrow down the options considerably.
Here are some of the leading brands worth considering this Labor Day.
Tempur-Pedic®: A Different Approach to Pressure Relief
Tempur-Pedic is one of the most recognizable names in premium bedding and helped introduce an entirely different mattress feel to American consumers.
Rather than relying primarily on traditional upholstery and springs, TEMPUR® material is designed to adapt to the sleeper's body. That distinctive contouring sensation is one of the reasons people who love Tempur-Pedic often have a strong preference for it.
Today's Tempur-Pedic lineup also provides different comfort choices and technologies, including options designed around cooling and pressure relief.
It's a particularly interesting brand to compare in person because its feel can be noticeably different from that of a conventional mattress.
For someone considering a premium mattress during Labor Day, Tempur-Pedic belongs on the shortlist.
Stearns & Foster®: Traditional Luxury Mattress Craftsmanship
There is a reason Stearns & Foster has remained associated with luxury bedding for generations.
The brand tends to appeal to shoppers who appreciate a substantial, beautifully finished mattress and a more traditional luxury-mattress experience.
Depending on the collection and comfort level, Stearns & Foster mattresses combine premium foams, cushioning materials and innerspring support systems to create anything from a firmer supportive surface to a deeply cushioned plush feel.
For shoppers who walk into a mattress store and say, "I want something that feels luxurious," Stearns & Foster is often an excellent place to begin.
It's also a useful contrast to a brand like Tempur-Pedic. Neither approach is inherently better—they simply provide very different sleep experiences.
Taylor & Wells®: Luxury Comfort and Value
Taylor & Wells offers another approach to the premium mattress category, combining upscale materials, thoughtful construction and a luxury appearance with an emphasis on value.
The collection includes different comfort profiles and constructions, making it possible to choose between mattresses with more traditional support and hybrid designs that combine cushioning materials with responsive coil systems.
Taylor & Wells can be especially worth comparing for someone who likes the substantial construction and finish associated with luxury mattresses but also wants to carefully consider what they're receiving for their money.
This is an area where shopping across brands rather than focusing exclusively on a familiar name can pay off. Sometimes the mattress that feels best isn't the brand you expected to choose when you walked through the door.
Helix: Modern Mattresses With Plenty of Choice
Helix has become one of the better-known names to emerge from the modern direct-to-consumer mattress industry.
One of the brand's strengths is choice. Rather than trying to create a single mattress for everyone, Helix offers mattresses with different feels and constructions designed around different sleep preferences.
Its Midnight models have become particularly well known, while the higher-end Helix Luxe and Helix Elite collections give shoppers options that move considerably further into the premium category.
That makes Helix interesting for someone who likes the philosophy behind modern online mattress brands but doesn't necessarily want a basic bed-in-a-box experience.
Being able to see and feel a Helix mattress in person can also remove some of the uncertainty that comes with selecting a mattress based solely on specifications and online reviews.
Casper: Familiar Simplicity With Premium Options
Casper was one of the companies that helped change the way consumers thought about buying mattresses online.
The brand became known for simplifying what had traditionally been a complicated shopping experience, but Casper's lineup has evolved significantly since its early days.
Today's offerings extend beyond the basic all-foam mattress concept and include more sophisticated designs, including hybrid and cooling-focused options.
For shoppers who are interested in a contemporary mattress with an emphasis on comfort and temperature management, Casper is worth including in a Labor Day comparison.
Nectar: Comfort and Value From a Popular Online Brand
Nectar is another brand that grew rapidly during the expansion of online mattress shopping.
It has become particularly recognizable among consumers researching mattresses on the internet, and its lineup gives shoppers another option when comparing modern foam and hybrid designs.
Nectar can make sense for someone looking for a balance between comfort features, contemporary construction and value.
As with Helix and Casper, however, there's a benefit to experiencing the mattress rather than relying entirely on a computer screen.
A mattress can have thousands of positive reviews and still not be the right mattress for you.
Don't Shop by Brand Alone
Brand reputation can be helpful, but it shouldn't be the only factor in choosing a mattress.
Two mattresses at similar prices can feel completely different.
Likewise, the most expensive mattress in a showroom isn't automatically the best mattress for every sleeper.
When comparing mattresses, spend some time considering:
- Comfort: Firm, medium, plush or somewhere in between?
- Support: Does your body feel properly supported in your normal sleeping position?
- Pressure relief: Pay particular attention to areas such as your shoulders and hips.
- Temperature: If you tend to sleep warm, ask about materials and designs intended to improve temperature regulation.
- Motion: Couples may want to consider how much movement transfers across the mattress.
- Mattress height: Today's premium mattresses can be quite substantial, which can affect the overall height of your bed.
- Adjustable-base compatibility: If you're considering an adjustable base now or in the future, make sure the mattress is compatible.
And perhaps most importantly, lie on the mattress the way you actually sleep.
Sitting on the edge for 30 seconds tells you very little about how a mattress will feel at 2 a.m.
Is Labor Day Actually a Good Time to Buy?
It can be.
The key distinction is that a sale should create an opportunity to buy the right mattress for less—not convince you to buy the wrong mattress because it's on sale.
If your current mattress is still comfortable, supportive and in good condition, there's no reason to replace it simply because a holiday promotion appears.
But if you've already noticed that your mattress isn't as comfortable as it once was, you're waking up feeling less rested, or you've been planning an upgrade, Labor Day provides a convenient opportunity to compare your options.
It can also be a good time to look beyond the mattress itself. Depending on current promotions, shoppers may find offers involving adjustable bases, bedding, financing or other sleep products in addition to mattress savings.
Online Research Is Helpful. Trying a Mattress Is Better.
Online mattress research has improved dramatically. Specifications, customer reviews, videos and comparison articles can help you create a shortlist before you ever enter a store.
But comfort remains highly personal.
That's one reason Bedding Mart carries mattresses from very different manufacturers rather than trying to steer every shopper toward one type of bed.
Being able to compare Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, Taylor & Wells, Helix, Casper, Nectar and other mattresses in one place makes the differences much easier to understand.
You may discover that you prefer memory foam when you expected to buy an innerspring. You may fall in love with a plush luxury mattress after years of sleeping on something firm. Or you may find that a less expensive mattress actually feels better to you than the model you originally researched.
That's exactly what comparison shopping should accomplish.
Make Your Labor Day Mattress Search About Better Sleep
Labor Day mattress sales will come with plenty of percentages, promotional signs and limited-time offers.
Those savings are worth considering—but they shouldn't overshadow the reason you're buying a mattress in the first place.
You're investing in where you'll spend roughly a third of every day.
Start with comfort. Compare different technologies. Ask questions. Try mattresses from several manufacturers. Understand what you're buying and why one mattress costs more than another.
Then take advantage of Labor Day savings if they help you get the mattress that's right for you.
If you're researching your options this Labor Day, you can explore the latest mattresses and current offers at TheBeddingMart.com, or visit a Bedding Mart location to compare many of today's leading mattress brands in person.
Sometimes the best way to understand the difference between mattresses is simply to lie down and feel it for yourself.
