| Offering | | |
| Dollar Amount Above/Below $1,000 (USD) | 2 | Rather than quantifying this in a graduated manner (as we do with length of free trials and warranties), we choose a more granular approach by multiplying the difference from $1,000.
Example 1: Price = $800
Score = 2 x ($1000 - $800) = 400
Example 2: Price = $1100
Score = 2 x ($1000 - $1100) = -200 |
| Available to Try in Store (Y/N) | 800 | Some buyers in the United States may want to try a mattress in a store before buying their new mattress. Due to the importance of this to some customers, we assign this a high weighting. |
| Made in USA (Y/N) | 400 | Mattresses made in the United States must adhere to American environmental and manufacturing standards. Our observation is that this is moderately important to consumers, and we ascribe a commensurate rating. |
| Free Shipping to Metropolitan Areas (Y/N) | 400 | Free shipping has become standard for most products ordered online and is no longer a key differentiating factor (as it once was). We therefore assign it a moderate weighting. |
| Delivered in a Box (Y/N) | 400 | Receiving a mattress in a box is a convenience that many customers seek, and therefore we assign it a moderate weighting. |
| Sleep Trial = or > 30 Nights | 500 | The sleep trial, first introduced by GoodMorning.com in 2009, is seen by many as the event that precipitated the online bed-in-a-box boom. Nearly every bed-in-a-box brand leads on their offering of a risk-free, at-home sleep trial. As such, we tier our ratings, ascribing higher scores to longer trials. |
| Sleep Trial = or > 60 Nights | 500 |
| Sleep Trial = or > 90 Nights | 500 |
| Sleep Trial = or > 120 Nights | 500 |
| Sleep Trial = or > 150 Nights | 500 |
| Warranty = or > 5 Years | 500 | The warranty period is one of the key factors used by consumers as part of their mattress purchase consideration, as a proxy for both product lifespan and post-purchase coverage. As such, we ascribe higher scores to to products offering longer warranties. |
| Warranty = or > 10 Years | 500 |
| Warranty = or > 15 Years | 500 |
| Warranty = or > 20 Years | 500 |
| CertiPur-US® Registered (Y/N) | 400 | The CertiPur-US® certification seeks to inform consumers as to the safety of the input materials used in mattresses and has become widely referenced over the past decade. As such, we ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| Multiple Firmness Options (Y/N) | 400 | Mattresses models offering multiple firmness options offer more choice and cater to a wider range of comfort preferences. As such, we ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| Technology | | |
| Fully Integrated Adjustable Firmness (Y/N) | 500 | Mattresses which allow customers to adjust the feel and firmness of their mattress after purchase without affecting the style or construction of the mattress increase the likelihood of post-purchase satisfaction, especially in the absence of an in-store visit. As such, we ascribe a slightly higher score to this factor. |
| Number of Layers (#) | 50 | Using multiple layers in a mattress improves the transition from the softer comfort layers to the firmer support layers. To capture the enormous variety in layer construction, we multiply the number of layers by a low weighting. In most cases, this gives a low-to-moderate weighting for this factor.
Example 1: 5 layers
Score = 50 x 5 = 250
Example 2: 3 layers
Score = 3 x 50 = 150
|
| High-Density Memory Foam (Y/N) | 400 | Mattresses using high-density memory foams in their comfort (top) layers are generally more expensive to build, but in general are more durable and have longer life expectancies. As such, we ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| Pocketed Coils (Y/N) | 400 | Pocketed coils, as opposed to Bonnell coils, are premium coils that flex independently in order to reduce motion transfer across the mattress. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this technology. |
| Micro-Coils (Y/N) | 200 | Micro-coils are a type of pocketed coil placed within the transition layers of a mattress. Among hybrid mattresses, micro-coils are a relatively unique feature that can improve body contouring and cooling. We ascribe a low-to-moderate weighting to this technology. |
| Central Zone Reinforcement (Y/N) | 400 | Mattresses designed and built with reinforced central zones offer extra resilience and support in the region that is most prone to the formation of indentations, or where a great portion of the body's weight resides. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| Machine-Washable Cover (Y/N) | 400 | The ability to easily remove and machine-wash the mattress cover is a convenience feature that many hygiene-minded consumers prioritize. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this technology. |
| Perforated Foam (Y/N) | 400 | The vertical channels in perforated foam can improve air circulation within mattresses, a factor in promoting cooler and dryer sleep. We ascribe it a moderate weighting. |
| Cooling Gel Foam (Y/N) | 400 | This technology involves a foam additive that can absorb heat from a sleeper, leading to a cooler sleep. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this technology. |
| Polymer Technology (Y/N) | 400 | This unique technology is patented and used exclusively by Purple and Intellibed. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this technology. |
| Conduit Foam (Y/N) | 400 | Foam infused with an electrically conductive material (copper, graphite, etc.) is known to assist in cooling and heat regulation, also sometimes offering antimicrobial properties to the specific layers. We ascribe it a moderate weighting. |
| Engineering Results | | |
| Edge Support (X/10) | 50 | In our experience, these performance factors represent two quantifiable features that are often cited among mattress buying considerations, where a higher overall score is generally seen as preferable. (Factors like Firmness and Bounce are more subject to individual preference.) We have each mattress tested by independent engineers (commissioned by us) using the same methodology, which results in a score along a spectrum from 0 to 10. We multiply these scores by 50 to yield a moderate weighting for mattresses that perform well.
Example 1: Edge Support = 5/10
Score = 50 x 5 = 250
Example 2: Motion Isolation = 6/10
Score = 6 x 50 = 300
|
| Motion Isolation (X/10) | 50 |
| Other Criteria | | |
| Company Picks up Returns (Y/N) | 400 | Many bed-in-a-box companies offer free pickups for any mattresses being returned; however, many traditional retailers continue to require that the customer bring their mattress back to a store. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| Full Refund (Y/N) | 400 | Many bed-in-a-box companies offer full refunds for any mattresses being returned during the sleep trial period, without additional fees, forfeitures, or return costs; however, many traditional retailers do not, offering only in-store credit. We ascribe a moderate weighting to this factor. |
| A+ BBB Accredited | 200 | An A+ Better Business Bureau rating indicates that a company has worked hard to provide exceptionally good customer experiences. This becomes increasingly harder as a company acquires more customers. We apply a low-to-moderate weighting to this factor. |
| 1,000+ Onsite Reviews | 300 | We ascribe a moderate weighting to companies with more onsite reviews, scaling at graduated levels in order to equally consider buyer satisfaction and time in market. (A mattress with 5,000 reviews in one year offers evidence of its popularity, while a mattress with 5,000 reviews over 5 years shows the company's trust and reliability over time.) |
| 5,000+ Onsite Reviews | 300 |
| 10,000+ Onsite Reviews | 300 |
| No Country of Origin Disclosure on Website (Y/N) | -2000 | A lack of disclosure of country/countries of origin means that consumers lose the ability to assess information about key features and potentially safety aspects of their mattress. As such, we apply a large penalty to companies who don’t disclose the country of origin. |
