As a sleep writer, I know that Amazon Prime Day 2024 is a great time to look for deals on everything from mattresses to bed toppers. The 48-hour sale event will give Prime members exclusive discounts on both budget beds and premium mattresses, but how do you know if you're getting a good mattress deal? And what mattress deals should you avoid?
Many of my top picks in this year's best mattress guide are available to buy on Amazon, but sometimes you'll get more perks when buying directly from the brand. However, that doesn't mean you won't find a good mattress deal this Prime Day - you just need to know what to look for.
That's why I've created this guide to help you wade through all the Prime Day mattress deals to find a genuine bargain. I also reccomend checking out the main hub for Amazon Prime Day 2024 deals to keep up to date with the best discounts.
What are Prime Day mattress deals?
So, what is Amazon Prime Day? Amazon Prime Day actually lasts two days - this year's Prime Day event will take place on the July 16 and 17 - and is a huge sale event at Amazon exclusively for Prime members.
To be a Prime member, you'll need to sign up to Amazon's subscription service, which provided you with benefits including fast shipping, exclusive access to sales, free movie streaming, and access to other services. However, this service isn't cheap (it's now up to $14.99 a month), but you can try it out for free by signing up for a free Amazon Prime trial.
Are Prime Day mattress deals any good?
While I definitely reccomend checking out Prime Day for a good mattress deal, it's definitely not the best time to buy a mattress. That distinction goes to the Black Friday Mattress sales and Cyber Monday mattress sales that occur around November and December. The Labor Day mattress sales in early September also historically offer great savings.
Usually, to get a good deal on a high-quality mattress from top-rated brands, you have to buy directly from the brand's websites. However, as more and more reputable mattress brands, from Saatva to Casper, move to Amazon, we could be in for a sea of change for Prime Day 2024.
Amazon Prime Day mattress deals: What to look for
1. A genuine Prime Day discount
In my role as a mattress writer, I often have to track prices of beds to make sure a discount is a standout deal or just a standard, evergreen sale. A great tool for tracking prices on Amazon is the price history tracker Camel Camel Camel. Simply put the Amazon product's URL, and the tracker will show the price history of the product over the last year - including its lowest and highest ever price.
Before buying a mattress from Amazon, check all Amazon discounts against other major retailers (such as Mattress Firm, Home Depot, Target, Walmart, or Best Buy) and the brands themselves, as there’ll be lots of rival sales happening. Plus, buying directly from brands means you'll usually get more extras, such as a sleep trial for you to test out the mattress for months before committing to your purchase.
2. Verified user reviews
You can usually check whether a mattress is worth buying by looking at its star rating, number of reviews, and whether those reviews are from verified customers. You'll know if the user review is from a verified customer if it says 'Verified Purchase' next to the reviewer's star rating.
3. A free sleep trial
Many of the best mattresses in a box and best mattress toppers come with a free sleep trial when purchasing directly from the brand. For example, DreamCloud and Saatva offer generous 365-night sleep trials when you buy from their official website.
If you find a mattress on Amazon that is much cheaper than it is at other retailers, it’s a good idea to double check if Amazon will honour the trial and warranty period. If not, you could be better offer buying the mattress at a higher price as at least you'll get to try it out for months before deciding to return if you're dissatisfied.
On the other hand, there are some brands, such as Linenspa and Tempur-Pedic, who don't offer free trials on certain mattresses or toppers, so it usually doesn't matter if you buy them from the brand or Amazon.
4. A clear returns policy
If you find a mattress on Amazon that you like, it will either be sold directly from Amazon or a third party seller. For return information and to tell whether the item is sold by a third party seller or Amazon, look under the 'Buy Now' or 'Add to Cart' button. Here, you'll see whether it's shipped or sold by Amazon or another seller.
All items sold by Amazon usually come with a 30-day returns policy, meaning that the mattress is eligible for return, refund, or replacement within 30 days of receipt. If it isn't sold by Amazon, these third-party sellers might have a policy that's different to Amazon’s standard policy. I advise you to visit the seller's profile page by clicking on the seller's name to view their return policy.
Amazon Prime Day mattress deals: What to avoid
1. Mattresses with fake reviews
Unfortunately, some products will come with fake endorsements to boost the product's ranking. While there are some online tools to check whether reviews are fake, there's also plenty of signs to look for when trying to tell whether a review is real or not.
Fake reviews tend to be overly positive or negative without giving a clear reason why they're so happy or dissatisfied with their purchase. Instead, they use generic or robotic language and statements such as 'best ever' or 'so good'.
Sometimes, fake reviews will read like an advertisement instead of an honest opinion, constantly using the product's full name to boost SEO or being too enthusiastic. Also, be wary of a review littered with typos and overuse of all caps.
You can also click on the reviewer's username to see other reviews they've posted, If they're all too positive or written within a short period of time, you're likely looking at someone who was incentivized to do it.
If you want more information about the signs of a fake endorsement, I reccomend checking out our guide on how to spot fake reviews.
2. A mattress that’s on sale but not suited to you
When looking for the best cheap mattress, it can be easy to be swayed by the price alone, but don’t fall into the ‘it’s super-cheap' trap. There's no point buying a low-price mattress if it is of poor quality and isn't suitable for your sleep position and body type.
Also, make sure that any mattress that has foam is using foam that's CertiPUR-US certified. Plus, be wary of a mattress design that's shorter than 10 inches or a mattress topper that's thinner than 2 inches - they won't provide enough support or comfort.
Should you buy a mattress in Prime Day sales?
The best mattress sales for cheap prices plus generous perks often come when buying directly from the mattress brand. However, Amazon is a very convenient way of buying a new mattress at a cheap price as long as you have done the following:
- researched the mattress to see whether it's right for your body type and sleep position (check out our guide on how to choose a mattress, too).
- checked the price history using Camel, Camel, Camel.
- checked the price and perks of the mattress at the brand's website or other retailers.
- checked the returns policy (take a look at our guide on how to return a mattress to Amazon for more info).
- checked whether the user reviews are verified or fake
