Mattresses are no longer available exclusively at specialty stores. More and more online retailers—and digital-only brands in particular—sell their mattresses exclusively online. Buying a mattress is an important decision and a long-term investment. Since we spend about a third of our lives in bed, choosing a healthy sleep environment is incredibly important. Some people feel uneasy about buying online because they can’t see or test the mattress in a store, and there’s often a certain level of skepticism toward online retailers. The reliability, security, and credibility of such retailers are questioned and sometimes even doubted. After all, you want to invest your money in a good product. In this article, we’ll show you what to look for when buying a mattress online.
Buying a Mattress Online: What You Need to Know
The lifespan of your mattress depends on the type of mattress you have. A good-quality mattress will last 10–15 years. A lower-quality mattress often needs to be replaced after just 5–8 years, if not sooner.
When it's time to buy a new mattress, about 80% of all buyers first look online to read reviews and ratings and get an overview of the vast array of options available.
If you decide to buy a mattress online, it's important to consider a few factors to ensure you make a sound purchase.
A Quality Seal and a Clear Conscience
Before you buy a new mattress online, make sure the website you're visiting has a recognized quality seal. Among the best-known and most trustworthy seals are:
The EHI Seal of Quality
Some online mattress brands,such as Kipli, have been awarded the EHI label. The "Certified Online Store" seal of approval is issued by a retail institute called EHI. The EHI seal has been in existence since 1999 and evaluates online stores based on a comprehensive set of criteria comprising over 200 different assessment factors. In addition to shop security, consumer-friendliness is also taken into account and plays a decisive role. Currently, approximately 650 online shops carry this seal of approval.
The EHI Seal of Quality primarily recognizes online services and online stores. Online providers with this seal are reviewed annually by the EHI to determine whether they still meet all criteria. Among other things, the EHI Institute reviews data protection and quality standards, legal disclosure requirements, and the telephone accessibility of the respective digital provider. Test purchases and spot checks are also conducted. If an online store violates the quality criteria, the institute has the right to revoke the seal of approval from the affected online provider.
The S@fer Shopping Seal of Approval
TÜV SÜD is the organization behind the S@fer Shopping seal of approval and has been awarding this seal to secure online stores for 20 years. The S@fer Shopping seal certifies online stores in the retail, tourism, and insurance sectors. Shops with the S@fer-shopping seal of approval are audited annually, just as with the EHI seal. This audit also consists of an online review and a security check involving test purchases. The audit also includes an on-site visit. If a certified company violates the quality criteria, S@fer-shopping revokes the seal of approval from the affected online shop.
So before making a purchase, check to see if the website is reputable and whether the online store or digital brand has one of these seals. Depending on the website’s design and layout, the seal of approval can be found in various places—either at the top in the header or at the very bottom of the page, in the footer. Often, the seal also moves along with the screen as you scroll.
Buy a Mattress Online: Safety and Transparency
Before you buy a mattress online, make sure you know whether the mattress was actually manufactured where stated and whether it meets the quality standards it promises. The manufacturer or seller should be transparent about the manufacturing process and the origin of the mattress and should be able to back up their claims with quality seals and certifications. After all, labeling a product “Made in Europe” or “Made in Germany” even though it comes from far away is often quicker and easier than you might think—and leaves the buyer in the dark.
On the Internet, you can find mattresses offered at low prices. However, these are often made of synthetic materials.
Did you know: 90% of the mattresses sold are synthetic? These types of mattresses are made from plastics derived from petroleum. At the end of their life cycle, synthetic mattresses are either incinerated or end up in massive landfills. A mattress is thrown away every 4 seconds. In Europe alone, old mattresses generate approximately 450,000 metric tons of waste per year. Not only dotheypotentially harm you and your health, buttheyalso have a massive and negative impact on the environment.
So if you want to buy a new mattress online, one made from a combination of natural materials such as organic cotton and natural latex is a better choice.
Even when purchasing so-called natural products, be sure to look for quality certifications and transparency from the online retailer. The more transparent and clearly visible the information about a product is, the greater the level of customer trust.Some companies show the entire manufacturing process for the mattresses they offer. This makesthe production processand working conditions transparent to the customer.
The quality and reliability of the mattress should be verified by recognized certifications.If you want to buy a high-quality natural latex mattress online, look for the following certifications:
euroLATEX 100% natural
The euroLATEX certificate verifies that the core of a natural latex mattress is made of 100% natural latex. Furthermore, it certifies that our products are manufactured within Europe. Asian manufacturers are not eligible to obtain this certificate. The label verifies the absence of harmful substances, such as chemical fertilizers, heavy metals, solvents, nitrosamines, and volatile organic compounds. euroLATEX also verifies that the latex is transported and stored under safe conditions. In accordance with European law, euroLATEX also certifies compliance with fair working conditions for all employees involved in the supply chain.
eco-INSTITUT
The natural latex used to manufacture the mattress should be eco-INSTITUT certified. This certification verifies the absence of harmful substances and emissions. The eco-INSTITUT primarily tests whether the natural latex mattress contains chemical residues or emits harmful gases. The tests are conducted under the strictest conditions. They check the mattress for potentially toxic materials, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, and formaldehyde.
CATAS Certification
CATAS certification tests the durability of the latex core. The durability test is conducted by subjecting the mattress to a weight of 150 kg to simulate daily use over time. The goal of the test is to assess the height, density, and elasticity of the natural latex core after 30,000 movements, which corresponds to 10 years of use. In this test, for example, the Kipli mattress showed a loss in height of the latex core of less than 1% of its original height.
In addition, a side compression test is conducted as part of the evaluation. In this test, strong pressure is applied to the mattress 20 cm from the edge. After 5,000 cycles, the height loss of the Kipli mattress was less than 1% in this test as well.
OEKO-TEX
The cover of a mattress purchased online should also be certified. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is an independent, globally standardized testing system for raw materials and textile products at all stages of processing, as well as for the accessories used in their manufacture. Substances tested for include azo dyes, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, nickel, and lead. The testing criteria are stricter than national regulations.
In summary, these certifications confirm that a mattress and its composition are free of toxins and harmful substances. They attest to the high quality and purity of the materials used. Furthermore, they certify safe working conditions and fair compensation for all employees involved in the production chain. They also ensure the durability of our products and their sustainable recycling at the end of their life cycle. Therefore, before making an online purchase, be sure to look for recognized certifications such as these.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about buying a mattress online, we hope this article has been helpful and has given you some pointers on what to look for before making an online purchase. If an online retailer is reputable, transparent about its manufacturing process and terms of sale, and if the product and manufacturing information is backed by certificates, then there’s nothing standing in the way of buying a mattress online.