How to Choose a Twin Bed

Shopping for a twin bed may seem easy, but there are many factors to consider before buying your twin bed. Before getting in your car and driving all around town to lay down on every other mattress and possibly getting persuaded by a salesman, doing research online can make all the difference before you buy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

How to Choose a Twin Bed

1. Make a list of what factors are most important when buying your twin bed:
   • What is your price range?
   • How long do you think you/your child will have this bed?
   • Do you need just the mattress, or will you also need the box spring and rails?
   • Do you want a firm or soft bed?
   • Do you also want a headboard and possibly a footboard?
   • Do you want a normal length twin or a twin XL? (The latter is commonly used in college dormitories.)

2. Make a list of the stores in town that advertise their mattresses, then go online to their websites and see what they offer -- do some comparison shopping online and look for pricing based on similarities. What can get complicated is that most mattress stores carry the same brands of mattresses but may not have the exact same models, which makes it difficult to price-match and compare. See what the average price is for the type of twin bed you are most likely to purchase and write the brand, style, measurements and accompanying accessories on your list.
   
   Call some of your family and/or friends and ask them if they have recently purchased a bed, what they did or didn't like about the bed, and what stores they think are the best for purchasing beds. Also, while online, read customer reviews when you can, and see if there are customer ratings on the bed types. Many online retailers offer ratings and reviews.

3. Go shopping. Work with a salesman immediately. He will be more knowledgeable than you think. Ask what deals the store is running on twin beds and see those mattresses first. If you aren't happy with any of the deals, give the salesman your list and price range. Let the him know what is most important to you--the price or the type of bed.

Tips & Warnings

• Most likely the twin bed is for your child. While it may be fun to take them to one or two stores, buying a mattress/bed set can be a lengthy process, and it is advised to make this task an adult-only one when possible. The good news is, however, that if you do have to take your child, more and more furniture stores are recognizing the need to entertain the young ones so their parents can shop, and have set up play tables with games and coloring and even televisions with movies playing.

References

• RC Willey Beds
• Bizrate Comparison Shopping
• Yahoo Comparison Shopping