A few days ago I filled out the online profile from CSD, and today received an emailed quote. $2700 for a twin mattress & foundation!
The latex and memory foam mattresses I tried in a local store – brands I would never actually buy because of what I’ve read on this site – hovered around $1800 for one of the higher-priced models.
Just now I looked at the Brooklyn Bedding site – a brand that I haven’t yet been able to find negative comments about – and the most I could spend is about $1400.
Here’s what I’m guessing makes the CSD bed cost 2x the BB bed:
Customizing of layers and front/back areas upon purchase.
Better quality of foam (maybe?)
Ritzy CT neighborhood for storefront
90 free layer exchanges
Am I missing something else?
P.S. CSD seems a little too aggressive with their marketing, too. You can’t get the profile without giving all your contact info, including phone. But I want to do any contacting and not get sales calls. (So I made up a phone number.)
Hi powerdog,
You have touched on some of the differences but certainly not all of them.
“Value” means different things to different people who each have what I call a different “personal value equation” where different factors play a more or less important role in the purchase of a mattress. This includes the 'raw value" of the materials of course but it also includes the value of the design and its ability to match the needs and preferences of the person, the value of the service that is provided before, during, and after the purchase of a mattress, and all the other objective, subjective, and intangible factors that can be more important to some and less important to others.
Just like the difference between buying a custom fitted suit or pair of shoes that are customized to the specifics of a person … their mattress is also custom designed around the specific body weight, measurements, and preferences of each person.
In addition to this … their design includes layers that are cut in places that result in more wasted material because the “left over” parts of the layer in many cases can’t be easily used in another mattress. They also offer no cost exchanges until the design is just right rather than single exchanges with a cost involved. The material that is wasted here (the old layers can’t be re-used and can be kept) also represent a cost. Your comparison also isn’t “apples to apples” even in raw value terms because you always need to compare “mattress only to mattress only” and all the other variables need to be close to the same. 11" of latex in other words will never have the same material cost involved as a mattress that uses less latex or other less costly materials. While the quality of the latex would be the same compared to another mattress that also used the same blended Talalay latex … the amount of any more costly materials like latex used in each mattress can make a substantial difference. A mattress like this also takes much more time and expense to cut and put together than just taking standard layers and putting them inside a cover.
This actually isn’t quite the case although I do understand your point. You can call them and get the same information and you will get it in much more detail and customized to the more detailed information that you can provide on a phone call. I would never order this type of mattress based on only online input anyway. The online form is just there to give a good idea about what is possible and create a baseline for your final design. They also need a way to provide you with their suggestions and designs after they have put them together. I have been registered on the site for a long time when I did my own profile and I have never received an unwanted email from them as a result of my registration. I think that one of the basic assumptions that is made any more premium manufacturer is that people that are seriously looking at their mattresses are not just “price shopping” and that price is less important than benefits and design.
Like you … I am also generally hesitant about this type of online presence though where more detailed information requires the disclosure of personal information but in this case it’s just a matter of a phone call and with the competitive nature of the market and some of the reasons that people may choose to use proprietary knowledge I also understand both sides of the argument and the balancing act and choices that manufacturers need to go through between the need for marketing (or you don’t eat) and the choice to provide as much detailed information as possible. I would also keep in mind that these are not “off the shelf” mattresses that would tend to be attractive to consumers where price shopping or the “raw value” of the materials was the main consideration anyway. They are in a different category and in that category they are among the best quality/value in the country.
So they are certainly a more premium mattress (although they are also less costly than some other popular latex mattresses that don’t have the ability to customize in the same way and are priced higher yet) but the benefits of their design and service are exactly what makes them such good value for those people who have a bigger challenge in finding a mattress that “fits” them more exactly or where these benefits are an important part of their value equation.
Phoenix
Do different CSD profiles result in different prices for the same size? Also, is there any chance they would lower the price if asked, beyond the 5% Mattress Underground discount?
Hi powerdog,
Not to my knowledge no.
Again … not to my knowledge no … but you would probably need to talk to them for more specific answers to these types of questions.
Phoenix
If all mattress in a given size are the same price, I wonder why they don’t just put the prices on their website? Most of the online dealers I’ve seen tell you the prices up front.
Also, I’m not sure that I’d call my approach “price shopping,” any more than if I buy a Honda Accord instead of a BMW (no matter how many advantages the BMW offers) or an Angus steak instead of Kobe beef. I appreciate quality, but I would agree that I’m like most people these days who can’t afford “blank check” or “price is no object” shopping.
Hi powerdog,
I think that any questions about their specific marketing strategy would probably be better asked directly of them. I don’t know the answer to these types of questions except that what each retailer or manufacturer chooses to do is part of what they believe is best for the market they deal with and that this can involve many reasons that may not be obvious to some or even most consumers. Like any business as well … this may also change over time as they learn from experience or try new ideas that may be more effective for them than what they are currently doing … just like any business makes adjustments and refines what they do over time.
Phoenix