Worried about potentially high Casper returns before buying my parents a new bed

Hey everyone

My parent’s ancient spring mattress could use a replacement and I am thinking about a Capser but heard that they actually get a lot of returns because of the whole “one-size-fits all” situation…

Does anyone here know their return rate or why it would be higher?

Supposedly foam mattress Novosbed has fewer returns… I am also considering these guys but my parents are not familiar with this brand and hear about Casper on the radio. Do multiple firmness options like Novosbed really lower the likelihood of returns? (I can try and figure out my parent’s firmness preference first)

Apparently Casper returns are also spiking which makes me think that all their advertising is resulting in lots of people buying something they are not expecting. Would their returns be higher just because their sales have gotten so big that they are now selling to more particular baby boomers? (like my dad who has slept on an innerspring all his life and is yet to try memory foam)

I know they have a 100-day free trial with free returns, but I would like to know before I go and set up everything up. (And my parents live nowhere near a Casper showroom)

Thanks!

TorontoCT

Hi TorontoCT,

In terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) there is no such thing as “one mattress fits all”. Any specific mattress may be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of people, a “good” match for a larger percentage, and an “OK” match for a larger percentage yet, but the only way to know for certain whether any mattress you end up choosing (for you or someone else) will be a “good enough” match to keep it (even if it isn’t the “best match” out of all the mattresses that you “could have chosen” instead) will be based on your parents’ careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) and/or their own personal experience when they sleep on it.

One of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and firmness levels and compare them to each other in “real time” based on their actual experience rather than just “theory” instead of trying one mattress and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead.

Of course many online mattresses have a good trial period and return policy so you can try them in your bedroom instead of a showroom with little risk (outside of the time you spend sleeping on it and/or returning it if that becomes necessary or any costs involved in the return process) so if it’s not a “good enough” match for your parents you can just return it and try another mattress although of course you won’t know whether it would have been better or worse or how it compares to other mattresses that you could have purchased for them that they haven’t tried in person.

Many people that are younger or are buying their first mattress and are in good physical condition, are more flexible, and less “sensitive” are often closer to the “I can sleep on anything” end of the range but as they get older their comfort/support needs may change or they may have a higher budget or become a little bit more discerning and want something better than “just OK” so they may shift closer to the “princess and the pea” end of the range and would probably be much more likely to return a mattress that was only “OK” instead of “great”.

While the companies that sell mattresses online don’t disclose their actual return rates … it would make sense that as a wider demographic than just millennials begin to buy mattresses online that the return rates would increase.

The odds of making the most suitable purchase would also increase if there are multiple firmness options available as well because the multiple firmness ranges would cover a larger part of the bell curve that would be suitable for a larger percentage of people but the single biggest part of the bell curve that would be suitable for the largest percentage of people will be somewhere in a “medium” range (although medium may not be the same between different manufacturers because there are no standardized firmness ratings in the industry and different people have different perceptions of firmness as well so a mattress that feels medium to one person may feel soft or firm to someone else).

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you (or your parents in this case) are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for any specific person in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to your parents or compare to another mattress based on specs (either theirs or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than their own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or their own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

I certainly wouldn’t pay too much attention to advertising and marketing claims when it comes to buying a mattress because they are only normally only designed to sell mattresses … not to educate consumers.

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind once again that your parents are the only one that can feel what they feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how they will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for them. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

There is more about the type and quality of the materials in the Casper and many of the other what I call “simplified choice mattresses” in post #2 here in the simplified choice mattress topic and post #1 in the same topic would be well worth reading as well.

Phoenix

Thank you very much Pheonix!

Out of curiosity do you know how Casper returns compare to their competitors in a general sense? Saatva is another big option for me and I have heard an impressive 3% RR.

Cheers!

Hi TorontoCT,

Companies don’t normally release reliable or accurate information about their return rate so there is really no way to know for sure what the “real” numbers are and any numbers that you read about would be pure speculation or “marketing spin”.

A companies return rate based on “comfort” issues also wouldn’t be a meaningful number to use as a basis to choose a mattress anyway.

There is also more information about Saatva and many of the other simplified choice mattresses in post #2 here and a forum search on Saatva (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.

While Saatva would be a “better than average” quality/value choice compared to many of the mainstream mattresses made by the major manufacturers (which are a low bar to use for a comparison and which I would avoid completely) … some of the materials they are using are less durable than I would be comfortable with and for most people they wouldn’t be in the same “quality/value” range as many of the other options that use higher quality and more durable materials and foam layers that most of the members here would know about as a result of the information on this site. I would also be cautious about making a purchase based on some of “marketing exaggerations” on their site.

Phoenix

For what it is worth, I just returned a Saatva mattress. On paper the mattress sounded good but the reality fell short. It was supportive (as they said it would be) but this came at the cost of it also being an extremely firm mattress. I found it very uncomfortable even with a topper. It had good edge support (as advertised) but it came at the cost of the edges of the mattress being higher than the middle which created a valley. The company does provide good customer service and they accepted the return with no hassles. But I am still out the cost of shipping ($100+) and time lost waiting for delivery. So based on this experience, I will never order a mattress online again. It’s too important a purchase not to see and try the actual product before buying.

Hi PurplePigeon,

I switched your post into a new topic with a more appropriate subject.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with Saatva and I’m sorry to hear that your mattress didn’t work out for you as well as you hoped for but at least you had a good trial period that let you try the mattress in your bedroom instead of a showroom where the only risk was the time involved in trying it and the cost of shipping when you returned it.

As you probably know from your reading here … there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.

In other words … it can be somewhat risky to purchase a mattress based on other people’s definition of soft or firm.

This could be the result of using a support system under the mattress that is sagging in the middle but if your mattress is higher on the edges than in the middle with nobody on the mattress and you are using a suitable support system then it could certainly be a defect in the mattress because this wouldn’t be the norm (you can see some pictures of the Saatva mattress here and as you can see they have a slight crowning in the middle).

There are many people that make a successful online purchase and there are also many people that make a successful local purchase as well and there are pros and cons to each of them although online choice are still a relatively small part of the industry compared to local purchases (although they are growing rapidly). Some people are very comfortable with an online purchase with a good return/exchange policy (and there are many that don’t have any costs involved with a return at all) but there are certainly many others that prefer to try a mattress in person before a purchase. There are also consumers that do some extensive local testing so they have some general reference points for the type of materials and mattresses they tend to prefer and the firmness levels that seem to work best for them and then end up buying a mattress online instead.

There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for in post #2 here.

Any specific mattress may be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of people, a “good” match for a larger percentage, and an “OK” match for a larger percentage yet but the only way to know for certain whether the mattress you end up choosing will be a “good enough” match for you to keep it (even if it isn’t the “best match” out of all the mattresses that you “could have tried” instead) will be based on careful testing and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.

One of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and firmness levels and compare them to each other in “real time” based on your actual experience rather than just “theory” instead of trying one mattress and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead although many online return policies are better than local stores or manufacturers which certainly lowers the risk of an online purchase.

Online retailers and manufacturers also provide access to some great quality/value mattresses when there aren’t many good quality/value choices available locally which can be the case in some areas of the country,

Now that you are starting over again … if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Phoenix

Thanks for the offer to help, Phoenix. I am in the Boston area (02176) . I prefer a soft feeling mattress with good foundational support. My husband and I are on the lighter side (I’m 120lbs, he’s 165). We are leaning towards a hybrid mattress (memory foam on top, coils on the bottom). Although I’m concerned about the foam layer wearing out sooner than the coils do so am also considering just a basic coil mattress that I could add my own memory foam topper to. That way I could switch out the topper if it goes flat in a few years. And lastly I’d prefer a mattress that isn’t too tall…no more than 15 inches total height. Thanks again for all of your thoughtful advice on this site.

Hi PurplePigeon,

I switched your post and my reply into a new topic with a more descriptive title.

Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Boston area are listed in post #2 here.

[quote] I prefer a soft feeling mattress with good foundational support. My husband and I are on the lighter side (I’m 120lbs, he’s 165). We are leaning towards a hybrid mattress (memory foam on top, coils on the bottom). Although I’m concerned about the foam layer wearing out sooner than the coils do

And lastly I’d prefer a mattress that isn’t too tall…no more than 15 inches total height. Thanks again for all of your thoughtful advice on this site. [/quote]

While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines I linked relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

You can see my comments about choosing a firmer mattress first with the intention of adding a softer topper later in post #2 here.

In most cases I would avoid this approach because of the uncertainty involved with making two purchase choices instead of only one and choosing a topper that would be suitable in terms of thickness, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) for a specific person on a specific mattress can sometimes be almost as difficult as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place. I would generally focus on choosing a mattress that is likely to be a suitable match without a topper (unless you can test the combination in person or you are purchasing both online as a “set” that is designed to work together and they both have a good return/exchange policy) and then use the option to add a topper as a “backup” strategy in case your initial choice is too firm and doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for rather than a “primary” strategy.

If you do decide to try the mattress/topper strategy then if the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.

There is more information about choosing a topper and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

If a mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP then as you mentioned having a separate topper does have the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is very likely because the upper layers of a sleeping system tend to soften or break down before the deeper layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time. A suitable topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it because it will absorb some of the compression forces that can soften or break down the top layers of the mattress underneath it over time.

Phoenix