Advice On Buying A Bed

Cloth_of_Gold

I need to replace a double bed with a single bed but it's many years since I bought a bed. I looked on the Dreams website as a starting point and they have so many to choose from I don't know where to start. Can anyone give me advice please on what sort of things I should take into account when buying (a) a bed base and (b) a mattress or should I get a divan, as they come with a mattress?

HampshireH

Go into store. Buying a new bed is too important to rely on a website without seeing anything first

Go look at beds. Bounce on the mattresses. Until you know what you want.

Totally recommend an ottoman if you want storage.

Can also recommend Tempur mattress but again you need to know what you want. Our Tempur mattress has been a game changer in managing/reducing back pain and it holds it's shape. We tested it in store but the customer service was so bad that we ended up buying from a shop seller on eBay at a slightly reduced price and it was delivered to the house by them directly.

Your budget will be important as good beds and mattresses are not cheap and are an investment

Emmia

I think buying a mattress online is going to be a mistake, you spend 1/3 of your life in bed so it's essential to go and lie on as many mattresses as possible to find one you'll liove

Personally I prefer a bed frame and mattress rather than a divan from an aesthetic perspective. I'd also get a protector so you can keep the mattress clean as the protector can be washed.

BikingBud

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82041409#Comment_82041409

But all of the bed suppliers provide buying guides; filter those and make your decision.

HampshireH

(Removed by Forum Team)

Whilst they may. If you research Simba or Emma for exampl you will be hit by hundreds of paid reviews or celebrity endorsement. Sometimes hard to find what's real. Nothing beats real feedback but more so actually visiting a shop

daveyjp

Find your local independent furniture store and go and try the beds out. Price is no indication of comfort, but don't go too cheap on a mattress.

It is also important the correct mattress is matched to the base. Ottoman beds are great if you want storage, but they need a different mattress to a sprung base or divan bed.

vic_sf49

Whereas I prefer a divan, as the drawers are useful, instead of an airing cupboard, for separating out bedding and towels. Although the ottoman beds look ace for longer term storage.

My divans are quite old though, so can't speak to the quality of newer ones.

I echo what others say, and you really need to go and try out mattresses. Especially if you have the slightest niggly back, and find that memory foam / Tempura / Emma mattresses, are not supportive enough, and cripple you.

You can always order online, after you've narrowed down what you want.

TELLIT01

As others have said, go to a bed store. You really do need to try the mattress and base combination betore buying.

born_again

Ottoman are good, you just need to remember that one end is not easy to get to if you are not too flexible. 

Echo you need to be able to try different mattresses

EssexExile

I too found the choice in Dreams bewildering, and the staff not very helpful. So I went next door to Bensons and got great service. The trouble with small independents is that they don't have that much in the showroom to try out.

Cloth_of_Gold

Thanks for the replies. One of the problems I have is a lack of time. I'm a full-time unpaid carer for my partner who has multiple health and disability issues and so although I appreciate that it would be a good idea to visit shops to try out beds and mattresses, I simply don't have the time; internet research is time-consuming enough. Also, for reasons I won't bore you with, I have a pressing need to have the bed delivered. The other thing is that I need a company that will take the bed up to the room it is for and also take away the old bed and mattress and not all companies will do that.

I think that because resolving this is a pressing matter for me it would be better to get a divan and hope for the best on the mattress or a bed frame and mattress from the same company. If I can't live with the mattress (as a carer for someone who sometimes needs assistance during the night I sleep badly now anyway) I can change the mattress later.

I quite like this but this company won't take away the old bed and mattress so it's no good. The look of the bed is the least important issue though as I don't have the time to be fussy over aesthetics.

https://bedfactorydirect.co.uk/products/birlea-phoenix-ottoman-bed-oak