Every Intention of Buying a Bed

I went out today with definite intentions on buying a bed. But the malarkey the idiots in the mattress industry have foisted upon us unsuspecting public people was just too much. I ended up almost buying a bed, but they didn't have it in stock. So instead I just walked out.

Good thing too, because I probably wouldn't have gotten a bed I liked. But it was an experience in feeling like an idiot. And it got me wondering about what the hell these guys are up to.

Google coughed up a very decent article on Slate about The Mattress Trade. Everything in there rings true to me.

I actually had the following conversation with the mattress sales-person (an aging man named Walter).

Walter: I can let you have either of these models for $599. Just pick out the one that you think is more comfortable.
Me: So these beds are the same price and quality
Walter: Yes. It's just a matter of chosing the one you prefer.
Me: Okay. So then why is this one labeled "Silver" and this one labeled "Bronze"?
Walter: Well, that's just a rating system they have. They say some mattresses are bronze, some are silver, it goes all the way up to "Solid Gold".
Me: So the one labeled "Silver" is better than the one labeled "Bronze"?
Walter: It's a scale. A measurement of quality. Bronze is good. And silver is good. It's a scale they have.
Me: Um. Okay. So the Silver is higher-quality?
Walter: Not neccesarily. They're very similar in quality, these two beds. They have the same warranty. It's just a scale, and you should really just see which one you like better.
Me: Right.
Me: So what makes this one "Silver"?
Walter: They decided it was worth a silver rating.
Me: You're very good at this.

You can read the official non-information information about the Sleepy's mattress rating system here. Here's a good quote "Platinum Plus mattresses make every night a night to remember and look forward to, for the gift of tranquil, deep and deeper drifting sleep."

But I mean, as the Slate article points out, there's really no need to go the traditional box-spring & mattress route. If you find a mattress with the appropriate firmness for you, then you shouldn't need a box-spring.

How will this melodrama play out? I don't know. I have to go to Ikea and see if they can hook me up with a sweet, stylish and comfortable bed. I have a lot of hope that something like this mattress and this bed-frame will be just the ticket for me.