It can be crazy out there when shopping for a new mattress, in particular when shopping for a new one here in the San Francisco Bay Area, around Berkeley, Palo Alto and San Jose Areas. Why is it so hard? Because there are so many mattress companies and retailers concentrated in these areas, and they are all advertising they have the best products and the best prices as they fight for your business. It can be confusing trying to decipher all the marketing messages they are putting out. Some are willing to do and say anything to get you in the door. 

How do you proceed? 

1. First, take the used car tactics out of the equation. Any store that is touting huge sales and balloons is trying to get you excited and distracted from what you need to focus on; the best bed for you. You never see balloons and sales at the pharmacy, and there are many of those. Your focus should be on the best product for your situation AND the best price you can get. Any reputable retailer will do that any time, not just on a dead president's birthday.
2. There is no "Top of the Line" mattress. This is a ridiculous sales gimmick as there is no such thing. The best mattress is the one that is best for your situation. There is no best mattress that is the best for everyone. This is nothing more than a tactic to get you to spend more money.
3. Don't get overwhelmed with the selections, there are only a few mattresses to choose from. That is right, you read that correctly. There is a firm, medium and soft mattress. There are many companies making them from different materials, but narrow the search to the feel you like and stay focused on those.
4. Do your research. Any mattress company with good quality construction and reasonable prices will have no issues posting how they make their beds, the ingredients and their prices on the internet, making it easy to compare brands. Also, check out websites such as Sleep Like The Dead and The Mattress Underground, that give valuable insight into mattress types and construction. Also, Yelp will give you an idea of what other consumers have experienced with the company and their products.

Smaller retailers like Nest Bedding usually have smaller overhead and less expenses, resulting in more affordable mattresses and bedding.