Recently there was a question asked in a forum I was visiting online and it said that some countries’ mattresses can be found as low as $10.00, and they wanted to know why mattresses cost so much here in the USA and in general this is a question we get asked frequently, so lets take a look.
The bulk of mattresses being sold right now are American Made, but that is changing quickly. A recent US Department of Commerce Industry Report breaks down the details for various categories of the furniture industry including mattresses.
So who’s to blame for expensive mattresses?
What the report didn’t say in simple laymen’s words is this. The higher cost of mattress and boxspring supports the raw materials suppliers of foams, fibers, fabrics, cotton, wood etc. It also supports the nearly 500 American mattress manufacturers that assemble the beds in which most of the process is done by hand making it very labor intensive. Higher mattress costs can also be attributed to retailers. Additionally we can add in the trucking industry who supports all these businesses from the gathering of the raw materials to the delivery and installation in the customers homes.
Each of the fore mentioned industries have their support staff from clerical work to advertising even mechanics and machinists. An lot of people have their hands in the mattress and furniture till including all of the businesses that support the mattress industry. What I think this person missed when they asked the question is how everything trickles down.
Let’s face it higher mattress costs support all the previously mentioned which are American salaries and benefits that go along with those jobs. The countries where a person may or may not be able to find $10.00 mattresses does not support the fair trade or fair wages that the large network of good paying American jobs do.
Lastly some people may argue this point but I believe comparing $10.00 mattresses and the like to American Mattresses is like comparing cars to bicycles. Foreign manufacturers of cheap mattress sets don’t offer the variation of the hundreds of mattress choices that quite frankly the USA consumer demands. American technologies put forth buy companies like Simmons, Sealy, Serta, Tempur Pedic, Leggett & Platt, Latex International and others continue to lead the world in mass produced mattresses which are designed to be comfortable and supportive for the human body.
So what can we do when offered the choice of a cheap import mattress?
The next time we see a mattress set priced for a few hundred dollars or a couple thousand dollars think about what goes into the production of that superior American engineered and manufactured mattress on an industrial scale that supports hundreds of thousands of family’s livelihoods and then think about the alternative and buy American made. Your friends, family, and neighbors will be glad you did.
Well said Doug. The main point here is that the beds are so much different that what you are going to find at $10.00. I have traveled to several countries and Americans would not be happy with what they had to sleep on in those places compared to what we have here. It is probably more about what we are used to. The flammability standards that are in place today also add some cost to U.S. mattresses but they are safer than what they used to be at the same time. At the end of the day, we spend 1/3 of our life in bed and the comfort of that mattress directly impacts quality of sleep. If you sleep better, you live better. Sounds like a good place to put your money to me!
Thanks Mark for the comment you made, you bring up some very good points. I’ll be honest I am not a big fan of the new flammability standards but you are right they too add to the high cost associated with beds. Steel increases, oil prices, TDI to my knowledge is still a bit of an issue. I may be incorrect on the last one. Hopefully someone with more knowledge in that area can help me out?
understood.all great points and true ones.however,your mattress should not cost more than your rent.for all of you who make these great points,can im sure afford to pay 800,900 a 1000 or more dollars for your wonderul nights of sleep.everyone can’t afford apartments or a 8,9 or 1000 dollar or more house payment,and a matress shore should cost it either.i just purchased a 788 dollar mattress box spring not imcluded ,just the mattress.i gave my neighbor my old one,because she couldn’t afford another one.agin the mattress was 788 her rent is 585. p.s delivery cost73 dollars. a little sympothy for the stuggling buyer aswell would be cute.