Peruse through your local business directories to see if there's a nearby factory or mattress manufacturer in your area. Because factories can't ship out items with small defects like visible stitching, mismatched colors or small stains, they often sell these perfectly good mattresses at major discount prices.
Alternatively, if you live close to the North Carolina furniture corridor between High Point and Hickory, you could save up to 70 percent off the sticker price of a mattress by shopping there. The area is home to the country's five largest mattress manufacturers, each operating a major factory outlet store and all offering incredibly cheap mattresses.
Wholesalers and Bulk Stores
The cost of a membership to a wholesale store such as BJ's or Costco will run you between $45 and $60 for 12 months. However, if you can then walk into that store and pick up a brand name mattress and box spring set for a fraction of retail cost and save hundreds of dollars, then that membership is well worth the cost.
Overstock Deals
Finding cheap mattresses just got easier with websites like Overstock.com. This new wholesaler buys up factory surplus items and then sells them direct to the consumer for incredibly cheap prices.
For example, a recent search on the Overstock.com website revealed a brand name, customizable and adjustable air and foam mattress selling for over 70 percent off the retail sticker price.
Mismatched Sets and Returns
In the back corner of most furniture retailers, mattress stores and department stores are the mismatched mattress sets and returned items. These are typically sold at heavily discounted clearance prices.
So, if you can bear the heartache of having a box spring and mattress covered in different fabric or a mattress that's been slept on a total of 4 days by someone else, then huge deals on cheap mattresses could be yours. Take advantage of these prices by asking your salesperson if you can see the clearance items.
Don't Shop on the Weekend
Mattress salespeople usually work off of commission, so if you want to negotiate on cheap mattresses, why would you compete on a busy Saturday with hundreds of other customers? Instead, go mattress shopping on a dreary weekday and haggle down to obtain a great price.
