Earlier, mattress shopping was a challenging experience. Remember how we drove down to the mattress store and squirmed from one mattress to another, checking whether the mattress is too firm or cloud-like while the salesperson hovered around us?

Thanks to the online stores and websites that now allow us to buy king or queen-size GOLS-certified mattresses carefully stuffed in a box. However, since the mattress industry has exploded drastically over the past few years, making it convenient to get mattresses delivered to your home, it has also led to various mattress scams.

What are Mattress Scams?

Several consumers still don’t know what they are looking for when buying a mattress. They usually buy what is sold to them. And that’s where it all begins.

Mattress scams come in many forms. Sometimes people clean the old mattresses and present them as new ones, which is extremely unhygienic and uncomfortable. Other times, one can use false material to prepare the mattress.

How to Spot a Fake Mattress?

The price tag of a mattress might come as a shock to many people. After all, you need to spend at least $700 $1000 to ensure that the mattress is worth your investment.

Take, for example, if you are in the market to buy a good quality latex mattress and you have hundreds of sellers offering the same product at more or less the same price, how do you know for sure which one’s real and which is fake?

We’d suggest that you check for certifications, especially GOLS or Global Organic Latex Standard certification. When you find a GOLS-certified mattress it means that the latex mattress has achieved all the mandatory requirements specified by the certification body such as proper conservation of natural resources, maintaining safety protocols for the factory workers, and specified hours for the workforce.

Identifying a fake latex mattress isn't an easy task because most scammers try to do everything possible for a fake mattress to look original. But quality and value can only be found in GOLS-certified mattress manufacturers.

5 Tips to Make Sure You Avoid Common Industry Scams

Were you aware that 50 years ago, Americans slept for about 7.9 hours? Today the average hour of sleep each night is only 6.8 hours, and mattress quality is one of the primary reasons for the decline.

To be able to enjoy deep slumber and uninterrupted sleep, you must ensure you know the type of mattress that best suits you. Of course, when it comes to mattresses, there’s no one-size-fits-all. This means you should know what to particularly look for while purchasing a mattress.

1. Take a Note on the Tag

As a buyer, the first thing you should do is check the brand tag of the mattress. Notice that the tag will be sewn into the seams, mentioning not to remove it. The product tag also carries brand information, including the date of manufacturing, warranty information, materials used, and more. Though scammers can create these tags, however, sometimes the scammers wouldn’t think thoroughly and might do a bad job.

2. GOLS-Certified Mattress

When in the market to purchase a latex mattress, look for GOLS certification. The GOLS certification is designed to control the natural latex farming and latex product chemical content. It means that the manufacturer has used organic methods while raising rubber trees. The Control Union manages the certification, which is an independent quality assurance organization. GOLS certification refrains from using substances like GMOs, PVC, nickel, formaldehyde, functional nanoparticles, and carcinogenic dyes.

3. Weight of the Mattress

Spotting a fake mattress will become easier when you examine the mattress's weight. Remember that it should vary somewhere between 20 to 60 kilograms, depending on the material, and the size of the mattress. This means that the size, thickness, and mattress type are significant factors in determining the originality of a mattress. So, if you feel that the mattress weighs too less, then the material may be inappropriate, signaling that it is fake.

4. Thickness of the Mattress

Another great way to find out the originality of the mattress is to measure its thickness. Mattresses from renowned manufacturers are highly durable and standard. Such a mattress is at least 8 inches thick, having a 3-inch comfort layer and at least 6-inch base thickness. Remembering these numbers will help you easily spot fake mattresses.

5. Mattress’s Warranty

Most people miss out on checking the warranty of the product. It is necessary to be aware of the warranty of the mattress. To attract customers, scammers generally give a super lengthy warranty. Therefore, it’s important to read between the lines.

In Conclusion

You need to avoid scams when you are looking for comfortable and durable mattresses, something that will help maintain good health. As a buyer, the least you can do is read the product page thoroughly and the reviews online. Don’t go blind, look for GOLS-certified mattresses or other certifications before purchasing.