If you’re in the market for a mattress, we’ve got some great news for you. Mattress shopping is typically a stressful experience, requiring big commitments in time and money for something you won’t even know you’ll enjoy until you’ve had a chance to actually sleep on it. But now, you no longer need to spend hours in crowded department stores with a pushy salesman trying to sell you a $5000 mattress after spending around two minutes testing it out. Internet startup companies such as Tuft & Needle, Eight Sleep, Leesa and Purple are revolutionizing the way we shop for mattresses. In the near future buying a mattress from a retail brick and mortar store may be as hard to imagine as renting your movies at the local Blockbuster.

Thanks to innovative online mattress stores you can now try a new bed in the comfort of your own home, see if it gives you a great night’s sleep, and easily return it, if it isn’t right for you. The bed-in-a-box mattresses that these companies are offering are typically much easier on the bank account, as well. The industry has gone from zero to a 1.5 billion dollar industry in just a few years. Popular companies like Casper, which launched in 2014 and has raised $240 million dollars from investors including Target and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, reportedly doubled its sales in 2016 to $200 million.

With prices significantly lower than retail stores, free shipping offers, and money back guarantees, buying a mattress online can seem too good to be true. As with any online purchase from a business you aren’t familiar with, doing a little homework can go a long way. Reading the reviews left by Sitejabber users for each business is a great place to start. In addition to using existing customer reviews, feel free to check out our list of the top 5 things you need to do to ensure your online mattress purchase doesn’t become a nightmare:

1. Be wary when companies try to compare their beds to well known brands like Tempur-Sealy or Serta. “The full size mattress that I purchased… is not what they advertise. It’s supposed to be comparable to a Tempur-pedic. It doesn’t even come close. Very soft and mushy.” – Jack K
2. Read the fine print when it comes to returning an unwanted mattress as shipping it back could be a nightmare. Make sure you understand the process and cost associated with making a return, if necessary. “The company told me to SIMPLY send it back for a refund… A huge 12-inch thick queen mattress. As if it’s a bracelet. When they ship to you, they vacuum pack it (like the space bag) and it’s only 2 inches thick and rolled up. Once out of the box it inflates to normal size. You could NEVER get it back into that box. “ – David A
3. Discuss the delivery process with the mattress company. Some Sitejabber members have left feedback highlighting bad experiences getting the mattress into their home like: “Delivery was a joke. Firstly, they never asked me where the bed was going…. Secondly, two elderly men delivered the adjustable bed frame and mattress… they couldn’t get it up the stairs without the help of my husband and me”.
   Other delivery problems include the mattress not arriving at all: “While the chat function was easy, the sale completed and the delivery set up, the delivery never showed, even after emailing us a window. “ – Bob S
4. Be sure you are buying from a reputable company. One Sitejabber member tells a story of finding bedbugs in her NEW mattress: “We had the mattress in the back bedroom until April 2017. As soon as we set the mattress up we immediately started to get bitten by something. We didn’t know what it was until today when my fiance saw what it was and it is bedbugs. I have NEVER in life had bedbugs until I purchased this mattress. They won’t exchange it.” – Tanya B
5. Make sure the company ships you the mattress you actually paid for. Mattresses can all look really similar, so be sure to do your research so you can tell what your mattress is supposed to look and feel like. “The delivery was very good, next day as promised. They delivered the wrong mattress, a CHEAPER ONE (I was not aware of this until a later investigation).“ – Peter C

While we have highlighted negative experiences to help you spot and avoid them, many Sitejabber members have reported having great success purchasing from the following brands:

Saatva: “I purchased a twin mattress from Saatva last May and was happy with the customer support this site provided. More to that, I am very much happy with the mattress. I got more than my money’s worth.” – Damon C 

Tuft & Needle: “Trying to decide on a mattress within minutes of laying on it is ridiculous… That is not true with Tuft & Needle, as they offer a 100-night trial period. All it took was one, and I knew this was the bed for me!” – Kevin C

Leesa: “Mattresses can be super expensive, and it can be hard to buy them from an online store as well… After my first night’s sleep on the new bed, I was blown away by how great of a quality it was for so little. Thank you Leesa!” – Nancy D 

WinkBeds: “After 35 nights I realized that the mattress was too firm for my 178 pound body so I swapped it for the softer model (they make this very easy to do) after several nights on the softer one my wife and I both agree this is a fantastic mattress, extremely comfortable, with the perfect support and comfort. I have 60 days to decide to keep this one or send it back, but I already know it’s not going back.” – Don S 

Casper: “The entire process to order was like a dream… I came across Casper and found it interesting so I ordered mine. Once I tried it out and laid on it for a week, I started to sleep better than before with less soreness!” – Helen O

The mattress industry is reinventing itself thanks to some dynamic thinkers. By reducing outrageous wholesale and retail markups and eliminating the middlemen and commissions involved in traditional mattress sales you are now able to purchase mattresses online at a fraction of the cost. Again, just be sure that you do your research to find a company and product that not only offers what you’re looking for at a price you’re comfortable with, but also offers a hassle free return policy and clear delivery expectations.