Buying a Used Mattress: Signs to Check Before You Buy

If you are buying a mattress online through eBay or Craigslist, you need to be careful of what you’re getting, and you need to know how to spot used mattresses.

Many people are trying to peddle used mattresses as new, especially if the mattress is lightly used by a recently incapacitated relative. Because new mattresses are such expensive pieces of furniture, they are simply attempting to make some money back, expecting that most people don’t know how to spot used mattresses.

If you are purchasing a new mattress from one of these vendors, and you don’t understand how to spot used mattresses, then it is likely that you are going to get ripped off. 

How to Spot Used Mattresses Before you Buy

Selling from Home?

If you want to know how to spot used mattresses, look at the shape of the mattress.  New mattresses are fluffy and convex when looked at from the side.  A used mattress will have a concave shape depending on how used it was.

If a mattress is flat on one side, and convex on the other, this may or may not be used.

Check both sides of the mattress when you first get it, because you may be looking at the side that was being supported by the box spring.

In cases where it is impossible to tell whether or not a mattress is used by sight, try running your hands over the surface of the mattress to detect any lumpy areas

The Shape Tells it All

Because most people tend to sleep in the same position, these creases can become more pronounced over time.

The deeper the crevices, and the lumpier the surrounding area, the more it was used.

What’s That Scent?

Some people claim that it is possible to distinguish a used mattress by scent alone, though this is probably not true in the majority of cases.

Certainly, some will have an odor, but if they are old enough to have absorbed the aroma of the person sleeping on them, then it should be fairly obvious by sight.

Learning how to spot used mattresses is not very difficult, you simply need to use your common sense.

While it is a good idea to look for the very best deal, in general, it is better to buy a mattress from a reputable dealer or manufacturer.  Auction sites can offer great deals from time to time, but many people cannot be trusted when it comes to big ticket items like new mattresses.