Presidents' Day is the first major shopping holiday of the year in the US — but why are there so many mattress deals, and are they even any good? I'm here to share my thoughts as a deal hunter and product reviewer who's spent the last five years tracking prices from major sleep brands and testing the world's best mattresses.
The abundance of Presidents' Day mattress deals is due to timing. Since manufacturers typically launch new products in spring, the mid-February holiday is an opportunity to clear older inventory. While the holiday features some of the year's lowest prices on mattresses, there are a few reasons why you may want to wait until later in the year to buy.
Keep reading to find out if you should buy a mattress in today's Presidents' Day sales. When you're ready to browse, head over to our Presidents' Day mattress sales hub for a roundup of the very best offers.
Reasons you should buy a mattress in the Presidents' Day sales
1. You need a new mattress now (or very soon)
If your mattress has seen better days, Presidents' Day is a great time to replace it. Although most brands run evergreen mattress sales, Presidents' Day is the first major shopping holiday of the year. Sleep brands will offer steeper markdowns than usual to motivate shoppers to buy post-new year's lull. Even luxury brands such as Tempur-Pedic and Stearns & Foster, which rarely offer regular discounts, offer Presidents’ Day sales.
If your current mattress is unlikely to last another three months or is just a poor fit for changing sleep needs, don’t hit snooze on the Presidents' Day sales. You'll otherwise need to wait until Memorial Day in late May for the next big savings event.
2. You don’t mind buying an older mattress on clearance
Presidents' Day is a prime time for deals on past-season mattresses as manufacturers aim to clear inventory in favor of new releases in the spring. Tempur-Pedic and Casper are a couple of brands that offer clearance deals on closeout models during major holidays, with discounts of up to 50% off.
However, purchasing a clearance mattress comes with some trade-offs. They're usually final sale, which means they can’t be returned — thus, you won’t get the trial period offered with current models. Plus, they may have shorter warranty periods or not include a warranty at all.
3. You missed out on the Black Friday deals
Black Friday was traditionally known as the best of the six major annual sales events for mattress deals, but as we observed last year, this is no longer the case. Some of the most competitive deals appeared during the first half of last year, with discounts that matched or beat Black Friday prices.
So there's no need to wait until November to upgrade your mattress. This year’s Presidents' Day sales should feature a return to Black Friday deals.
4. You want to buy a Saatva Classic
We've named the Saatva Classic the best hybrid mattress of the year. There's currently $400 off all sizes of the Saatva Classic at Saatva, which is the same discount we saw during Black Friday and is the biggest deal you'll ever get on this mattress. That takes a queen-size Saatva Classic could down to $1,699 (was $2,099.)
Our senior sleep editor recently re-tested this luxury innerspring hybrid, which earned a perfect score in our Saatva Classic Mattress review.
Reasons you shouldn't buy a mattress in the Presidents' Day sales
1. Your mattress is (almost) perfect
A mattress is a big ticket purchase, even on sale. If there’s nothing wrong with your mattress, there’s no need to rush to buy a new one. But if your bed could use a boost in comfort or support, a mattress topper is a quick fix that'll cost you a lot less. Deals on toppers during the Presidents’ Day sales will help you save even more.
2. You need a new mattress but don't have the budget
While Presidents' Day is flush with excellent mattress deals, it's not your only chance to save. If your current mattress is visibly worn but still usable, wait for future sales events such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. The extra time will allow you to save for the mattress you want rather than settling for a less ideal choice.
If your current mattress is unusable but you can't afford the bed you want, consider purchasing a budget mattress as a temporary option. However, you’ll need a way to repurpose or dispose of your temporary mattress unless your future purchase includes White Glove Delivery.
3. You want the best deal on the Helix Midnight Luxe
We rate the Helix Midnight Luxe as the best mattress for side sleepers. It's regularly 20% to 25% off, but Helix shocked us last year by offering a best-ever 30% discount during its Memorial Day and Fourth of July sales. That dropped a queen-size Helix Midnight Luxe to $1,661.66, the lowest price we've ever tracked.
This Presidents' Day, there's 27% off the Helix Midnight Luxe at Helix with the code TOMS27. That brings a queen down to $1,732.54 (was $2,3723.33.) That's a decent Helix mattress sale, especially considering you'll get an entire free bedding bundle thrown in worth up to $418.
If you want to buy the Luxe at its lowest ever price, we might see a return of the 30% off sale later this year for Memorial Day — but don't expect any freebies thrown in. Read our Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress review to find out why we think so highly of it.
