I’m a sleep writer — my 3 pro tips for buying your first mattress in Cyber Monday sales

A woman with black hair sit on the Nectar Luxe memory foam mattress on a white bed frame

(Image credit: Future)

Shopping for a mattress for your first time is tough. With different materials, structures, and feels, it's tricky to know what will work for you. Throw in a major sales event like Cyber Monday and it's enough to stress out even the most seasoned shopper.

As a sleep writer, I've come to know a thing or two about choosing the best mattress for your sleep needs and style. And while the Cyber Monday sales have discounted some of our favorite mattresses, it's also good important to know how to spot really good value vs good marketing.

So, I've shared my top tips for buying a new mattress, as well as rounding up the top 3 Cyber Monday mattress deals I've found. It's the perfect time to invest in your next bed, but make sure it's the right one for you. Let's take a look at how you can do that...

1. Consider your sleep position

The way in which you sleep has a big effect on how firm your mattress should be. Side sleepers need more cushioning to prevent pressure building up around their hips and shoulders and should generally choose a soft or medium firmness bed.

Back sleepers also need some cushioning, but also require support to keep their spine aligned, so will be best off with a medium firm mattress. And stomach sleepers need a firm (or medium firm) mattress to keep their hips raised.

Body weight also plays a part - lightweight sleepers may need a slightly softer mattress to allow them to get enough contouring, while heavier sleepers will need a firmer bed to prevent them sinking through the top layers and losing support.

2. Check it has a trial period

A woman sleeping in a big king size mattress — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Some of the biggest discounts often appear on third-party websites but buying from these can be a false economy as you might not get offered a sleep trial or a warranty.

A decent sleep trial gives you the opportunity to try out a mattress in your own home and see if it's right for you. If not, you'll be able to return or exchange it within this period. Sleep trials vary but are usually between 90 nights up to a whole year's trial.

In addition, it's important to buy a mattress with a decent warranty. With the average lifespan of a mattress being around 10 years (it can be more or less depending on the type of mattress you buy), you want a warranty that will cover you for this period in case something goes wrong.

3. Don't buy on discount alone

It can be very tempting to just buy a mattress because a brand is offering a fantastic discount. Of course, we all want a bargain when we're shopping on Cyber Monday, but the mattress still needs to be comfortable, supportive and right for your sleeping style / body weight.

You also want to be sure that you're actually getting the best deal on a mattress. Reading through our guide to the best Cyber Monday mattress deals will help you to pick a mattress that is actually offering a good deal, and we've got plenty with extra discounts or free gifts.

1. Saatva Classic: from $1,395 $995 at Saatva
It's not cheap, but the Saatva Classic is, in my mind, the best hybrid mattress you can buy. In our Saatva Classic mattress review our testers gave the bed 5/5, with the three firmness options meaning there's a mattress to suit all sleeping styles. Enhanced lumbar support also means it's a great choice for those with aches and pains. The $400 off $1,000 Saatva Cyber Monday sale discount is the same one I've seen at all major sales events this year, but I think a queen reduced to $1,695 (MSRP $2,095) is great value for a luxury mattress.

2. Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress: from $1,373.33 $1,002.54 + $330 free gifts at Helix with code TOMS27
Our favourite mattress for side sleepers, our testers in our Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review praised it for its enhanced zoned lumbar support, which kept the spine perfectly aligned for both side and back sleepers. The cushioned pillow top gives side sleepers the sinkage they need, easing pressure points and prevent any 'dead hip'. Our exclusive discount means you'll be able to pick up a queen size mattress for $1,732 (MSRP $2,373.33), along with a free bedding bundle. This is the best discount I've seen on the Helix this year, so it's a great time to invest.

3. Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress: from $1,063 $349 at Nectar
The new Nectar mattress is a fantastic choice for smaller budgets. Testers for our Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress review found the medium firm mattress supportive for all sleeping styles, with plenty of pressure relief and cushioning comfort. It also dissipates heat well, which is unusual for an all-foam mattress. The Nectar is discounted all year round, so the price of $649 (MSRP $1,563P for a queen is nothing new, but I think this is fantastic value for the best memory foam mattress you can buy.

Jo Plumridge is an experienced mattress reviewer with several years' experience covering all things mattresses and sleep, and who tests memory foam, hybrid and organic mattresses. What Jo doesn't know about a boxed mattress isn't worth knowing, so naturally we tasked her with producing a series of features for Tom's Guide looking at all aspects of mattresses, from how to pick between latex and memory foam (it's a tricky one), to the seven mistakes people make when buying a mattress for the first time. When testing the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for Tom's Guide, Jo said: "I loved the back support and pressure relief it offered. Plus, it looks far more expensive than it is." When she isn’t writing about sleep, Jo also writes extensively on interior design, home products and photography.