The Softer Side of Mattress Shopping
Perhaps the most dreaded part of mattress shopping is being swooped down upon within seconds of entering the store, followed by a sales staffer’s efforts to nudge you toward the most expensive models in the store. But what if you entered a mattress store, looked around at the array of mattresses, and were approached by … nobody?
That’s the business model of Hassless—spelled HASSLEss—whose four stores in the Milwaukee area are completely devoid of personnel. The retailer claims it can sell mattresses for less than its competitors without paying for salespeople, and its return/exchange policies are spelled out on the website. Models on the floor, all from Sealy and Simmons, are labeled with specifications, and you can try out the beds without listening to a sales pitch. Have a question? You can call, text, or e-mail the company, which promises to get back to you quickly between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. CST.
Consumer Reports can appreciate the retailer’s refreshing style, for many of our readers complain of feeling duped after buying a mattress. But we advise you to check our mattress Ratings first to learn how well the mattresses we’ve tested support your back and side, how well they endure our simulated eight years of use, and how they fare in other tests, such as our assessment of how well an innerspring mutes vibration, important for couples.
Video Buying Guide
Our mattress buying guide, including the updated video, talks more about our testing and the challenges of buying a product you’ll enjoy for years—at a price you can afford. Which brings us to the first of two concerns about the Hassless business model. Our standard advice is to haggle down the price of any mattress you buy, so long as it’s a business that expects to negotiate prices. (At warehouse clubs such as Costco, online sellers, and some others, the prices are fixed.) If there are no salespeople, you’ll have to call, text, or e-mail your proposal for what you’d like to pay, a prospect that can take the wind out of a good, honest haggle.
Second, some shoppers might prefer to have someone there who can answer questions. Anyone who isn’t equipped with a cellphone or is hearing-impaired might feel dismayed that there’s nobody physically present. We recommend that those shoppers bring a friend—or consider shopping elsewhere.
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