Company Policies: What They Are & How We Evaluate Them

When purchasing mattresses, pillows, and blankets, understanding the product's company policies is essential. We prioritize highlighting these policies in all our product reviews, ensuring accuracy through our detailed research methodology.

In this article, we'll explain common company policy terms you'll encounter in our product reviews: warranties, trial periods, returns, shipping, delivery, financing options, and finally our rating system.

Why Company Policies Matter

Understanding the company policies of a product you're considering can significantly enhance your customer satisfaction and may even influence your decision to purchase a sleep product.

The importance of company policies can be summed up in the following points:

• Protection and Peace of Mind: Good company policies safeguard your investment and provide reassurance that defects will be addressed professionally and your concerns will be handled effectively.
• Flexibility and Convenience: Easy returns, exchanges, and the chance to try new sleep products at home can boost your shopping experience.
• Financial Considerations: A brand with good policies will provide you with many flexible payment options that suit your budget without breaking the bank.
• Long-Term Satisfaction: A brand that prioritizes customer benefits through flexible and advantageous policies often indicates confidence in the quality and satisfaction their products will provide.

Warranties

When evaluating sleep products, we pay close attention to warranties. They act as key protections for consumers, giving them a sense of security for significant investments in sleep products.

It is not as simple as considering the warranty duration to base our decision on whether the brand has a good warranty or not; it is a very broad concept and diverse; however, we will discuss some of the most common aspects we consider.

How Long Warranties Last

There's no standardized set of warranty periods or durations among all brands. While some durations are more common for sleep products, it's important to note that warranty length doesn't always correlate with a mattress's actual lifespan.

Mattresses have the longest warranties, often lasting from 10 to 25 years. Some top-notch brands might even give lifetime warranties for their mattresses, which customers see as the best warranty but is rare.

For pillows and blankets, warranties are generally shorter, depending on the brand. They can range from a few months, typically a month, to a few days. Some high-quality products may offer warranties of 1–5 years.

Types of Warranties

Just knowing how long a warranty lasts isn't enough; you need to understand what kind of warranty you're getting. Many types exist, but these are the most common for sleep products:

• Limited Warranty: This is the most common type for sleep products. It covers specific defects or issues for a set period. For example, a limited warranty might cover manufacturing defects but not normal wear and tear or comfort preferences.
• Full Warranty: Also known as a comprehensive warranty, this offers the most extensive coverage for sleep products. It usually includes repair or replacement for any defect or malfunction, regardless of the cause, within the warranty period. Full warranties are less common but highly valuable for high-end mattresses or luxury bedding sets.
• Prorated Warranty: This type is often seen with long-term warranties on mattresses. The coverage decreases over time based on the product's age. For instance, you might get full replacement value in the first few years, but after that, you'd pay an increasing percentage of the replacement cost as time goes on.

What's Covered

Usually, warranties don’t cover all types of defects and damages, especially if they are limited warranties, as explained above. A typical mattress warranty covers defects in materials or manufacturing, such as sagging or indentations exceeding a specific depth, usually 1.5 inches, provided they are not caused by misuse.

Other covered issues include weak or broken coils, faulty seams and stitching, defects in the cover, materials that fail to fully expand, and various other defects depending on the company.

Common Exclusions

As you learn about your warranty's coverage, it's just as important to know its exclusions. Here are some common exclusions to look out for:

• Normal Wear and Tear: Materials break down over time. This includes your mattress sagging or getting softer. Warranties don't cover these changes.
• Stains and Spills: Accidents happen, but most warranties won't protect against liquid damage or discoloration from spills on your bedding. Instead, to protect your investment and maintain your warranty, consider using a mattress topper.
• Misuse or Improper Setup: Using your sleep products incorrectly, like placing a mattress on an incompatible foundation, often voids the warranty. Thus, be sure to follow the company’s setup steps, or easier, follow the steps in our unboxing section in our product reviews.
• Allergies or Discomfort: If you just don't find your mattress comfy or have allergic reactions to materials, these personal issues are typically not covered. However, you may be able to return or exchange the product. More details on returns and exchanges are provided in the next section.

Trial Periods and Returns

Many sleep brands offer trial periods, which allow customers to test out products for a few nights in their own homes. This policy allows customers to return the product at no cost, even for personal reasons, if it doesn't meet their needs.

Standard Trial Period Lengths

Mattresses often have the longest trial periods, similar to warranties. Many sleep brands offer trial periods that run from 90 to 120 nights, with some lasting up to 365 days. This long time frame gives customers a chance to experience different seasons and sleep patterns. It ensures they have enough time to assess comfort and support.

Pillows and blankets often have shorter trial periods than mattresses. You don't need to consider as many factors when testing them out. These items come with trial periods lasting from 30 nights to a couple of months. Some brands might not offer a trial period at all.

Break-In Period

Break-in periods are typically associated with mattresses and less commonly with pillows, while blankets usually don't require them. The break-in period is simply the time needed for your body to adjust to a new mattress and no longer perceive it as unusual or weird compared to your old one.

Many companies require a minimum break-in period before accepting returns, often between 21 and 30 days. This allows the mattress to reach optimal performance and gives your body time to adjust to the new sleep surface.

Exchanges vs. Refunds

If a customer finds the product unsuitable after the break-in period, they can usually request an exchange or return. Some companies offer exchanges for different models, while others provide full refunds. It's crucial to review the specific terms of each company's policy.

Return Shipping Costs

Return policies vary among companies. Some offer free returns and pickups, while others may charge restocking or shipping fees. We advise carefully reviewing these details before purchasing to avoid unexpected costs.

Shipping and Delivery

We recognize how much shipping and delivery policies matter when you're buying sleep products. A top-notch mattress should come with great shipping perks; that's what makes a policy stand out. We evaluate shipping policies based on the following criteria:

Delivery Timeframes

How long it takes to get your mattress can change a lot based on where you live and how it's shipped. We've seen that regular delivery in the United States takes 1-2 or 3-7 workdays. If you're ordering internationally, you might need to wait 2-3 weeks.

Shipping Policies to Know

We examine shipping policies for various locations, including Alaska, Hawaii, and international destinations. For instance, some companies offer free shipping to the contiguous United States but charge additional fees for Alaska and Hawaii. International shipping may incur higher costs.

Free Shipping Offers

Many companies provide free shipping on orders above a certain threshold, while some others provide free shipping regardless as a benefit or a motive to push customers to buy their products.

White Glove Delivery Options

Some companies offer white glove delivery services, which is simply a fancier way of delivery. While this service often comes at an additional cost, some luxury brands include it free of charge. These are the most common white glove delivery options for mattresses:

• In-Home Setup: The company’s delivery team will carefully bring your new mattress into your home and set it up in your desired room. They will also ensure it's perfectly placed and ready for your first night of sleep.
• Old Product Removal: If you pick this service, the team will not only deliver and install your new mattress but also take away your old one. The company might dispose of your mattress or recycle your mattress, which saves you time and helps the environment.
• Packaging Removal: This option means the team will unpack your new product, set it up, and then take all packaging materials out of your home.

Financing Options

We understand that purchasing sleep products can be a significant investment. To help customers afford these items, many companies provide flexible payment plans. These plans let customers spread out the cost, making it easier to get high-quality sleep products.

Buy Now, Pay Later

Many sleep product companies partner with services like Affirm, Klarna, or Splitit to offer "Buy Now, Pay Later" options. These services typically provide:

• Interest rates ranging from 0-36% APR, based on credit
• Payment plans spanning 3 to 24 months
• No hard credit checks for initial approval
• Easy application processes at checkout

Discounts

To further incentivize purchases, companies often offer discounts on their products. We always recommend checking their websites for current promotions, as these price cuts can make what you're buying a much better deal.

How We Rate Company Policies

As discussed in previous sections, company policies cover warranty, trial periods, returns, exchanges, shipping, delivery options, and financing options. We give more weight to some aspects based on how much they matter to the overall customer experience.

Considering these factors, we give each product a score from 0 to 5. This gives you a quick snapshot of the company's policies and makes it easy to compare products in our reviews.

It's essential to note that even a company with excellent policies can see its score reduced if customer support is difficult to reach. Since customer support handles all inquiries related to company policies, accessibility is a critical factor in determining the overall customer experience.

Below is a table explaining our rating scores.

Conclusion

While the product itself is important, knowing a company's policies can make your experience as a customer much better. If you take some time to look into a company's policies before making a purchase, you can avoid potential issues, ensure your satisfaction, and make a more informed decision.