Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies • Hacker News Board

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#201

Post by jccalhoun » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:18 PM UTC

dalbasal wrote: post #185

skibble wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slightly off-topic, but if you genuinely think that there's no such thing as high-end wine, I feel a little sorry for you. Surely you can tell the difference between the Budweiser/Calsberg-type beer and beer from an independent brewery? If so, then surely you can imagine the same might be true of wine? I get that the fact that some bottles cost thousands may offend some people's sensibilities, but this hardly covers…

I feel a similar way about micro-brews. It's good because people think it's good. They think it is good because of cultural/narrative reasons. It's not good for any underlying or objective reason. If Budweiser made a beer that tasted like micro-brew, the connoisseurs would be drinking a micro-brew that tastes like budweiser. Don't feel bad for me though :) Being a philistine is not life-threatening. Wine is a good ex…

>It's good because people think it's good. They think it is good because of cultural/narrative reasons. It's not good for any underlying or objective reason.

I just want to point out that this is true of basically all food, drink, and art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinction_(book)

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#202

Post by SlapHappy » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:24 PM UTC

wheels wrote: post #52

As an American that moved to Europe before I was old enough to ever buy an expensive mattress, what Americans spend on mattresses is always incredibly baffling. New, king sized (1.8 x 2.0 m), mattresses go for €200-1500 (about $250-1800) in Germany, with prices gravitating towards the lower end of the spectrum. Americans use much springier mattresses (box springs are unheard of here, and foam mattresses are standard)…

I agree with you. I went mattress shopping a couple years ago and was taken aback by the prices. The whole thing felt like a scam, as people have been sleeping perfectly well for hundreds of years without all this extraneous marketing crap.

I ended up buying a $200 queen size mattress on Amazon. My fiance and I have been sleeping on it for ~2 years - never once had an issue, easily the best mattress I've ever owned. I can post the brand if someone wants to know, but I'll refrain for now as I'm not interesting in shilling for some company.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#203

Post by jccalhoun » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:25 PM UTC

dboreham wrote: post #55

wheels wrote: post #52

As an American that moved to Europe before I was old enough to ever buy an expensive mattress, what Americans spend on mattresses is always incredibly baffling. New, king sized (1.8 x 2.0 m), mattresses go for €200-1500 (about $250-1800) in Germany, with prices gravitating towards the lower end of the spectrum. Americans use much springier mattresses (box springs are unheard of here, and foam mattresses are standard)…

If this is interesting look at how often Americans think they have to change the oil in their vehicles. Even if said oil is synthetic.

I change my oil when the car tells me to. (Which for me is only about once a year since I rarely drive more than 100 miles a week)

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#204

Post by inanutshellus » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:26 PM UTC

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #153

Johnny555 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's only during their initial 100 day refund period ("comfort trial", etc) -- if a year later you find that the mattress has developed a human sized permanent depression, then you pay for return shipping yourself as well as the costs of shipping a replacement (or repaired) mattress back to you. From their warranty page: Any to-or-from transportation handling and costs and inspection costs associated with repairs o…

> if a year later you find that the mattress has developed a human sized permanent depression // Minimum warranty period in EU is 2 years. Under the UK Sale of Goods Act products have to be free from defect, there's no official time limit, it's based on expectations in part. A mattress should last much longer, so that would be a defect in manufacturing and the _seller_ has to make good (repair or replace at their cos…

Wouldn't you still be pissed to find your mattress was only comfortable for 2 years? Or even 5?

Anyone here had one of these rolled-up mattresses for 10+ years? The long term durability of these roll-up mattresses is a concern for me.

That and mattresses are notoriously horrible to recycle anything from, so caring about mattress longevity is both selfish and selfless.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#205

Post by inanutshellus » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

sokoloff wrote: post #159

3pt14159 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will turn into what eBay turned into: Cheap, misrepresented crap. Web design used to be a reliable way of judging a stores product quality, but less and less every day.

A fine example of Goodhart’s Law https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law

So happy to have a real term for this! I've always just said "A known metric is a gamed metric". Everything from "if you can't touch your toes you're unhealthy" to "price per square foot maximizing" in real estate... once a group has consolidated on a metric and let that metric be known, that metric is useless.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#206

Post by deelowe » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:41 PM UTC

evjim wrote: post #103

deelowe wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With globalization things are getting really weird in the retail space. For example, snap-on (a super premium tool maker) used to make wrenches for Lowes. They were nearly identical: http://www.snapon-bluepoint.com.sg/ Just a few days ago, AVE did a few videos showing evidence that there may be a single supplier for some new airguns that are on the market. Thing is, these air guns range in price from less than $100 (…

I was just checking out the harbor freight air nailers. The main concern I had was for the triggers, the plastic seemed really thin and poorly connected. I'll have to check out this video

This is just for this specific impact wrench. HF quality can vary a lot, but where as it used to be just crap and worse crap, there are a few very specific instances now where they actually have some gems. This impact wrench appears to be one minus some very slight concerns.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#207

Post by dpark » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:45 PM UTC

krrrh wrote: post #150

rconti wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These recommendations seem wholly legitimate. Funny thing is, though, the only person I know well who owned one (my brother-in-law) liked it but said it was simply too damn hot, which I've since heard others discuss as well. They had to return theirs, just couldn't live with it. I don't think of a normal mattress as providing ventilation, but I guess it does, at least somewhat -- less thermal mass, at least.

It’s a common issue with memory foam, and especially closed cell foam. Some of the foam mattresses on the market now use a gel or gel-infused layer to take advantage of phase shifts, while others use a cooling layer with air channels above the memory foam. I switched from a memory foam mattress to the Purple specifically because of the heat issue.

I don’t think memory foam is ever closed cell. The open cells are necessary for the “memory” to happen.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#208

Post by dpark » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 2:51 PM UTC

rconti wrote: post #126

dpark wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ditto. My tempurpedic cost a fairly ridiculous amount. I would pay it again in a heartbeat if my mattress caught on fire. The best mattress I’ve ever slept on by a very large margin.

These recommendations seem wholly legitimate. Funny thing is, though, the only person I know well who owned one (my brother-in-law) liked it but said it was simply too damn hot, which I've since heard others discuss as well. They had to return theirs, just couldn't live with it. I don't think of a normal mattress as providing ventilation, but I guess it does, at least somewhat -- less thermal mass, at least.

I’ve never had that issue personally. Even before I had air conditioning, this wasn’t an issue for me in the summer. However, I don’t doubt that a memory foam mattress is warmer than a traditional mattress so I can totally understand that this could be a factor for others. I wonder if other foam mattresses are any different in this respect.

On the topic of thermal mass, more thermal mass would actually keep you cooler longer, because it would take longer to saturate the mattress with heat. Ventilation is probably a much more significant issue than thermal mass though.

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#209

Post by otterley » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 3:00 PM UTC

jimmy1 wrote: post #104

otterley wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the state. Reusing mattresses is not permitted in California, unless the mattress has undergone a sanitization process that often costs as much as the mattress is worth.

Every couple of days on HN, I learn of something else you can't do in California. That, plus absurd rent, makes me really glad I don't live there.

Yeah, California is a terrible place to live, what with its concerns about peoples' "health" and "safety".

Re: Why there are so many online mattress-in-a-box companies

#210

Post by rconti » Mon, Apr 02, 2018, 3:08 PM UTC

iambateman wrote: post #177

rconti wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The question is, how are all of those 'happy people' benefiting? Could you not have purchased a mattress from a brick and mortar store? It seems it would be relevant to cite the advantages. I can't help but feel like the entire podcasting industry was funded by businesses that are 'cutting out the middleman' as if this is a novel concept. Frankly, the mattress-in-a-box companies are nowhere near the worst offenders i…

I paid 60% less than a lot of friends, so I’m $1200 happy.

Ouch. Maybe more people fall for the ultra-premium than I thought. The total cost of our mom-and-pop mattress store 'big name' mattress was half that difference you cite. I think I'd have a hard time spending way more than we spent and just HOPING I like the way it feels when it arrives.

I can definitely see the value of the ability for customers to actually REVIEW the options, though.