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Who is The Mattress Nerd?

Shopping for a new mattress can be overwhelming, confusing and just plain annoying. But it doesn’t have to be. In 2014, Jack Mitcham, the founder of The Mattress Nerd, set out to make the mattress buying experience simple, stress-free, and maybe even a little fun.

 

Jack’s goal was to make consumers feel more confident and comfortable when deciding which mattress to buy. Jack had spent a total of 7 years as a retail mattress salesman and experienced first hand just how uncomfortable and stressful buying a mattress can be. He saw how mattress salespeople would often take advantage of customers by steering them to mattresses solely based on the commission amount.  

So Jack created Mattress Nerd as a platform to share his knowledge and help countless (and sleepless) people find the mattress that best fit their needs. Jack couldn’t be in every mattress store, helping every customer.  Mattress Nerd is the next best thing.

Today, The Mattress Nerd has grown into a resource that millions of people trust and turn to for answers about choosing the best mattress for their individual needs.  The Mattress Nerd team has also grown and is led by a group of sleep geeks who carry on Jack’s passion and spirit for helping consumers.

So no matter where you are in the mattress buying process, we have you covered:

  • Just starting your search?  Check out our Mattress Buying Guide
  • Overwhelmed with all the options?  Take our quiz and get a recommendation based on your preferences
  • Debating between a couple of options? Use our comparison tool to see how it stacks up
  • Have a mattress in mind, but want a second opinion?  We’ve probably reviewed it here

Happy Shopping,

The Mattress Nerd Team

Who else is responsible for all of this helpful sleep information?

Helga George, Ph.D.

Dr. George obtained three degrees in the plant sciences culminating with a Ph.D. from Cornell University before transitioning to writing full time. Despite her obsession with plants, most of biology interests her. Helga is drawn to sleep science out of a combination of intellectual curiosity and her own sleep problems ranging from sleep apnea to delayed sleep phase (i.e., being a hardcore night owl). She enjoys explaining science to laymen in terms that they can understand and relishes the opportunity to look behind the veil of sleep and relay the benefits provided by quality sleep.

 

Hannah Clarke

Hannah is a certified ACE Health Coach and NASM Personal Trainer and uses an integrative approach to health and wellness to improve the quality of lives of those around her. With a love of weightlifting, running with her pup, and snowboarding, Hannah uses her Master’s Degree in Fitness and Wellness to guide those around her on their journey towards a healthier lifestyle. From commercial fitness centers to corporate environments to one-on-one interactions, Hannah’s 10 plus years of experience in the fitness realm helps to encourage and challenge the people that she meets – not only to achieve their goals but to become the best version of themselves!

 

Noelle Chandler

Noelle is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor from St. Louis, MO. She provides therapy to adolescents and adults in individual and group settings. Prior to joining The Center for Mindfulness & CBT, Noelle worked as a Crisis Counselor for Crisis Text Line; as an intern at the Counseling and Social Advocacy Center at UMSL; and as an intern at St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute’s Intensive Outpatient Program for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders. There, she completed specialized training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is a powerful, evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, and more. She also specializes in mental health treatment for individuals with chronic pain conditions.

 

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Comments (30)

  1. Hi,
    My Name is NJ from Slumber, we’re a startup bedding company. Our mission is to help people get the best night’s sleep possible at a reasonable price. To that end, we’ve created breathable, pure Egyptian cotton, percale sheets with zero harmful chemicals available at an amazing price.
    I think that is something that works within the goals and content that you produce. We’d like to see if we can work together. Maybe you could give our sheets and sleep mist a try & review them?
    Please let me know when would be a good time to chat to go over how we can collaborate.
    Thank you for your time,

    Reply

  3. I would like a mattress like the Hilton Serta Serenity, or Suite Dreams. Any idea what to look for in a store?

    Reply

  4. Fantastic site – thank you! When I figure out which mattress, I’ll be sure to use your links for the purchase.
    Here’s a question: I’m sold on latex top and want to try it. But I want a firm base as well (my wife and I are side sleepers, but I prefer more of a firm feel). Should I go with latex-top over a firm inner-spring, or should I just buy the entire mattress made from latex?
    I got the feeling reading here that memory foam will lose support over time, but I’m not sure if that’s the same with latex, hence my question.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Latex is must more resilient than memory foam. Getting coils underneath is just as good as getting latex as far as durability goes. The mattress just has a different overall feel if it’s all latex. Some people like that.

  5. Thank you for the information on your site. After going to several local mattress stores and trying out mattresses we came back and did some research online and found your site. We ended up ordering from one the recommended sites you have and got the mattress we were looking for at a better price than local stores and plus a warranty included. (Was surprised to find out that for the same price as we ordered online, getting that same price in the stores did NOT include a warranty :-/ )

    Thanks again.

    Reply

  6. Looking at st Regis King from Charles p Rogers. Any thoughts?
    My problem is I am looking for a bed at vacation house currently and will not have a long break in/test period. This will be my bed when there so do want something comfortable….
    Thank you for any help
    John

    Reply

  7. I read your site and it’s really helpful — thank you! I do, however, have a couple of additional questions to which I couldn’t find the answer. (1) Many sites offer suggestions “if you’re concerned about all-natural materials.” But no one has addressed *if* I should be concerned with all-natural materials. Have there been any studies? Are there health risks associated with synthetics? (2) Do you recommend pillow tops? Or is that just a new invention to get people to pay more money? (3) Many companies offer free returns. But then what do they do with the mattresses? Re-sell them? Or add to earth’s waste? Recycle? THANK YOU!!!

    Reply

    • 1) I have never seen a study showing that synthetic materials are harmful for the end user. I’ve read studies that show there are some risks for the factory workers who are inhaling large amounts of the stuff every day as it’s being made. However, in my experience, it’s futile to try to change somebody’s mind on the issue.

      2) Pillowtops are a cosmetic feature. That’s just when you sew a cord around the mattress and put an indent above it. You can make the exact same mattress, same height, same foams, everything, without the pillowtop.

      3) That depends on the company. Generally, the mattress-in-a-box companies look to donate the mattress, and if there aren’t any in the area, they recycle them. Retail stores will often recycle the cheaper mattress, and resell the more expensive ones. (Note, they do not get resold as new. There are companies that specialize in refurbishing mattresses, and those mattresses are clearly labeled as refurbished. A company like Mattress Firm or Sleepy’s will sell their mattresses to one of those refurbishing companies for a steep discount, and they’ll clean it up and sell it).

  8. Jack, I’m ecstatic I found my way to you/your site. Interesting reading as I contemplate a new direction.

    I’m planning on downsizing my entire living space. Given that, a bed/mattress/box/etc requires (alot of) space in a room, a decent expense, for an item(s) that is critically important to one’s well being both mentally and physically but is an eyesore in a studio apt.

    I’ve seen what I’m looking for but don’t know how to categorize it and what options you suggest.

    Basically I would like to check out twin – full size chaise type sleeper with the ability to elevate upper torso for utilizing to say, read/write/relax. And then to retract for more level sleeping at night. Also i need to elevate my feet but can accomplish that with pillows underneath. I’d like this to be part of some frame that obviously supports what I’ve described.

    This way, in my apartment it can look like a piece of furniture like a chaise lounge during the day. And of course, ONLY I would be allowed to use the chaise but that’s another (feng-shui) matter.

    This may be the dumbest question you ever got but found your website to be informative and user-friendly. Can you help me with what’s it called, what do you suggest and any retailers to check out or online.

    I thank you in advance.

    Dee

    Reply

  9. seems to mea great asset would be a listing / database of mattresses in order of quality. One could then narrow search on brand/ price/ firmness/ etc. my assumption is that you already have a database similar to this but not sorted in this way, therefore would not be a big project for you. I imagine starting with this would allow a consumer to narrow their search in hours instead of weeks!

    Reply

    • There are a lot of problems with this.

      1) I have no such database

      2) Prices change all the time. It varies based on retailer and time of year. I don’t have the ability to scrape pricing data from a dozen different websites

      3) Not everybody feels the same firmness on the same mattresses. For example, compare a plush mattress to a firm pillowtop. A heavier person might sink further into the pillowtop, and say it’s softer. A light person will only feel the firmer foams, and claim the pillowtop is firmer. It varies based on purson.

  10. Hi Jack,

    I am a first time mattress buyer….you know the whole new apartment, new job, new salary, new life kinda thing.

    I went into Sleepy’s for the first time ever after reviewing your website – spoke to a greasy salesman, who tried to sell me an i series pillowtop firm ( i have realized that I am happy with medium to firm beds, comfort 3-4) for 2000+
    No bargining, no boxspring, no frame, no pillows – needless to say I wasn’t satisfied but I was instantly turned off from store shopping.

    I spent an easy hr n half in the store testing the beds so I am comfortable on what I think I want.
    I then searched US mattress……OVERWHELMED!
    Then I looked deeper into your Leesa reviews and I was interested in leaning in that direction

    But now I am seeing different frames leading to better or worse results, flex frames, 3 inches spaces, 2 in spaces – use this don’t use that…

    Any help on a simple solution? should i go and try to bargin in store on US mattress prices again? for a better deal on an iseries? Leesa + floor; or is there the “perfect bedframe”?

    sorry for the length and top notch job on the website, you have opened my eyes to the subtle details of a good night’s rest!

    Reply

    • I think the Leesa is a good option if you don’t want much hassle and as a way out of “analysis paralysis.” You can just get it, and if you sleep well on it, great. If you don’t, then you get a full refund and you didn’t really lose anything. This is the “simple solution” you’re talking about.

      For the frame, get something with slats close together, or get a solid flat platform.

      If you want to go back in the store and negotiate, you might be able to have some success with it, but it isn’t always easy. To get the best deals, you often have to commit to going into several different stores over the course of days. A lot of it depends on which salesman you get. When I was working in a mattress store, I was usually pretty easy going about matching prices, but then again, I wasn’t the “best” salesman.

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