Jan/100
A Comparison Between Memory Foam and Spring Mattress
The pursuit for good sleep that relaxes and refreshes the mind and body, leads to the hunt for the ideal mattress since that is the equipment for sleep. The perfect mattress should be able to ensure a full night of deep slumber from which one would wake up rejuvenated and invigorated.
But this type of sleep is elusive, and this triggers the debate about the best mattress. The more widely used varieties of mattresses include memory foam and inner spring with the former being soft and gentle, and the latter firm and harder.
While it is a matter of individual choice and preference, memory foam mattresses are considered to be more comfortable, durable, bacteria resistant, better for people with joint pains and also low on maintenance. Inner spring mattresses are meant for those needing firmer support though the supporters of these mattresses feel that a combination of the top quality memory foam and inner springs would make the perfect mattress.
For a direct comparison between these 2 types of mattress, read Memory Foam Mattress VS Spring Mattress
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Dec/092
Mattress Buying Guide For Newly Weds
Getting married? Buying a mattress would be one of the first things you need to think of in the run up to the big day. If you have limited budget and having a lot to spend on, do you know that you can actually make substantial savings if you had all the required information about the mattress industry in Singapore. Remember, a cheap mattress can be a good mattress too. A few tips would be so helpful in getting the best mattress deal ever.
So let’s cut out the marketing gimmicks of the mattress world and get equipped with facts: Click to Continue Reading
Retweet this postNov/090
Buying Bed Room Furniture
Are you in the midst of deciding on your bedroom design, its décor and the kind of furniture you think would look beautiful, be comfortable and hopefully last for a few years? You can seriously consider buying a complete bedroom set and find what a difference it makes to the elegance of your room.
Bedrooms at the end of the day are places that need to offer the best kind of comfort. If they look beautiful in the process, it is a blessing. Often, people choose beds that are extremely comfortable, and then fill up the rest of the bedroom space with assorted furniture. The result-a combination of styles, colors and designs that give an un-coordinated look to the room. A plan in mind is one way out of this problem and it can help to Click to Continue Reading
Retweet this postNov/090
The Ultimate Mattress and Beds Glossary
We have been using mattresses of different types all your life, and seldom felt the need to know the meanings of terms used to describe mattresses and their properties. Mattress jargon and terms used to explain beds and their qualities, in advertisements and promotions, is baffling and it is incorrect to get taken in by the use of complex terms without knowing what they mean.
Did you know that “ticking” is the fabric that covers a mattress, or that ‘Talalay’ is a process of making a latex mattress and its done by whipping in air till it takes the form of wet foam?
These and hundreds of other mattress and bed terms have been defined in our Complete Glossary of Bed and Mattress Terms and phrases. Knowledge and understanding of these terms is now just a click away. The next time you see an advertisement or a promotion mentioning high sounding words that appeal but you do not know what they mean, look into the glossary first since it contains more terms than all the other glossaries put together.
Retweet this postOct/090
The Problem of Buying Mattress And Why You Should Buy From Beds.sg
Sorry if the title of this post sounds a little self-promoting and cheesy, but the point I want to make have to be taken seriously if you want to avoid sleeping on a unsuitable mattress for years to come or spending money again on a second mattress shortly after your first purchase.
The Problem with Mattress Showrooms
Matttress showrooms are design and built to showcase the mattresses in the best posible light. The powerfully airconditioned and soft lighting atmosphere makes the mattresses displayed unexecptionally comfy when you first see and lay on it.
Whether or not the mattress will be suitable for you in the long run, sometimes cannot be determined within the 10 minutes you spend lying on it. It takes a few nights of actual sleeping to actually determine if the mattress is suitable for you.
For most mattress shops, you are not allowed to exchange the mattress once delivered. Most people don’t bother to ask about the exchange policy because it seems that nothing would go wrong if they have tried and tested the mattress in the showrooms.
Some mattress shops don’t even allow exchange even before the mattress are delivered. And, since a deposit is usually made when purchasing, that puts the consumer in a very disadvantageous position.
How is it Different at Beds.sg?
First, we do not collect a deposit, we only collect payment when the mattress is delivered to your residence. All we ask for is that you inform us 48 hours before delivery, should you need to exchange the mattress.
Second, we allow exchange of mattress after delivery should you feel that the mattress is uncomfortable after a few nights of sleep. As long as the original plastic cover is intact and within 7 days of delivery, we will exchange the mattress for you. (a $50 transportation charge will apply).
With such a policy, you can shop risk free and avoid the unneccassary trouble of sleeping on a unsuitable mattress.
Retweet this postSep/090
Hard Mattress Good for Backache?
The Lancet Medical Journal published a report about a study conducted on a random sample of over 300 people in Spain who complained of back pain and the findings revealed that those who used medium-firm mattresses for a period of three months, recovered faster from back pain than those who stuck to firm ones. Thus the myth that firm mattresses help treat back pain gets debunked completely.
This is just one of the myths associated with firm mattresses and there are many more. Myths get perpetuated generation after generation because few try to reason out the scientific basis of the myth and it is so much easier to blindly believe what others say. Some of the most common myths associated with firm mattresses include:
1.A bad back needs rest only on a very firm mattress. Bad backs with pain need firm support but not too hard or too firm a mattress since it will damage the other parts resting on it. Firm mattresses are particularly harsh on the shoulders and hips and most people wake up in the morning feel sore instead of rested.
2.Firm mattresses bring better sleep. This is a far fetched statement since sleep is the byproduct of the interplay of a series of factors including the person’s health, fitness, stress and mental state, height, weight and so on.
3.Firm mattresses last longer. While firm mattresses do not easily sag or get a depression like the softer mattresses, they certainly have a limited life span. Mattresses made from cotton or jute would get lumpy after sometime and inner springs also tend to wear out. The life span of a firm mattress is not very different from other mattresses.
4.Firm mattresses are suitable for anyone and every one. This is a generalization that cannot be made about any type of mattress. All individuals have different preferences, sleeping postures and body contours, and each of these has a role to play in determining the most suitable mattress for him.
5.Tired bodies need firm support for rest. This is not true because a firm mattress exerts pressure by not supporting the various parts of the body in an even manner, leading to aches and pains in a few parts of the body.
Thus it is extremely difficult to follow the myths about firm mattresses and get influenced by them.
The matter of selecting a mattress is a very subjective one and must be led by personal preference rather than mythical statements.
Retweet this postAug/090
The Top Five Mattress Myths
Mattresses nowadays comes in all sorts of names, brands, technology, specification, features, materials, combinations and “benefits”. It may seem that you are spoilt for choice when you go mattress shopping. But the truth is, (without listening to the salesman), if you can’t differentiate one mattress from the other, there probably is not much difference.
Just in case you don’t already know, the mattress business is 90% marketing. Almost everything you hear from the mattress salesman are carefully crafted by mattress manufacturers and retailers to help differentiate their mattresses and profit from a higher markup. Thus, many myths get perpetuated in this way with few attempts by anyone to nullify their claims.
The number of myths are aplenty but in general, here are the top five:
1.The firmer the mattress, the better the quality of sleep -The truth is that there is no scientific evidence that proves that a specific firmness of the mattress is more appropriate than others.
2.The more mattress cost, the better it is - The reason why some mattress gets so expensive is because of the frills and extras like silk cover, hand woven top coverings, a layer of cashmere , branding, some special type of springs and tons of other features that you probably wouldn’t notice when you fall alseep.
3. Spring/Pocketed Spring mattresses are better than foam mattresses- This belief has been held on to for many years. This was to the extent that anyone having back problems would discard his foam mattress and opt for a spring one. In reality, many new types of foam have been developed, which provide as much firm support as spring mattresses, last longer, and also remain soft and supple without getting curves and depressions.
4.Higher coil count makes better mattresses- The truth is that a count of 312 is adequate to make a mattress firm and comfortable, more than that will have no impact since it will not make the mattress more comfortable. And, almost every mattress have a minimum of a 312 coil count.
5.Mattresses alone can ensure better sleep- Sleep might be elusive for a whole set of reasons like sleep apnea, caffeine in the body keeps people awake, anxiety and tension, noise pollution and many other health related factors.
These myths keep increasing in number as companies get more and more creative. So the advice is that you should follow your own gut feeling rather than accepting everything the mattress salesman tells you.
Retweet this postAug/090
Memory Foam Mattress Vs Natural Latex Mattress
Debating the relative merits and demerits between memory foam mattress and natural latex mattress is an engrossing affair with supporters and opponents of either product holding firm opinions on the matter. For what you put down on the bed concerns something very intimate – your personal comfort and a good sleep.
For us to decide in favor of one of the two, we need to delve into the nature of the two mattresses. Latex mattresses are the firmer and the bouncier of the two. Memory firm mattresses on the other hand are softer and more prone to assume the natural shape of the body thus effectively spreading out the pressure and providing immense comfort.
Natural Latex mattresses are passionately supported by some because of the fact that it is a natural product made from the sap of the rubber tree. That apart its firmness ensures that it does not sag but firmly support a resting body. Couple this with almost negligible wear and tear you have a mattress with almost infinite longevity.
The fact that latex mattresses are naturally hypoallergenic and anti microbial, and therefore keep you safe from dust, mite, mold and fungus caused allergies – all the more reason to get sound sleep.
People suffering from chronic fatigue and back- ache though may prefer memory foam mattress, as these mattresses are effectively able to spread out the pressure and thus relieve pain.
Then there are those who are absolutely love the extremely luxurious feel of latex mattresses, which when combined with their firmness, ensures a very comfortable night of sleep. One might argue that over all memory foam mattresses probably score on comfort whereas for reasons of health, latex mattress wins hands down. It’s environmentally friendly and discourages the breeding of germs.
The temperature sensitive quality of memory foam mattresses is what makes them so comfortable. The fact that these mattresses can adjust to the contours of the body, because it reacts to its heat gives it a distinct advantage over natural latex. The latter scores because of its eco-friendly credentials and great value for money, because of its longevity.
It is evident that both these products have their ardent fans and detractors. As to which one to pick up for your bed at home, that is something which your personal predisposition will help you decide.
Retweet this postJul/090
Buying Bed Mattress, How Much Should We Spend?
We all work hard to earn money to live life well and support our loved ones. Our lives get enriched if we also enjoy good health, and the age-old saying; ”health is wealth” is so very true.
There are various factors that help ensure good health, such as exercising, eating healthy and a good night’s sleep at the end of each day. Sleep is so important to recharge one’s energies and the basic requirement is a good comfortable bed and mattress. But does that mean that any amount of expense is justified for a good bed?
This is a highly debatable issue and people have different viewpoints on the subject. Some would choose to buy the most expensive mattress thinking that it would bring the best quality of sleep. Others would look at all the different kinds of mattresses available and then choose one that fits their budget and provides the kind of comfort they want.
Most people shopping for new products like mattresses or any other large purchase would keep some kind of budget in mind, with some scope of extending it. Markets are full of mattresses and each has some additional feature that may appeal to a small section of customers.
The crucial issue is whether the features added with every passing day are needed for a product like a mattress. They are a lot of marketing gimmicks to make even a simple necessity like a mattress seem so complicated. Mattresses basically compose of an inner layer of coils or springs, foam or latex or even coir. The top layer can be made of latex, memory foam, or cotton, for a softer feel.
However, there are many features that are used by the manufacturers/retailers to jack up the prices of mattresses. Here are a few features that I personally feel unneccassary
1)Lifetime Warranty – Many people might get taken in with the lifetime warranty, but it does not necessarily mean refund after even two months of purchase.
2)Silk quilting? Mattress is covered with bedsheets anyway.
3)Extra Thickness – Doesn’t improve comfort at all, but thick mattress do look impressive though…
4)No Flip? Flipping comes along with the cleaning routine, why should you pay for a non-flip mattress? What if you damaged or dirtied the top side? You can’t flip it to use the bottom side!
Mattresses starts at $150 and are even available for $5,000 and more, with all the additional features pumped in. If you are able to tell what features are gimmicks and what features are necessary, you would be in a better position to purchase a mattress that brings a bang for your money spent.
You may also like to read this article Secrets of Mattress Shopping
Retweet this postJul/090
Beds and Mattress Sale
Is Beds.sg having a Sale?
Wait… I will come to that later
Every day (especially weekends), when I open the newspaper, I come across huge advertisments splashed over the newspapers with big titles like “Giant Sale! Up to 80% off Beds and Mattress”. Then the advertisements are usually followed by some details like
“**** Mattress, Usual price : $1,500, Now Special Price $499”
or something like
Queen Size Beds Starting from $99!
Wow! Should we just drop everything down and rush to their shop and buy? Well, at least the “creative person” who came out with the advertisements would think so….
You see, the problem of these advertisements is that they are there every week! From the same few companies.
Now the question is, are they still making a profit if they sell a $1,500 mattress at $499?
If yes, then what kind of profit margin are they enjoying when they are not on sale? You do the maths.
If no, then why would they have everything on sale every week? And spend tens of thousands of dollars on advertisement every month?
You know, alot of my customers ask me this question before purchasing from us “Are you sure delivery is free? There are no GST charges right? No hidden cost?” Even though, it is stated very clearly in our site that we don’t charge delivery and GST, the questions keep coming.
Then, I realized that these customers had some bad experience purchasing from some furniture stores (the same ones that advertise every week) The problem is like this
– the advertisment will state that (for example) a Queen Size Bed is having a special promo at $99
– When the customer is about to purchase, then, they realize that the price of $99, does not include a $50 delivery charge (some charge up to $80 for delivery) and a 7% GST, charge and that will come up to $160.
I sometimes just wonder, at this time and age, do they really think such tactics would would work? Maybe in the 1980s but definately not now. Consumers now so smart that they can sniff out a gimmick in less than a second.
Well, back to the Beds.sg Sale, are we having a Sale?
Not really a sale….., but we will be giving a discount if you blog about us
Really? How much?
Yes, really. $15
What? That’s peanuts!
Yes, that’s not a fortune, I agree. But that’s a lot to us, we work on minimum mark-up and believe it or not, we sometimes don’t even make a profit on some of our products. But again, think about it, $15 is equilevant to 2 movie tickets on a weekday, a taxi ride from Jurong East to Orchard Road, a copy of Air Supply’s All-time’s Best CD…….
Ok, whatever……… so how do I get my $15 discount?
After purchasing with us, simply write a blog post of 150 words on your shopping experience with beds.sg and we will mail you a cheque of $15.
What if I don’t have a blog?
Create one. It takes less than a 3 minutes to do it. For more details, please see this page Beds.sg Rebate
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Jul/090
10 Tips for buying furniture Online
Buying things online has become very popular and is rapidly becoming a part of our daily life. For some, online shopping has become a habit and a routine. Every other day, I will check my favourite online fashion store for new arrivals and subscribing to their mailing list, so I won’t miss out on the great deals!
Buying online saves time, is convenient and easy. You can search for anything under the sun with just one click. Buying online also mean saving money. Online stores operate without a shop, this way, goods are sold at lower prices.
Buying online is very transparent, as you can easily make a search to check on the reputation on the online shop. Comparing prices are also made easy. You wouldn’t want to travel from Jurong to Sengkang just to compare the price for a product.
Few years ago, many of us shun the idea of buying online. Main concern was privacy and security. Now, these are not an issue anymore. Even banking, being very sensitive are able to be done online now. How nice!
However, there are still a few points to note before making your purchase online, especially buying household items and furniture.
1) Get the measurements right. Make sure that you already have an idea of what furniture you want to be placed in which location. That will make your online shopping much easier. Measure the space that you have, and based on the measurements, you can never go wrong. You won’t want your new wardrobe to sit in the living room instead.
2) Set your budget. Budget setting is the most important thing to do before buying anything. There are unlimited choices online which will most probably confuse you. Set your budget , this will make buying easier.
3) Buy from a reputable seller. Just do a Google search on the seller, there should be reviews and feedbacks from people who have bought from them written in some forums.
4) Read the fine prints. Go through the product description in detail. Read the FAQ and terms and condition. Make sure there are no hidden cost.
5) Make sure there is a return policy. It is a MUST that the seller offer a return or exchange policy, in case the product sent to you is different or damaged. A refund policy is important if the payment transaction is done before receiving of goods.
6) Get goods, pay later. A plus point if the seller allow payment on delivery. This way, if the goods are in poor condition, reject right away. This way is also so much secure, no sensitive personal information will be left in the internet server.
7) Secured website. Make sure the website is a secured site if you are required to make payment with cards online.
8) Read review. Always choose to buy from a seller that has reviews and ratings for their product. This is the only way to know how good or the bad the product really is.
9) Talk to someone. There must be a hotline or help line that you can speak to. Ask all your questions and concern before making the final decision. Many new age online stores has 24 hour online chat function. Some online stores that also have a retail store will post their product with attractive prices online. These products are usually not displayed in their shop as the ones displayed are the ones with the highest profit to cover rental. So call to check before making a waste trip.
10) Keep a copy of all online correspondence. A soft copy of receipt beats the hard copy that will eventually end up in the bin.
Retweet this postJul/090
Avoid The Mattress Size Nightmare
Imagine this – After shopping for some time, you finally decided on a mattress that you like and that falls into your budget. You made a deposit and arranged to have it delivered to your house. When the mattress is arrived, you realized that the mattress doesn’t fit into your bedframe! This is one of the biggest nightmare one could face when purchasing a mattress.
You see, the mattress company might not want to take back the mattress because it was your mistake. Even if the mattress company does take back the mattress you will then need to pay a delivery fee for taking back the mattress and a fee for customization which adds up to a few hundreds of dollars. You most probably will end up without a mattress for a few weeks and a few hundred dollars poorer!
So, please familiarize yourself with mattress sizes before you make any purchases. The following are the standard mattress sizes in Singapore:
|
Size |
Width |
Length |
|
King Size |
6 Feet |
6 Feet 3 inches |
|
Queen Size |
5 feet |
6 Feet 3 inches |
|
Super Single Size |
3 Feet 6 inches |
6 Feet 3 inches |
|
Single Size |
3 Feet |
6 Feet 3 inches |
For American or European Sizes, the width is usually the same but the lenght would be around 3 inches longer. Make sure you measure your bed to ensure it is a local Singapore size before you purchase a mattress.
Customization
If your bed is not a standard local size ( i.e American or European size), you will then have to ask for customization. Not all mattress can be customized (especially imported mattress), so check with the salesperson first. The customization fee also varies from shop to shop.
At www.beds.sg, the extra charge for customization is 30% – 35% on top of the mattress price. The brands in Beds.sg that allows customization would be :
The lead time needed for customization of mattress is about 1 week.
Jun/091
Do not buy a second hand mattress!
Every now and then, I had enquires from customers on whether we sell second hand mattress. Initially I did not bother so much as there were only a handful of people who asked us the question. Then, it dawned unto me that there may be more people who are actually considering buying a 2nd hand mattress, and that thought caused a little shiver down my spine.
Here are 5 reason’s why you should never even think of purchasing a used mattress.
1) Firstly, Think about all that goes on in a bedroom. Everynight, the previous owner will excrete bodily fluid and and dead skin cells on the mattress. These disgusting things gets deposited into the mattress. And bear in mind, bacteria thrives on these organic deposits. Do you really want to sleep on someone else’s body fluids especially their sweat? Also you don’t know whether the mattress belonged to a person who had a contagious disease.
2) When you buy secondhand you are also buying the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergen. Allergens are not good for anyone who suffers from asthma or allergies. These Allergens can cause serious issues with your allergies and especially asthma. They can aggravate your problem. I repeat, allergens are a very serious problem.
3) The risk of bedbugs. Sometimes they are not visible to the naked eye as they hide inside the mattress. Bedbugs are tiny parasites that feed off of dead skin on your body. Bedbugs are so digusting that if you got them, you would propbably burn the mattress. You could refer to this article to find out more Bed Bugs- Preventions And Remedies
4) It will not provide the support that you may be looking for. Used mattresses are well worn and already conformed to the original user’s body contours of its initial users. So it will be very difficult for you to get comfortable. This is especially true for someone who suffers from lower back pain.
5) Cost – This is the most ironic reason. Why do someone actually considers buying a secong hand mattress? To save money right? This is where it becomes illogical.
A Queen size second hand mattress may cost $100, you add in the transportation charges $50 and it adds up to $150.
Do you know that you can actually purchase a brand new, highly rated queen size spring mattress for $150? Yes, same price as a 2nd hand mattress. See this Wasaly Luxury Mattress.
Jun/093
Box Divan with Springs vs Box Divan without Springs
Obviously, the difference is that one comes with springs inside and the other, without springs. So that’s it, end of post. Uhm…. No wait….
I guess what you really want to know is whether you should buy a divan with springs or without springs? Which one is better? what’s the difference in comfort? What’s the price difference? What’s the benefit of divan with springs? Where can you buy them? Right?
Ok, i got it. Please read further…..
A little history. When Box Spring Divans first appeared in the market, many years ago, it was used as an alternative to the traditional bedframes. It serves the basic same function as a bedframe, that is to elevate the mattress from the ground. The original box spring divan, looks, feels and have the same size with the mattress it is supporting. It even uses it same fabric material as the mattress. It is constructed using a wooden frame that contains springs and wrapped are in fabric.
The Box Spring Divan was marketed as a luxury support for the mattress. It was suppose to make the mattress last longer and giving you a more comfortable sleep. But unfortunately, the Box Spring Divan itself doesn’t last that long.
Box Soring Divans are usually sold as a package with the mattress. A box spring divan sold separately is quite costly, usually in the range of $500 onwards. Not everyone can afford a Box Spring Divan.
A Box Divan without Springs is an evolution of the traditional Box Spring Divan. It was later found that the springs within the box divan doesn’t affect your sleep at no way at all. In fact, you wouldn’t even be able to tell if your mattress is lying on top of a box spring divan or on the floor.
The modern Box Divan is identical to the Box Spring Divan but without the springs and much cheaper and looks better. Anyway, why would you want to pay extra money for your mattress to be lying on top of another “harder mattress”?
The modern box divan are now wrapped in leather, looks stylish, extremely durable can be purchased for less than $200 (if you buy it at the right place, for example at Beds.sg).
Along with the modern Box Divan, also came along the Divan with Headboard. It is basically a box divan with a headboard. The Divan with headboard comes in a variety of elegant designs and could be purchase for less than $300. (Again, that is if you are purchasing from right place, example Beds.sg)
Just in case you skipped through the whole post and jumped in to this last paragraph for the conclusion (which is a good move), here it is :
-A box spring divan is an outdated, expensive, useless piece of bedroom furniture. Buy a divan without springs.
Modern Divan without Springs
Modern Divan with Headboard
Jun/094
The Secret to Mattress Shopping
I read an article 9 years ago, written by a guy named Seth Stevenson, who lives in the U.S. I came across this article again just a couple of days back and it striked me how similiar the mattress industry was like in the U.S. in the year 2000 as it is with Singapore now, in 2009.
The article is titled “Going to the Mattresses” I would strongly recommend a reading, it contains the secrets in the mattress industry – unkown to the average mattress shopper. I have summarized the article in point form, in case you are super busy person….
-
the mattress industry is one big scam
-
mattress salespeople could never be trusted
-
mattress manufacturers rename their mattress for different stores so that you can’t compare apple to apple. Thus, they can mark-up the price however they want to, and you can’t compare prices.
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most mattresses manufacturers get their spring from the same company, we should ignore brand names and focus on the actual piece of mattress.
-
Coil counts are just overrated, we should simply ignore them.
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Thickness of mattress is just a ploy to make mattress look comfy in showrooms. No other benefits.
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Box springs, totally uneccassary and waste of money.
-
Firm mattress is good for the back – It’s not true, it is a myth.
-
Extra Features like Ticking and Quilting, Non-Flip and warrenties are purely marketing gimmicks, don’t even think about it when deciding your purchase.
The parting shot of the article…. “If you can’t tell the difference between a $200 and a $900 mattress, go for the cheaper one…….. Once you’re asleep, every mattress feels the same.”
Well, that’s my summary of the article, here is the link to the article again “Going to the Mattresses”
So… any tips I have for you?
Yes, 2 tips i have.
First tip
Since, you can’t compare apple to apple, because of the way the mattress industry works. You can get the specifications and price of a certain model/brand from one mattress store. Then, walk into another mattress store (or call us) and ask for the equilevant model. Chances is that the other mattress store (or us) is able to get the exact same model for you, but with a different label (does it matter at all if the label is different?) The price would be cheaper.
Second tip
Don’t listen to salespeople, listen to other consumers who had bought the same mattress. Your fellow consumers have no incentive to cheat you. Where to get these mattress reviews? You could search on the the internet, or visit our site www.beds.sg, our site is full of mattress reviews from consumers who have bought them. (sorry I can’t help myself, I just have to promote Beds.sg)
Happy Mattress Shopping!
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