Nine out of 10 recent or upcoming mattress buyers are more likely to purchase a mattress that contains CertiPUR-US-certified flexible polyurethane foam, according to benchmark research conducted through an independent, nationally recognized Survey-Gizmo consumer panel for the CertiPUR-US Certification Program.
CertiPUR-US is a foam certification program administered by the nonprofit Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
More than 90% of those surveyed said they are willing to pay more to ensure the foam is certified. Forty-six percent said they are willing to pay $50 or more, and 30% would pay more than $75 extra.
The online survey respondents, randomly selected in a Survey-Gizmo consumer panel, were limited to those who had purchased a mattress within the past 12 months or were planning to in the next 12 months. Among the survey’s goals was to gauge buyers’ receptivity to the concept of certified foam for those not aware of it and to discover their propensity to purchase a mattress containing certified foam.
The survey also found that temperature – being too hot or too cold – was the number-one factor in preventing consumers from sleeping. An uncomfortable mattress was the second most-cited factor. Others included aches and pains, general life stress, and screen time. Only 4% of those surveyed said they usually don’t have trouble sleeping.
Nearly all respondents (99%) said the quality of their mattress is important to getting a good night’s sleep, with 84% of those saying it was very important. When asked to rank what matters most when deciding to purchase a mattress, not surprisingly, comfort was the top answer, followed by price, “materials the mattress is made of,” warranty, brand name, appearance of mattress, customer/user reviews, made without chemicals of concern, return policy and delivery speed.
More than half of recent and future mattress buyers (56%) consider themselves very knowledgeable or knowledgeable about mattress materials. Forty-five percent admitted they are not knowledgeable.
The top three places, in order, cited by respondents about where they learn about mattress materials were manufacturer or retailer websites, health/consumer/home websites, and information on mattresses and labels at point of purchase.
For those respondents who had purchased a mattress online in the past year, sites selected were department store website (31%), sites that sell only mattresses (22%), and Amazon (19%). For those purchasing in-store, top answers were mattress specialty store (43%), department store (21%), furniture store (15%) and big box store (15%).
Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed it is important or very important for the salesperson they are working with to be knowledgeable about the foam in the mattress.
Nearly all (96%) of the recent mattress buyers surveyed say they are very satisfied or satisfied with the mattress they purchased.
Many respondents (41%) said they were aware of CertiPUR-US certification. Other certification programs were ranked in recognition as follows: GreenGuard 26%, Green Bear 10% and Oeko-Tex 6%.
At the conclusion of the survey and after reading a short description about the CertiPUR-US Certification Program, mattress shoppers’ receptivity about foam certification increased significantly, with 88% saying it would be important or very important to purchase a mattress containing CertiPUR-US-certified foam. More than 90% said they would be willing to pay more to ensure the foam is certified.
Commenting on the survey, Michael Crowell, executive director of the CertiPUR-US foam certification program, said: “It’s clear that consumers feel that a comfortable mattress is key to a good night’s sleep, but this shows they also want to have confidence in the materials used in their new mattress, value certified foam – and are willing to pay more for that.”
