This Nectar Mattress Is Almost Half Off — It Was One of My Smartest Purchases

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I've never been a big fan of online shopping, especially when it comes to big furniture items. Just a few months ago, the idea of buying a mattress online would have been completely out of the question. I would have wanted to go to the store (probably many) and test them out before making my decision. But then we found ourselves expecting company and had no where for them to sleep, so I had to adapt. And after some extensive research, I ordered a Nectar mattress ($629, originally $1,049) and hoped for the best.

If you spend any time poking around the way I did, you'll find that almost all companies make the same promises: comfortable sleep, affordable prices, the opportunity to try out a product risk-free for a few months, and a generous warranty. But I was looking for something that stood out, and Nectar was it.

For starters, I really liked the fact that I wasn't overwhelmed with choices. Nectar offers two mattresses: the classic Nectar Mattress and the Nectar Lush Mattress, which come in six sizes from twin to California king. They can be used with any platform or box spring bed frame that you already have at home (though if you don't own a platform, Nectar has a few affordable options). This makes purchasing quick and easy for people like me, who will sit there all day trying to make a decision on firmness levels or hybrid vs. memory foam. And Nectar also offers something that I didn't see anywhere else: an entire year to decide whether or not you like the mattress enough to keep (most companies offer 100 nights) along with a lifetime warranty as opposed to the standard 10 years. Knowing that they're that confident in their product is what sealed the deal for me. After all, the last mattress I purchased started sinking and giving me back aches after just six months, but since I was past the 100 night mark, I was stuck with it. So having an entire year to "sleep on it" was a game changer. And, if I ever do decide not to keep it, Nectar will arrange to have it picked up and donated to a charity as opposed to throwing it away, which I think is pretty awesome.

I opted for the popular Nectar memory foam mattress, which came in at $629 with their 40-percent-off sitewide Memorial Day sale — much lower than my $1,000 budget (they typically range in price from $800-$1400 if there are no sales). When the box arrived, I was surprised by how small but heavy it was. I'll admit that I imagined the mattress flying out jack-in-the-box style because how else could it fit in that tiny box? But luckily that wasn't the case. The mattress is rolled up (with the pillows) and vacuum sealed inside the box. Since we weren't sure if the mattress would spring up to its full size or slowly expand once opened, my husband and I cautiously removed the plastic on top of the existing box spring in our guest room. As the mattress slowly came to life, we rolled it out into position, put the pillows off to the side, and waited to see what would happen. (We laughed about the time we purchased our Tempur-Pedic mattress 10 years ago and, thanks to the off gassing, our bedroom smelled like pizza dough for a week.) Since the Nectar mattress is also memory foam, we were anticipating some kind of smell, but we didn't notice any odors. Within an hour, the mattress seemed to be fully expanded and ready for company.

In an unexpected twist, I ended up sleeping on it that night thanks to a head cold that had my children up several times throughout the night needing snuggles. On a scale of 1 to 10, the Nectar mattress is probably a 7 in terms of firmness. While I'm a side sleeper who typically prefers an ultraplush pillow-top mattress, I was impressed by how supported I felt. I slept with one or more of my sick children in our guest room for several nights, and while my new Nectar mattress isn't as plush as I'd prefer, it was nice to not wake up with aches in my lower back or a stiff neck.

If you prefer a firmer mattress and are looking for a good one at an affordable price, then Nectar is the way to go. I was impressed with the entire purchase process from start to finish, and I think any of our future guests will be extremely comfortable.