Key Mattress Industry Statistics:
- The global mattress market size is $30.93 billion in 2021.
- The global mattress industry is projected to grow by over $13 billion between 2022 and 2027.
- Consumers spend an average of $100 annually on mattresses.
- The United States had a retail mattress market of $12.9 million in 2020.
- There are 175 online mattress companies in the U.S.
- COVID-19 led to an increase in mattress purchases, with year-over-year sales increases of over 30%.
- Millennials are more likely to shop for mattresses online than go to a store.
- About 83% of people say that support and comfort are the biggest priority when choosing a mattress.
- About 50% of both Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have pain that interferes with sleep.
- 2 in 3 mattress shoppers believe memory foam is the best type of foam, while 31% say gel foam is the best.
Mattress Industry Overview
Retail Mattress Sales
- The global mattress market size is $30.93 billion in 2021.
- The global mattress industry is expected to grow by more than $13 billion from 2022-2027.
- The sales of bedding and mattresses are expected to grow 23% by 2025.
- Consumers spend an average of $100 annually on mattresses.
- The United States had a retail mattress market of $12.9 million in 2020.
Online Mattress Sales
- The U.S. has a global eCommerce revenue of $13.75 billion in the mattress industry.
- The total global online segment of mattresses is $78 billion.
- The U.S. is the largest online exporter of mattresses.
Growth
- The expected compound annual growth rate for the mattress industry is 6.7% steadily for at least 4 years.
- By 2025, the mattress market is predicted to be $22.8 billion in the U.S.
- Larger amounts of disposable income are likely to lead to greater investments in mattresses for homeowners.
Size
- There are about 175 companies that sell mattresses online in the U.S. alone.
- The mattress topper industry was worth $6.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $7.6 billion.
- The largest market for mattresses in the world is in the U.S.
Trends
- Spring mattresses are the most common mattress.
- Memory foam mattresses are expected to surge in popularity with a CAGR of 9% in 2023.
- Mattress toppers are growing exponentially in market size, with memory foam being purchased most often.
History
- Mattresses appear to have been used since the 37th century B.C.
- King and queen sized beds weren't created until after WWII, when there was a post-war boom.
- In 1973, it became required by federal law for all manufactured mattresses in the United States to be fireproof.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Mattress Industry
Sleep Disturbances During COVID-19
- About 35% of people stated that stress was causing them to lose sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- About 30% of people stated that their mattress was not regulating their temperature properly.
- About 19% of people stated that their pillows were uncomfortable, while 14% stated that their mattress was too old to support their needs anymore.
COVID-19 has had a massive impact on every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Every economic sector has been affected as well. Some industries have seen encouraging growth, while others have struggled to remain afloat.
The mattress market has fared well during the pandemic. In fact, statistics show that the growth rate year-over-year during COVID-19 was about 30%. Some of this may have been because people were spending more time at home. About 40% of consumers said they were more willing to make big purchases because of the pandemic.
But sleep disturbances are another major portion of this. Many people reported that they had developed insomnia symptoms due to stress.
They struggled to get asleep, stay asleep, and get good quality sleep. Some reported an increase in stress dreams.
Besides stress, the most common reasons that people cite for their sleep issues have to do with comfort. For example, people wake up because they get too hot or cold. These consumers will want to prioritize a mattress that regulates temperature. Others find that their pillows or mattresses are simply too hard or not supportive enough.
In 2016, only about 6% of adults reported that they were getting the appropriate amount of sleep at night. But that number more than doubled during COVID-19. Granted, that still leaves 87% of respondents who aren't getting enough sleep, but it is a dramatic increase.
Changes in Shopping Habits Due to COVID-19
- About 69% of consumers said that they didn't go shopping at retail stores during the pandemic.
- About 41% of consumers said they could find a better price for products online.
- About 25% of consumers said they didn't go to retail stores because they didn't have enough time to go shopping in person.
In the past, it was common for people to go to mattress stores to make a purchase. A mattress store will let you try the mattresses out, after all. You have a chance to find the one that really feels right.
But that changed a lot during the pandemic. Many people decided to buy mattresses online instead. Studies show that the further you are geographically from a mattress store, the more likely you are to make an online purchase. When stores were closed down during COVID-19, many people chose to buy online.
About 69% of shoppers say they avoided retail stores because of the pandemic. Another 41% say they were able to find better pricing online.
Another thing driving online sales is the mattress-in-a-box phenomenon. These companies are able to sell mattresses that come compressed and rolled into boxes. When they are unrolled, they inflate. These mattresses are significantly more affordable and easier to transport than traditional ones, so they've made online shopping much more accessible.
The Better Sleep Council did additional research to find out how the pandemic had affected consumer behavior. It turns out that consumers wanted soft mattresses much more than firm ones. Customers are twice as likely now to prefer a soft mattress as they were back in 2016.
There has also been an increased desire for king sized beds. More than half of individuals under lockdown said they were likely to buy a large bed. On top of all of this, consumers tend to invest more in pillows, sheets, bedding, and other sleep accessories than they did before.
Changes in Consumer Preferences Over Time
Most Important Mattress Features
- About 83% of people today state that their main priorities for a mattress are comfort and support.
- Over half of people today say that the thickness of a mattress is an essential component.
- The materials the mattress is made of are also a big priority for more than half of people today.
The Better Sleep Council has done detailed research to map different consumer trends. Today, the vast majority of people state that their main mattress priority is the support and comfort. People are willing to compromise on pretty much everything else if their mattress can keep them comfortable.
The materials are also a high priority, noted by 56% of shoppers. Part of this may be because people want mattresses that will last a long time. Another part may be that people prefer to invest in mattresses that are environmentally friendly, built with biodegradable materials.
Yet another factor may be that the mattress materials greatly affect breathability and temperature regulation.
The thickness and overall size of the mattress were also noted as being essential to 57% of the respondents. After comfort and support, this is the most prioritized feature. People are very invested in large, thick mattresses. While thin mattresses can easily offer support and comfort, they don't always look the part.
Customers also say that the mattress's reputation matters.
About 40% cited this as an essential priority. The reputation might mean that they look up what reviewers are saying about it. It might mean that they are more likely to buy a mattress that's promoted by their favorite podcaster or Youtuber.
Brand recognition and loyalty used to be a priority in the past. But today, it's fallen out of fashion. Only 17% of respondents say that they care about the mattress brand, which comes out to less than 1 in 5. There is a very large variety of brands to choose from. Online, there are nearly 200 mattress companies in the United States alone.
About 16% of respondents said that technology was a major factor in their purchase. This was the lowest item on the priorities list. Technology might involve things like adjustable firmness settings or heat settings. It might also include smart technology, ease of cleaning, and other high-tech factors.
Best Features for Comfort & Support
- Back support is most popularly chosen as the most important comfort feature, chosen by 43% of people.
- Another third of respondents say that a mattress's firmness is most important.
- About 26% of people say they want a pillow-top design, while 20% want a soft mattress and another 20% want the mattress to contour to the body.
Support and comfort are the highest priority cited by the vast majority of customers. But what exactly does support and comfort mean? Researchers have broken the category down into more specific responses.
About 43% of people said that back support was crucial to their comfort. That makes back support the most frequently cited form of comfort. About 33% of people said that firmness was crucial. Another 26% said they needed a pillow-top design to be comfortable, while 20% said they preferred softness.
About 20% of people stated that they wanted the mattress to contour to their body. Gel foam and memory foam mattresses may be popular with these people, since they're designed to meld to your pressure points. Another 14% of people stated that motion isolation was a big factor.
Motion isolation is a phrase that describes a mattress that doesn't transfer movement. Many people say they need motion isolation when they sleep with a partner. If your partner tosses and turns, you want a mattress that will remain still underneath you. Otherwise, you might wake up whenever they do.
Best Mattress Type
- About one third of individuals surveyed say that they think pillow-top designs are the best.
- About 22% of people say that combination hybrid-foam mattresses are the best.
- Memory foam is considered the best kind of foam mattress by 66% of respondents.
In the past, there were fewer opinions about the best mattress type. But as education about different technology has reached consumers, people have formed much stronger opinions.
The most popular mattress is a pillow-top, which is preferred by 1 in 3 consumers. Another popular choice is the hybrid-foam mattresses, which use layers of gel and foam and other materials to provide optimum support. A little more than 1 in 5 consumers prefer this type of mattress.
More than half of all people today currently sleep on a spring mattress. You'd think that this indicates that spring mattresses are high quality. But this is actually the mattress type with the least satisfaction. People say that the springs are uncomfortable, unsupportive, and hard. Desire for foam and gel replacements has skyrocketed over the past decade or so.
Best Foam Type
- Memory foam is the most popular type of foam, chosen by 66% of people.
- About 31% of individuals say that they prefer gel foam over any other foam.
- Latex foam is preferred by about 1 in 5 people.
Foam mattresses come in many shapes and sizes. There are also many different types of foam available.
Memory foam is prioritized by 66% of individuals as the top popular foam. However, some of this popularity may be because memory foam is the best known mattress foam. Many people aren't even aware that other kinds of foam mattress exist.
Gel foam has become increasingly popular over the years, however. People often enjoy gel because it conforms to the body like memory foam, but it also has more cooling properties. A little over 30% of people say they prefer gel foam. Another 20% say they prefer latex foam, making this the third most popular foam option.
Additional Consumer Trends
- Adjustable bases are becoming more popular, with the number of adjustable base mattresses doubling since 2016.
- About 30% of individuals in the United States specifically look for mattresses manufactured in the U.S.
- Memory foam and gel foam have both become more popular over time.
Adjustable bases are becoming more popular, with the number of adjustable base mattresses doubling since 2016.
About 30% of individuals in the United States specifically look for mattresses manufactured in the U.S.
Memory foam and gel foam have both become more popular over time.
Mattress Buying Habits by Age Group
Millennials & Younger
- Millennials tend to shop for mattresses online before they go to an in-person store.
- 78% of millennials want a queen or king sized mattress.
- 60% of millennials sleep on their sides.
- Nearly half (46%) of millennials want their mattresses to be soft.
The millennial and Gen Z group makes up people between the ages of about 18 and 35. This group is by far the most likely to seek mattresses online. Unlike older people, millennials tend to look for mattresses online first before going to a retail mattress store.
Nearly half of all millennials want soft mattresses. A whopping 60% are side sleepers, and more than 3 in 4 want a large mattress. About 29% of millennials state that they have back pain that interrupts their sleep. About 17% have stated that they'd consider getting an adjustable bed frame.
Adjustable bed frames can be adjusted with remotes. They tilt upward or downward at specific angles and in specific shapes. These are often cited as instrumental in getting rid of back pain. They also make it easier to sit up in bed while doing work or reading. This aspect might be why they've become so much more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Millennials are most likely to start searching for a new mattress because there are issues with their old one, or they simply want a better quality mattress. They may look for new mattresses when their old mattress no longer provides support, causes back pain, sags, or is very old.
One key note is that about 43% of millennials state that sleep is the top priority for wellbeing. So they're more likely to invest in mattresses that improve their sleep quality. In addition, about 1/3rd of millennials specifically look for hypoallergenic beds when they shop.
Boomers
- About 64% of baby boomers have a spring mattress or a pillow top.
- About 1 in 3 baby boomers replace their mattresses because of health issues.
- Nearly half of baby boomers experience pain that affects their sleep, coming in at 48%.
A staggering number of baby boomers sleep on a spring or pillow top mattress, with this covering about 2 in 3. About half of them also have pain that influences their sleep. Health issues are one of the most common reasons that baby boomers replace their mattresses. More than 1 in 4 have back pain, more than 1 in 5 have mattresses that sag, and about 8% have hip pain.
Unlike millennials, baby boomers strongly prefer retail stores. About 70% of them choose to purchase mattresses at retail stores. Around 43% of them shop alone and gather information at the stores themselves.
Most boomers say that they prefer pillow-top or spring beds. It's also notable that baby boomers prefer firm beds. About 7% of baby boomer consumers like soft mattresses, while the rest prefer moderate to firm support.
Gen X
- About half of Gen X has pain that affects their sleep.
- 3 out of every 4 Gen Xers don't like foam mattresses.
- 87% of Gen Xers prefer to purchase a queen or king sized mattress.
- 58% of Gen Xers have a spring mattress or pillow top.
Gen X shoppers are those between baby boomers and millennials. They tend to be between the ages of 35 and 55. This generation seems to have more in common with boomers than with millennials.
Gen X shoppers prefer buying mattresses at retail stores. About 58% prefer a spring or pillow-top mattress. 3 out of every 4 Gen Xers say they won't use a foam mattress due to their age. Only 22% of them prefer soft mattresses, while the other 88% prefer firm support.
Mattress Fun Facts
Here are several interesting facts about mattresses you probably didn't know.
- It's technically illegal to purchase or sell mattresses on Sunday in Washington, but this law doesn't seem to be enforced.
- Water beds have been around for over 5,000 years, and the original water beds used goat skins.
- Mattresses can become twice as heavy over the span of a decade.
- The word mattress is an Arabic word meaning “throw”.
- The very first coil springs were used for chairs.
- A mattress has between 100,000 and 10 million dust mites in it.
- The phrase “sleep tight” comes from the fact that mattresses used to rest on ropes.
- The fitted sheet was invented in 1958 by a woman named Berta Berman.
- Mattresses can be recycled.
- Mattresses can resist open flames for at least half a minute.
Memory Foam Mattress Facts
- Memory foam adjusts to the unique shape of your body.
- Memory foam was first developed for NASA to use.
- Thick memory foam mattresses have more softness than thin ones.