Soft, so soft!

July 16, 2008 10:05 AM

Mattress Filter: Where to buy a double mattress and/or bed in Montreal? I’m a starving student, and this September I want somewhere comfortable to sleep when I relocate to McGill. I’m not made of money, but metafilter has scary bedbug stories and a $200 Ikea foam job sounds uncomfy.

On the other hand I don't want to be the student who buys a house full of furniture full price, which later needs to be flogged when (s)he relocates in two years.

So, where can I get a comfy bed setup and how much should I expect to pay?

posted by Phalene to home & garden (9 comments total)

I sleep on an aerobed. Mine seems to be queen sized and cost $100USD, but you could probably locate a Canadian retailer. Anyway, my bed is a lot more comfortable than the traditional twin mattress & box spring set I'd been sleeping on, inflates really easily just by plugging it in, and deflates into a nice compact square that is easy to transport. You can put it in a bedframe if you like, but I just rest mine directly on the floor. My only concern is that my cat will poke a hole in it, but it did come with two repair patches.
posted by Polychrome at 10:25 AM on July 16, 2008

I got a pretty good double mattress from Ikea for US$150. It's the kind with springs inside, I think (it's definitely not foam though), and it's pretty comfy. I prefer thinner and more flexible mattresses than most people, so YMMV when it comes to the comfort factor.

I thought their beds were kinda ugly though, so no recommendations there.
posted by xbonesgt at 11:02 AM on July 16, 2008

I sleep on a friend's aerobed when I stay overnight, and it is quite comfy.

But I'll also put in a good word on Ikea mattresses. I have an Ikea spring mattress, nothing fancy, but definitely comfortable, that I have (seriously!) owned for something like 8 years.

We just bought a 2nd one, IIRC the HÖGBO for $200US. Haven't slept on it yet (long story) but it was comfortable for a nap in the store.

I did a bunch of reading on the Consumer Reports website before buying, and in short, the most important thing in buying a mattress is to spend some time on it, laying just how you sleep, in the store. Also, that foundations/boxsprings are not generally necessary if you have something else to put the mattress on.
posted by epersonae at 11:04 AM on July 16, 2008

Are you up for futons? If so, Ungava is the cheapest (and is not uncomfortable) -- far better than Ikea. You can always buy a futon frame from craigslist instead of Ungava, which would, I think, be safe from the bedbugs.
posted by jeather at 11:18 AM on July 16, 2008

Second the Hogbo, I think it's the cheapest spring-based mattress they have, and I've had it for 3 years. It is on the soft side, but that's how I like them, and it's super-comfortable.
posted by SoftRain at 11:24 AM on July 16, 2008

I've also heard good things about Ikea mattresses.

Additionally, Canadian Tire sells a 'bed in a box' that actually gets really good reviews too.
posted by Kololo at 12:00 PM on July 16, 2008

meh, craigslist ain't so bad. but yeah, I slept on a cheapo ikea mattress all this year and it was great.
posted by ouchitburns at 12:45 PM on July 16, 2008

I just bought an inflatable bed from walmart.com, and it's their generic brand. It came with a pump built in and it's easy to press the on switch for a few seconds before I go to bed to reinflate it.

It only cost around $50 including shipping, and I put it up against the wall during the day so I gain a ton of space in my bedroom.
posted by amicamentis at 1:48 PM on July 16, 2008

ms. furtive had one of those ikea matresses in school, I was amazed how soft it was, I honestly thought I couldn't feel the springs. 4 years later I could definitely feel the springs, so I'd say it meets your qualifications.
posted by furtive at 7:42 PM on July 16, 2008