An Ikea mattress came up strongly in a recent (but not this month) Consumer Reports.

Another possibility is Macy's who often has specials.

I am facing the same issue with my son in Pittsburgh. I saw Mattress Firm there, so I'm sure they would be in Philly too.

Not really sure where you are and what you are familiar with , but sleepy's is a big regional (or who knows if they might be national:) chain.http://store.sleepys.com/search?query=philadelphia%2C+pa

You may want to try looking on yelp to see if anyone has favored reviews for a local store. That's usually what I do when I'm buying outside of my normal area and I've had decent luck that way.

No Sleepy's here in Pittsburgh. Also, no Mattress Firm in Philadelphia. Mattress buying is so difficult to compare pricing. Macy's is a good idea so keep them coming. I think I'll call a few of these places and see how long it takes to deliver once I make a selection. Trying to avoid renting a truck if I can.

Ratherbesewing, are you in Pittsburgh?

Do you have JC Penney or Sears stores?

I'm sure there are high volume stores there. Here we hear ads all the time, buy before 2 PM, delivery same day. And for most of the name brands, the prices will be pretty well the same, unless someone has a sale. Prices are controlled by the manufacturers.

Sushi from what I can remember years ago, while the stores may carry the same brands, and probably the identical items, they use slightly different item numbers or color of the cover- so it is difficult to comparison shop so to speak. but yes there are many that will deliver quickly.

I've bought the last 5 mattresses we needed for vacation & regular house at Overstock. I find their memory foam mattresses to be almost as comfortable as my tempurpedic for far less cost.

Sleepy's (the largest mattress chain in the area), South Philly Mattress, The Mattress Factory, and the Raymour and Flannigan furniture store chain would be places to start.

Sleepy's is all over the place around Philadelphia. There's a Mattress Factory in NE Philadelphia. Macy's and Penneys carry mattresses, as mentioned above. You could also call 1-800-mattress if you don't mind buying without trying. Oh yes, Sears, too.

As sheila mentioned it's difficult to compare mattresses from store to store since the manufacturers give slightly different names and numbers to the same mattress.

When DS started law school we knew he'd be staying there for 3 years so DS and I went to Raymor and Flannigan to purchase furniture for an entire apartment - including a mattress. That was nearly 10 years ago and I am astounded that not only has the furniture held up, but he is still using the same queen mattress. They also have quick delivery.

One tip if your son wants a queen or king mattress - opt for the split box springs. DS has moved 6 times in 10 years and having the split box springs has made moving so much easier.

Hope your son enjoys Philadelphia - as a native Pittsburgher (South Hills) who relocated to the Philly area some years ago I hope you son enjoys the city. All 3 of my adult kids live in Philly and except for the hassles of parking really love it.

Online Order and FREE Shipping.

Tuft & Needle
Kiss Mattress
Casper
#BestMattressEver
Nest Bedding

All are reasonably priced and built with quality materials.

You will need a platform bed to support any of the above mattresses, or an existing foundation with slats. Some of the mattress suppliers offer bed frames delivered to your door.

We have had our IKEA mattress for 7 years and still love it. I feel like they have a nice selection without it being overwhelming.

Thanks for all your help! You ladies(and men) can always be counted on.