Category: Buying Guides

Measure all doors the item must pass through when being delivered. Most upholstery items need a 31 inch door clearance. (a 32 inch door will barely give you this clearance with jams & hardware)

If your room is large enough, consider buying two sofas instead of a sofa and love seat. You will gain seating for one extra person and the price difference is not significant.

If at all possible, try to bring samples of carpet, drapes, and wall paint to match your seating upholstery. Once you have several fabrics picked out, we advise that you bring the fabric samples home to see them under lighting in the actual room where the furniture will be placed.

Most upholstery can be special ordered with the fabric of your choice, but there are a few which cannot. Special orders generally take as long as 5-7 weeks, with a limited few available in 2-3 weeks. Custom ordered upholstery usually changes the price as well.

These are the things you should think about when buying a new mattress, in this order

1. Comfort, Comfort, Comfort

   A person spends a third of their life sleeping. All other factors should be secondary to your personal comfort. Comfort styles range from ‘extra firm’ to ‘super plush.’ (also known as ‘pillow top’)

2. Support, Support, Support

   The bed or frame your new mattress is on should have at minimum one leg going straight down in the center of your bed keeping the slat (metal or wood) perfectly level. Additional legs on either side of the center (left to right – under where each person sleeps) are highly recommended. The slat and legs should also be centered head to toe.

3. Warranty

   Mattress warranties are void unless purchased as a set. (mattress and foundation) Warranties are only as good as the dealer will back them up. We back up all of our warranties in-house: you always deal directly with us, not the manufacturer, for the full extent of the warranty.

   Occasional Use (guest bedroom)

   Pro-rated or short term full coverage warranties are sufficient.

   Everyday Use

   Opt for at least a 10 year full coverage warranty. Decade or longer full term warranties generally indicate construction and quality that is designed for everyday use over a longer period of time.

   Important information about how to prevent voiding your warranty!

4. Construction

   Foam Encased Edging

   A layer of foam aroud the edge of your mattress between the fabric and the springs. Helps keep the edge springs from stretching and poking you when sitting on the edge of the bed after extended use.

   Sinuous Coils

   Each coil is a continuous spring from head to toe. This provides proper stability and is more durable. Each coil row is tied to its neighbor for stability. The head to toe orientation reduces motion transfer from one sleep partner to another. By contrast, individual or pocketed coil systems tend to isolate and overwork certain springs. With sinuous coils, the entire spring system shares the load to support the body.

   Coil Counts

   Counts around 200-300 for a queen size usually serve better for occasional or light duty use such as in a guest room. For an everyday mattress, look for something around 500 coils. (again, queen size) Some manufacturers list a higher coil count but this usually means a smaller gauge wire was used since they have to be packed into the same amount of space. The thinner the wire used the weaker the spring and support effect will be.

   Foundations

   “Box springs” are generally no longer manufactured. The unit below the mattress is a solid metal/wood box with fabric covering. Some manufacturers use more wood, some more metal. Lo-profile foundations are usually nearly all metal to provide the same support in a smaller space. (and usually cost slightly more as a result). Some foundations are listed as “semi-flex” that utilize a wood frame foundation with slightly flexible metal risers.

Unimportant Factors

Fire Retardant Foam

Federal law made this a requirement as of July 1st, 2007.

Brand Name

You could buy whatever brand you like, but if it isn’t comfortable to sleep on or the dealer doesn’t back up the warranty, will you still be happy with your purchase?

Price

Always pick your comfort level first, then find a mattress of that comfort style in the price range you prefer or can afford. We have a wide range of price points to accommodate nearly anyone’s budget. Our experience is that choosing a mattress based on price before comfort results in multiple exchanges and unnecessary lost sleep trying to find the right model.

Things to do before you get to the store

• Decide what you want to buy and measure the spaces where you plan to put the furniture. Space dictates which pieces will fit and where.
• Measure any exterior door, staircase clearances, hallways, or any other tight spaces that your new furniture might have to pass through.
• Think about why you are buying and what purpose you are seeking to fulfill. ex: Is this something you are buying for long-term or short-term reasons? Everyday or occasional use?
• Decide on a tentative and reasonable budget amount.
• Think about colors and/or finish stains on existing furniture or elements of your decor that you might want to match or coordinate. Bring samples and/or pictures of your room and furniture.

Things to consider when you are in the store and shopping

• Measure furniture pieces you are interested in to see if they will fit the scale of your room and the spaces you have intended to place them.
• The most important features you want to keep in mind are quality and comfort. Price is an important factor as a general measure of the quality of the item.
• Look around the showroom several times. Ask for assistance. We have a large selection of merchandise, and it is possible to overlook the perfect item.
• If you do not see what you are looking foor, we have an extensive library of our manufacturers’ catalogues for you to browse through covering different stlyes, finishes, and price ranges. ( browse our manufacturers on the web )
• Take your time. Furniture is an important investment, and not something most people buy very often. Make sure you are happy with what you are buying.

We strongly recommend that if you are looking for bedding for everyday use for an adult, that you opt to buy a mattress set instead if possible. Our futon mattresses are high quality, but for the money you will always be able to buy a more comfortable and longer lasting regular mattress set than you will find with a futon.

Most people want to purchase a metal futon. Here are 4 reasons why you should reconsider:

Repairs

If one of the bars at the bottom or on the back bend or break, you can’t fix it or replace it.

Comfort

Wooden futons are generally found to be more comfortable.

Construction

The quality of construction is generally much better with wood than metal.

Mattresses

Metal futons usually come with 4″ mattresses. But when you purchase a wooden futon from Earl’s, you can choose from either an 8 inch foam or coil mattress. One of our manufacturers also offers an 8 inch mattress that is covered with different fabrics and with optional throw pillows.***If you choose the 8 inch mattress (foam or coil), you could purchase a zip-up mattress cover but these can be difficult to remove and replace when cleaning. Some covers are dry clean ONLY. Instead, Earl’s suggests buying a nice Full Size fitted sheet and a couple of throw pillows to dress up your futon.

Measure wall width and ceiling height where the item will be placed. Do not count window or door moldings, measure from outside of these. Also, when considering depth, measure along the floor from the edge of the base/shoe molding, NOT from the wall surface. If the unit is very tall, measure from the edge of the crown molding instead.

If you have wood floors, you may want to consider a contrasting color for your wall unit.

Buy the TV you want first and then find a wall unit to fit; else take the actual measurement of the TV cabinet first before shopping for a wall unit. (You want the actual width and/or height of the TV cabinet – NOT the screen size)

Most entertainment centers are made without doors now that TV’s are getting wider. Many have doors that open wide and/or wrap around the side of the unit. Be sure to allow clearance from walls, windows, doors, and other furniture to open the cabinet.

Make sure the proper connections are available on the chosen wall. (cable/satellite/antenna feed, audio jacks, sufficient AC power outlets, telephone jacks, etc.)

If you will also be storing video and audio components, measure width, height and depth of each to ensure a proper fit in the cabinet with enough clearance for wiring in the back.

Curio display cabinets come both with and without lights. Be sure to have an available power outlet if you want one with a light.

For books, measure the tallest and deepest books that will be stored on the shelves to ensure proper fit. Some units have adjustable shelves, some fixed, and some both.