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Gardner Mattress offers factory-direct mattresses to customers in Massachussetts and across the US. They have been selling mattresses since 1933 and focus on providing natural Talalay latex mattresses and traditional innerspring varieties. Their website needs some work, unfortunately. They don't have a straightforward e-commerce experience. However, for those that go through the contact process, there are reports of good customer service overall.
Overall Score: 7.9/10
Customer Satisfaction: 8.1/10
Price Value: 7.7/10
No Back Pain: 7.6/10
Price: $249-$4299
Trial Period: 90 Days
See More ScoresGardner mattresses come in two different types: the natural sleep collection and traditional collection. The Natural Sleep Collection contains mattresses that are made of a blend of some of the following--horsehair, latex, wool, and cotton. Although they call these "Organic" mattresses, they are not certified organic, so if you are a stickler for such things, you'll need to look at other options.
Customers, overall, have really good things to say about Gardner's customer service and in-store sales representatives. Although most found their Gardner mattress comfy, there were some that had issues with getting comfortable on a Gardner. There were reports that they only offer exchanges, not refunds. Some found that they had to exchange the mattress and still could not get comfortable.
Overall, Gardner's material quality is mid-grade with competitively priced mattresses for in-store options. Gardner's two collections are very different in terms of materials. We'll go through their collections in depth below:
Natural Sleep Collection: In this collection, they have 4 mattresses that use a variety of materials. Their Classic, Ergo, and Luxe all use natural cotton, wool, and/or horsehair as their comfort layers, while the Harmony uses Talalay latex foam for additional responsive comfort. They are able to make these mattresses comfortable by compressing the materials, which also prevents sagging. With the exception of the latex mattress, this mattress design is very traditional and many modern retailers do not offer these types of materials used exclusively. Most found them comfy, but some could not get comfortable and complained about unevenness.
Traditional Collection: The Traditional Collection has 4 mattresses. The mattresses come with a variety of innerspring designs. On the lower priced end, there are pocketed coils used in the design. In the higher priced side, there are innerspring varieties that are flippable and come with hand tufting with multiple firmness options. Most customers find these mattresses to be comfortable, but there are some that complained about initial feel.
The Gardner mattresses get good marks on customer satisfaction -- especially as related to their customer service. However, there were a few issues when it came to initial comfort for some customers.
Gardner has a variety of firmness options that can be customized by customers. Most of their mattresses are medium-firm, but their helpful customer service representatives can override the mattress firmness depending on the mattress purchased.
Some customers found back pain relief with Gardner mattresses. However, there were others that felt that their mattresses were uneven and reported having aggravated issues.
Most of these mattresses will sleep cool due to the materials used and the craftsmanship. Those that live in a very warm environment, may experience some heat retention.
Gardner Mattresses are a good option for those that want to support a local business and live in Massachussetts. There are better alternatives to be found online for those looking for truly organic or latex mattresses.
Great locally made product at fair pricing. Why would anyone ever go to Jordan's or another large retailer ever again. I'll take product and service over marketing and gimmicks any day. Happy we found Gardner.
Not only do they have the best mattresses, no one can equal their customer service. Gardner Sisk himself came to our home to see for himself what needed to be fixed. New mattresses were made and delivered the next week. Happy customer.
Couldn't be happier. The sales guy was really friendly and patiently explained all the different options to me more than once. They helped me get a great deal on a king-sized organic mattress with an adjustable base. When they delivered it, it was too tall. They came back for free to lower it. I appreciated that. I've had it for three months and it's my favorite thing in life still. Much nicer than any mattress I've seen on a showroom floor, and at a better price. A no-brainer.
Easy order and great quality. Delivery as promised; right on time and men were very careful negotiating stairs and not banging into walls. Thank you Gardner - the only mattress co one should use.
Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon with my girlfriend to mattress-shop. Tiny store, has about 30 mattresses or so. They sell almost entirely mattresses they make. Also some Tempurpedic mattresses. The salesman was really nice, helped us and another couple out at the same time, and was quite knowledgeable.
Great store, great mattresses. Prices were fair for the quality product.
Aching with jealously over all of the love letters from people treated nicely and politely at Gardner Mattress. What we ever did to be treated like crap at the Salem store we will never know. My husband called them to try to talk it out (he's a psychologist!) but to no avail. We were treated like the local crack addicts when we walked in there and we were ready to buy a mattress right then and there! Sadly the "salesperson" did everything she possibly could to scare us out the door. She was profoundly unwelcoming and did not seem interested in us at all. The wonders of Gardner Mattress, alas, they are not for the likes of us. A "big box" store might treat us better--onward we go.
I love this place. I don't understand why anyone would buy a mattress any place else. The sales guy was knowledgeable and courteous. They make the mattresses right there. I picked out what I wanted and it was delivered the following week. I bought a latex foam mattress there like 20 years ago and it was time to get a replacement. I checked a lot of places before ordering there and decided on the Latex mattress again - just thicker. The firm was too firm so I ended up with the Medium. I love it. Who wants to sleep on Chemicals. The latex is real - organic and they wrap it in wool and it is very comfortable if you like a firm mattress. And the adjustable base was the best of any place I checked. I love that too. You know you are getting a brand new - well made mattress to your specs. At one point, I did talk to the Sales Manager Kirk - what a terrific guy! Years ago, my father had Parkinsons and the original owner, Mr. Gardner came to my father's house to see what his needs were and they made him a special mattress reinforced where he needed it. The current owners are carrying on in the same fine tradition of excellent service. You can't stay in business that long without making a great product. The showroom isn't fancy - but the mattresses are the best around. Highly recommended.
The best mattress I have ever purchased also came from the best mattress store I have ever shopped in--Gardner Mattress in Salem, MA is a family-run business. You can spend as much time as you want testing the mattresses in their small store; they will make them firmer or softer, as you wish; if you need an odd size they will accommodate that requrement as well. There is no pressure to buy and if you don't like the mattress within 30 days they will refund your money (unlike most stores that will require you to use it to buy another mattress). You will find it worth the trip to make your way to Salem--and you can combine it with a visit to the wonderful little Peabody Essex Museum.
Went to Sleepy's, nothing but sales pressure and chemicals.
Checked out Gardner Mattress near where we live and found the natural latex mattress we were looking for and had a wonderful time checking out the beds with no pressure style . Thanks to the staff and John. By the way ,the bed is amazing!
You get what you pay for. In this case, you get a top quality product made right at the factory in Salem. And for people buying a latex mattress, you can order a custom size, including the box springs, for very little extra.
Yes, you can get a standard-sized mattress for less, but I doubt if it will be this good. Your mattress is one place where you should NOT cut corners. Cheap as I am, I've never once complained about our Gardner mattress, which totally amazed my wife!
I bought my second mattress at Gardner just a couple of weeks ago...I've had it six nights now. You go in, ask all the questions you want, and you're left alone to test all the mattresses at your leisure. It helps to be wearing comfortable clothes. I started with a medium firm mattress, but my back was screaming for much firmer, so I ended up ordering the firmest of all. It was also the most expensive, but this is 1/3 of my life I spend here. Delivery was as arranged...they call the day before to confirm, and went smoothly. All is well, and my back even feels a bit better.
I did a ton of research before I purchased a latex mattress from Gardner. First, the store (Newton) was fine; the man there was nice, though didn't seem particularly knowledgeable. My complaint is that the latex mattress has no rigid or stiff portions, so removing it from the bed to, for instance, change or wash a bedskirt is virtually impossible. You can't just slip the mattress off and stand it on its side, as you can with most mattresses. It's like the difference between handling uncooked pasta and cooked pasta. The latex mattress is like a wet noodle, but very, very heavy. It's unwieldy. And, basically, it's proof that not a single woman was involved in the horrendous design of this mattress. Oh, and by the way, the latex will make you very hot. If you're approaching menopause, stay away. Worst purchase I have ever made. The comfort is fine, but other practical considerations matter too.
I waited for 5 years to write this review. I researched quite a bit and even thought of performing mattress surgery to get the perfect mattress, because I couldn't take my back pain issues anymore. Then, I found Gardner mattress. There was no sales pressure tactics, and the guy actually knew what went into each mattress, as opposed to most chain stores, where they can only tell you its pillow top, but not what's in it.
All I can tell you is that we bought their mattress 5 years ago, and never had to deal with back pain again. No sagging, as good as new, and we have 2 kids under the age of 5 who jump on it all the time. They even managed to break the wood slats on our bed....BUT the all latex mattress is the same as the day we purchased it. If that doesn't tell you enough, then I don't know what does! Even if you need to take a day off to go get this mattress, it'll be the best day you spent.
I can't say enough about Gardner Matress - would give them a 10 if I could. We dealt with the Newton store and they helped us find the perfect mattress. It's the 1st time we were told how much a boxspring or lack thereof makes when choosing the correct firmness. These are locally made mattresses that are meant to be turned and flipped periodically to extend their life and wear evenly --- makes sense to me. When we realized a boxspring wouldn't work for us, Gardner picked up the boxspring and made another mattress for us. Meanwhile, we used the 1st mattress while the 2nd was being made -- free exchanges are unheard of!! We could not be more satisfied or comfortable!
We needed two twin mattresses to replace those on our king size bed frame. My wife and I both have significant lower back issues, and finally decided that we needed to replace the worn out mattresses we have had for decades. (Duh!). We went to Gardner in Salem, attracted by their local-business non-chain character and were not disappointed. We ended up buying top of the line latex mattresses from them. Much more $$ than I realized mattresses cost, but I woke up this morning with no pain or stiffness at all. The purchase transaction was low pressure all the way, the salesman was patient in explaining the options, the mattresses arrived at our house exactly when promised, and old ones removed to the dump without a hitch. If you want to save money, Gardner is probably not for you. If you want a great mattress and a positive shopping experience, I recommend you try Gardner.
In a world of big box chain stores crammed with almost all foreign-made stuff, it is so refreshing to have a Made-in-USA locally owned business that custom-makes a decent product at reasonable prices. Gardner Mattress is first rate.
Though I'm not a mattress user (I have a futon), my family has bought their mattresses from Gardner in Salem for years. The factory is right here, with a show room/retail shop in front.
The nice folks at Gardner cut-to-fit a nice, thick, firm sheet of egg-crate foam rubber for me so I could have an extra layer of soft support on my futon. The price was very reasonable, and the foam rubber is excellent quality and has kept its shape and not dried out even after almost 10 years of use.
We are more than pleased. We live in midcoast Maine and visited a number of stores here testing their mattresses. We just were not happy and most of the brand names don't have reversible which we wanted.
So I checked this site and read the reviews and we drove down to the Woburn store where the owner's son helped us. There was no pressure and we tested and tested the ones there and made our selections. He took our order and asked if we wanted "splits" for the boxsprings. Yes we did and thank goodness he asked or they never would have fit up our stairs. We've had the mattresses for a few weeks now and just love them. We made the right decision and we have the best mattresses now. Prices are good there and we would HIGHLY recommend Gardner Mattress to everyone.
The selections were easy to browse. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful, and not pushy at all. They allowed me to access my Yelp account from their computer so the coupon could be printed. It was a great buying experience. The mattress was delivered when promised. And best of all, the mattress fixed my husbands snoring "problem." I knew our old mattress was bad, but it was way worse than I thought. Finally, a great mattress from a local company.
My wife and I lived in Salem and enjoyed the city but we never knew of Gardner Mattress until Chronicle featured them on one of their shows. We were happy to learn about them and to know that some things are still made in America and in Salem. We bought a new house and soon after moving out of Salem returned to purchase several guest bed room beds. The service was great and the beds will be arriving soon. The one drawback are the hours, most people have to work past 5pm, or at least I do.
Purchased our King 3" plush top mattress in 1995 with a 10 year warranty. Worked well for us until last year when we were not sleeping well. Observed sagging on both sides of the mattress. A call to Gardner resulted in a home visit by the owner and a quick response to our concerns. In one day the mattress was picked up, a new top installed, new box springs created and the mattress returned to us that afternoon. There was never any question or challenge about our mattress concerns. Can't say enough about the customer service, the company, or the mattress and highly recommended Gardner Mattress to friends and family.
We just purchased our second mattress from Gardner for our vacation home. We have a custom designed bed that requires a mattress no higher than eight inches. Try to find an eight inch thick mattress in any store, no one makes them. One large furniture retailer who sells lots of mattresses tried to convince me that a 10 inch mattress was really 8 inches. At the Gardner store in Newton, they said they would make a mattress for us at 8 inches. Custom made, because they hand make every mattress in their factory locally. Same price as floor models, AND gave us a 10% discount since we are repeat buyers. By the way, our first mattress is over 10 years old and is in great shape, we can't wait to get home to it when we travel. I highly recommend Gardner mattress, it's a local gem.
After trying out mattresses at several larger shops and researching online, I wasn't convinced that the brand name mattresses would hold up. My childhood mattress (from Gardner) in my parents' house is still firm, comfortable, has no dip, and is at least 18 yrs old. I went back to Gardner and could not be happier with my purchase. The staff was very helpful and not pushy like at the other stores. I will continue to recommend Gardner to friends and family.
Wonderful, locally owned AND made mattresses. Salesperson is helpful and polite with zero pressure to buy. Mattresses are chemical/toxin-free. They hold up well and are very comfortable. There are a limited number of options which I find very helpful- it's not overwhelming but there are a few levels from basic to luxurious. Just so great that it's family-owned and they create jobs in MA by making their mattresses here. Wonderful customer service. Even their delivery guys are amazingly nice and polite!
This is a tough one.
I liked the idea of buying high quality, locally made mattresses, so we went to the store in Newton. They couldn't have been nicer. Very helpful and patient. Zero pressure to buy. Even let us return mattresses twice when we weren't comfortable once we got them home. Really great people. Couldn't have been a better buying experience.
Unfortunately, we never actually found a comfortable mattress. Now we're stuck with an uncomfortable $1600 mattress and sleeping poorly. Wish we had our 15 year old mattress back. Going to have to buy something else, because we're now horribly sleep deprived. Hate the thought of this mattress ending up in a landfill so soon.
I really wanted to like my Gardner mattress. Great people. Just wish I could actually sleep on the thing.
Excellent knowledgeable service. The man selling the beds in Newton had actually had these mattresses in Salem, so he knew exactly what went into them!
Beds came on time, delivered by Gardener themselves. Take away your old one I you like.
New mattress is awesome and I love that I know it has to chemicals :)
Gardner Mattress has a great warranty. My mattress was starting to sag, so they came, picked up the mattress, tightened the springs and brought it back to me. Who does that?
It's a testament to their philosophy, customer service and quality. Will definitely come back when it is time for a new mattress. Another reason for people in New England to shop local.
Bought my last two mattresses at Gardner mattress. I have had a major back surgery and will pay anything for a mattress that works for me. Erik did not mind that I came back several times and spent an hour hanging out on the mattress I liked before buying. I have an electric bed frame for each of my beds that I bought there as well. Went to Jordan's first and found that for the talalay foam, which is what I got, there was little price difference.
These mattresses are locally made by American workers. I like that. Would highly recommend them. Worth the extra money to get a superior product from a family business.
This is a great place to buy a mattress. My wife and I checked out the Newton store a couple of weeks ago as we were looking for something a little more "natural." Gardner had plenty of mattresses to try out, and the salesperson, Erik, was very helpful and knowledgeable.
On delivery day, the truck showed up 5 minutes early, and the delivery people were in and out (taking away our old mattress and box springs) within 10 minutes. I feel really good about our purchase - it's nice to get a quality, natural, hand-made, customized product at a reasonable price while supporting a local business. Assuming the mattress holds up over the long term, this is where we plan to buy all of our mattresses going forward.
I have also since returned to the Newton store to purchase a latex pillow.
We had purchased a mattress at Jordans and after about 3 years, I was getting back aches each morning. A sag started to develop where I sleep after about one year. Eventually, I was sleeping in a pit.. I am a runner/triathlete and very trim so heavy body weight did not cause the sag. The sag is due to the fact that mattress manufacturers are moving away from normal old fashioned mattresses and using more latex like materials for padding in the tops. This makes the mattress feel great in the show room and makes it break down quickly so you will need a new mattress sooner. Works out great for the stores and manufacturers.
We went to Gardner because they are one of the few places left in existence that sell normal mattresses with big coils and thick comfortable padding. We picked a mid level firmness king size mattress. The price was reasonable and the delivery smooth. After a week, the back pains were gone. It has been about a year now and I can say that the mattress is just great. No sags in the mattress and no back pain. I would definitely recommend the Gardner mattresses.
This is a wonderful local business. I had my last mattress from them for 30 years and just replaced it getting the sacro. At the store, buying the mattress was a breeze; the salesman was very knowledgeable having worked at the factory, and he helped me choose what I wanted. The mattresses are made to order, and yet I received mine within the next week. It and the box spring were delivered at the exact time I was told and the guys who delivered it took off and replaced my old frame as well. The price is comparable with the mass -produced places, but this mattress has a cute photo of the original owner's son and his dog stamped on it! I hope to have this one at least as long as the previous one.
I got a mattress for my platform bed at Gardner Mattress.
My latex mattress is very firm but comfortable. I expect it will last for many years. I appreciate that it is locally made.
The price seems fair for the high quality. I would buy here again.
Most people have probably never heard of this place because they don't do any advertising, most of their business comes from word-of-mouth (a neighbor recommended them to us). This company makes their own mattresses locally, has a good selection to choose from and very helpful sales people. We needed a thinner mattresses for our platform bed and they can easily customize the size of the mattress if needed. We also found the prices to be the same or better than what you would find at the other mattress chains. We went to Jordans and Sleepys which overwhelmed us with the choices, selections, styles, prices. Gardner seemed like a much better option, no gimmicks (sleep technicians in white lab coats?) and you had the pleasure of dealing with a small independent company with a decent return policy.
This is a trusted family run company and these mattresses are made by hand in their factory in Salem, MA. I bought one three years ago for our vacation house and after three years, it is comfortable and supportive - a great night's sleep. I just purchased another for our house near Salem. This is a 5 star organic mattress with great customer service also. You won't be sorry with these mattresses - so many to choose from and incredibly well made.
I never liked this mattress and I'm glad I can finally get rid of it. The in-store rep must have been doing this job for the money, or he must have been compensated only for his gel mattress sales, because he didn't bother much with me when I came in. At the time, there were two options: the hand coiled model and the gel model. I quickly ruled out the gel model. I happened to live up he street at the time in Salem MA and had always seen this store, so went in when I needed to buy a mattress. My chiropractor had recommended this mattress because he thought it was great and he knew the man who started the company. . Well things must have changed a lot since then.. No salesperson there ever bothered about the mattress or me. I never liked it and I'm glad to be dome with it. I highly recommend not doing business with this company.
I purchased a Gardner mattress many years ago, had tried other through the years but am back for good. You get a great product from a local company, you help employee local people. Why would you spend your hard earned money else where?
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