What is white glove delivery for mattresses?
We take a look at what is included with white glove delivery, and which mattress brands offer it
You’ve browsed our best mattress guide, picked your favorite, added to cart, and you're getting excited to sleep on your brand new bed. Only before you can click 'buy now' you have a decision to make – standard or white glove delivery? But what is white glove delivery?
Many mattress brands offer white glove delivery, a premium service that provides mattress delivery and installation to a room of your choice, with your old mattress removed at the same time. At least, that's what's typically included with white glove delivery, but the details can vary.
For a bulky mattress, white glove delivery can be a hugely convenient addition to your purchase. But it can also be expensive, and exactly what you get for your money varies from brand to brand. Want to learn more? Keep reading this guide to white glove delivery.
What is included in white glove delivery?
The white glove delivery process is a premium service that encompasses everything from the shipping to the setup of your mattress. With white glove delivery, you can expect your mattress to be shipped with the utmost care, delivered to the room of your choice, and installed – removed from its packaging, unrolled (if necessary), and set up on your bed frame. In some cases, the delivery team will also remove your old mattress, if you need them to.
The ins-and-outs of white glove delivery service vary from brand to brand. It isn’t standardized across the industry, but there are some general features you can expect when you choose white glove delivery:
- The mattress is delivered to a room of your choice
- The mattress is set up in the room of your choice
- Any unnecessary packaging is removed and discarded
- The old mattress is removed
Some sleep brands offer white glove delivery as standard, while for others it’s a premium addition to the delivery service. It’s most commonly offered by the best luxury mattress brands, but even some of the best cheap mattresses will offer white glove delivery (although typically for a surcharge). And it isn't always called white glove delivery, so look out for references to premium delivery, in-home setup, etc.
What isn’t included with white glove delivery?
Old mattress removal is a relatively standard offering with white glove delivery. However, old bed frame removal is rarely included. Also, old mattress removal tends to work on a ‘one in, one out’ basis. If you get one mattress delivered, you’ll only get one mattress removed.
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And while white glove delivery typically encompasses delivery to a room of your choice, there are sometimes limits. For example, if you live above the second floor, you may be charged extra for the delivery, or the company may not be able to accommodate your request. If your chosen room is hard to access, speak to the delivery company beforehand, to make sure they can provide a premium service.
The details of white glove delivery do vary from brand to brand, so make sure to read the fine print closely before you order.
Is white glove delivery worth it?
White glove delivery can be worth it, especially if you have mobility issues. Mattresses are large, heavy items, and transporting them from the front door to the bed can be difficult. White glove delivery eases the stress of getting your mattress set up.
Setting up a mattress is usually a two-person job, even with a bed in a box (they might be compact, but they're still heavy). If you live alone, or you can't convince someone to help you with setup, it might be worth paying for the helping hand.
White glove delivery can also be helpful if you have an old mattress to get rid of. We have some tips on how to dispose of an old mattress, but with white glove delivery, you have the easiest disposal process: get someone else to do it.
Some brands do offer white glove delivery for no additional charge. If you’re choosing between mattresses, the addition of white glove delivery can be a compelling deciding factor.
However, some do charge for white glove delivery, and the cost varies significantly across brands. If you’re thinking of paying extra for white glove delivery, check closely what the brand is offering for your money, to make sure it’s worth it.
Amazon also offers its own white glove-esque delivery service. Amazon's Haul Away and Unpack service is a specialist delivery service that also includes old mattress removal. It's only available in certain locations (and for certain beds), and the price is determined on an individual basis.
Which mattress brands offer white glove delivery?
A lot of sleep brands offer white glove delivery, but very few brands provide it for free. Below, we’ve rounded up the white glove delivery options from some of our favorite US sleep brands.
Saatva: Free
The Saatva Classic is one of our favorite mattresses. That’s primarily due to the high quality of the build, but the premium extras help sweeten the deal (check out our Saatva Classic mattress review to learn more).
Avocado: $249, $279 with old mattress removal
For in-room set up, Avocado charges $249, and another $30 for old mattress removal. During our Avocado Green mattress review, we felt two people are needed to set up this heavy mattress, so it might be worth the extra cost.
Nectar : $199
Nectar offers a Premium In-Home Setup for an additional fee of $199. They’ll also take away your old mattress as part of the service.
Purple : Free with select mattresses, or $200
Purple offers a slightly confusing white glove delivery service. It’s free with the Restore and Rejuvenate models, but $200 to upgrade delivery with other mattress models.
Tempur-Pedic: Free with select mattresses
Tempur-Pedic provides free white glove delivery for select mattresses. However, if you order the Tempur Cloud, it only comes with standard delivery.
We typically associate white glove delivery with mattress brands in the US, but some UK brands are starting to introduce the service. Here are a few of our top picks.
Panda London: Free
The Panda Bamboo Hybrid comes with free white glove delivery. Panda will deliver the mattress to your chosen room, set it up, and get rid of your old mattress.
Brook + Wilde: Free
A premium, handcrafted mattress brand, Brook + Wilde offers free white glove delivery for all mattresses. However, keep in mind that Brook + Wilde has a long delivery period, so you will be waiting several weeks for your bed.
Tempur: Free
Tempur mattresses are pricey and discounts are rare, but you can expect free white glove delivery with all models.
Ruth is TechRadar’s Sleep Writer. She’s here to help you find the perfect sleep setup for your budget and personal preferences. As well as keeping a keen eye on everything that’s going on in the world of mattresses, she regularly speaks to experts to help you learn how to improve your sleep habits, whether that’s by debunking sleep myths or explaining the science behind it all. Prior to joining the TechRadar team, she wrote features and product guides for new parents hoping to get a decent night's sleep, as well as writing for a variety of online spaces.