That ugly black and white tag on your bed that scarily tells you “Do Not Remove Under Penalty Of Law” is your best friend when it is time to mattress shop. Let me give you an example of how it helps you.

Suppose you read online that latex mattresses are the perfect mattress for your sleep needs. You head down to the local mattress megastore and are greeted by Ed, the friendly salesperson. You explain that you want to see a latex mattress. He is most agreeable and takes you over to a wonderful mattress, proclaiming it to be 100% latex. You try it out and it does not quite feel like you expected, but the price is right and Ed proudly boasts that it is “on sale for 50% off!”

The Law Tag Is The Most Underutilized Feature On A Mattress.

Unfortunately, Ed is being less than honest. But how do you know for sure? Well, that is where the law tag comes in. The law tag is the black and white tag that lists the comfort layers as a percentage. It is required by law on every mattress. This is the quickest and easiest way to see if Ed knows what he is talking about. First off, it is rare to find any mattress that is “100% latex.” There will be edge support, fabric and possibly other types of foam inside. But if its truly a latex mattress, the percentage should be well over 50% to even be considered a latex mattress.

Another way to verify the contents of a mattress is to ask for the specifications of the mattress, or spec sheet. This should be something printed by the manufacturer showing all of the contents of the mattress – usually in inches. If the law tag is missing and there is no spec sheet, I would not do business with Ed.

Armed with this information, it is far easier to compare products from store to store, especially with different model names, and less than honest sales folks.

When you think it might be time to buy a new mattress, it might be helpful to check your mattress’ existing law tag to see how old it is. If it was made before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, its probably time to change. If you really liked your old mattress in its younger days, too bad, it no longer exists. But if you were happy with the brand, that may be something helpful as a starting point. Unfortunately, the beds made even 3 years ago will be drastically different today – some better, some drastically worse. Don’t carry brand loyalty too far. If that Purple Hippo Plush bed that you bought in 1975 feels much better than their 2013 model, look at other brands.

A final thought on law tags – if you have to remove the tag for some reason, store it some place safe with your receipt. You will need the law tag and your receipt if you ever have to file a warranty claim. I always recommend, if at all possible, leave the law tag on the mattress. That way it is always with your mattress.