Mattress retailers greatest trick was convincing the NZ public that you need to spend $2000+ to get a reasonable mattress.

Furniture is generally quite expensive in NZ. Really should get IKEA to come set up shop, that would drive down prices.

jonathan18: I disagree that that budget inherently means the mattress will be uncomfortable.

There are many shops now selling Chinese-made mattresses in this price range, and while one can argue about how appropriate it is to bring these items in from the other side of the world and as to whether they’ll last a long time, some of them aren’t too bad.

We have bought second-hand beds and mattresses on Trade Me. The expensive mattresses are usually well looked after and people often use an additional cover or protector so they look as new even after a few years of use. The photos often give a clear picture of the condition of the mattress and the house it is used in. We wouldn't consider buying one from a house with pets like cats and dogs.

If you can pick-up the bed & mattress then you can get them at a cheap price because many people just want to avoid the hassle of getting rid of it themselves. They've often bought a new bed and mattress so they want a quick sale and pick-up.

kiwifidget:

 

I bought one of these for my aging uncomfortable mattress...

 

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.co.nz/bedroom/mattress-toppers/TO0002/Bambou-Mattress-Topper.html

 

RRP is ridiculously expensive, but got one on sale and price was justifiable.

 

Completely transformed sleep time, best money I ever spent.

 

This is a great option.

We had inherited a cheap queen bed and mattress. We're used to latex mattresses so being able to feel the spring pockets was an obvious issue which that topper resolved. We bought it for half price on sale. Now we're also much happier to pass that mattress on to friends who need a spare bed.

Id go used, problem is delivery, I have a station wagon by no towbar and only the gutter on the roof not the rails themselves.

jonathan18: I disagree that that budget inherently means the mattress will be uncomfortable.

There are many shops now selling Chinese-made mattresses in this price range, and while one can argue about how appropriate it is to bring these items in from the other side of the world and as to whether they’ll last a long time, some of them aren’t too bad.

We spent about that on a king single and it’s pretty damn comfortable. Sure, it’s only for a spare bed, but it’s a damn sight better than the mattresses many students may be using. Ours was the euro top on this page, but I think the store is only in my area.

https://furnituretree.co.nz/index.php/catalogsearch/advanced/result?height_calc%255Bfrom%255D=0&height_calc%255Bto%255D=2200&width_calc%255Bfrom%255D=0&width_calc%255Bto%255D=2500&depth_calc%255Bfrom%255D=0&depth_calc%255Bto%255D=2400&price%255Bfrom%255D=0&price%255Bto%255D=4700&bed_size=2&category=2377