The best mattress is the one that feels the most comfortable and supportive, and when shopping for a new mattress, the only way to know that is to kick off your shoes and try them out. But what if you can’t? That’s the Costco conundrum. You can’t try out the mattresses sold in most Costco warehouses, but the prices are alluring.

Costco was high scoring in our Ratings of mattress stores even though it earned, along with Sam’s Club, the lowest scores for service and selection. Costco earned its high rating on the strength of its low prices. Ratings are based on nearly 5,300 shopping experiences at walk-in retailers.

Costco sells Sealy innerspring mattresses and foam models from various suppliers. “The mattresses we sell provide the most universal fit we can provide our members. It’s a medium firm support that will take care of about 80 percent of our members,” says Jim Klauer, Costco’s vice president and general merchandise manager. He adds that consumers should do their homework and look at beds at other stores before they head off to Costco. But comparison-shopping is difficult as different stores might sell similar beds under different names. And if you do buy a mattress from Costco, you must haul it home. The good news is if you’re not happy with the mattress, you’ll receive a full refund, once you’ve hauled it back to Costco.

Our advice remains the same. The best way to judge a mattress is to wear comfortable clothes, remove your shoes, and lie down on the mattress for at least five minutes in each of your sleeping positions, for a total of 15 minutes or more. And be sure to ask about delivery and hauling away your old mattress.