When purchasing a mattress, it’s easy to buy into the hype of a lifetime warranty, but will your mattress last a lifetime?
The answer sadly is probably not. Chances are, you’re going to need to replace your mattress long before the warranty is up.
You may be looking at your old mattress right now wondering how to tell when it’s time to change it out for a new one.
Follow my comprehensive guide to find out the average life of a mattress, signs that it’s time to change your bed and even helpful tips to extend the life of your dream space.
How Long Will A Mattress Last?
This is the golden question. Unfortunately, there isn’t one concrete number you can live by. While many mattress warranties run for 5-20 years, research is suggesting that your mattress will not endure through the length of the warranty.
Sleep Like the Dead collected information from over 4,000 mattress owners in regards to how long their beds maintained its original support and comfort. Then, they compared this information to the length of the mattress warranty.
Time and time again, the research showed that a mattress’s useful life is usually just a fraction of the warranty length. Having a longer warranty, however, did indicate that the mattress would last longer than models with short warranties.
For example, they found on average that a 5-year warrantied mattress would last 4.7 years, while a mattress warrantied for 20 years held out on average for 8.2 years. That is a big difference and often worth the extra money.
How Do I Know It’s Time To Change The Mattress?
Sleep Train offers five signs that it is time to replace your old mattress. The first thing to take into consideration is how you feel when you wake up.
Are you tired or sore? It’s possible you feel like you haven’t even slept! These are telltale signs that it’s time for a new mattress.
Take the time to regularly inspect your mattress every time you are washing the bedding.
Does it appear to be worn out or lumpy?
Can you notice any visible sagging?
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, it’s usually time to replace that mattress.
Have you been looking for other places to sleep recently?
Is it a joy to crash on the couch or in your favorite recliner instead of heading to bed?
It might be time to invest in that new mattress. In fact, if you find that sleeping in a recliner is comfortable, you may even prefer an adjustable bed that can provide the upright sleeping positions with the support that your body needs.
Think back to the last time you purchased a mattress?
Can you remember when it was?
If your mattress is 7 years or older, a new mattress is going to be beneficial to your body and your sleep.
How is your partner sleeping?
If he or she is tossing all night long, you can bet the mattress isn’t providing them with adequate support either. Do something good for your relationship and treat them to a new mattress.
What Are The Dangers Of Sleeping On An Old Mattress?
Dalai Lama said, “Sleep is the best meditation.” If your mattress is old and saggy, you aren’t getting the benefits of a great meditation session, in fact, you’re potentially doing harm to your body.
There are four main side effects of continuing to sleep on that old mattress, according to Hunker. First, you’re going to inevitably experience pain.
This is, in fact, one of the most common symptoms of those sleeping on an older mattress. This is because your older bed is lacking the proper body support due to the uneven surfaces caused by lumps and sagging.
The muscle and back pain will plague you because that bed is allowing your spine to bend. When this happens, you’re essentially straining your muscles, ligaments, and joints. For best support, choose a medium firm bed when you make your next purchase.
Second, a bad mattress could be creating your insomnia. When you’re tossing and turning most of the night, you aren’t getting into a deep sleep and you’re creating poor sleep patterns for your body.
Because of that tossing and turning, you bring on the third negative health effect; fatigue. Even when you’ve had your eight hours of sleep, you may find yourself constantly exhausted due to the lack of quality sleep time.
Don’t wait to grab that new mattress if you’re finding yourself dragging and feeling tired most of the day.
Finally, an older mattress is capable of triggering the asthma symptoms and allergic reactions you face. Bad mattresses are known for containing dust mites or even dangerous materials responsible for those symptoms. Investing in a hypoallergenic material with your new mattress should alleviate some of your issues.
Is A Warranty Worth it?
You may now be asking yourself what the point in having a warranty is if the bed isn’t expected to last that long under normal use. The warranty on the mattress serves as a great gauge for how long your mattress should last. Obviously, mattresses with a longer warranty are generally built to last longer.
Keep in mind that normal wear is not included in a mattress warranty. These are solely for manufacturing defects that you had no control over. With that in mind, replacing a mattress under a warranty can also be expensive.
You could face fees just to have someone come to the home for an inspection of your mattress. Then there is sometimes even a fee to remove the defective mattress. As if that weren’t enough, you might even face another fee to have the new or repaired mattress delivered to your home.
Having said all that that you’ve read above, I believe this is a perfect time to explore affordable mattresses online!
How To Make the New Mattress Last?
Consumer Reports offers some helpful tips when it comes to extending the life of a mattress.
- Never let the kids jump on your mattress or use it as a trampoline.
- Rotate your mattress on a regular schedule. If you have a single-sided mattress, you will want to rotate end to end or 180 degrees. Basically, you’ve changed the head to now be the foot. If you have a double-sided mattress, you can turn it over and rotate it 180 degrees. You’ll want to perform this every two weeks for your first three months and then just once every two months for the life of your mattress.
- Make sure you have a bed frame that provides center support to prevent sagging.
Conclusion
Sleeping on that old mattress simply isn’t worth it. Between the aches and pains you experience and the insomnia and fatigue you’ll fight, investing in a new mattress is going to prove to be worthwhile.
Take your time and pick the very best so that you can enjoy peaceful and restful sleep for years to come. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
