Time To Change Your Mattress
If you recognize any of these signs, it’s probably time for a new mattress. Before investing, take some time to find exactly the right one: think about size, firmness, comfort and breathability.
Memory foam is a good option for anyone who needs tailored pressure relief and support, but the hugging sensation can cause hot sleepers to sweat at night. If you tend to overheat at night, you may be better off with an innerspring, hybrid or latex option. You’ll find plenty of pro buying advice in our best mattress guide – in the meantime, here’s a brief rundown of our favorite models:
Factors That Impact How Long Your Mattress Will Last
We spend a significant amount of time in bed. Rest is a vital part of our health it can determine how much energy we have for the day and contribute to our mental state. This is why choosing the mattress best suited for your lifestyle and needs is important. When deciding upon a mattress that contours your health and needs, there are several factors involved with the degradation of your mattress. Below is a list of variables to help determine the longevity of your TempurPedic Mattress.
Weight Support
Queen and king mattresses require a particular frame with an added bar for support. Larger bed frames without a sufficient frame may insufficiently distribute weight and offer increased strain to springs, as well as other internal materials. When a couple sleeps on a bed, or even if an individual that is heavier occupies a mattress, the added weight will degrade the mattress at a faster rate.
Density
When purchasing a bed, there are a variety of materials that can compose your mattress. Certain materials, like memory foam and latex, can offer long-term longevity due to their exceptional density. Less dense beds, like those that use continuous springs or independent springs, can offer firmer support but may degrade significantly over time. The components that make a mattress are selected for different reasons, so be sure to choose the mattress most suitable for your health and wallet.
Mattress Health And Care
Wear And Tear
Here Are 9 Signs To Determine If You Need A New Mattress:
1) Your mattress is over 8 years oldThe age of the mattress is one of the first things to consider. Most people dont remember when they bought their last mattress. If you are not good at keeping files, you should write the date of purchase on the mattress label. Consumer Reports magazine recommends replacement every 7 to 10 years. This may be a shock to many people who have purchased a mattress with a 20-year warranty. You should know that the warranty is meant to cover certain parts and workmanship and not a mattresss overall comfort.
2) You dont feel rested when you wakeIf you get a good nights sleep you should wake up feeling refreshed and rested. If you find that you are waking up tired and feeling drowsy during the day it may be due to too much tossing and turning throughout the night. Your body is working overtime to find a comfortable sleeping position that does not exist.
3) You wake up with aches and pains and holding your back
Are you waking up stiff and tired every morning? If you are then chances are you need a new mattress. Old mattresses tend to gradually lose the ability to provide proper support and once the comfort zone has matted down you will get pressure points by sleeping directly on the springs. As the comfort layers lose their compression , your mid-section, which represents the heavier part of your body, will sag into the mattress.
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Up The Mattress Maintenance
Make sure you take good care of your mattress if you want to keep its quality for as long as possible. This means you must clean your mattress regularly and rotate it every few months . If it’s flippable, flip it as directed , too. Consider a professional cleaning once a year, if it works for your budget.
When To Toss Them: 15 To 25 Years
Luckily, we can expect comforters to last longer. Because it doesn’t have to support weight the way pillows and mattresses do, according to Stewart, your comforter should last 15 to 25 years if you keep it covered and air it regularly. No way you’ll remember how long you’ve had it? Replace it when it begins to look limp and flat or starts leaking bits of filling, she says.
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New Or Worsening Allergies
If youve noticed wheezing, sneezing, or coughing, allergies may have infested your bed. Mattresses play host to mold, mildew, and dust mites, and other unwelcome visitors. While these infestations may go unnoticed, if youre allergic, youll notice your nose and lungs are irritated.
To protect your mattress from dust mites and allergens, place a mattress protector over your mattress and opt for a hypoallergenic mattress, such as latex or memory foam.
The Actual Age Of Your Mattress
The standard mattress will start showing telltale signs of age anywhere between seven to 10 years. So once your mattress starts hitting these numbers, its best to start observing any changes to how it looks and feels. Are there spots which arent as firm as they used to be? Are you unable to sleep as well as you used to? While your mattress may still have a few solid years left, being able to catch the trouble spots before they get worse can save you a lot of backaches and sleepless nights.
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When To Replace A Mattress
Old mattresses are a leading cause of poor-quality sleep, which has been linked to everything from high stress levels to obesity and a weak immune system.
But the side effects of sleeping on an old mattress aren’t limited to poor-quality sleep. By failing to provide the support your body needs, it can lead to back and neck pain. Meanwhile, the build-up of dust mites can worsen your allergy symptoms.
Replacing your old mattress could make a serious difference to your health and wellbeing. Read our guide to find out how long the average mattress lasts, and learn about the warning signs that indicate yours is past its best.
Do You Know When You Should Replace Your Bed
May 27, 2021 |
If youve spent every night with your mattress for years, maybe nows the time to think about replacing it. While there is no official use by date on a mattress, there is definitely a best before. And that means before your sleep starts suffering!
Yet most people only replace their mattresses when theyre finding them truly uncomfortable. We often dont take into account that it is not just about how the mattress looks or feels there are other factors involved. Your mattress may look okay to the naked eye but whats really going on inside? Is it still supporting you correctly? Is it still offering the optimum levels of comfort?
Theres also the hygiene aspect too. Each year you shed a pound of skin into your mattress and lose around half a pint of moisture while sleeping each night. Plus regular mattress replacement is vital to reduce the prevalence of the house dust mites linked with many allergic health problems.
Dont forget if youve had your mattress more than 10 years your body may be sensitive to new problems , you may have lost or gained a sleeping partner and you may have got slimmer or bigger.
If you were asked how long do you think a mattress should last, what would your answer be? Five years? 10 years? Or would you say something shocking like 15 years? Its not uncommon for people to believe that a mattress should last around 10-15 years, even if theyve only paid a couple of hundred pounds for it.
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Your Sleeping Situation Has Changed
Even if your mattress is still in tip-top shape, it still might be time to get a new mattress. Life can change in an instant, and a mattress just might not fit your new needs.
Pregnancy, weight loss, weight gain, and/or gaining a new sleeping partner could all warrant the purchase of a new mattress. If you discover you have a health condition like arthritis, sciatica, or fibromyalgia, that may also be a cause to find a new mattress with better pressure relief.
How Do You Know When Your Mattress Needs Replacing
Once you see or feel sagging you should look for a new mattress. If youre suddenly experiencing back pain, it might be your bed, not your body. Its possible your memory foam or innerspring mattress can no longer support your body. If you see exposed layers, rips, and tears then its a sure sign the bed needs to be replaced. This is especially critical if you have health concerns since ripped mattresses can be susceptible to bed bugs.
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How Often Should You Change A Memory Foam Mattress
A premium memory foam mattress can last for around eight to 10 years, as this type of foam is more durable than basic foam. Also, if the mattress is all-foam then theres less chance of certain layers or different components deteriorating quicker and compromising the overall quality of the mattress.
To keep your memory foam mattress in good condition, rotate it regularly and use a proper bed frame as recommended by the manufacturer.
If you are no longer getting proper pressure relief from yours, and you wake up with aches and pains, then its time to upgrade. The foam may also become softer and start to yellow over time, which are other signs that you need to change your mattress.
One of our top-rated memory foam models is made by Nectar. That’s because it suits a range of body types and sleeping positions. Its also fantastic value for money, and you can see the latest savings in our guide to the best Nectar Black Friday sales and early discounts.
What Actual Customers Say
As your trusted bedding reviewers, we felt an obligation to get down and dirty and research what actual customers of TempurPedic had to say about the durability of their mattresses. We went through literally hundreds of reviews dating back several years looking for folks who specifically mentioned how long their mattress lasted.
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Mattress Myth 3 The Right Mattress Will Prevent Tossing And Turning
Babies start rolling over in their sleep at around 4 months of age and by adulthood, were moving as much as 75 times a night whether its a simple twitch or a full-out roll. We move during the night to alleviate pressure point pain and to reduce stress and strain on our backs and joints. A good mattress will reduce how much you move at night by providing pressure point relief, which will allow you to slip into deeper, healing REM sleep.
How Long Does A Memory Foam Mattress Last
Memory foam mattresses can last 1020 years much longer than traditional sprung mattresses. This is because, while they mould to your body while you sleep, they’re able to return to their original shape once you’ve gotten out of bed.
However, it’s worth noting that a mattress might need replacing sooner or later than its recommended lifespan, depending on its quality, how it’s looked after, and how often it’s used. You should use your judgement and look out for signs that your mattress is negatively affecting your quality of sleep.
For further advice on how to care for your memory foam mattress read our Mattress Care Guide.
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Use A Mattress Protector
Keep spills, dust and dirt from damaging your mattress by covering it with a great mattress protector. Many of these will extend the life of your mattress while making it cushion-y soft and cozy at the same time. Look for fun features like cooling properties in your mattress protector if you’d benefit from them.
How Often Should You Replace Your Mattress It Depends
Find out when to replace each type of mattress. Plus, how to tell when it’s wearing out and how to make it last longer.
The average mattress lasts somewhere between six to 10 years — but many folks can and do keep them longer due to their cost. Truth is, there’s no single way to tell for how long every mattress will actually last. Plenty of factors play into that fluctuating number of years, including the type of mattress, the quality of its materials and how well you take care of it. Below, we explain how often to replace your own mattress and how to shop for longevity, plus a few ways to extend the life of the bed you already have.
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Your Mattress Is Saggy
Mattresses are usually made from cotton, foam, wool fiber, or other similar materials, which will naturally soften. Through the years, however, softening leads to sagging, and sagging leads to loss of shape. Now, this may not be very noticeable, especially if its the only bed youve been sleeping on for most of the time.
But sleeping on a mattress full of lumps and indentations will definitely take its toll. Youll likely toss and turn, only to wake up feeling sore, stiff, and still tired.
Your Mattress Has Worn Or Frayed Edges
Worn or frayed edges aren’t the end of the world — they don’t necessarily affect the area of the mattress you sleep on. But, mattresses are built to last, and worn edges are a clear sign that your mattress is well past the average lifespan of 10 years. So even if you don’t notice any sagging or asymmetry, take a look at the edges to check whether it might be time for a new mattress.
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Worsening Allergies Or Asthma
If its not allergy season and theres no alternate explanation for an uptick in allergy or asthma symptoms, your mattress might be the culprit. Slate interviewed an expert on dust mites that said your mattress is a crime scene in terms of how it gets inoculated with mites over time.
The protein in dust mite feces may cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks and so can the dust that accumulates in your mattress. Vacuuming, steaming, and flipping your mattress might reduce dust and mites to ease your symptoms. If these steps dont help, a new mattress might be the solution.
Factors Influencing Mattress Lifespan
A variety of factors influence the longevity of a mattress. A cheap $250 bed will degrade much faster than a luxury mattress, for example. Some key factors that impact mattress replacement guidelines include:
Mattress Material The materials used to manufacture your bed greatly influence its durability. Lower-quality innerspring and all-foam mattresses tend to have the shortest lifespans, as they are prone to sagging and body impressions respectively. Hybrid mattresses are also prone to these issues, but since theyre often sold as higher-end options and made with higher-quality materials, they tend to be more durable. Latex mattresses are the most durable, lasting upwards of 8 years
Depending on the material, there are a few good ways to predict durability. For innerspring and hybrid mattresses, look for a lower coil gauge . For mattresses with foam, look for higher foam densities . Finally, make sure youre getting natural latex rather than synthetic latex.
Maintenance & Care Like any other product, a mattress will last longer if you take good care of it. This means rotating your mattress every 3 months or so and utilizing a mattress protector.
Children & Pets If you share your bed with small children, or with animals, its likely that you will need to replace your mattress more frequently. In addition to the extra weight, both pets and children are more likely to cause stains and/or damage to the mattress.
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Do You Wake Up Tired Or Sore
We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. If you regularly wake up tired and sore, it’s likely your mattress has stopped supporting your body properly while you sleep. This can cause you to toss and turn through the night, which will prevent you from getting the rest you need. If this is something you struggle with, it’s probably time to look for a replacement.
Your Mattress Is Over 7 Years Old
We realise this seems like a blindingly obvious point given that weve already said this above, but go and check when you bought your current mattress. The National Bed Federation recommends replacing your mattress about every 7 years.
After 7 years a mattress has been subjected to over 20,000 hours of wear and tear! No mattress is designed to last forever. Inferior products dont last as long, but even a premium quality mattress will eventually need replacing.
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When To Replace Your Mattress: Here Are 9 Signs
Have you checked your mattress lately? If not, now may be a good time to do so.
Many people use the warranty of their mattress as a guide to determine when its time to replace it. However, what people should know is that the comfort ingredients, on top of your spring core, wear out much sooner than the springs and that sagging or softening of the top layers is considered normal wear by the mattress industry. It doesnt have to be that way.
