How Often Should You Flip Or Rotate Your Mattress
When you buy a new mattress, following the best maintenance practices can ensure your mattress lasts a long time. Washing bedding weekly, vacuuming your mattress once every three months, and using
When you buy a new mattress, following the best maintenance practices can ensure your mattress lasts a long time. Washing bedding weekly, vacuuming your mattress once every three months, and using a mattress protector are general rules to maintain your new bed. Similarly, mattress flipping or rotating can extend the life of your mattress. But you cant flip or rotate all mattress models.
If your mattress is flippable, how often should you flip it? If its not dual-sided, how often should you rotate it? In this article, we discuss the difference between flipping and rotating, why should you flip or rotate, and how to do so.
How To Rotate A Mattress: Step By Step Guide
Follow these easy steps to make sure you rotate your mattress quickly and efficiently:
- Strip everything off the bed, including bedding, sheets and any mattress toppers, protectors, pads or electric blankets.
- Move objects off your bedside tables, including any bedside lamps. Broken bulbs wont make the job any easier!
- If youve got a partner or friendly neighbor, make sure they help. Two hands are easier than one.
- If your mattress has handles, use these to shift the mattress without putting extra strain on the sides.
- Rotate in a quarter turn, take a short rest and then move to the front of the bed to do another quarter turn. And voila! The mattress will be turned 180 degrees.
Step : Plan Bed Rotation
Twin sized beds are fairly easy to rotate as they are small and manageable for one person. As the mattress gets larger you may want to have someone help you with the rotating responsibilities. Plan rotating the mattress and set reminders for every three months that will be easy to remember.
- Start the new year rotating the mattress.
- Celebrate independence by rotating your mattress for July Fourth.
- Get ready for fall snuggling with the last mattress rotation of the year on October First.
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Does Flipping Mattress Help Back Pain
But the fresh surface that comes after flipping is said to help extend the lifespan of your mattress â after all, it’s no longer receiving pressure in the same places. As well as potentially benefiting your bank balance, mattress flipping may promote improved sleep quality and help those with back pain.
Step : Ready For Rotation
A large mattress will need a large space to rotate into. You will be turning the mattress a full 180-dgrees which means you should ready the room for the rotation. If not, you may find that your mattress may turn into a bull in a china shop knocking and breaking items in its way.
- Remove bedside lamps and breakable items from atop nightstands.
- Move bedside tables, desks or vanity into area away from bed
- Remove all bedding.
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Should I Flip My Mattress
First, its important to know whether you should flip your mattressbecause sometimes you shouldnt. Do you have a two-sided mattress, like an innerspring? Yes, flip it. Do you have a one-sided mattress? Dont flip it: Rotate it instead.
Dont stress: If youre unsure if your mattress is one-sided or two-sided, you can always test it out to see if its comfortable on both sides. Either way, it wont hurt your mattress.
Many modern mattresses are one-sided, meaning they have one sleepable surface and one surface that wasnt designed to be slept on. Pillowtops have their namesake cushioning on one side and not the other. Some foam mattresses have layers, with softer foam on top of increasingly dense layers for structure and support. These mattresses shouldnt be flipped and should instead be rotated.
Two-sided mattresses were designed specifically to be flipped. Flipping your mattress helps distribute your weight more evenly than just rotating the mattress, so typically flippable mattresses have a longer lifespan. Two-sided mattresses are often clearly marketed as having two sides. Innersprings and some foam mattresses fall into this category.
There are also outliers that fall somewhere in between. For example, there are newer foam mattresses with a soft side and a firm side, both of which are sleepable surfaces. While this means theyre technically two-sided, users are supposed to pick a side they prefer, then rotate it regularly.
Why You Should Rotate Or Flip A Mattress
Do you have a favourite side of the bed? Most people do. And after months of laying in the same spot, a mattress begins to wear down in that spot.
Rotating and flipping helps to evenly spread normal wear and tear across a mattress. Wildhorn says that can prolong the mattress life. And when rotated 180 degrees, she says, it will help you maintain neutral alignment in your spine which is crucial to getting a good nights rest.
A mattress with a dip in the middle isnt as comfortable as a properly maintained mattress. Youll sleep better and your mattress will last longer with routine care.
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Skip The Flip And Rotate Instead
Just because you dont have to flip your mattress doesnt mean youre off the hook entirely, though. Instead of doing a flip-over, you should be rotating. If you have a single-sided mattress , rotate the mattress from end to end that is, move the mattress 180 degrees, explains Consumer Reports. The foot of the mattress is now at the head, and vice versa.
The site recommends doing so every two weeks for the first three months you own a mattress, and then once every two months after. Other experts recommend rotating every six months, so pick your pace and stick to it. The idea is the same on either schedule: Rotating will help prevent your bed from getting the kind of divots sleeping in the same spot all the time can create.
Do I Need To Rotate Or Flip My Mattress
How do I rotate my mattress?
How do I flip my mattress?
it’s always best to do a flip-and-rotate so that the mattress is used more evenly
Why do I need to rotate or flip my mattress?
This evens out the pressure on the mattress, which leads to a longer lifespan for your mattress
Which is better: rotating or flipping?
Beware: not all mattresses out there can be flipped
No need to flipNo flipping requiredWhen you are buying a mattress, you will get a longer lifespan out of a mattress which can be flipped
How often should I rotate and flip my mattress?
every six months
Your bed base plays a role in the wear and lifespan of your mattress
A good quality bed base will also help distribute the pressure of the mattress more evenly
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Sagging: The Enemy Of Good Sleep And Support
The number one thing we want to avoid is a sagging mattress. It can cause back problems and be an overall uncomfortable experience.
From our article on sagging mattresses
The main cause of sagging is simple wear and repetitive pressure being placed on both the springs and fillings.
The great thing about a turnable mattress is that every few months, you can simply flip your mattress to sleep on the other side, thus spreading the wear and allowing your mattress to keep its shape for longer.
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How Often Should You Turn Your Mattress
Tags: pocket sprung mattress, bedroom, mattresses
Mattresses can have a long life if taken care of. Some mattress types like pocket sprung distribute pressure better than others, like open coil, thus having a longer life.
One trick can help extend the life of your mattress across types: Turning & rotating. Before you start feeling that turning and rotating your mattress is another unnecessary addition to your weekend to-do list, let us explain how this 5 minute task can improve the longevity of your mattress.
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How To Flip Your Mattressand When You Shouldnt
A quick guide to the essentials of mattress maintenance.
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Many of us grew up with an innerspring mattress. You might even remember flipping them every so often as part of their general care. Maybe theyre fond memories of the whole family getting together to share in the activity. Or maybe you broke a lamp, immediately after assuring someone you didnt need to move the lamp.
Over the years, mattress technology has evolved, bringing us pillowtops, water beds, air mattresses, and memory foam. While quite a few consumers still have innerspring mattresses, theyre no longer the only option out there. With so many different kinds of mattress becoming ubiquitous over the years, it can be difficult to know if the same care routines you remember still apply.
Why You Should Turn Your Mattress
Turning your mattress regularly allows the memory foam or springs to recover. If you constantly lie on the same spot for months, it will eventually conform to the shape of your body. Youll end up with dips and lumps that can ruin a good nights sleep.
Rotating a mattress evens out the wear patterns and allows the foam layers and springs to recover. This prolongs the lifespan of your mattress. It also ensures that you keep your spine in that all-important neutral position and prevents pressure points from developing.
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Which Types Of Mattresses Should And Shouldnt Be Flipped
Most mattresses these days are one-sided as they tend to have a base layer that works from the bottom up to give you plenty of support. However, there are still mattresses that are designed to be flipped. These have a softer side and a firmer side, with a support core providing the stability. All you need to do here is simply choose your side and then rotate it every so often.
Most one-sided mattresses will have the label or brand name clearly marked, so you know which way up it should be. If you are unsure about whether you can flip the mattress, check the brands website or contact them directly.
Its worth bearing in mind that just because you cant flip a mattress doesnt mean you wont be getting proper support throughout its use, as one-sided mattresses are designed that way to give you plenty of stability. Its this foundational layer that is key to keeping your posture aligned, so rotating it every so often and keeping it the right way up is important.
As mentioned, some traditional mattresses can and should be flipped, as they have identical construction on both sides. These should be flipped every six months or so and rotated at the same time to boost your comfort.
To recap, the mattresses that should be flipped are:
- Traditional mattresses with identical construction on both sides
- Mattresses that offer different firmnesses on each side
And the mattresses that should not be flipped are:
- Those constructed in layers with a firmer base
What Mattress Types Should Not Be Flipped
You shouldnt flip any mattress unless its specifically marketed as a double-sided mattress. Most memory foam, latex, hybrid, and pillow-top mattresses are one-sided. Flipping one-sided mattresses leads to excess pressure on the comfort layer, causing irreversible damage to the mattress.
Flipping memory foam beds that arent meant to be flipped can cause discomfort. Memory foam mattresses contain memory foam in the top comfort layer and poly-foam in the support layers. If you flip them, youll sleep on the poly-foam core layer. The core layers purpose is to support the memory foam layer, and so its quite firm. The softer layers becoming the core will lead to fast deterioration and pain.
Some memory foam beds also include sleep technologies in the comfort layer, such as gel, copper, or graphite infusions. These sleep technologies have a cooling effect. If the comfort layer isnt facing up, you cant reap the benefits of these sleep technologies.
Hybrid mattresses contain at least 2 inches of comfort layer and a coil layer at the base. These beds combine features of innerspring and memory foam or latex beds. Hybrids are heavy mattresses because they include more materials. Flipping them will create excess pressure on the comfort layer and damage it.
If you flip a pillow-top mattress you cant take advantage of the extra layer of padding on the comfort layer. Most innerspring mattresses have a pillow-top layer for extra cushioning.
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The Benefits Of Rotating Your Mattress
Ever wonder how long does a mattress last or how often you should replace your mattress? If youve been considered with mattress lifespan, mattress rotation can help.
- Lumps and bumps By evenly distributing your weight across the mattress, you can prevent lumps and bumps from forming. Lumps occur when the internal structure of the mattress gets bunched up, so this is a risk for sleepers who toss and turn often.
- Sagging When you strip your mattress bare, always look for evenness. Any sagging, or lower parts of your mattress can cause improper back supporteven if the mattress only sags an inch or two. If you tend to sleep on one side of the bed or sleep with a partner, you can stop sagging in its tracks with semi-frequent rotation. A sagging mattress is no fun, especially when you are trying to get a good nights sleep.
- Hammocking Have you ever climbed into bed, laid down for a good night of rest, only to roll towards the middle of the mattress by the time morning comes? This is called hammocking, and it can be prevented with rotation. Its similar to sagging, but can wreak extra havoc if youre a side sleeperhammocking reduces how much hip support you get. Hammocking is also one of the clearest signs you need a new mattress, so make sure to rotate your mattress to avoid this.
Why Did They Stop Making Flippable Mattresses
Flipping the mattress was intended to even out the use and thus, to make the bed more comfortable. If users chose not to flip the mattress regularly, the pressure from the weight of a human body could put too much regular pressure on some of the mattress springs and cause the mattress to sag over time.
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How Do I Rotate My Mattress
It is best to plan the rotations at least for the entire current year you can map them out on a calendar easily. Having to lift a heavy mattress is challenging. What is more, youd probably have to move the nightstands away from your bed as youd need the extra space.
The idea of this activity is for the mattress to take a 180-degree turn without flipping surfaces. Thats pretty much it. Wed recommend that you do so with a partner.
How Should You Rotate Your Mattress
Once you know how frequently you have to rotate your new bed, its best to set a reminder on your phone or calendar. Follow these steps to rotate your mattress without damaging it.
- Remove nightstands, lamps, and other furniture close to your bed.
- Gently rotate the mattress 180 degrees . The head side should now be on the feet side and vice-versa.
- While rotating, pause in between to vacuum dust mites, germs, and allergen buildup beneath your mattress. Accumulated allergens can trigger symptoms such as itchy throat, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, breathing difficulties, or skin irritation.
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Do You Need A New Box Spring When You Get A New Mattress
When purchasing a new bed, the foundation you will need depends on the type of mattress you select. Most mattresses do not need a box spring. Traditionally, box springs were used to absorb shock and keep body weight evenly distributed when paired with an innerspring mattress. However, modern modern-day box springs only add height.
Therefore, a box spring is usually not necessary. In fact, memory foam and latex mattresses can become damaged when placed on a box spring since these beds need to rest on a flat, solid foundation to prevent sagging.
Why Should I Flip My Mattress
The truth is that most modern mattresses are not meant to be flipped. For the most part, they are designed with specific layers and will not operate correctly if turned upside down. Typically, only older mattresses and innerspring mattresses with no pillowtop should be flipped.
The steel coil springs inside an innerspring mattress will wear out over time if someone sleeps in the same spot on the same side every night for the entire time they own their mattress. To help remedy this, it is recommended that people not only flip their innerspring mattresses over but rotate them as well.
Take a look at our list of the best innerspring mattresses for information.
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How Many Inches Of Memory Foam Is Best
High-quality memory foam mattresses 10 to 14-inch thick are good enough to provide body-conforming support. They are durable and can last around 10 to 15 years. Memory foam mattresses thinner than this may not be supportive or durable enough, developing soft spots and sags within three to four years.
How To Flip A Mattress
In general, you can use the same tips when flipping your mattress. The only thing you should consider is that you need to make sure that your mattress should be flipped. It is a bad idea if you have a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress. However, the situation is more complex with a hybrid there is a chance that you need to do it from time to time, and the best way to find out if flipping is necessary is to check what the manufacturer says about it.
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