With 30-plus years of experience in the foam industry, more than half of that spent manufacturing and providing high-quality bedding materials, Foam Factory knows one or two things about how to get a good night’s sleep. We know that no two people are the same, and what one person wants in a mattress may be the absolute opposite of what another wants. What’s more, as people grow and age, their comfort and sleeping preferences change as well.
And just as we change, so too do our mattresses. Even the highest quality products can’t last forever, especially given the amount of time we spend in bed. Unfortunately, few people think of a mattress as something that needs to be periodically replaced, and a mattress that isn’t right for you can seriously impact your life. Likewise, the right mattress for you can make all the difference in the world, from giving you more energy to eliminating aches and pain.
Sometimes, people don’t even know what they’re missing out on because they’ve never experienced the benefit of a mattress that’s right for them. Maybe you’ve been considering getting a new mattress for a while and are curious if it’s the right decision. Or maybe you’ve never even considered the impact a new sleeping surface can have on your life. No matter where you fall, we at Foam Factory have put together a list of suggestions and tips for helping you decide if it’s time to get a new mattress.
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Tip #1: It’s Old
Have you slept on the same mattress since you were a child or in college? Did you inherit your mattress after parents, relatives or friends bought a new one? Do you have trouble even remembering when you bought the mattress you sleep on every night? If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” you should probably be looking into purchasing a new mattress. The general rule of thumb in the bedding industry is to replace a mattress about every seven years. Like we previously mentioned, mattresses don’t last forever and are not indestructible. This can be deceiving, since an old mattress may look okay and generally feel okay, despite its advancing years.
For perspective, try to imagine you saw someone every day for 10 years. You probably wouldn’t have noticed when a couple gray hairs or a few wrinkles showed up. Now imagine not seeing that same person for 10 years, then running into them on the street. You’d notice pretty quickly how they had changed, and there’s a chance you may not even recognize them. A mattress works the same way. You sleep on it every day and may not notice as it inevitably starts to lose its comfort and support qualities. But if you bought two identical mattresses, slept on one every day for 10 years and never touched the other, you would immediately notice the differences between the two if you suddenly switched to the unused one. Simply put, mattresses wear out.
Some mattresses may provide proper comfort and support for a decade, based on the user and their sleeping patterns. But even if still structurally sound, it is possible that a mattress can become a breeding ground for dust mites and other organisms that survive on the dead skin cells that collect in our mattresses. Their presence can be the allergen or irritant preventing you from getting your best sleep. Conversely, a mattress may fail in four or five years, depending on the user and the product’s quality. Either way, a soft seven years is generally regarded as the typical range for a useable mattress, given the contributing deterioration factors. Whether it’s innersprings, memory foam, latex foam, or fiber-stuffed pads, the materials used are unable to function properly forever. Your clothes get too old, cars get too old and even furniture like couches gets too old. Now you know beds do too, so be sure to replace yours on schedule.
For the next posts in our series, click here:
When is it Time to Replace Your Mattress? – Part II: It’s too Hard to Move!
When is it Time to Replace Your Mattress? – Part III: Trust Your Eyes
When is it Time to Replace Your Mattress? – Part IV: Allergies
When is it Time to Replace Your Mattress? – Part V: You’re Uncomfortable
