How to tell if your mattress is old or should be replaced

Are you wondering if your mattress is too old? If you are asking yourself that question, chances are it is. But, if you want to be sure consider some of the following questions.

1. When did you buy your mattress?

The typical lifespan of a mattress is around 7-8 years before you can expect some notceable breakdown in performance.

2. What type of material is it made of?

I often get asked which breaks down faster, springs or foam? The answer depends on the qualtity of both.

If you have a mattress made with dense foam, think memory foam that is slow to conform and slow to recover. This type of foam will last longer than some of the less dense foams on the market which are designed to be more responsive.

Coil systems also can vary in quality. If you have lower gauge coils that are firmer, they will also hold up longer but be less conforming.

Mattresses made of natural latex can last a long time upwards of 15 years. That’s because latex is a very durable material that isn’t as prone to breaking down as memory foam. However the trade off is that it doesn’t conform as well and can be more expensive than memory foam.

3. How Heavy are you? 

Finally, your weight and amount of use of the mattress also affects lifespan. Heavier people will wear down a mattress much longer than a light person. I can say for certain but I imagine for every 10 lbs. over 200 lbs in weight, you can subract 6 months off the lifespan of a typical mattress.

4. How often do you use your mattress?

If you have a matttress in a vacation home you rarely use, that will last much longer than the mattress you use every night. However even an unused mattress will still age over time.

5. Did you buy a quality mattress to begin with? 

If you bought a mattress with inexpensive components or poor construction you may not even get 3 years of good life out of it. You often get what you pay for, up to a point. Stay away from some of the bargain basement deals and makes sure that you know what is going in to your new mattress.

6. How does your mattress feel?

If you wake up in the moring with a sore back or you find yourself tossing and turning all night, then it’s your body’s way of telling you that you’re not getting proper support. Extra pillows can help but that is a bandaid approach. Stop by a mattress store to give a new mattress a test drive to see how they feel compared to yours at home. Give yourself enough time on the mattress, at least 15 minutes before making any conclusions.

If if it turns out you do need a mattress, you’re in luck. There are some great online brands out there that are affordable, have excellent free trial periods and feel amazing.

If you are looking for more ways find out if you need a new mattress, take this short quiz.