Why mattresses fail

The answer is hidden in the part of the mattress that so many people equate to luxury… the pillow top. Many mattresses are built with a quilted top composed of low quality materials, specifically polyethylene foam and fiber fill… incredibly cheap materials that increase the profit margin on the mattress.

These low quality products feel great on the showroom floor but quickly break down with normal use. As the mattress continues to fail, people have the experience of sinking deeper and deeper into their mattress.

This sag is not just uncomfortable but can lead to sleep loss, poor sleep quality, and neck, shoulder, and back pain. September 20, Written by Keith Cushner. For mattresses, two types of warranties typically apply.

The manufacturer or seller of the mattress will provide a written warranty , which promises to repair or replace a defective product as long as certain conditions are met. Written warranties provide coverage for a given length of time; most written warranties for mattresses are valid for five, 10, 15 or 20 years, depending on the brand and the seller.

Written warranties are not required by law. Implied warranties , on the other hand, are protected by law in all 50 states. Implied warranties include two fundamental components.

A warranty of merchantability ensures the product will perform all essential functions and meet consumer expectations. Additionally, a warranty of fitness guarantees that the product can be used for any and all specific purposes agreed upon by the buyer and seller.

What Is Covered in a Mattress Warranty? Other physical defects covered under most mattress warranties include: Coils that break, bend or burst out of the side.

Seams that come undone. Irregular bunching in certain areas usually associated with foam mattresses. For mattresses, normal wear and tear may include: Sagging that does not reach the minimum depth threshold as covered in the warranty. Lumpiness or uneven surfaces caused by long-term use. Discoloration as a result of machine or hand washing. The most common factors that lead to a mattress warranty being voided by the seller or manufacturer include the following: Removal of the Law Tag: All mattresses will be sold with a small tag attached, usually somewhere on the back surface.

However, the law tag is considered a proof of purchase, and removing it will automatically void the warranty. A warranty may be voided if the box spring is old, misshapen or damaged, or if the bed frame is not equipped with a stable metal bar that supports the mattress in the center.

A standard mattress warranty will include specific support guidelines that the buyer must follow. Stains: Many liquids can corrode mattress foam, causing the product to break down and lose its structural integrity.

Mattresses with irremovable stains are also considered unsanitary, and thus legally unfit for storage in company warehouses. As you assess durability, there are a few key points to keep in mind. Commonly, coil gauges range from around 12 to You can typically expect a mattress featuring thicker wires, or lower coil gauges, to be more firm while thinner, or higher-gauged, springs are usually more gentle. Firmer innerspring mattresses usually have a coil gauge of 14 or higher.

This is because thinner coils typically offer less durability. One feature that you could look for in an innerspring mattress that can help increase the durability of overall comfort is one that includes a pillow top or Eurotop cover. These products add a soft comfort layer that can help you more easily adapt to a higher coil gauge. Another option you could consider is to purchase a quality mattress topper to supplement the main product.

There are a variety of quality mattress toppers on the market, and they can be acquired at costs that are accommodating for most budgets. When you buy a mattress topper, you can enjoy the ability to customize your bed as you have a number of material options from which to choose regardless of what your mattress features.

Just a few that are available include:. Memory foam. Gel Memory foam. And more!. This is because, as time goes by, the coils do come loose, and this not only causes unsightly bumps, but they can also poke into your body as you try to sleep. You may also very well wake up still feeling tired. Polyurethane is going to typically be your least expensive option, but you sometimes pay for that in a compromise in overall durability.

This is because this foam type is relatively easy to produce. It is similar in composition to memory foam. The main difference is that memory foam adds chemicals that create the feeling you are sinking into the mattress as it reacts to temperature and pressure. While you may be inclined to believe that a firm polyurethane product will last longer , what you really need to examine is the density it features. There are always exceptions to the rule. A good rule-of-thumb to follow as you analyze densities in the support layers to determine a potential good match follows:.

One-sided mattresses- 1. Two-sided mattresses- 1. For those who carry more weight- 2. The higher the density, the longer you can expect the product to last, so pay close attention to these numbers.

These include:. It is high density polyurethane foam, so you can typically expect a higher durability than standard polyfoam. This can be a good option for those who carry a lot of weight as they are typically firmer and more supportive. A lack of a return or well defined exchange policy can affect your satisfaction if the mattress you buy is not perfect. In most cases, these days, if you buy a bed online, there is typically no fee to return a bed or exchange it.

Remember, allow yourself time to adapt to a new mattress. It can take a few weeks to get nestle in and let your body get comfortable, so you should have at least days to make up your mind. Some retailers will require you to try the bed for a certain number of days prior to returning, and we think this is and excellent policy. Taking the time to research and compare mattresses makes it easier to find the perfect mattress for your situation.

Looking online for reviews can also help provide excellent information on qualities such as comfort, durability, and performance. Best part of it is that you can do your research without leaving your house. By shopping online you can avoid this for the most part. We have done the research for you on over 45 great mattresses. We considered over option, and narrowed the list down.

Mattress shopping is confusing for virtually everyone. Many mattress complaints wander the spectrum from beds feeling way too firm or far too soft. There is no foolproof formula for choosing the correct degree of firmness, but rules of thumb pretty much suggest that back sleepers should opt for medium-firm to medium beds, side sleepers medium to softer, bordering on plushy, and stomach sleepers should seek out something as firm as they can tolerate. Side and stomach sleepers put pressure on a mattress in different ways than back sleepers.

Softer mattresses provide the ability to sink into the bed for better spinal alignment. It is important to observe that sleeping on your belly is not strongly medically recommended. This is because belly sleeping contorts the natural curvature of our spine, putting additional pressure on our internal organs, and can lead to restricted airways, limiting our ability to breathe without effort as we sleep.

Sleep studies find that people with back pain generally feel best on beds of moderate firmness. We highly recommend either memory foam or natural latex, as these materials help distribute load sideways, rather than down, reducing pressure points and helping to distribute spinal pressure away from the body.

These measurements are quite accurate and refer to the amount of weight needed to compress the foam a certain distance. Another complaint often seen in reviews stems from owners immediately assuming that they overpaid or have been scammed buying a mattress. Even when they find the bed comfortable, a sense that someone has paid way too much can overshadow all other qualities of the bed and strongly affect satisfaction and ratings.

Retailers are notorious for using sales tactics to exaggerate prices, such as making comparisons difficult or using subtle techniques such as exposing you to endless repetition of images and logos, all designed to make you familiar with the brand.

This is well established with one or two of the top selling online mattresses. Stick to your budget constraints, too. Using this guideline will generally work. Did you know that the mattress industry is carefully designed to confuse you and to lure you into making an uninformed decision that maximizes the profit of the retailer?

Sounds like common sense, I know, and like any other business model, empathy is often left out of the equation. For one, when shopping for a decent mattress, we are conditioned to think that a good bed has to cost a couple thousand bucks. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. So I endeavored to design mattresses that cost very little to make, and I would position them in strategic fashion so that I could maximize my return. Good business practice. I was sure to design a quality mattress every time, and I bought only the bestfoams and coil systems and fabrics for my beds.

This bait and switch method is using prominently in the mattress industry and was born on the floors of retail stores across the USA. Today, the benefit of buying online is of course, the reviews.

Make sure they are independent reviews, not generated by the web site and their own users. Use recognizable review companies like Google, Yelp, TrustPilot, and other entities. Remember, avoid reading contrived reviews on sites that are influenced or owned by the mattress companies themselves. Tencel is a naturally derived material that is super absorbent, lightweight, soft, and highly breathable, too.