How Many Years Should a Mattress Last? The Complete Lifespan Guide

People spend a one-third of their life sleeping. Since a person spends most of his/her life lying in bed, then the bed should be among the vital pieces of furniture that exist in one's house. The furniture allows you to be comfortable while sitting and ensures that your body maintains good posture. 

The main function of the bed is to provide you with an opportunity to have enough rest at night for you to wake up the next morning refreshed. Like any other piece of furniture, a bed also ages.

Different components of the bed may become redundant when the bed grows old. It will reach a point where metal springs that exist in beds will wear out. Also, the foam becomes stiff to the extent that it cannot regain its original shape after being compressed.

 Old age may cause the bed to develop dust particles due to fluids that come out of one's body. People prefer sleeping in old beds because they believe the bed has aged or wrong sleeping positions.

Now, what about the average lifespan of a mattress? In general, the average lifespan of a mattress is seven to ten years. It should be noted, however, that the above-average is just a rough approximation as there are several different factors that can influence the lifespan of your mattress. 

Some of them are the composition of the mattress itself, care, and usage. In this detailed guide, you will find everything you need to know about mattress longevity, warning signs that your mattress is approaching its end, and how to prolong your mattress lifespan.

Life Expectancy of Different Types of Beds

Depending on the materials used in making your mattress, the life expectancy of your bed will vary greatly. Here are four different types of beds together with their respective life expectancies.

1. Innerspring Bed (Life Expectancy: Five to Eight Years)

These beds basically constitute what we consider to be conventional beds. An innerspring bed consists of a framework made of steel coils, serving as a foundation. Covering the coil framework is either a cushioning made of foam padding, cotton, or fabric. 

These beds are less expensive compared to other beds; however, innersprings are noted to have the least life expectancies compared to all other types of beds. After six years of usage, the coils become weak. As such, the bed starts sagging, and within no time, the steel coils begin to be felt. The cheapest innerspring bed in the market will not last more than three or four years.

2. Memory Foam Bed (8-10 Years)

The memory foam bed is greatly favored in today's world because it provides the ideal body conformity while offering a remedy for joint pain. The ideal quality memory foam bed is thick and durable enough to withstand more than ten years. Low quality memory foam beds are soft because they cannot retain their flexibility. Thus, the beds will create an impression once a person gets out of them.

3. Hybrid Bed (7-10 Years)

A hybrid bed is composed of metal springs and memory foam sheets. It is a mixture of spring bed and memory foam bed. However, hybrid beds are not durable, and they can last between eight and ten years. The reason is that hybrid beds are durable for the same duration as metal springs, which can last between seven and ten years.

4. Latex Mattresses (10 to 15 years)

Latex is the undisputed king when it comes to durability in mattresses. This is because latex is made from the sap of rubber trees. It is extremely elastic and has superb air flow properties; besides being durable. If you buy a mattress that is completely made of latex, there is a possibility that you will use it for at least 15 years before any signs of wear appear.

Signs that It Is the Right Time to Buy New Bedding

There is no need for you to have an annual examination scheduled in your diary to determine when you should consider buying new bedding. There are plenty of signs that will tell you it is the right time to replace your existing bed sheets.

• Indention of Your Body Shape on the Mattress and Sinking Center

The first step in determining whether or not you should replace your current mattress involves checking your mattress' surface without any bed sheets. If there is any indention from your body shape on the surface of the mattress, this means that your current mattress has already started wearing off. This means that there is one inch of indention, which means that your mattress cannot support your spine any longer.

• Waking Up with Stiff Muscles

Think about how enjoyable it feels for you when you wake up after a decent rest, but the moment you start rising from the bed, you feel pains in the back area, along with stiffness in the neck. What is certain to be known here is that the problem is arising from the mattress.

How? Well, it is obvious that your mattress is wearing out, causing a disorder of your spinal cord. This clearly shows that for you to remain in balance during your sleep, muscles have to be used to help you hurt.

• Sleeping Well without Your Mattress

What if you decide to rest somewhere else other than on your mattress? Would you feel good doing it? Indeed!

• Increasing Symptoms of Allergies or Asthma

Over time, mattresses absorb skin flakes, moisture, and dust mites. If every day you wake up feeling congested, runny-eyed, or having a sore throat, your mattress could be full of allergens. A used, uncleaned mattress can contain millions of tiny dust mites, causing your body to react all through the night.

How Poor Habits Make Your Mattress Die Fast

Regardless of how costly your mattress is, if you don’t take care of it properly, it won’t last very long. There are several everyday habits that affect how long your mattress lasts.

• Weight of the Sleeper and the Size of the Bed

The weight of the sleeper influences the longevity of the mattress. This mattress will last longer for a thin person compared to that for a fat person. If the two sleepers use the same bed, there will be added pressure in the middle of the mattress. Heavy people change their mattresses very often due to the fast compression of the springs and foam in the mattress.

• Usage of the Mattress

Your other mattress lasts longer because you hardly use it for a few days in a month. Your major mattress, on the other hand, faces pressure for eight hours a day. It is subjected to immense pressure due to your habit of stepping on its edge while putting on your shoes.

• Wrong Bed Frame

No matter how comfortable a mattress is, its performance depends on the frame that holds it up. When a memory foam mattress with a lot of weight is placed on a bed frame made of wood slats spaced wide apart, the foam mattress will collapse straight through the slats. The result is damage to the lower side of the mattress and a huge dip on the upper side of the mattress. The bed frame must offer sturdy support for the whole lower side of the mattress.

How to Extend the Life of Your Mattress

It is easy to extend the life of your mattress by a couple of years.

• Apply a Waterproof Mattress Protector

Certainly, the application of a waterproof mattress protector would be one of the most efficient measures to take. First, you would create an actual physical barrier against anything that might include bodily fluids, sweat, skin particles, and fats.

 It is necessary to point out that water will damage the mattress structure and its springs as water is very destructive in relation to them. The use of a mattress protector will protect you from moisture. This item can be easily removed together with other sheets twice per month.

• Shift Your Mattress Regularly

Nowadays, all beds have a specific feature to them that makes them 'no-flip' beds. However, if you still want to prolong the life span of your mattress, then the next measure to take would be to rotate your bed from head to foot.

• No Pets on Your Bed!

The pets shown above may be dusty and may also be wearing nail polish. You may find it difficult to get rid of their marks on your memory foam bed. By having separate beds for each of them, you are guaranteed that they will not stain your memory foam bed because they can create havoc.

• Bed Sheets to Be Washed Weekly

Make sure to wash your bed sheets weekly to avoid sweating and oiling in your memory foam bed.

Hidden Dangers of Keeping an Old Bed

The common misconception about keeping an old bed because of saving on expenses actually costs your well-being. An outdated bed can make one face many risks, such as:

Poor sleep negatively affects one's immunity. If you experience tossing and turning in the middle of the night in order to fall asleep due to the fact that the bed sags, then you simply deprive yourself of good-quality sleep. Consequently, the risk of getting various diseases dramatically increases.

Another danger connected with keeping an outdated bed is that it starts to absorb warmth. The foam becomes compressed and thus ceases to breathe correctly. As a result, one sinks deep into the depression created by it and gets surrounded by his or her warmth. The summer season becomes unbearable for such people since it is hard for them to fall asleep due to their sweating.

Last but not least is the hygienic aspect. An older bed which has never been protected can become twice heavier within ten years due to gathering dust, dead skin cells, sweat, and millions of dust mites. Inhaling the dust while sleeping becomes quite harmful to your lungs.

Garanties on Mattresses

Generally speaking, if you decide to buy a new bed, the company will give you some guarantees regarding its quality within 10 years or even 25 years. But not everyone realizes what it really means.

The provision of a guarantee by the manufacturer on a bed for ten years does not mean that it will serve you properly during this period of time. Whether it is comfortable or not depends on your personal preferences. The guarantee concerns products that have defects and will be replaced in case the bed cannot operate properly after the first week of usage due to its bad quality from the very beginning.

Another point that is covered by a warranty is sagging. However, this problem can be regarded only in case the depth of sagging is rather considerable – about one and a half inch. If by mistake you pour something liquid into your bed, you will automatically lose all your warranties.

How to Dispose of Your Old Mattress Responsibly

After discovering that your bed is no longer useful and considering the idea of purchasing a new one, there is a way of doing so in order not to affect the environment negatively. One problem that arises when getting rid of old mattresses is that they are large in size and very heavy. This means that they will take up much space in the landfills.

It is always good to contact the local council in order to get to know how and when the mattresses could be taken away at no cost. They usually offer two to four days in a year for this purpose. There are several companies that recycle mattresses in different places around Australia.

Once the mattress reaches the recycling plant, it is then broken down into components. The springs are smelted into scrap metals, the foams become carpets underlay, while the fabric is reused.

Getting the Best Rest Possible With Wowbeds

[Mattress Sale is Live – Wowbeds]

Your mattress is one of the most important investments you can make for your physical health and daily energy levels. By recognizing the signs of wear, understanding the lifespan of different materials, and properly maintaining your bed with a protector and regular rotations, you can ensure years of restful, restorative sleep.

When it is finally time to replace your old mattress, Wowbeds is here to help. We bring over twenty years of industry expertise to provide Australian households with premium, highly comfortable "bed-in-a-box" mattresses at unbeatable prices.Whether you need advanced pressure relief or superior back support, we have a solution tailored for you.

Discover our best-selling ranges on our website now to get the perfect mattress that will perfectly complement your bedroom. Improve your sleep experience by using the cutting-edge pressure-relieving features of the  Wowbeds Duo Mattress or the amazing comfort provided by the Wowbeds Dreamer Mattress  and prepare to feel fully rejuvenated when you wake up!

Duo Dreamer

FAQs

1. Is it Possible to Have a Mattress Last 10 Years?
   

   Yes, it definitely is possible! Although standard and low-quality spring beds deteriorate quickly, using premium-quality material for your mattress can help you get years of usage from it. In particular, some of the best spring beds are constructed to such an extent that they can last up to twenty years, hence, making them worthy of their 10-year warranty period.

2. Will Turning a Mattress Help Increase Its Longevity?
   

   It will only if it's a mattress made up of two sides. Modern mattresses come in different designs; first, there's a very firm layer on the bottom while the upper layers are soft. Turning a modern mattress would make you sleep on the support foam. Rotate it instead.

3. How Can I Take Care of My Mattress?
   

   Once a month, remove the sheets from the bed and then vacuum your mattress on both sides using an upholstery attachment in your vacuum cleaner. Should the mattress have a smell to it, dust some baking soda on it for an hour and then vacuum the powder off.

4. Why does my mattress sag in the center?
   

   The mattress sags in the center due to the mattress material being worn out or the bed frame under the mattress being damaged. It is advisable to inspect the bed frame and ensure that the middle legs of the frame are resting on the floor and the wooden slats are in good condition.

5. What is the average life span of a box spring?
   

   The box spring has an average lifespan of ten years. Once the box spring begins making squeaking sounds whenever you change positions or become too soft and start breaking, you need to replace it. It is risky to put a new mattress on a broken box spring as it will ruin the mattress.