After a long day, we all have the same wish: to get cozy in our beds! But to enjoy a good night’s sleep, our mattress needs to be in good condition. The question we’ll address in this article concerns the lifespan of a mattress: How long can I keep my mattress?
All sleep experts agree on this point: The average lifespan of a mattress is ten years. That’s 29,600 hours of sleep—or 1,216 full days—spent in bed! However, this lifespan can vary depending on the type of mattress, its quality, and other factors. If you don’t replace your mattress at the right time, you may experience a lack of comfort, which can lead to restless sleep. As a result, you lose valuable minutes of sleep every night—minutes that add up and lead to increased fatigue. That’s why we’re providing you with all the details you need to find out how long different mattresses last.
Not all mattresses have the same lifespan. In fact, some materials and constructions last longer.
Synthetic Foam Mattresses
There are two types of foam: polyurethane foam (often referred to as highly elastic foam) and memory foam (also known as viscoelastic foam). These foams are widely available on the market and are derived from the petrochemical industry. Due to their composition and properties—particularly in terms of resilience and durability—these foams do not allow for a long mattress lifespan. They tend to sag after a few years. As a result, the lifespan of a mattress made with polyurethane foam and/or memory foam is generally estimated to be around 7 years.
Spring Mattresses
As for spring or pocket-spring models, they are hygienic and breathable, which prevents the proliferation of dust mites. Unfortunately, they are often combined with synthetic foams that are not very breathable and therefore promote the growth of dust mites. The lifespan of a spring mattress can be up to 10 years, and up to 12 years for the highest-quality models.
Synthetic Latex Mattresses
Synthetic latex is a material designed to mimic the properties of natural latex, which provide a mattress with a balance of comfort and support. Unfortunately, like memory foam mattresses, this type of mattress is made of synthetic foams that are not very breathable. Over time, this promotes bacterial growth. Furthermore, synthetic latex is less durable than natural latex, which is partly due to its loss of elasticity over time. The average lifespan of synthetic latex mattresses is 10 years.
Natural Latex Mattresses
Natural latex is an elastic and breathable material. Thanks to its elasticity and firmness, natural latex mattresses lose very little of their height over time. For example, according to CATAS certification, the Kipli natural latex mattress loses only 1% of its height after 10 years of use. The latex’s breathability ensures that the mattress does not sag, even in the presence of moisture or heat in the bedroom.
In addition, thanks to the inherent properties of this material, the mattress is naturally mite-resistant and antibacterial, which prevents the growth of bacteria over time. All of these properties contribute to a lifespan of up to 15 years. Another benefit: the mattress is biodegradable at the end of its lifespan thanks to its natural composition.
How can you determine the condition of a mattress?
Do you feel like your bed isn't as comfortable as it used to be? There are some simple tests you can do to find out if your mattress has reached the end of its useful life.
Your mattress has reached the end of its useful life when:
- the flexibility decreases and you sink in at least 10 cm when you sit on it.
- the mattress does not return to its original shape after getting out of bed.
- You wake up and are experiencing pain or muscle soreness.
- Your partner moves around at night, and it wakes you up every time.
- Your mattress squeaks or creaks.
- If you've spent the night away from home and slept better than you do in your own bed.
These are signs that it’s time to invest in a new mattress. When purchasing and caring for your mattress, keep in mind our tips on mattress lifespan and how you can help extend it so you can enjoy a consistently good night’s sleep for as long as possible.
Mattress Lifespan: Optimizing It with a Suitable Slatted Base
While the material has a direct impact on a mattress’s lifespan, you shouldn’t overlook the other components of your bedding, especially the slatted frame. The slatted frame can either help your mattress last a very long time or have the opposite effect. If the slatted frame isn’t the right fit, the mattress may wear out faster, shortening its lifespan. Make sure your bed frame is compatible with your mattress.
Extended Lifespan: How to Care for Your Mattress Properly
A mattress is a valuable item that requires proper care to maximize its lifespan. To do this, we recommend placing your mattress on a slatted frame rather than directly on the floor. This way, the raised mattress is protected from hair, insects, dust mites, and allergens that may be present on the floor. Additionally, the slatted frame allows the mattress to breathe and prevents it from becoming a breeding ground for mold and moisture, which can quickly shorten the lifespan of your mattress.
To help keep your bedding in good condition, we recommend that you air out your room every day.
One simple way to care for your mattress is to flip it from time to time to prevent it from sagging. Flipping your mattress regularly helps extend its lifespan. For new mattresses, we recommend flipping them at least once or twice during the first two months. After that, you can space out this process and flip the mattress once every season, about every 3 months. There are two ways to flip your mattress. For mattresses with a soft side and a firm side, you can alternate between using the front and back sides. If your mattress has only one side, if you prefer sleeping on only one side, or if it’s too heavy to move, you can rotate it to reverse the head-to-toe orientation.
These recommendations should be followed more frequently if you sleep on a mattress with a short lifespan, such as a memory foam mattress.
Extended Lifespan: How to Clean a Mattress Properly
To extend the life of your mattress, you can clean it. For best results, vacuum it regularly. Even though it takes a little time, it’s a simple and, above all, effective way to clean your mattress. If you need to remove stains from your mattress, we recommend using a mild cleaner and lukewarm water. For blood stains, simply replace the warm water with cold water. A clean mattress lasts longer. Some mattresses have a removable, machine-washable cover for easy care. This method is especially convenient for children’s and baby mattresses.
The Right Protection
To maximize the lifespan of your mattress, you can protect it with a mattress protector. This helps absorb moisture from the room as well as night sweats. Using a mattress protector thus prevents the growth of mold and dust mites. It also prevents stains from setting into your mattress, thereby extending its lifespan. Choose natural materials for your mattress protector (without waterproof synthetic treatments). Thanks to the benefits of organic cotton, the Kipli mattress protector regulates body temperature, prevents night sweats, and promotes restful sleep.
Signs That Indicate When You Should Replace Your Mattress
Do you feel like your bed isn't as comfortable as it used to be? There are some simple tests you can do to find out if your mattress has reached the end of its useful life. You can tell whether your mattress needs to be replaced by looking for visible signs or by feeling it. Your mattress has reached the end of its useful life if:
- Your mattress sags more than usual when you sit on it. This is one of the most common signs that the mattress is worn out and has reached the end of its useful life.
- If you can feel the slats of the box spring or the springs in your mattress.
- If you have back pain when you wake up. If you wake up with pain in your back, neck, lower back, or buttocks, this suggests that your bed no longer conforms to the shape of your body or that it has sagged. In either case, you should consider replacing your mattress.
- Your mattress (if it has springs) creaks as soon as you move. If it starts making noises—creaking, squeaking…—it’s worn out.
- If you've spent a night away from home and slept much better than you do in your own bed, that's a clear sign that it's time to replace your mattress.
- The presence of an unpleasant odor—which may be caused by excessive moisture—indicates that your bed no longer provides the quality you need for restful and healthy sleep. The mattress has reached the end of its useful life.
- You may become prone to allergic reactions when you are in your room. It is possible that the chemical treatments on your mattress are no longer effective and that dust mites and/or dust have accumulated in your mattress.
All of these signs can occur independently of one another. As soon as any one of them appears, replacing your mattress can give you the restful nights you need to start your day under the best possible conditions.
Physical Changes, Weight, and Sharing a Mattress
Your body may change over the years. That's something you should keep in mind when trying to figure out when to replace your mattress.
If you sleep with a partner on a mattress, there are a few things to keep in mind. To avoid being disturbed by your partner’s movements, your mattress must provide optimal sleeping comfort. If it’s worn out, you won’t have the comfort you need to sleep well. In addition, when choosing a mattress with sufficient density, you must take your partner’s weight into account. If there’s a significant difference in your weights, you can also sleep on two single mattresses with different densities.
Buying a mattress is a significant financial investment, but it’s also essential for a good night’s sleep. To get the most out of your mattress, it’s important to understand everything about a mattress’s lifespan, and we hope this article has helped you gain a clearer understanding of this.