How long does a mattress last and when should you replace it

A pocket spring mattress lasts up to 12 years, a springless one up to 10 years. These are our factory's figures for its own products; across the whole range, service life is 3 to 12 years, depending on the model. The warranty is up to 5 years, and that is not the same thing as service life.

Real service life depends most on three things: whether the weight exceeds the limit for the model, what base the mattress lies on, and how it is looked after. The factory's care rules state plainly that service life drops significantly if the weight exceeds the limits stated for the model. Below is what extends a mattress's life, what shortens it, and the signs that it is time to replace it.

Warranty and service life are different things

The warranty is the manufacturer's obligation: if a manufacturing defect appears during the warranty period, the factory is responsible for it. For products we make ourselves, the warranty is up to 5 years.

Service life is the period during which a properly used mattress keeps its properties: support, firmness and shape. For us it is longer than the warranty: up to 12 years for pocket spring mattresses and up to 10 years for springless ones.

The practical conclusion: a mattress does not have to "break" when the warranty ends, and it will not necessarily last its full service life if it has been used incorrectly. Both figures assume that the rules below are followed.

What shortens service life

The factory's care rules list specific causes. The most common are:

Weight above the limit. Each model has a maximum load per sleeping place — from 100 to 170 kg in our catalogue. This is not a recommendation but the limit the construction is designed for. If the weight is higher, the mattress will sag early. How load relates to firmness, and why a tall mattress is not necessarily a durable one, is covered in how to choose a mattress.

The wrong base. The mattress should lie on a solid, flat surface or on an orthopedic base with flexible slats no more than 3.5 cm apart. For a mattress wider than 120 cm, the rules recommend a base with an extra fifth leg. A wire-mesh base, a sofa or any surface that sags like a hammock is prohibited by the rules.

Sitting on the edge. A mattress is made for lying on. Frequent sitting, especially on the edge, loads one zone and deforms it.

Jumping and walking on the mattress. Sudden mechanical loads are explicitly prohibited by the rules — they damage the spring unit and the layers.

Moisture and heat. Water and other liquids must not get onto the mattress. Near a radiator the surface must be protected from heating: it must not get warmer than +40 °C.

Rolling a spring mattress. Only springless mattresses made of latex or PU foam may be rolled or folded. A spring mattress must not be — not when moving house, and not after vacuum packing: it damages the spring unit.

How to make a mattress last longer

Flip and rotate it. The factory's rules: every six months, flip it so the top and bottom swap; every 1–3 months, rotate it so the head and foot ends swap. The soft layers compact over time, and turning gives them a chance to recover. On models with two different sides (for example, latex on one and coir on the other), flipping also changes how firm it feels — that is normal.

Air it. At least once a month the mattress should be aired and dried. During the day it helps to take the bedding off.

Vacuum it, but do not beat it. The main care is vacuuming and airing. A mattress must not be beaten: a sharp blow damages its structure.

Use a mattress topper. It takes the sweat, dust and dirt that would otherwise go into the mattress, and it can be washed separately. How to choose a topper for your purpose is covered in a separate article.

Treat stains with as little water as possible. To remove a stain, use textile cleaners with minimal water content and let it dry in the air, without an iron.

When it is time to replace it: the signs

A dip that does not go away. If a hollow has formed where you sleep, first check the base for sagging or deformation. The factory's rules advise flipping the mattress and continuing to use it correctly for at least 60 days. If the dip is still there after that, the mattress has served its time.

You can feel the springs. If individual springs or the edge of the unit can be felt through the layers, the comfort layers are worn out.

You wake up stiff when you did not before. Especially if you sleep better in a hotel or at someone else's home than in your own bed.

The mattress is older than its service life. Even if it looks fine, after 10–12 years the materials lose their resilience.

Your weight or your partner's has changed. If the weight is now above the model's maximum load, the mattress will sag even if it is not old.

Creaking is not always a reason to replace it

A new mattress may click, crunch, rustle and creak — the care rules call these sounds natural: they appear while the natural components settle, and within the first 30 days they fade to an insignificant level. This is not a defect.

A new mattress also has a smell. After unpacking, it should be aired in a spacious room for at least 10 days; after 14 days the smell becomes minimal.

If, on the other hand, an old mattress starts creaking where it never did before, that is more often a sign of a worn spring unit or a problem with the base.

What to do with an old mattress

Our mattresses contain no substances hazardous to people or the environment, and at the end of their service life they can be disposed of as household waste. There are other options too — from collection to reuse; see the article an old mattress: should you hand it in.

In short

1. Service life: up to 12 years for pocket spring, up to 10 years for springless. The warranty is up to 5 years; these are different things.
2. What shortens it most is weight above the model's limit — from 100 to 170 kg in our catalogue.
3. Base — solid, or slats no more than 3.5 cm apart; for widths over 120 cm, with a fifth leg. Not a wire mesh, not a sofa.
4. Flip every six months, rotate every 1–3 months, air it once a month.
5. Creaking and smell in a new mattress are normal: the sounds fade within 30 days, the smell within 10–14.
6. Time to replace it if a dip has not gone after 60 days of correct use, you can feel the springs, or the mattress is past its service life.

The mattress catalogue will help you find a replacement by weight and sleeping position — or tell a manager your weight, your partner's weight and how you sleep.