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Every material wears out, especially when it’s used for days/nights on end – and so does memory foam. Buying a memory foam mattress doesn’t mean you can forget about buying a new mattress forever. You should first know how long memory foam mattresses last and what happens to memory foam products (mattresses, toppers, pillows) when used regularly. You should also know how to protect your mattress from wearing out too soon.
How Long Does a Memory Foam Mattress Last?
A high-quality mattress with memory foam can last for up to 15 years with proper care and light use. Light use here means that the sleeper doesn’t weigh over 190lbs and that the mattress isn’t used every single night for a long time.
Some folks like to spend their days in bed – watching movies, using their laptop, even working for hours. This is considered heavy use of a mattress. The memory foam doesn’t get enough time to cool down and get back into its original form.
But let’s say we’re not talking about a high-end mattress, just a normal one. You may expect a lifespan of up to 10 years, again – with proper use and maintenance. Memory foam mattresses fall into the category of mattresses with a relatively long lifespan.
Memory foam mattresses compared to other mattress types – lifespan
Each mattress type has its own lifespan – the construction plays a big role in how long it lasts.
- Innerspring mattresses – about 8 years.
- Hybrid mattresses – 8-10 years.
- Memory foam mattresses – 10-15 years.
- Natural latex foam – 15 years or more.
Here’s What Happens to Memory Foam
Memory foam is made of polyurethane enriched with some chemicals that make it viscoelastic. You’ll notice the specific viscosity of memory foam when you press it. It will immediately mold to conform to the shape of your hand. This liquid-like quality is called viscosity. And you’ll notice the elasticity as soon as you lift your hand up – the foam will get back to its flat shape fairly quickly. Coming back to the original shape is called elasticity.
One of the ways memory foam can lose these properties is when exposed to too much heat (if you leave it in direct sunlight for too long or keep it in a hot van, for example). Unfortunately, this can also happen when you sleep on a memory foam mattress in the same position night after night.
The quality of returning to its original shape won’t last forever. As you apply the pressure of your body weight and body warmth to the same spot, it will start wearing down. The foam then spends too much time in a compressed state, that it becomes hard to reform.
After a while, the mattress will develop areas with visible compressions. You can usually tell where a person’s hips and shoulders are because those areas sink the most. However, not all changes are bad.
Normal impressions vs. sagging
Body impressions of up to 1 inch are normal for memory foam mattresses. It’s OK to have slightly compressed areas that contour around your body. In fact, it is a sign that the new mattress has broken in and that it’s more comfortable that way than when you first bought it.
Sagging is what you don’t want in your mattress. We’re talking about compressions of over 1-2 inches. Some companies will rebuild or replace your mattress for dips of that size if they appear early on.
How to recognize a saggy mattress:
- It has a dip or indentation that won’t assume its original form and that’s deeper than one inch.
- There is a slope on your memory foam mattress that you roll into.
- There are creases in the mattress, visible through the cover, where the memory foam doesn’t meet.
What’s the best thing to do with a sagging mattress? Check your mattress warranty. Premature sagging is typically covered by mattress warranties. If you’re still within the sleep trial period, it should be even easier to return the mattress. Normal wear and tear that develops over a longer period of time is usually not covered.
Improper care will void a mattress warranty claim. If your mattress develops dips because you misused it, it’s your own fault – you can look at any mattress warranties to confirm this. The Beautyrest mattress warranty is just one of the innumerable examples.
How to Prolong the Average Life of a Memory Foam Mattress
A few simple maintenance tricks can give you additional years and years with a memory foam mattress. Think of your shoes – they will last longer if you clean them and remove odors properly. If you try not to scratch them when you’re going out, and if you store them in such a way that they remain protected.
It’s similar when it comes to mattresses – you can’t spill stuff, not clean and dry it properly, place it on a frame with slats that are too wide apart, and then be surprised that your mattress got damaged.
Mattresses with no workmanship defects can last much longer if you follow the rules below.
Use a topper or a protector
Mattress protectors mainly look like fitted sheets. They protect your mattress from water, urine, sweat, dead skin cells, and other stuff that normally gets into a mattress.
A mattress topper is a couple of inches thick piece of memory foam – or other materials – that is designed to make a mattress more comfortable. If your mattress is too firm, you can choose a soft topper and vice versa. Toppers protect the top layers of your mattress because they take the most impact and develop impressions instead of the mattress. This way, they directly prolong the life of a mattress.
Toppers tend to be on the expensive side, about a few hundred dollars, but you can also find cheap mattress toppers, like the Mainstays topper.
A cheap alternative to toppers and protectors is placing one or two blankets on top of your mattress, just under the sheets. They won’t be as good as a topper or a protector, but they will work.
Clean the mattress regularly
To start off, you should change your sheets frequently – this helps the mattress stay clean. Then, you should vacuum it from time to time and spot clean. You don’t need too much equipment for cleaning your mattress.
Your friends are vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and of course, soap and water. If you sprinkle baking soda all over the mattress a few hours before vacuuming, it will absorb the smells and make the mattress fresher.
If you need to dry the mattress, you should allow air circulation – open the windows and turn on the fan. A blow-dryer is an option but only if you use it carefully – hold it several inches from the mattress and alternate between warm and cold settings.
And don’t forget to clean your pillows! If they are made of memory foam, they can and should be cleaned. You can’t put a memory foam pillow in a washer or dryer, but you can wash the protective cover and spot clean at least.
Make sure the mattress is supported properly
Memory foam mattresses can be easily damaged if placed on slats that are too wide apart. The memory foam is pushed in between the slats and this creates a bumpy and uneven surface. When you lie on a mattress like that, you’re adding extra pressure to the areas on slats and pushing the rest in between. If you don’t feel discomfort right away while the mattress is new, you’ll certainly feel it when it gets damaged.
No need to buy a new frame – you can just add some plywood at the bottom. Plywood evens out the surface and makes an excellent support for the mattress.
Rotate the mattress
Here’s one way to let your mattress recover – rotate it by 180 degrees. The head of the mattress is now at your feet.
This way you’ll ensure that you’re wearing it out evenly. Normally, you apply most pressure on the upper side because that’s where your hips and shoulders are. When you rotate the mattress, you’re using the bottom part more, while the upper part is “taking rest”.
This works even for Queen and King sizes, that is – when you sleep with a partner.
Only a handful of mattress models might not be rotatable, due to their construction. If you’re not sure, check the instructions or contact the manufacturer.
Flip the mattress if possible
Flipping your mattress means turning it upside down, so the surface where you used to lie is now on the bed frame and vice versa.
Normally, you’ll see flippable models of hybrid mattresses and spring mattresses, but there are special memory foam mattresses that you can flip. They usually feature one firmer side and one softer side.
You should rotate the mattress a couple of times before flipping it. This is a great way to use all sides of the mattress evenly. With a topper, you won’t need to do either of those as often, but it’s still a good idea to do so every few years.
Ship the mattress properly if moving
A lot of people try to save as much as possible when moving. As a result, we’ve all witnessed the sight of a mattress tied up to the top of a car going passing by you on a highway.
These mattresses need to be fastened extremely tightly. The pressure from belts, together with the air pressure from high speeds, isn’t what any mattress is designed to withstand. Not only can it damage and deform your mattress, but such treatment will probably void your warranty.
Ship your mattress safely either with one of the shipping companies or if you don’t have a van or a pickup truck, rent one. The latter is much cheaper, but both options are better than torturing your mattress on a roof of a car! Finally, you can always ask a friend or acquaintance for their vehicle.
Can I Fix a Sagging Memory Foam Mattress?
You can pull off a quick fix, but a sagging memory foam mattress is generally not a small problem and often not salvageable.
Do you need proper sleep tonight? What if you have no time to go out and about shopping for a new mattress? Maybe you’ve contacted the manufacturer and are waiting for them to pick it up for a rebuild?
A short-term solution is a mattress topper. If you already have one. If not, maybe it’s not a good idea to spend hundreds on a temporary solution, unless you want to keep it for later use anyway. Memory foam toppers – or any other toppers for that matter – can cover up and compensate for some dips, but not if your mattress sags too much.
Another thing you can try is to place some plywood under the mattress – this can help a bit if the foundation isn’t completely flat already.
For smaller sagging issues, place a few blankets on top of the mattress. You can also add a thick mattress protector if you have one.
Finally, you could try rotating or flipping the mattress in order to lie on less used and hopefully less damaged areas.
The real fix for a sagging bed is rebuilding it. It’s the top comfort layer that gets worn down first, so you’d have to open the mattress cover, remove all damaged layers, and replace them with new ones. In hybrid mattresses, the coil system might be the culprit, so the whole system would have to go.
When a memory foam mattress sags, it’s generally simpler but still, the problem might lie deeper. For example, the best memory foam mattresses have numerous layers of foam. Although unlikely, the faulty part might be somewhere in the middle.
For this reason, it’s best to contact the manufacturer and make a warranty claim if that’s possible. They’ll take care of the rest.
Here’s why they sag
Mattresses sag because the materials wore down due to age and frequent use, but they may also sag as a result of poor materials and shoddy workmanship. If you used a bad and uneven foundation or you treated your mattress improperly – it’s your fault.
Signs that You Need to Replace Your Memory Foam Mattress
By now you know that the average lifespan of a memory foam bed is a maximum of 15 years. But here’s another view.
How long do memory foam mattresses last? As long as they are comfortable and offer proper support.
This answer isn’t useful when making a financial decision, but it is useful when you’ve already had a mattress for years and don’t know when’s the time to say goodbye. These are signs that your memory foam mattress needs replacement.
- Sagging. There are large sunken areas in the mattress that you roll into.
- Lumps. The surface isn’t smooth to touch nor when you look at it. Lumps are unevenly scattered across the mattress.
- Impressions. Unlike normal impressions, these remain in the shape of your body long after you get up. The memory foam has lost the ability to return to its original shape.
- Pain and discomfort. All of the above problems affect your body and spinal alignment, so the final manifestation of a broken-down mattress is that you start feeling sore, painful, and unable to get a good night’s sleep. It might be difficult to find a good position and stay in it.
- Allergies and smell. Worsened allergies, sneezing, stuffy nose, wheezing – if you’re otherwise completely healthy and don’t know why you’re having these symptoms, it might be your old, filthy mattress. Sometimes it makes sense to clean it, but when its cells are completely full of dust mites and their excrement, pet hair, dead skin cells, dust, and other stuff – it pays off more to get a new mattress. Also, beware of the musty smell – on top of everything, there could be mold forming on your mattress.
Alternatives to Memory Foam Mattresses that Don’t Sag?
Any bed that’s too old or poorly cared for can sag. That being said, here’s one really durable foam option – TempurPedic. They make very firm mattresses that are hard to break in, so it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have a sagging problem with one of those.
Otherwise, look for high-density foam mattresses, artificial latex, or the most expensive option – real natural latex.
These mattresses are durable and offer adequate support. You may also look at hybrid mattresses which, unlike all-foam, have a coil support layer in the middle.
Be sure to look for a good quality mattress and inform yourself about what mattresses really are good.
What’s a Memory Foam Pillow’s Lifespan?
The average lifespan of a memory foam pillow is about two to three years. This is more than synthetic pillows including down replacement but considerably less than real down/feather and latex pillows.
What’s the Lifespan of a Memory Foam Mattress Topper?
Memory foam mattress toppers last three to five years. There are toppers made of more durable foam as well as the other ones. Depending on what you buy, you may see your topper wear out after only a year and a half.
While the topper is breaking down, your mattress is spared of all the wear and tear.
What are the pros and cons of memory foam mattresses?
Pros
- unique pressure relief
- great motion isolation
- proper spinal alignment
- allergen-free
- good for side sleepers
Cons
- body heat retention
- heavy people are likely to lack proper support
- off-gassing (new memory foam mattress odor)
- feel of being stuck in the memory foam bed
- non-natural materials
- not ideal for stomach sleepers
Frequently Asked Questions
First, you need to check the warranty of your mattress and the return policy of the manufacturer. Then contact the company. Some mattress companies make mattress returns a breeze, while others could give you a lot of trouble. Be prepared for both. This detailed guide takes you through all steps of returning a mattress. Finally, return the mattress in its original packaging and be ready when the pickup service arrives. Some companies will refund you when you prove that you donated the mattress.
It does not mean better quality. And don’t be fooled by cheap mattresses – they may color their foam blue just to make you think it has cooling gel. Memory foam beds that do contain gel are not miraculously cool. Most of that gel works simply by getting warm slowly, so it gives an initial cool effect. When it finally warms up from your body, it’s just the same as other mattresses.
You can dispose of a mattress in a number of ways – you can donate or sell it. Many companies will dispose of your mattress as a part of their white-glove service when bringing you a new mattress, so be sure to ask them as well. Other options include taking your mattress to a recycling site, recycling it yourself by opening it up and taking it apart (also called upcycling), and finally, you can throw it away.
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With over 5 years experience writing about sleep and mattresses, she's considered one of the go-to experts on the topic.
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