Mattresses can always be an expensive investment and hence many people do not go for their replacement unless it has been used for many years. Nobody wants to spend a good chunk of their money buying a new mattress. Also, by taking good care and maintenance, you can prolong their life.
Now the question is how long can you continue to use your same old mattress? Irrespective of the type of mattresses that you have, almost all kinds of mattresses cannot last longer than 10 years if you want to get a comfortable night’s sleep. However, with excellent maintenance, you can extend the life of your best mattress to buy.
Several factors can affect the life span of your bed. Let us discuss then briefly in the following paragraph some of the top reasons that can affect the lifespan of such mattresses.
- How often you are sleeping on your mattress
Do you use your mattress for sleeping every night or it is placed in the guest room? As per the data obtained from The American Sleep Association, most mattresses will start breaking down once you have slept on them regularly for about nine years. By then, it’s time to replace the mattress.
However, if your mattress is placed in the guest room that is occasionally used or if it is used by any child then it may last much longer.
- How much weight the mattress can support
Placing 250 pounds or even more weight on the mattress every night will wear out your mattress faster than its standard life i.e. 7 to 10 years. If you want to use your mattress under such a scenario then look for any beds with either higher foam densities or mattresses made with latex.
- What type of mattress do you have
According to ASA, the type of mattress will also decide how long the mattress will last. If your mattresses are made with latex, and also those made by using polyfoam or memory foam, may last for 10 years or more.
Innerspring beds will generally break down much faster than the 10-year limit because their springs may become loose sooner. Typically, any innerspring mattresses last for 4 to 6 years.
Air mattresses and waterbeds are often prone to popping, particularly if you are applying about 200 pounds or even more to them every night. The life of such kinds of mattresses is usually the least among all other types.
Let us discuss the life of mattresses based on their types. There are five different types of mattresses available in the market.
- Innerspring
The life of an innerspring mattress is usually between 7 to 10 years. It is generally constructed by using steel inner coil springs. Such mattresses often come with different kinds of toppers.
One of the biggest factors in its lifespan is coil construction and whether it can easily be flipped to reduce wear.
- Memory foam
A memory foam mattress usually is constructed from polyurethane foam. This foam will allow the mattress to easily conform to our body shape which many consider a more comfortable surface for sleeping.
Any average quality type memory foam mattress may last between 10 – 15 years, and a better quality mattress may last even longer.
- Gel foam
Adding gel microbeads to memory foam will make it responsive to the shape of the body and also its temperature. Any best quality gel foam mattresses can last for 15 years or longer, however, their normal lifespan will be 10 – 15 years. Avoid jumping and bouncing on such a bed so that its life can be further extended.
- Specialty foam
The benefit of such foam mattresses is that often they are resistant to dust mites, mold, and mildew. However many people feel that they are too firm as compared to other bedding options.
Usually, this type of foam mattress will last for 15 years or even longer.
- Hybrid mattress
Hybrid mattresses are a combination of innerspring coils along with other bedding technologies. Often people choose a hybrid mattress as they prefer the classic feeling of an older innerspring mattress.
The typical life of any hybrid mattress will be approximately 6 years however, with more care and maintenance you can extend their lifespan.