Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture
  3. Evergreens

How Long Should a Mattress Last?

By
Old lumpy mattress sitting on the floor.
Photo by Skylar Kang from Pexels

One of the things we don’t really think about is mattress replacement. It’s one of those things that is used all the time, but how often do we ever consider buying a new mattress? Sure, we can do a mattress rotation or three to prolong the life but even the best mattress will need to be replaced eventually. And before you ask, no you cannot just slap on a mattress topper to the old mattress. You’ll read about why in just a moment.

Mattress shopping probably sounds about as fun as car shopping but it’s actually easier because you can shop easily online. You can sort through all the fluff and really figure out what you want. Once you have picked out the brand and style, you can sometimes even go to a mattress store and test them. Even if you can’t find a brick and mortar store, most of the mattress brands online now offer free trial periods and if you are not satisfied, they even offer free returns.

Recommended Videos

Mattresses can be pretty expensive, especially if you are upgrading. Luckily, there are mattress sales happening all the time, and some of the best times to purchase a mattress are during holidays like President’s Day, Labor Day, or even Memorial Day. Now you know when to purchase a mattress, but do you know how to choose a mattress?

How Often Should You Change Your Mattress?

Really, this is the question we need to know the answer to. A typical mattress will last anywhere between 7 and 10 years depending on its quality. That’s not to say you shouldn’t replace it sooner, that is just the average life span before you need to replace a mattress.

  • Memory foam mattresses: One of the most durable mattresses out there, memory foam will last up to 10 years depending on if maintained properly.
  • Gel memory foam mattresses: Gel memory foam is like a cooling agent made of either beads or liquid and has an average life span of 10 to 15 years.
  • Hybrid mattresses: The mix of foam and coils creates a hybrid mattress that will last between 7 and 10 years depending on the core material quality.
  • Latex mattresses: The other highly most durable mattress is the all-natural latex mattress and should last you between 10 and 20 years. This will vary depending on the additional materials added during mattress production.
  • Innerspring mattresses: Spring mattresses have the shortest lifespan of any mattress. Each traditional spring mattress lasts about 5 to 6 years. Sleeping positions and body weight are the major factors in this mattress’ longevity.

These are not hard fast rules, but are more of a guideline. Each mattress’ lifespan will be determined by the quality of the material used, the type of mattress it is, and what type of mattress maintenance is performed. You can extend the life of your mattress by using a mattress protector, mattress topper, or some sort of mattress cover.

What Happens to Your Mattress After 10 Years?

Over time your mattress will begin to gain weight. For example, you purchase a new mattress that weighs 100 pounds, after 10 years, that mattress will double its weight to 200 pounds because over the years it collected all the body oil, dead skin, dirt, dust mites, and, yes, dust mite fecal matter. If those aren’t good enough reasons to buy a new mattress, then we don’t know what would be.

Can a Mattress Last Over 20 Years?

Mattresses can withstand the 10-year mark and even up into the 20-year mark depending on the amount of care given to them over the years. Latex mattresses are really the only mattresses built to last because of their natural material. Other durable and long-lasting foam mattresses are those made from plant-based products.

Can an Old Mattress Make You Sick?

An old mattress can have adverse effects on your health in many ways. If the mattress starts to sag or dip, you could have back pain. Additional health risks could range from allergies due to dust mites which cause sneezing, runny noses, watery eyes, coughing, and sinus pressure. Even individuals that suffer from asthma could be affected.

Over the years, mattresses could even be home to harmful mold or bacteria such as norovirus, enterococcus, or staphylococcus. A bad mattress can also affect your health by lowering your immune system, which in turn can cause depression or you can develop respiratory issues. In addition to all of these physical health issues, you could run the risk of sleep deprivation from tossing and turning because of an old mattress. If you are not able to get enough sleep, you will be exhausted and irritable, your mood will be affected, and you’ll potentially face a loss of sex drive, not to mention that sleep deprivation leads to additional health issues. This could all be traced back to a mattress in poor condition.

Whether or not a mattress can withstand the test of time, the more important thing is if it’s clean and maintained on a regular basis. Gravity has a way of affecting everything and over time, your mattress will begin to sag and you will feel the beginnings of back pain, hip pain, and wake up stiff. This is a telltale sign that it’s time for a new mattress.

Joe Morales
Joe Morales
Former Former Food, Drink, & Culture Writer
Joe Morales is a trained chef with over five years of experience working in fine dining and Michelin recommended restaurants… Read Full Bio
Culture
Jack Bauer changed the landscape of television 25 years ago this month: We look back on ’24’
24

It is a rainy weekend here in New York City. That means it is the perfect time to sit back, turn on the TV, and get lost in a great show. While there are hundreds of newer series you could jump into on Netflix, Prime, Paramount, Hulu, Max, Apple TV, etc., I think it is more appropriate to look at the show that paved the way for all of them: 24. And let’s not forget the main character, who created the on-screen template for characters like Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan, and James Reece, Jack Bauer.

Is it a little overdramatic to say that 24 and Jack Bauer paved the way, or built the template, for the series we love today? Maybe. Is it entirely appropriate to attribute that overdramatic thought to a show that is by and large overdramatic? Absolutely. But here is the truth that any 24 fan will tell you: there are a handful of things commonplace today in the television landscape that weren’t that way until this series did them. And there was never a television character like Jack Bauer, until Jack Bauer made everyone want more characters like Jack Bauer. Do you see what I am saying? No? Ok, fine, here are four ways the series and its lead changed TV forever.

Read more
Culture
The Manual Library: 10 action franchises to pass the cold weekends
Cross

Guys need to read more. Every time I start doomscrolling on TikTok or Instagram, the BookTok world is almost exclusively curated for women. That is why we need to start pushing our love for the bang-bang shoot-’em-ups. The debonair spy. The man on his own, cut off from all help, with only his skills and his wits to help him overcome the obstacles between him and his mission. As men, we love these escapes from the mundane lives and diving into the hero fantasy we all have. When women talk about the mental load they carry every day, men are usually creating our own mental load with safety and security: “What would I do if someone attacked from here? Or there?” Really, what we’re asking is, “What would Jason Bourne do?”

I tend to live in this place in my head when I need to escape from the world, but it is more fun to read about it. As the weather begins to turn and our evenings and weekends are colder and darker, we need something to occupy our time to get us from now until we can escape to the great outdoors in the spring. Here are some action and adventure book recommendations to get your heart going and quench that hero fantasy without doing anything dangerous.

Read more
Culture
5 lessons the military teaches you that you don’t learn in school
Saving Private Ryan

This is not a knock on public school. I went to public school. I liked public school. There is a system of life training built into the social fabric of school where we learn a lot about ourselves and the lives we are about to live. But the truth is we don’t learn a lot about life from the actual curriculum in the classroom. We learn that Paul Revere rode through the streets to alarm everyone that the British were coming. We learned that A squared plus B squared equals C squared. We even learned what an electron is. But there are precious little practical life lessons you can take with you. For me, I picked a lot of those through movies (a lot of parents are shaking their heads right now, but don’t knock it completely; there is a lot you can learn from movie perspectives) and my time in the United States Army.

The military teaches you a ton of practical life skills that will elevate your life when applied to your day-to-day. Here are five of them with a couple bonuses at the end.

Read more