Mattress Warranty, Indicator Of Expected Life?

Does a 10 Year Warranty Mean a Mattress Will Last Ten Years?

December 25, 2008
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Will a Mattress last as Long as the warranty cards indicate? Many people believe their mattresses should last at least ten years that so many manufacturers hype up. The fact is most won’t even come close. The answer to the initial question is subjective and is often determined by the quality of the mattress you buy. However some of you might be surprised to learn than in most cases the answer is no.

There is a general consensus that a mattress should last as long as the promised warranty and the hyped sale pitch by a saleman. The reality is that a warranty is a not an indicator of a mattresses overall durability, but a promise to fix defects in the mattress. The greater part of all mattresses sold today cost under $1000.00. Most have 10 year warranties and majority just won’t last the ten years implied on the warranty card, regardless of mattress size, price, and brand name.

Interestingly Consumer Reports suggests that a mattress will only last on average 8 years. That is a far cry from the standard warranty card that is marked with: ten, fifteen, or even 20 years or longer. Many mattress insiders say mattress comfort life is more like six to seven years maximum. To understand what is actually covered by a mattress manufacturer and their warranty you need to be a lawyer and a Rhodes Scholar. One thing we can safely assume that is not covered by a mattress warranty is comfort. If you do not like the feel of a mattress, you will learn quickly that, comfort is not a warranty issue. Comfort is dealt with by many bedroom stores under what is called a comfort guarantee, which lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 days after purchasing a new mattress.

As we have learned warranties do not guarantee comfort, but they also do not promise good support. They merely promise that under normal circumstances that the mattress will not break down excessively, and that the mattress will be free from defects due to bad workmanship of faulty materials. The truth is not matter how well a mattress is built, it usually loses most of its support, comfort, and aesthetics well before reaching it’s 10 year birthday you can be guaranteed of that.