How Long Do Mattresses Last? (2024)

Struggling to sleep well at night or waking up with aches, pains and stiffness? Chances are it is time for a new mattress.

Did you know: Douglas offers a 20-year warranty on all mattresses. That’s one reason why it is the Best Mattress in Canada.

When Should You Replace Your Mattress?

Several factors come into play, including the type of mattress you have and the quality of its construction.

Signs It’s Time for a New Mattress

To ensure a good night’s sleep, investing in a high-quality mattress is crucial. However, even the best mattresses lose their effectiveness over time. Signs of an aging mattress include difficulty sleeping, waking up with aches and pains, and visible sagging or lumpiness.

Ideally, mattresses should be replaced after about 7-8 years. Lower quality mattresses may deteriorate sooner, while higher quality and specific types of mattresses might last longer.

Before purchasing a new mattress, consider if:

• You notice visual signs of age, like sagging, indents, or lumps
• The mattress is making new, unpleasant sounds (squeaky springs anyone?)
• You wake up with aches, a stiff neck, and a sore back
• The mattress has worn or frayed edges with signs of material wear
• You wake up with relatively new allergy-like symptoms, like congestion or asthma

The right time to replace your mattress largely depends on its quality, wear and tear, and the materials used.

Factors Affecting Mattress Lifespan

While no mattress lasts forever, several factors can influence its durability:

• Type of Mattress: Materials like high-density memory foam tend to last longer (10-20 years), whereas spring and hybrid mattresses often wear out quicker (6-8 years).
• Maintenance: Regular cleaning and using protective coverings, like our mattress protector (free with mattress purchase) can extend a mattress’s life.
• Weight of Sleepers: Heavier individuals may find their mattresses sagging earlier than those used by lighter people.
• Kids: Children can accelerate the wear and tear of a mattress. Activities such as jumping on the bed and potential bedwetting accidents, can all contribute to a mattress needing to be replaced sooner.
• Pets: Our cozy sleeping companions might make for a snuggly sleep, but also bring along increased exposure to dirt and dander and decrease the useful lifetime of a mattress prematurely.
• Usage Frequency: Mattresses in daily use wear out faster than those in guest rooms.

Maximize the Lifespan of Your Mattress

While most mattresses typically need to be replaced after 7-8 years, there are several proactive steps you can take to help yours last as long as possible:

• Wash your sheets once a week: This cleans the dust, sweat and hair off your bed. Plus fresh sheets feel so good!
• Vacuum: While your sheets are in the wash, vacuum your mattress cover to get rid of dust and debris.
• Wash your cover: Clean your mattress once or twice a year by sprinkling baking soda on its surface, letting it sit, and then vacuuming it off. Alternatively, if you have a washable cover like the Douglas mattress, you can unzip the cover and throw it in the washer.
• Rotate or Flip Regularly: Rotate your mattress every six months to distribute wear from high pressure areas like your shoulders and hips more evenly across the mattress. If your mattress is double-sided and designed for it, flipping it can also extend its life. Douglas, like many modern mattresses with a designated top comfort layer, are not meant to be flipped.
• Use a Mattress Protector: Invest in a high-quality mattress protector to shield your mattress from moisture, dust, dander, and other potential contaminants.

So I Need a New Mattress …

If your mattress is worn out and you’re in the market for a new one, you’ll encounter a broad range of prices at various retailers. Prices, especially in brick-and-mortar stores, often change frequently. Mattresses can range from $400 to over $4,000, making it challenging to navigate and understand pricing. How much should you set aside for a new mattress? How can you ensure you’re getting a quality product for your money?

Here are a few insider tips:

• First, determine a budget that feels comfortable for you. Price can vary on a wide range of factors including brand, size, construction materials, and any bells and whistles for added comfort and support. Before you consider any of those things, start simply by determining what price point you’re most comfortable with. After all, the right mattress should give you relief in both your body and bank account! 
• Don’t make your decision based solely on price. Where is your mattress made? What materials are being used? Are they safe? Often, you get what you pay for in terms of materials and craftsmanship. Less expensive mattresses tend to be thinner, with fewer layers of material, sometimes with questionable origins. If your mattress is cheaply made, you’ll just be out shopping again sooner than later. 
• Read reviews. With over 250,000 mattresses sold to date, Douglas has lots of reviews you can read! Use the filter and sort tools to read about what real customers have to say about the features you are most interested in.
• How many sleepers? Do you sleep alone or with others?. Don’t overlook the number of people and pets that join you in bed. The perfect mattress for you should provide room for everyone involved to get comfy and cozy.

Take the Douglas Original as an example. It features multiple layers of state-of-the-art foam, cooling gel technology, pressure point relief, and motion isolation properties. That’s a lot of premium-level value for a mattress with prices starting at just $599. 

The key takeaway? Even if you have a lower budget, you should still be able to get a great mattress that meets your needs.

Great Canadian Mattresses

Delivered right to your door

BEST SELLER

10" HEIGHT

Douglas Original

Our original best-selling mattress. A balanced mix of cooling, support, and cushioning at a great price.

Cooling
Pressure-Point Relief
Motion Isolation

Starting from

C$599 Shop Now

POPULAR UPGRADE

11" HEIGHT

Douglas Alpine

The Douglas Alpine mattress offers increased cooling, pressure-point relief, and motion isolation.

Cooling
Pressure-Point Relief
Motion Isolation

Starting from

C$799 Shop Now

PREMIUM CHOICE

12" HEIGHT

Douglas Summit

The ultimate version of the Douglas mattress, taken to the upper limits of cooling, comfort, and support.

Cooling
Pressure-Point Relief
Motion Isolation

Starting from

C$999 Shop Now

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Ensuring Proper Support for Your Sleep Position

Another key to selecting your ideal mattress is ensuring it provides proper support for how you sleep at night. 

Remember, we can hold the same position for a very long time when we’re in bed! As such, lying on a mattress with less-than-ideal support can result in prolonged pain and stiffness for your neck, back, and other parts of your body.

Whether you tend to sleep on your back, side, or stomach, different levels of firmness can help provide a more comfortable, higher-quality slumber.

Just-right firmness, no matter your sleep position

The medium-firm Douglas mattress is crafted to promote properly balanced support and spinal alignment, with just a bit of spring. Each of its layers is made from 2-7 inches of state-of-the-art, Canadian-made foams and components.

So, whether you’re a back, side or stomach sleeper, you should not feel any dips or lumps as you switch or hold positions. Rather, the Douglas molds to and relieves key pressure points—providing you with a more consistent, higher-quality sleep.

Douglas – The Trifecta of Sleep Comfort

Douglas’ award-winning memory foam mattresses provide a balanced trifecta of cooling, support, and cushioning. Whether you select the 10” Original, upgrade to the 11” Douglas Alpine, or go with the premium 12” Douglas Summit. Our highly popular base model, the 10” Douglas Original, includes the following layers:

1 – Cover: Douglas CoolSense®

2 – Top Layer: 2” Luxury ecoLight® Cooling Gel Foam

3 – Transition Layer: 2” Premium Elastex® Foam

4 – Base Layer: 6” Motion Isolation Support Foam

Getting the best bang for your buck isn’t just about price and comfort. It’s also about receiving a top-notch customer experience – not just pre-sale but for years after your purchase. 

As you shop for your mattress, here are a few other considerations to factor into your decision:

Cost and Speed of Shipping

Some retailers will charge you extra for mattress delivery – and then make you wait weeks for it to arrive. Meanwhile, some retailers are the exact opposite – offering free shipping plus quick delivery to your door, often within a few days. This is especially helpful if you want to save a bit of money – plus get your new sleeping experience started sooner than later. 

Length of Trial Period

It can take several weeks – sometimes even months – to adjust to a new mattress. But believe it or not, some retailers will offer up to an entire year-long trial period! This gives you an ideal amount of time to properly decide if your mattress is giving you the quality sleep you need and deserve. Ultimately, the longer the trial period, the better. 

Ease of Returns and Refunds

Trustworthy mattress brands offer hassle-free returns, free pick-ups, and speedy refunds with no hidden stipulations. Just ensure you keep your packaging materials handy until you’re certain of your mattress purchase. That’s because some companies require them back if you decide the item isn’t for you. 

Warranty Term and Wording

Your mattress should provide high-quality sleep for years to come. So, look for a mattress with a lengthy warranty—ideally within the 10-15-year range. That way, you can be sure your purchase won’t let you down any time soon. Also, do your due diligence by reading any fine print upfront. That way, there will be no surprises if any unexpected defects occur. 

Corporate Reputation

Before you buy a mattress, take time to research the brand or retailer in question. Look at industry achievements, awards received and of course what customers are saying. All these factors will help you determine which mattress is best suited to your needs. Plus, you’ll feel more reassured that you’re dealing with a reliable company.

Get to Know Douglas

Not too soft, not too firm. Just right. Douglas’ foam layers work together to provide a firmness that’s suitable for all sleeping positions. Whether you sleep on your back, stomach, or side, you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day.

Cooling Cover

Douglas’ machine-washable CoolSense® cover draws heat and moisture away from the body, giving you a cooler sleep.

Gel Memory Foam

Douglas’ ecoLight® cooling gel foam gently cushions your shoulders, hips, and back for ultimate support and comfort.

When you invest in a Douglas Original, Douglas Alpine or Douglas Summit mattress, you can expect a stellar customer experience that includes:

As soon as your new mattress arrives at your door, you get 365 nights to try it out. If between nights 30 and 365 you decide the Douglas isn’t right for you, just contact us for a full refund. Simple!	We manufacture Douglas in Canada and source all foam, fabric, and packaging from Canadian suppliers. This has the added benefit of letting us avoid the carbon footprint related to international transportation!	Every Douglas Original mattress is protected by a 20-year warranty and a complete satisfaction guarantee.

Happy Shopping!

Hopefully, shopping for a mattress no longer seems as overwhelming as when you first started this guide. 

You now know when to buy and what to budget for. You also understand what level of firmness is best for supporting your sleep position. You’ve learned how popular mattresses stack up against one another where comfort is concerned. Plus, you’re now aware of how traditional and online retailers operate—and how to ensure your customer experience is an amazing one.