Busting 4 mattress myths

The mattress industry is full of misinformation. Many mattress retailers don’t want to make it easy for customers to do research or properly comparison shop.

At The Original Mattress Factory, we believe in helping our customers make a smart buying decision, whether they buy from us or not. Education is a huge piece of our mission. So we're taking on four common mattress myths so that you can be better prepared. 

Myth: You should get a new mattress every eight years.

Several years ago, there was a pretty big marketing campaign that said you should replace your mattress every eight years. The campaign was meant to get customers back into the market more often. But its message wasn’t quite true.

The mattress industry currently estimates that your mattress will last between 5-7 years. But there are a lot of factors that impact how long your mattress will hold up including the quality of its materials and how well you care for it. You can read more about that here. A high-quality mattress that is well cared for has the potential to last much longer than the official industry estimates.

Ultimately, the only way to know when it’s time to replace your mattress is whether or not you’re still getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, your mattress will age over time and may start to impact your quality of sleep each night. Or your mattress may still be in good shape, but your support or comfort preferences may have changed over time.

If you’re still getting restful, restorative sleep on your mattress, there’s no reason to replace it.

Myth: Your mattress doubles in weight over time due to sweat, dust mites, dead skin, etc.

This is gross and — thankfully — untrue. This started as a misquote from a researcher in a major newspaper and became another one of those marketing claims that were meant to encourage customers to buy mattresses more often.

But if you’re worried about keeping your mattress clean, invest in a good-quality, breathable, waterproof mattress protector. You can even get an encasement which will cover all sides of your mattress and seal shut, keeping out bed bugs and other pests.

Myth: Two-sided mattresses are old fashioned

A lot of mattress retailers will tell you that today’s mattresses are so technologically advanced that they no longer need to be flipped. They’ll tell you that two-sided mattresses are old fashioned. Let’s talk about why that’s not true:

A few decades ago, nearly all mattresses were two sided. You could flip and rotate them regularly so that the wear was even across all sides.

Remember how we said the current estimates for mattress life is 5-7 years? Well, back when mattresses were all two sided, it was 15-20 years. That’s because two sided mattresses are more durable. (Mattress manufacturers have also started using lower-quality materials which has also contributed to the decline in estimated lifespan.) But if customers only come back to the market every two decades, retailers don’t sell as many mattresses.

At The Original Mattress Factory, we’re one of only a few mattress manufacturers that still make two-sided mattresses because we believe our customers deserve the best.

Myth: You don’t need a box spring

Most mattress manufacturers haven’t just stopped making two-sided mattresses. They’ve also stopped making real working box springs, opting instead for rigid foundations that don’t provide any shock-absorbing benefits for your mattress.

But a real working box spring acts as a shock absorber for your mattress. It can help improve your mattress’ long-term comfort and durability.

It’s also important that you pair your new mattress with a new box spring. While you may believe that your old box spring is still in good shape, they age over time. Pairing your new mattress with an old box spring may negatively impact its performance.

Some beds — like platform or bunk beds — don’t accommodate a box springs. It’s OK to not use a box springs, but you’ll want to keep a few things in mind:

• Without a flexing box springs, your mattress may feel a bit firmer.
• You’ll want to make sure your mattress has proper support. This is especially important in larger sizes for which you’ll want to make sure there is a foot in the center of the frame or bed that touches the floor.

Great beds. No bull.

There’s a reason why “Great beds. No bull,” is one of our slogans. In an industry full of misinformation, we have placed honesty and transparency at the center of all we do. We’ve been in this business for decades, and we’ve seen it all. So when you’re starting your mattress shopping journey, come here first. We’ll make sure you’re better prepared to make a smart buying decision, whether you buy from us or not.

Check out Mattress Shopping 101. 

Ready to start your mattress buying journey? Come to The Original Mattress Factory first. No one knows more than our team about what makes a great mattress great. Whether you buy from us or not, you’ll be better prepared to make a smart mattress buying decision. Find a store near you.