In Desperate Need of a New Mattress?

Updated on July 28, 2009
M.C. asks from North Ridgeville, OH
15 answers

Hello Mamas,

Does anyone know the lifespan of a mattress? We have had ours for 7 years and it is killing me. Some mornings I wake up and my back hurts and then other mornings I can't move my neck one direction or the other because it is so tight. I am thinking we need a new mattress. I just can't believe that they only last 7 years. We spent $600 on our prior mattress so it wasn't top of the line, but $600 isn't "pocket change" for us either. Any suggestions or recommendations? Does anyone have a mattress that they just love or know the pros/cons of the different types (i.e. memory foam, sleep number, traditional)? I heard somewhere that memory foam has been linked to cancer. I don't know how reliable the source is and honestly believe that there is probably a study out there that says just about everything around us is linked to some sort of cancer. Anyways, any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

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B.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I love, love, love my sleep number bed, but they are a little pricey. They do have different lines so there are some that are a little more affordable. I would never buy another type of bed again. I have had neck problems and headaches all my life and those problems have diminished by about 90% since owning a sleep number bed.

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E.E.

answers from Cincinnati on

I recently read a book about back pain and one main suggestion was take your bed off the box spring and put it on the floor to sleep to see if it really is the bed that is causing the pain. If you feel better after several nights on the floor put a piece of plywood under the mattress on top of the box springs. This might be worth a try to buy a bit more time. Good Luck~

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B.B.

answers from Indianapolis on

We bought our mattress from the Kittles outlet off of I-69 and 96th Street. We didn't get the cheapest nor the most expensive...but went just shy of "middle of the road". It was a king set for about $700, and that was about 8 years ago.

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K.C.

answers from Cleveland on

Our mattress lasted 10 yrs but the last two weren't so good. We bought a new top mattress and kept the bottom box spring to save money. This doesn't always work but the store had mismatched ones in the back so we got a Stearns and Foster(consumer reports gives them a high rating) mattress without having to pay for boxsprings.

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D.L.

answers from Canton on

I love my sleep number bed,but.. Be prepared to spend a small fortune. Queen size was $2,500. It does have a 20 year warrenty tho. Most conventionals only last up to 10 years. Good luck and sleep well!

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R.B.

answers from Columbus on

My husband and I have had a sleep number mattress for almost 10 yrs now and love it. They are guarenteed for something like 20 yrs. We have had no problem with ours. It has been great because my husband and I can set our firmness to what ever we want regardless of what the other one wants. I am usually a back sleeper and like it somewhat firm, but right now I am pregnant and have to sleep on my side. I found out that side sleepers tend to like their mattresses softer so it conforms to the curves of their body better. So, since I have been pregnant all I had to do was adjust my sleep number. IT IS GREAT!

I know they cost more money, but long term I think they are worth every penny.

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J.K.

answers from Cincinnati on

We bought a new king-size bed set at the Ceasar's Creek Flea market. We also bought our Serta mattress there at the furniture store. These aren't USED items. They're new and reasonably priced. The mattress is absolutely wonderful. It would be worth a visit if you're close. The man who owns it also has a real store. You could call the flea mkt. and get his phone number and prices.

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S.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Maybe try to get one of those egg crate mattress toppers? It seems like a mattress should definitely last longer than 7 years! Maybe new pillows would help?

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

I think you're problem is more than just your mattress. If you have that many aches & pains when you wake up, there's more likely going on. You need to consider HOW you are sleeping as well as take a gander in the mirror to see if you might have one shoulder higher than another, one hip higher than another, a shoulder or two dropped forward, etc. I see clients like this all the time.

Might want to acquire a copy of PAIN FREE by Pete Egoscue. This will help give you an idea of WHAT to do, complete w/ pictures and explanations. AWESOME stuff and it WORKS!!!

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D.H.

answers from Canton on

They should last about 15 years. I like original mattress. They have quality products and low prices. If you occassionally flip your mattress they wear better. I flip mine twice a year. Good luck.

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K.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

If you can't afford a new mattress right now, what if you put either an egg crate or a feather bed on top??? Also, you can buy a pillow top mattress pad. Those are WONDERFUL! My friend has one on her regular mattress and it feels like a pillow top. Just a few ideas.

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B.R.

answers from Columbus on

Ten years max if it was a good mattress, if it has been turned, etc.. If yours is bothering you, it's time to get a good mattress. I only buy from the Original Mattress Factory now and I get the mid price range. Good prices, excellent quality. I always get the extra side supports put in on the edge of the mattresses (no extra charge) because it keeps the bed from sinking in as much when you set on the edge. You can also get a low profile box springs (no extra charge) if you prefer.

I debated a few years ago whether to get temur pedic, sleep number, etc. and people here were very helpful. Seems like the general consensus is that temper pedics/memory foam is very hot. Sleep numbers are high priced inflatable beds and disappointing.

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D.L.

answers from Cleveland on

Your body is telling you that it is time for a new mattress.
$600 will buy you a top of the line mattress at the Original Mattress Factory; I wouldn't buy anywhere else.

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S.H.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Depending on the quality of the mattress and the weight of the users, i think 7 to 10 years is about normal. My DH is over 300# so we wore our first mattress out pretty quickly. We got a Sleep Number and we LOVE it. It was more expensive but it comes with a 20 year warranty, we would have bought 3 mattresses at $600 or one at $1200 during that time frame. So although it is a bigger out of pocket expense, in the long run it is totally worth it.

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B.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I used to sell mattresses and back then, the better high-end mattresses were *supposed* to last 15 years. They had a guarantee for 15 years. However, I've never had a mattress that lasted that long. We went 12 years once. In my parents house, the guest room bed was so uncomfortable, I bought one of those egg crate foam pads and put it underneath the mattress pad and that helped a WHOLE LOT. You might try that--it's a fairly cheap solution (less than $25--look at WalMart)

Another thing- do you turn your mattress? The mattress manufacturers usually recommend turning every month and I don't know many people who actually do that. Of course, some pillow top styles are only pillow top on one side...so you can't turn them over. You can turn them head to toe, though, and that might help.

As for different mattress styles- we stayed at a B&B one time for THREE NIGHTS on a sleep number bed and I will NEVER sleep one of them again. I know some people really like them...but they are not for us.

My son has been on a mission internship in New Orleans and he had the opportunity to sleep on a tempurapedic (Spelling?) and he LOVED it...felt it was the most comfortable ever, except it was hot and this place didn't have air conditioning.

Good luck!

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