#1 in Sleep Product Research Millions Served Since 2008 Ratings > Mattress Warranties Unbiased Research Based on Data From 4,200 Mattress Owners Mattresses can and often do have their warranties voided due to the use of an improper foundation / frame and the presence of staining, soiling or fluid penetration. An improper foundation / frame can result in premature wear and sagging of the mattress. Read your warranty's foundation / frame guidelines and follow them to the letter. Mattress companies do not give leeway on this issue; your foundation / frame either meets their warranty guidelines or it doesn't. These can fully void a mattress warranty. Even if the staining, soiling or fluid penetration is not near a defective area, such as where sagging is located, the warranty will probably not cover the sagging. Therefore, it is wise to use a mattress protector / pad from the first night onward. See mattress pad reviews for the top-rated pads. Most mattress warranties are for a length of 5, 10, or 20 years.
Our research strongly suggests that in most cases you should not believe that your mattress will last the length of its warranty with regular, everyday adult use. Sleep Like The Dead collected data from over 4,000 owners regarding how long they kept their mattress or how long they reported that it maintained most of its original comfort and support. This data was then compared to the length of the mattress warranty. The results suggest – as the table shows – that the useful life of a mattress is often a fraction of its warranty length, and the fraction becomes smaller as the warranty length increases. Keep in mind that our findings are true only in general. In other words, individual brands, individual models, and individual mattresses may perform somewhat better or worse. (Refer to the rating page of a particular mattress for information on its expected lifespan.) Also, our findings suggest that there is indeed somewhat of a correlation between warranty length and the quality / durability / longevity of a mattress.
In other words, good mattresses usually have longer warranties, while not-so-good mattresses usually have shorter ones. The main complaint people have with their mattress is sagging – especially in regard to innerspring beds in general and to a lesser extent memory foam, latex and air mattresses. Owner experience data suggests that even moderate sagging can and often does result in less comfort and support. It may also cause back pain, especially for side and stomach sleepers. (See mattresses and pain for more analysis.) As a result, mattress shoppers should pay special attention to how sagging issues are covered by the warranty. Most warranties will cover sagging only when the problem becomes severe enough, that is, when it reaches a certain depth. For example, innerspring mattress warranties will often provide coverage for sagging beginning at a depth of 1.5 inches. By contrast, some memory foam mattress warranties, including Tempur-Pedic's, will provide coverage for sagging beginning at a depth of .75 inches.
In other words, innerspring bed warranties often require twice the depth of sagging that these memory foam bed warranties require before coverage kicks in. Making a warranty claim and replacing a mattress under warranty can be expensive to the mattress owner. There can be a fee to have someone come to your home to inspect the condition of your mattress to determine if it is eligible for warranty coverage. If it is eligible, there will be a fee to take the defective mattress away and to ship a new or repaired mattress to you. Given the heavy weight of many mattresses today, this fee may be substantial. In addition, depending on the age of the mattress and the warranty terms of proration, you may have to pay a percentage of the replacement or repair costs. Many mattress owners realize too late that their warranty sounds more impressive than it actually is. For example, most airbeds including Sleep Number have a 20-year warranty. This causes many owners to wrongly believe that if any manufacturer defect pops up in the next 20 years, the problem will be covered at little or no cost to them.
The whole story is that non-prorated coverage (coverage for which there is no cost to the owner to repair / replace the bed) often ends after just a few years. If something goes wrong with the airbed after this time, coverage is prorated which means the owner will often need to pay at least 20% of repair costs. Therefore, make sure to read the fine print of a mattress warranty. Mattresses are discarded for a variety of reasons, but the main reason not surprisingly is usually related to a loss of comfort and support that occurs through normal wear. As is true for virtually all product warranties, normal wear is not covered under mattress warranties; only faulty workmanship / materials as defined by the manufacturer are covered. These defects are problems that can be objectively measured or observed, such as sagging depth (see below). Problems not objectively measurable or clearly observable, such as excessive softening or loss of support, are not commonly covered under warranty.
A mattress warranty is only as good as the manufacturer's willingness to honor it. Often a mattress manufacturer's BBB rating and or the number of BBB complaints from consumers in regard to warranty-related issues can be a good indicator of how well the company stands behind its warranty. Nature's Sleep's 20-Year Warranty for Ortho-Pedic Visco Memory Mattresses Nature’s Sleep will repair or replace any Nature’s Sleep Visco Memory Foam mattress from the original owner should it be defective due to faulty workmanship or structural defects, at our option and subject to the limitations and conditions described in this warranty. This warranty does not cover any normal increase or decrease in the feel or any normal decrease in the recovery feature of the Nature’s Sleep Visco Memory Foam material, neither of which affect the pressure-relieving qualities of the Visco Memory Foam. Any visible and lasting indentation (Body impression) greater than three-fourths (3/4) of one inch not associated
from a sag in the foundation, box springs, or platform (mattress support). Any physical flaw in the mattress causing the Visco Memory Foam material to split or crack, despite normal usage and proper handling. During the first ten (10) years of original ownership, if the mattress is deemed defective, Nature’s Sleep shall be responsible for the repair or replacement costs of the mattress except for any handling or transportation costs associated with repairs or replacements. Years 11 through 20 we will, (at our option), repair the mattress at a handling cost to the original owner, or replace the mattress at a prorated charge to the original owner plus transportation costs. If we replace the mattress, the prorated replacement charge will depend on when the mattress is replaced. If the mattress is replaced during the eleventh year of this warranty, the prorated replacement charge the original owner pays will be fifty (50) percent of the original purchase price.
If the mattress is replaced after the eleventh year but before this warranty expires, the prorated charge the original owner pays will increase five (5) percent for each subsequent year of the prorated period (i.e. 55% of the original purchase price). Nature’s Sleep mattresses are designed to be used on a firm, solid-surface, non-spring foundation or adjustable bed base (mattress supports). This warranty is contingent and based on tests conducted on “sets” that consist of our mattresses and acceptable mattress supports as noted above. The outer mattress cover is warranted for one (1) year from the date of original purchase against faults in material or workmanship. THIS WARRANTY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WILL BE VOID if the mattress, foundation, or cover is physically abused, damaged, soiled, burned, cut or torn.
Nature’s Sleep may require proof of the type, quality and condition of the mattress support used with the mattress SHOULD THE ORIGINAL OWNER process a claim under this warranty. Important information regarding this warranty: Product must be registered with Nature's Sleep within 30 days of purchase for this warranty to be valid. Click here to register online. This warranty is valid only for the original purchaser of the product. An original purchaser is one who purchased the product directly from Nature's Sleep or an authorized dealer of Nature's Sleep. If you are not the original purchaser of this product, you take it "as-is" and "with all faults." Proof of original purchase is required in order to be eligible to make a valid claim under this warranty. All warranties contained herein shall not apply if the product or cover has been physically damaged, burned, cut, torn or is abnormally soiled or unsanitary. All shipping costs are the responsibility of the purchaser.