How long does a mattress last — and how to make it last longer

There's no fixed expiry date. The National Bed Federation (NBF) says a mattress's life is affected by "the quality, care and amount you use it" — a spare bed used a few nights a year wears much more slowly than the one you sleep on every night.

The NBF's checklist

Ask yourself:

Are you sleeping as well as you did a year ago?
Have you had your mattress for more than seven to 10 years?
Do you wake up with stiffness, aches or pains?
Have you had a better night's sleep in a bed other than yours?
Does it show visible wear and tear — sagging, lumps?

Life changes count too: the NBF mentions moving in with a partner, a new home, losing or gaining weight, and getting older. Its advice on buying is to look for a mattress that "will last 7-10 years" rather than one that needs replacing within a few years.

Dips and body impressions aren't always a fault

New mattresses often settle where you lie, especially at the shoulders and hips. The NBF calls these impressions "a normal characteristic of quality mattresses" and says there's no official standard for how much is too much. A mattress that has genuinely lost its support feels different: there's a distinct lack of support when you lie on it.

Make it last longer

Use a mattress protector and clean spills straight away.
Rotate it — and flip it if it's two-sided — as the maker's care instructions say. If there are no instructions, the NBF suggests rotating a one-sided mattress weekly for the first three months, then monthly; for two-sided mattresses, alternate rotating and flipping on the same schedule.
Air it regularly, and strip the bed when you go away.
Don't bend or roll it unless it was designed to be roll-packed — the NBF warns this can damage the springs and invalidate the warranty.
Use the right base. The NBF says flexible slats work with a mattress and prolong its life, while rigid slats "work against the mattress". Keeping an old divan base under a new mattress can shorten its life and may invalidate the guarantee.
No trampolining — the NBF's advice for children's beds is not to let them jump on the bed.

Give a new mattress time

Your body can take a while to adjust to a new mattress — the NBF says it "could take a few weeks".

Will a topper help?

A topper changes the feel of the surface. As Emma puts it on its topper page, a topper "does not correct the deformation or sinking of an old mattress" — the mattress underneath still needs to be sound.