Will a natural latex mattress sag?

To start, if the materials are never moved, the fatigue on the latex is non-linear -- meaning the layers will fatigue, but not at the same rate with the top layer wearing the most. Therefore, proper maintenance will give your mattress a chance to wear evenly. We recommend doing something to the mattress every three to nine months. First, spin your mattress 180° head to foot. In the next three to nine months, we recommend you take your mattress apart and rebuild it. This allows your mattress to wear more evenly and can potentially extend the life of your mattress. It is best to swap like layers with like layers. For example, our Medium mattress would have two layers of medium density. Switch the middle layer to the top and the top layer to the middle. You may want to flip over your top medium layer, too. Insider tip. King mattresses usually will develop a ridge in the middle of the mattress because no one sleeps there. Unfortunately, a king isn’t a perfect square. If you rotate it 90°, there will be an overhang of 2” on either side, even if you do this for a few weeks during the rotation and rearranging layers maintenance, it will help lessen the ridge long term.

Keep in mind that latex, like all foams, will soften or compress -- feel free to check out our video about this was well. With the exception of love and diamonds, nothing last forever. No material can maintain its shape even concrete will fatigue over time. Over a ten year period latex is estimated to soften 15-20%; memory foam about 30%; and mass market polyurethane about 60%. The softening is front-loaded, meaning it often occurs more rapidly during the first 5 years. Foam will react to heat, moisture [sweat], and pressure. The human body is the perfect trifecta and we are all built differently. Someone with a higher body mass -- like myself -- will have a greater impact than someone smaller. Often, what feels like a ridge or valley is the latex being softer in that particular area. Some people notice it more than others and there are too many variables to accurately predict how the materials will perform. One benefit of the design we use makes it very easy to make any corrections when they're needed. Also, here are things to do to help reduce this like flipping and rotating the layers inside of the mattress and using a mattress protector. Plus, you may be able to replace one layer and extend the life of the mattress rather than purchasing a new mattress.

Keep in mind that when it comes to our cover, the wool will compress quickly – probably about ½” – where you sleep. This is considered normal usage or wear. Rest assured this will not affect the performance or comfort of the mattress, but you’ll likely be able to see where you slept. Even with a new cover, there is a very high likelihood that we would not resolve the issue with any discomfort.

There is a perception that latex gets harder over time and it is related to softening in the material. While softening isn't visible -- like compression -- it will affect the "feel". This may lead to "bottoming out" in the mattress. Meaning, it may not provide enough comfort and the underlying support (slats/frame) may provide some of the feel therefore making the mattress feel hard and causing pressure on the body like the hips and shoulder. Some people may view this as the mattress getting harder over time.

Spindle mattresses are warranted for 10 years from the date of receipt. Typically, this warranty covers compression in the latex greater than 3/4″ in the latex only [not the cover]. Keep in mind that no matter how durable the materials, all mattresses will soften. After all, we spend almost a third of our lives in bed. Normal softening is not covered under the warranty. Where you sleep, it is expected you’ll notice a 15-20% softening within 10 years.

No matter what type of mattress you buy, over time you will be able to see where you sleep. A proper bed frame, foundation, mattress protector, and regular maintenance and care can help extend the life, but nothing will completely stop the mattress from softening or sagging.

How long will my mattress last? The real answer is…it depends. All mattresses of all types soften and sag over time. For some, these changes don’t affect the feel of the mattress, while for others it makes the mattress uncomfortable. We’ve seen some people happily keep their mattress for 20 years, whereas others can have the same mattress last only five. On average, you should expect 8-10 years out of your Spindle; anything after that is a bonus.

When people mention sag or compression in a latex mattress, we've found that a lot of the time that it is related to the underlying support. The weight and flexibility of latex requires a more sturdy and non-flexible base to support an "all" latex mattress like ours. If the mattress isn't supported properly, the mattress then needs to make up for the missing strength; and that translates into a softer, less supportive, or sinking feeling.

With the supporting system, it is not totally about the amount of weight that it can support, but more about the flex and give. If you and I were to try and lift a traditional mattress, it would maintain its shape and stay relatively flat. With a latex mattress, it would droop in middle. This is why a strong, non-flexing support is so important because a latex mattress isn't self supporting. Therefore, latex needs a different type of support than a conventional mattress. Unlike springs and other materials, when you exert force onto the latex, it transfers most of it to the supporting slats. Overtime, softer, thinner, more flexible supports, will deform causing the mattress to sag.

For example, this frameavailable on Amazon can support around 1,000 pounds, but isn't compatible with our mattress. In our experience, they don't hold up. The wire and steel braces aren't supportive enough. The problem is these are designed for innerspring mattresses which have a lot of support and rigidity. Plus, they have a built in shock absorber where as latex does not. So, when you exert force onto the latex, it is transferred to the support below and in the case of the metal foundations, the wire grid bends and deforms causing the mattress to sag.

We have some minimum requirements that should be met to get the most out of your latex mattress. For a foundation, the slats should be made of real wood, be 3/4” thick and spaced no more than three inches (3”) apart. Additionally, there should be a support under the slats in the middle of the foundation running from head to foot with at least three legs touching the floor. Please do not use particle board or plywood without adding a moisture barrier between the mattress and plywood/particle board. Without proper ventilation, you run the risk of accumulating moisture, which in turn can lead to mold or mildew. If you went this route, the particle board or plywood should be at least 3/4" thick for proper support along with the moisture barrier.

If the mattress aren’t supported properly, the frame and/or foundation then tries to compensate for the missing strength and that produces a softer, less supportive or sinking mattress. A common test to prove or disprove if the support is affecting the feel is placing the mattress temporarily on the floor. We realize that it isn't probably practical since most of us don't have the space to pull this off.

Please note that this isn't a gimmick to get someone to buy our foundation and increase sales. We even encourage people to purchase from other places and happy to give some recommendations if you are interested. We just want to make sure that the mattress will perform as expected.

In fact, if the mattress and foundation aren't supported properly, the mattress can appear like it is sagging. We've seen full and queen size bed frames missing the proper center support causing the mattress to sag.