OK you just spent what you think is a bloody fortune for a new mattress, because the last bloody fortune you spent a few years ago didn’t seem to meet your expectations. What is it that makes you think it will be any different this time? It seems like folks always think they have learned their lesson and the most recent draining of your bank account will be different. This time you fully expect the mattress to last for the entire period of the warranty. Perhaps this the problem, you really believe that the 20-year warranty means that the mattress will be fully functional for the next 20 years. All you have to do is read the fine print, it doesn’t guarantee that the mattress will be as good as new for the next 20 years. The reality is that the mattress will not sleep like it did when you first got in probably 5-7 years and in 10 years you may find it unbearable. Now it may be free of material defect, and it may not exceed inch and a half depression on the surface, but it is just not a comfortable and supportive as when you first got it. It could be that long mattress warranties create unreal expectations as far as the usable life of a mattress. Admittedly I am supersensitive about my mattress, but I know when the bloom is off the rose.
In my opinion the length of mattress warranties create unreal expectations and ultimately reflect badly on our industry really leading to dissatisfaction. Usually, the non-prorated part of the warranty reflects better the life expectancy of a mattress. This period is generally around 5 years, and, in most cases, a new mattress will exceed this by 2-3 years, however, rarely will it exceed 10 years. Sure, plenty of people will suffer through another 5-10 years sleeping on a mattress that really doesn’t offer them the comfort and support they experienced in the early years of the mattress. I am not saying all mattresses are the same and last the same amount of time regardless of what you paid for the mattress either. There are mattresses that are worn out after a year or less and there are some that will truly hold up for 10-15 years, but I cannot give you a formula that will make sure you choose the latter. I know of one company that will remain nameless warrantied their mattresses for life (whatever that means). I knew a couple that bought one of these mattresses, strictly based on this lifetime warranty. Every year or two they would go back to where they bought it and complain that the mattress was not holding up. The company would come and determine that they were in fact right and replace the mattress with a new one. Well, this couple thought we would never buy a mattress from any other company, because they had their mattress replaced at no charge every 2-3 years with a new one. They were very loyal to this company, even though the mattresses this company sold were very poor quality and just did not hold up. Should these folks really be loyal, despite the fact that they never really were given a quality product? I don’t think so, and in my opinion would never purchase a mattress like this in the first place.
