Mattress warranties: Your mattress guarantee explained

Mattress warranties may not rank as high in your priorities as price, size or comfort when you’re choosing a new bed. But a mattress is a major investment, and a good warranty can reassure you that your purchase will perform well throughout its lifespan.

All of the best mattresses we review here at Expert Reviews come with warranties that last at least ten years. Nectar even offers a ‘forever warranty’ and pledges to replace or repair your mattress if it develops a fault that isn’t your… well… fault. The terms of coverage do vary, so it’s important to check the small print before you buy.

We analysed the terms and conditions of more than 20 UK mattress warranties to find out what a good guarantee should offer. Below, we reveal what the best mattress warranties do and don’t cover, how long they last and what you can claim if your mattress fails to deliver.

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What is a mattress warranty?

A mattress warranty is the manufacturer’s promise that their product will perform as described and remain in one piece for a certain period of time, provided you follow a few instructions. It’s essentially a pledge that your mattress won’t fail so long as you treat it right.

A mattress warranty is different from the free trial that comes with most modern mattresses, especially bed-in-a-box mattresses. These free trials can last up to a whole year, as with Nectar, or a more typical 200 days, like Simba, while others, such as Dormeo, offer a relatively brief 60 days. Most promise to fully refund you if you simply don’t get on with the mattress, as long as you haven’t damaged it.

By contrast, a warranty doesn’t typically offer a refund. Instead, it promises to replace or repair your mattress if it develops a fault – a “material defect”, in legal speak – but this would have to be a problem in the manufacture of the mattress, and not something that you’ve done to it.

Examples of material defects may include damaged springs, split seams and sagging beyond the reasonable “sinkage” that occurs from daily use. We’ll have more on this in the section What does a mattress warranty cover?.

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How long does a mattress warranty last?

The best mattresses come with warranties that last ten years or more. Given that the average lifespan of a mattress is seven to ten years, a decade-long warranty gives you peace of mind that the mattress will always perform as it should.

We don’t recommend buying a mattress with a warranty of five years or less, because you’ll get no recompense if the mattress starts to fail within the time you should reasonably expect it to last. Plus, disposing of a mattress involves a lot of waste and possible cost, so don’t risk having to do it prematurely.

A few manufacturers, including Nectar and DreamCloud, go so far as to include lifetime guarantees with some of their mattresses. Be aware that they will only give you a free replacement within the first ten years and, after that, they will repair your mattress for free if your claim is successful. Even so, the lifetime warranty is a great indicator of reliability and durability.

Here’s a quick summary of mattress warranty lengths by leading brands, all applicable within the UK. Click a brand in the list to go to its warranty terms and conditions (T&Cs):

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What does a mattress warranty cover?

Common manufacturing faults that are covered by mattress warranties include split seams, broken springs and handles, cracked or split foam and faulty zips.

Some warranties require certain problems to be reported quickly, so check your mattress when it’s delivered. For instance, Emma’s T&Cs state that “Any cracks or hollows in the foam … need to be reported within the first six months to be identified as a manufacturing fault.”

There are other problems that can take years to develop but may still qualify. For example, if your mattress sinks “significantly” more than you’d expect from normal wear and tear, it may be covered by the warranty. For example, Otty defines “significant” dipping as more than 25mm after the first year, 40mm after three years and 50mm after five years. On the other hand, DreamCloud says that “normal body impressions” up to 40mm deep “are not defects and are not covered”.

What if my mattress doesn’t expand to full size?

After unwrapping, some bed-in-a-box mattresses can take up to a week to reach their full size. If you think your mattress is too thin, we recommend returning it well within the free trial period for your money back.

However, at least according to Otty, there is an “industry standard allowance” of up to 30mm difference between an actual mattress and its advertised size, so a mattress has to be quite a lot thinner than advertised to be covered by the warranty.

What would void a mattress warranty?

A general rule with warranties is that if it’s your fault then it isn’t covered. Mattress warranties won’t honour claims for:

• Burns, cuts, tears or any other damage caused by accidents or deliberate misuse
• Mould or mildew – this is considered to be avoidable
• Spills or stains – including any yellowing over the years
• Soiling or any lack of hygiene

However, a lot of claims are refused for less obvious reasons and are often refused as a result of you inadvertently voiding your warranty by failing to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Here are some ways that you can avoid accidentally invalidating your warranty:

1. Don’t leave the mattress in its packaging

With bed-in-a-box mattresses, such as the Simba Hybrid Pro or Emma NextGen Premium, you’re required to open and unwrap them within a set time period for your warranty to be valid.

Typically, you’re allowed up to six weeks from the date of delivery but some companies are more generous and others less so. For example, Otty allows you up to eight weeks, while Dormeo only allows 30 days.

Unwrapping factory-compressed mattresses can be a wrestling match with several layers of tight plastic, so take great care with scissors. If you accidentally cut the mattress or its cover, the damage won’t be covered by the warranty.

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2. Do put your mattress on a proper bed base

Your mattress must be used on a standard bed base, either a solid base (such as a divan) or a slatted one. Not all warranties specifically prohibit using another mattress as a base, but they do prohibit “a non-compatible base” (Otty) and require “a firm surface” (Nectar).

Many warranties even specify the size of slats that your bed must have. For example, Eve states that slats must be no more than 70mm apart, while Nectar and DreamCloud allow up to 90mm apart. Otty says you mustn’t use steel bed frames “with thin steel supports”.

3. Don’t exceed the maximum recommended weight

Most mattress warranties state a maximum weight limit of around 130-140kg (20-22 stone) per person on each side, or a combined weight up to 280kg.

This weight recommendation seems to be fairly standard regardless of mattress size. If you’re particularly heavy or tall, we recommend choosing a king-size or super king-size mattress – not just to increase your chances of any warranty claim being honoured, but also because you’ll find it much more comfortable.

4. Don’t jump on the mattress

Warranties won’t cover any damage you do to the foam, seams or springs by using your mattress as a trampoline. Otty’s T&Cs go so far as to specifically prohibit standing on the mattress too.

5. Don’t use your mattress without sheets

Soiling or other damage caused by sleeping on the mattress without bed sheets won’t be covered. To be on the safe side with mattress warranties and free trials, use a new mattress protector on your new bed.

You should also wash the protector regularly, and make sure it’s completely dry before putting it back on the mattress.

6. Do rotate your mattress

Most bed-in-a-box mattresses are not designed to be flipped. You must only sleep on the top layer, but you are often required to rotate them head to toe to avoid putting too much pressure on any single area.

For instance, Otty requires that you rotate their mattresses once a month for the first year and then every three months, while Dormeo’s memory foam mattresses must be rotated once a week for the first month.

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How do I make a mattress warranty claim?

If you bought a mattress directly from the manufacturer then you will need to make a claim through them.

Send an email to the returns or customer service address, giving the name of your mattress, the date you bought it and brief details of what’s gone wrong with it. You may then be asked to provide proof of purchase, photos of the problem and even measurements to back up your claim.

Here are the contact details for some top mattress brands:

If you bought through a third-party retailer, you may have to claim through them. For example, Silentnight requires any claims to be made through John Lewis for the first year of the mattress’ warranty, and via Silentnight in the second or any subsequent year.

Retailers sometimes offer different warranty periods than the manufacturers, so check before you buy. Otty’s warranty on products sold via Wowcher, Groupon and similar discount sites, is just one year.

What happens next?

The manufacturer may send an independent assessor to determine whether your claim is valid. Once they’re satisfied that your mattress is defective, they will typically arrange a replacement within two weeks.

Will I get a refund?

Even the most open-and-shut warranty cases don’t normally get you your money back. The usual recompense is a like-for-like replacement or a free repair in the case of lifetime warranties that have exceeded their first ten years.

Your replacement mattress typically comes with the same warranty as the original mattress but, in most cases, your warranty period isn’t extended.

Each company can, and does, set its own rules. This is because a warranty is separate from your legal consumer rights and bound entirely by a firm’s terms and conditions. Our advice for getting the most out of your new mattress is always to keep it in the best possible condition. By doing so, you ensure you’ll be able to get your money back during its free trial if you don’t get on with it, and you’ll  increase your chances of a replacement if something goes wrong with it.