The End of Mattress Flipping and a Viable Care Alternative

24 Sep The End of Mattress Flipping and a Viable Care Alternative

Similar in some ways to rotating the tires on a car, many people are familiar with the historical practice of flipping a mattress as part of its long-term care. The idea of flipping a mattress is simple: You’re attempting to even out the wear and strain taken on by the mattress over a period of years.

At 2 Brothers Mattress, we’re here to tell you that while there may still be a few mattresses left out there that benefit from this sort of thing, mattress flipping is being phased out. New mattress materials like memory foam and hybrid options are causing flipping to no longer be necessary, and in fact to occasionally be detrimental to the mattress in question. Let’s look at why this is the case today, what you can still do to even out the wear-and-tear placed on your mattress, and when it might simply be time to upgrade your mattress.

Mattress Flipping – Mostly in the Past

Generally speaking, modern mattress retailers do not recommend flipping your mattress anymore, whether it’s a pillow-top mattress, memory foam or any other recent make. Flipping mattresses became popular when the most common style was the basic spring mattress, helping springs stay active and useful for longer periods of time by changing the direction of pressure on them.

Today, however, most mattresses either don’t have these springs or come with top comfort layers on one side. These mattresses are meant to be one-sided, and flipping them will often place the memory foam or hybrid foam on the wrong side – not only will this wear the mattress down far faster, it will make it uncomfortable and limit and physical benefits you normally receive.

Mattress Rotation

An alternative to mattress flipping that may be more viable today: Rotating the mattress. This accomplishes a similar theme, keeping the surface wear relatively even while maintaining its support qualities. Mattress rotation is best with pillow-top and other comfort mattresses, which have padding on top that can do well with rotations to keep it fresh. You might be able to extend the lifespan of such a mattress by multiple years through intelligent rotation.

When It’s Time to Upgrade

In some cases, mattress rotation or flipping (for still-acceptable models) might not yield the results you’re looking for – most often, this is simply a sign that the mattress is nearing the end of its lifespan and should be replaced. There’s only so much these kinds of movements can do; mattress components will naturally wear down over a long enough period of time, and there comes a point where your comfort will suffer to such a degree that taking the plunge and replacing the mattress is the way to go.

For more on flipping and rotating mattresses, or to learn about any of our new mattress or adjustable bed options, speak to the staff at 2 Brothers Mattress today.