The Mattress Flip, Mom Knew Best

When I was a kid, I remember my mom turning over our mattresses all the time. What was that about and what was her reasoning behind it? Mattresses flatten and get saggy from body weight, and turning them over allows the sagging side to “even out” again. She was right – most moms know about these things. Why because grandma did the same thing. We didn’t sit on our beds, they were not a place to play, and they both always took care of maintaining the old nest. The results, my mattress stayed pretty firm and nice for many many years.

But here’s the thing about newer mattresses – most are not flippable. They have “special” tops and the undersides are not made for sleeping on. Think about a pillow-top mattress, for example. There is no pillow top on the underside, so that mattress cannot be turned over – ever. Bummer.

The Profit of One-Sided Mattresses

Now, about these one-sided mattresses. Over time, they do get saggy with body weight just like double sided they just do it quicker. This problem can be solved in some ways by rotating the mattress head to foot, and following your warranty maintenance recommendations.  This regular care is a good thing and it is best not to wait until you see some sagging or settling, we encourage you to be proactive. But over time, due to the extra care that can be taken with a flippable mattress you inevitably end up buying a new mattress because of the lack of care because you cannot flip it over and use the underside.

Of course mattress companies know this, yet nothing is done about it read the reviews and visit on line mattress forums discussing  today’s mattress issues and see for your self. If you could flip your mattress over, potentially it can last twice as long. Non-flippable mattresses just make good sense to them (manufacturers) – they sell more over time. And they tell consumers that their mattresses are now so well-made that flipping them is not necessary.

Somehow, that doesn’t seem exactly right – like mattresses defy the laws of physics and gravity.

The Myth that Two-Sided Mattresses are No Longer Made

Most large mattress manufacturers make only one-sided mattresses. There are, however, a few smaller companies that still make the old designs with two-sides, and they can still be found online, some mattress and local furniture stores. While they may not have them on display, just ask when you visit a store, they may be able to order you one to purchase.

Are Two-Sided Mattresses Better?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. Mattresses are only as good as the materials with which they are made. Like any mattress purchase, you have to do your homework, compare specifications, and go “test” them out for yourself. But,more often than not, if you want a mattress that to last longer, you want to consider a flippable one.

How to Flip

When you get your new mattress, remember that no one has slept on it before, and your body has its own contours. The mattress is going to adjust to your body pretty quickly. So when a mattress is new, you will probably see some settling pretty early on and the warranty card will state this clearly, be sure to take some time to read and understand how your mattress is going to wear. Here is how you should treat your flippable mattress:

• Flip the mattress every month, alternating between side-to-side flipping and head to foot rotations.
• Do this for the first six months that you own the mattress
• After the first six months, flip the mattress twice a year, both laterally and horizontally

If you follow this schedule, your mattress will feel “new” to you and will last a lot longer.

It’s All About You

In the end, the choice of a mattress is a personal one after all when we go get ice cream it’s kind of rare that everyone would order vanilla. You should look forward to shopping for a new mattress when the time comes. It is interesting to see all of the types of new fabrics and fillers and even the technology of temperature and firmness settings. It’s a little silly and yeah kind of fun spreading out on a mattress to get a “feel” for it. So next time you g out and do some window shopping give them a test try and ask about flippable mattresses and really try them out too. After all if you can get more life, comfort, and bang for your buck out of one wouldn’t you rest just a little bit better?