Do I need to flip my mattress?

When should I flip my mattress?

We understand that the benefit of rotating the tires on our car, and we know to turn over at the beach so we don’t burn. But many of us don’t even think of flipping our mattress over.

If you’re not a regular flipper, the fact that you’ve spent your hard earned money on purchasing a quality mattress should give you pause on how to treat it. After all, if you want it to provide you with comfort and support night after night for years to come, there are some basic rules of maintenance that you should follow to get the most out of your mattress.

One of those rules is to flip and rotate your mattress periodically so that the mattress wears evenly not only on both sides but also head to toe. Any man-made material wears over time and regular use, so even the best mattresses will compress over time and lose their resiliency and shape.

The truth is that you can extend the life of your mattress for years by simply rotating and flipping the sleep surface on a regular schedule.

How often should I rotate my mattress?

Here’s a trick that many hotels use to help you keep your mattress flips and rotations on schedule. Take two index cards and write “January” and “October” at the top of both. Then swivel the cards 180 degrees and write “April” on the opposite end of the January card and “July” on the other end of the October card.

Attach one card to the head of the mattress and the other to the foot. Flip and rotate your mattress to make sure the card on the foot of your bed matches the most recent month, reading right-side-up, and you’ll make sure that you’re always on the correct flipping schedule.

Should I flip my mattress if the label says I don’t have to?

There are many mattresses on the market that will tout that they are “one-sided” and don’t have to be flipped. So first, a little primer on mattress construction. Traditional two-sided innerspring mattresses are built around a central coil system that feature comfort layers on both the top and bottom of the coil system. No-flip mattresses feature a coil system with a single layer of foam comfort material above the coils and a quilt on top.

The reason for the change is that in 2007, new federal fire regulations made it too costly for many manufacturers to include both a top and bottom comfort layer in their mattresses. So the one-sided mattress (one comfort layer) came into vogue. 

One-sided or two-sided?

Proponents of two-sided mattresses say that their mattress is made with no cost compromise and that with regular rotation and flipping, the two-sided mattress will long outlast its one-sided counterpart with outstanding comfort and support.

Critics of the two-sided mattress will say that the main benefit of the one-sided mattress is that its owner will never have to flip a heavy mattress and that the quality and durability are the same as a two-sided mattress.

You’ll be happy to know that Mattress World Northwest, Oregon’s #1 mattress retailer, carries many models of both styles, so you can let your body be the judge. If you’re looking to purchase a new mattress, stop in to any one of our eleven stores in Clackamas, Canby, Gresham, Wilsonville, Beaverton, Happy Valley, Salem and throughout the Portland area.

And be sure to ask for a Sleep Specialist to help you choose the mattress—one-sided or two, flip or no flip–that’s right for you and your budget.