7 Things to Know About Your Mattress Warranty

If you’re mattress shopping, your criteria for finding the right sleep solution probably includes one or more of the following:

• Finding the right size mattress to fit your bed frame and room
• Selecting a mattress with the right degree of firmness to match your sleep style (e.g., back sleeper, side sleeper, or stomach sleeper)
• Ensure the materials your new mattress is made of meet your standards and preferences without exceeding your budget.

While each criterion is important to making the right mattress-buying decision, there is a crucial element that’s often overlooked during the mattress selection process. That element is the mattress warranty.

The idea of comparison shopping for a good mattress warranty might surprise you. After all, the federal government requires manufacturers and sellers of all major purchase items to warrant that their products function as expected, right? Since your purchase is already covered by this warranty of merchantability, why should you worry about the fine print of your mattress’s written warranty?

The reason is simple. Not all mattress warranty coverage protects your purchase in the same way. Before you lay down a load of cash for a mattress you think will last you for decades, you should be armed with information on whether and to what extent the manufacturer is willing to stand by their product. Mattress warranties vary in the length, depth, and breadth of the protection they provide.

This article covers important mattress warranty information those in the market for a new mattress should know.

What is a Mattress Limited Warranty?

A mattress warranty is an enforceable promise from the manufacturer to provide you with a product that is free of design flaws or structural defects for a specified amount of time. Should it turn out that the mattress you purchased is defective, you can seek compensation — usually in the form of a refund, a replacement mattress, or a repair — under the terms of the warranty.

Most mattress warranties are limited warranties, which means they’re restrictive as to the types of defects covered, the time frame for asserting a particular type of warranty claim, and the degree of compensation you can expect given the limitation of the warranty.

Manufacturers and retailers have a lot of leeway regarding what’s covered under their limited mattress warranties, so you must understand the terms and conditions of your particular mattress warranty before you buy the item. Pay particular attention to the warranty length, and how it relates to the anticipated lifespan of your mattress.

How Long are Mattress Warranties?

Mattress manufacturers have a lot of discretion when it comes to how long their warranties will last. On average, a home mattress warranty period will cover somewhere between 10 and 20 years from the date of purchase. But, there’s no reason to settle for a mattress with a lower-year warranty. Better products often come with warranties that will last for a longer period of time.

For instance, PlushBeds’ bedroom mattress warranty guarantees your mattress will be free from defects in material and workmanship for up to 25 years. This time frame for coverage under PlushBeds’ home mattress warranty is spelled out clearly and concisely on our company website, and states that as long as you are the original purchaser:

• PlushBeds will repair or replace your mattress if you discover a manufacturing or material defect during the first ten years of original ownership.
• If during the following 15 years of ownership, your PlushBeds mattress splits or cracks with normal use, we’ll either repair or replace the mattress. You only pay for handling (for repairs), or a graduated prorated charge (if replaced).

So, for 25 years, a PlushBeds mattress customer has peace of mind knowing they’re receiving one of the best-limited warranties in the industry.

Mattress Warranty vs. Sleep Trial

Often, a company will offer customers a sleep trial. You mustn’t confuse a sleep trial with a warranty, though, as they’re two distinct offerings from the seller.

With a sleep trial, the purchaser can take a mattress home on a sort of test drive. While the timing of a sleep trial will vary from seller to seller, the sole purpose of a sleep trial is to allow the customer an opportunity to sleep on the mattress to make sure it meets their comfort needs.

PlushBeds offers customers a no-risk, 100-night sleep trial that includes free shipping. While most customers fall in love with their PlushBeds mattress during the trial period, we’re committed to achieving 100% customer satisfaction. If, after 30 days, you decide your PlushBeds mattress is not a good fit, we’ll issue a full refund upon return of the mattress. If you decide you’re not quite satisfied with your purchase, and would like to try another mattress model, a PlushBeds mattress specialist will set you up with a one-time comfort exchange any time within the 100-day trial period.

Warranties, on the other hand, are much less subjective. You can only seek a refund, replacement, or repair under a mattress warranty if you meet the strict criteria outlined in the warranty agreement.

What’s Covered by a Mattress Warranty?

You know you’re purchasing a quality product when the manufacturer stands by it with a rock-solid warranty that’s easy for the customer to invoke if necessary. PlushBeds, for example, backs up each mattress with a warranty that covers any possible manufacturing and material defect, as well as any instances of mattress splitting, mattress cracking, or severe contours.

Manufacturing and Material Defects

Usually, when mattress warranties refer to manufacturing and material defects, they’re talking about something going wrong with the structure of the mattress — such as being misshapen, missing stitches, or size anomalies greater than 1 inch — or an issue with the mattress sagging in a manner disproportionate to the pressure being applied. PlushBeds’ warranty protects customers from any of these types of defects.

Splitting or Cracking

Sometimes, the coils in an innerspring mattress will be defective, resulting in cracking or popping sounds every time you apply pressure on the mattress. The seams of a defective mattress can also be prone to splitting when weight is applied on or near these seams. Most warranties, including PlushBeds’, protect against either of these occurrences. 

Severe Contours

Often, people misunderstand the “severe contours” provision in their mattress’s limited warranty. Creating contours — often referred to as indentations — in a mattress occurs naturally due to sleeping in a particular spot on a mattress. These minimal indentations are to be expected, and don’t constitute a mattress defect covered under most warranties.

Severe contours, which are mattress indentations or mattress sagging impressions that exceed 1.5 inches in depth, are considered a structural defect, and are covered under many limited warranties, including PlushBeds’ mattress warranties. You can see if the impressions on your mattress are covered by measuring the indentation depth from the top of the mattress.

What’s not Covered by a Mattress Warranty?

A mattress limited warranty is designed to make a consumer whole if they purchase a defective mattress through no fault of their own. The owner is expected to take care of the mattress by using a mattress protector and an appropriate frame and/or a box spring for support. The mattress will come with instructions about how many slats are required for the proper frame support, or whether it’s appropriate to place the mattress on a platform bed frame or an adjustable base. Pay attention to these instructions because failure to follow simple care instructions could void your warranty.

Therefore, it stands to reason that the following issues won’t be covered under a mattress warranty:

• Normal wear and tear of the mattress cover
• Slight body impressions and body indentations (less than 1.5 inches)
• Damage resulting from the failure to keep the mattress clean and free from stains
• Mold, odors, and/or discoloration caused by exposure to spills or improper ventilation
• Mattress misuse or abuse of any kind, including burns
• Damage that might be caused by insufficient support of the mattress
• Improper cleaning or storage of the mattress
• Surface imperfections that are inherent in a natural product
• The mattress doesn’t meet the customer’s comfort preference
• The mattress fails to meet the particular purpose for which it was obtained (e.g., to relieve back pain)

Because of the unique attributes of PlushBeds’ memory foam mattresses, their warranty terms don’t cover situations where the softness of the material increases or the slow recovery feature decreases. Neither of these occurrences interferes with the pressure-relieving quality of the foam, or indicates a defect in manufacture.

How do Prorated Charges Work?

Many warranties spell out whether the buyer will incur any non-prorated or prorated charges in connection with a manufacturer’s warranty claim. With a prorated warranty, you’re required to pay a certain percentage to have your mattress replaced or repaired. Generally, this percentage goes up as your mattress ages.

PlushBeds’ home mattress warranty provides for prorated charges beginning in the 11th year of ownership. For the first ten years, you don’t incur charges if the mattress is found to be defective and needs to be replaced.

If you seek a replacement mattress as a result of a covered occurrence in the 11th year of ownership, however, you’ll be required to pay half (50%) of the cost of the replacement item. This amount increases in 3% increments each year until the warranty expires 25 years after purchase.

Is the Customer Liable for Return Shipping and Handling?

Usually, the language in a warranty is a bit ambiguous regarding who has to bear the cost of transportation should the mattress need to be returned to the manufacturer, and/or should a new mattress have to be shipped to the customer. For example, PlushBeds’ home mattress warranty states, “The mattress owner may be responsible for transportation charges for return and shipping when necessary.”

How shipping costs are handled will depend on the nature of the defect, when it was discovered, and what the most equitable solution might be for all concerned. If you are not sure whether you’ll be liable for transportation costs under warranty, ask the manufacturer upfront for clarification.

How do You Make a Warranty Claim?

Look to the fine print of the warranty for instructions on the proper handling of warranty claims. In most instances, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer’s customer support department to file a warranty claim. Be prepared to provide proof of purchase and documentation — such as photographs — of the defect.

It’s also a good idea to retain the law tag — those tags that admonish you not to remove them under “penalty of law” — on your mattress. While that warning is for the mattress company, and doesn’t apply to the consumer, it contains important information the manufacturer can use to trace how and where the item was produced.

PlushBeds’ warranty specifically instructs customers to make a warranty claim by contacting their retailer, calling directly at 1-888-PLUSH-BEDS (1-888-409-5532), or emailing at support@plushbeds.com.

Should You Buy a Mattress without a Warranty?

The short answer is no, never buy a mattress without a written warranty. With a warranty, you have the producer’s guarantee that its product will fulfill its function, and the supplier’s promise free of manufacturing defects. When you buy an item backed by a solid warranty, you can rest assured that the company you’re doing business with has enough faith in the quality of its merchandise to back it up with a guarantee against product defects.

Mattresses are expensive. A warranty protects your investment.

Discover PlushBeds and the Leading Warranties of Our Mattresses

PlushBeds’ home mattresses aren’t the only mattress products that come with solid warranty protection. We also offer industry-leading warranties for:

• Recreational vehicle mattresses (20 years)
• Sofa bed mattresses (10 years)
• Latex and memory foam mattress toppers (5 years)

Learn more about all of PlushBeds’ mattress selections, and how our warranties can protect your purchase and provide peace of mind.

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