Increase the Life of Your One-Sided Mattress

Extending the Life of a One-Sided Mattress

Extending the Life of a One-Sided Mattress

One-Sided Mattress vs. Two-Sided Mattress What’s the Big Difference?

Depending on your age, you might not know that two-sided, flippable mattresses used to be the norm. It wasn’t until 2000, when Simmons “invented” the one-sided mattress, that two-sided mattresses became harder to find.

The Downfalls of Choosing One-Sided

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Buying a one-sided mattress is basically paying full price for half of something. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize this until after they’ve made their purchase and have been sleeping on their hefty investment for a little while. Why is this? Simple.

When you test a one-sided mattress in the store, it usually feels pretty darn comfortable. But that comfort is fleeting, because the components of the mattress will soon start to degrade from continuous, uninterrupted use because you can’t flip it!

How do we know this? When a customer purchases a mattress from us, we provide a haul-away service for their old mattress. So we see just about everything when it comes to mattresses. Probably the most disappointing thing we encounter is one-sided mattresses that are still relatively new (usually 1-3 years old), that are sagging and unsupportive after so short a time.

Because you see, Simmons didn’t invent a mattress that doesn’t need to be flipped, he invented one that can’t be flipped. How did he do this? Simple. He removed the top layer(s) from one side of the mattress and called it an innovation.

Sandwich Analogy

Think of a mattress like a sandwich.

You’re hungry, so you go to a restaurant and order a ham & cheese. You’re expecting to be served yummy sandwich fillings (the mattress core) between two slices of bread (the tops of each side of the mattress). But the owner has different plans. He’s interested in cutting costs. So he informs the chef that all sandwiches will now be served open-faced, though prices will remain the same. Charging the same cost for half the bread seems unfair, right? Not to mention less filling. This is what Simmons did in 2000 with the no-flip mattress.

What can we do? We all know it’s important to do research before making a large purchase. But there’s so much incorrect information out there, finding the truth can be difficult. If you are currently sleeping one a one-sided mattress and notice sagging is occurring, there are several things you can try.

How to Make a One-Sided Mattress Last Longer

  1. Flip it Over – It sounds crazy, but hear us out. Oftentimes a one-sided mattress, especially if it’s an innerspring mattress, will have about an inch of foam padding on the bottom. If you’re a big fan of firm mattresses (and we mean firm, people) then this could be comfortable enough for you. If you like more cushion, you can add a layer of egg crate foam on top and/or a mattress topper. The main thing to avoid is adding anything to the original side of the mattress.
  2. Give it a Turn – This trick only works for King-size Mattresses because their width and length dimensions are very similar. You want to turn your bed 90 degrees every few months. This will allow for more even wear throughout the surface of the bed and will hopefully help you get a little more time out of your mattress!
  3. Place Towels under Sagging Areas – A quick fix. Under the areas of your mattress that are experiencing sag, place folded/rolled up towels to increase the level of support.
  4. Check the Mattress Support System – One of the best things you can do to prolong mattress life is to make sure it is resting on a flat, even surface. If you’re using box springs, make sure the wooden slats are not spaced more than 2-3″ apart. More than 4″, and your mattress will start to sag. Not sure if your support system is the problem? Try putting your mattress on the floor for a few nights. If you notice a difference, then you’ll have your answer.
  5. Remove Sagging Portion – If your mattress has a zipper, allowing you to access its inner components, you can remove the layers that are sagging, replacing them if you wish.

Always 2-Sided Classics at Bedrooms & More

Happy Sleeping!

If you’re currently sleeping on a one-sided mattress, we hope these tips help you get the most out of your investment.

Once you’re ready for a new mattress, a great place to start is our Free Mattress Class. Offered every Saturday at 9:30 am in our Seattle showroom. This class teaches you how mattresses are made, the different types and the benefits of buying a two-sided one. Bring any questions you may have and learn what type of mattress fits your needs. After the one hour free class you’re free to test out products afterwords. No sales pitch, no pressure, and we’ll provide coffee.

20 thoughts on “Extending the Life of a One-Sided Mattress

    • Jordan Little says:

      Hey Richard,

      At your first three month mark, you should either flip or rotate it. After your first 6 months, you should do the action you didn’t do the first time. After 9 months, do the first action again. Finally, after a year, do the second action again. So, for example, you should flip it at 3 months, rotate it at 6 months, flip at 9 months, rotate at 12 months. After the first year, the mattress should be back in its original position.

  1. Peter says:

    The “no flip” mattresses I’ve seen usually have that deep-tufted pillow surface on the top, which always gave me the creeps. I could never sleep on anything that enveloping. I suspect that the “wrong” side of most of those mattresses would be more to my liking.

    • Ric says:

      I recently purchased a one-sided “Firm” mattress that turned out to be squishy and mushy with no support from the start. I’m thankful that they finished the flip side of the mattress so that I could use it. I don’t even need a topper, just a mattress pad. I think this is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever owned. We will see how it holds up. The closer to the coils the better it seems. All that puff and fluff on the top was the problem. At least I didn’t have to cut it open and remove that worthless stuffing. The flip side is the ultra firm comfortable side. Lucky I discovered this before I sent it back.

  2. Kirsten says:

    Thx for the Info.. I will never buy a one sided mattress again. I cannot believe how fast it deforms…. I had a 2 sided Serta and I had it for 17 years… Loved it. I bought a Sealy 1 Sided Pillow top and my back hurts only after one year. I have it on moveable base (like a hospital bed) so I imagine that movement of up and down breaks it down further as well. It really caves where my hip rests.. It just Sucks! Please research before you buy…. wish I had 😛 Good Luck people.. Get some Rest … buy a new bed

  3. Kimberly Schneider says:

    Thank you so much for the information regarding a one sided mattress! I didn’t even think that Siri could direct me to an appropriate site for such a strange question. In fact I had no idea there was so much information on one sided mattresses! I plan on going ahead and flipping my mattress completely over and sleeping on it “A-la Firm Style”! Next time when I’m in the market to purchase a new mattress I will be sure to check your site again and do my homework. My back will probably thank you!

  4. Trish H says:

    Thank you for this information. I am a long time Sleep Number fan but my mom has a 2 yr. old ‘one sided’ that she has always disliked. She is not the only person in my life with this issue. I will be checking if we can rescue it my next visit. I am also going to share this article on FB because many people are wasting a lot of money on these one sided types which also usually require special deep mattress pads and sheets.

  5. Kim says:

    I just bought a pillow top medium firm mattress about a month ago and I’m not happy with it…I wake up through the night alot of sometimes I can’t even sleep at all. My old mattress was not a pillow top and it was firm but the coils started coming through cuz it was 30 years old. I’m sinking into the new mattress and that’s what I don’t like about it. I’m not sure if it’s one sided but I’m guessing it is. Would it help if I completely turned it over to the other side? I paid alot for this bed

    • Anthony says:

      If you currently have a one sided mattress the other side will be a scrim. Scrim is not meant to be slept on but if you do it should be more firm. Additionally, if you have just purchased this mattress a month ago you are still in the break in period. Meaning, over the next couple months it will only get softer. You may look into to the exchange program where you purchased your mattress.

  6. Tom says:

    We purchased a pillow top mattress from Costco about 2 years ago. I am sorry now since the indentations make it uncomfortable. Can the indentations be worked out or can the Top be replaced?

    • Anthony says:

      Typically, when you start getting noticeable indentations it is time to replace your mattress. Replacing materials on top is not a common practice since mattress have stitched covers. We offer select mattresses with zippered covers where you can open them up and replace as needed. Almost all of our latex mattress can be modified like your hoping to do.

  7. Michael Bicheno says:

    Non-turn mattress?
    Several years old, good quality posture sprung divan, underside looks reasonably padded, flipped it over and it seems ok to sleep on.
    Checked with Sleepeezee who advise not to flip because sleeping fillings are only on one side of the mattress, and the springs could be damaged by sleeping on the other side, which is rather too vague to understand and accept.
    I wonder if any other expert advice is available please.

    • Anthony says:

      There is usually a 1″ thick layer of foam between the coils and the scrim fabric on the bottom of one-sided mattresses. That fabric is likely to tear, if there is not much between the sleeper and that cheap fabric. If the bed is not comfortable, you don’t have much to lose. If you put more insulation between the scrim fabric and yourself (like a topper), the fabric is unlikely to tear, and you may find it to be comfortable once again.

    • Diana Alberghini says:

      Every mattress that we offer at Bedrooms & More is two sided/flippable to ensure longevity and quality. While we have carried one sided mattresses in the past, we found that they were not up to our standards for quality and customer satisfaction, and now exclusively sell those that are flippable.

  8. Donald Martin says:

    I bought a mattress from City mattress for $4000 No matter what they say after 3 years it sags try to say anything to them they say buy another mattress as in that’s the second one first one lasted a month before sagging

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