How Often Should You Flip or Rotate Your Mattress?

How to flip and rotate your mattress?

Usually, all flippable mattresses can be rotated. Hence, it is expedient to flip and rotate your bed at the same time. 

You can follow the following steps to flip and rotate your mattress without damaging it effectively:

• Carefully remove all bed accessories such as mattress toppers, pillows, and duvet.
• Raise and stand the mattress on its side
• Clean and vacuum the mattress, the bed base, and the areas around your bed
• Carefully flip the mattress
• Rotate 180 degrees clockwise, so the head-side is now at the feet-side and vice-versa.
• Gently lower the mattress against the bed base.

For mattresses that are not flippable, we recommend you set a reminder on your mobile calendar to rotate them often. 

And in order not to damage your bed, you should follow the following steps to rotate your mattress:

• Carefully remove all bed accessories, lamps, and any furniture close to your bed.
• Gently rotate the mattress 180 degrees clockwise, so the head-side is now at the feet-side and vice-versa. You should call for help if you can’t handle it alone.
• You should make sure you clean and vacuum the mattress and areas around your bed while rotating. This cleans up dust, germs, mites, and allergens.

Also Read: 5 Best Tempurpedic Alternatives (Beds Like Tempurpedic But Cheaper)

How Often Should You Rotate Your Mattress? 

Many comfortable, top-quality mattresses are not flippable. For instance, there are plenty of great mattresses used with popular platform beds (like the ones gathered here) that deliver unparalleled comfort but can be used only on one side.

The good news is, such mattresses can be rotated. This can help sleepers prevent applying pressure to just one mattress area. As a result, rotating can help it wear out slower.

Now, deciding when to rotate the mattress should depend on its type and construction. Most memory foam and innerspring models can be turned around every 3 months. Hybrid mattresses can be rotated once in 3-6 months or so. As for latex models, sleepers can turn them around every 6 months, as this mattress type is the most durable and does not require frequent rotations.

Also Read: 10 Mattresses Made in the USA

Main Differences Between Rotating and Flipping a Mattress

The main difference between flipping and rotating a mattress is the direction in which you turn the mattress. Rotating a mattress swaps the head and foot sides, while flipping it turns it upside down and rotates it at the same time. This way, when you flip a mattress, you’re swapping the head and foot sides, which prevents the compression of the mattress only on one side. 

What Mattress Type You Should Not Flip

For a mattress to be flippable, it needs to have comfort layers on both sides. Therefore, mattresses that have innerspring layers, pocket coils, or dense memory foam layers on the bottom layer are often not flippable. This is because in most cases the mattress could get damaged if you sleep on the wrong side, or worse, your body could get hurt by sleeping on the extra firm side of a mattress.

If your mattress isn’t flippable, the manufacturer often writes it on the product details or the warranty. However, keep in mind that most hybrid mattresses, including spring or memory foam ones with different layers of different densities or firmness levels, are not flippable. 

In a few cases, the manufacturer might state that the mattress layers are adjustable. In that case, you might be able to rearrange some layers to do the job of flipping for you. These are often memory foam mattresses that don’t sag based on their special layer design and construction.

Factors that Affect How Often You Should Flip or Rotate a Mattress

There are some factors that can affect the frequency by which you should flip or rotate your mattress, including mattress type, age, and thickness, and your body weight and sleeping position. Let’s check each in more detail.

Mattress Type

Mattress type plays the most important role in how often your mattress needs to be flipped or rotated. Memory foam mattresses often compress a lot in time, so if your mattress is a flippable one, you should rotate and flip them regularly, every 3 months, to prevent them from sagging. 

Latex mattresses don’t sag as much as memory foam ones, so you can rotate or flip them every 6 months just to protect them from any possible damage. Innerspring or other spring mattresses are usually not flippable, but they can sag due to the springs losing their sturdiness pretty quickly, so you can rotate them every 3-6 months. 

Since I feel the most comfortable with memory foam mattresses, I don't mind having to flip or rotate them regularly.

Body Weight

Mattresses can sag depending on your body weight. If you are a heavy sleeper (more than 230 pounds), most standard-thickness mattresses and softer ones cannot support your weight and might sag quickly. However, firmer and thicker mattresses can support you and hold on to their shapes for longer. 

As a 210-pound sleeper, I try to get firmer mattresses to make sure they won’t get too compressed and sag in a shorter period.

Sleeping Position

If your mattress construction doesn’t match your preferred sleeping position, it will likely go under a lot of pressure and compression and sag in time. For example, side sleepers can put a lot of pressure on the mattress from their hips and shoulders, and those parts are very likely to have dents or sag. Then, you’d have to rotate or flip them to fix the sagging mattress.

As a side sleeper, I try to choose medium-firm mattresses that will contour my pressure points and prevent sagging too quickly. Softer mattresses will compress too easily for me, and firmer ones will put a lot of pressure on my hips and shoulders.

Back sleepers also need a firmer mattress that doesn’t compress in the lower back area and holds on to its shape for a long time (2).

Mattress Quality and Age 

The older the mattress, the saggier and the lower its quality. While in such cases you’d be better off just replacing it, if the mattress isn’t yet too uncomfortable for you, you could rotate it. 

In time, mattresses lose their shape and sturdiness, become saggy, and their springs rust. So they can become very uncomfortable and unsupportive. If you can flip or rotate them, it'd be better to do so. 

Mattress Thickness

The thicker a mattress, the more resistant it is against sagging. This makes them need a rotation or flip less often. Thicker mattresses of at least 8 inches and at most 20 inches are great because they can provide support for heavier individuals as well as lightweight ones.

Thinner mattresses are less sturdy and lose their shape quickly, so if you’re not a lightweight sleeper, don’t go for those.

Mattress Density

Different layers of foam can have different densities. In this way, denser layers of foam will resist compression, and you won’t need to worry about flipping or rotating them as often. Less dense foam layers are easier to compress and sag faster. Therefore, depending on the previous criteria mentioned, such as your body weight and sleeping position, go for a denser mattress (3).

Benefits of Flipping Your Mattress

• Prevents the compression of the mattress only on one side;
• Allows for experiencing different firmness levels;
• Prevent the mattress from sagging or getting dents;
• Prevent moisture or dust from building up only on one side of the mattress;
• Helps ventilate the mattress regularly.

Benefits of Rotating Your Mattress

• Distributes pressure and weight so only one side wouldn’t be under constant pressure;
• Helps the mattress get compressed and adapted to the body shape evenly not irregularly;
• Extends the mattress lifespan;
• Prevents back pain or other problems caused by an uneven mattress surface.

FAQ

Also read: 5 Best Mattresses for Adjustable Beds: Reviews and Guide