I'm a big guy (around 280 lbs) and I've always wondered this. My old mattress was used every single night for 5 years and got saggy. Now I have a guest room mattress that only gets used a few times a month. Will it last longer in terms of years, or does the occasional use still wear it out similarly? Anyone have experience with this?
Durability
Do you notice a difference between a mattress used daily and one used occasionally?
Interesting question. I think it's about total hhours of compression. A mattress used daily gets way more wear. So yes, occasional use should extend its life, assuming it's not a cheapo.
What pixelated_owl said. But also, heavy sleepers will compress the foam more per use, so even occasional use might degrade it faster if you're always the one sleeping on it. If it's just guests, probably not.
I've had a guest ged for 10 years that gets used maybe 20 times a year. It still feels like new. Meanwhile my daily bed is shot after 6. So yeah, big difference.
That's reassuring. But do you think the weight of the person matters more than frequency? Like, a 120 lb person daily vs a 280 lb person occasionally?
I'd say weight matters more. A heavy person nightly will kill a mattress way faster than a light person. But occasional heavy use might still outlast daily light use? Not sure.
Wait, are we talking about the same mattress or two different ones? Because a cheap guest mattress might feel fine because it's rarely used, but it could still be low quality. Your old daily one mught have been better quality but just worn out.
I think the key is that mattresses don't wear out just from time, it's from use. So occasional use = longer life. But also, if you're heavy, you might Want to rotate it more often to avoid uneven sagging.
Good point about rotation. I never rotated my olld one. Maybe that's why it sagged so fast. Thanks for the input, everyone.
Also, if its a guest bed, make sure it's not in a humid room or something. That can degrade foam even without use.
Honestly, I'd just buy a mattress with a good warranty and not worry too much. Most heavy sleepers kill mattresses in 5-7 years regardless.