When Should You Flip Your Mattress?

There’s a ton of advice out there on the best way to keep your mattress feeling good as new.

But do you really need to flip your mattress constantly? What about rotating it? What’s the difference? What’s the right way to maintain your mattress over the years?

Let’s get our terms down first: Flipping refers to turning your mattress upside down and sleeping on the other side. Rotating is often used interchangeably, with the exception of a two-sleeper mattress being used by one sleeper. If you fall into that category, you may want to rotate your mattress so that you’re sleeping on both halves of each side between flipping to ensure you don’t wear one spot down too quickly.

There are a lot of things to consider when maintaining your mattress, but the most important factor is what kind of mattress you have and is it one of the mattresses that can be flipped?

Traditional Innerspring Mattresses: It’s not the most glamorous way to spend a Saturday morning, but if you want to keep your mattress in great shape, regularly flipping your traditional innerspring mattress is probably your best bet. Sleeping in the exact same spot every night puts pressure on the springs inside your mattress and wears them down. When you rotate your mattress, you’re essentially making sure the springs get even wear on each side to extend the life of your bed as long as possible.

How Often Should You Flip Your Mattress?

Generally, the rule of thumb is to flip your mattress between every 3-6 months or so. If you feel that a sag is developing, you should rotate your mattress more frequently. This really depends on your comfort level, so pay attention to how the mattress feels when you lay down and adjust accordingly.

Foam Mattresses: Here’s where things get a little less uniform. Your warranty information or the company you purchase from should be able to clarify how often you should flip a foam mattress if you aren’t sure, but looking at the type of foam you have is a good indicator in how to take care of it.

Depending on the construction of the mattress, it may not be designed to be flipped.

A layered foam might only be intended to be slept on face up, as the bottom layer won’t have the same comfort level. Newer foam mattresses take this into account and are designed to “spring back” in a way that traditional mattresses don’t, but always double-check your warranty if you aren’t feeling properly supported.

On the flip side (We just couldn’t resist!) a mattress that is solid foam throughout, like many memory foam beds, may be able to be rotated because it’s the same material on both sides.

Pro Tip: Wondering how to flip a mattress by yourself? It’s always helpful to have a friend nearby to lend a hand, but if you’re on your own, don’t fret! Check out this Youtube video showing a quick and easy way to fold your heavy mattress in half and let it do most of the work!

Tuft & Needle: Our mattress is made up of layers that are designed to support you for many years to come, and you should never feel the need to flip it. Because the bottom layer of our mattress is much firmer than the top, we don’t recommend flipping it and sleeping on the other side as it will impact the comfort level. We do recommend, however, rotating your mattress every six months or so to ensure even wear on both sides.

Because our Tuft & Needle Adaptive Foam® is a quick-response foam that doesn’t hold onto impressions, you shouldn’t notice impressions like you might with other mattresses. If you ever do, please reach out to our team! We’re always happy to take a look and ensure you’re getting the best sleep possible.