What does a mattress warranty actually cover?

Key points

• • Sag threshold and non-prorated years are the only numbers that matter
• • A single stain voids most warranties
• • The wrong foundation is the most common denial reason
• • Warranty ≠ sleep trial

Warranty versus sleep trial

A trial lets you return the mattress because you dislike it, typically within 100 nights and usually after a 21-to-30 night minimum. A warranty covers defects for years but will never help with a mattress that is simply not comfortable. Homeowners confuse these constantly, and only one of them has a deadline.

What voids coverage

Almost every denial traces back to one of four things.

• • Any stain — which is why the protector goes on before the first night
• • Slats more than three inches apart, or no center support on queen and larger
• • A missing law tag or receipt
• • Removing the cover or attempting a repair

How to file a claim

Photograph the impression with a straightedge and a tape measure across the mattress, with nothing on the bed. Photograph the law tag. Have the original receipt. Manufacturers require all three, and a claim without measurement evidence is usually closed immediately.