How to Return a Mattress

After spending hours researching which mattress is best for you and shelling out hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars, the last thing you probably want to do is return the mattress and go through the process anew.

But if your new mattress isn’t living up to your needs, returning it and finding one more suited to your needs may be necessary. The last thing you want is to sleep poorly and wake up with aches and pains for years to come.

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Can You Return Your Mattress?

Some mattress companies offer generous sleep trial periods, such as 120 nights where you can try out the mattress, risk-free. To be eligible for return, all you’ll need to do is call in and get the process started.

But, understand that this type of generous return policy is expensive for a mattress company. They have to cover shipping a very large, heavy, item. Plus, they won’t be able to then sell that same mattress to another consumer. No one would be happy to order a new mattress just to receive one that was tried out and rejected by a complete stranger!

The higher the mattress purchase price, the greater the chances are that it will be eligible for a full refund. This is just simple economics; for a company to stay profitable, they have to recoup any financial losses that come with a generous trial period.

Fortunately, there are many online mattress retailers able to sell medium-priced mattresses to customers with free shipping and lengthy trial periods. This is because the middle-man is cut out of the sales process, allowing the company to pass the savings onto their customers. Casper, Nectar, and Purple are three of the most popular brands that make returns simple.

But most budget companies are going to have more restrictions. They may charge a restocking fee, not reimburse the initial delivery fee, or only allow for you to exchange your mattress for store credit.

Additionally, if you spilled something on your mattress or otherwise damaged it, you may be unable to return your mattress—even if you’ve only had it for a handful of days. This is why it’s recommended to buy a mattress protector to keep your mattress safe from spills or other accidents shortly after purchase.

Mattress Exchange Policy

In some instances, you won’t have to return your mattress if the company can find a suitable replacement. Usually during your trial period, you can exchange your mattress for a different model or simply swap out the comfort layer. See if this is the case before you give up on your new mattress altogether.

The Mattress Return Process

Returning a mattress is a pretty straightforward process. To do so, follow these steps.

1. Review the Mattress Return Policy

The first step to returning a mattress is to see whether or not your mattress is eligible for return. You can either search a company’s website, review paperwork or emails that you got when you purchased the mattress, or contact the company directly.

If you find that your mattress isn’t eligible for return, it may still be worth calling the company to talk to them about your troubles. They may offer a partial refund or discount on a future purchase.

2. Initiate a Return

If your mattress is eligible for return, you will want to submit for a return. Most companies will have a returns center to make things simple. Look online or call in to find out the necessary steps.

3. Follow the Company’s Directions

The retailer will provide you with the next steps. Don’t worry, you’re unlikely to need to repack that memory foam mattress into the original box that it came in! But if mattresses come with bed frames or mattress foundations, consumers are usually responsible for breaking those down to prepare them for return shipment.

Breaking Down Return Policies from Popular Mattress Brands

Let’s go through some mattress return policies by brand.

Casper Return Policy

Though Casper is a bed-in-a-box, you can still return this mattress. With Casper, you get a 100-night sleep trial during which you can return the mattress at any point for free. They just ask that you wait 30 days for your bed to fully break in.

To return your Casper bed, contact customer service to begin processing. Casper will send a representative to retrieve your mattress. After this process, you should receive a full refund.

Tuft & Needle Return Policy

Similar to Casper, you have 100 nights to sleep on Tuft & Needle to see if it’s the bed for you. If it’s not, you can initiate a free return by contacting customer service. After processing, the company will send a third party to retrieve your mattress, and you will receive a refund. All of this is at no cost to you.

Read More: Tuft & Needle Return Policy

Purple Return Policy

Like most online mattress brands, Purple gives you a 100-night window where you can return your mattress for free. To do this, call customer care and a specialist will walk you through the process. They will work with you to find a time to pick up your mattress. You will receive a full refund.

Nectar Return Policy

Nectar is a bit special because instead of 100 nights, you have a full year to try out your mattress; that’s 365 days to make a free return (but you do have to wait 30 days before you can start the return process).

Nectar’s site is vague on the exact details of the return process, but they assure you that it is hassle-free, and you will receive a refund.

Learn more about the Nectar mattress return policy.

Leesa Return Policy

Like most others you have 100 nights to return Leesa for free after the 30 night break in period. Returns are free for those who live in the continental US, but if you live in Alaska or Hawaii, you may be responsible for return shipping or additional costs.

Upon return, Leesa will arrange to have your mattress picked up and donated to a charity.

Read More: Leesa Mattress Return Policy

Puffy Return Policy

Puffy offers a 101-night sleep trial where returns are free. Simply email Puffy Sleep your order number and they will process your return. A Puffy rep will come get your mattress, and either donate it to a local charity or recycle it. You will receive a refund after this process is complete.

Learn more about the Puffy Cloud mattress return policy.

Amazon Return Policy

If you ordered your mattress on Amazon, the return policy is a bit different. If your mattress is in its original packaging, it’s returnable by lying it on your front porch. If your bed is fully unwrapped at its full size, it is not returnable; however, you do have 30 days to receive a refund if you dislike your bed.

If you ordered from a third party seller the returnability and refund varies.

More Mattress Return Policies

We’ve broken down the return policies for many popular mattresses. Learn more about how to return these mattresses and decode the fine print in these guides.

What to Do If You Cannot Return Your Mattress

There will be times in life when you make a purchase, it doesn’t work it, and you’re stuck with the final product. While this is frustrating, there are some options when it comes to getting rid of your mattress.

1. Sell Your Mattress

You can always sell your nearly-new mattress third party via platforms like Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp. Of course, you will almost surely take a bit of a loss, but this is a solid way to recoup some of the lost cash and help someone else afford a quality mattress.

2. Move it to a Guestroom or Kid’s Room

Typically, the master suite has the nicest mattress in the house. But if you’re stuck with a new mattress and have a guest room or children, this might be the optimal time to upgrade these rooms with a nice mattress.

3. Work to Make It Work

How long have you given your new mattress to set in? Some mattresses, particularly memory foam, can take 30 days or so to break in and give you the full picture of what to expect. If you’ve already given yourself and the bed time to settle in, there are strategies that you can use to move it closer to your ideal.

There are ways to make a soft mattress firmer, a firm mattress softer, or a hot mattress cooler. By combining things like mattress toppers or mattress pads and the correct foundation, you might just be able to turn your mattress into one that you look forward to sleeping on.

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Conclusion

As long as you went through a solid mattress retailer and haven’t waited too long to initiate the process, returning a mattress is simple. Just be sure that you contact the company within their trial period, and take care of the mattress in the meantime. A company may reject a soiled mattress. And if you aren’t able to return it, there are things that you can do to move it closer to your ideal comfort level. Once you’ve successfully returned it, you are probably looking for a new bed. Head over to our best mattress for the money guide to find a good value.