What is a mattress sleep trial and is one worth it? Advice from a sleep expert

If you're currently in the market for a new mattress, then you may have encountered mattress manufacturers mentioning sleep trials. But what is a mattress sleep trial and, more importantly, should we take advantage of one?

As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've been researching and writing about all things sleep-related for the past four years. I'm here to explain what a sleep trial is and why I consider a trial period to be a key consideration when searching for the best mattress.

If a mattress comes with a sleep trial then that usually means that you can buy the mattress, have it delivered to your home, unpack it, and sleep on it for the length of time specified by the sleep trial.

If you don't find the mattress comfortable, then as long as you're within the sleep trial period and have followed any terms and conditions the mattress manufacturer or retailer has set out, you can return the mattress for either a refund or exchange.

Why is a sleep trial useful?

A sleep trial is useful because there are a lot of individual factors that can affect how a mattress feels for us. Our usual sleeping position, our body weight, whether we sleep hot or cold, and the type of bed base the mattress will be placed on will all affect how comfortable we find a mattress.

It's always useful to try and test out a mattress in a showroom if you can, but this will only give you a quick snapshot of its comfort, and won't tell you much at all about how breathable the mattress is – a factor that's very important if, like me, you're a hot sleeper who is prone to overheating at night.

Plus, as we'll see below, experts advise that it takes a lot longer than a 10-minute lie down to truly work out whether a mattress suits your body.

In fact, Michael Buckle, Senior Mattress Buyer at Dreams says that a sleep trial is one of the key factors to consider before you shop. As Michael explains, ‘this ensures you can test the mattress at home and return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

How long should you trial a new mattress?

When it comes to how long you should trial a new mattress for, Dave Gibson, registered osteopath, sleep expert, and founder of The Sleep Site explains that 'it can take about four weeks to fully adjust to a new mattress'. So you should consider trialing your new mattress for a month before you decide whether to keep or return it.

In fact, many manufacturers make this a part of the sleep trial's terms and conditions, saying that you must wait 30 days from delivery to return to give your body adequate time to adjust to the new sleep surface.

You should have plenty of time to test the mattress out thoroughly as most sleep trials range from a minimum of 30 nights to around 200 nights. Nectar even offers a 365-night sleep trial on its mattresses!

Which mattress brands offer sleep trials?

It used to be that sleep trials were only available from online mattress manufacturers – such as Simba and Emma – that didn't have bricks-and-mortar stores for you to test out a mattress before you buy.

However, in the last few years, customer demand for trial periods has increased, and now more and more manufacturers and retailers are offering this service in order to compete.

• Simba: 200-night sleep trial
• Bensons for Beds: 40-night sleep trial
• Brook +Wilde: 200-night sleep trial
• Dreams: 100-night sleep trial
• Emma: 200-night sleep trial
• IKEA: 90-night sleep trial
• John Lewis: 60-night sleep trial
• Mattressman: 60-night sleep trial
• Mattress Online: 60-night sleep trial
• Nectar: 365-night sleep trial
• Panda: 100-night sleep trial
• REM-Fit: up to 200-night sleep trial
• Tempur: 100-night sleep trial

Are there any downsides to sleep trials?

Yes, there are some downsides to sleep trials, so it does pay to do your research before you shop.

Firstly, make sure you read the full terms and conditions before you buy. Not all sleep trials are created equal and trials can differ a lot between retailers.

Things to consider are the sleep trial length, and if the retailer or manufacturer requires you to fulfill any criteria to qualify (such as purchasing the brand's own mattress protector to shield the mattress from dirt or waiting 30 days before return).

You'll also want to check what happens if the mattress isn't suitable, for instance, whether the manufacturer offers a full refund or an exchange for a different mattress, and if they will collect the unsuitable mattress from you free of charge.

What happens to mattress that are returned during a sleep trial?

Whilst we're talking about the downsides of sleep trials, it's also well worth taking a look at what the manufacturer says will happen to any mattresses that are returned within its trial period.

After all, as the National Bed Federation's Mattress Disposal website reveals, a shocking 7 million mattresses are thrown away in the UK each year, and 'and an estimated 75% of these [fail] to find their way into the recycling process'.

Whilst a sleep trial is great news for customers, it's important to consider what happens to those mattresses that are returned to avoid them going to landfill.

For example, Simba's refurbished mattresses are thoroughly cleaned, inspected, and then made available for resale at a discount. Any mattresses that don't meet this criteria are fully recycled. Other manufacturers donate used mattresses that are in reusable condition to charities like the British Heart Foundation.

FAQs

Are mattress trials worth it?

Absolutely, in my experience, a sleep trial is definitely worth having. After all, a mattress is a very expensive investment, and a sleep trial helps to avoid any costly mattress-buying mistakes.

Sleep trials aren't just limited to mattresses either. Some of the best duvets, pillows, and mattress toppers are also available with sleep trials so you can test the product out at home in real-life conditions.

Can I try a mattress before I buy it?

You can try a mattress before you buy it in-store at a mattress showroom. However, not all mattress manufacturers have their own showrooms and those that do tend to be based in just a few locations near major cities.

Alternatively, third-party retailers such as Bensons for Beds, Dreams, or John Lewis have more stores throughout the country and often have a range of mattress brands available to test in-store. If you have your heart set on a particular mattress I would just recommend phoning your local branch to check if the mattress is available in that store before you make a special journey.

If you buy a mattress from a manufacturer or third-party retailer that offers a sleep trial on its products, you can also try a mattress at home before you commit to keeping it. However, in this case, you do need to buy the mattress before you can test it at home.