How to break in a mattress − expert tips from mattress testers

I still remember my first night on my new mattress. After years of sleeping on an old-fashioned innerspring, I switched to a memory foam model. I was so looking forward to the pressure relief and contouring comfort, but I couldn't get used to the lack of bounce.

I wish I'd known how to break in a mattress to help me acclimatize to my new bed. It took a few weeks for my body to get used to the new routine, while the mattress settled into a comfortable and supportive base. If I'd known then what I know, I could have easily sped up the process to get better sleep.

As H&G's specialist sleep writer, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress. We assess each mattress against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; and motion isolation. Since we only get a month or two to test a mattress before we need to write our review, there's no time to waste. We've learned how to break in a mattress to get comfortable, quickly, and we want to share our tips and tricks with you.

How to break in a mattress

I combed through our back catalog of reviews to see what our testers could teach us. I also consulted a panel of mattress manufacturers and sleep scientists to learn how to break in a mattress like the experts. Here's the sum of all our wisdom.

1. Be consistent

According to Martin Seeley, the sleep expert at MattressNextDay.com, breaking in a mattress is 'an essential step towards ensuring your comfort and the longevity of your new mattress. The materials will gradually soften and conform to your body weight and sleep position, providing better support and pressure relief on your joints.'

You can't rush the process of breaking in a mattress. 'Your body needs a chance to get used to a different sleeping surface,' says Martin, 'particularly if it's much firmer or softer than your previous one.'

How long it takes to break in a mattress all depends on the mattress type. Martin says that, 'on average, a latex mattress breaks in quickest, in around four weeks, while a memory foam mattress needs two to four weeks. An innerspring mattress takes roughly four weeks to break in, while a hybrid mattress can take six to eight weeks.'

'Whatever you do, I'd recommend sleeping on your new mattress every night,' says Martin. 'This consistency will help it conform to your body shape and sleep position.' If you've invested in the best mattress for a guest room, Martin recommends that you move out of your master bedroom for a few weeks and start 'sleeping on your spare mattress as often as you can to make it comfortable for future visitors.'

2. Get active

Dr. Daisy Mae, the sleep expert for Get Laid Beds, recommends getting physical with your new mattress to get comfy, quick.

'If you're desperate to sleep on your new mattress as soon as possible, then bring out your inner child,' says Dr. Daisy. 'By walking, rolling, or jumping on the mattress, you're allowing it to loosen up its materials faster, and therefore break in quicker.'

Repeat the process on a daily basis until you start to notice a difference. All it takes is a few minutes in the morning and your mattress should loosen up in no time.

If you've got little ones with excess energy, get them to let off some steam on your new mattress. That's a top tip from one of our expert testers, Alex Frost. Read through any of Alex's mattress reviews and you'll find pictures of her young sons, jumping around on their brand-new bed.

3. Flip it

I asked Chris Tattersall, managing director at Woolroom, how to break in a mattress made from natural fibers. Lined with supportive steel springs, filled with wool fibers, and topped with organic cotton, a Woolroom mattress feels a lot firmer than your average memory foam model. Certainly, our expert tester, Sophie, needed a month or two to get used to the medium-firm feel of the Woolroom Hebridean 3000 Mattress.

Chris advises that sleepers like Sophie 'try turning and rotating your mattress every week for the first 12 weeks, and then every season thereafter. This allows for the natural fillings to essentially settle evenly across the mattress, providing the optimal level of comfort for you and extending the lifespan of your mattress, too.'

Safely flipping a mattress is a two-person operation. If you live alone, or you struggle with mobility, then it's worth asking a friend or family member to come over and help you flip your mattress.

4. Tweak the temperature

This step is most relevant if you're working with a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress that responds to your body heat. Where a sprung mattress feels the same all year round, a foam mattress is more sensitive to changes in temperature. That's why a foam mattress might feel harder in the winter and softer in the summer.

'If you have a foam mattress, I recommend keeping your bedroom at a moderate temperature of 64 - 72°F, as this should help the foam break in more easily,' advises Martin Seeley. 'When it's time to sleep, I suggest you lower the thermostat again, since most people sleep better in a cooler room.'

5. Let it breathe

If you're buying a box mattress, which arrives tightly wrapped in plastic and stuffed into a cardboard box, then it's even more important to break in your mattress and let it breathe.

Dr. Daisy Mae encourages mattress shoppers to 'try and unfold your mattress as soon as possible to give it breathing space. Your average box mattress needs 24 hours to inflate to its full height,' though you should always check the instructions from the brand on the box.

As your mattress inflates, you might notice a chemical sort of smell. Try not to worry: that's just the mattress off-gassing as it decompresses. The smell is totally harmless, but it is unpleasant. If you're keen to get rid of it, then you should crack open a window in the bedroom and set your air purifier to run for a few hours.

6. Practice patience

Chris Tattersall says that 'breaking in a mattress is like breaking in a new pair of shoes. It takes a few weeks to get used to the new level of support while the mattress learns to mold to the shape of your body.'

If you've bought a mattress online, then the chances are it comes with a mattress sleep trial, which gives you a few months to test the mattress from the comfort of your own home before you need to commit to your purchase. Even if you experience some initial discomfort, I'd encourage you to wait until the end of your mattress sleep trial before you try to return the mattress. Within a few months, your body should be used to your new mattress and you won't want to sleep on anything else.

FAQs

How do you break in a mattress quickly?

You can speed up the process of breaking in a mattress by carefully applying extra pressure, rolling or walking over the mattress. Otherwise, your mattress should break in naturally over time.

Is it normal not to like your new mattress?

It's totally normal not to like your new mattress, especially if it marks a major departure from your old mattress. When I first started sleeping on memory foam after years of suffering on an old-fashioned innerspring, I couldn't get past the lack of bounce. My mattress felt much firmer than I'd expected, but it soon loosened up over a few weeks of nightly use, and it served me well for years and years.

Final thoughts

Once you've bought a new mattress, and you're trying to break it in, it's important to take good care of it so that you don't spoil your new bed. I suggest you invest in one of the best mattress protectors to guard against sweat, spills, and stains. It's an invaluable bit of bedding, and it shouldn't set you back more than $100.