Let's talk a little about your mattress warranty. Warranties are from 1 to 20 years in length, usually. The warranty is a good indicator of the quality of the mattress. There is a big difference between a one year mattress and a 20 year mattress in quality, materials and workmanship.

A decent mattress should have at least a 10 year warranty. I wouldn't look at anything below that for adult use or teen of substantial weight. You may just end up replacing it much sooner than you planned. If you look at the best brand names such as Sealy, Serta, Simmons and others, they have some good quality mattress's that come with a 20 year warranty. It is 10 years non-prorated and an additional 10 years prorated.

Non-prorated means that it is a full replacement within the time period for any warranty issues that come up. This means you could use your mattress 9 years and two months and still get a full replacement, if their is a covered warranty issue.

Prorated means your replacement credit gets smaller every year until it finally runs out completely. A lot of people seemingly forget about their warranty. This is a mistake and could cost you a lot of money. In the 11th year, you would still get 50% off of a new mattress. See how much money you can save, just be being prudent about your warranty?

First, let me tell you a few things you need to do to protect your warranty. Each mattress has a law tag which has a code on it. The code indicates how many years the warranty period lasts. It is illegal for a manufacturer or dealer to remove the law tag. You can remove it without a problem, but you don't want to, because it instantly voids your warranty.

When you purchase your new mattress you get a warranty card which has all the information you need to see what is covered and how. How long the time period and what you need to do to protect your mattress and preserve the warranty. If you mishandle the mattress, you could quickly reduce the life of the mattress and the manufacturer will not take responsibility for your neglect.

First, Do not remove the law tag, as it voids the warranty. Second, you need to have proper support for your mattress, an approved frame. If you have a queen size mattress or larger, you are required to have center support. Without this support your mattress will deteroriate quickly. Some manufacturers are now requiring even a full size mattress set to have center support. Be sure to read the warranty card to get all the information.

Thirdly, it is important to cover your new mattress with a quality mattress cover, because if you get any kind of stain on the mattress, it voids the mattress warranty also. This is mandated by law because of disease control. They don't want anyone transporting and handling old mattress's with blood stains etc. It is a public health issue.

It is not uncommon for problems to crop up with even a quality mattress that is covered by the warranty. So, it is money in your pocket if you protect your warranty. The warranty states that if you have body impressions exceeding 1 3/4", it is a warranty issue and you are entitled to a replacement mattress. Depending on how long you have had your mattress, you may get a replacement free of charge or for a modest price, but certainly hundreds of dollars less than just having to purchase a new one.

I have seen many people pay the price for their neglect. So don't make this mistake. It just take's a little time in the beginning to take the proper steps to protect your investment and get your money's worth on your investment.

Of course you want to protect yourself too, by choosing a good retailer with a reputation of servicing their customers and honoring the warranty. If you have a problem with your retailer, don't hesitate to contact the manufacturer to get the mattress inspected. If you get approved, you will be given a letter of credit which you can take to any dealer of that manufacturer and get your new mattress set.