A pillow top mattress is prone to sagging due to top layer being subjected to more wear-and-tear. Why? The main reason is that most are one-sided so can’t be flipped to prolong lifespan and reduce sagging.
A sagging mattress can decrease how long it lasts, make your sleep uncomfortable, as well as leave you waking up with aches and pains. No one wants that, so we’ll provide a few easy-to-implement solutions to fix a sagging pillow top mattress.
From rotating or flipping to using a plyboard or a mattress topper, these steps will leave you confident that you’ll have those indentations from the sagging out in no time.
How To Identify Whether Your Pillow Top Is Sagging?
Sagging results in a loss of support and shape in your mattress, often leading to dip or indentation on the surface. It’s usually caused by excessive wear-and-tear, poorer material quality or not enough support from your bed frame.
Other methods to identify sagging in your mattress:
- The sinking feeling is concentrated under where you sleep the most (similar to the feeling of resting on a memory foam mattress).
- Waking up in the morning tired and sluggish instead of refreshed and alert.
- Waking up and feeling pain and aches in your pressure points (neck, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles).
Why Do Pillow Top Mattresses Sag?
Constant and continuous compression is the number one reason why pillow top mattresses sag. Since they have thin materials covering the topmost layer, they are more prone to sagging as they lack the density required to resist constant compression.
Aside from constant compression due to prolonged usage, heavyweight sleepers are also a contributing factor to why pillow tops compress prematurely. That means if you weight above 105kg then you may want to consider a different mattress.
Another factor is usage habits; some people love to jump in their beds (cough kids cough).
This causes the coil springs inside to lose their spring —and the topmost materials get compressed forcibly, leading to premature sagging.
As a result, it is important to consider these factors when deciding are pillow top mattresses good for you.
How Do You Fix A Sagging Pillow Top Mattress? 8 Fool-Proof Methods
There are several possible ways to fix a sagging pillow top mattress:
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1. Use Plyboards
Plyboards, whether plain plywood or a fibre cement board, can be an excellent material to reduce the sagging of a pillow top. If you’re wondering how flat boards can help, wonder no more.
Flat boards like plywood and fibre cement boards redistribute the weight and pressure of your body, so the centre part of the mattress won’t sag faster. However, this is not a long-term fix.
Using plyboard is only a plaster type of fix as it only slows sagging. We recommend to apply another method below to complement plyboards.
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2. Use A Mattress Topper
Using a latex or memory foam topper is an excellent way to deal with a sagging area. Like the plyboard method, it’s not going to fix a sagging mattress, but it will help you feel like you’re resting on an even bed surface and reduce further sagging.
Why? Because mattress toppers primarily act as a buffer between you and the pillow top. The topper shields and protects your the surface from all the pressure and natural wear and tear it usually receives.
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3. Use Mattress Pads
Getting a mattress pad can be an excellent way to reduce your pillow top’s sagginess, especially if you don’t have the budget for a mattress topper.
Mattress pads are just like toppers in that they act as a shield to reduce natural wear and tear in your pillow top mattress. The differences between the two are pretty few: pads are thinner and cheaper, and toppers are thicker and more expensive.
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4. Replace Worn Out Layers
Replacing worn-out layers is the best possible fix for a sagging pillow top mattress. All you need to do is inspect and open up the mattress and see where the worn-out layer is.
However, it’s easier if you have experience working on a mattress. And if this doesn’t sound like you, we recommend sending your mattress to a professional mattress repair shop so they can safely repair or replace your mattress’s layer/s.
You should also check the instructions from the brand manufacturer to see if you’re voiding the warranty it comes with.
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5. Rotate or Flip Regularly
If you have a one-sided pillow top, you can only rotate it head-to-toe to prevent the sagging effect. Even though this delays the sagging process, the mattress will eventually lose its support and shape. Consider rotating 180 degrees every 3 to 6 months, or as soon as you feel an indentation forming.
However, if you have a two-sided pillow-top mattress, you’re in luck. You can flip it as soon as you notice any sagging in the top layer, helping to decrease sagging and prolongs the lifespan of your mattress.
And, as always, remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
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6. Use A Different Bed Frame or Foundation
If you have an old metal bed frame with little support and no centre support, then it’s like not helping support your body weight and contributes to indentations.
You want to look for a sturdy, well-supported bed frame which ideally has a centre support. Make sure to consider the mattress weight and your weight (and your partner’s) when buying a new bed frame and ideally go for a box-spring or platform bed.
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7. Use A Centre Support If You Don’t Have One
A centre support is used in bed frames to provide support to the middle of the mattress by distributing the sleeper’s body weight and mattress weight. You may have seen these already, but they’re normally a metal rod or wooden plank under the centre of the bed.
If your bed foundation doesn’t have one, then consider installing one. It’ll help with:
increasing the stability and lifespan
keeping the top level nice and flat
reduce indentation by distributing weight away from the centre -
8. Use A Vacuum
Vacuuming is not a typical solution to uncomfortable sagging but it can help fluff it up and make it feel more comfortable. While it doesn’t address the main issues that causes sagging, such as worn out mattress or lack of support, it does also help with the cleanliness and hygiene of your mattress.
Use a medium-to-high setting on your vacuum and carefully go back and forth to rearrange the fibres within the pillow top. Doing this can help re-fluff and rejuvenate those materials.
How To Properly Care For A Pillow Top Mattress?
They say prevention is better than cure, and we think the same for mattresses. You can avoid all the stress of dealing with a permanently indented mattress and prevent them from ever happening. Here are tips to properly care for your pillow mattress:
- Regularly clean your pillow top mattress by vacuuming, spot-cleaning, or general cleaning.
- Avoid overusing to preserve the materials
- Don’t jump and move vigorously
- Rotate 180 degrees every so often (head area to foot area and vice-versa) to avoid premature sagging.
- Flip the mattress regularly (only applies to double-sided mattresses).
- Use protective accessories such as mattress protectors, pads, or toppers.
These preventive measures may slow down the natural wear and tear on your pillow top and ensure there’s less sagging for years to come.
How Long Should A Pillow Top Mattress Last?
A pillow top mattress usually lasts between 3-8 years. Still, several factors are involved, including material quality, build quality, usage habits, and care and maintenance.
Here, we gathered some tips to help prolong your pillow top for as long as possible:
- Regularly clean your euro top by vacuuming, spot-cleaning (for local stains), and general cleaning by washing. Check the labels first and see how to clean the mattress properly.
- Avoid using the mattress too often, as it can compress the coils and comfort layer.
- Regularly rotate the mattress (head to foot area and vice-versa) to avoid local sagging.
- If your pillow top is double-sided, flip it at least once every two months to prevent sagging on the mattress.
Maybe The Time Has Come To Consider A New Mattress
If the above tips didn’t work then it may be time to purchase a new mattress. We know it’s hard to know what to buy with so many options available, but have a look at our best mattresses for 2023 to learn more.
