I was super happy to get my new memory foam mattress, I took it out of the box, and I waited the 48 hours that they recommend.
And I waited. And waited some more.
A week later I came to the realization my memory foam mattress won’t expand. Then the dread of having to return this mattress rushed through my mind. These things come compressed and rolled up – there is no way I could ever get this back in a box nor do I have time to worry about such things.
I wanted to document my journey and point out what actually worked to get my new mattress to expand so that others can know what to do too.
My First Mistake
Looking back at this it seems so painfully obvious why the mattress wasn’t expanding. I didn’t have the memory foam mattress on a flat surface.
I took it out of the box in the middle of the living room and watch with amazement it expand a good bit when I removed the plastic.
Like the box said I left it alone so it could fluff out and better yet air out. It did get better each day, but it never got to the right 10 inches that I paid for.
Come to find out having things like shoes and dog toys under the mattress doesn’t help. You need a completely flat surface. That is the bare floor and no rugs and as even as possible. My bad.
Or an even better option is your own bed frame!
Everyone and their mommas act like you shouldn’t sleep on these things when you first get them. They act like you should put it in a different room to let it expand and air out. This brings me to the next thing.
Go Ahead And Sleep On It
It makes perfect sense. A memory foam mattress is just a giant slab of foam and foam reacts to heat. Your body emits heat. Heat helps to loosen up the spots that have been cramped due to being compressed in shipping.
Go ahead and sleep on the memory foam mattress the first night.
And yes, it’s more than likely going to suck the first few nights (mine did).
Breaking It In (like you do with shoes)
You got to break this new mattress in, just like shoes. New shoes need to be worn in so that they form to your foot and your mattress is no different.
It was so easy to forget this breaking in period because I was sleeping on the same mattress for the past 10 years. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat if not longer!
Our bodies have gotten used to the old mattress because it was like an old friend who was always there. But this old friend got annoying and started hurting my back so like most I got a new mattress. I hated this new friend (mattress) because I did not know them like my old one.
But like friends over time, you start to mesh well, and you get a new best friend.
Massage The Mattress
The last tricked I learn to help expand my memory foam mattress faster was to massage it.
Get some clean socks on and walk on top of the mattress. I put mine on the floor because I wasn’t playing around this time and wanted it on the flattest thing possible.
The walking around and the heat from your body loosens up the foam just like a massage would for you. It was fun; actually, the kids loved it because it was not normal for us to do. I loved it because massaging worked the best and after a few nights of sleeping on the mattress, it was to the correct thickness.
Foam Pockets can form from being cramped in a box with not much circulation. These pockets can stay days or even weeks from the time you open the mattress. Unless you physically massage out these pockets, they may never come loose.
Returning The Mattress
I got lucky. My mattress in the box did finally expand to the 10 inches like it was supposed to but what if you’re not so fortunate?
Well, you got to return the mattress.
This was my number one fear because how on Earth would I get it back in the box? Nor do I have anything to wrap it up because I got rid of the box and the plastic.
Come to find out I was worrying over nothing. These mattress manufacturers are easy to deal with when it comes to returns. I found this reporter who tested out returning mattresses, and honestly, I feel less worried about buying memory foam mattresses.
With memory foam mattresses being this easy to deal with I’m more willing to tell my friends and family about getting a mattress delivered to their doorstep.
Before You Go
You’ve got to the end, but there is one more thing that I learned.
I learned that some mattress warranties could be… well… picky. The slightest of stains can void a mattress, and with the cost of these things, I don’t like that worry.
I’ve become big on mattress protectors like this one here on Amazon*. They feel like a regular bed sheet and not as noisy as you would think. I even did a spill and comfort test on the mattress protector I use here.
I know some of you will blow this advice off but remember me the next time you spill a drink in bed or the dog/kids make a mess in bed.