How to fix a sagging mattress -- on the cheap
Our sagging mattress is terrible; how about yours? This mattress has been terrible since shortly after we got it, the place we bought it from is out of business, and this is the third terrible mattress we've gone through in our marriage so far. You know how these expensive mattresses are just not lasting like they used to? Or maybe we're just very poor at picking them... and ours developed horrible indentations on each side where we sleep. So both MashupDad and I often woke up with back pain and slept poorly because we were sleeping in a hole -- not to mention that it's really depressing to spend all that money on a mattress, and then find that it feels nothing like it did in the store within just a few weeks.
A new mattress isn't in the cards quite yet because of the long list of other things that need replacing (we have a refrigerator and car that are on their last legs, oy!). So I thought I'd update this original post from almost three years ago with a list of what we have tried to help fix our sagging mattress on the cheap (without having to buy a new one), ordered from best to worst.
The products I've tried do bop around in price fairly often, and I of course picked up each when on sale at their lowest point or with a coupon code... 😉
How to fix your sagging mattress -- or at least make it much more sleep-able!
Best: Pick up a gel memory foam mattress topper to help fix your sagging mattress
So here's what I've found to work the best, after a few years of dealing with our sagging mattress. I recently picked up this memory foam mattress topper from Kohl's -- which has great and well-deserved reviews! It's a little pricey when not on sale, but this is Kohl's, guys, so if it's not on sale today it probably will be soon. I bought mine at around $25 after a sale + coupon code, and will watch for new deals to pop up for you guys.
It's kind of neat how this unrolled to fit a king-sized mattress, but when I first opened the mattress topper I was afraid it would be too thin to work. Luckily, I was wrong. It helps quite a bit, and the mattress pad and sheets still fit nicely over everything. In all honesty, you can still definitely tell that the indentations are there, but it does a nice job of evening them out more and getting rid of some of the lumpiness -- and the bed is much more comfortable. We're sleeping better, so it's definitely worth more than my $25-ish sale price, and highly recommended!
Other things we've tried to fix our sagging mattress:
The Mattress Helper does help fix the sagging mattress issue -- somewhat
After reading a bunch of reviews online, we also tried the Mattress Helper a while back. It was at the time on sale at Kohl's, plus a coupon code, plus Kohl's Cash back -- so again, watch for deals on the Mattress Helper there if you are interested in trying it out. The Mattress Helper did actually help lift the mattress back up along where it was sagging, but didn't bring it all the way back up. Our sagging mattress problem got better after placing the Mattress Helper under the places where the mattress is sagging, but it didn't entirely resolve the issue or our poor sleep issues. It's possible our mattress was just sagging too much for this to work, but the Mattress Helper is likely a nice option if your sagging issue is a bit less or your mattress is just too soft.
We also still have the Mattress Helper under our mattress and use it in conjunction with the memory foam mattress topper, so they play really nicely together.
This mattress pad helps, but doesn’t fix the sagging mattress problem
A while ago I was poking around on Amazon and started reading the reviews of this Pinzon Basics Overfilled Plush Mattress Pad. We needed a new mattress pad anyway because our old one was tearing at the corners, so I bought it. I will say that it's a really nice mattress pad -- it helps smooth out the smaller lumps, but doesn't honestly do a lot for the sagging problem. I'd recommend it for a lumpy mattress, a dorm room mattress, or if you're just looking for a nice new mattress pad.
Most temporary fix for a sagging mattress
Lastly, here's the most temporary fix for a sagging mattress: Take two cheap bed pillows. Lift up your mattress. Shove one under each side of the mattress, right under each indentation. Put the mattress back down over the pillows, lie down, and see if it feels like the pillow is in the right place. If not, lift the mattress back up and adjust as needed. Here, I used two old bed pillows I already had in the house, so it cost us nothing. We did sleep more comfortably for a few nights, but then the pillows got smushed down to a pancake so we were back to square one -- not a long-term solution.
- Note: If you use the firmer gel pillows, this fix will work better and last longer!
(I originally saw this pillow idea fix for sagging mattresses over at Frugal Freebies and Deals, and it's what was featured in the original post here from 2013 -- but now updated with everything else we've tried!)
What ideas do you have for fixing a sagging mattress?
Let me know how any of this works to fix your sagging mattress, if you give them a try yourself -- I'd also love to hear any other ideas, or tips for buying a new good mattress that will last, and check out some other ideas in the comments from the original post, below.
Consumer Reports reported on mattresses in their February issue. There were a few mattresses that they really liked that were under $1,000, but they were brands tha6 I had never heard from. They also liked Sleep Number and some of the Ikea mattresses. I don't think they were big fans of pillowtop mattresses.
I went to Walmart and got several thick folded up boxes that they sell. I like it better than plywood because it has some give in it. It's cheap enough to change often if needed.
after looking at the sagging mattress fixes on the web, generally in the $30 price range, I nearly bought one...inexpensive fix! I looked at mattress toppers and wrote two companies who sell them, both told me that mattress toppers would not solve the problem. When I thought about what they were saying, i could see that it made some sense...the mattress will still sag, the topper will sag with the mattress. So I was ready to spring for the Mattress Helper Sagging Mattress Support at target for about $60, when I had a thought. Those sagging mattress helpers are just a rigid structure a couple inches thick. I had used rigid pink foam insulation for a project at my house and had some good sized pieces left over. The original sheet was 1.5" thick by 4' by 8' and cost about $20 at home depot. I measured the depression in my bed and cut a rectangular piece to fit. It worked like a champ! I have used this solution now for 5 months and it's working just as well as the first night. As a side comment...I don't think conventional mattresses are made nearly as well as they used to be. You cannot flip the one I purchased and it lasted less than 4 years before i started getting back aches.
how do you measure the sag?
I have had my mattress (heavy as crap and not flippable) for 12 years. I am 30 and still live at home and therefore LIVE in my small room so I LITERALLY sit in the same spot of the bed ALL day and therefore it has such a CRATER in it I can't take it anymore! Thing is I am a single mom and broke as dirt but also moving in with my boyfriend in the next 6 months. We will use his perfect comfy brand new bed when we live together so there's no point in buying a new mattress now! I mean who would buy a used mattress afterwards so I could get my couple hundred spent back?
I tried pillows, pieces of wood, bed helper, even bed boost. I currently just have two 2 inch thick memory foam toppers UNDERNEATH my mattress & it's as good as it's gonna get. Except the mattress bounces with every movement due to it being uneven and overall I literally have to climb up into my bed because it's as high as my waist. It's a size full. I have so many issues already with pain and its only getting worse. SOMEONE HELP!
i can not believe all the comments about sagging mattresses! i bought a temperpedic $850 non foam mattress and after a month ,,,sag! i weigh 110 lbs and sleep in the middle. such a hassle trying to return or get credit for. seems like they dont want to stand behind the product....just defend it! PLEASE hear our pleas mattress makers and go back to the way they are supposed to be made. Like others,,,we had a mattress for a good number of years..15-20..we were able to flip it. well mattress makers figured that out real quick and made them non flippable. I am so discouraged with this whole sham the companies have going on....wish we could take them to court! I may try the attorney general for help...thanks for all the tips. I wil try the pink foam idea!
We had a sagging problem in the middle of our mattress. Our mattress was a queen sized pillow top that we bought about a year ago for $600+. As such I wanted to avoid having to purchase another. I looked on here and saw the mattress helper and considered that as an option. Come to find out the thing costs $75. Being a DIY’er I decided to save my money and recreate the mattress helper with 2x4’s. I cut 10 pieces 20 inches wide. And nailed them together with some leather strap I found at an art store. I nailed/spaced the pieces evenly at about 48 inches in length all together, placed it under the mattress and we successfully solved our problem for less than $10. Took me 30 mins to make.
Hi Ray! Could you please post another description of the support that you built. I’m sure it makes sense to most people, but I got lost at 48”. You cut 2x4’s into 10 20” pieces then connected those 10 20” pieces together with leather strapping......right so far? Then, what did you use in 48” lengths? Obviously I’m confused, but I am pretty crafty, so I think I can do this if I know what that last step was. Thanks so much!
Stephanie
We have similar problems with 2 different mattresses. One has valley's down the sides and the other is down the middle.
I have yet to do this on either of these mattresses but in the past I have used a thick (3/4") piece of plywood on top of the springs and that has helped.
Plywood is cheap too. In the range of $15-$20 for a 4' x 8' sheet.
For the bed with the sag down the middle I'm thinking about cutting the plywood in half lengthwise and stacking it down the middle under the mattress.
Im a student and I cant afford a new mattress and Ive been suffering due to it sagging. I finally looked up what could help before I bought a 100 dollar mattress topper. Im so glad I found this! Threw some pillows underneath and viola! THANKS!
This is great stuff. I ended up taking a couple of ideas and combining them to fix my saggy twin bed.
First I put a thin sheet of 1/4" plywood underneath. This helped but the mattress was still sagging just a little in the center. So I put something underneath the mattress on top of the plywood, but instead of pillows, I put a couple of 1-inch thick trade paperbacks (8.5 x 11") side by side in the affected areas. Now it's perfect!!! The paperbacks were actually two books about Hollywood stars. So yes, I am now sleeping every night with movie stars in the same bed! Ha!
My parents use plywood under their mattress. Our big name brand mattress lasted less than a year. 5 years later, i have so many knots in my shoulder muscles, it's causing migraines. I'm going to try the gel pad idea to help us until we can get a new one.
I was told by a mattress pad company that a mattress pad probably would not be a good solution...the sagging part will still be sagging, just an inch or two higher than before. What I did was roughly measure the "sag area". Then I got a piece of rigid foam insulation (its two inches thick and about 4'x8'. Cost was about $20 at home depot. Then I cut out a piece that was about the size of the "sag area" I placed the insulation on top of the box spring, in the area beneath the sag. By doing this, the "sag area" is raised two inches.
hope this helps