How to reduce body contouring in your mattress

How to reduce body contouring in your mattress summary

• Body impressions are described as normal and part of how the mattress is designed to contour to your body for comfort and pressure reduction.
• Body impressions come from quilting and comfort layers settling over time, similar to shoes moulding to your feet as they wear in.
• Body contouring is either a dip where body weight is concentrated or a ridge in the centre where you don’t usually lie, especially if you always sleep on your own side.
• Typical mattress contouring expectations: around 35 mm on a pillowtop and up to 25 mm on a less plush mattress.
• To reduce uneven contouring, we recommend rotating the mattress every 2 weeks for the first 4 months, then every 3 months, using more of the mattress surface (for example, lying or sitting in the centre when reading or watching TV), and using a mattress topper to help reduce the feel of the comfort-layer contouring.

First things first: body impressions in mattresses are normal, so don’t worry! In fact, our mattresses are designed to contour to your body shape for maximum comfort. However, if you’re a little concerned, here’s some background on why it happens and some tips on how to reduce mattress dipping over time. 

Many of our mattresses feature combinations of quilting and comfort layers to enhance cushioning. As these materials settle and conform, they contour naturally to your body shape, helping reduce pressure points on your body for a more comfortable sleep. Visually this will appear as a body impression in the top of the mattress.

It is normal for mattresses to develop body impressions as the comfort layers begin to settle. This is a sign that your mattress is performing as intended and adjusting to your individual contours. This is similar to the way a new pair of shoes will mould to the shape of your feet as you wear them in, becoming more comfortable over time.

Body impressions are sometimes described as a contour in the mattress where your body weight is concentrated, or a ridge in the middle of the mattress where you don’t usually lie. We’d expect to see approximately 35mm of contouring on a pillowtop, and up to 25mm on a less plush mattress.

Some important things to consider:

• The plusher or more pillowy your mattress is, the more comfort layers it will contain, and this may mean you see more body contouring in the top of your mattress
• To help equalize body impressions, rotate your mattress every 2 weeks for the first 4 months, and every 3 months after that
• If you strictly sleep on your own side of the bed, the centre of your mattress can feel firmer and there may appear to be a ridge in the middle of the bed. This is normal. Try to use all surfaces of the mattress to help settle the comfort layers evenly: if you can’t sleep in the middle of the bed, then try lying or sitting on it when you’re reading or watching TV.