Mattress lifespan
How long will a new mattress last? It depends. A combination of variables affects the length of time that a sleep set will provide optimum support and comfort. These variables include:

QUALITY  A poor-quality mattress set can deteriorate quickly, while top-quality sets can be expected to provide comfort and support for a number of years. As with other products, you get what you pay for.

FREQUENCY OF USE  All things being equal, a sleep set in the master bedroom that is used on a nightly, continuous basis will lose comfort more quickly than one in a guest room.

WEIGHT  An adult who is heavy wears out a mattress more quickly than someone who is lightweight. And since two people weigh more than one, an adult who sleeps alone puts less wear and tear on their mattress than a couple who sleeps together.

CARE  Proper care can extend the life of a mattress.

There is not one individual component that makes a mattress set good or bad. You need to select a mattress set that has a proper mix of quality components that fit your individual needs.

Innerspring coils are used in innersprings and boxsprings and are made in a range of sizes, gauges, shapes and heights.  The coil sizes are designated numerically according to the total number that are used in a double size innerspring or boxspring.  As an example, when there are 312 coils in a double size innerspring, there will be fewer in a twin size made with the same coils and more in the King and Queen sizes.

Boxsprings begin as individual coils and other components that are assembled into finished constructions designed to complement the innerspring design of the mattress.  Boxsprings are frequently overlooked in choosing a mattress set.  However boxsprings are a very important factor in the overall comfort, support and durability of a mattress set. Better boxsprings units should maximize weight transfer from the mattress.  This will reduce stress on the mattress and help reduce excessive pressure points.

Tempering or stress relieving of the coils is a necessary operation in the manufacture of innerspring units and boxsprings.  Tempering with heat or electricity assures that the coils will return to their original height after compression .... night after night .... year after year.  Tempering removes the stresses set up in the coils during manufacture.  Controlled and complete tempering of all components of an innerspring unit .... all coils, lacing helicals, and the border rod .... result in the complete comfort and long life you can expect from a set of innerspring bedding.

Ticking is the package a bedding set is wrapped in.  It's the flowered, striped, or other patterns you see on the outside of the mattress and boxspring.

Top finishing is the way a mattress looks on top.  Mattress tops are finished in several ways.  The most popular style now appears to be quilt tops whereby various patterns are used to quilt designs into the top surface of the mattress ... or on both sides.  For surface softness, many manufacturers quilt the ticking to soft urethane foam of varying thicknesses.

A variation is the pillow top mattress which has a big pillow of soft materials sewn over the entire surface of the mattress.  The ticking is the same pattern as the mattress and the pillow-top is frequently quilted. 

A smooth top mattress is built up comfortably with layers of cotton, polyester, urethane foam and other materials.  As the name implies, it just isn't quilted. 

The oldest method of holding the ticking and the filling materials together is by button tufting.  Button tufted mattresses will have regularly spaced buttons showing on both sleeping surfaces.