Mattress sleep trials: watch out for the fine print

If you're thinking of buying a new mattress offered with a sleep trial, make sure you fully understand what you're signing up for.

Some popular mattress brands, including Nectar and Silentnight, offer year-long 'sleep trials' on selected ranges. These trials are some of the longest available and are 165 days longer than the one offered by Emma, the most popular mattress brand, according to the latest Which? mattress survey*.

However, many come with strict conditions you need to adhere to if you want to take action and, in some cases, get your money back.

Need a new place to rest your head? Read more about the best mattresses we've tested.

What is a mattress sleep trial?

Unlike mattress warranties and guarantees, which cover faults, a mattress sleep trial lets you sleep on the mattress in your own home. This means you can see whether it’s a dream to sleep on or will turn your slumber into a sweaty nightmare.

If you don't like it or it's not right for you, you can simply return it within the trial period – as long as you abide by the rules.

Commonly offered by online-only, bed-in-a-box mattress brands, a sleep trial is ideal if you want to try a different type of mattress than you usually use but aren't certain it will be right for you.

Giving you a full year to try out the mattress, Nectar and Silentnight (Just Sleep range only) are among the few brands to offer such a lengthy trial period. Mattress sleep trials from other brands and retailers can start from just 30 days.

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Watch out for the fine print

Not all sleep trials are the same. Some are a dream to take advantage of, while others come with a list of terms as long as your night-time snooze. 

• You may need to use a mattress protector; some brands even stipulate that you have to buy one at the same time as the mattress. 
• Some brands will refund you, but others, such as Silentnight with its Just Sleep range, will only let you exchange. You may have to pay extra if you exchange for a higher-priced mattress.
• Some brands state that you have to use the mattress for a minimum number of nights.
• You might have to keep track of the number of nights on the trial, as not all brands will remind you.
• You may have to pay to return the unwanted mattress. 

Lisa Galliers, Which? mattress expert says:

'Taking the time to carefully read the T&Cs before you buy a mattress really can save you a nightmare further on down the line. Check what is and, more importantly, what isn't included with any sleep trial before you purchase your mattress. Some brands and retailers are clear on what their rules are, while others seem to cover them deep in the small print. 

'Take extra care when buying a mattress from an online marketplace or a discount warehouse. A mattress can look like it's being sold with a trial night's offer, but it may not apply to all retailers.'

How to complain if you’ve been misled by a sale or special offer.

Mattress trial terms by brand

Before you click 'buy', ensure you read the full terms and conditions of your mattress trial. We've briefly listed some trial details here.

Got a problem with your mattress? Find out how to return a mattress. 

Do you really need a year-long trial?

You might assume that a full year is far longer than you need to work out whether a mattress is right for you. And in some cases, it may be obvious far sooner that a mattress isn't cutting it.

But extra-long trial periods do have some advantages:  

• They let you try out a mattress across all the seasons of the year. You may find, for example, that a mattress that feels cosy in winter becomes uncomfortably hot in summer. 
• They give you time to adjust to a new type of mattress – particularly important if you're switching from springs to foam. 
• If you suffer from back pain or a sore back, it could take quite a while to adjust to a new mattress, so a lengthy trial can help you to see if it makes any improvement. 

Discover our best mattresses for back pain.

What happens to returned mattresses?

Around 5%** of mattress owners said they had returned a mattress as part of a sleep trial. But what happens to all the returned mattresses? We asked some of the big brands:

Emma told us: 'Mattresses which are returned during our 200-night trial period are either cleaned and sold as refurbished mattresses or are donated to charity. Any that are damaged or have defects are properly disposed of.'

Eve Sleep told us: 'We either refurbish them (which includes a cleaning and sanitising process) and then sell them on our Evesleep.co.uk website, or we recycle them. If your mattress is recycled, all materials will be used in other industries and made into items like dog beds, carpet underlay and car insulation. The final parts (around 5%) will be used for energy. We want to make sure all mattresses get a new lease of life, and nothing is wasted.' 

Nectar told us: 'Any returned mattresses are donated to the British Heart Foundation. This avoids landfill waste, gives the mattress a new home and raises money for the charity.'

Simba told us: 'Upon your mattress's return to Simba, it's given a second lease of life. Depending on its condition, it's either recycled or refurbished and redistributed through Simba’s eBay outlet and on Simbasleep.com.'

Need to replace your old bed? Find out how to dispose of a mattress responsibly.

* Based on an online survey in October 2025 with 1,666 members of the Which? Connect panel and members of the public who bought a mattress in the past five years.

** Which? surveyed 3,530 members of its online panel in October 2023.