Prices shown are approximate. Verify current pricing before purchasing.
The 100-night sleep trial is the single most important consumer protection in online mattress buying. Use it correctly and you can return any mattress that does not work for you. Use it incorrectly and you might miss the window or fail to give the mattress a fair test.
This guide explains how to actually evaluate a mattress during the trial and what to do if it does not work out.
What the trial period actually means
Most online mattress brands offer a 100-night to 365-night sleep trial. During the trial, you can return the mattress for a full refund (sometimes minus a small transportation fee). The mattress is picked up by the brand or a designated hauler; you do not need to repackage it.
Trial periods are different from warranties. Trial covers the comfort fit; warranty covers manufacturing defects.
Industry-leading trial periods
- Nectar: 365 nights, free returns, Forever Warranty
- Saatva: 365 nights, $99 transportation fee, lifetime warranty
- DreamCloud: 365 nights, free returns
- Tuft & Needle: 100 nights, free returns
- Casper: 100 nights, free returns
- Purple: 100 nights, free returns
- Helix: 100 nights, free returns
- Bear: 120 nights, free returns
- Brooklyn Bedding: 120 nights, $99 transportation fee
The 30-night minimum break-in period
Most mattresses feel “different” the first week, which is not the same as “wrong.” New foam takes 7-30 days to fully expand and break in. Your body also needs to adjust to a new sleep surface.
Most brands enforce a 30-night minimum trial period before you can request a return. The reasoning: most early discomfort resolves within 30 days. Returning before then often means returning a mattress that would have been fine.
Use the first 30 nights as a calibration period. If by night 30 the mattress is still wrong, you have time to return.
How to evaluate a mattress during the trial
Track your sleep quality
Note these for the first 30 days:
- Quality of falling asleep (easy or restless?)
- Number of times you wake up during the night
- How you feel in the first 15 minutes after getting up (stiff? sore? rested?)
- Pain levels through the day
- Sleep temperature (sweating? cold?)
If most of these improve over the first 30 nights, the mattress is right. If they get worse or stay bad, the mattress is wrong.
Test multiple sleep positions
If you sleep in different positions (combination sleeper), test each. The mattress should feel acceptable in all your typical positions.
Test edge sitting
Sit on the edge to put on shoes. Edge sag should be minimal.
Test partner movement
If you share the bed, test motion isolation. When your partner moves, do you feel it disrupting your sleep?
Test temperature
Track whether you sleep too warm. Track this over multiple nights and weather conditions.
How to start a return
Each brand has slightly different processes:
Direct online brands (Saatva, Nectar, Casper, etc.)
Email or call customer service. They will arrange pickup. Refund processed in 7-14 business days.
Amazon-purchased mattresses
Initiate return through Amazon order page. Amazon arranges pickup. Refund automatic.
In-store retailers (Mattress Firm, etc.)
Often more friction. Sometimes restocking fees, sometimes “comfort exchange” pressure. Read the original purchase paperwork.
What happens to returned mattresses
Returned mattresses cannot legally be resold as new. Most brands donate them to homeless shelters, charities, or recycling facilities. Some brands sell them as “open-box” or refurbished at deeper discounts.
Common trial period mistakes
Returning too early (under 30 nights)
Most discomfort in week 1 is adjustment, not bad mattress. Wait the full 30 days before initiating return.
Forgetting the deadline
The trial countdown starts on delivery, not on first sleep. Mark the end-of-trial date on your calendar with a 14-day buffer.
Not using a mattress protector
Most brands require the mattress to be in resale condition for a full refund. Stains, smells, or damage can void the trial. Use a protector from night 1.
Trying multiple mattresses sequentially
Some brands flag accounts that return multiple mattresses. Stick to one or two trial cycles.
If the brand fights the return
Most legitimate brands process trial returns smoothly. If a brand is making the return difficult:
- Document everything in writing.
- File a complaint with the BBB.
- If you paid by credit card, dispute the charge with your card company.
- Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints.
How to pick today
Maximum flexibility: Nectar (365 nights, free returns, Forever Warranty). Use the full trial if needed; the math favors flexibility.
Premium with trial: Saatva (365 nights, $99 transport fee, lifetime warranty). Worth the small return fee for the construction quality.
Reminder: Confirm current pricing before purchase.