The Best Mattress Return Policies: Amazon, IKEA, Costco, and more

When buying a mattress, the return policy is crucial.

Not every business has a flexible mattress return policy and ordering from certain stores, especially those that don’t prominently display their policy, can put your investment at risk. Plus, with how heavy they are, returning mattresses quickly becomes difficult.

But don’t worry. We’ve compiled different mattress return policies and details of refunds you should pay attention to so you can shop smart for a mattress without being duped, and we’ll even share some tips for how to get rid of a mattress you don’t want.

Return policies vary from one company to the next. Always check before purchasing since they might be a deal-breaker.

Full Refund Mattress Policies

The first mattress return policy is the full refund policy, which states that if you change your mind about your mattress and decide not to keep it, you will get a complete refund even after sleeping on it for a long time.

This is by far the most consumer-friendly policy and the one you should find if possible. There is one stipulation: some full return policies have a time limit attached to them. Most mattress companies have a 100-day money-back guarantee, which is sufficient in most cases.

However, be wary if it’s less than 30 days as it might not be enough time to be happy with a mattress for 10+ years.

Partial Refund Mattress Policies

Second, there’s the partial return policy, which means you’ll only receive a portion of your money back rather than a full refund.

We recommend avoiding mattress companies with this policy since many companies provide a complete refund. Even said, if the mattress of your dreams is only available from a business that offers a partial return, go for it.

There’s nothing wrong with purchasing from a company that offers partial refunds if you’re willing to take a chance for a higher payoff.

Mattress Exchange Policies

The last category is a mattress exchange, which allows you to trade your current mattress for a new size or model. This is the least forgiving form of return policy since it only allows you to purchase anything else from them instead of getting your money back.

This is without a doubt the worst kind of return policy. It binds you to a brand, and you’re trapped with them if you discover their items are all of poor quality. When it comes to something as crucial as a mattress, you want to leave your choices as wide as possible.

Choosing a company with a reasonable return policy is critical when mattress shopping. What exactly do we mean when we say “reasonable?” First and foremost, not every mattress comes with a return policy. Second, the policy must provide sufficient time to try out the mattress.

Mattress Return Policy: Costco

Costco does not indicate their return policy for mattresses online. Mattress returns at Costco are not time-limited; however, the policy differs from most other products on their shelves.

Any mattress older than two years, your mattress is unlikely to be accepted for return. It must be acquired within a year, preferably a year and a half before.

Before returning the mattress, clean it well (don’t try to return a bedbug-infested mattress) and inspect its condition.

Mattress Return Policy: Amazon

Any Amazon product’s return policy is entirely up to the seller’s discretion. You may always contact customer support for additional information about its mattress return policy. If this is important to you, ask before you purchase.

It’s also critical to carefully review return policies. Suppose it doesn’t fit your bed frame, for example. In most circumstances, the process will be similar to any other online retailer, and you will need to go through the same return channels.

Mattress Return Policy: Ikea

Mattresses may be returned to Ikea within 90 days of purchase if they are in their original packaging and have not been opened. Unfortunately, Walmart will not take old mattresses for return since handling and reselling them is unsanitary.

First, determine whether or not you should return your mattress, as purchasing a mattress from a company that offers a substantial return policy plays heavily into that decision.

Before choosing whether a mattress is good enough to keep, sleep on it for at least a month or two — the longer, the better. Since our sleep is influenced by so many factors, determining the efficacy of a mattress in only a few weeks is difficult.

A few Reasons for returning a mattress:

• Does the height and shape fit your bed frame?
• Does the mattress retain heat and is causing you to sweat?
• Is being able to flip the mattress to extend its lifespan a priority?
• Have you been losing sleep? Keep in mind to give it some time to break it in.
• Do you get allergies or infections since some low-quality mattresses can cause them?
• Is the mattress excessively firm or soft? Too hard can cause backaches and too soft sinks in.

Related Article: The Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Get Rid of Your Old Mattress Now

While it varies on where you purchased your bed from, the following are the two most common processes for how to return an unwanted mattress.

Online Mattress Company

1. Box it up and ship it back yourself.
2. Coordinate a professional pickup with the company.

Physical Store Location

1. They’ll send someone to remove it from your home.
2. You have to haul it to the curb for pickup.

A company is not bound by federal laws to accept mattress returns, and cases of a defective mattress are normally covered by the warranty. Mattress stores are only bound by state laws that dictate mattress refunds are subject to the mattress store policy at the time of purchase.

Deceptive Claims and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

However, if your mattress is wildly different than what was promised, federal law does offer protection to mattress buyers through the FTC. These agencies can sue companies for fraudulent, misleading or deceptive claims of their product or service.

Sometimes a company will not accept a mattress return. In that case, your options are to recycle, dispose of, donate, or resell the unwanted mattress.

How to donate a mattress

Your mattress donation choices are mainly limited to two options for where you may donate it. You could either ask your friends and relatives whether they’re interested, or you might consider donating to a nonprofit organization of your choice.

Tips on selling a mattress

• Make sure it’s clean. Thoroughly clean a mattress before trying to sell it.
• Take Pictures. Take pictures from all angles when listing a mattress for sale.
• Be honest. Don’t lie about the condition as it only wastes yours and the buyer’s time.

How to recycle mattresses

There are a few places that will recycle your old mattress. Call your local sanitation department to find out who will accept it for recycling.

Additionally, companies such as LoadUp are an affordable and eco-friendly option for mattress removal, mattress recycling, pickup, or disposal.

🛏 Want more tips on mattress disposal? Read How to Dispose of a Mattress (And How Not To!).

To summarize, mattresses are significant purchases, and you should always be informed of the return policy before making a purchase.

The best mattress return policies allow you to try out the mattress for over 30 days and offer a complete refund. Ideally, they also come to you and remove the bed at no additional charge.

If you still need to get rid of the old mattress that’s being replaced or your new mattress is past the return date, LoadUp’s mattress removal service can help you get it out of the way.

Have a local, professional team haul your old or unwanted mattress as soon as tomorrow for donation, recycling and eco-friendly disposal. Rest easy and book a disposal expert online.

Related Articles from the Trash Talk Blog:

• How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
• How to Dispose of a Mattress Topper
• What Really Happens to My Old Mattress?
• How New California Recycling Laws Affect Mattress Retailers