Mattress Cost Calculator: Total Cost of Ownership per Year

How the calculator works

The calculator answers one question: what does this mattress cost for each year you sleep on it? It prices the mattress from a queen reference price, then spreads every item over its own useful life, because a frame, a protector and a mattress wear out on different schedules.

• Mattress price = queen price for the material × the size's share of the queen price × the tier multiplier (budget 1, mid-range 2). Sales tax is added.
• Years you'll keep it is filled in from the typical lifespan for the material and tier when you change either. Overwrite it with your own expectation; heavier sleepers should go lower.
• Base, protector and topper are divided by their own lifespans, not the mattress's. A frame bought today usually outlives this mattress, so only part of it belongs to this purchase.
• Delivery and haul-away are paid once per mattress, so they are divided by the mattress years.
• Expected return cost = the chance you'll return it × (return fee + restocking percentage × mattress price). It turns trial terms into dollars so you can compare a free-return seller with a cheaper one that charges for returns.

Worked example: one queen, four materials

Default inputs: queen, budget tier, metal frame with slats, protector, 7% sales tax, free delivery, no haul-away and free returns.

The foam line breaks down as $299.60 for the mattress with tax over 6 years ($49.93), $74.90 for the frame over 12 years ($6.24) and $32.10 for the protector over 3 years ($10.70), which adds up to $66.87 a year. The innerspring is $40 more than foam at the till but almost $18 a year more expensive, because it is expected to last one year less. That is the kind of difference a price tag hides.

Worked example: a store purchase with fees

A full-size budget innerspring on a foundation, with a $60 delivery charge, $40 to haul the old mattress away, a 10% chance of returning it and a 15% restocking fee:

1. Mattress: $320 × 0.82 = $262.40, or $280.77 with tax, over 5 years = $56.15 a year.
2. Foundation: $130 × 0.82 = $106.60, or $114.06 with tax, over 12 years = $9.51 a year.
3. Protector: $32.10 over 3 years = $10.70 a year.
4. Delivery and haul-away: $100 over 5 years = $20.00 a year.
5. Expected return cost: 10% × 15% × $262.40 = $3.94, over 5 years = $0.79 a year.

Total: about $531 upfront and $97 a year. The fees add a fifth to the yearly cost. A boxed mattress with free shipping and free returns would need to cost about $100 more before it lost to this store deal. See box vs store and delivery and disposal fees for how to get those fees waived.

Getting good inputs

1. Price: use the price on the checkout page, after the discount code. Enter it on this page by changing the queen reference price for the material, or adjust the size share.
2. Years: start from the default and subtract one or two years if you weigh over about 230 lb, share the bed with a heavier partner, or the listing doesn't state foam density. The lifespan guide explains the signs of wear.
3. Return terms: read the trial page for a pickup fee, a restocking percentage and a minimum number of nights. The trial and returns guide lists typical values.
4. Base: choose "Nothing" if you already own a frame that suits the mattress; the bed frame guide covers which bases work with foam and hybrids.

What it doesn't include

• Sheets, pillows and a duvet, which you may need to replace if you change size.
• Financing interest; see sales and financing.
• The value of better or worse sleep. A cheaper mattress that leaves you sore is not a saving.
• Price changes over time; the next mattress is assumed to cost the same.

Assumptions you can edit

Every number the calculator uses is below. Change one and the result above updates. Values reset when you reload. Last reviewed: 2026-10.

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