The Fine Print: Breaking Down the Bear Mattress Warranty

Bear is a family-owned brand that opened its doors over 25 years ago. They separate themselves from other mattress companies by designing beds that speed up recovery for athletes and folks with an active lifestyle. Bear’s mattresses include Celliant technology, which they claim can help enhance sleep quality and physical recovery.

Bear offers three mattresses and various bedding accessories, including two memory foam mattresses and one hybrid mattress. The Bear Pro and original Bear mattresses have a 10-year warranty, and the Hybrid has a 20-year prorated warranty. While the warranty length is in line with the average bed-in-a-box brand, some details of the warranty make it less favorable than most.

See our Bear Mattress Review, Bear Hybrid Mattress Review, and Bear Pro Mattress Review to learn more about the Bear mattress line. 

How Long Does the Bear Warranty Period Last?

Bear has different warranty lengths depending on which mattress you buy. Both the Bear Original and Bear Pro models have 10-year limited warranties, while the Bear Hybrid has a 20-year limited warranty. 

If your warranty claim is approved, Bear covers the entire cost to replace or repair the mattress for the first 10 years—including shipping. After 10 years, Bear no longer covers the Bear Original or Bear Pro, and only pays a portion of the cost to fix the Hybrid model. 

Also, after 10 years you’ll be required to pay the transportation fees for the Hybrid along with the following percentage of your original purchase:

• 11th year: 55%
• 12th year: 60%
• 13th year: 65%
• 14th year: 70%
• 15th year: 75%
• 16th year: 80%
• 17th year: 85%
• 18th year: 90%
• 19th year: 95%

What is covered by the Bear Warranty?

Visible Body Impressions of 1.5” or More

When you get up in the morning, there may be a body impression in the top layer. If this indentation is 1.5” below the quilted cover, it likely interferes with restful sleep. Bear considers this a material defect—but not if the dip goes away within a few minutes after you get out of bed. 

Physical Flaws in the Foam Layers

If you experience cracking or splitting memory foam layers and treat your mattress well, that’s a sign of defective foam. Whether the issue is with the memory foam comfort layer or the high-density support foam base layer, it may impact both mattress longevity and how well you sleep. 

Mattress Cover Defects

Most issues with a mattress cover are caused by user error, but if the Celliant cover isn’t in great shape when you first get the bed, or if the seams start to unravel despite proper care, the warranty covers it. 

What the Bear Mattress Warranty Does Not Cover

Change in Firmness Level

Foam top layers gradually soften, which may decrease the firmness of your mattress by a point or two on the 1–10 firmness scale. Sometimes a plush or medium-firm surface offers well-needed pressure relief for your sleeping position—especially for side sleepers—but if you’re a back sleeper or stomach sleeper, that extra softness at the hips probably won’t improve your comfort. 

Even though a softening top layer can cause back pain for some folks, it’s not a material defect. All polyurethane foam layers become softer over the years, and mattress companies like Bear cannot afford to replace all beds that show normal wear-and-tear.  

Small Imperfections

Not every defect leads to discomfort or poor sleep. If you notice a minor cosmetic flaw that doesn’t negatively influence your sleep—such as minor asymmetry in the corners or a somewhat uneven sleeping surface—Bear won’t approve a warranty claim for it. 

Tears, Burns, or Other Damage You Create

Warranties cover material or manufacturing defects, which do not include any damage that happens accidentally. So whether your dog chews off the corner, you cut through the foam when unboxing the bed, or you tear out a chunk of foam when rotating the mattress, Bear won’t pay to fix it. 

Shallow Surface Impressions

Most sleepers love a mattress with a bit of pressure point contouring, but unfortunately, this slight body hug can become semi-permanent over time, leaving human-shaped dips on the surface of your mattress. Bear doesn’t consider an indentation a defect until it reaches 1.5”, so that small body-shaped mold won’t get you a new Bear mattress. 

Discomfort

Whether you notice excess motion transfer, iffy edge support, or too much heat retention, Bear won’t send you a new bed. All of these examples fall under personal comfort, not a defective mattress.

If you notice any problems with your new bed during the 100-night sleep trial period, it might not be the best mattress for you. Consider contacting Bear and taking advantage of the generous return policy. And if the 100 nights are over, you may want to try a topper, cooling sheets, or a different mattress.   

Off-Gassing Odor

If this is your first bed-in-a-box mattress, you might be surprised that it has an odor when you remove it from the packaging. This is because foam beds—and beds with thick foam layers—emit tiny particles into the air as they expand, causing a temporary smell known as off-gassing. 

Because Bear’s foams are CertiPUR-US certified, you don’t need to worry about toxic emissions in the odor; however, if you’re sensitive to scents, a latex or innerspring mattress may be your best bet. Additionally, the odor should fade within a few days, so we recommend sleeping elsewhere until you don’t notice any scent.  

Sagging or Other Damage Caused by Improper Mattress Support

If you place your new mattress on an old box spring or another unsupportive bed frame, it can damage the foam and springs inside. Whether the foams start to crack or a sag forms along the middle, these issues are caused by poor support, not a defect. The Bear warranty doesn’t cover any damage caused by using the wrong support system. 

Muscle Recovery

Bear uses advanced recovery technologies in their mattresses. These include cooling graphite-gel memory foam and Celliant fibers that turn body heat into circulation-stimulating infrared light. Tissue recovery can’t be documented like indentation depth or a visible crack in foam, so it’s not covered by the warranty.

What Could Void My Warranty? 

• Not using a proper support system, which can vary by size (ex: a Queen size mattress will probably need center support, while a Twin size won’t). Contact Bear to ensure that your adjustable base or bed frame is sufficiently supportive. 
• Leaving your bed in its shipping box for more than 30 days.
• Bed bugs, mold, or other infestations leaving the mattress in an unsanitary condition. 
• Physical abuse or damage, including things like tears, burns, spills, and cuts. 
• Not rotating your mattress from head-to-toe once per month for the first six months and once every other month thereafter. 
• Selling the Bear mattress, buying a showroom floor model, or buying it from someone other than Bear or one of their approved partners.  
• Inappropriate washing of the Bear mattress or its cover.

How Does the Bear Warranty Measure Up? 

The Bear warranty period is on par with the industry standard, but the coverage during that period is not. The first aspect of the warranty that isn’t up to the online mattress standard is that sags and impressions aren’t covered until they’re 1.5” deep. Most brands cover indentations at 1”, while the most generous policies cover them even sooner. 

Another warning sign about the warranty is how often Bear expects you to rotate your mattress. Most companies recommend rotating their mattresses every six months, with some brands claiming that their foams are so durable that you don’t have to rotate them at all. But Bear can void your warranty if you don’t rotate the bed from head-to-toe monthly for the first six months and every other month after that. We’re not sure how they would prove that you didn’t rotate your bed, but they say not doing could cost you coverage.

Finally, Bear’s 20-year warranty for their Hybrid mattress isn’t much better. This warranty has the same issues outlined above, and it’s prorated—meaning you must pay a portion of the cost to replace the bed after 10 years. The amount that you pay—between 55% and 95% of the initial cost—is pretty high. 

Despite Bear’s warranties being slightly less generous than average, we see mostly positive customer reviews. With Bear’s competitive price points, we still believe that Bear is a solid brand selling quality mattresses with excellent value.

Filing A Warranty Claim with Bear

To file a warranty claim, gather the following information and send it to claims@bearmattress.com:

• Proof of purchase with the date and name of the original purchaser 
• A photo of the law tag showing that it hasn’t been removed or altered 
• Photos of the mattress, bed frame, and defect (FYI: You must use a tailor tape if the defect involves a body indentation or other dimensional claim.)  

If Bear opts to replace your mattress, you may need to donate or dispose of the old mattress and provide proof of pick up or drop off to qualify for a replacement. 

Caring For Your Bear Mattress 

• Rotate the Bear 180° monthly for the first six months and every other month after six months. 
• Use a waterproof mattress protector to safeguard against mold, spills, and other liquid damage. 
• Place the mattress on a supportive base, which may be an adjustable frame, slatted base, or another firm, flat bed frame. It cannot be on the floor or box spring. If you’re unsure whether or not your base is suitable, contact Bear to confirm.

FAQs about the Bear Warranty 

How should I wash the Bear mattress and its cover so that I don’t void the warranty?

Even though you can unzip the Bear mattress cover, you should not remove it or machine wash it. The only Bear-accepted form of cleaning is spot cleaning for both the cover and the mattress materials. It’s best to avoid spills altogether by using a waterproof mattress protector, since spills and stains can void the warranty. 

What frames or foundations can I use with the Bear mattress?

Bear recommends using a hard, flat surface (that isn’t the floor) for support. This includes adjustable bases, platform beds, bunkie boards, or solid bed frames—but not box springs. A slatted base must have five to six legs for Queen, King, and California King size mattresses and four legs for Twin, Twin XL, and Full sizes. Additionally, the slats should be spaced 4.5” or less, with the slats at least 2.5” wide for mattresses larger than a Queen size.  

Can a spill really void my warranty?

Yes, a spill, accident, or other material damage can void the Bear mattress warranty, leaving you responsible in the case of a manufacturing defect. This isn’t only the case with Bear, but other mattress companies, too. That’s why it’s so important to use a mattress protector from the first day that you own your new mattress.