Trial periods vs statutory rights#
Your statutory rights (Consumer Rights Act 2015): For online purchases, you have a 14-day right to cancel and return for any reason. Once a mattress has been slept on it may be considered "used" and the statutory right can be limited — but most brands accept slept-on returns within their own trial policy regardless.
Brand trial periods (voluntary): Contractual commitments made by brands that exceed statutory rights. A 200-night trial is enforceable as a contract term — the brand has committed to it. These are genuine consumer protections, not just marketing.
Conditions to check before buying#
- Minimum sleep-in period: Most brands require 28–60 nights before accepting a return. You can't return on night one.
- Stain exclusions: A stained mattress may be refused — use a protector from night one.
- One return per household: Standard policy across major brands. You can't sequentially trial multiple mattresses.
- Collection cost: Confirm collection is free. Most online brands collect for free and donate returned mattresses to charity.
Trial period comparison#
| Brand | Trial period | Min. sleep-in |
|---|---|---|
| Nectar | 365 nights | 30 nights |
| Saatva | 365 nights | 30 nights |
| Emma | 200 nights | 28 nights |
| Simba | 200 nights | 30 nights |
| Origin | 120 nights | 30 nights |
| OTTY | 100 nights | 30 nights |
| Casper | 100 nights | 30 nights |
| Eve | 100 nights | 30 nights |
What happens to returned mattresses?#
Most UK online brands partner with charities or furniture reuse organisations to donate returned mattresses in acceptable condition. Emma, Simba and Nectar all have charity donation partnerships — returned mattresses aren't wasted. This makes exercising a genuine trial return significantly easier to justify.
Use our comparison tool to filter by trial period length and find the brand that gives you the most confidence for your purchase.