Table of Contents
Sponsored post.
Until I came across Simba’s refurbished mattresses just recently, I never knew they are a THING. By that, I mean, I couldn’t really imagine a refurbished mattress. I was fully aware of refurbished tech and other refurbished goods, you can even find them through black friday electronics deals – but not mattress. I know, that some mattresses are possible to recycle – that’s when recycling companies take them apart and recycle some or all the components. But refurbished? How does that even happen? Let’s find out more about it. Is it Worth Buying a Refurbished Mattress?
What happens to discarded mattresses?
Well, they go to landfill. Only a few charity takes them. 76% of discarded mattresses end up in landfill every single year and they could take up to 100 years to biodegrade.
How are mattresses getting refurbished?
Simba did not become the UK’s only B-corp sleep tech company overnight. They worked hard on recycling their mattresses after removal and now they also offer refurbished mattresses at a cheaper price.
How do they do this?
- First they examine the quality and function of the product. This is carried out by expert employees by hand and sight but also other methods of testing.
- Then, they replace all components that fail the inspection using authentic Simba parts, inside out, everything that doesn’t function perfectly, just like a new mattress.
- Finally, they wash, deep-clean and sanitise the mattress to hospital standards.
They have refurbished mattresses across their whole range as well as duvets, pillows and bedding. To ensure the longevity of any bed, it is always a good idea to invest in a high-quality mattress protector to shield against spills and allergens.
Is it worth buying a refurbished mattress?
Based on the price and quality: yes, absolutely. They cost at least 50% less than a new mattress of the same type, yet the quality and life expectancy of them are the same as a brand new mattress. Just as the longevity of a refurbished mattress can be improved with the right care, taking steps to improve joint health can help prevent conditions like hip bursitis or osteoarthritis.
Apart from the reduced cost involved with buying a new mattress, the refurbished mattresses – from an already very environmentally conscious sleep brand – are as sustainable as you can get. By professionally refurbishing them, minimal new components needed to be manufactured, therefore energy and water is saved. Overall, the carbon footprint of the refurbished mattresses are the fraction of the newly manufactured ones plus they are circular: they kept in use instead of ending up as waste.
The verdict: What I thought about it
I have been sleeping on the mattress for about 10 days so far and I’m very happy with the mattress. I have the Simba Hybrid® Essential Mattress Refurbished, 100% recycled materials yet it feels brand new. There is no noticeable difference at all, it looks and feels brand new. Especially, that it cost 60% less as the brand new version, which is a whopping £600 saved.
Great support and breathable top layer with temperature regulation. Overheating is an issue for both me and my husband and this mattress really helps to avoid it. It distributes the weight evenly, which is important, given two people sleep on the king size mattress, with different weight. Other than these, I must mention that even though it has springs, they are tiny, so there are a lot of them, which means you can’t feel the springs (as opposed to out old mattress!)
About Simba
Simba is an award winning, UK based sleep company, with patented mattress designs such as the Simba Hybrid and Simbatex Foam as well as range beds, mattress protectors, duvets, pillows and bedding. Their scientists developed their designs based on data on 10 million people’s sleeping habits. They design and manufacture everything in the UK which is good for the local economy and saves on shipping emissions. With being B-Corp accredited, Simba meets the high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability required by B-Lab, every aspect of the business from the supply chain, to ethical product innovation.
Sustainability efforts
Environmentally responsible materials: currently, they are already removed many pollutants from the foam they use, they use sustainable produced wood, the textiles are OEKO-TEX certified and they are using mostly recycled materials in the packaging and products too. They are also part of the Better Cotton movement. In the near future they are planning to swap for recycled wood and improved, more environmentally friendly foam.
Tackling emissions: Simba currently invest in reforestation and biodiversity projects that offset the emissions, however, the ultimate goal is to reach Net Zero by 2030 – to be responsible for as close to zero emissions as possible, by investing in projects that absorb emissions rather than just offset them.
Zero waste: the target of wasting nothing is ambitious. Currently, already every part of the mattresses can be recycled, even the foam is being repurposed into dog beds or carpet underlay. All returned mattresses are either recycled or refurbished. But by improving design, they can reach zero waste.
Mattress recycling service: When you buy a Simba mattress, they remove your old mattress; any brand or size as part of their national mattress recycling service. They don’t even benefit from this financially. For a small fee they will collect old mattresses and make sure it’s properly recycled, which means over 80% of components being reused or repurposed.