How to Keep Mattress From Sliding?

We all know how aggravating it is to wake up in the morning and see your mattress is slanted or even several inches off its frame. Constantly pushing a heavy mattress back into place is tiring, but thankfully, it’s also avoidable.

Mattress sliding may be due to a lack of friction between your mattress and its foundation, an improper frame, or even a too-old mattress. There are simple solutions to make your life a little easier and keep your mattress from sliding—let’s take a look.

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Use a Non-Slip or Rubber Mat

A hassle-free solution to a sliding mattress is adding a non-slip or rubber mat between your mattress and its foundation.

Non-slip mattress pads are available in all sorts of sizes to correspond to your mattress size and work like non-slip pads for carpets or area rugs. The mats shouldn’t affect the feel of your mattress because they’re typically very thin.

You can even DIY a non-slip pad by using a thin exercise mat underneath your mattress. However, this only works well for twin size mattresses since exercise mats are roughly the same width and length.

You might try using two exercise mats for a larger mattress, like a queen or king size mattress, but it may not be as effective.

Try Velcro Strips

Hook-and-loop strips, or Velcro, are an easy and highly effective way to hold your mattress in place.

Stick 4 to 6 hook strips around the perimeter of your mattress’s underside, and then stick the loop strips onto the bed frame or box spring. You can also use two long strips of Velcro on the top and bottom of your mattress’s underside.

Be as precise as possible when matching up the hook and loop sides of the Velcro because they won’t work as effectively if they’re not lined up correctly.

Rather than using Velcro strips, double-sided carpet tape works similarly, however, it’s not a long-term solution. Simply apply the dual-sided adhesive the same way you would the Velcro strips.

Vacuum Under Your Mattress

While it seems too easy, vacuuming under your mattress really does help minimize any sliding. Dust, crumbs, dead skin, and other debris can accumulate under your mattress, causing the bed to lose its grip on the foundation and slip around. Regularly cleaning your mattress keeps the debris from building up.

Vacuum under your mattress thoroughly, along with your box spring, bed frame, or whatever foundation you have, to get rid of any debris.

You can take your vacuuming a step further and vacuum your entire mattress. Vacuuming your whole mattress minimizes bacteria build-up and prevents more dust from eventually collecting under the mattress. Finish the job by freshening up your mattress with a coating of baking soda to soak up any lingering odors.

Update Your Bed Frame

If your bed frame is too big for your mattress, there will be leftover space for your mattress to shift around. Or if your bed frame doesn’t have side rails, a headboard, or footboard, there’s nothing to stop your mattress from moving.

One option is to simply buy a new bed frame better suited for your mattress size. Choosing a bed frame with a headboard and footboard is also ideal to minimize sliding. Optionally you can attach a headboard to a frame. We have a guide on how to attach a headboard to an adjustable bed frame, and you can do the same with a platform bed, too.

The more economical option is to fill the extra space between your mattress and current bed frame. You can use small blocks of wood or a rolled-up cloth, such as a towel or old shirts, in the open space.

This solution isn’t perfect since the wood can splinter, you’ll need to occasionally wash the cloth, and you’ll have to make adjustments, but it does work if needed.

Upgrade Your Mattress

Getting a new mattress is likely a last resort option for most people and isn’t ideal, but if your mattress is slipping around to no avail despite trying out other solutions, this may be a sign your mattress is old and worn down.

Also, if your mattress is dual-sided, it may be prone to slipping. With one-sided mattresses, the bottom is the base and typically has a fabric with a stronger grip to prevent the mattress from sliding.

What Causes a Mattress to Slide?

There are many potential reasons your mattress slides off its frame: lack of friction, no railing, the mattress is old, or you have too big of a bed frame.

There’s Not Enough Friction

A lack of friction between your mattress and foundation is one of the biggest reasons your mattress is sliding. This mainly happens with dual-sided or flippable mattresses since both sides of the mattress are soft, thus offering no friction against the bed’s base.

Still, with any mattress, its cover may not have a good enough grip against the bed frame.

Your Bed Frame Has No Rails

Most bed frames are slightly taller than the slats, where your mattress sits. If you have a platform bed frame without side rails, a headboard, or footboard, there’s no barrier to keep your mattress in place.

Your Mattress is Old

Over time, your mattress collects body oils and sweat, dust, pollen, and dirt. Your mattress cover also wears down over time, potentially causing it to lose any non-slip capability it initially had.

The build-up of gunk plus a worn-down cover causes an old mattress to lose its grip on the bed frame or foundation. You should replace your mattress every 7 to 10 years, not only to minimize sliding but also for hygiene’s sake and so you’re properly supported.

Your Mattress Has Poor Support

If your mattress has too large of a frame, your mattress might slip and slide around due to the extra space between the bed and the frame. Your bed frame dimensions should correspond to the size of your mattress.

The legs of the bed frame can slip around, in turn causing your mattress to slide, especially if they’re on a slippery surface, like wood or tile. If so, you can use non-slip pads under the legs to prevent them from moving.

Conclusion

You can keep your mattress from sliding with simple DIY solutions, such as using a non-slip pad, Velcro strips, or vacuuming under your mattress. But if these suggestions aren’t helping, you may consider investing in a tighter-fitting bed frame or even changing out your mattress entirely.