What Is Mattress Roll-Off And Roll-Together Technology?

When you buy a new mattress, you won't usually experience any problems with the support system, providing that the mattress is firm enough for your body weight (the heavier you are, the firmer a mattress should be).

However, an incorrectly specified mattress (or an old mattress with dodgy support) can experience problems, and the two most common are 'roll-off' and 'roll-together'. But what are they? This article covers everything you need to know.

What is roll-off?

Roll-off is the sensation that you could roll off the edge of the bed because it doesn't support your weight. It's caused by insufficient edge support and can affect any mattress type through wear and tear or improper specification.

Roll-off with older mattresses occurs when support at the edge of the mattress wears down and no longer works as intended.

Roll-off with newer mattresses occurs when you are too heavy for the mattress or because you sleep right at the edge.

To prevent roll-off, buy a mattress that matches your weight. Here are a few guidelines you can use to choose the right mattress:

Soft-medium – under 130lbs
Medium – under 160lbs
Medium-firm – under 200lbs

Firm – over 220lbs (unless you sleep on your side, in which case a medium-firm mattress is okay up to 220lbs).

If you doubt mattress firmness, a medium or medium-firm mattress suits most weight ranges and all sleeping positions. However, if you are a tummy sleeper, err on the side of 'firm' to support your squishy organs!

You also need a mattress with good edge support. Look for mattresses with encapsulation and 'edge-to-edge' systems.

The worst mattresses for roll-off are pure memory foam mattresses because memory foam has no structural rigidity at the edge unless it is on top of a spring system or has encapsulation to keep it in shape.

Here are a few great mattresses for edge support:

Sleepeezee G4 Memory 5FT Kingsize Mattress. — Pictured: Sleepeezee G4 Memory 5FT Kingsize Mattress

Sleepeezee Jessica Support Mattress. — Pictured: Sleepeezee Jessica Support 5FT Kingsize Mattress

Pictured: Birlea Bliss 5FT Kingsize Mattress

Pictured: Shire Beds Richmond 2000 5FT Kingsize Mattress

Pictured: Giltedge Beds Tranquility 2000 5FT Kingsize Mattress

What is roll-together?

Roll-together is when a mattress dips/sags in the middle slightly, creating a pivot that pushes you together. A manufacturing defect in new mattresses usually causes it but it is most common in coil spring mattresses.

When coil spring mattresses age, the interconnected spring bed deforms irregularly, softening the springs at the edge. When you lie on the mattress, the middle of the bed deforms, creating the sensation of roll-together.

Foam mattresses can also roll together when the adhesives holding the foam layers come apart, creating a mushy middle.

Roll-together is not symptomatic of new mattresses, but if you are very heavy and the mattress is soft, it will squish where it shouldn't. It's best to get a mattress that will support you (which will also preserve its lifespan).

If you want to minimise the possibility of roll-together, a hybrid or pocket-sprung mattress is a good option. Our award-winning mattress range has plenty of options awarded by Which? And the Good Housekeeping Guide.

Summing up

Roll-off happens when a mattress lacks sufficient edge support. A degraded, spent support system causes it in old mattresses, and a non-encapsulated system in new mattresses, most often found in pure foam mattresses.