by Quick answer: Stearns & Foster offers a 90-night trial on direct orders. They ask for a 30-day break-in first, then refund your full purchase price minus a $175 return shipping fee (plus tax). Retail-store purchases follow that store's policy instead.
By the MattressNut editorial team · Updated June 2026
Stearns & Foster's Return Policy Explained
Stearns & Foster runs a 90-night trial on mattresses bought directly. It's one of the shorter trials among major brands, and it isn't free to return: you get the full amount paid back minus a $175 return shipping fee (plus tax). Before returning, they ask you to sleep on it at least 30 days so it can soften to its true feel.
Exchanges work on the same fee basis — you pay the $175 shipping plus or minus any price difference between models.
Key Terms (what we could verify)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sleep trial length | 90 nights (direct purchases) |
| Return window | Within 90 nights; ~30-day break-in requested first |
| Return / restocking fee | $175 return shipping fee (plus tax), withheld from refund |
| Who pays return shipping | You — via the $175 fee deducted from your refund |
| Refund timing | Full amount minus the $175 fee after the return is processed |
| How to start | Stearns & Foster's official returns page |
How to Return It / What to Do
During the 90 nights, fill out the return form on Stearns & Foster's official returns page and a representative follows up — there's a simplified process so you don't have to call in. If you'd rather swap models, you can exchange for a different feel or upgrade and pay the $175 shipping plus any price difference.
The Catches Owners Run Into
The $175 fee is the headline — it's one of the steeper return costs among mainstream brands. Beyond that, foundations and the Ease power base aren't returnable (they're warranty-covered only), floor models bought from a retailer are usually final sale, and any mattress bought from a physical store is subject to that store's return and exchange rules, not Stearns & Foster's direct policy.
The Saatva Comparison
This is a clear contrast. Stearns & Foster gives you 90 nights and charges $175 to return; Saatva gives you 365 nights and charges a flat $99 — longer to decide and cheaper to send back. Saatva also includes free white-glove delivery and old-mattress removal as standard, where those can be non-refundable extras elsewhere. On both time and cost, Saatva is the friendlier return.
See Saatva's 365-night trial & return terms
Bottom Line
Stearns & Foster's return is workable but among the costlier ones — a 90-night window and a $175 fee, applicable only to direct purchases.
Bottom line: Returning a Stearns & Foster direct order gets you a full refund minus a $175 shipping fee within 90 nights.
Related: our full Saatva mattress review.