Choosing the Right Mattress

We spend a third of our lives asleep – or we certainly hope so anyway! And so choosing the right mattress is essential to making sure you get a restful 40 winks.

Mattress technology is forever changing and in the 8-year life span of your mattress you may find that filling and comfort options are sounding a bit like gobbledygook.

King-size beds, double beds and singles can vary depending on where you buy them from – be sure to check if you are buying British, European or American sizing and hopefully our guide will help you to make the right decision for a restful nights sleep

Which size?

All of our mattresses and beds are made to British guidelines so you won’t see any queen size beds as standard – we do, however, offer made-to-order, special size mattresses and are often sending luxurious and extravagant emperor mattresses off to happy homes.

All of our mattresses are made to order by our very clever craftsmen. They ensure that each mattress is perfect before it leaves our British factory and can do some very clever things to help make maintenance easier. Like most good quality mattresses, our mattresses need to be turned regularly to ensure even wear and even settlement. A super-king mattress can be very heavy to turn so you may want to consider a zip and link mattress to make this job a little bit easier. A zip and link mattress is effectively two slightly longer than normal single mattresses, literally zipped together. Not only is this a plus for turning but it also means you can choose two different tensions of mattress, perfect if you can’t agree on a firmness that suits both you and your partner.

Springs

All of our mattresses are made with gloriously comfortable pocket springs. This ranges from 1000 in our single mattresses to 3200 on our top-of-the-range super-king mattresses. The pocket springs will be double layered on our larger models for extra support and to ensure longevity.

Choosing a Filling

Natural is best when it comes to mattress fillings. Traditionally mattresses were made using horse hair, a technique still used today in top quality offerings. Adding horse hair to a bed is like adding extra springs and will ensure your sprung mattress bounces back for years to come.

Wool is another wonderfully durable filling for single mattresses and king size mattresses alike. It is naturally fire resistant meaning no nasty chemicals and thermo-regulating too – no kicking the duvet on and off all night. This is another fibre that will give you great support during your snooze.

Both our intermediate and luxury mattresses have nice fluffy layer of cashmere and sumptuous silk hidden inside too, just waiting to add softness to your mattress. Our in-store mattress experts will be very happy to tell you all the information you need to make an educated decision but, above all, they will point you in the direction of the beds for you to try out. They will even wake you up with a cup of fresh coffee if you get a little too comfy!

To stitch, or not to stitch

Let’s talk about stitches! Something that is regularly overlooked but of vital importance to the comfort of your mattress is how they are pulled together on the sides. From single mattresses to king-size mattresses, you need to be sure you will be supported right to the edge of the bed. Hand stitched sides will ensure a dreamy night’s sleep. Machine stitches is often just for aesthetics and can be seen on cheaper mattresses. This technique is fine for guest rooms but if you want a good mattress to last its full 8 years + you will be wanting to look for deep hand stitching.

Browse a select range of our beds and mattresses online or pop into your nearest showroom for the full range. It is essential to try out a mattress before you buy so allow a good hour or two to really make yourself at home on your visit you us.

Alysha Stirling