Which mattress? (merged threads)

Tim_Deegan

Lunderwo wrote: »

I posted some time ago about buying a new bed and with mattress queries. I've been following the thread since, still haven't made my mind up what I'm doing but thought I'd mention some findings...

Someone suggested getting a custom size as I thought a superking might be too big but fancied larger than a king size. I thought this was a genius idea & it turns out not to be as expensive as I thought. Couldn't find that many places who specfically say they do custom sizes but seems if you pick a make then contact some of their retailers they'll probably agree to order one for you. The cheapest place I found was mynextmattress co uk, for a 5'6" they were asking the same as most places charge for a king size, anyone got any experience of them?

For bed frames, I think oddsizebeds co uk were the cheapest & for getting bed & mattress from the same place aaabedz co uk looked quite good. I'm not recommending these sites over other places just saying they're the cheapest I could find. I'm interested to hear if people have any comments about them.

I have to say that identifying independent manufacturers & those that sell their mattresses isn't that easy. If you do find them it's hard to know if they're any good & whilst it's easier online then you can't have a look before buying. Is there a trade association that could supply a list? I looked on the National Bed Federation's website, they have a list that you can search by mattress type which looks useful. Anyone know how reliable this Federation is? I'm not convinced that all manufacturers are included on their list.

I think it would be really useful to have a list of all the makes that indicates who is independent & to which people can add comments on their experiences or what they've heard. Not sure how this would work though or if such a list would be too long?!

The trouble with trade organisations is that they are funded by their members, and they will never say anything against a product made by their members. Also as you say they will only list their members who will be more likely to be larger companies rather than smaller independents.

Tim_Deegan

doz123 wrote: »

I too would like to know a list of independant companies, surely that can be allowed on this site.

Yes it is allowed, but not by me I'm afraid.

dz1

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

Springs V Reflex foam
I'll try to explain why the reason why pocket springs are better (if you understand it then it is actually common sense). If you take a block of reflex foam (which is just sponge) and you push down in one place, then the area around your hand will also slope downwards. This is much the same as open coil springs. If you push down on pocket sprungs, then only the springs you are pushing down will compress, and the surrounding springs won't. This means that pocket springs contour to your body far better.

You're doing it again. This is pure propaganda.

Although what you say sounds reasonable, the evidence shows it not to be true.

Tim_Deegan

dz1 wrote: »

You're doing it again. This is pure propaganda.

Although what you say sounds reasonable, the evidence shows it not to be true.

No it is fact, and also common sense.

I have nothing to gain by this statement because I sell all types of memory foam mattress.

What you have been reading (also backed up by your earlier link) is propoganda.

dz1

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

No it is fact, and also common sense.

I have nothing to gain by this statement because I sell all types of memory foam mattress.

What you have been reading (also backed up by your earlier link) is propoganda.

Whether you have something to gain or not is beside the point. Back up your claim that pocket springs contour the body better than reflex foam, like you said you would.

Saying the link I provided is propaganda doesn't make what you say true. You haven't provided any evidence to back up that claim either.

tinkerdc

Dear all - like some of you i am seriously confused about this mattress buying malarky andhave found the comments made here really helpful.

I have been looking at Relyon and rest assured brands. I see that Tim has said Relyon are OK (for a big company ;-) ) but i found reviews at the reviewcentre .com really rubbishing them. I can't find any reviews about rest assured - does anyone own one? The problem is i want to be able to try the mattress before i buy one, and that unfortunately means going to Bensons or Dreams for me. Which then unfortunately also means i will only get to see big branded mattresses. Unless anyone knows of other mattress places in Bristol? Thanks in advance!

Tim_Deegan

tinkerdc wrote: »

Dear all - like some of you i am seriously confused about this mattress buying malarky andhave found the comments made here really helpful.

I have been looking at Relyon and rest assured brands. I see that Tim has said Relyon are OK (for a big company ;-) ) but i found reviews at the reviewcentre .com really rubbishing them.

Maybe I should have worded it differently. I said Relyon are OK for a big brand, but I don't rate any of the big brands. But some people insist on buying big brand names.

tinkerdc wrote: »

I can't find any reviews about rest assured - does anyone own one? The problem is i want to be able to try the mattress before i buy one, and that unfortunately means going to Bensons or Dreams for me. Which then unfortunately also means i will only get to see big branded mattresses. Unless anyone knows of other mattress places in Bristol? Thanks in advance!

Rest Assured are the same company as Silentnight, as are Sealy, Layezee, and the Pocket Sprung Bed Company. Try doing a search in the MSE forums for them.

Trying a bed out in a store can only give you a rough idea. You really need to be able to sleep in a bed for a few nights to make up your mind. So Google bed shops in Bristol, then avoid the big chain stores and go and try a few out. Then make a list of all the specifications you like (trying to avoid gimmicks like pillow tops). Then have a look on line for mattresses with similar specifications, from a retailer with a good returns policy.

zumbro

Hi I'm a newbie and have read most of the posts in this thread.
Have come to the conclusion for La romatica madrid.
But would like to compare it against ..
Refresh 3-layer memory foam with pocket springs mattress - medium firm
Total depth 20cms (5cms memory foam: 10cms high-resilience foam with pocket springs: 5cm PU foam).
Tim can you help please...

Thanks

Tim_Deegan

dz1 wrote: »

Whether you have something to gain or not is beside the point. Back up your claim that pocket springs contour the body better than reflex foam, like you said you would.

Saying the link I provided is propaganda doesn't make what you say true. You haven't provided any evidence to back up that claim either.

I explained it all, and anyone can see that it is common sense. As I said before I'm not going to spend days looking through 1000's of sources just to keep you happy.

Most of my knowledge comes from years of experience built up from 1000's of sources, 1000's of views from consumers I have spoken to, as well as being involved in research and development.

So you wouldn't expect me to be able to remember exactly which bit of evidence backs up my advice. But I don't have to, because you allways have the option to ignore me if you don't agree with me.

Tim_Deegan

I know may people have been confused by the difference between mattresses with full size pocket springs, and those we reflex foam encapsulated pocket springs.

The first picture is of the reflex foam encapsulated pocet springs. As you can see it is almost entirely reflex foam, with a few small pocket springs in the middle Some manufacturers are actually using plastic springs. This type of mattress is basically a foam mattress, but they add the springs so that they can call it pocket sprung. This is almost keyword spamming, because you would gain very little benefit from the springs.





This nex photo is more or less inbetween the mattress above and the full size pocket springs. As you can see this does actually have springs in their own pockets, but again they are much smaller that the full size ones, and don't give anywhere near as good support. You will also notice from the first two pictures that the air can't freely circulate around the mattress:






I'm having trouble finding a cut through picture of full size pocket springs that I can post on here. However the springs are bigger, and go right to the edge of the mattress. If you prod the side then you can feel the springs. They allow air to circulate around the spring layer because they aren't surrounded by foam.