Buying a bed, what beds mattresses are made in the UK?

Tim_Deegan

gmcbill wrote: »

Just checking the catalogue now. GBP 799 for a 6' zip and link, seems very reasonable.
It also has side-stitching to hold the sides in place, most of the quality manufacturers seem to say this is worth paying for, it is labour intensive.
John Lewis are very open about their's being made by Spink & Edgar in Leeds, part of Harrison who also make Somnus.
I'd love to know who is make the M&S one, it would make me more inclined to buy.

£799 is not reasonable at all, especially for a non turn mattress. They are made non turn for one reason only......to make the cheaper to produce.

Most good quality pocket sprung mattresses have side stitching. What you actually see on the side of the mattress is cosmetic. The side stitching is usually hidden behind the border.

If you did know who made them, would it actually mean anything to you??

As I continually point out, you will usually get far better quality, and value for money if you stay away from big brands, and big chain stores, and instead go for smaller independent manufacturers.

dc1606

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

I don't know who actually makes the M&S beds, but one thing you can guarantee is that you can get better for cheaper (and British made), by not buying through M&S.

Have you checked that this mattress is ok for a slatted base?
Also you need to find out if it is non turn, as this can reduce the life of the mattress.
The layer of resilient foam concerns me. You need to find out if they are reflex foam encapsulated pocket springs, or if the mattress just contains a layer of reflex foam.

Apparently they are made by a firm called Relyon. they are non turn and to quote the blurb 'Individually pocketed springs are combined with a layer of resilient foam and polyester. This is complemented by further layers of cotton and lambswool to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. Two rows of hand side-stitching give this mattress edge to edge support, giving you full use of the sleeping surface.' Double £499.
This from the Relyon site re. their deluxe 1000 'On top of the spring system Relyon have added a generous layer of white fibre and high quality reflex foam to give the mattress a superb medium comfort feel. ' I assume this is same as M & S, but means little to me!
Didn't realise I had to check suitability for slatted bed - we have always had it - hand made by father-in-law 35 years ago- and have just bought sprung mattresses without thinking!
You say 'can get better for cheaper', any suggestions?

Tim_Deegan

dc1606 wrote: »

Apparently they are made by a firm called Relyon. they are non turn and to quote the blurb 'Individually pocketed springs are combined with a layer of resilient foam and polyester. This is complemented by further layers of cotton and lambswool to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. Two rows of hand side-stitching give this mattress edge to edge support, giving you full use of the sleeping surface.' Double £499.
This from the Relyon site re. their deluxe 1000 'On top of the spring system Relyon have added a generous layer of white fibre and high quality reflex foam to give the mattress a superb medium comfort feel. ' I assume this is same as M & S, but means little to me!
Didn't realise I had to check suitability for slatted bed - we have always had it - hand made by father-in-law 35 years ago- and have just bought sprung mattresses without thinking!
You say 'can get better for cheaper', any suggestions?

Oh dear, I would have thought that M&S would use a better quality manufacturer than Relyon.

Relyon use to be a good manufacturer, but from what I have been told I think they have gone down the same route as many other manufacturers, and have lowered quality to cut production costs.

£499 is very expensive for a non turn pocket sprung only mattress. You do realise that non turn mattresses won't last anywhere near as long don't you?

dc1606

No I didn't actually! It's all a bit of a minefield by the sound of it! Do you have any recommendations?

Tim_Deegan

dc1606 wrote: »

No I didn't actually! It's all a bit of a minefield by the sound of it! Do you have any recommendations?

I'm afraid I'm not allowed to recommend anything, as it could be viewed as advertising.

dc1606

Pity! so what sort of things should we look for? We don't like the memory foam tried it at M & S, also people say you get too hot, also difficult to turn body. I assume from your comment that you are in the trade?

Tim_Deegan

dc1606 wrote: »

Pity! so what sort of things should we look for? We don't like the memory foam tried it at M & S, also people say you get too hot, also difficult to turn body. I assume from your comment that you are in the trade?

There are two main reasons why some people say that memory foam mattresses are hot:

1. Most memory foam mattresses are reflex foam with memory foam on top (this is because they are easier to manufacture). With this type of mattress there is no way for air to circulate under the memory foam layer to dissipate the heat. With proper full size pocket springs under the memory foam it can.


2. Some manufacturers use too deep a layer of memory foam, and then try to get you to spend more by saying “the more memory foam the better”. The truth is that if the memory foam is too deep you will just sink deeper into the mattress, making you too hot. The Madrid has been designed using the optimum depth of memory foam layers (2”).




How far apart are the slats on your bed?



How firm do you like your mattress, and what sort of budget are you aiming at?

dc1606

2" apart. each slat is c. 6" in width 1" thick pine. probably prefer medium firmness ( the one in M&S was described as this) don't want one we would sink into. budget? well ,we were considering the £499 one, but would rather get a better deal, though don't want to compromise on quality.

Tim_Deegan

dc1606 wrote: »

2" apart. each slat is c. 6" in width 1" thick pine. probably prefer medium firmness ( the one in M&S was described as this) don't want one we would sink into. budget? well ,we were considering the £499 one, but would rather get a better deal, though don't want to compromise on quality.

Well you can either lay a sheet of pegboard or hardboard over the slats if you were to use a pocket sprung only mattress. Or if you go for two sided pocket sprung with memory foam, then it would be fine with gaps of up to 3", as the memory foam on the bottom would spread the weight out.

If you shop on line, and stay away from big brands, then you should have no problem finding a good quality mattress for your budget.

dc1606

OK. great. Thanks for all your advice and your time!