yet more mattress advice required !

Tim_Deegan

silverfoxuk wrote: »

Hi Caris

Does the bed get 'hot' at all? We quite like trying out the memory foam beds in shop for 10 mins, but were wondering if some start to feel hot after a while. Would be interested in your actual experience with this dormeo.

Ta

Dormeo are reflex foam with memory foam (although only a very thin layer of it). This is the hottest type of mattress. If you you are sensetive to heat then you would be far better off with a mattress that is constructed from springs with memory foam. They will also last longer, and give better support.

lindsalba

Hello, I am looking at mattresses and have come across a company I have never heard of, Loren Williams - anybody know whether they are any good? The mattress itself is a pocket sprung but seems firmer than most, called the Princess. I have looked online and found nothing about the company, the salesman said it comes from China.
Thanks!

Tim_Deegan

lindsalba wrote: »

Hello, I am looking at mattresses and have come across a company I have never heard of, Loren Williams - anybody know whether they are any good? The mattress itself is a pocket sprung but seems firmer than most, called the Princess. I have looked online and found nothing about the company, the salesman said it comes from China.
Thanks!

If it comes from China, then forget it. There are loads of poor quality mattreses flooding the market from China that don't reach British standards, and many contain dangerous chemicals.

silverfoxuk

Tim_Deegan wrote: »

John Lewis are expensive, and therefore their prices don't represent good value for money.

Also they don't give a satisfaction guarantee ("For hygiene reasons we cannot accept the return of a mattress after packaging has been opened, unless it is faulty.")

True, but you can try the mattress in the shop prior to purchase. We've had the odd bad experience buying big ticket items online, where if the vendor doesn't live up to their guarantee, it can be a huge amount of 'hassle' for the customer in calls, letters etc to get a response. I know some high street retailers can be the same but at least you can turn up at the shop and make a scene which usually gets some action. I'm sure there are also some good online retailers out there but actual recommendations from real customers are hard to come by.

The £400 double sided pocket sprung I am considering is made by Hypnos for John Lewis (according to the assistant in John Lewis). Guarantee is 100% for 5 years, then sliding scale from years 5-10.

John Lewis Pocket Ortho 1 Mattress, Double, £395
http://www.johnlewis.com/230436608/Product.aspx

Based on others I have seen, I don't think the price is over the top for a well made British double-sided pocket sprung mattress. We're thinking of getting this as a decent base mattress and we might invest in a memory foam topper to see how it goes - like this one:

Memory Foam Topper - Double, £127
http://www.johnlewis.com/6122/Style.aspx
Based on reading posts from others who have mem foam beds or toppers, the depth (5cm) and density (55kg per cubic metre) seem about right. If we don't like it or it makes us too hot then we can always take it off and only wasted £127 and still have a well made pocket sprung double sided mattress, rather than having a 'built-in' mem foam mattress that we are stuck with.

It's amazing hw much info/options there are when it comes to mattresses. I found this quite an interesting summary of mattress types and toppings. US based but still interesting:

Mattress FAQ
http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/guide/

Some of these guys even do their own DIY 'mattress surgery'. That just going a bit too far!

Mattress Surgery
http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/highlighted-threads/9277-0-1.html

On the UK side, this guy sells mattresses online, but he has also taken the time to actually write really informative articles on his website covering mattress types, toppings, etc etc:

http://www.factory-beds-direct.co.uk/

Also a couple of videos of the inside of mattresses there, which is an eye opener.

Tim_Deegan

silverfoxuk wrote: »

True, but you can try the mattress in the shop prior to purchase. We've had the odd bad experience buying big ticket items online, where if the vendor doesn't live up to their guarantee, it can be a huge amount of 'hassle' for the customer in calls, letters etc to get a response. I know some high street retailers can be the same but at least you can turn up at the shop and make a scene which usually gets some action. I'm sure there are also some good online retailers out there but actual recommendations from real customers are hard to come by.

There are good and bad on line traders the same as there are good and bad shops. So you pick a good one that gives good customer service, and gives a proper satisfaction guarantee (JL don't).

Trying a mattress out in a shop only gives you a very rough idea if the mattress is suitable. To know for sure you need to actually sleep on the mattress for a few nights. With JL you can't do this.

silverfoxuk wrote: »

The £400 double sided pocket sprung I am considering is made by Hypnos for John Lewis (according to the assistant in John Lewis). Guarantee is 100% for 5 years, then sliding scale from years 5-10.

John Lewis Pocket Ortho 1 Mattress, Double, £395
http://www.johnlewis.com/230436608/Product.aspx

Based on others I have seen, I don't think the price is over the top for a well made British double-sided pocket sprung mattress. We're thinking of getting this as a decent base mattress and we might invest in a memory foam topper to see how it goes - like this one:

Memory Foam Topper - Double, £127
http://www.johnlewis.com/6122/Style.aspx
Based on reading posts from others who have mem foam beds or toppers, the depth (5cm) and density (55kg per cubic metre) seem about right. If we don't like it or it makes us too hot then we can always take it off and only wasted £127 and still have a well made pocket sprung double sided mattress, rather than having a 'built-in' mem foam mattress that we are stuck with.

The Hypnos mattress is their base model, and is actually expensive. You would be better off spendig the same money and getting a much higher spec mattress.

As for the memory foam, 55kg is a little on the low side as far as density goes, although 5cm depth is perfect. However you are far better getting a mattress with the memory foam built in. Toppers a great as an introduction to memory foam, to use on top of an existing mattress. But they don't compare to a mattress that has been designed so that all the components work well together. A topper is like a bolt on extra, and is actually more likely to make you too hot, as you would have the 5cm of memory foam on top of the thick quilting in the mattress.

silverfoxuk

Thanks Tim. Got any idea who makes this mattress, and if it's a 'decent' UK manufacturer?

'Argyll' 1500 Pocket
http://www.mattress24.co.uk/product/Argyll_Mattress-487

Double sided. Found it in a shop here locally at £400, and very comfy to lie on. Label just says 'Argyle' but not branded in any way either to the shop or manufacturer. Was in Cannock Beds.

Tim_Deegan

silverfoxuk wrote: »

Thanks Tim. Got any idea who makes this mattress, and if it's a 'decent' UK manufacturer?

'Argyll' 1500 Pocket
http://www.mattress24.co.uk/product/Argyll_Mattress-487

Double sided. Found it in a shop here locally at £400, and very comfy to lie on. Label just says 'Argyle' but not branded in any way either to the shop or manufacturer. Was in Cannock Beds.

Look at the shallow depth of the tufting, and how the quilting doesn't stand very proud of the border. This is often a sign that it is a low spec mattress, with not many layers of quilting. In which case, even at £400 it is expensive.

On the mattress 24 site it says that it is made exclusively for Timberland Ltd, which I doubt is the clothing company. It would be worth asking who makes it.

silverfoxuk

Think I have found a better one, made by Deluxe Beds, West Yorkshire - for Bed Shed, of which we have 4 (Bed Sheds) in our town.

Dorchester 2000:
http://www.thebedshed.net/bed/index.php?action=product_detail&cat_id=1343&size_id=3585

(Bed shed website not work very well, need to 'refresh' browser a couple of times if it doesn't appear to work).

2000 pockets. Double sided. 2 rows hand stitching. Natural fillings.

Tim_Deegan

silverfoxuk wrote: »

Think I have found a better one, made by Deluxe Beds, West Yorkshire - for Bed Shed, of which we have 4 (Bed Sheds) in our town.

Dorchester 2000:
http://www.thebedshed.net/bed/index.php?action=product_detail&cat_id=1343&size_id=3585

(Bed shed website not work very well, need to 'refresh' browser a couple of times if it doesn't appear to work).

2000 pockets. Double sided. 2 rows hand stitching. Natural fillings.

The Bed Shed are another member of the over priced group that includes Bensons. And the mattress in your link is over priced. The spring count is slightly too high, but you shouldn't be paying that much for a low to middle end double pocket sprung mattress.

Try staying away from the big retailers.

silverfoxuk

I thought £450 was a bit steep too. Our plan was to 'try it out' in showroom, and then if we like it, order same (or very similar, now that I know the manufacturer) from an online seller with satisfaction guarantee etc etc............

You no like 2000 springs Tim?