I need a comfortable bed! Where to start?!

esuhl

I think an adjustable hospital-style bed would be way too expensive for me. And I'd be happy with just a flat slab of mattress, so long as its comfy. :-)

hjd wrote: »

If Purley is not too far, try this guy.
http://www.surreybeds.co.uk/
Knows his stuff and has plenty of stuff to try.

Thanks. Purley is over 2hrs away by train (I don't drive). :-/ I also tend to make bad impulse purchases, so I have trained myself never to buy anything "expensive" on my first visit to the shop! So travelling to Purley twice would be a hassle. Possible, though.

By the sound of it, I should be looking for a large, local reputable, independent shop, rather than a chain like DFS, Bensons for Beds, etc...?

esuhl

hollie.weimeraner wrote: »

we lay on a tempur mattress in a local department store and although it was expensive it's without doubt the best bed we have ever had

Thanks. The spare bed at my friend's house has a memory foam mattress. Knowing him it'll be the best you can buy. It took a little getting used to, but I did find it comfortable. I slept well, and it certainly took the pressure off my hips and ribcage.

hollie.weimeraner wrote: »

If the Tempur mattress is too expensive then I would suggest looking at other memory foam type mattresses as we also have one of these in a spare room and that is also very comfortable.

How expensive are we talking here? What makes it worth buying Tempur as opposed to another brand?

And would you know how long a memory foam mattress would last? Do they have the same lifespan as sprung mattresses?

esuhl

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

Thanks for answering my questions

Not at all! Thank you (and everyone else who has replied)! I really appreciate it!

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

I'd recommend you get a medium (comfort rating) mattress that is pocket sprung to suit your needs. A spring count of over 1000 if you can.

Thanks. Are "comfort ratings" standardised in any way across brands? Is there a reason not to go for a "high" comfort rating? Do they offer little extra comfort for a lot more money?

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

Probably stay away from built in memory foam etc (you can always buy a separate topper if you want later) for longevity.

Ah, does memory foam not last very long?

I saw the Octaspring mattress topper advertised by Dormeo on late-night TV. I assumed it was an over-priced bodge to fix an old uncomfortable mattress.

Would something like that with a pocket-sprung mattress be just as comfortable as a purely memory-foam mattress?

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

What's your budget?

I don't have a budget, but I don't have money to throw away. A comfortable bed is one of those things that I need in order to function, so every penny that makes it more comfortable is well spent... to a point.

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

You can get something that ticks all the boxes (4 drawer divan with medium pocket sprung mattress) that's cheap and cheerful for about £400, it may not last as long as your previous one but you can afford to replace it sooner anyway. Or you'll find branded, better quality ones for £800 or so which will be better made, use more expensive materials and have a higher spring count. I'd recommend this option as being the best one. But if you have more to spend, at around £1000 you can get something that is very well made using the best materials and should last the longest. However, I personally don't see the need to "invest" in a bed if you have other financial priorities.

Thanks. It's good to know what kind of numbers I'm looking at.

esuhl

One last question I have is concerning the bed itself (the non-mattress part!).

For years I had the same base. It had a hard surface on which to place the mattress, and drawers underneath. But I got rid of it and the new base is sprung.

It seems pointless to have a sprung base, except for manufacturers to make sure I have to replace the bed as well as the mattress when it gets uncomfortable.

Is it worth just buying a flat piece of wood to level off the sprung base, and put a new mattress on that?

If not, is it worth buying the bed and mattress separately? Presumably any cheap old base will do, and I can spend the money on a really good mattress?

So many questions! Thank you all for your help! :T

boliston

It's best to have slats as that allows the mattress to breath (about 5cm gap between each slat is ideal) - a flat bit of wood would trap in moisture. I quite like latex mattresses - i used to have a foam mattress (the ones sold rolled and vacuum packed) but it got a bit soft after about 8 years of use.

jenniewb

esuhl wrote: »

How expensive are we talking here? What makes it worth buying Tempur as opposed to another brand?

Tempur are around £2000 for a double, they're about as expensive as you can get. I've slept on a Tempur mattress and if I had money to burn I'd get one, but wow they are so expensive I can't ever imagine getting money like that to just use on a mattress.


In regard to the bed base, I think it does matter. If you get a base which isn't strong enough and dips in the middle, no matter how decent your mattress, it will also dip in the middle. I've always had beds with slatted bases because I think they give the mattress more spring without it feeling too soft. (I like a firm mattress). The same rule applies- cheap quality wood and the mattress no matter how expensive or how amazing will suffer as a result of a badly supportive base.

hollie.weimeraner

esuhl wrote: »

What makes it worth buying Tempur as opposed to another brand?

And would you know how long a memory foam mattress would last? Do they have the same lifespan as sprung mattresses?

We paid £2,000 for the bed but we both have back problems and have the best nights rest we have had for years so it depends what your priorities are and obviously your finances.

We decided to spend extra on a bed instead of other things and don't regret it.

We've had the bed 3 years now and it's still like new and doesn't show any sign of wear at all.

Recommendations state you should change your bed every 7 years. The following link seems to intimate a memory foam mattress will last 10 to 15 years so that brings the affordability in line with a normal mattress:

https://www.memoryfoamwarehouse.co.uk/blog/how-often-should-you-change-your-memory-foam-mattress/

The next time we change we can change just the mattress as we won't need a new base.

IAmWales

Make sure you try the Tempur before buying, I'm severely allergic to the material. Unfortunately I didn't realise until I woke up struggling to breathe and with a swollen face

When you do decide which mattress you want, it's worth having a look at eBay. There are several sellers that offer brand new retail name ones for far lower cost.

daveyjp

Find a local stockist of Sealey, Hypnos, Tempur or Harrison beds.

From your location I'm sure Reading or Basingstoke must have independent furniture stores rather than the retail sheds.

Chickabiddybex

Thanks. Are "comfort ratings" standardised in any way across brands? Is there a reason not to go for a "high" comfort rating? Do they offer little extra comfort for a lot more money?

Comfort ratings are basically how soft or firm it is. They will either be numbered or on a scale of soft to very firm. They're not rated on how comfortable it is.

And unfortunately they're not standardised, kind of like with clothes where a 12 in one shop is a 10 in another.