There is a huge range of mattresses available in the UK, and a huge range of prices as well. For the purposes of this blog I’m going to use the prices for a standard king size mattress (5’ x 6’6 or 150 x 200 cms).
It’s possible to buy a king size mattress for as little as £250, while at the other end of the scale you can splurge on a mattress costing £100,000 or more. The bottom end of the market extends from about £250 up to £1500, the middle from £1500 up to £25,000 or so, and the top end of the market extends up to that amazing £100,000.
Cheaper mattresses
You have to question how a mattress costing £250 will have been made, and with what. We know of instances when the paper that’s used by the spring company to wrap around the rolls of springs to secure them has been used as insulator pads. Memory foam made with cheap oil smells horrible and off gasses, while layers of what are called latex turn out to be synthetic rubber. The cheaper the mattress the less time will have been spent making it and the likelihood is that the mattress won’t last very long before it starts to become lumpy and bumpy. These mattresses are often made by machine.
Middle of the market mattresses
A discerning customer will do their best to shop in the middle of the market. Very few people are in the position of being able to say that money is no object, so looking carefully at what’s on offer and doing a bit of research is the best way ahead. The best mattresses are made using natural materials, and you’ll find mattresses made with those at every price point in this sector. The cost of a good mattress is spread over the materials that have been used and the degree of skill needed to make it, over and above that there are costs built in for overheads and for marketing. Mattresses costing £5000 may be made using the same materials as one costing £20,000, but the company selling the £20,000 mattress may be spending £100,000 a year on marketing, while the £5000 mattress is sold by a company that relies on word of mouth to spread the message. Slick marketing doesn’t mean you get a better mattress! Buying a mattress that’s hand made in the UK direct from the manufacturer is the very best option, as a manufacturer will have such an intimate knowledge of their product.
Top of the range mattresses
Mattresses that are made to the sort of price points that very few people can reach are only made by a very few companies in the world. Each company has its own justification for charging what they do, some rely on a long history of mattress making and others on the types of materials used. Whether these mattresses are somehow intrinsically ‘better’ because they cost what they do has to be a question for each individual customer.
Making a decision
Deciding what a good mattress is and how much a good mattress should cost is such a personal decision. There are the obvious issues around budget and personal preference which govern most people’s choices. But there are other things that are important as well, some people will only sleep on a mattress made with natural materials while others want a mattress that doesn’t have any animal fibres in it at all.
My best advice is to spend time looking at all the available options once you’ve narrowed down your choices, and then do as much research as you can to ensure that you’re clear about what’s inside whatever you’re intending to buy. As was said previously, If possible, buy direct from a manufacturer, you’ll get a better mattress for the same sort of price you would pay at a high street retailer. A hand made mattress won’t cost the earth, but you’ll have the reassurance that it will have been built with care.
