Any good tips for buying a new mattress please?

[story]

It's time, finally - we can't stand it any more! The matress we bought ourselves as a "now we live together" present has become a lumpy source of discomfort.

I've done a bit of Googling, but it's a ll a bit confusing - every mattress palce is The Best, and every mattress is The Best.

What do the wise and witty regulars at Betty's Tea room say?

This is what we want/need:

King-size mattress. Not one of those space-age mould-to-your-body ones. Probably an individually sprung one because one of us moves a lot during sleep and the other one sleeps like a tomb-top statue. If we won the pools, it would be one of those super-duper organic sheepswool and cotton numbers. But since we don't even do the pools, this is unfeasible.

We're in South London, in the Urban75 catchment area.

Where should we go to test a matress?

Are there any good discount stores?

Any good tips for the kind of mattress we should be considering?

Thanking you

 

[milesy]

go to a shop that sells mattresses

 

[User 301X/5.1]

go to a shop that sells mattresses

then find a sales assistant and say "I would like to buy a mattress, please could you run me through the available options?".

 

[Rollem]

...and jump up and down on a selection to see which one gives maximum bounce...

 

[Pieface]

this recent thread was quite helpful

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=180530&highlight=mattress

 

[milesy]

then find a sales assistant and say "I would like to buy a mattress, please could you run me through the available options?".

but be careful that they don't run you through with a sword before you get to "...the vailable options?" bit.

maybe wear some armour just in case

 

[User 301X/5.1]

Double Post
Double Post

 

[User 301X/5.1]

...and jump up and down on a selection to see which one gives maximum bounce...

nah. that's the quality control check for trampoline's.

You need to lay down on some samples and see which ones make you feel dozey.

 

[milesy]

this recent thread was quite helpful

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=180530&highlight=mattress

as was this one

 

[User 301X/5.1]

but be careful that they don't run you through with a sword before you get to "...the vailable options?" bit.

maybe wear some armour just in case

Or take your own sword?

 

[hammerntongues]

As someone much smarter than me once said

"Always spend good money on mattresses and shoes , when you are not in one you are on the other "

 

[Pieface]

as was this one

you bastard. I actually bothered clicking on that.

 

[fortyplus]

then find a sales assistant and say "I would like to buy a mattress, please could you run me through the available options?".

this will work in John Lewis.

It won't work in Selfridges though because the assistant will tell you all about the options for the one brand of mattress that that assistant deals with, not about the difference between the brands.

(this may no longer be true about Selfridges, but it was about 15 yrs ago when we were looking for a new mattress).

 

[User 301X/5.1]

you bastard. I actually bothered clicking on that.

I am actually stuck in a perpetual circle of threads which include reference to another thread which is more helpfull than the one I am looking at.

Help me out.

 

[mrsfran]

this recent thread was quite helpful

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=180530&highlight=mattress

We ended up getting this bed, BTW. It hasn't arrived yet but it was really comfy in the shop (and half price).

 

[Rollem]

nah. that's the quality control check for trampoline's.

you are a grown up aren't you

 

[Pieface]

no adult would post the polls User does

Surely?

 

[story]

as was this one

Hardee har har!

 

[mrsfran]

Here is a good impartial guide to buying a mattress:

http://www.bettersleep.org/OnBetterSleep/mattress_facts.asp

 

[mrsfran]

Also, can I ask why you don't want a memory foam one? I know they feel a bit weird at first (I didn't want one at first either), but believe me - they're really comfy once you get used to them. They support your body perfectly. Try a few out in a shop, then compare them to sprung mattresses. You may be converted.

 

[story]

this recent thread was quite helpful

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=180530&highlight=mattress

Yerse, I did look at this thread, thanks PieEye . Didn't really give me the info I was hoping for... Lots of info about Tembur mattresses (which we don't want) and how people got cheap mattresses from squats and the pub and Ikea...

I was really looking for ideas about what type of mattress to get, and good shops to which we should go.

So maybe Selfridges (mucho spondoolicks, though, I should think....), definitely Johnny Lew's.

And should we wait 'til the Sales?

 

[story]

Also, can I ask why you don't want a memory foam one? I know they feel a bit weird at first (I didn't want one at first either), but believe me - they're really comfy once you get used to them. They support your body perfectly. Try a few out in a shop, then compare them to sprung mattresses. You may be converted.

Aye missfran (how are the smallsheep, by the way? ) we did consider one of those faomy ones. But one of us is supersensitive to chemical smells and fumes and waftage, and I understand that this can be a risk with these types of mattresses.

(And since you asked in the other linked thread (not this linked thread, thanks milesy!) about scientific proof of such fumey chemicals - no, not sure it's scientific or anything, but web searches and forum tittle tattle on mattress type forums seem to suggest that this can be a real problem for some people with these mattresses. Since this we try to avoid chemical smells, it's just not worth the risk.)

Thanks for the links, by the way - will stroll through those when I have a minute or two.

 

[craigxcraig]

Look up Norris Bedding, Cold Harbour Lane - hand made mattresses which are AWESOME! Have one myself and they're super comfy - you can even watch them being made!

norrisbedding.co.uk

 

[Poi E]

Go pocket sprung is about all I can offer.

 

[baldrick]

Our one is some space-age thing, no springs, but it's not memory foam either.

can't remember what it's called but it was vacuum packed and expanded into its full size when you unrolled it. verr cool

i find a lot of springs too bouncy - this one is fairly firm if you like that kinda thing.

 

[Yetman]

Dont get one thats twice as heavy as what it should be for a number of reasons.

The weight might be piss that has collected in the centre.

Or a tramp might have bitten a small hole in the side, crawled in, and made it his home.

Either way your gonna stink if you sleep on it.

 

[story]

Hmmm, yarrrssss. Very good tips, thank you Yetman, if we were buying a mattress from a skip-shop.

But we are not, so slightly redundant.

But very thoughtful of you to post them

 

[Yetman]

Thats ok, I'm always happy to help

 

[mrsfran]

Aye missfran (how are the smallsheep, by the way? ) we did consider one of those faomy ones. But one of us is supersensitive to chemical smells and fumes and waftage, and I understand that this can be a risk with these types of mattresses.

(And since you asked in the other linked thread (not this linked thread, thanks milesy!) about scientific proof of such fumey chemicals - no, not sure it's scientific or anything, but web searches and forum tittle tattle on mattress type forums seem to suggest that this can be a real problem for some people with these mattresses. Since this we try to avoid chemical smells, it's just not worth the risk.)

Thanks for the links, by the way - will stroll through those when I have a minute or two.

Fair play.

We have a new small sheep! I don't know his name yet and he's very nervous. The building we moved into last weekend is brand new but there used to be a cinema on the site and apparently this new small sheep used to live in the cinema and has been hiding from the builders while they build our new flats. He's been through a lot, poor thing. But Philip the small sheep has been making friends with him and introducing him to the other small sheep and hopefully he will tell us his name soon.

 

[snorbury]

You don't want dust or cobwebs in your sleeping chamber, instead it should be light and airy. Try to sleep on a straw mat and avoid using dust attractors such as pillows and blankets.