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6 Best Pocket Sprung Mattresses 2021
Pocket sprung mattresses are the most popular type of mattress in the UK, at the time of writing. However, it's not always been like that.
According to a 2019 report by the National Bed Federation, in 2005 about 80% of mattresses sold in the UK had 'open coil' springs and only about 10% were pocket sprung mattresses. They estimate that the figure with pocket springs is ‘nearer 40% today’.
That’s good news in a way, as pocket spring mattresses are far superior to the grotty old 'open coil' mattress in your grandma's spare room which wobbles around like blancmange.
The downside is that pocket spring mattresses are more difficult to recycle than open coil mattresses, as they are made up of hundreds or thousands of mini springs encased in individual cases, rather than one big continuous spring. (National Bed Federation’s End Of Life Report 2019).
On the plus side, academics in Portugal found that pocket spring mattresses have less of an environmental impact than foam mattresses (Lanoë, Simões et al, 2013) although the 'pocket spring nucleus process' was highlighted as being the 'main issue'.
There's a vast and confusing range of pocket sprung mattresses on the UK market, which makes it easier to pick a new car than a new mattress. We've picked out six of the best pocket sprung mattresses for 2020 and 2021 by considering factors such as value for money, specification, awards and customer reviews.
Finding the right firmness in a pocket sprung mattress depends on your own build and how you sleep. The two things you need to know are:
You need to combine those two things together to figure out what firmness level is best for you. Ideally, I would pick a mattress with a home trial (e.g. Sleepeezee, Dreamcloud) or try some out in a store as there's no industry agreement on what it means when a mattress is described as 'soft' or 'firm'.
Various pieces of academic research have been carried out into the question of mattress firmness. One such study was published in 2009 in China by Wang, Zhou et al ('Quality of sleep, as influenced by mattresses with various degree of firmness'). The mattresses tested were a soft 'sponge' mattress, a sprung mattress which was medium tension and a 'wooden board mattress' which was described as firm. The outcome was a clear victory for the medium tension mattress ('An innerspring mattress with medium firmness could help the sleeper enjoy a better sleep than the hard board mattress and the soft sponge mattress'). An 'innerspring' mattress is another name for a sprung mattress.
The medium tension sprung mattress offered better support, led to less body movement and gave a better sleep according to the participants subjective views. The results were the same on the back or side.
The downside with this study is that it examined both mattress type (foam v springs) and firmness at the same time, so it's hard to conclude which was the bigger factor in leading to the better night's sleep.
Anyway, onto our selection of pocket sprung mattresses.
We've included some cheap and mid-priced pocket sprung mattresses because not everyone is looking to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on a mattress. We've also included a couple of luxury pocket sprung mattresses for those with deeper pockets. Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of typing.
According to a 2019 report by the National Bed Federation, in 2005 about 80% of mattresses sold in the UK had 'open coil' springs and only about 10% were pocket sprung mattresses. They estimate that the figure with pocket springs is ‘nearer 40% today’.
That’s good news in a way, as pocket spring mattresses are far superior to the grotty old 'open coil' mattress in your grandma's spare room which wobbles around like blancmange.
The downside is that pocket spring mattresses are more difficult to recycle than open coil mattresses, as they are made up of hundreds or thousands of mini springs encased in individual cases, rather than one big continuous spring. (National Bed Federation’s End Of Life Report 2019).
On the plus side, academics in Portugal found that pocket spring mattresses have less of an environmental impact than foam mattresses (Lanoë, Simões et al, 2013) although the 'pocket spring nucleus process' was highlighted as being the 'main issue'.
There's a vast and confusing range of pocket sprung mattresses on the UK market, which makes it easier to pick a new car than a new mattress. We've picked out six of the best pocket sprung mattresses for 2020 and 2021 by considering factors such as value for money, specification, awards and customer reviews.
Finding the right firmness in a pocket sprung mattress depends on your own build and how you sleep. The two things you need to know are:
- heavier people need firmer mattresses than lighter people
- people who mostly sleep on their backs or fronts need firmer mattresses than people who sleep on their sides
You need to combine those two things together to figure out what firmness level is best for you. Ideally, I would pick a mattress with a home trial (e.g. Sleepeezee, Dreamcloud) or try some out in a store as there's no industry agreement on what it means when a mattress is described as 'soft' or 'firm'.
Various pieces of academic research have been carried out into the question of mattress firmness. One such study was published in 2009 in China by Wang, Zhou et al ('Quality of sleep, as influenced by mattresses with various degree of firmness'). The mattresses tested were a soft 'sponge' mattress, a sprung mattress which was medium tension and a 'wooden board mattress' which was described as firm. The outcome was a clear victory for the medium tension mattress ('An innerspring mattress with medium firmness could help the sleeper enjoy a better sleep than the hard board mattress and the soft sponge mattress'). An 'innerspring' mattress is another name for a sprung mattress.
The medium tension sprung mattress offered better support, led to less body movement and gave a better sleep according to the participants subjective views. The results were the same on the back or side.
The downside with this study is that it examined both mattress type (foam v springs) and firmness at the same time, so it's hard to conclude which was the bigger factor in leading to the better night's sleep.
Anyway, onto our selection of pocket sprung mattresses.
We've included some cheap and mid-priced pocket sprung mattresses because not everyone is looking to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on a mattress. We've also included a couple of luxury pocket sprung mattresses for those with deeper pockets. Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of typing.
1. Silentnight Classic 1200 Pocket Sprung Mattress - medium/firm tension - £399
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This Silentnight pocket sprung mattress is a sensible, mid-priced and popular choice from a big brand. It's the equivalent of buying a Ford Fiesta or a packet of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps.
It doesn't have loads of complicated layers but it has won awards from experts and it has a huge number of positive customer reviews (average of 9/10 from 1000+ reviews). As you may guess from the name, it has 1200 pocket springs which is plenty for most people. Very heavy people might benefit from somewhere nearer to 2000 but for the majority of people that's a bit over the top. It's a nice deep mattress at 28cm and it is held together with something called a 'tufted finish' which means it has buttons on top which help a mattress stay strong for many years, despite your constant shuffling around. You can also turn this mattress over, which is a plus point as long as you're able to lift it (flipping your mattress over helps to stop sags and dips). You'll see this mattress going by a number of names including the Silentnight Sofia 1200. The Silentnight brand is a good mid-priced choice. They're the biggest mattress brand in the UK and they score 4.2/5 overall on TrustPilot. The main criticisms I've got of this mattress are that the warranty length is a little underwhelming at five years. Also, you don't get a home trial which you get with similarly priced Sleepeezee mattresses so you can either take a punt and buy it online or search around mattress shops. |
This pocket sprung mattress from Silentnight has had 1000+ customer reviews
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As this cross-section shows, the Sofia mattress is designed to be double sided to extend its life
2. The Sealy Nostromo/Teramo 1400 Pocket Sprung Mattress - soft/medium tension - £599
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Sealy deserves a mention in our pocket sprung mattress guide as they are the 'biggest bed brand in the world' (at least according to their own sales people).
The Sealy Nostromo is their star pupil which has been consistently praised by expert testers. It's also known as the Sealy Teramo for some reason. Perhaps more importantly, customer reviews are outstanding with an average score of 9/10 from about 500+ reviews. It's got 1400 pocket springs which will offer plenty of support. Be aware that this is one of the softer pocket sprung mattresses on the market which means that very heavy people may sink in too much to be well supported. Some pocket sprung mattresses can be turned over, which can help them last longer, whilst others have a 'pillowtop' layer for a bit of extra comfort. This one has a pillowtop layer made from latex which is a natural material which is a) expensive and b) great for mattresses. The downside of a pillowtop pocket sprung mattress is that you can't turn it over, so you just rotate it round to extend its life. It's nice and deep at 30cm but it only comes with a 5 year guarantee, which is not spectacular nowadays. |
Expert testers and customers go wild for the Sealy Teramo/Nostromo pocket sprung mattress
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3. Sleepeezee Backcare Deluxe 1000 Pocket Sprung Mattress - firm - £275
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UK-brand Sleepeezee has a big choice ranging from about £200 - £900 for a double pocket sprung mattress. They're worth a look for a number of reasons, including the appealing 60 day home trial which comes with most of their pocket sprung mattresses which allows you to swap it for another model (see Ts and Cs). From what I can tell, this budget model doesn't come with the trial period, but there are plenty which do.
Sleepeezee is a highly-regarded brand in the UK mattress market. They have a Royal Warrant because they supply Prince Charles' household, they get outstanding customer reviews (4.2/5 on Trustpilot) and their pocket sprung mattresses have won a number of awards from expert testers. We've picked out one of Sleepeezee's cheapest pocket sprung mattresses because not everyone wants to spend as much on their mattress as their mortgage. |
This isn't Sleepeezee's poshest pocket sprung mattress - but it offers great value for money
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Despite the cheap price, the Sleepeezee Backcare Deluxe 1000 ticks a lot of boxes for me:
It's also had hundreds of positive reviews, with an average of 8.8/10 from 600+ customers at the time of writing
If you can afford the upgrade I would also look at the The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 (£925, medium tension) which was runner up in the 'Bed of the Year' category at the bed industry's main awards in 2019. The Perfectly British Strand 1400 (£665, medium/firm tension) is also a good choice at the posher end of their range.
So, what would you get if you upgraded to a Sleepeezee pocket sprung mattress which costs double or triple the price, I hear you ask? (Ed: lovely conversational tone, keep it up)
Well, the posher Sleepeezee mattresses have more pocket springs which offers more support, particularly if you're on the heavy side. The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 has three layers of springs with some larger ones doing most of the work and some smaller springs adding comfort. It also uses more natural materials such as wool and cashmere rather than cheaper synthetic layers. There are also other differences, such as a longer warranty.
- it's got 1000 pocket springs, which is the minimum that I look for in a pocket sprung mattress. The usual range for a decent mattress is 1000-2000 springs with heavier people benefiting from a higher number within that range.
- you can turn it over, which should help it last longer rather than ending up with an indent of your bottom after a few months.
- it is hand-tufted, which means that it is held together in a way which makes a mattress strong and durable.
- it's made in the UK.
- it's 26cm deep, which is similar to much more expensive models and should ensure you won't feel like you're lying on the floor.
It's also had hundreds of positive reviews, with an average of 8.8/10 from 600+ customers at the time of writing
If you can afford the upgrade I would also look at the The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 (£925, medium tension) which was runner up in the 'Bed of the Year' category at the bed industry's main awards in 2019. The Perfectly British Strand 1400 (£665, medium/firm tension) is also a good choice at the posher end of their range.
So, what would you get if you upgraded to a Sleepeezee pocket sprung mattress which costs double or triple the price, I hear you ask? (Ed: lovely conversational tone, keep it up)
Well, the posher Sleepeezee mattresses have more pocket springs which offers more support, particularly if you're on the heavy side. The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 has three layers of springs with some larger ones doing most of the work and some smaller springs adding comfort. It also uses more natural materials such as wool and cashmere rather than cheaper synthetic layers. There are also other differences, such as a longer warranty.
4. DreamCloud Pocket Sprung Mattress - medium/firm - £949
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The DreamCloud mattress is a bit of a different pocket sprung mattress but it's worth a mention because of its extraordinary trial period and warranty.
You get a year to try it out at home and then a 'forever' guarantee (see the Ts and Cs). If you don't like it in the first year, you can have a refund which is certainly preferable to trying out a mattress for 10 minutes in a showroom whilst fully clothed. It's a bit different to the others on this list as it has a layer of memory foam on top of the pocket springs. That technically makes it a 'hybrid' mattress but I thought it was worth a mention as it's one of the few pocket sprung mattresses with a trial period (most mattresses with home trial periods are 100% foam). Memory foam is a popular material in mattresses which was originally designed to keep astronauts comfy in space. It has a bit of a hugging feeling so it isn't for everyone, but lots of people love it and some guides suggest it offers more consistent support than springs. The main downside with memory foam is that it can make you feel warm but most modern memory foam mattresses make an effort to overcome this. The DreamCloud mattress has 'luxurious breathable memory foam'. Customer reviews are good (4.2/5 on TrustPilot) and it's made in the UK. |
The DreamCloud pocket sprung mattress comes with a 365 night trial and 'forever' warranty
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5. John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection 5900 Pocket Sprung Mattress - medium or firm - £999
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The John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection is made by Harrison Spinks, which was named best manufacturer at the National Bed Federation awards in 2014 and 2018. The company is also one of the few mattress makers with a Manufacturing Guild Mark, which is a quality assurance thing.
John Lewis & Partners mattresses are clearly labelled and described which makes comparison easier than most bed retailers offer. That includes a description of the inner materials of the mattresses, although admittedly it doesn't give percentages so it could have a small proportion of the luxurious fabrics. Prices within the Natural Collection range from £600 - £2600 for a double pocket sprung mattress but this 5900 spring 'Egyptian Cotton' model looks like a good balance between quality and price for someone looking for a good mattress, but who doesn't own a Lamborghini. This one scores 4.6/5 from reviewers and it's available in single, double, king size or super king size and a choice of medium or firm. John Lewis & Partners' buying guide suggests that their medium tension mattresses are 'Suitable for bodyweights of 8-16 stone (50kg-100kg)' whilst their firm tension mattresses offer 'Optimum comfort for bodyweights over 16 stone (100kg+)'. |
This John Lewis pocket sprung mattress has 5900 springs spread over two layers
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Don't get too excited by the 5900 pocket springs - the diagram on the website shows that there are actually two layers of springs since you can't fit that many normal sized springs on one king size sprung mattress layer. Still, it's a nice feature which might make a modest difference to comfort.
One key sign of quality in a mattress is whether it is hand-side-stitched (don't worry about the technicalities, but it's a way of manufacturing mattresses to make them more supportive and less floppy at the edges). John Lewis & Partners actually offer that level of detail, whilst some retailers don't bother. We carried out a study of John Lewis & Partners own brand mattresses and found that 42% of their mattresses under £500 use hand side stitching whilst 85% of their £500-£1000 mattresses have hand side stitching.
Another thing I like about John Lewis & Partners is that they tell you the weight of the mattress, so you'll have an idea of how solid it is and whether you'll be able to move it. The 5900 pocket spring model weighs 42kg in a king size (nearly 7 stone) whilst their cheapest king size mattress weighs just 23kg (3 1/2 stone).
Just one downside to mention - this mattress can't be turned over. That does spare you the effort of turning it over (you just rotate it), but there is a theory that mattresses you can turn over keep their shape for longer. I'm not sure if anyone's actually tested that theory, but there are mattresses which you can turn over within the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection such as the Swaledale Wool 11400 spring mattress.
One key sign of quality in a mattress is whether it is hand-side-stitched (don't worry about the technicalities, but it's a way of manufacturing mattresses to make them more supportive and less floppy at the edges). John Lewis & Partners actually offer that level of detail, whilst some retailers don't bother. We carried out a study of John Lewis & Partners own brand mattresses and found that 42% of their mattresses under £500 use hand side stitching whilst 85% of their £500-£1000 mattresses have hand side stitching.
Another thing I like about John Lewis & Partners is that they tell you the weight of the mattress, so you'll have an idea of how solid it is and whether you'll be able to move it. The 5900 pocket spring model weighs 42kg in a king size (nearly 7 stone) whilst their cheapest king size mattress weighs just 23kg (3 1/2 stone).
Just one downside to mention - this mattress can't be turned over. That does spare you the effort of turning it over (you just rotate it), but there is a theory that mattresses you can turn over keep their shape for longer. I'm not sure if anyone's actually tested that theory, but there are mattresses which you can turn over within the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection such as the Swaledale Wool 11400 spring mattress.
6. Vispring Plymouth Supreme 1200 Pocket Sprung Mattress - medium or firm - £899
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It would be a little rude not to mention Vispring in a guide to the best pocket sprung mattresses. They invented the pocket spring mattress more than a century ago and remain leaders at the luxury end of the market.
The Vispring Plymouth Supreme 1200 is cheap compared to Vispring's usual prices but you still get their high quality manufacturing and massive 30 year guarantee. It currently scores 4.4/5, albeit from a small number of customer reviews. As you'd expect, it is properly made with things like 'hand-side stitching' which is a boring but important technical thing which gives a mattress strength around the edges. It's got a simple design using springs and natural materials like cotton and wool. You can also turn this model over to extend its life. The king size version of this Vispring pocket sprung mattress has 1200 springs. That's fine for most people but an upgraded model such as the Vispring Maristow Supreme (£3099) has a higher pocket spring count which will provide better support, particularly for heavier people. The more expensive Vispring pocket sprung mattresses also tend to have extra layers and posher materials such as silk and bamboo. One plus point with the Vispring Plymouth Supreme is that you choose whether you want a medium or firm mattress. I've found a couple of guides from Vispring which suggest that their medium tension mattresses are best for users who weigh 11-16 stone. Their firm mattresses are best for people who weigh 16-20 stone. A mattress salesperson will obviously tell you that you ‘get what you pay for’ with a mattress, but there is some science to justify spending a lot on a mattress. In 1999, a team of three researchers in Germany replaced a hotel’s mattresses with three different models which were ‘of three different qualities and prices’. They then carried out assessments of how well guests had slept and found that ‘the three qualities of the mattresses correlated significantly and positively with the perceived quality of sleep’. The people who noticed the biggest difference in how well they slept were ‘chronic sufferers from back pain and sleep problems’ for whom the ‘association between sleep quality and quality of the mattress is significant’ (see Enck, Walten and Traue, 1999). |
Vispring invented the pocket sprung mattress and still make high quality models
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