5 Best Zip Link Beds and Mattresses 2024

A zip and link mattress (sometimes just called a zip-link mattress) is two separate mattresses which are zipped together. There are a couple of reasons why you might want a zip link bed.

The first is if you share a bed with a real Fidget Bridget who spends the whole night shuffling around. The theory is that if you have two mattresses joined by a zip then you won’t feel Bridget moving so much.

The other reason is that you should really pick a mattress which is the right firmness for your body weight. Lighter people need softer mattresses, heavier people need firmer mattresses if they are to get enough support to keep their spines straight.

So, if you’re a 7 stone gymnast who shares a bed with a 23 stone rugby player then you might benefit from a zip link bed with different tensions on each side.

Zip and link mattresses generally cost a bit more than the equivalent sized king size or super king size mattress but there are budget options available such as the Sealy Backcare Mattress or the Hyder Beds Pocket Backcare 1400 (both mentioned below and about £800-£900 in zip-link size). 

Lots of the big names in the mattress market don’t seem to sell any zip-link mattresses, but respected brands like Sealy, Sleepeezee and Vispring have a good choice.

Prices are for a king size model. You can usually also get a super king or an ’emperor’ sized mattress which is even bigger (generally 200 x 200cm though it does seem to vary).

Here are 5 zip and link mattresses that we like the look of, based on specification, awards and value for money:


1. Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattressmedium – £1000 (Super King)

This Sleepeezee pocket sprung mattress won a Best Buy from expert testers and it scores well with customers too (4.5/5 on Mattress Online). The Zip Link version comes in super king size, so make sure your bedroom is big enough for its 180cm width.

The Sleepeezee brand is hard to fault. It scores very well on Trustpilot (4.3/5) and it has a long history of Royal Warrants. Sleepeezee is based in the UK (in Kent) and has been going for about 100 years.

Impressive specifications

For your money you get a mattress with 1800 pocket springs. There are two main types of springs in modern mattresses and pocket springs are certainly the better option as you wobble around less. Pocket springs are the ‘classic’ way of designing a quality mattress whilst lots of more modern brands just use layers of foam.

The 1800 number is very good and will offer a solid base for you. Most high quality sprung mattresses range from about 1000-2000 springs. Beyond that number looks good on paper, but it is usually several layers of mini springs which has less of an impact than bigger springs.

On top of the pocket springs are two types of foam. One is a memory foam which is designed to mould around you and bounce back slowly. It is known for its consistent support but some people find memory makes them a little warm.

To counter this the mattress also has a layer of ‘Stay Cool Gel’. This is another synthetic material but it is designed to ‘reduce excess body heat’.

The firmness level of this mattress is ‘medium’. A firmer big-name mattress which is available as a zip-link mattress is the Sealy Posturepedic Backcare Mattress (£699, very firm).

Warranty and trial period

The warranty and trial period that you get with the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattress are both positives – with a couple of caveats.

Generally speaking, you get more generous trial periods with those modern foam based mattresses that you see advertised constantly on telly. With brands like Simba and Emma you get several months to make up your mind – and if you don’t like it, you can get your money back.

With pocket sprung mattresses like this one, you get a 60 night trial period and your options are to swap it rather than getting a refund. It’s still a big selling point but it’s not quite as dazzling. I would highly recommend reading the terms and conditions of the trial period before ordering.

The warranty with the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattress is 10 years. This is excellent for a traditionally made pocket sprung mattress which doesn’t cost more than a new car. Again, you will find some modern mattresses with longer warranties but the point is often made that some of these brands offer warranties which are longer than they have been trading for.

You can’t choose different tensions on either side of this zip and link mattress (if you want that, try a dual tension mattress such as the Flaxby model at #5 on this list).

Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 mattress
Experts and customers have praised the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 – which is available as a zip link mattress
Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 mattress corner
The mattress uses two layers of foam along with pocket springs

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2. Sleepeezee Perfectly British Mayfair 3200 Pocket Pillow Top Zip Link Mattress – medium firmness – £1249 (Super King)

This Sleepeezee zip & link mattress is only available in super king size as a zip and link, but it’s worth considering for five reasons. Well, there are probably more than five, but here we go:

  1. Sleepeezee as a brand has got a Royal Warrant, meaning that you’ll be sleeping in a royal bed (the household of Prince Charles specifically). That in itself is probably not enough reason to buy a bed, but it’s a good start.
  2. This particular mattress was a finalist in the (terribly exciting) mattress of the year category at the main industry awards in 2019. A couple of other Sleepeezee mattresses have also been given Which awards recently too.
  3. You’re getting a high specification mattress. It’s 35cm deep, which is deeper than an episode of In Our Time on BBC Radio 4 (most decent mattresses are 20cm-30cm deep). It uses a high number of pocket springs, which are the superior option to old fashioned open coil springs which your grandma had in her spare room. 
  4. It comes with a 60 night sleep trial (read the terms and conditions first).
  5. Sleepeezee was scoring 4.3/5 on TrustPilot when we checked, which is very good.

One thing to note is that it can’t be turned over because it has a topper as part of the mattress. Personally, I like a mattress that can be turned over to help it last longer, but it can be a faff trying to turn over a huge great thing which weighs more than a small car.

There is some (unsurprising) research which found that if your mattress starts to sag then it will ‘negatively affect sleep quality’, particularly if you sleep on your front or side (see Verhaert et al 2010).

Unfortunately, you can’t choose different tensions for each side of the mattress, you just get a medium firmness mattress all over.

Cheaper zip-link alternatives from Sleepeezee include the Backcare 1400 (£799).

sleepeezee mayfair 3200 mattress
Sleepeezee has a Royal Warrant…and this model was nominated for an award

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3.​ Hyder Backcare Ultimate 3000 Zip Link Mattress – softer firmness – £899 (Super King)

This zip and link bed from Hyder Beds is from a lesser-known brand, but the specification is good for the price.

It is hand tufted on top which is generally seen as the better manufacturing method, rather than a flat quilted top which you’ll usually see on cheaper mattresses. It can’t be turned over, because it has a top layer of wool, cashmere and cotton.

Customer reviews were very positive when I checked with an overall score of 4.8/5.

Hyder zip link mattress
This cheap zip-link mattress comes in super king size

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4. Vispring Plymouth 1200 Zip Link Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress – medium firmness – £2419 / £2639 (King size / Emporer)

Astute readers will have gathered from the price tag that Vispring are at the posh end of the mattress market.

They’ve been making mattresses for more than a century and are credited with inventing the pocket spring mattress, which was later adopted as the norm by dozens of mattress companies. More recently they held a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which is no mean feat.

This zip link model will make a mattress fanatic’s heart beat a little faster with its hand-side stitching (“phwoarrr….”), tufted finish (“oooh yeah….”) and viscose cover (“now you’re talking…”).

Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.

Amongst all that jargon you will have gathered that this is a well constructed, traditionally made mattress. You can turn it over, which should help with longevity. The spring count is plenty unless you are very heavy (somewhere between 1000 and 2000 springs is considered normal with a number closer to 2000 being more important if you’re heavier than average).

The hand-side stitching referred to earlier just means that the edge of the mattress has been constructed in a way which takes a bit more time but which makes it more durable.

This mattress only seems to be available as a zip-link mattress in Super King or Emperor sizes (emperor is bigger than a super king). At the time of writing, the Plymouth Supreme was scoring 4.0/5 from customers, albeit after only a few reviews.

From what I can tell, John Lewis & Partners (which sells this mattress) doesn’t offer the option of having half the mattress softer than the other half. So, it’s a good choice if you are a similar weight to your partner. Men – I would avoided asking your wife if she weighs more than you…

In case you’re interested, the non zip-link version of this mattress is £800 cheaper at the time of writing.

There are also a few other Visprings available as zip link mattresses ranging from about £1700 to £6700, if you’ve got the budget for it.

Vispring plymouth zip and link mattress
Posh brand Vispring invented pocket spring mattresses

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5. Flaxby Nature’s Creation 4450 Dual Tension Zip Link Mattress – choice of firmness – £2199 / £2499 (King/Super King)

This Flaxby mattress deserves a place in our top five as it’s one of the only zip and link mattresses we’ve found online which allows you to choose the firmness you want on either side. Usually you have to settle for a zip link mattress which is the same firmness all over if you want the simplicity of buying online.

You have to select the ‘king size’ or ‘super king size’ for it to show the zip- link option. It is soft on one side and medium tension on the other. You’ll need the more expensive 8150 model if you want medium tension on one side and firm on the other.

It’s made by a company called Harrison Spinks and sold by Dreams. You may not have heard of Harrison Spinks but they’re a posh British company which manufacture the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection. They have won several industry awards including being named as the National Bed Federation’s best manufacturer in 2015 and 2018. They were the mattress company which featured in the BBC’s Inside The Factory (I won’t hold it against you if you didn’t watch it).

The most significant difference between this option and the more expensive ones in the range is that it can’t be turned over (the 8150 model can be turned over). Ideally, you want to be able to turn a mattress to help it last longer and avoid sagging over time, but you can rotate it at least.

These zip-link mattresses are only available in king or super king size.

Flaxby dual tension mattress for couples
This model has the option of different firmness levels on each side of the mattress
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Flaxby is made in Yorkshire and has a good reputation for quality
Harrison Spinks logo
It is made by Harrison Spinks, which is a prestigious brand which makes John Lewis mattresses

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