Mattress Selection Tips and Advice

Here’s some mattress selection tips as a good mattress is the single most important element in achieving a good night’s sleep.

  • There are no industry standards for firmness, and there are always variations between one manufacturer and another. So take your time in the showroom; if you can, remove your outer garments and footwear and spend at least ten minutes in your normal sleeping position on each mattress.


  • The most traditional mattress has a spring construction. Available as open coil, continuous, or pocketed spring, the matrix of springs compresses under the body to offer support where required. The higher the coil count, the better the support for your back. I’d recommend the minimum of 600 coil count for a full-sized mattress.


  • The latex mattress is another popular choice. This hypo-allergenic rubber product is formed into a sponge-like mattress core that supports the contours of the body as it moulds around them. A combination of the two, comprising a pocketed spring interior wrapped in latex, provides the best aspects of both options.


  • There is also the choice of a soft, medium, or firm bed. Orthopaedic mattresses can offer excellent support, their robust construction making them especially suitable for a heavier person.


  • If bed partners have incompatible requirements on firmness, a mattress comprising two differing halves zipped together can solve the problem.


  • If bed partners have incompatible requirements on firmness, as part of mattress selection tips, create a mattress comprising two differing halves zipped together.



  • The performance of a mattress is determined by the bed base on which it lies, and ideally both should be purchased together. The effect of a firm latex mattress on a spring divan base, for instance, will be quite different from the effect of the same mattress on a slatted bedstead.


  • When choosing a mattress for an existing base, try to make sure that the showroom bed base you try it on is of the same type.


  • Take into account the fact that manufacturer’s sizes are not always standard. As part of mattress selection tips, the heavier the mattress, the better its quality and the higher the price.


  • A mattress is an investment, and a good one can be expected to provide optimum support for up to ten years.


Mattress Maintenance Advice

A mattress will absorb a surprising amount of moisture over a night’s use, and requires regular airing. Turning a mattress from topside to underside and from head to foot not only aids airing but prevents repeated over-use in the same areas.


Latex excluded, mattresses attract dust mites and it is good practice to vacuum the surface when changing the bedlinen.

Mattress covers create an extra layer of warmth and comfort, offer waterproof protection, and guard against staining, while a hypo-allergenic cover will protect a mattress from dust mites and the allergens they produce.


Here’re some more bedroom essentials buying guide:

Duvet buying guide - top tips on choosing and selecting a duvet

Pillow buying guide - guide and advice on buying and maintaining pillows


Bedding buying guide - practical guide on buying and selecting the right bed linen

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