The Guide: Buying the perfect mattress

Bed from And So To Bed
The greatest romance of all: Fall in love with the right mattress
© And So To Bed

When the Princess felt the pea beneath her 20 mattresses, she wasn't happy. But it's not only fairytale royals that should demand the ultimate in comfort. The right mattress can improve your posture and quality of sleep.

Get personal:

The right mattress should support your bodyweight and cushion its contours. If you have a partner with different preferences, a ‘zip and link’ bed, like this one from John Lewis (£1,395), should help you out. Otherwise John Lewis can also make bespoke mattresses within four weeks for the particularly fussy and awkward.

Get educated:

“After 10 years, a good bed will have deteriorated by as much as 75 per cent from its new condition,” says Lisa Helmanis, author of Sleep Better Naturally (£14.16, Carlton Books). Considering a third of our lives are spent horizontally, shelling out a little extra on getting a better mattress certainly seems worth the cash.

Spring or foam, natural or synthetic - which one suits you?
© Marks & Spencer

Learn your mattress types:

  • Open-sprung mattresses are the most common and have a strong structure with a firm edge.
  • Pocket-sprung mattresses are made up of individual, fabric-pocketed springs, and are great for partners with a big weight or size difference. Get a high spring count (at least 1000 springs for a king) with multiple layers of either cotton felt, lambswool or latex.
  • Memory foam mattresses quite literally mould to your shape and absorb your body weight to reduce pressure on the joints and spine. The visco elastic memory foam was originally used in spacesuits to protect astronauts from G-Force, and it is also resistant to dust mites. You can also get a memory foam topper for your regular mattress.
  • Latex is naturally hypo-allergenic and therefore excellent for asthma and allergy sufferers. Its open-cell structure helps control heat and so will help you keep cool. Latex is long-lasting and resilient.
  • Synthenic or visco-elastic varieties correctly align the body when lying on your side. Body heat softens the foam, providing for excellent movement while you sleep, but some find the material leaves you sweaty. Tempur-Pedic is the best known brand in this category, and its prices certainly reflect it, but it is a truly unique slumber.

    • Get spacious:

    “We move around in our sleep up to 60 times a night,” says Helmanis. “So your bed needs to give enough room to manoeuvre.” According to the Sleep Council, a standard double 4x6 gives a couple less space each to sleep on than a traditional baby’s cot (just 2ft 3in). Get a bed six inches longer than the tallest person, and one which allows both partners to lie side by side, hands behind heads, without elbows touching.

    Get allergy-free:

    Consider allergies and breathing difficulties. Natural materials such as cotton, wool and flax are designed to be non-allergenic and, being sustainable, are kind to the environment too. Some mattress varieties are also anti-microbial, and many don’t require turning – great if you don’t have time to spring clean. If you do have problems, there are mattress cleaning services that can help remove allergens from pets or poor indoor air quality that become trapped. The Allersafe range makes use of a special antibacterial and antifungal fibre called AmicorPure, which prevents dead skin flakes becoming food for dustmites. Similarly, Next's anti-allergenic mattress, (£175) is covered in anti-bacterial fabric to defend against dust and germs.

    Get it together:

    Your mattress and your bedframe work in unison so don't consider either in isolation. A new mattress with an old frame is like a new car with a second-hand engine. The Sleep Council says an old base could reduce the lifetime of your new mattress or even invalidate a manufacturer's warranty.

    A divan will provide the most support because of its springy base, so if choosing a bedstead (like a contemporary metal or wooden frame) make sure the slats are sturdy and evenly spaced. Also remember to check the dimensions of the two. You don't want to have to squash your new mattress into the sleigh frame you just had to have. If you are put off by a divan because of their traditionally old-fashioned, dowdy appearance, have faith. Buy a larger duvet to hide the base and if the headboard repulses you, replace it with a vintage frame for authenticity, where your divan can fit inside without sacrificing your comfort. Sweet dreams.

    Rock hard or soft and squishy — share your mattress tales and woes in the mattresses community group. Got a top mattress but can't doze off? Our guide to your best sleep ever is here to help.

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