Mattresses - my head is exploding

[user028793]

My current mattress (Eve) is destroying my back, it's time for a new one. I also have general aches and pains and bursitis in my shoulder.

I wanted to buy a Warren Evans mattress but I'm concerned about the wool content as I have carpet moths. I can't eradicate them completely unfortunately as they're in the communal areas of my block of flats. I've read that encasing the mattress in a zipped cover can stop them, but it will obviously need washing occasionally and as I live alone I'm anticipating this would be very difficult for me to manage single-handedly. Does anyone have experience of moths and mattresses? I do have a wool duvet cover which they don't seem interested in.

Alternatives are places like Dreams, Furniture Village etc but I wouldn't know where to start. I know I could go and lie on some but it's impossible to know how you'll get on with it until you've slept on the mattress for a few weeks. They offer 60 day trials but they come with lots of terms and conditions and I'm worried I'll get stung. Warren Evans' trials are no quibble.

I looked at IKEA but the reviews of their mattresses are dire, I don't want to risk it.

Can anyone offer any recommendations? Or reassurance on moths and wool mattresses?

Edit: recommendations for pocket sprung mattresses. I'd never touch a memory foam mattress again!

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MNHQ Update
If you’ve landed here while on the hunt for similar mattress recommendations, our guide to the best mattresses has been recently updated to reflect current availability. It features a wide range of options tried, tested and rated by Mumsnetters. We hope it’s helpful!

Whatever one you buy make sure you can use it on both sides.
I didn't know that a lot of mattresses only have one usable side. So they don't last as long.

I can't have a double sided one as there's no way I'd be able to flip it on my own unfortunately.

I'm going to go to an independent bed store near me next week. They stock quite a large Hypnos range so I'll test them out and ask for their advice.

I've decided I'm definitely not going to buy online with any of these '100 night trial' things as you don't actually get your money back, you can only exchange, and if the mattress you exchange it for costs less you don't get refunded the difference. You only get one shot at an exchange and for some of them there's a fee. So it's not really a trial at all.

My next battle is a new pillow, although maybe I won't need one on a different mattress. At the moment I have the Silent Night latex gel core pillow which is too low and really fucking up my neck. I hate that there's no way to test them out beforehand. Why is it all such a pain? How did people manage before mattresses and pillows?

We went to an air bnb for a week. The bed was so comfortable that I stripped it to see what make it was. Once home I ordered it from mattress man.
It is a relyon one. About £1200 for superking. Fabulous for me. I am a side sleeper with a rickety neck back and shoulders.

I’ve never had an Eve but I tried one in Dreams recently and good grief I don’t know how anybody sleeps on one of them. Even the ‘firm’ one I felt like I just sank straight into it! Its personal preference isn’t, some people like sleeping in marshmallows! We settled on a firm Sealy in the end and I absolutely love it.

Have you tried a Simba? They deliver and remove the old one.

We stayed in a five star holiday property, and liked the mattress so much, we bought one for ourselves. It was so comfy I was expecting a price tag of a couple of thousand pounds, but was astonished and delighted to find it was a fraction of that. We intend to buy another one for the spare room. It's a Highgrove Grange Ortho 1000, eg here:

www.landofbeds.co.uk/product/highgrove-beds-mattresses-grange-ortho-natural-1000/9955

We bought a Premier Inn one during lockdown, to avoid having to go to a shop and try them, but I have to be honest and say I've found it really disappointing, and not a patch on the above.

I think the main problem with choosing a mattress is you either lie down on one in a shop for a few minutes and buy it, or you order one where you can send it back after 100 days (or whatever) if you don’t like it.

Neither of these options guarantee that you’ve picked what suits you. Mattresses are so personal. What suits me might be awful for someone else.

About ten years ago I bought a mattress from Bensons for Beds. Tried it in the shop. Thought it was ok and bought it. Spent the next year with the worst back pain after sleeping on it. Gave it to my friend. She loves it and still has it.

I also recommend John Ryan by Design.

I do not recommend Hypnos - their pillow top mattresses develop sunken channels and a hump down the middle really quickly. They actually say it’s to be expected in their FAQs on their website and are super unhelpful if you try to claim on warranty. Our expensive Hypnos mistake not only looks terrible, it’s uncomfortable.

I second the previous poster who said go on the diagnostic bed in Dreams. DH and I were utterly clueless about bed shopping but it’s really helpful in working out what mattress will be best for your sleep position.

Mattress (and pillow) purchasing is such a pita. Good luck!

I've read that mattresses with integrated toppers should be avoided. I'm not really sure what the purpose of a topper is, is it to make it feel more squidgy and comfortable? I might try one but I'd buy it separately.

At this stage I'm tempted to just go with the Warren Evans mattress because of their returns policy.

'We offer a hassle-free 10-week "any reason" return trial on all the products we deliver, with a full refund and absolutely no 'fine print' exceptions.' And they refund the money back to your card rather than give you vouchers.

The wool issue makes me twitchy because of moths, but the moths seem to only be interested in eating the carpet so maybe it will be ok. Perhaps if I buy a cover to encase it in, the delivery people will put it on for me.

They have a sale on at the moment (no idea how often they have sales, if it's like DFS where it's every week) which ends tomorrow. Should I take the plunge?

We had a wool pocket sprung mattress in a basement flat where we had carpet moths and we never had an issue. We covered the mattress in a good quality protector from John Lewis.

The pillow top makes the mattress feel a bit softer whilst giving the support of the pocket springs. It’s a false economy, you’re better off just buying a topper if you want that feeling. Sincerely regret letting my other half talk us into this mattress!

We had a wool pocket sprung mattress in a basement flat where we had carpet moths and we never had an issue. We covered the mattress in a good quality protector from John Lewis.

That's reassuring. I already have a nice mattress protector but it's the type that goes on like a fitted sheet, concerned about the little fuckers getting underneath.

I just did a mumsnet and reddit search for WE mattresses and everyone speaks very highly of them.

How do you decide which firmness to go for? This is so annoying.

My JL mattress was firm and I found it too firm, so maybe medium firm is the way to go. I'm looking at this one https://warrenevans.com/mattresses/organic-1200-grand-pocket/ which says 65% of people choose MF.

I can highly recommend looking for a dunlopillo mattress . We bought ours some years ago , and its like new . We chose a firm mattress , topped with a couple of inches of tannilay topper . https://www.latexsense.co.uk/. You can choose from lots of combinations to suit

I hope an amazing mattress from Warren Evans. Never thought it might be vulnerable to moths. Though I don't seem to have any (touch wood).

Just do it op!

I've done it! It's taken me all afternoon to click 'pay' but it's done. I feel very twitchy about the cost but hopefully it will last a long time and my back will start to feel better. Added bonus of not taking up feeling like I'm lying on a hotplate.

your beautiful new matteress will iron out those twitches really quickly OP.

I slept on a sofa bed for 5 years - when we moved and I finally got my own bedroom I ordered the (then) top of the range Warren Evans matteress & I've loved every single night I've slept in it since

#NoRegrets

That's reassuring @RobinEllacotStrike. My budget could only stretch to the Organic 1200 but hopefully it will still be lovely.

Just read in the fine print on the confirmation email they sent that you have to retain the packaging in the event you wish to return it, and if you do wish to return it you need to get it back in the packaging yourself which I have absolutely no chance of managing on my own. Eek. I also ticked the 'please recycle my old mattress' box but not sure whether to go ahead with that in case I don't like the new one. I really hope I've made the right decision because I can't take much more of my own indecisiveness 😳

We have a Hypnos and love it.

We had previously had an Emma mattress; there is a special place in Hell reserved for their managing director.

Interested in this thread. We have an Emma bed & mattress. The bed frame is shite. Squeaks every time DH rolls over. Not too keen on the mattress either but it feels a mission to get it changed
I've been considering the premier inn option or a sealey

Hope it works out for you OP.

We have an Emma mattress, DH loved it but I wasn't keen so we got a White Company mattress topper and it's lovely. If you fall out of love with the mattress then I would recommend adding a topper.

@scrivette I've been thinking of getting a topper as I do like the squishy feeling of the memory foam. Maybe a pillow topper or latex.

I bought a new mattress from Dreams earlier this year. Their customer service was superb. They have a machine that you lie on and it takes various measurements and weight distribution, then comes up with a list of recommendations. The man who was helping me purposely didn't show me the list until after I'd tried some mattresses. He asked me a few questions, and then I was told to take as long as I wanted to over choosing - to lie on some mattresses in my usual sleeping position, and they even matched me a pillow to one similar to the one I sleep with. When I eventually chose a mattress, he showed me the machine recommendations, and the one I'd selected was at the top of the list.

I ordered the mattress, and they gave me a cooling-off period when I could cancel the order without penalty and get my deposit back. I paid a bit extra to have my old mattress taken away. The delivery was great - the crew phoned me first thing in the morning with a delivery time which they kept, and they took all packing etc away with them as well as my old mattress.

Dreams have a 100-night comfort guarantee if you don't get on with your new mattress, you can change it for another. But I wouldn't part with mine! It's wonderful, and I still notice how comfy it is every time I go to bed. I have back problems and I need a firm mattress - my last one (which I liked, and had for ages) was like sleeping on a board. This one manages to be more enveloping, somehow, while still giving me the support I need.

I just looked on their website, and it seems the mattress I bought is no longer available, but this one is similar and the same make (though it's more expensive than the one I bought):

www.dreams.co.uk/flaxby-master-s-guild-10950-pocket-sprung-mattress/p/131-01051-configurable

We've been very happy with our Hovag pocket sprung ikea mattresses.

Hi @user028793 I have been buying mattresses over 30 years and used to always go and try before I bought. However I rarely liked the mattresses after a year or less, which made me think there was no point bothering with lying on them.
My current mattress is over 5 and I bought it from ebay - got 3000 pockets and a topper. It's my best yet and cheaper than all the others. I went for a local firm so it's made in UK.
I empathise with the memory foam hate, had to sleep on one years ago and found it awfully uncomfortable.