Anyone else made a big mistake with an expensive mattress?

[DearSisterMichael]

Had our new mattress for about 6 months and I can’t take it anymore, it’s too firm, I wake up walking like an old woman until my bones have eased up. It’s also too hot. DH likes a firm mattress and when we tried lots in the shop this one seemed fine for me. Our last mattress was a split tension, my half medium, his half firm and that was great for us until it got too old (over 10 years).

We thought we were saving money by not getting the split type again but we’re going to either need to try and cure this one with a mattress topper, or sell it and start again. Not sure what is best, it’s such an expensive mistake, has anyone solved a too firm mattress with a topper?

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Some charity shops sell the Emma returned mattresses

@MonsoonMadness
this one

I should be getting up but I’m too cosy!

I’ve definitely stayed in places with uncomfortable beds, lumpy, too soft or too hot. But we actually chose our last bed after staying somewhere where we found the bed really comfortable and I took the sheets off to find out what it was and bought the same. That was a very expensive Harrison.

I’m pleased to read that the returned mattresses are sold on, it would have been awful if they went to landfill.

After years of discomfort after trying mattresses in showrooms and being really disappointed at home, I bought my last mattress online. High spring count and locally made. Cheap I think, £200 ish. It's been great but now needs replacing after 6 years. Was considering spending more but this thread is deterring me.
I agree there's so much choice it's almost impossible.
Useful thread @DearSisterMichael thanks.

We bought a memory foam Dormeo one. Was like sleeping on a rock.....and don't get me started on the free pillow! Sent it back under the guarantee but they took ages to refund. Ended up having to get a refund through Paypal. We now have a soft pillow top mattress from Dunelm which I love but DH not so keen

We've got a John Ryan by design super king zip and link and it's honestly the most incredible bed ever

I'll add my recommendation - we have a Mammoth Performance hybrid. Very expensive but amazing. It's over 4yo now and we will absolutely have another hybrid from them. DH likes a squishy mattress, I prefer firm but somehow this works for both of us. Complete support, neither hot nor cold, no dips, don't roll together. Love it.

The mistake that I think I made was buying an Octosmart Deluxe Hybrid king size mattress from Wayfair

It was only a few weeks later that I realised there was no paperwork, guarantee , nothing from Octosmart at all
So what I have is a nice mattress in an Octosmart cover with nothing to confirm it's genuine and worth the £900 cost

I do like it but hope I'm saying the same in a year or so

Another vote for John Ryan

They let you return within 60 days (they come and pack it up and take it away for free) as long as you have followed their advice, ie you bought what they suggested for you. They sell any returned mattresses at a discount on their site.

I’m 8.5 stone and they didn’t recommend “soft” as they don’t just go by weight but also listen to your preferences, I hate soft mattresses. However they did suggest medium not firm (which I wanted initially) and they were right! Also they said soft for our child’s mattress which is also right.

Pretty sure they do an all natural mattress for the poster who was looking for that. Costs more mind you. Naturalmat also worth a look (we have a bed from them which is lovely, but not tried their mattresses).

I stayed in a B and B recently and the bed was divine. I emailed them to ask what their mattress is but they didn’t reply. I agree, rarely sleep in a bed in a hotel and not feel comfortable. It’s as much about the bed base though I think. It’s a combination of the base and mattress.

Well, the new mattress has been delivered this morning, five weeks ahead of schedule. So tonight is the moment of truth. New pillows too.

I’ll go for a sprung Devon base a decent matress and a panda topper no way am I losing that I love it.

And, it was very comfortable. We slept like logs.

For anyone needing deep sheets, these are the best - they're about 10 cm deeper than you find so called deep sheets elsewhere (looking at you John Lewis).

www.homescapesonline.com/white-organic-cotton-deep-fitted-sheet-400-thread-count.html

What did you get? Sorry if you mentioned upthread but I can't find it.

Had a good look around yesterday and now I'm dithering.
Rang John Ryan and spoke to a very helpful lady. Our bed is wooden with wooden slats and she recommended a medium firmness.
I like the sound of the one she recommended, the prices go up at the end of the month.
The Artisan Naturals king size if £1675.

Went to And So to Bed in Cheltenham, it said Closing down sale on the window. The lady was full of her retirement plans and will be closing in March. She recommended we'd need a soft with the slats but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like a soft. She'd sold the last two medium. They only do Vispring and I note others upthread who had problems with Vispring. When I asked what about if there were problems she airily said "well I'll still be answering the phone, I won't just be disappearing when the shop closes" but as DH said, she might be going bankrupt and you get nothing. She says she's got £200K stock in the warehouse but she wasn't selling it to us!
So anyone looking around Cheltenham area might get a bargain, but I'd beware.

Anyway we went back to John Lewis, lovely helpful chap, recommended a medium firmness (so that's 2 out of 3 for medium) and we liked it but it was quite springy and top of my budget at £2000. The sale ends today and then it will be £2400.
So I feel under pressure to make a quick decision.

John Ryan would be buying unseen but coming in a bit cheaper and I'm seeing recommendations here plus the helpful lady etc.

DD really needs a new bed, she still has her childhood single, and now she's left home, but comes back with her boyfriend, they either sleep in DD2's room which has a double or he bunks one the floor if the house is full. I want to get her a small double. So spending more will eat into whatever she might get so that's another factor.

So the John Lewis one has zillions of springs with two extra layers above and below the main springs. I feel it might be too springy for my taste! I did get DH to toss and turn and see if it bounced me off but my side remained reassuringly still.

John Ryan just the one layer of springs.

@ShamedBySiri We bought a ViSpring Elite mattress. Expensive, but we had a Millbay mattress for 30 years before it, and this one should see us through until we're 97!

Yes, totally fixed the same issue with a panda topper. Initially I wasn't sure it was going to be enough but it has worked out wonderfully, without it I couldn't sleep on my side as my hip bones would ache. Now I sleep really comfortably and we'll

Adore my panda topper new bed will have weather needed or not I love it I’m not giving that up I’m in a single and want more space.

Just about to buy the panda topper and thought, do you have a mattress protector over it or under it? Our dog has been known to pee on the bed, so I’d rather it were over it, but then would that negate the cooling nature of the bamboo?

When I was pregnant I started finding our bed painfully uncomfortable. I decided to fork out an eye watering amount of money on a dormeo mattress topper (couldn’t afford the entire mattress as we have a super king bed) and absolutely hate the mattress topper. Now we have a humongous super king topper taking up our hallway cupboard! Wish I’d saved the money. Could have done with that cash now I’m poor on statutory maternity pay. I know dormeo is a proper company and gets great reviews but I felt really conned and shocked that I’d paid so much for something so crap!

Panda and Emma let you try the toppers free for a period. I use a mattress protector over the topper. If you wash the cover of the topper it is incredibly hard to get the foam back in and do the zip up.