Dull as ditchwater I know but anyone an expert on mattresses?

[marthamoo]

We really need a new one - it's about 8 years old and we are both waking up with aching backs in the morning. I even had to get up from my lie in yesterday because I just couldn't get comfortable (it is the bed - once I'm up for a bit my back is fine).

So...any recommendations? Dh is talking about memory foam being the bee's knees. We have a cast iron bed with a wooden slatted base - seem to remember the salesman saying certain types of mattress were no good with a slatted base (box springs? Was a long time ago)

Bet I don't get any replies...

We've got a Silentnight Latex Miracoil - Very comfy and also no need to turn. I don't know about slatted bases though we just bought the matress for our divan base.

Thanks, furball - I know we really have to go and lie on them in shops looking stupid (will try and leave the kids with my parents, I think).

I'm reasonably impressed with a Waterlattex mattress . It is not memory foam, just foam, but I find it firm enough and I'm heavy. Do shop around. They also do continental lengths (200cm).

(Oh and you can use either sprung or foam with a slatted wooden base).

Thanks, hub. Did you buy yours online - ie., without trying it?

Hi - get a memory foam mattress. I got mine off a supplier on ebay and it is the best thing I have ever bought (well, nearly). I have a bad back and was facing an operation - however back has got so much better since I've been using this mattress. We have it on a slat base, doesn't need turning and is soooooooo comfortable.

No, I found a shop locally which sold them, went in armed with an Internet price, and told them they'd get the business if they could match it or come close, which they did. My decision to go for that model was based on the fact that the ergonomic shop Back 2 sells this matress, and I figured if they thought it was good ergonomically it would be good enough for me !

Oh, and like you I'd been waking up with a bad back etc. (mostly from gardening / heavy lifting / being overweight), but also defintely due to the mattress. Our last one was sprung FWIW.

Thanks for all those links, hub - most helpful. That's interesting to know too, Bradsmum - dh's back is worse than mine - possibly why he's amenable to finally buying a decent mattress

I will talk to him later and we'll have a look at the links and the sites I've found too - he's asleep on the settee atm with his head hanging off the edge. That won't do his back any good, will it ? I'll attempt to wake him up and pack him off to bed in a minute.

We've just replaced ours with a Silentnight Latex Miracoil too. (Ours has a slatted base.) It's a sprung mattress but the top layer moulds to fit your body shape. It's bliss. Seemed really hard after the old mattress which cost only £85 14 years ago, but after the initial shock we both love it. Went to a bed shop (Dreams) initially, but the staff were (deliberately?) unclear about the differences between the various mattresses and wanted to sell me a new bed to go with the new mattress which seemed a bit wasteful. So I ended up going to Argos where there are 2 pages to chose from and it cost less than the printed price too and you could send it back if it wasn't right.

We have had our Sealy posturepedic mattress for about 2 months now and it is fantastic. It has a pillow top on it and I love love love it. My back hasn't had a problem since getting it where as before I could hardly walk when I woke up.

I don't like the memory faom ones I just have visions of it absorbing all the sweat and becoming like a sponge.

i've just taken the plunge and gone for a pocket sprung warren eveans mattress... been round a few bed shops and i can't believe how much mattresses cost (esp a superkingsize one!!!)... so just thought will trust warren evans as they seem to get rave reviews everywhere... it comes in a week so i'll know whether i was foolish to go and buy a mattress wihout trying... sorry not much help there... but my head is full of mattresss, bed thuings at the moment!!!!

Bad back and old age. I changed my bed, changed my mattress and still I have back ache. Hope you have better luck.

I love my memory foam (tempur) mattress, it's sorted out my back problem too, although was v expensive!

tena - quite a lot of intensive sports injury / deep-tissue style massage helped massively with mine. And it's rather nice. For me, also shifting some weight and starting a gym program helped.