Hi David.

Good questions.

We always advocate the use of toppers with any mattress, once you have tried the mattress for a couple of weeks to decide on the level of softness you want to create.

If a budget is particularly low, your money is better spent by purchasing the support (springs) and the comfort (upholstery) separately.

This will give you maximum usage out of both.

As an example, if we look at the offerings from Savoir beds (the ultimate bed manufacturer) they construct their beds in three parts - The Base (sprung) - The Mattress and the separate topper.

Of course, these can be purchased separately or as a complete set.

Now considering the mattress alone can retail above £10,000 or so, you can wonder why an additional topper should be necessary?

The fact of the matter is quite simple and logical.

There is no doubt about it that the top part of any mattress takes the brunt of wear and tear - from body sweat each and every night and every mattress (particularly natural fibre mattresses) will naturally settle.

This is not deemed a fault as all products that take constant and regular usage will be prone to wear - the drivers seat on a car - no matter how expensive - will not stay 'new' unless you take measures to protect it (I know its a vague analogy but I'm sure you get my drift).

Consumers should be expected to take measures to look after the product such as turning, rotating and of course protection to ensure the maximum lifespan and comfort.

As for calico springs v mass produced - If you are spending a considerable amount of money on a mattress (e.g over £1000) then I personally would expect that something more than a mass produced springs/" title="pocket spring">pocket spring unit.

These days they are relatively cheap and quick to produce.

Calico springs are sewn together (not heat welded or glued) cotton calico as the casement is breathable and more forgiving.

We again look at what the best manufacturers solely use in their products (Savoir and Vi Spring) and use that as a measure of quality that we try to replicate as close as possible.

Finally, Zip and Link matts are indeed more labour intensive to produce - adding zips, lining up the two mattresses, and essentially making two mattresses in twice the time when one could be manufactured.

As a personal recommendation to everyone, I would say that our Artisan Naturals provides the best mattress you can buy for around the £1235 price point.

Using the price as the main comparison (currently £1235.00 Kingsize: October 2018) a quick scan through the bedsheds will show you how superior this model is in relation to other Kingsize mattresses for a similar price.

If this exceeds your budget then The Tailored Pocket should be next on your list for consideration.

Kind Regards Gary