Emperor Sized Mattress Help & Guidance
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Hello,
I've been researching a new Emperor (200cm x 200 cm) mattress for what seems an age. And just when I was all set to get a Vispring zip-link Fursdon from John Lewis (20% off at £2,479 - albeit 202cm x 200cm) I have been reading a preponderance of very critical reviews about Vispring. They don't seem to be the company I equipped my family house with some years ago. From reviews, the 30-year warranty now seems to be 'for the birds', a bad joke delegated to third-party jobsworths paid only to say 'No'. And the mattresses seem destined to variously slump, clump create 'holes' through which the springs can be felt, and emit agricultural smells! It is disconcerting to say the least - and Vispring don't seem to say anything which only redoubles the impact.
Were it not that you have lauded Vispring in the past and seem to make beds the same way, I might snap up one of yours in a trice because I have got a lot out of your excellent answers to other people's questions and you seem genuinely passionate about what you do. However, my Emperor-sized mattress is obviously both 'cruel and unusual'' (I'll get to the 'cruel' bit in a minute!), because you seem to charge a 30% mark-up just to make one. Whereas, I am keen to retain the existing divan base(s) and I do like the current overall size and 'squareness'', and I just think the flexibility and ease of rotation and transport in having two 100cm beds would be a boon - even if fitted single sheets might be a problem.
Moreover, my current mattress is something of a 'burning platform' in that it is almost 25 years old (albeit not used continuously), a firm, 'Spinalguard' model, which has been through the Suez Canal at least once, and folded and bound in two several times to make it up British staircases. It does, however, seem to be fairly 'bullet-proof', takes two strong men to carry it at the best of times and must weigh over 100 kilos easily. The good thing is that, being perfectly square, it can be simultaneously flipped and rotated regularly by quarters (90 degrees); a technique I am now master of and have incorporated into my work out routine! (This is not a manoeuvre, presumably, I could usefully perform with a zip-link without either a topper or feeling a periodical horizontal join when sleeping on it).
And (to the 'cruel' point), then again, it has probably cost me my marriage and, far from being 'good for my back' in principle (the original misguided reason for purchase) has quite possibly served to exacerbate injuries to both my shoulders, spine and and a hip (I am an active 6 foot 80 kilo side-sleeper).
What to do? I have 'woken up' to the predicament rather late in the day, but it is keeping me up nights. My ('ex') wife is 5 foot and 50 kilios and sleeps warm. So, synthetic foam hybrids seem to be out, to the extent they're made in this size (let alone zip-link) anyway. So, there really only seem to be Vispring, Harrison-Spinks and yourselves in the game for a conventional, medium sprung 200cm x 200cm zip-link in medium soft, like an Artisan Naturals 004 or Artisan Luxury, with which the Fursdon is variously compared in your excellent responses to past questions.
However, as I say, there seem to be profound doubts over how long any initial character in the multiple natural fibre fabric layers overlaying the springs really endures without creating a 'well', let alone the quality-control, good faith and after-sales service of the industry's longstanding flag-bearer. It may be some consolation to be able to send the bed back if it fails to suit after a month or two (having waited at least three for it in all probability!) but that's barely the time for the mattress to 'bed in' and small consolation for, after the house, the car and the annual holiday, one of a household's major expenditures.
Help!
Hi Michael,
Many thanks for your detailed question about Emperor sized mattresses and natural fibre beds. We can empathise with the predicament which has presented itself to you!
An emperor sized bed is beneficial as you can turn it 90 degrees each month to easily rotate it. However, as you have pointed out it can lead to sagging in the centre where there is the least support. It's also a very rare sized mattress here in the UK with few manufacturers being able to make them correctly without disastrous lumpy bumpy mattresses appearing after a few months.
Mattress Guarantees & Warranties:
You're right to point out the thin nature of some mattress retailers guarantees. Well if we are honest most are not guarantees but a proportional warranty. Meaning the customer only receives a portion of the beds worth, even if it completely fails. No guarantee at all given you could end up being left with just 60% of the bed's value after a couple of years to then buy a replacement with. More akin to leasing a mattress if you were overly cynical.
We've written extensively about this comparing brands such as Vispring, Silentnight etc to show some of the small print you're dealing with.
We only offer a traditional guarantee. If the bed fails we fix or replace. All we ask is that an independent furniture ombudsman inspector undertakes a full inspection of the mattress to ascertain the potential fault. When we have had to use this we do it at our cost and have a no quibble guarantee for any potential failure. Which brings me onto the next valuable point, mattress care and maintenance.
Mattress Care and Maintenance of large mattresses Super King and above:
The biggest issue with most mattress faults lies in the fact that they have not been adequately cared for in terms of turning and rotating. With the exception of no turn mattresses which we discuss quite negatively here for most models, all mattresses need turning over each month.
With larger mattresses, especially one-piece models, there is a drawback as there is a substantial distance between each perimeter support of the mattress. ie the very middle is the furthest away from the side stitching, perimeter springs etc. When you couple this with the fact that very few sleepers choose to sleep dead in the centre of the mattress, it can lead to the centre of such large beds not receiving as much wear. In some cases, this can lead to an upholstery 'ridge' of sorts where the fibres have not been slept on so keep a higher loft than the rest of the mattress.
This is not a fault of the mattress but more the fact it never gets used. Like only sitting on half of your sofa and wondering why the other half feels firmer or plumper!
The way to address this is to choose a zip and link configuration.
This has two benefits.
Firstly it means you get perimeter support in the very centre meaning there's far more consistency in the mattress and over time this prevents roll together or sagging as you have mentioned. It basically gives the larger mattress better overall support which the sleeper benefits greatly from.
Secondly, it means that turning and rotating the mattress is far easier as two distinct pieces. Rather than trying to manhandle a 100kg one-piece mattress which for even the worlds strongest would be a struggle, to put it mildly.
So with your Emperor we would always advise a zip and link. A one piece can become a hellish chore to maintain! For most people access is also an issue. Whilst your bedroom may be big enough most stairwells are certainly not. Our mattress do not bend at all, due to the copious amounts of fillings within them.
You wouldn't need to sleep horizontally on the zip and you can still turn and rotated the two mattresses removing this drawback you've mentioned and negating the need for a topper.
Emperor Mattress Suitability:
Ideally, Michael, we would need your weight at well and height to fully advise. However, we can give a starter for ten. Before we do that its important to explain that 'mattress tensions' are always based on the upholstery and not the spring unit. This is where most retailers fall short as they list the spring tension as the comfort preference which is completely misleading.
Spring tensions/gauges are based on your body weight.
| Spring Tension | Wire diameter (Gauge) | Weight Range |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | 1.2mm | Bespoke Tension (Please Call) |
| Medium | 1.4mm | Upto 16 stone |
| Firm | 1.6mm | 16 stone plus |
| Extra Firm / Orthopaedic | 1.9mm | 20 stone plus |
Comfort preferences are based on the fibres placed on top of this and provide the ultimate feel of the mattress. 90% of your decision making should rest with this and the mattress construction method. Not which spring tension as your weight will dictate this.
| Upholstery Layer | Fibre Type | How it will feel? |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester | Synthetic | Soft |
| White Fibre | Synthetic | Soft/Medium |
| Recycled Fibre / Eco Fibre | Synthetic | Medium |
| Memory Foam | Synthetic | Medium/Firm |
| Igel / Hybrid Foam | Synthetic | Medium/Firm |
| Polycotton | Synthetic/Natural Blend | Soft/Medium |
| Linen | Synthetic/Natural Blend | Medium |
| Wool (Pure) | Natural | Soft/Medium |
| Cotton (Pure) | Natural | Soft |
| Silk | Natural | Soft |
| Horsehair | Natural | Medium |
| Mohair | Natural | Medium/Firm |
| Hemp | Natural | Medium |
| Latex (100% Natural) | Natural | Medium/Firm |
| Coir | Natural | Firm |
| Flax | Natural | Firm |
| Coarse Cashmere | Natural | Firm |
| Bamboo | Natural | Super Soft |
| Horsetail | Natural | Firm |
| Alpaca | Natural | Soft |
| Cashmere (Pure) | Natural | Soft |
| Vicuna | Natural | Super Soft |
Given you're moving from a ultra firm mattress which we know can create bad back and sleep issues for most people. More on the orthopaedic bed scandal here. We would recommend a medium feel mattress in terms of the upholstery, coupled with a zip and link construction method. This will reduce the issue of potential central inconsistencies as discussed above.
Have a look at our Artisan Bespoke 004 which is 100% Natural fibre and uses a vanadium coated calico encased pocket spring similar to the Savoir spring system. Two sided, fully turnable and using a chemical-free damask cover. All hand made and hand side stitched for a truly tailored nights sleep.
Artisan Bespoke 004 Mattress
1: 1200GSM BLENDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON
2: HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER
3: 200GSM SOFT BAMBOO
4: 1200GSM PURE HORSETAIL
5: 1000GSM BONDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON
6: 1600 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [ 49MM ] [1.28MM]
TOTAL: 3600GSM
DEPTH: 27-30CM
CHEMICAL FREE COVER
We wouldn't advise the Artisan Luxury given its our softest model. It may feel like too much of a jump from your current mattress.
We hope that helps and gives you food for thought on your replacement Emperor sized mattress. If you have any more mattress related questions please get back in touch on info@localhost or 0161 437 4419.
Sleep well
John & Ryan
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