Hi Max,

Many thanks for your question about the quality of John Lewis mattresses. We have written extensively about their models providing pointers, comparisons and answering probably hundreds of questions on John lewis beds over the years in our Ask a question section.

We would ask that you read the answer to this question in conjunction with our detailed article on John Lewis mattress comparisons here to help give you a full answer.

The question of 'is it any good' depends on what you're needing from the mattress. If you can give us a call with your bodyweight, prefered comfort preference and sleeping position that will help us provide a suitable mattress recommendation.

In the meantime let's have a look at how to choose a new mattress which should, in turn, allow you to work out if the John Lewis mattress is good for your requirements.

You need to know 4 things to choose a mattress correctly:

1. Body weights and heights of sleepers for the right spring/support tension
2. Sleeping position of sleepers
3. GSM of the comfort layers and upholstery in the mattress
4. Guarantee details in case it doesn’t work out or the mattress fails

Choosing the best spring tension at John Lewis:

The table below will give you an understanding of the spring tension or mattress support you need from your John Lewis mattress. There’s a little bit of wiggle room ie if you’re really tall then you may need a slightly lighter spring, or if you’re very short you may need a firmer spring for the same weight but our team can always help confirm that for you. You need to bear in mind that spring tensions are based solely on your body weight and don’t relate to mattress comfort. ie upholstery which we cover next.

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

In terms of the micro springs they use to get the spring count to the dizzying 19k springs, you really do need to read out guide here as to why we never ever use micro springs.

 

John Lewis Mattress Upholstery:

To correctly choose a new mattress you need to know the exact GSM of the upholstery on top of this spring unit. It is only then that you can assess whether this is going to give you the soft, medium or firmer comfort you prefer. The John Lewis Silk mattress you're looking at is primarily wool-based which s one of the softest upholstery fibres possible. Meaning this will be a very soft feel mattress.

Sadly John Lewis don't disclose the GSM so you are left guessing how much wool there is in this mattress. Maybe get in touch with them directly and ask.

It is therefore imperative you turn this every month to even out settlement as wool settles really quickly when used on its own without more supportive upholstery like horsehair. The video guide below will help explain further.

Upholstery Layer	Fibre Type	How it will feel?	Price Point
Wool (Pure)	Natural	Soft/Medium	High-End
Cotton (Pure)	Natural	Soft	High-End
Horsehair	Natural	Medium	High-End
Mohair	Natural	Medium/Firm	High-End
Hemp	Natural	Medium	High-End
Latex (100% Natural)	Natural	Medium/Firm	High-End
Coir	Natural	Firm	High-End
Flax	Natural	Firm	High-End
Coarse Cashmere	Natural	Firm	High-End
Bamboo	Natural	Super Soft	Expensive / Exclusive
Horsetail	Natural	Firm	Expensive / Exclusive
Alpaca	Natural	Soft	Expensive / Exclusive

How much to spend on a John lewis Mattress?

Below is our handy mattress infographic which enables you to see whether the £2.5k price tag is worthwhile and what else you can look at.

If you have any more questions Max please get back in touch with us on 0161 437 4419.

 

All the best

John & Ryan