Is the Artisan Naturals bed right for my lower back pain?
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I asked for advice re which mattress to buy based on my weight of 8.5 st and my husband's of 10 st, heights 5'4" and 5'8" respectively, and the fact that for several months I have had lower back pain - this was the impetus to change our existing mattress, a 6-7 yr old pocket sprung mattress which had distinct settlement. The base (in excellent condition) is a sprung divan.
You suggested an Origins Pocket Latex but I had reservations about this as your table indicated that for my weight it would feel very firm; my husband was also uncertain about latex as he'd always had pocket springs.
Consequently I ordered the Artisan Naturals with medium tension. We have had this for 3 weeks now and I am still waking up with a stiff lower back (I realise that a new mattress won't miraculously solve the problem) and wonder if it's too soft. Another concern is the settlement issue: I can already see slight depressions where we sleep, and no amount of turning is going to change the section of the mattress that's slept on, unless one sleeps in the middle!
I know in the end it's partly subjective, but can you reassure me that this mattress is suitable or would I find the Origins Pocket Latex better? I don't want to get to the end of the 60 days and then find I've made an expensive mistake.
Hi Jena,
Thanks for getting in touch. You're right to seek some advice about the mattress to see if an exchange would be more suitable. We do our best to advise the right product or even suggest tweaks if things are not quite 100%!
Sorry to hear you're suffering from a sore back. As you say a mattress won't cure this but should help over time in ensuring that your mattress is not the cause of this. We would ask that visiting a doctor or chiropractor is always a good step if you're getting repeated discomfort just to check there's not something else going on. Then you can start eliminating the causes.
We would still advise that the medium in an Artisan Naturals should be supportive enough for you. Compared to the Origins Latex which is much firmer. A super firm mattress can often be the cause of back stiffness as well so it's getting the balance right. You can, of course, use the guarantee for a one time exchange if you prefer. We're always mindful of jumping from the frying pan into the fire though we wouldn't recommend a firmer spring as these are really reserved for a 15/16 stone sleeper plus!
As for settlement any new mattress will settle over the first few months and regular turning and rotating will even this out. A settlement is not the same as a dip or sag where one part fails. Settlement happens with all mattresses and even new sofas. A dip or sag is where part of the upholstery has completely compacted/sunk and doesn't return to a near original position once turned, shaken or rotated. So providing you follow the care leaflet any immediate settlement should resolve itself.
If you want to slightly firm up the feel of the Artisan Naturals you can place some ply or mdf on top of your sprung edge divan. This will ever so slightly firm up the feel and maybe a worthwhile approach and then give the mattress another couple of weeks. We have done this ourselves to tweak mattresses when you feel they may need a smidge more firmness. If you follow the boarding up slats article here it will show you how to quickly and cheaply do this.
We would recommend you try the mattress with this tweak for a few more weeks and then make a decision. If you prefer to call and speak to us on 0161 437 4419 we can give you some over the phone advice as well. We hope that helps Jena and if in doubt please call us.
Kind regards Julie
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