Hi Steven,

Thanks for getting in touch about Dreams mattresses and the Dreams Sleep Match recommendations. We often get a lot of comments good and bad about Dreams mattresses. Some due to the wrong mattress being matched to the customer - you can read more on spring tensions below and why they are so important. Sometimes it's the expectations that are not properly explained by Dreams to customers when it comes to some of the more entry-level mattresses, such as one-sided models. These inevitably have a far shorter shelf life and can sag far faster. When people are paying £600-£1000 plus for them, it can come as a bit of a shock!

Dreams are great because it has a huge range of mattresses. Finding the right mattress for you though can be a daunting and confusing challenge.

The problem is if you don't know exactly what you want, and their staff don't do a full fact find and then apply your specific sleep requirements to the mattress, then you're left simply guessing. It's an expensive risk if you get it wrong.

Let's have a look at the Dreams mattress models and what advice we can give you to compare and choose the correct mattress. If you haven't already looked at our database that quickly compares hundreds of mattresses in one click then check the mattress compare tool out here.

Dreams Sleep Machine Explained:

The Dreams Sleep Match has given you a firm support whereas the Bensons for Beds Machine has said a medium support. This may show you just how inaccurate such 'machines' are at working out the tension/comfort you need from a mattress.

Put simply the support you need in a mattress can be worked out with a pair of bathroom scales. This is because mattress support is entirely dictated by your bodyweight. So there's no need to lie awkwardly on a 'sleep machine' to work this out. We're not sure how this machine can assess your comfort rating, given that's totally subjective. At best all this machine can do is weight you and give you your ideal spring tension.

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 Dreams:

The table below will give you an understanding of the spring tension or mattress support you need. 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 weight and don't relate to mattress comfort. ie upholstery

If you're not at the extremes of height then the table is really accurate.

Bodyweight	Spring tension
Upto 16 Stone / 50-101kg	Medium (1.4mm)
16 Stone / 101kg Upwards	Firm (1.6mm)
Available in Bespoke Products (Please Call)	Soft (1.2mm)

Mattress Comfort is based on Upholstery not Spring Counts

The next important area to note is that no machine will be able to tell you what comfort you prefer. This is subjective so based entirely on your preference. Comfort is created by the upholstery layers placed on top of the pocket spring or support unit. This is where you have the most variance and choice when buying a new mattress.

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

Dreams Mattresses Compared:

The next thing to do is closely scrutinise the Dreams mattresses you have tested in their shops. Looking at exactly what is in each one and how those fibres work together to provide the ultimate feel and quality level of the mattress. To do this you need to know the following:

 

1. Pocket spring count, type and gauge
2. The upholstery grams per square meter ie weight and depth of each layer
3. Mattress detailing and whether its a 1 or 2 sided mattress.

 

Hyde and Sleep Lemon Memory Foam Mattress Review:

The Hyde and Sleep Lemon mattress from Dreams is an entirely synthetic memory and foam-based mattress which is one-sided. Meaning you can only use one side increasing the potential settlement straight away as you can't even out wear and tear as easily.

It's in a very firm feel foam. Sadly you can see from the specifications below that it doesn't really tell you much. There's no density of foam given only a 5cm depth. The bare minimum for memory foam in reality. You would need to know the exact additional layer depths and densities to comment on the quality of this mattress. For example, what are these 3 unique zones and whereabouts are they in the mattress?

Image from Dreams.co.uk

Given its only got a 1 year guarantee for £749 mattress we would be cautious.

• Premium memory foam mattress
• 5cm pressure relieving memory foam layer
• High density foam base with ventilation channels to aid breathability
• 3 unique zones offering tailored support across all areas of the body
• Soft-touch, breathable knitted cover
• Comfort grade - Very Firm
• 1 year guarantee
• Rotate regularly - Rotate head to toe weekly for the first three months, then every month thereafter

Have a look at our Origins Reflex mattress for a comparison based on a firm comfort and price point. Note the Reflex is 2-sided.

Flaxbys Natures Finest Refine Mattress Review:

The Flaxby Natures Finest mattress is made by Harrison Spinks one of the UK's top mattress manufacturers. It's a pocket sprung mattress with a mi of synthetic and natural fibre fillings.

Again the detail is very scarce which makes it almost impossible to compare accurately.

For example, there are 3000 pocket springs but no gauge of wire or type listed. From the image, these are entry-level spun-bond (polyester covered pocket springs). There is also a layer of micro springs on top of these pocket springs instead which we have written about here. We prefer upholstery instead of adding tiny springs that compress completely. We find they serve no purpose. The insulator is a 'white fibre' aka polyester which bridges the gap between the springs and the upholstery layers.

Image from Dreams.co.uk

The natural cotton layer also gives no depth or GSM so it could be 200gsm or 1000gsm. Without knowing its impossible to know how it will feel and how long it will last.

It's a firm feel and sadly its one sided. For the price of £1199 you should be demanding a two sided model. Checkout our Artisan 1500 for a direct comparison of what you can get at that price point in a firmer feel.

• 3000 pocket springs
• Ventilating and temperature regulating exclusive DNAir pocket springs
• 100% Viscose Belgian Damask Finish preventing wear away and overheating
• Split Tension/Zipped Options So you and your partner can both sleep happy
• Rotate Regularly - Rotate head to toe weekly for the first three months, then every month thereafter
• Exclusively handmade by Harrison Spinks in the UK
• 5 year guarantee as standard

Hyde and Sleep Orange Mattress Review:

The Hy & Sleep orange is a bed in a box mattress. Ie one that can be crushed and rolled for cheaper storage and delivery. Again it's a firm memory foam mattress. As you may have guessed there's pretty much zero discernable information available on Dreams website about this mattress. It's listed as having next-gen memory foam but then zero detail about the deth, density or makeup of this foam. Memory foam is notoriously bad at retaining heat and keeping people awake at night if they are already a warmer sleeper. This is why next-gen foams have appeared. However, no matter what is added or put on top of the foam it doesn't significantly reduce the heat issues. So we would consider this with any memory foam mattress choice.

The luxurious cover also looks suspiciously like a polyester stretch cover which is nowhere near as breathable as a damask or cotton cover.

Image from Dreams.co.uk

This mattress also uses micro pocket springs and then some undisclosed layers of foam on top and beneath. This is a one sided mattress with a 1 year guarantee for nearly £700. Again look at our Origins Reflex for a direct comparison at this price point.

• 1666 pocket springs
• Supportive 2,000 (king) micro pocket springs
• Wrapped in a luxurious breathable cover
• 40 night comfort guarantee
• 1 year guarantee
• Comfort grade - Very Firm
• Made in the UK
• Rotate Regularly - Rotate head to toe weekly for the first three months, then every month thereafter

Sleepeezee Chelmsford Mattress Review:

The last mattress you've tried is the pillowtop Sleepeezee Chelmsford model from Dreams. This again is a firm feel and is one-sided due to both the pillowtop and the fact it's a memory foam mattress.

You've probably guessed it by now but there is very little detail again about any of the fillings. Which leaves you and us guessing as to their the true comfort and durability potential. This is an entirely synthetic mattress using layers of polyester and memory foam to provide the comfort on top of two layers of synthetic spun bond springs.

Image from Dreams.co.uk

One word of advice is around pillow tops and settlement. You may have already read the online comments about sagging mattresses that have pillow tops, like the Premier Inn mattress. This is because pillow tops are usually very soft but also are permanently attached to the mattress below. Meaning you cant turn or even out the initial settlement of the fibres. This can lead to the mattress dipping rather quickly as the same areas you sleep in each night compress and cannot be evened out through turning. We would advise you to look at our Artisan 1500 mattress as a direct comparison for the firmer feel but with a two-sided true pocket spring model.

• 1967 pocket springs
• Layer of supportive memory foam
• Sumptuously soft pillow top for added comfort
• Royal Warrant mattress - bestowed for quality and excellence
• Soft-touch velour cover
• Comfort grade - Firm
• 1 year guarantee
• Rotate regularly - rotate head to toe weekly for the first three months, then every month thereafter
• Made in the UK

In summary, you've been preferring the firmer comfort feel mattresses. Whilst the details are scarce we can provide two alternatives to add to the mix based on your comfort preferences.

Origins Reflex Mattress

1: 750GSM VERY SOFT POLYESTER

2: ONE INCH REFLEX FOAM LAYER

3: 270GSM POLYESTER

4: ONE INCH REFLEX FOAM LAYER

5: 1000 SPUN BOND POCKET SPRINGS (MED OR FIRM TENSION)

TOTAL: 1020GSM

DEPTH: 33-35CM

Artisan 1500 Mattress

1: 500GSM WOOL

2: 600GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON (50/50 BLEND)

3: 700GSM POLYESTER

4: 600GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON (50/50 BLEND)

5: 700GSM POLYESTER

6: 1200GSM CASHMERE HAIR PAD AS INSULATOR

7: 1500 SPUN BOND POCKET SPRINGS (SOFT, MEDIUM OR FIRM)

TOTAL 4300GSM

CHEMICAL FREE COVER

Are Dreams Beds any good?

To answer the last part of your question it really depends on how much information you can get from Dreams about whichever mattresses you're looking at. Dreams stock beds from numerous manufacturers some better than others. It's a real shame they refuse to give you all the detail you need to accurately compare the quality and suitability of Dreams mattresses.

To know whether or not a mattress in Dreams is good value why not compare it to the handy table below. It shows exactly what you should expect for your budget.

How much to spend on a double mattress?	What can I expect for my money?
Under £500	Will not get you much at best a 13.5 gauge open coil/cage sprung with a thin polyester layer or a solid foam mattress.
£500	Entry level spunbond springs with some form of synthetic upholstery. Usually one sided mattresses.
£750	The beginnings of a basic pocket springs unit with 800 – 1000 count. No substantial amount of filling other than foams and synthetic materials. Two sided models.
£1000	Should get you away from most low ranges and into the mid-range pocket spring models.
£1250	Should get you a decent pocket sprung mattress with some Natural Fibre content.
£1500	Should get you many manufacturers mid-range models with Natural Fibres
£1500-£2000	Should get you a Hand Made primarily Natural Fibre Quality Mattress
£2000+	You should expect 100% Natural Fibres and Traditional Hand Made Construction Method.
£5000+	A Bespoke Hand Made Sleep System, High-end Spring Units & Featuring the Worlds Most Luxurious Natural Fibres.

Have a look below at our mattress buying guide to help you steer away from the lower quality mattresses.

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

 

All the best

John & Ryan