Hi Helen,

Many thanks for your enquiry, teenagers eh!. It is useful that you have managed to provide some projections for future growth and weight, as this usually requires an amount of guess work on our part.

The first thing to say is that at present your son falls just below the threshold for a medium spring tension/feel, please see the article on springs here, which you may find interesting. We do make two distinct types of pocket sprung mattresses, one with synthetic upholstery (Origins range) and one with natural upholstery (Artisan range). For longevity, we would normally recommend, provided that the budget permits, a product from our Artisan range. There is a link to an article on natural fibres here to assist.

As far as a specific recommendation is concerned, we would suggest that you view the Artisan Naturals (our best seller in this range) and the  Artisan Bespoke 004 .The spring tension in both of the products can be selected to suit the body weight of the user and although your son is currently on the cusp, we would suggest, with the predictions made, that you choose the medium tension. The Artisan Naturals has 85% natural upholstery and the 004 has 100%, with both providing a very similar feel in the upholstery layers . Both mattresses are double sided, so require turning and rotating on a regular basis to prolong longevity and spread the wear and tear.

With regard to the slatted base, we would always recommend placing some form of barrier, usually thin (3-5mm) MDF over the slats to provide the mattress with a uniform surface upon which to sit and avoid ridging occurring as a result of the mattress dipping into the gaps between the slats. This will also have the effect of making the mattress ever so slightly firmer.

We trust that the above is of assistance to you, but if you require any further advice or guidance, please do not hesitate to call our office on 0161 437 4419.

Kind regards Julie