Firmness, gauge or count?
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Thank you for your reply. I have come to the conclusion that I would need a firm mattress to support my hip and spine (as I also have a couple of disc problems) + a good comfort layer such as memory foam (about 5cm thick). I purchased a 1000 pocket sprung mattress (13.5 gauge) about a month ago; it felt fine for the first two weeks but then it started sagging, causing pain in my neck, discs and hip. I definitely need a mattress that keeps my body in a level / straight position. By the way, yes, lying on the floor provides relief!
What I find annoying is the fact that a mattress can feel fine whilst lying on it in the store but it's after sleeping on i realize it's unreliable after all (sagging)!!
I would say that the gauge of the springs is a better indication to assess how suitable and reliable a mattress is going to be. I think i should go for a 12.5 gauge in the future regardless of the brand etc... I am however still confused regarding springs/" title="pocket spring">pocket spring mattresses; what determines the firmness of a pocket spring mattress??
is it the spring count or the gauge of the springs or both??
i have read that the higher the spring count, the softer the mattress but also the higher the count the firmer!!
i saw an orthopaedic pocket mattress with only 800 springs. how would it compare with a 1400 spring mattress?
Regards, Veronique
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Hi again Veronique.
A bit confusing this: Are you sure it was a pocket sprung mattress you purchased?
13.5g refers to the softest of the cage sprung units.
12.5g refers to the firmest of cage sprung units.
I have a gut feeling the mattress you purchased was a cage sprung unit rather than a pocket sprung unit.
You do make a very valid point about 'trying a mattress first', Nine times out of ten, and for the vast number of people there really is no need to do so - providing that the advice you receive about your purchase is absolutely in your interest.
As for your confusion over pocket springs, it's understandable: The tensions of pocket springs are gauged by the thickness of wire used.
As a ball park figure 1.28mm would be considered a soft spring and 1.50mm would be considered a firm spring.
However, the number of pocket springs used will have an effect of the overall support level.
On a 1500 count for example, the diameter of the spring will be in the region of 2" (50mm) The more springs contained mean the diameter will be smaller and thus the tension will be affected.
As a point of note, this is way too big an area to explain in a few paragraphs.
Our revised site [new year] will have an extensive overview on pocket springs .
The thing to remember is that the bulk of pocket springs are mass produced, usually of a medium tension and form the basis of many mid priced mattresses.
No matter what - any pocket sprung unit is infinitely better than any cage sprung unit.
800 pocket springs is deemed a low count, to refer to it as Orthopaedic means that the spring gauge itself is high AND / OR the manufacturer is using additional or extra supportive insulator directly over the spring unit - Obviously this is only speculation as you do not provide any model / manufacturer names for me to overview.
If you do like the feel of memory foam, then please view our Fusion range. These are 100% natural latex mattresses, they have a similar feel to memory foam but they are far more responsive and they don't need your heat to work, as they are a natural product meaning they are much cooler aswell.
Finally Veronique, I really would advise you to give us a call.
John and Ryan. 0161 437 4419
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