John Lewis and Staples Mattresses Reviewed

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for contacting us regarding your Staples mattress.    I completely understand how you must be feeling however I will try to alleviate your worries with regard to the Refresh mattress you purchased. We get asked all the time about John Lewis mattresses and whether they are a good buy for sleepers. Before we answer, we need to address the issue of the Staples mattress being a one-sided mattress. You should only expect a one-sided mattress if you're paying half the price of a two-sided model. One-sided models restrict you to one side and can have a really short shelf life in comparison once the fillings settle. It's not that there is anything wrong with the John Lewis model, just that you could get a lot more for your money with a 2-sided alternative. Another major difference is that the two Staples models you mention above have 2 rows of Hand Side Stitching rather than machine stitched as on the John Lewis Refresh.  Another huge difference in terms of overall build quality. Comparing John Lewis Mattresses: We have written a really detailed article that compares the John Lewis mattress range here which maybe of help for you to know what to look out for. The John Lewis Refresh gives very minimal details other than being a one-sided medium feel mattress. You're going to need to be able to identify the following areas to really compare a John Lewis Mattress:

• The exact GSM of fillings
• Spring type, gauge and number contained
• Mattress details such as one or two sided, tufting type, cover type etc

The one thing which we are unsure about are the weights of fillings used in any of them. We list all of our weights for our range here. We explain a bit more below about wool as an example of a natural mattress fibre which maybe helpful to watch. If you want to see an example of the kind of detail you should expect to see on a quality mattress, then have a look at our Artisan Naturals below which is also a medium feel mattress. How to compare mattresses: The best comparison to the John Lewis Refresh mattress is our Artisan Naturals pictured below. It has a true Medium feel and is 85% Natural fibre with a calico encased pocket spring.

I can personally attest to the comfort of this mattress, as I have been using it for almost 14 years now. It truly is the most comfortable mattress I have ever slept on, which says a lot about its quality.

Artisan Naturals Mattress 1 1200GSM BLENDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON 2 HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER 3 1250GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON 4 1500GSM 100% PURE MOHAIR 5 1600 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [49MM ] [1.28MM ] TOTAL: 3950GSM DEPTH: 27-30CM CHEMICAL FREE COVER    How much you should spend on a new mattress is explained fully within this article here which I hope you find informative. We would always recommend you view two mattresses side by side in this way detailing as much as you can about them. Then you can correctly compare their feels, value and quality. For your information, we do make two ranges of Traditional Pocket Sprung Mattress, our Origins Range here and our Artisan Range here If you would like more information relating to any of our Mattresses, please give the office a call on 0161 437 4419 and speak with our friendly and informative Team who will be able to assist you further. Regards Julie

Hi Alex.

Thanks for this question. We get asked all the time about John Lewis mattresses and whether they are a good buy for sleepers. Before we answer that we need to address the issue of the Staples mattress is the issue of the John Lewis being a one-sided mattress.

You should only expect a one-sided mattress if you're paying half the price of a two-sided model. One-sided models restrict you to one side and can have a really short shelf life in comparison once the fillings settle. It's not that theres anything wrong with the John Lewis model just that you could get a lot more for your money with a 2-sided alternative.

Another major difference is that the two Staples models you mention above has 2 rows of Hand Side Stitching rather than machine stitched as on the John Lewis Refresh. Another huge difference in terms of overall build quality.

Comparing John lewis Mattresses:

We have written a really detailed article that compares the John Lewis mattress range here which maybe of help for you to know what to look out for. The John Lewis Refresh gives very minimal details other than being a one-sided medium feel mattress.

You're going to need to be able to identify the following areas to really compare a John Lewis Mattress:

• The exact GSM of fillings
• Spring type, gauge and number contained
• Mattress details such as one or two sided, tufting type, cover type etc

The one thing which we are unsure about are the weights of fillings used in any of them. We list all of our weights for our range here. We explain a bit more below about wool as an example of a natural mattress fibre which maybe helpful to watch.

If you want to see an example of the kind of detail you should expect to see on a quality mattress, then have a look at our Artisan Naturals below which too is a medium feel mattress.

How to compare mattresses:

The best comparison to the John Lewis Refresh mattress is our Artisan Naturals pictured below. It has a true Medium feel and is 85% Natural fibre with a calico encased pocket spring.

Artisan Naturals Mattress

1 1200GSM BLENDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON

2 HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER

3 1250GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON

4 1500GSM 100% PURE MOHAIR

5 1600 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [49MM ] [1.28MM ]

TOTAL:
3950GSM

DEPTH:
27-30CM

CHEMICAL FREE COVER

How much should you spend on a new mattress?

As a guide below is a table that shows exactly what you can expect for your budget regardless of where you buy your mattress. This should act as a helpful aid when browsing mattress shops and retailers.

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.

We would always recommend you view two mattresses side by side in this way detailing as much as you can about them. Then you can correctly compare their feels, value and quality. All of our pocket sprung mattresses are double-sided, whether that be our man made range or our natural range.

If you would like more information please give the office a call on 0161 437 4419.

John and Ryan.