Hi Adrian,

Thanks for your question, It is a really common one and an area of mattress selection that 90% of people get wrong! That part is spring tension selection when buying a new bed.

When choosing a new mattress 90% of the time buyers mistakenly pick the spring tension as the 'overall comfort or softness feel' of the mattress. Ie they choose a firm spring thinking it will give the mattress a firmer feel overall or they choose a soft spring for a soft feel in the top layer.

The issue with this is that spring tensions are designed for bodyweight ranges and not the feel of the mattress. The majority of the true firmness feel of the mattress comes from the upholstery layers on top of this spring unit. Sure a firm spring will make a bed feel firmer in the initial support but not the comfort layer ie upholstery which is the main sleeping area of the bed. Which is why choosing the right comfort layers is essential.

Spring tensions are manufactured for 3 distinct weight ranges below:

Spring Tension	Wire diameter (Gauge)	Weight Range
Soft	1.2mm	Bespoke Tension (Please Call)
Medium	1.4mm	Upto 16 stone
Firm	1.6mm	16 stone plus
Extra Firm / Orthopaedic	1.9mm	20 stone plus

At 18 stone we would recommend you choose the appropriate 1.6 gauge firm spring but then look for soft comfort layers in the mattress. This is where most retailers fall short. As they mistakenly only list the spring tension consumers end up buying the wrong support in a mattress which is either too forgiving ie you sink too much or too punishingly firm.
We list all of our comfort layers, the Grams per square meter and all other details that most retailers fail to disclose to mattress shoppers.

If you're wanting a medium feel mattress then please look at our Artisan Bepsoke 004. Hand crafted with 100% natural fibres and vanadium coated pocket springs, this tailored sleep experience includes an additional layer of breathable bamboo providing a true medium feel two sided mattress.

Artisan Bespoke 004 Mattress

1: 1200GSM BLENDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON

2: HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER

3: 200GSM SOFT BAMBOO

4: 1200GSM PURE HORSETAIL

5: 1000GSM BONDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON

6: 1600 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [ 49MM ] [1.28MM]

TOTAL: 3600GSM

DEPTH: 27-30CM

CHEMICAL FREE COVER

 

If you're looking for a super soft mattress then check out our Artisan Luxury. I love a soft mattress and have this one for a very deep sink. Like all mattresses, it will need turning each month, especially as it's soft. You really need to want a very deep sink if you choose this model as a word of caution, but a fantastic mattress.

Artisan Luxury Mattress

1: 1200 GSM BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON

2: HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER

3: 1200GSM PURE HORSEHAIR

4: 500GSM PURE WOOL

5: 1200GSM PURE HORSETAIL

6: 500GSM PURE WOOL

7: 1476 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [51MM] [1.42MM]

TOTAL: 4600GSM

DEPTH: 27-30CM

CHEMICAL FREE COVER

Alternatively, you could add a soft topper to the Artisan Bespoke 004 which can be removed and replaced when necessary. A topper will allow you to soften the top layer, never firm it up (another retail myth). So that model may give you the most options. Here's a handy table to help you see which fibres are soft and the price point to guide you with mattress selection.

Upholstery Layer	Fibre Type	How it will feel?	Price Point
Polyester	Synthetic	Soft	Cheap
White Fibre	Synthetic	Soft/Medium	Cheap
Recycled Fibre / Eco Fibre	Synthetic	Medium	Cheap
Memory Foam	Synthetic	Medium/Firm	Mid Price
Igel / Hybrid Foam	Synthetic	Medium/Firm	Mid Price
Polycotton	Synthetic/Natural Blend	Soft/Medium	Mid Price
Linen	Synthetic/Natural Blend	Medium	Mid Price
Wool (Pure)	Natural	Soft/Medium	High-End
Cotton (Pure)	Natural	Soft	High-End
Silk	Natural	Soft	Expensive
Horsehair	Natural	Medium	High-End
Mohair	Natural	Medium/Firm	High-End
Hemp	Natural	Medium	High-End
Latex (100% Natural)	Natural	Medium/Firm	High-End
Coir	Natural	Firm	High-End
Flax	Natural	Firm	High-End
Coarse Cashmere	Natural	Firm	High-End
Bamboo	Natural	Super Soft	Expensive / Exclusive
Horsetail	Natural	Firm	Expensive / Exclusive
Alpaca	Natural	Soft	Expensive / Exclusive
Cashmere (Pure)	Natural	Soft	Expensive / Exclusive
Vicuna	Natural	Super Soft	Expensive / Exclusive

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

All the best John & Ryan