Hi Ian,

Thank you for your enquiry.  For anyone suffering from any form of back problems, the advice used to be that the firmer the better but that has changed now.  The correct spring tension for your body weight to give you the correct level of support is what is now advised.  For your body weight, we would pair you with a medium spring tension and your partner with a soft spring tension but because her height makes her borderline between the two she would still get support from a medium spring. This can be achieved if your partner opts for the soft spring with a dual spring one piece mattress in our Artisan range in king size and above.  Incorrect spring tension can exacerbate back problems.

The upholstery layers should then be based on your comfort preferences, sleeping habits and your budget. We would not recommend anything too firm in the comfort layers for anyone who sleeps on their sides as this can cause pressure pains in the shoulders, hips and knees.  For back sleepers, we would recommend more of a medium to firm feel in the comfort layers.

I would recommend the Artisan Tailored Pocket 2000. This is a medium in the comfort layers with the upholstery containing 85% natural fibres which offer the most cooling sleep surface.  The price for a double is within your budget at £950 (Jan 2019).  The spring tension in this range can be selected to suit your body weights unlike the similar upholstery feel of the Origins Pocket 1500 which has a medium spring tension as standard. If your partner opts for the medium spring tension then this mattress would also be suitable but would not be as cool as it is constructed with man-made fibres.

I hope the was helpful and if you would like any further information or would like to discuss the suitability of our mattresses please do not hesitate to contact the office on 0161 437 4419.

Kind Regards
Michaela