Should I buy a zip & link mattress?
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John and Ryan, It is great to see enthusiasts who are concerned about quality first and foremost; thank you. Unfortunately, my children are suffering on this fine Sunday morning, as I have been so wrapped up with your website that their breakfast has been relegated to second place!
Having read for some time, I am now in a decent place to ask some questions. I am in the Forces so we move from house to house when posted. After 10 years on an M&S "soft" 2400 pocket sprung mattress (Relyon made I believe), I now get lower back pain so it is time for a change. I am 6'3" and 15 and a half stone, and my wife is 9.8 stone (which I mischievously round up to 10!). We have just bought a super king, oak, sprung slatted base from M&S and need a mattress. The slats are 5cms apart ( a shade under 2") and there is a central supporting bar (so essentially 2 lots of independent slats). The exact width of the mattressable area is 6'. Given that we may move in a year to a house with a tight stair case, I am seriously considering a zip-linked one. Embarrassingly, I have started to snore as the years and the weight has crept up and I would like something firm enough so that I could once again sleep on my front if possible. I had considered Tempur but my wife is put off by the potential for sweaty summer nights; pocket sprung is therefore the way to go. First question - are the ridges noticeable on a zip-link and if so, would a topper alleviate this?
Second question - given the 6' width, is a zip-link out of the question?
Third question - has our purchase of sprung slats changed things significantly?
Finally, we are willing to spend up to £2K. The one thing that I have not done is look at your range (the children had to win at some point) so I am open to your advice. Many thanks in advance, Greig >
Hi Greig,
Thank you for your questions.
The one thing that jumps out at me is the precise mattressable area of your bed frame at precisely 6' - It would have been nice to see a bed frame from M&S having some extra tolerance of an inch or so to accommodate a Ziplink set which may be a very tight fit (all mattresses have a +tolerance of 1-2cm). Please mention this at time of ordering so that the manufacturer can make an allowance for your bed frame.
Secondly, the weight difference between you and your wife is important to address. At this point I would say that your wife will require a soft spring and you will require a medium spring tension. I don't think an overall single tension will be suitable for you both. Therefore, either a Ziplink combo (S+M) or dual spring tension in a one piece is the way to go. Bear in mind also that a SKS one piece will be difficult to maintain (turning and rotating).
The break between the two Z&L matts is not overly noticeable but you will be aware of it. Using a one piece topper will benefit not only the comfort / longevity properties but alleviate the join of the two mattresses. This I'm afraid is the compromise to a one piece unit..
The central support bar on your frame will also need addressing; All pocket sprung mattresses like a flat even surface and the hump of the slats may cause the mattress to lie unevenly. Bridging the slats with MDF will help with this. The slatted bed frame will make the overall feel of the mattress different (less cushioning) than had you opted for a sprung edged divan.
Finally Greig, don't be tempted to opt for a 'firm' mattress if your actual body weight does not require it. The springs have to have an element of movement for them to work properly. The levels of upholstery we use will also contribute to the overall mattress tension and therefore you can resume your front sleeping position quite comfortably. Your budget of £2k is quite generous but don't think that the more you spend will give you an equivalent amount of extra comfort. It will only be the materials used that has an effect on price and your budget should be balanced between mattress (support) and Toppers (Comfort).
I would advise you look at The Artisan range as your starting point, the Naturals in particular and use that as your benchmark. The Artisan Naturals is our most popular, unbeatable model with 85% natural fibres. Containing a huge GSM of fillings, including wool and mohair, on a Calico pocket spring unit. This medium feel hand crafted mattress is where we stake our reputation as ‘The Mattress Specialists’. The closest comparison we can make to this model is the Vi Spring Regal Superb
| John Ryan By Design Artisan Naturals | Vi Spring Regal Superb | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1200gsm Blended British Fleece Wool and Cotton. | 900gsm Blended real Shetland Isle Fleece Wool and Cotton |
| 2 | Hairproof Cambric Cover | Hairproof Cambric Cover |
| 3 | 1250gsm Rebound Poly Cotton | 1200gsm long stranded Horsetail blended with British Fleece Wool |
| 4 | 1500gsm 100% Pure Mohair | 1000gsm Bonded British Fleece Wool and Cotton |
| 5 | 1600 Calico encased Pocket Springs [ 49mm ] [1.28mm ] | 1720 Calico encased Pocket Springs [48mm ] [1.28mm ] |
| Total GSM | 3950gsm | 3100gsm |
I hope this helps but should you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact the office on 0161 437 4419 to speak to one of our friendly advisors.
Kind regards,
Amy.
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