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June 2019

Shopping For a New Mattress? Make Sure You Ask These Questions!

If you’re shopping for a new mattress, it’s essential that you make the most informed decision possible, especially if you don’t want to end up regretting your mattress purchase. At John Ryan, we want to help you get the most soothing and supportive sleep experience possible. So, we’ve put together some questions that you should be asking when shopping for a new mattress, in order to help you achieve just that…

Can it support me?

back pain at night

Your mattress needs to have your back, literally. It should be able to fully support and comfort your body completely. Take a look at your current mattress, and use this as a benchmark for what you’re after in terms of support. Do you need something softer? Or something more firm? Either way a good place to start is knowing what spring tension your bodyweight requires. Here’s a handy table to get you started:

Spring TensionWire diameter (Gauge)Weight Range
Soft1.2mmBespoke Tension (Please Call)
Medium1.4mmUpto 16 stone
Firm1.6mm16 stone plus
Extra Firm / Orthopaedic1.9mm20 stone plus

A quality mattress should be able to evenly take the weight off your pressure points, as it gently cradles your shoulders, hips and spine. This is why our resilient and flexible pocket sprung mattresses are meticulously designed and can be tailored to your bodyweight, in order to leave you feeling seriously supported. The pocket springs each work independently to absorb all of your movements, reacting and adjusting themselves to the pressure the shape of your body makes.

Will it leave me hot and bothered?

Your body temperature at night plays a pivotal role in your sleep cycle, and can be affected by a number of things; from the weather to what you do throughout the day. However, your mattress can greatly affect your body temperature, especially if you’re already a hot sleeper. Memory foam and synthetic man-made materials can cause your body temperature to rise, leaving you to wake up feeling sweaty, clammy, and frustrated.

This is why is best to focus on traditional mattresses that use Natural Fibres, such as Wool, Bamboo and Alpaca. As these are all incredibly breathable and high wicking. For example, mattresses in our Artisan Range have all been designed to help combat heat, with their natural fillings providing a cooling, more breathable sleep surface that keeps you cool, calm and relaxed at night.

Is it suitable for my partner as well?

sleeping couple

If you sleep with a partner, then nighttime shuffling and shifting can often be a problem, especially when you’re sleeping on a mattress that can’t prevent you from rolling together and waking each other up. This is why you need to choose a mattress that’s larger and can cater to both of you.

Our Zip and Linked mattresses or traditional Pocket Sprung Mattresses allow for dual tension springs. This means that one side can be firmer, while the other is softer, in order to cater to both partner’s preferences. They are also designed to minimise motion transfer between you and your partner, resulting in far less disturbed sleep and a more soothing experience each night.

Will I be able to try it out first?

Unfortunately, there’s quite a few mattress retailers out there that don’t give you

chance to try out a new mattress properly in your own home. It takes time to truly see if a mattress is suitable for you and for your body to adjust to it; usually around 30 days in fact.

It’s essential that you choose a retailer that allows you the chance to try out your new mattress, before making the commitment to keep it for good. This is why we at John Ryan, offer our straightforward 60 Day Love it or Return It Guarantee. Because it’s crucial to us that you are completely satisfied and happy with your purchase.

How do I know it’s a high quality mattress?

artisan luxury

When it comes to purchasing your new mattress, it’s important to realise that the vast majority of manufacturers actually hold back on the key information you need when it comes to determining its quality. This information is the GSM value of upholstery, and you need to understand this to know quality and to accurately compare mattresses.

It stands for “grams per square metre” and refers to the weight of certain upholstery components within the mattress. It can also refer to the total weight of any upholstery components used on top of the springs; known as the ‘combined upholstery weight GSM’. Knowing this figure will allow you to determine the exact quality of any mattress, to make sure you’re getting what you deserve for your money.

Unfortunately, this figure is frequently left out of product descriptions, and many mattress retailers aren’t even given this important information from manufacturers. At John Ryan, we pride ourselves on giving you all the details that really matter. And we’ll always make sure you have access to the information you need to make the most informed mattress purchase decision.

With us you’ll never struggle to find the details you need to know, and we’ll answer any and all questions you have with quick, honest, no-nonsense advice. Please get in touch with our expert team today, on 0161 437 4419 for more information.


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