Mattress Jargon And Bed Trends to Avoid

If you’re currently shopping around for a new mattress, then you’ll have probably already come across the endless sales talk and jargon that gets thrown at you by various sellers. Not to mention all the trends which can suck you in too. If you’re not careful you can end up getting swept up by it all, regretting your mattress purchase and putting your quality sleep time in jeopardy.

Given the fact you’re going to be spending on average around 7 years with your mattress, we want to make sure you don’t get sucked into a trend that you regret. Here are the latest bed trends you definitely want to avoid!

Pillow top mattresses

You may be aware of the peculiar pillow top craze that spread around various bed retailers. We say peculiar because pillow tops, of course, involve a layer (pillow) of sumptuous upholstery permanently being stitched to the mattress, which is supposed to give off a decadent, hotel-like experience with a sumptuous soft topper

However, because it’s permanently stuck to the mattress, you won’t be able to turn it when the layer becomes worn etc, which can end up negatively affecting the lifespan of the whole mattress. This is why we offer separate luxurious toppers, which can be turned and rotated as you see fit.

Combining this with a hand-crafted two sided mattress, and you can get all the benefits of a pillow top without any of the drawbacks. If you ever need to replace the separate topper, you won’t end up having to potentially replace your whole mattress.

“No turn” and one-sided mattresses

In terms of saving yourself some time, you might be tempted by the influx of one-sided boxed mattresses, which all boast the “no turn” benefit. But don’t be fooled into thinking that the no turn element to these mattresses is actually a benefit. Many memory foam and foam based beds have to be one-sided because it’s a necessary requirement, not a extra perk or feature that’s being offered to you.

A one-sided mattress can’t be turned because if it was, the fillings in the top layer would be crushed, and unable to return to their original shape. Even any material layer under the base, would be compressed over time, eventually becoming useless; so these mattresses have to be one-sided. Unfortunately though, not turning your mattress can actually reduce its lifespan dramatically.

The only way you should be tempted by a no turn mattress is if it is half the price of the comparable two-sided model! Which leads us onto the top offender in one-sided mattresses, the bed in a box mattress.

Bed in a box mattresses

Another unfortunate trend is boxed mattresses, where usually cheaper foam mattresses and toppers are wrapped up and boxed before being sent out to you. Just knowing how exactly to trap these beds in a box can be problematic, never mind the fact that rolling and storing them this way for long periods can actually cause significant damage.

It’s a tactic often used to save on any storage or delivery space, as mattresses are vacuum packed and rolled into the box. Yes, these boxed beds are given appealing marketing names and aesthetically pleasing covers, but the process of crushing the air out of the foam to reduce their size, only serves to put the mattress under stress before it’s heat-sealed into a bag. Materials can tear, springs can deform and fabric can become stretched and rippled; all thanks to this space-saving practice.

You’re still just buying a synthetic foam mattress no matter how it is dressed up or marketed. Remember the Memory foam craze of the noughties, well it is exactly the same.

At John Ryan, we would never sell rolled mattresses, because we don’t believe your mattress; which is supposed to provide you with the best night’s sleep, deserves to be crushed and damaged for the sake of arriving in a box. Only the thinnest foam models can be crushed so it says a lot about the quality of the mattress being rolled.

Our pocket sprung well-upholstered mattresses for example, far exceed the quantities and GSM of any boxed bed. They can’t be boxed, because there are simply too many fibres inside them. The quality of our mattresses and the luxury comfort you deserve, can’t be boxed up like a cheaply made alternative. Besides, wouldn’t you also want a delivery team to take it to your bedroom, set it up and remove the packaging for you?

Quality Mattresses will disclose the GSM

Remember, mattress companies have no legal requirement to tell you any quantity of upholstery by weight. Meaning you could read a description that tells you the mattress contains, or is blended with, or has luxurious layers of a certain material; but you would have no real idea how much you’re actually getting for your money. Without knowing the Grams per square meter or GSM then you’re buying blind. The example below shows a Premier Inn Hypnos mattress, where no GSM is given, compared to the listing for our comparative (and two sided may we add) model.

Any mattress manufacturer worth their salt should be able to tell you the GSM of the upholstery in your mattress or density and depths of the foams. If not you need to ask yourself; what are they hiding?

Wading through all of the jargon, unhelpful trends and lack of information can make buying a new mattress a very daunting process. To avoid getting ripped off by sellers, always keep in mind that any cage sprung mattress could never compare to the quality of a pocket sprung mattress. The former will have been cheaply made, and will feel uncomfortable to sleep on. You also need to know the weight of any fillings. If you can’t find this out then you’ll never know whether the mattress is going to last. Which is why knowing the GSM of a mattress is vital.

Don’t get sucked in by the clever marketing techniques, once you see that the mattress doesn’t contain pocket springs or any detail of upholstery weights, steer clear. The best quality pocket springs are calico encased, like the ones used in our Artisan Range. Each and every one of our mattresses has been designed by us and are only sold by us. No one else gets to retail them. We make sure our mattress descriptions are as detailed as possible and always include the exact weights of upholstery.

We take pride in providing you with all the information you require, along with the customer service and care you need when purchasing your new Luxury Mattress. Our business and reputation is built on this, and it’s also why we provide you with a 60-day guarantee of love it or return it on all of our mattresses. So why not buck the trend and give our small expert team a call today?