What bed would help reduce my back and hip pain?
We are looking for some advice on what bed would be right for us. We have been to a number of bed shops and have lain on many types of bed, listening to the rhetoric which the sales assistants think we want to hear. As soon as I mention back and hip pain we are shown the memory foam type beds. We understand that these type of beds take some time to get used to, and as we have been used to spring based beds for 50+ years we don’t think we want to start changing now. Also we have read many reviews that people get very hot with these type of beds, as I have my own problem with night sweats, I don’t think memory foam is good for choice for me.
We currently have a King sized Vi-Spring (Glastonbury) divan bed set. The bed has individual pocketed springing with 1475 Vanadium treated steel springs, each inserted within its own calico pocket, and then honeycomb nested to ensure independent posture support. It has three rows of hand side-stitching to attach the mattress borders to the spring unit. It has long stranded, white curled hair hand-teased with pure, soft lambswool. It is encased in hairproof cambric and overlaid with fire-retardant white cotton felt. The spring-edge divan contains heavy gauge, open spring unit to complement the mattress. The mattress and divan are both covered with a superior damask ticking. We think it is a medium to soft spring tension.
As you can probably tell by the description we still have the brochure. The bed is over 20 years old, and was very expensive for then (£1500), but is in excellent condition (having turned it twice a year) and we probably wouldn’t change if it wasn’t for my progressive back and hip problems. My husband does have a bad back but does not have any problems sleeping (6’ / 11st) so doesn’t mind what King sized bed we get, as long as it is going to help me.
I am 5’ 2”/ 8.5st and have a number of problems with my back, neck and now in the last six months, my hips. I am a side sleeper but find it very painful to sleep on either side, so am constantly turning to try and reduce the pain, and therefore do not get a good night’s sleep.
We have a much cheaper mattress (about 5 years old) in the spare bedroom, which we have been sleeping in for the last week. It has made some difference to my back not being so stiff in the morning, and some nights not so much pain in my hips. I realise that a good replacement bed is not going to sort out my medical problems, but hope will go some way to relieve some of the pressure and pain.
My husband did call and spoke to a helpful lad who suggested the Artisan Natural or Bespoke 004 (Medium). We have been looking at these suggestions on your website but are not sure if medium would still be too firm for me. What is your opinion to soft v medium? Also not sure if the Bespoke 002 would be better as it has a lot more springs (extra 408)? We know that it is £400 more expensive, but if the difference can provide much better support/pain relief then it would be worth the extra cost.
Also would our current Vi-Spring divan still be okay, and therefore we could just change the mattress? We don’t know how important the divan is compared to the mattress: like a carpet with good underlay will make a cheaper carpet last longer than a good carpet on a cheap underlay.
Some reviewers have also mentioned they use mattress toppers, is this necessary if you have an expensive bed? Do toppers make any difference? How long are they expected to last?
Hello Susan,
Many thanks for your enquiry.
Whilst you have provided some detail in respect of your current mattress, these days only with full details of the construction and upholstery in terms of GSM, would enable us to provide some degree of comparison. Having said that, we have noted that the Glastonbury did have a double spring unit, which our Artisan Bespoke 002 also has. The spring tension is determined by your body weight, too soft or too firm can cause problems. All the springs in the Artisan models referred to are made from vanadium steel, similar to Vi-Spring.
With your particular body weights, we would recommend a split spring tension, soft for you and medium for your husband. It may well be that over time, even though is has been turned, your current mattress upholstery has become more compressed providing a firmer feel than when it was first purchased and this can cause you to wake with joint and back pain. Our advice to look at the Artisan Naturals or Bespoke 004 was correct provided that you select the right spring tension. Both will provide the same overall feel with the Naturals having 85% natural upholstery and the 004 having 100%. The Bespoke 002 also has 100% identical to the 004 and, as stated, has the double spring unit providing a more forgiving/bouncier feeling.
As far as your base is concerned, provided that it is in good order, there is no need to replace it as well as the mattress. With mattress toppers, these are normally required to provide an extra layer of comfort or to soften a mattress which is feeling too firm. We would not advocate buying a topper at the same time as your new mattress, as it can take between 4-6 weeks to get a true feel for any new mattress.
If you buy a topper at the outset, it may prove to be an unnecessary expense. The longevity of a topper would depend upon what materials are used, although with proper care and attention. Please see our article here for further information on correct care and maintenance.
We trust that the above is of help to you, but if you require any further advice or guidance in respect of our products, please call our office on 0161 437 4419 and speak with one of our advisors. We are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Kind Regards, Lee.
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