Mattress advice for big hips / back sleeping
Hello. I need help! I can’t face doing another trawl of the mattress shops. I had an old mattress that collapsed in the summer. After this I felt I needed firm support so bought a firm foam mattress from ikea that was like sleeping on concrete. After that I decided to spend more money and ordered a John Lewis Natural Collection Cotton 4000 Special Buy medium over Christmas. That was way too hard and I was still in agony and so, after many more hours spent in the showroom and many more bits of advice from various salesmen and women, I exchanged it for the Cotton 3000 medium, and that is also resulting in me waking in agony with mid back / shoulder pain and feels like my hips are sinking in without any support for my lower back curve – it feels even worse!
I have large hips and therefore quite a curve in my back that needs filling (around 6cm). I’m not a huge fan of the feel of memory foam (I don’t like feeling stuck in it) or latex (the ones I’ve laid on in shops have felt too firm). I also get quite hot in bed with some synthetic materials in a mattress (although my pillows and duvet are synthetic). I’m really not sure what to do now. The thought of wasting more hours in show rooms fills me with horror, as I’ve been kicked out of JL at closing time on a few occasions now… Should I be looking for a cheaper mattress and some sort of topper? Part of me is even tempted to spend more if it would guarantee I would get it right, but I’m not sure it would. Also I might rent out my flat at some point in the future, so a really pricey one might not be the best idea.
I was about to buy the Balmoral from Warren Evans in their recent sale as the reflex foam seemed to push up on my hand when I put it under the curve of my back (something the sales people in JL said I needed to do to test support for my back), but then the WE sales person told me that the Balmoral would feel too hard, so I gave up.
I have a bowed slated base and metal framed king-sized bed. I sleep on my back and side and am around 13.5 stone.
Any help appreciated!
Thanks guys.
L
Hi Lucy,
I am not surprised that you have come to the end of your tether in terms of trawling around bed shops!
Firstly, I cannot provide you with a direct comparison for any of the products you refer to as the published details in respect of the construction and upholstery are limited. What I can say is that it is all about support, because if you are not supported, no matter how initially comfortable you might feel, you will wake up with aches and pains. It is clear that a firm mattress is not suitable and your body weight does dictate a medium spring as being the most appropriate tension for your body weight.
| Bodyweight | Spring tension |
|---|---|
| Upto 16 Stone / 50-101kg | Medium (1.4mm) |
| 16 Stone / 101kg Upwards | Firm (1.6mm) |
| Available in Bespoke Products (Please Call) | Soft (1.2mm) |
Synthetic or not synthetic, that is the question and obviously this will have an impact of the cost. Our origins range contains mattresses with synthetic upholstery and we have never had any issues with overheating. The one I would suggest you look at is the Origins Pocket 1500 as this would provide you with a medium feel with support from the springs and comfort from the upholstery. The Pocket 1500 is described as a good all round medium feel mattress.
| John Ryan By Design Origins 1500 | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 300gsm Wool |
| 2 | 750gsm Very Soft Polyester |
| 3 | 500gsm Polyester Pad |
| 4 | One Inch Foam Insulator Layer |
| 5 | 1500 Spun Bond Pocket Springs |
If you are minded to spend more and opt for a naturally upholstered mattress, then I would suggest you view the Artisan Naturals in a medium spring tension. The 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 that we make to the Naturals 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 |
In addition to the above, I would suggest that you place a barrier between your mattress and the slats in the form of thin (3-5mm) MDF sheeting to provide the mattress with a uniform surface upon which to sit and avoid ridging occurring as a result of the mattress dipping into the gaps between the slats. This will, of course, make any mattress placed upon it feel slightly firmer overall.
I trust that this is of help to you, but if you require any further advice or guidance, please call our office on 0161 437 4419 to speak to our team of friendly advisors.
Kind regards,
Amy.
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