Vispring mattress review, comparison & alternatives

Artisan Naturals comparison

The Artisan Naturals is our most popular mattress choice.  Containing a hefty 85% natural fillings and a calico pocket spring unit making it a really high-end mattress.  This closely compares to the Vi-spring Regal Superb having a similar medium feel in the upholstery layers. We match this mattress up with a sprung edge divan giving it a similar feel to the Vi-spring Regal superb if however you just buy the mattress and place it on a platform top or slatted base it will firm up the overall feel slightly. It is priced at £1760 for a king size, February 2023.

If placed on a platform top divan the Artisan Naturals can feel similar to the Vi-spring Bedstead Imperial, £5085 for a kingsize from ‘And so to Bed’ February 2023, which is firmer than the Regal Superb. It also has a similar feel to the John Lewis Heligan Superb model, retailing at £2250 February 2016 which was discontinued in 2022.

Artisan Bespoke 004 comparison

The Artisan Bespoke 004 is our first 100% natural and calico pocket spring handmade mattress. A truly top-end mattress crafted here in the UK with a medium feel in both support and upholstery.  It feels very similar to both the Artisan Naturals and Vi-spring Regal Superb mattresses but is 100% natural in its internal upholstery components.  It’s priced at £2310 for a kingsize February 2023.

In the John Lewis Vi-spring range, made exclusively for them, the Melford, £2600 for a king size John Lewis February 2016, is the closest, but not exact, comparison to the Artisan Bespoke oo4.  It is available in three spring tensions, as a split tension or zip and link model.

Vi-spring Devonshire Alternatives

The Vi-Spring Devonshire weighs in at 2600 GSM and is one of their soft feel mattresses. By utilising really generous wool layers on top of their calico spring unit they can create a super deep soft sink with this mattress. Our nearest comparator is our Artisan Luxury in terms of a soft feel.

However, our Artisan Luxury offers 2000 GSM more in the upholstery layers as we include including horsehair which we use in our softer mattresses to help combat potential dipping and settlement that can sometimes happen if super soft fillings such as wool are used on their own. The Devonshire retails at £3310 at Furniture Village February 2023.

Artisan Luxury comparison

Our Artisan Luxury is our softest deep sink mattress. Handmade in the UK it contains 1200 GSM British fleece wool and cotton in the top comfort layer giving that soft top layer feel.  It also uses horsehair and horsetail to give some support and stop the mattress from becoming overly soft in the support layers. It’s priced at £2390 for a king size, February 2023.

It has a very similar feel to the Devonshire but has additional horsehair and horsetail layers which are essential to prevent undue settlement when using such soft fillings as wool. Without these layers, the wool tends to compress, leaving some customers with potential settlement issues. These can be reduced by regular mattress maintenance and the inclusion of a horsetail/hair layer.

Vi-Spring Fursdon Alternatives

The Vi-spring Fursdon is one of Visprigns softest mattresses from John Lewis and you can read more of it here. It’s primarily made of New Zealand Wool, Cotton & Alpaca with Horsehair layer. Giving a very soft feel in the top layers. It too is similar in feel to our Artisan Luxury above. This retails for £2375 in a Kingsize in John Lewis 2023.

Vi-Spring Bedstead Realm Mattress

The Vi-Spring Bedstead Realm mattress is usually paired with the Vi-spring Bedstead range. However, you can also buy this mattress as a separate and it is suitable for all other divan bases.

This mattress is made up of the following upholstery from the spring unit upwards. 1350GSM bonded British fleece wool and cotton (as the spring insulator), then with 300GSM British fleece wool, 200GSM of Bamboo and the final top comfort layer is 900GSM of Blended British Fleece Wool and Cotton. The total GSM is 2750GSM. All of these Natural Fibres are considered very soft which is what gives the Realm is soft sink feeling. It retails at £2,300 for a kingsize in Dec 2019 ‘And so to Bed’.

Our nearest comparison is the Artisan Luxury which has the added benefit of horsehair to help reduce settlement which can often be found in very soft wool-filled mattresses.

Vi-Spring Herald Superb Alternatives

The Vi-spring Herald Superb has a much firmer feel in the top layers over other Vi-spring models.  It contains 3400 GSM, 1200 GSM of which is horsehair above the 1000 GSM of British fleece wool which acts as an insulator above the pocket spring unit.  The horsehair provides support to the upper upholstery layers. The Herald Superb retails at £3099 Furniture Village February 2023.

Artisan Bespoke comparison

Our Bespoke model offers 1700 GSM more than the Vi-spring model as we have included an additional horsehair pad and use final 500 GSM layer of wool on the very top comfort layer.  We believe this gives the mattress a tad more support and longevity overall but when you’re talking about such high GSMs we really are splitting hairs!

This mattress provides a firm feel in the upholstery layer, ideal for those sleepers who don’t want to sink too far into the mattress whilst still having some give in the top layers.  It’s priced at £2545 for a kingsize February 2023. Whilst it feels similar to the Herald Superb it’s a much heavier, deeper mattress, as there is more upholstery inside it.

Vi-Spring Tiara Superb Alternative

The Tiara Superb uses a two-tier spring method in its support layer.  This means that there are two layers of pocket springs resting on top of each other.  This gives two-tier mattresses a slightly bouncy feel in the support and livelier than a single row of pocket springs.

The Tiara retails at £10,795 for a king size from And so to Bed February 2023. The Tiara has a medium feel in the upholstery layers but more progressive support in the two-tier spring layer.

Artisan Bespoke 002 comparison

Our Bespoke 002 also utilises two tiers of calico pocket springs.  This construction method gives the bed a livelier feel which isn’t for everyone!  It’s a slightly more advanced support style for those that like a fast sink and a quick response from their mattress.

It’s priced at £2725 for a kingsize February 2023. It is a personal preference, and we always advise you to try a two-tier mattress first if you’re unsure. We also include 200 GSM of Bamboo on top of the cambric cover for an added level of protection between the springs, insulator and comfort layers above.

Artisan Bespoke 003 Comparison to the Vispring Tiara

We’ve also recently added the Artisan Bespoke 003 to our range which also has a similar albeit slightly softer feel than the Artisan Bespoke 002 – which compares to the Vispring Tiara. It has a deeper comfort layer for that softer sink. It is priced at £3815 for a kingsize Feb 2023.

It contains significantly more upholstery than the Vispring and Bespoke 002 at 5600GSM, which is nearly twice as much.

Vi spring Bedstead advice

We are often asked by customers about matching bedsteads or divans with mattresses. Questions such as ‘Which divan do I need to buy with my new mattress?’ or ‘Why do I need to buy a matching bedstead for my new mattress’. The quick answer is you don’t.

If your existing mattress base is in sound order, there is no need to buy a new base, unless you want to.

We have been told about sales assistants mandating that customers need to replace their base if they buy a new Vi-spring mattress; we always advise that if the base is sound, there’s no need to change it. You may want to change it if you want a different colour or more drawer options.

How much is a Vispring mattress?

As you may have seen by reading about Vispring comparison models, the Vispring mattress range is certainly not cheap. Ranging from £1000 to £99,000 in some cases!

The average price of a Vispring mattress is between £3000 and £6000 for a kingsize here in the UK depending on the model you choose.

This may make you question what the differences are between them. Most of the time, it’s the quality and scarcity of the natural fibres that bump the price up. However, you can find suitable alternatives for anywhere between £1000 and £3000 elsewhere by using small independent bed retailers.

Below is a handy table to see exactly what you should be getting for your money when buying a new bed such as Vispring.

How can I check if my Vispring mattress base is ok?

Sometimes customers ask how they can check if their existing mattress base is in sound condition. One quick way to check is to look out for any springs that have come through the fabric or any dips, lumps or bumps on the top of the base. If you run your hand across the top you can sometimes feel springs poking slightly through or any uneven bits that may give concern that part of the base is damaged.

We also advise that any of our mattresses can go on a bedstead as we have had reports of some sales staff advising that certain mattresses are for the matching branded divans only and the same with bedsteads. If it isn’t broken, then you don’t need to fix it.

*All prices and specifications correct at time of printing and subject to change.  Please call us for the latest up to date information.  No direct comparison is made between any of the models and is only based on ‘similar feels’ from customer and staff feedback.

Summary

There’s a lot to consider when buying a high-end handmade mattress. Firstly there is a significant cost involved and plenty of research as to what the various GSM layers will do to the feel of the mattress. We can’t stress enough how knowing the GSM layers of the mattress you are potentially going to buy is essential. Without this, you really are shopping in the dark.

We give ‘similar feel’ comparisons to Vi-Spring as they are a company who make high-quality beds to the same exacting standards that we have always used. If you need more help in summarising the information above to meet your personal requirements then, please contact us on 0161 437 4419. We have a small expert team who are happy to assist and sometimes the differences between the mattresses can be very subtle!