What is Tencel? Are Tencel Mattresses any good?

What is Tencel Fabric & How is it Made?

Tencel is a man-made fibre that uses a blend of plant pulp, wood and other synthetic materials to create a quasi-natural man-made fibre. The wood pulp is mixed with a chemical solvent before being spun. It originates from Australia and uses eucalyptus trees for the plant part of the fibre. That may make you scratch your head, but simply put it’s not a memory foam. It should be thought of more as a replacement or alternative to a sheet of cotton. This is its primary use as a fibre or upholstery layer.

What are the Benefits of Tencel?

Tencel claims to be one of the most breathable fibres (a bit like all natural fibres are). It aims to produce a silky and breathable layer by mixing polyester, plant pulp, and then creating a man-made fibre from it. There are eco claims too, as it’s argued that creating Tencel uses less water than the growing of cotton. That’s probably true. However, there’s an argument that there’s a lower Co2 requirement for cotton growing, washing and spinning compared to the growing, blending, mixing, heating and then spinning of Tencel (especially when blended with polyester too).

Tencel is therefore a really interesting halfway house between proper natural fibres and completely synthetic ones. It’s often used in bedding, as it needs less ironing (thanks to the synthetic blend) and can feel very soft when woven into a fibre. This is just like polyester, but without the lower breathability.

Advice on Tencel Mattresses

In many models, Tencel is used in the fabric or ticking of the mattress. You might call that “the vanity layer”. Instead of focusing on that, what you really need to know is exactly what’s inside the mattress, all the upholstery fibres GSM’s and what type/gauge of pocket spring is being used. If you just focus on the cover, then you’re missing 99% of the true mattress value and quality. If you can afford it, then we’d say that you’re actually better off choosing natural fibres in your mattress, such as wool, bamboo, horsehair or plant fibres (like our Vegan friendly mattress).

Even if you are set on a Tencel mattress, you need to know the spring tension based on your bodyweight. Without this, you’re really just guessing if the support is actually suitable for you.

Alternative to Tencel Mattresses

Tencel may be fine at the entry-level price point, but when you’re looking at £1000+ mattresses you should really be looking for a viscose cover and the inclusion of proper natural fibres.

Have a look below at our best-selling natural fibre mattress, the Artisan Naturals, for a mattress comparator of true quality. It features a calico-encased vanadium-coated pocket spring (the same as Vispring use) and has 85% natural fibre fillings.

This means it’s one of the coolest and most responsive mattresses available. The fibres are highly responsive and breathable. It also has a forgiving top comfort layer to help reduce pressure during the night.

Artisan Naturals Mattress

1: 1200GSM BLENDED BRITISH FLEECE WOOL AND COTTON
2: HAIRPROOF CAMBRIC COVER
3: 1250GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON
4: 1500GSM 100% PURE MOHAIR
5: 1600 CALICO ENCASED POCKET SPRINGS [49MM ] [1.28MM ]
TOTAL: 3950GSM
DEPTH:: 27-30CM
CHEMICAL FREE COVER

As a guide here’s a list of all the fibres both man-made and synthetic to show you how they feel and how expensive they are to help you better identify any rogue mattresses in your search.