Mattress Choices
February 2023What's the best mattress for £1500-£2000?
Updated 2023: If you have a budget of around £1500-£2000 when looking for a new mattress, this put’s you firmly into the price bracket of high-quality mattresses. You’re in for a treat with the luxury mattresses that you can choose from but you probably need some help in finding the very best mattress for you.
At around this price point, you’re going to have the pick of some of the finest beds available in the retail market. You’ve moved away from the cheap mass-produced models and are moving into the bespoke territory.
So this should be really good news for you as you have enough of a budget to start to choose a genuinely fitting model based on your body weight, sleeping preference and comfort level. All of which will help provide a better night’s sleep for you and any sleeping partner.
This article will explain precisely what you can expect from your bed budget. Let’s discuss in detail the £1500 mattress choices and how to choose the best mattress.
- What to expect from a £1500 Mattress
- Mattress Support & Upholstery for £1500
- Best Mattresses for £1500
- Vispring Traditional
- Mammoth Prestige Advance 6000
- Hypnos Bespoke Opulence
- John Lewis Natural Collection Swaledale Wool 11400
- Abaca Snowdon
- Marks & Spencer X Harrison Spinks 7000 Heritage Mattress
- John Ryan By Design Artisan Naturals
- What else can I get for my money?
It’s worth considering that a quality mattress and good night’s sleep should be budgeted for. If you opt for a cheap mattress you may end up making multiple purchases every 2-3 years meaning its a false economy.
| Mattress Price Range | Average Retailer Life Span | Cost Per Nights Sleep |
|---|---|---|
| £1000 | 7 years | 0.39p |
| £2000 | 7 years | 0.78p |
| £3000 | 7 years | £1.17 |
What to expect from a £1500 mattress
So what can you expect for your money in terms of support units and fillings from a £1500 mattress? By understanding whats available for this price you can avoid cheap models hiding in this price point and reduce the selection of mattresses you’re looking at. Meaning you can quickly compare a handful of beds before making your mattress decision. By knowing what to expect you van avoid salespeople’s marketing spin and make the process far simpler. Saving you time and money with your new sleep purchase.
Mattress Support
Support for your £1500 should be provided by a calico pocket spring unit. Pocket springs are the best form of support in a mattress and calico springs are the highest quality offering both breathability and ultimate progressive support. Pocket springs will individually contour to your body weight. They also reduce transference and provide a robust support unit for your mattress. This results in less settlement or sagging issues if the mattress is looked after.
Calico pocket springs are hand sewn together rather than glued, making them even more responsive. They are also made of a natural calico covering to help airflow and reduce synthetic fibres in your mattress.
At this price point, you should easily avoid open coil spring units or cheap foam support.
The support gauges offered at this price point should offer bespoke tensions based on your bodyweight. We have written extensively here about choosing the correct spring gauge which is always based on your body weight (not to be confused with comfort feel of the mattress which is based on the upholstery on top). If you want to understand more on spring tensions then read our detailed guide to work out the best tension for you and there’s also a spring tension table below.
| Spring Tension | Wire diameter (Gauge) | Weight Range |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | 1.2mm | Bespoke Tension (Please Call) |
| Medium | 1.4mm | Upto 16 stone |
| Firm | 1.6mm | 16 stone plus |
| Extra Firm / Orthopaedic | 1.9mm | 20 stone plus |
In terms of how many springs you should look for the number is around 1500-2000 in a ‘one layer’ spring method. At this price, you should avoid the minimum 600-850 spring count beds (usually found in £500 beds or £750 mattresses). Opting for around 1500- 2000 in a single layer of calico encased pocket springs. Anything over 2000 will use a dual-layer construction method. This is fine if it is still using Calcio encased pocket springs in a twin-up style. However, if it uses additional layers of synthetic micro springs to bulk up the spring count you need to take care. Micro springs are mainly used in a mattress at the detriment of upholstery comfort layers which we will come onto next.
In terms of gauge and tension choose this based on your weights. If you and your partner are in different weight brackets then a Zip & link or Split Tension mattress should be a standard offering for £1500. This way you can both get the perfect spring tension for you in your new mattress. At this price, you shouldn’t be compromising. As always you need to ask any retailers the exact spring tension and or gauge to know this.
Upholstery in a £1500 Mattress
Now you understand the spring support used in a £1500 mattress the next area for consideration are the upholstery layers which provide comfort. These are also known as ‘Comfort Layers’ of the mattress. The overall comfort ‘feel’ of your new mattress is dependant on the type of upholstery these layers comprise of. Also how they are layered. This is where most care needs to be taken when choosing a new mattress as its where the retailers’ information starts to become really sketchy. You’re going to be faced with a number of
- Fillings
- Brand names
- Woolly Descriptions
- Vague Benefits
The key is interpreting these for what they really are and not falling for sales spin.
For a £1500 mattress you should start to see a predominatly Natural Fibre fillings; at least 90% for the price point. Obviously this depends on what type of fillings you’re looking at and their GSM (weight). For example, Alpaca is incredibly expensive and rare when compared to Cotton or Flax.
If you are looking at beds and mattresses that are described by phrases like ‘Contains Horsehair‘ or ‘Including Cashmere’ then these are usually lip service tiny amounts. Would you believe that there is no law against these containing as 1% natural fibre blended then with 99% polyester or other synthetic white fibres?
You need to know what the GSM (Grams per square meter) of each fibre is within a mattress. If not you’re simply left guessing what’s in each mattress and rolling the dice with your purchase.
In a £1500 mattress, you can expect your new mattress to contain around 3000GSM of fibres as a minimum in a quality kingsize mattress. For £1500 shouldn’t be looking at synthetic foams unless you really love them. If you’re looking for a foam mattress then have a look at a 100% Natural Latex model instead which are far more breathable, are two-sided and will last far longer than their memory foam counterparts.
Below is a list of the types of Natural Fibres you should expect to see for £1500 in a mattress. You may see more premium fibres like Pure Cashmere but beware the blends (or lack of detail) as theses are too expensive to be found at this price point. The likelihood is they have been blended with cheaper synthetic fibres.
| Upholstery Layer | Fibre Type | How it will feel? | Price Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wool (Pure) | Natural | Soft/Medium | High-End |
| Cotton (Pure) | Natural | Soft | High-End |
| Horsehair | Natural | Medium | High-End |
| Mohair | Natural | Medium/Firm | High-End |
| Hemp | Natural | Medium | High-End |
| Latex (100% Natural) | Natural | Medium/Firm | High-End |
| Coir | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Flax | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Coarse Cashmere | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Bamboo | Natural | Super Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Horsetail | Natural | Firm | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Alpaca | Natural | Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
Mattress Detailing for a £1500 Bed
For your £1500-£2000 mattress you should be expecting exquisite details in the mattresses construction style. All very exciting!
Mattress Detailing refers to the stitching method, construction skill and cover fabric type of the mattress which at £1500 should be bringing you all sorts of loveliness. Things you should expect/demand at this level:
- Hand Side Stitching (at least 2 rows)
- Natural Fibre Covers / Viscose (No polyesters)
- Hand Tufting
- Hand Tape Edging
- Chemical Free Fire Retardancy Methods
For £1500 you should be looking for at least 80% Natural Fibre
Bespoke Spring Tensions based on your bodyweight should be available as standard
Best Mattresses for £1500-£2000
So we have worked out what you can expect for your money so its time to see which are the best mattress models for £1500 out there using real-life retail mattress models. We’ve reviewed hundreds of mattresses out there at £1500 and here are a few to give you a basis for comparison.
We will provide different mattresses at around the £1500 market, including one of our own models for you to see what you can expect. If you want to view even more then please have a look here at our online Mattress Comparison database.
Vispring Traditional
We will go to the best model we have found for your £1500 first which is the Vispring Traditional. We really love Vispring mattresses and their construction method as they are a top-notch mattress manufacturer. Not only are they 100% Natural Fibre but they use some absolutely brilliant detailing to finish off their range. The Vispring Traditional is a great example of the build quality at the top end of the mattress market for around £1500. It has a true medium feel and is 21cm deep and not too heavy for those who struggle to turn mattresses. It retails at £1670 for a kingsize mattress and is two-sided.
The Vispring Traditional mattress features:
- Two layers of 900gsm Blended British Fleece Wool and Cotton
- 1350gsm bonded British Fleece Wool and Cotton
- Wool Spring protector pad (unknown GSM)
- Covered with satin ivory Belgian ticking from the Vispring collection.
- Hand-tufted with felt washers.
- 1254 luxury pocket springs in 5’0 (150cm), 1.52mm (firm) Vanadium steel springs, 56mm in diameter, individually sewn calico pockets, hand-formed into a honeycomb nested unit.
- Total 3150GSM
- 100% Natural Fibre Upholstery
This Vispring model features 2 rows of genuine hand side stitching and felt washers. Both of which are high-end mattress detailing touches.
Mammoth Prestige Advance 6000
The Mammoth Prestige is a newcomer this year to our review. Mammoth has been providing medical-grade foam beds for some time now but this model also uses micro springs (you can make your won mind up on these here). Aimed at the sports or health market they create castellated synthetic foam mattresses. The castellation on this foam allows for different ‘feels’ across the mattress. If smaller castellations or cuts are made that area if the mattress is softer whereas larger more spaced-out castellations firm it up.
Image from www.furniturevillage.co .uk
This model features:
- Mammoth Medical Grade™ Foam and pocket spring.
- Depth: 32 cm.
- Firmness: Soft feel, although may feel firmer at first.
- Springs: 6000 pocket springs in king size.
- Fillings: 10 cm of Mammoth Medical Grade Foam with PostureCell™ comfort technology.
- Borders: Velvet central panel, loop stitching, tape edge on top and bottom.
- Cover: Polyester with natural fibres in the upper surface.
- Requires turning: No.
It uses Mammoth’s own ‘medical grade foam’. The sad part is they don’t give you the density or the make-up of this foam making it impossible to accurately compare to.
In our decades of experience, medical or hospital-grade foam is usually 70-80kg in density and is a firmer more robust foam. This is because hospital beds often ensure far more use or pressure than a residential mattress ie those being slept in for 5 – 8 hours a night on average. Given that some patients will be sleeping or sitting in them for long periods. The materials must match up with this.
This is a firmer feel bed at first before it softens slightly over time. However, it’s probably not recommended for very light or restless sleepers who need to move a lot at night given the foams slower reaction time to other mattresses in this article.
This model marks a change as it also uses pocket springs 6000 of them somewhere in the mattress making this a 1 sided mattress alongside the foam. These springs do help soften the mattress and liven it up a bit. Though you have to work out whether spending £1600 on a solid foam mattress is worthwhile compared to some of the natural fibre alternatives.
Hypnos Bespoke Opulence
Hypnos is one of the UK’s quality mattress makers and this model is listed for its build quality and also the fact they disclose the exact GSM so you can compare. Well done Hypnos! This bed is a firmer feel from the ReActive springs and is topped with softer British Wool as both the top comfort layer and also the mattress spring insulator. To firm up the upholstery a 900gsm layer of Polycotton is used which will help the mattress keep its loft. This is really important with softer wool mattresses which can settle really quickly unless a firmer upholstery is used to help firm up the wool layers. Ideally, Horsehair would be used instead to give a more robust layer but at this price point, we can see why Hypnos is using a synthetic blend.
It has 3 rows of hand side stitching which is a nice mattress detail and this model is two-sided. You may have read our other articles that call out one-sided models. This is because they usually cost the same as two-sided models but only contain half the fillings. At this price point, you should be expecting a 2-sided model. This is a deep mattress at 29cm.
For the price, this is a well put together mattress for a firmer comfort layer feel and suitable support for those up to 16 stone. It retails at £1599 for a kingsize.
- 1000gsm Wool
- 900gsm Polycotton (synthetic no blend given)
- 800gsm Wool as Spring Insulator
- Mattress Spring count: 1400 ReActive Synthetic springs (No gauge given probably 1.6 firm)
- Made in Great Britain
- 3 rows of Hand side stitch
- Mattress Type: Pocket Sprung
John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection Swaledale Wool 11400
John Lewis & Partners offer you some great quality mattresses at around £1500 with a solid build quality for your money. One of their best with a high natural fibre content is the Swaledale Wool 11400 which is one of their ortho firm feel mattresses for those that like a really firm sleep. This model retails at £1599 for a kingsize and is made by Harrison Spinks who are one of Britains best mattress makers.
- British Wool & Viscose Blend (No GSM or blend given)
- Swaledale Wool, British Wool, Hemp & Flax Blend (No GSM or blend given)
- 8000 HD (Mini) Springs (No tension or gauge given)
- 3400 Cortec Spun Bond Pocket Springs (No tension or gauge given)
This model is primarily made up of Wool which would normally give a softer sink in the top layer. However, the Ortho spring will add a significant firmness to this model. Careful maintenance is required with this mattress due to the high Wool content which has a habit of settling. So you will need to turn and rotate this mattress regularly each month to even out the natural settlement. This is the same for all Wool filled mattresses regardless of the brand. This mattress is two-sided so you can use both sides of the mattress, meaning you can get twice as much lifespan when compared to a no-turn mattress such as memory foam or other one-sided mattresses. This mattress is an extra firm feel for those under 16 stone.
Abaca Snowdon Mattress
Abaca is one of the UK’s small independent hand made mattress companies and their products are wonderful. Hand made in Wales and full of lovely features. The Snowdon is a Wool mattress that offers a medium feel. It features a pocket spring unit with 1000 springs that’s then covered with a 1000gsm layer of wool and then two separate 500gsm layers on top of that. These Wool layers give this mattress a lovely soft sink and make it highly breathable as its 100% Natural fibre.
- 2000 gsm Combined layers of wool of different weights and densities.
- It is hand-tufted and has an organic cotton cover.
- 3 spring tensions depending on your bodyweight
Care needs to be taken with the one-sided issue but other than that its a solid contender for the price. As a like-for-like mattress comparison have a look at our Origins Pocket Latex here which show you a similar construction method to give you an idea of what to expect if your looking st Dunlopillo mattresses.
Marks & Spencer X Harrison Spinks 7000 Heritage Mattress
The M&S Heritage mattress is a collaboration with Harrison Spinks one of the UK’s oldest mattress manufacturers. This is a firmer feel mattress given the large spring count. The micro springs used in the top upholstery layer do provide some more life to the top comfort layer.
It’s a shame that Marks & Spencer don’t give the GSM breakdown or layer specifics to help us provide more of an in-depth review of this mattress.
This mattress retails at £1499 for a kingsize.
What’s interesting is the move away from chemical fire retardancy which is great to see. Whilst Harrison spinks don’t give details on this mattress listing of how they achieve this we would guess that it’s similar to our plant-based FR treatment.
- 7000 spring count
- No assembly required
- Unique pocket springs, Natural fillings, glue-free and FR chemical-free
- Anti bacterial
- Single sided mattress
- Mattress Handle: Yes
- Two rows of side stitching
John Ryan By Design Artisan Naturals
Our Artisan Naturals mattress gives you a great comparison model for this price point with 85% natural fibre content and a vanadium coated calico pocket spring unit (hand-tied). Our ethos has always been to make the highest quality mattresses but also letting you know exactly what’s inside them.
Our Artisan Bespoke Naturals mattress provides a true medium feel in the top comfort layer and has a whopping 3950GSM of primarily natural fibres. Blended British Fleece Wool & Cotton gives a soft yet resilient top comfort layer. Whilst 1500GSM Mohair acts as the insulating layer to add a robust property to the forthcoming layer.
This model gives a deep medium feel for a sleeper up to 16 stone. Extra deep fitted sheets will be needed due to the extra depth of this mattress. The Pure Horsetail acts as an excellent breathable and responsive layer above the calico pocket springs which are the same style as the ones used in the Vispring model above. This is a two-sided mattress model so can be turned and rotated fully to extend its lifespan.
- 1200gsm Blended British Fleece Wool & Cotton
- Hairproof Cambric Cover
- 1250gsm Rebound Polycotton
- 1500gsm Mohair as an insulator
- 1600 Calico Encased Vanadium Coated Pocket Springs ( Custom spring tensions available)
- Total GSM: 3950gsm
- Depth: 27-30cm
- Chemical Free Damask Cover
What else can I get for my money?
Now we’ve shown what you can expect for around £1250 for a new mattress you may be wondering what else you can expect if you increase your sleep budget.
- What to expect from a £500 Mattress
- What to expect from a £750 Mattress
- What to expect from a £1000 Mattress
- What to expect from a £1250 Mattress
- What to expect from a £1500 Mattress
- What to expect from a £2000+ Mattress
Below is a handy guide of exactly what your money should buy you when choosing a new mattress.
How much to spend on a double mattress? What can I expect for my money?
Under £500 Will not get you much at best a 13.5 gauge open coil/cage sprung with a thin polyester layer or a solid foam mattress.
£500 Entry level spunbond springs with some form of synthetic upholstery. Usually one sided mattresses.
£750 The beginnings of a basic pocket springs unit with 800 – 1000 count. No substantial amount of filling other than foams and synthetic materials. Two sided models.
£1000 Should get you away from most low ranges and into the mid-range pocket spring models.
£1250 Should get you a decent pocket sprung mattress with some Natural Fibre content.
£1500 Should get you many manufacturers mid-range models with Natural Fibres
£1500-£2000 Should get you a Hand Made primarily Natural Fibre Quality Mattress
£2000+ You should expect 100% Natural Fibres and Traditional Hand Made Construction Method.
£5000+ A Bespoke Hand Made Sleep System, High-end Spring Units & Featuring the Worlds Most Luxurious Natural Fibres.
Summary
If you have between £1500-£2000 to spend on a new mattress you’ve got a selection of wonderfully handcrafted mattresses available. Featuring the highest GSM Natural fibres and calico encased pocket springs. It’s at this price point where you should leave behind mass-produced models and start to choose a truly tailored sleep experience.
Independent mattress manufacturers can often offer far more at this price point than larger competitors can due to their higher operating costs. It also is a price point where you can start to expect tailored spring tensions, zip & links or split tensions. This is especially useful if you and your partner are different body weights. It means no more compromising.
If you’re still struggling to decide which new mattress to buy then why not give our small friendly team a call on 0161 437 4419 or drop us a message below for more help?
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