Buying Guide for Beds

All beds need a mattress. There are many types, each giving different levels of comfort and support. This simple guide will help you cut through the technical specifications to understand your options:

• Open Coil: the most basic and simple springing system. Rows of hourglass springs are joined by a spiral wire, running top to bottom. Mattress edges are strengthened by a flat or round rod for all-round support. Open coil is mostly used on platform tops for a firmer feel.

• Pocket Sprung: each spring is housed in separate fabric pockets. More springs than the equivalent open coil mattress mean more support and improved comfort. Pocket sprung mattresses contour the sleeper’s shape giving ultimate comfort and support.

• Fillings: Fillings protect the sleeper from the springs. Choose from man-made polyester fibre or foam or natural cotton, lambswool, horsehair, teased white hair, or cashmere. Our bed specialists will advise you on fillings.
• Fabrics: The fabric or ‘ticking’ is the layer encasing the whole mattress and divan base. Materials do affect the price and range from polyesters and printed non-woven cloths to woven silks.
• Stitching: The stitching on a mattress is crucial. Quilting is a patterned effect on the surface of the mattress when fillings are sewn to the underside of the ticking. Tufting involves threading a series of tapes through the mattress, and securing them with wood or felt tags or washers. Tufting tends to be found on pocket sprung beds where the depth of filings is greater.
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  Side stitching is completed either by machine attaching the mattress side panels to the springs, or by hand. In this traditional hand crafted method, a needle and thread passes through all of the filings to the surface of the mattress, giving it strength and stability. This method is seen on top quality pocket sprung beds.

Lower priced mattresses are produced in a standard tension. This won’t suit everyone, and it is worth paying more for a good night’s sleep. Higher prices give you a choice of soft, medium or firm tensions. Your ideal tension depends on your body weight, so try them out to see what is right for you.

If a couple find different tensions comfortable, Furniture Village suppliers can make a mattress with a different tension on each side. We can also offer zip and link on king and super king-sized beds where two individual mattresses with different tensions zip together.

Mattress technology is now so advanced, you can choose a mattress without springs. There are 3 main types:

• Talalay Latex – this mattress is produced from an elastic material that moulds to the body’s curves as it is laid upon. Air and moisture move freely through it, and it is resistant to dust mites and has anti-fungal properties. When using this mattress on slatted bases, the gap between slats should not exceed 3cm.

• Visco-elastic – Tempur mattresses contain a special foam-like material that contains millions of tiny window-like cells. These cells react to heat and pressure to mould and support the entire body without pushing back against the body’s own weight. This means less pressure on the body, better support and a more restful night’s sleep. This product is resistant to house dust mites, and can benefit allergy sufferers. It is ideal for use on slatted bases.

• Polyurethane foams – a low-cost material. The density of the foam will affect the feel and performance of this product.