There are numerous mentions throughout this website to "major" mattress manufacturers and suggestions to avoid many of them for many reasons including their lack of transparency about the quality of the materials they use in their mattresses, the use of lower quality materials, or because they are poor value compared to many other smaller independent manufacturers who make similar mattresses with the same or better quality, are transparent about their materials and designs, and sell for better prices. This article will give you a better idea of which manufacturers are in the top 15 ranked by size, which of these to avoid, and which may be "possibilities" in terms of their transparency, quality, and relative value. compared to other larger manufacturers. Between them, these top 15 manufacturers control 92.1% of the market (2015 figures) and the top 5 of these (which are all in the AVOID group) control 76.4% of the market. This leaves several hundred smaller manufacturers that often make better quality and value mattress that don't have the budget to spend on massive advertising and that are often only available locally or regionally to share the remaining 10%.
One of the goals of this website is to help consumers identify and find the manufacturers who are open and transparent about the materials in their mattresses and are focused on making and selling higher quality and value mattresses. These top 15 (+2 additional that I've added because they were in or close to the top 15 in previous years) are also "ranked" according to the likelihood that you will be able to find out accurate information about the quality of the materials in their mattresses. AVOID: Your chances of finding out accurate or up to date details of the materials in their mattresses are not high enough to consider them or they are not good value compared to other similar mattresses. SMALL POSSIBILITY: In most cases the information about the materials in their mattresses are not available but there may be a few exceptions for some mattresses. SOME POSSIBILITY: The information about the materials in their mattresses are sometimes available and sometimes not depending on the type of mattress and/or on the licensee that makes their mattress.
GOOD POSSIBILITY: in most cases information about the quality of the materials in their mattresses are available but it will also depend on the type of mattress and/or on the licensee who makes them. 1. SERTA: Owned by private equity group (which also owns Simmons). Tends not to be Transparent. 2. SEALY: (including Bassett Bedding and Stearns & Foster). Public corporation (which also owns Tempurpedic). Tends not to be transparent. 3. SIMMONS: Owned by private equity group (which also owns Serta). Tends not to be transparent AVOID 4. TEMPURPEDIC: Public corporation (which also owns Sealy). Sometimes transparent but poor value. Transparency is being reduced or eliminated and material quality/density is concurrently being reduced. 5. SELECT COMFORT: (Airbeds). 6. CORSICANA: Private corporation. Tends not to be transparent with rare exceptions. 7. THERAPEDIC: Licensee group. Most licensee factories are transparent about the materials in their mattresses and may have better quality/value than others in the "major manufacturer" group.
8. COMFORT SOLUTIONS: (including King Koil). None of the licensees tend to be transparent with rare exceptions. 9. ENGLANDER: Licensee group. Some licensee factories are transparent about the materials in their mattresses and may have better quality/value than others in the "major manufacturer" group. 10. RESTONIC: Licensee group. 11. ASHLEY FURNITURE: Private ownership. Transparent about some of their materials but tends to use lower quality materials. 12. SYMBOL: Private corporation. Tends to be transparent about some of their mattresses and not others and may have better quality/value than the major manufacturers in this group. 13. KINGSDOWN: Private corporation. 14. E.S. KLUFT (and AIRELOOM): Private ownership. 15. SPRING AIR: Licensee group. Most licensee factories are not transparent with rare exceptions in some areas of the country. Was #15 on the previous years list. Sometimes transparent and may have better quality/value than some of the major manufacturers in this group.
ECLIPSE / EASTMAN HOUSE: Privately owned but made by a licensee group. Probably should have been ranked as #15 on the previous years list on their audited numbers. They have told me that they are transparent about all their materials and components as long as the retailer that sells them calls the factory. Beyond these top 15 (+2) manufacturers there are hundreds of smaller manufacturers that are either local or regional or in some cases national which are well worth considering if they are fully transparent about the materials they use in their mattresses. Some of these sell factory direct and some are sold wholesale through stores around the country. Many of these smaller independent manufacturers provide better quality and value for consumers but in all cases knowing the specific details of the materials and components in a mattress and making "mattress to mattress" comparisons is the only way to make meaningful comparisons. Blind purchases should always be avoided regardless of which manufacturer makes the mattress.
Spending your time and efforts with more transparent manufacturers or with retailers who will provide you with the information you need to make informed choices will save you a great deal of time and the frustration of trying (often unsuccessfully) to track down mattress specifications so you can make informed buying decisions and meaningful quality and value comparisons with other mattresses. A manufacturer or retailer that provides the details of the materials in their mattresses is making a statement that "we want you to know what you are buying" and is always much more deserving of your time and efforts than those which don't.Mattresses have become so technological – some are even based on research from the US space agency NASA – that they now sometimes go by the name 'sleep systems'. And at up to £40,000 a throw, some even cost as much as a mid-range BMW and command the same sort of social status. But is it really necessary to fork out to get a good night's sleep?
The consensus is that a cheap mattress is indeed a false economy – spending, say, less than £200 is almost certainly not going to ensure a good night's sleep unless you are very young, very light and frequently sleeping somewhere else. Cheap mattresses also need replacing more often, perhaps as frequently as every two years. Spend a bit extra, say, more than £1,000, and you should not need to change the mattresses for 10 years, or, in the most luxurious pocket spring cases, up to 25. "Spend as much as you can afford," advises Andy Hills of And So To Bed. "The minimum should be about £700 on the mattress and bed base combined. It always strikes me as absurd that people will spend £3,000 or £4,000 on a sofa which they sit on for an hour or two some evenings, and much less than £1,000 on a bed where they will spend a crucial eight hours every night." Once you have fixed the budget, the next priority is looking for the right kind of support. "People often ask for orthopaedic mattresses, but all that means is a hard one," says Hills.
"Very few people actually need a hard mattress unless they have crushed a disc. For most other people, they will simply be uncomfortable, particularly for lighter women, creating shoulder pain and pins and needles sensations." Indeed, your body weight will largely dictate the sort of tension you require – the softer ones are better for an eight-stone woman, a firmer mattress will benefit a 16-stone rugby player type. Of course, many suppliers sell combination mattresses with different tensions on either side, catering for couples with greatly varying weights. Always remember to lie down on a mattress in the showroom and ask for professional advice Others sell two mattresses zipped together, a technique much improved on the old days, making it now almost impossible to tell that there is a divide. "We say if couples feel the zip, we'll give them their money back," says Hills. With spring mattresses, the firmness is largely dictated by the number of springs. High-quality mattresses such as Vi-Spring, such as the superb double model, will often have soft cotton and lamb's wool to enhance the springs;
the very best will have horsehair filling, which breathes well and acts like more tiny springs. Vi-Spring offer a comfort promise – try the mattress for up to 90 days, if need be, they will replace it with a softer or harder one. Tempur, a manufacturer of memory foam mattresses using material developed at NASA to relieve g-force pressures during space launches, offers a 60-night free trial. The viscoelastic foam is designed to eliminate pressure points by spreading body weight evenly. The foam cell mattresses, that start at around £1,040 for a double, reorganise themselves constantly to mould to the exact contours of a body, and because they do not harbour dust mites in the same way as more traditional mattresses, they are excellent for asthma sufferers. Although good mattresses are expensive, they are surely worth it for health and happiness, even if it means making savings elsewhere. "People often put up with wakeful nights, constant tiredness and sore backs for a long time before connecting it to the mattress," warns Lucy Benham of John Lewis.
"A good test is sitting on the edge and seeing whether the whole side of the mattress collapses. If so, the mattress needs urgent replacement. "Also, when looking at a new one, remember that quilted ones tend to be of lower quality. Tufted ones, which look like they have buttons going through them, are better as this means the filling is contained to avoid it moving around. Good stitching around the sides indicates that the springs are contained in pockets, which will be much more effective than open spring mattresses. "But always remember to lie down on a mattress in the showroom and ask for professional advice. Choosing a new mattress is a very important decision indeed." Make sure the bed base is suitable for your mattress. A poor base will make even the most expensive mattress uncomfortable. Divan or upholstered ones are best for spring mattresses as the springs in both components complement each other. Memory foam mattresses are better if you have only a wooden slatted base.
To gauge the right tension for you, lie on the mattress in the showroom, and push your hand under the small of your back. If there is a large gap, the mattress is too soft, no gap at all, then it's too firm. Just being able to pass your hand through suggests that the tension is spot on. If the mattress is too hard, your body will try to compensate by frequently tossing and turning during the night, up to 60 times. This will impair your and your partner's sleep. A good mattress will reduce turning to 17 times a night. A too-hard mattress makes the body do the work, rather than the bed. The shoulder and hips cannot sink into the mattress, so they curve towards each other, resulting in a bent and stressed spine. A too-soft mattress lets the body sink into a hammock position, causing hips and shoulders to pinch in, the spine to curve and putting pressure on joints and muscles. Numbness and tingling can follow. The best spring mattresses tend to be pocket-sprung, where each individual spring is kept separate to respond to pressure from your body.
Five of the best mattresses 1. Vispring wembury superb small double mattress, £1550 Made from British fleece wool, cotton and horsehair to added breathability, this Vispring mattress is guaranteed to give you a comfortable night's sleep. 2. Tempur sensation deluxe 22 memory foam mattress, £1899 The NASA developed Tempur material works to redistribute body weight and reduce pressure points while you sleep. The supportive foam layer also cradles the body throughout the night, making sure you achieve optimum relaxation. 3. Sealy Activ Geltex 2800 box top pocket spring, £1150 Sealy combines the latest technology and eco-friendly luxury fillings to provide the ultimate in quality sleep solutions. The mattress is fitted with a gel infused foam to provide pressure relief, body support, and breathability - giving you the best environment to ensure a good night's sleep. 4. Top Dog Mattress, from £645 Loaf pride themselves on selling just five mattresses, and their 'Top Dog' model - filled with cashmere, silk and natural fabrics and boasting double-decker layers housing 2,200 individual pocket springs (for the kingsize version) - is one of the best.