When we tested out the Harrison Spinks Aegean Ortho Pocket Sprung Mattress it was selling for £1199 in double or king size. Yes that’s right folks, it cost the same whether you had a double or a king. 

This works well as a sales technique if you’re after a king size, but if I’m after a double I do sometimes think that I’m paying over the odds. Perhaps that tells you a little bit too much about my approach to frugality and always wanting to get a good deal. 

When we tested the mattress, the single was on sale at £849 whilst the super king was £1,599 pounds 

As you have gathered from those prices this is a premium mattress from a brand that is very well respected in the UK and has won multiple awards.

First impressions and firmness in different positions

When I tested it out, I decided that it very much lived up to the ‘Ortho’ description and was a pretty firm mattress, with the score of about 9/10, with one being soft and 10 being very firm.

I began by testing it out with me lying on my back and found it to be very rigid with very little ‘give’. There was no gap under my spine and I could get my hand underneath without too much effort. You’ll find that on softer mattresses it is more effort to get your hand underneath.

For me, it was a little too firm whilst lying on my back. I weigh 13 stone and I’m about six foot tall. 

I then turned onto my front, which is my preferred sleeping position. Again, I found it a little too firm for my personal tastes and I did feel a little as though I was just lying on top rather than sinking in. For some people this is just what they want, but personally I like to feel a little bit more supported. 

When I moved on to my side, I certainly felt it was too firm and felt quite a lot of pressure on my hips and shoulders.

Edge support

The edge support on this Harrison Spinks Aegean Ortho Pocket Sprung Mattress is outstanding.

In fact, I would say it is one of the strongest mattresses at the edge that we have tested. Of course, this is easier to achieve on a very firm mattress than a very soft mattress but I would say that you would still get a good night’s sleep even if you are pushed to the very edges. It also won’t sink in very much if you sit on the edge to put your socks on

Motion transfer

Along similar lines, we found that the motion transfer on this Harrison Spinks mattress was exceedingly good. You could happily roll about without your partner feeling the mattress moving too much. Again, this is more easily achieved on a firm mattress than a soft mattress but it’s fair to say there’s very little wobble.

Design and structure

It’s fair to say that this is a substantial mattress and I was impressed with how deep and solid it feels. It uses multiple layers of springs and other materials, including wool, cotton, hemp and a viscose blend. By my count there are 11 layers. This substantial number is partly a result of it being a double-sided mattress that should be turned over regularly. 

I didn’t pick up any unpleasant odours from the mattress, which is not surprising as Harrison Spinks prides itself on not using foam, glue or chemicals in its mattresses.

Their Modus Operandi is very much pocket springs and natural materials rather than synthetic layers of foam, which are what you find in most of the bed in the box mattresses that are delivered to your house with a free trial. 

Stitching is robust and the whole thing feels like it would be quite a challenge to get up the stairs, with not a great deal of flex. 

Final thoughts

Overall then, it’s a definite thumbs up for this Harrison Spinks mattress, as long as you want a very firm mattress. You would expect quality at this price and I personally think this mattress offers it in spades.