The best pocket sprung mattress for you is one which is suited to your body and your wallet. This guide aims to help you narrow down the choice.
Pocket sprung mattresses are the most popular type of mattress in the UK. They provide a familiar feel and don’t ‘sink’ in the same way as a memory foam mattress.
How do you choose the best pocket sprung mattress for you?
There’s a vast and confusing range of pocket sprung mattresses on the UK market.
Start by figuring out what firmness level you need.
Finding the right firmness in a pocket sprung mattress depends on your own build and how you sleep. The two things you need to know are:
- heavier people need firmer mattresses than lighter people
- people who mostly sleep on their backs or fronts need firmer mattresses than people who sleep on their sides
You need to combine those two things together to figure out what firmness level is best for you. Ideally, I would pick a mattress with a home trial (e.g. Sleepeezee, Dreamcloud) or try some out in a store. The problem with a blind purchase is that there’s no industry agreement on what it means when a mattress is described as ‘soft’ or ‘firm’.
Anyway, onto our selection of six of the best pocket sprung mattresses for 2024. We considered factors such as value for money, specification, awards and customer reviews.
We’ve included some cheap and mid-priced pocket sprung mattresses. After all, not everyone is looking to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on a mattress.
Our selection includes a couple of luxury pocket sprung mattresses for those with deeper pockets. Prices are for double mattresses. Prices and review scores are correct at the time of typing in 2024.
1. Silentnight Classic 1200 Pocket Sprung Mattress – medium/firm tension – £489
This Silentnight pocket sprung mattress is a sensible, mid-priced and popular choice from a big brand. It’s the equivalent of buying a Ford Fiesta or a packet of Walkers Ready Salted crisps.
It doesn’t have loads of complicated layers but it has won awards from experts. It also has a huge number of positive customer reviews (average of 4.7/5 from 1400+ reviews).
There are 1200 pocket springs which is plenty for most people. Very heavy people might benefit from somewhere nearer to 2000 but for the majority of people that’s a bit over the top.
It’s a nice deep mattress at 28cm and it is held together with something called a ‘tufted finish’. That means it has buttons on top which help a mattress stay strong for many years. You can also turn this mattress over, which is a plus point as long as you’re able to lift it. Flipping your mattress over helps to stop sags and dips.
You’ll see this mattress going by a number of names including the Silentnight Sofia 1200.
The Silentnight brand is a good mid-priced choice. They’re the biggest mattress brand in the UK and they score 4.2/5 overall on TrustPilot.
The main criticism I’ve got of this mattress is that the warranty length is a little underwhelming at five years.
You can get a 60 night trial period via Mattress Online. That means you can swap it if it’s not right for you.
2. Silentnight Deluxe Box Top Mirapocket 2000 Limited Edition Mattress – soft/medium tension – £655
I was keen to include a reasonably priced soft/medium firmness pocket sprung mattress in this guide. The Silentnight Deluxe Box Top Mirapocket 2000 Limited Edition Mattress gets the nod as it offers a massive amount for the money.
This Silentnight model uses a big number of pocket springs for a mid-priced mattress. The sharpest minds will have guessed from the name that there are 2000. Further investigation reveals it is actually two layers of 1000 springs, which contributes to the massive 39cm depth.
The springs are ‘zoned’ which basically means that they are firmer in some areas than others. The aim of this is to give the optimum level of support for different parts of your body.
It gets its soft/medium feel from the whopping great ‘box top’ otherwise known as a pillowtop topper. This 8cm layer is ‘super soft foam’. From what I can tell, this isn’t memory foam. One listing refers to it as ‘reflex foam’ but I believe it is a standard foam rather than memory foam which gives more of a hugging and sinking feeling.
The downside of a pillowtop pocket sprung mattress is that you can’t turn it over. Instead, you just rotate it round to extend its life.
The 39cm depth is impressive, but it might also cause issues as standard fitted sheets probably won’t fit. You’ll need extra deep sheets instead.
My other reservation is that comes with a 5-year guarantee. I would describe that as moderately generous for a mid-priced pocket sprung mattress but it’s not spectacular compared to ‘bed in a box’ brands which scream about their ‘forever’ warranties. The Silentnight brand scores 4.2/5 on TrustPilot.
It’s a popular mattress and gains positive reviews. Some comment that it is firmer than expected, some say it is softer than expected. This is a common trend in mattress reviews, as there’s no universal agreement on what a ‘soft’ or ‘firm’ mattress should feel like. Mrs Jones may have a very idea of what firm means compared to Mrs Smith (Ed: Oooer missus). To counteract this problem, it comes with a 60 night comfort trial (check the terms and conditions here).
3. Sleepeezee Backcare Deluxe 1000 Pocket Sprung Mattress – firm – £349
UK-brand Sleepeezee has a big choice ranging from about £200 – £900 for a double pocket sprung mattress. They’re worth a look for a number of reasons.
You get an appealing 60-day home trial with most of their pocket sprung mattresses. That allows you to swap it for another model (see Ts and Cs). This budget model doesn’t come with the trial period, but there are plenty which do.
Sleepeezee is a highly-regarded brand in the UK mattress market. They have a Royal Warrant because they supply the Prince of Wales’ household and they get outstanding customer reviews (4.3/5 on Trustpilot). Their pocket sprung mattresses have won a number of awards from expert testers.
We’ve picked out one of Sleepeezee’s cheapest pocket sprung mattresses. After all, not everyone wants to spend as much on their mattress as their mortgage.
An impressive specification for the price
The Sleepeezee Backcare Deluxe 1000 ticks a lot of boxes for me, despite the price. Features include:
- 1000 pocket springs, which is the minimum that I look for in a pocket sprung mattress. The usual range for a decent mattress is 1000-2000 springs. Heavier people will benefit from a higher number within that range.
- double sided design which you can turn over. That should help it last longer rather than ending up with an indent of your bottom after a few months.
- a hand-tufted top. That means that it is held together in a way which makes a mattress strong and durable.
- UK manufacturing.
- 26cm deep. That is similar to much more expensive models and should ensure you won’t feel like you’re lying on the floor.
It’s also had hundreds of positive reviews, with an average of 4.5/5 from 800+ customers at the time of writing.
How about upgrading to Sleepeezee’s best pocket sprung mattress?
If you can afford the upgrade, I would also look at the The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 (£1044, medium tension). It was runner up in the ‘Bed of the Year’ category at the bed industry’s main awards in 2019. The Perfectly British Strand 1400 (£664, medium/firm tension) is also a good choice at the posher end of their range.
So, what would you get if you upgraded to a Sleepeezee pocket sprung mattress which costs double or triple the price?
Well, the posher Sleepeezee mattresses have more pocket springs which offers more support, particularly if you’re on the heavy side. The Sleepeezee Mayfair 3200 has three layers of springs with some larger ones doing most of the work and some smaller springs adding comfort. It also uses more natural materials such as wool and cashmere rather than cheaper synthetic layers. There are also other differences, such as a longer warranty.
4. DreamCloud Pocket Sprung Mattress – medium/firm – £1649
The DreamCloud mattress is a bit of a different pocket sprung mattress but it’s worth a mention because of its extraordinary trial period and warranty.
You get a year to try it out at home and then a ‘forever’ guarantee (see the Ts and Cs). If you don’t like it in the first year, you can have a refund which is certainly preferable to trying out a mattress for 10 minutes in a showroom whilst fully clothed.
It’s a bit different to the others on this list as it has a layer of memory foam on top of the pocket springs. That technically makes it a ‘hybrid’ mattress but I thought it was worth a mention as it’s one of the few pocket sprung mattresses with a trial period (most mattresses with home trial periods are 100% foam).
Memory foam is a popular material in mattresses which was originally designed to keep astronauts comfy in space. It has a bit of a hugging feeling so it isn’t for everyone, but lots of people love it and some guides suggest it offers more consistent support than springs. The main downside with memory foam is that it can make you feel warm but most modern memory foam mattresses make an effort to overcome this. The DreamCloud mattress has ‘luxurious breathable memory foam’.
Customer reviews are good (4.3/5 on TrustPilot) and it’s made in the UK.
5. John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection 5750 Pocket Sprung Mattress – medium or firm – £1199
The John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection is made by Harrison Spinks, which was named best manufacturer at the National Bed Federation awards in 2014 and 2018. The company is also one of the few mattress makers with a Manufacturing Guild Mark, which is a quality assurance thing.
John Lewis & Partners mattresses are clearly labelled and described which makes comparison easier than most bed retailers offer. That includes a description of the inner materials of the mattresses, although admittedly it doesn’t give percentages so it could have a small proportion of the luxurious fabrics.
A good compromise of price and performance
Prices within the Natural Collection range from £750 – £5500 for a double pocket sprung mattress. This 5750 spring ‘Egyptian Cotton’ model is a good balance between quality and price for someone looking for a good mattress, but who doesn’t own a Lamborghini. It’s available in single, double, king size or super king size and a choice of ‘regular’ or firm. I take ‘regular’ to be the equivalent of ‘medium’
John Lewis & Partners’ buying guide suggests that their medium tension mattresses are ‘Suitable for bodyweights of 8-16 stone (50kg-100kg)’ whilst their firm tension mattresses offer ‘Optimum comfort for bodyweights over 16 stone (100kg+)’.
Don’t get too excited by the 5750 pocket springs. The diagram on the website shows that there are actually three layers of springs since you can’t fit that many normal sized springs on one king size sprung mattress layer. Still, it’s a nice feature which will make a modest difference to comfort.
Clear descriptions show off the quality of the mattress
One key sign of quality in a mattress is whether it is hand-side-stitched. Don’t worry about the technicalities, but it’s a way of manufacturing mattresses to make them more supportive and less floppy at the edges. John Lewis & Partners actually offer that level of detail, whilst some retailers don’t bother.
We carried out a study of John Lewis & Partners own brand mattresses and found that 42% of their mattresses under £500 use hand side stitching whilst 85% of their £500-£1000 mattresses have hand side stitching.
Another thing I like about John Lewis & Partners is that they tell you the weight of the mattress, so you’ll have an idea of how solid it is and whether you’ll be able to move it. The 5750 pocket spring model weighs 45kg in a king size (about 7 stone) whilst their cheapest king size mattress weighs just 25kg (3 1/2 stone).
Just one downside to mention – this mattress can’t be turned over. That does spare you the effort of turning it over (you just rotate it), but there is a theory that mattresses you can turn over keep their shape for longer. I’m not sure if anyone’s actually tested that theory, but there are mattresses which you can turn over within the John Lewis & Partners Natural
Collection such as the 8750 spring mattress.
6. Vispring Chiswick Pocket Sprung Mattress – medium or firm – £1500
It would be a little rude not to mention Vispring in a guide to the best pocket sprung mattresses. They invented the pocket spring mattress more than a century ago and remain leaders at the luxury end of the market.
The Vispring Chiswick is cheap compared to Vispring’s usual prices but you still get their high-quality manufacturing and massive 30-year guarantee.
As you’d expect, it is properly made with things like ‘hand-side stitching’ which is a boring but important technical thing which gives a mattress strength around the edges. It’s got a simple design using springs and natural materials like cotton and wool. You can also turn this model over to extend its life.
The king size version of this Vispring pocket sprung mattress has 1200 springs. That’s fine for most people but an upgraded model such as the Vispring Wimbledon (£3000) has a higher pocket spring count (1500) which will provide better support, particularly for heavier people. The more expensive Vispring pocket sprung mattresses also tend to have extra layers and posher materials such as silk and bamboo.
A choice of two firmness levels
One plus point with the Vispring Chiswick is that you choose whether you want a medium or firm mattress. I’ve found a couple of guides from Vispring which suggest that their medium tension mattresses are best for users who weigh 11-16 stone. Their firm mattresses are best for people who weigh 16-20 stone.
A mattress salesperson will obviously tell you that you ‘get what you pay for’ with a mattress, but there is some science to justify spending a lot on a mattress.
The best pocket sprung mattress may also be the most expensive one
In 1999, a team of three researchers in Germany replaced a hotel’s mattresses with three different models which were ‘of three different qualities and prices’.
They then carried out assessments of how well guests had slept. They found that ‘the three qualities of the mattresses correlated significantly and positively with the perceived quality of sleep’. In other words, people slept better on the expensive mattresses.
The people who noticed the biggest difference in how well they slept were ‘chronic sufferers from back pain and sleep problems’. For those people the ‘association between sleep quality and quality of the mattress is significant’ (see Enck, Walten and Traue, 1999).
Further reading on pocket sprung mattresses
The growing popularity of pocket springs
In 2005 about 80% of mattresses sold in the UK had ‘open coil’ springs. That’s according to a 2019 report by the National Bed Federation. Only about 10% were pocket sprung mattresses. The figure with pocket springs is ‘nearer 40% today’.
That’s good news in a way. Pocket spring mattresses are far superior to the grotty old ‘open coil’ mattress in your grandma’s spare room which wobbles around like blancmange.
The problem with pocket spring mattresses
The downside is that pocket spring mattresses are more difficult to recycle than open coil mattresses. That’s because they are made up of hundreds or thousands of mini springs encased in individual cases. Open coil mattresses use one big continuous spring. (National Bed Federation’s End Of Life Report 2019).
On the plus side, academics in Portugal found that pocket spring mattresses have less of an environmental impact than foam mattresses (Lanoë, Simões et al, 2013).
Further reading: research into mattress firmness
Various pieces of academic research have been carried out into the question of mattress firmness. One such study was published in 2009 in China by Wang, Zhou et al. The mattresses tested were a soft ‘sponge’ mattress, a medium tension sprung mattress and a firm ‘wooden board mattress’. The outcome was a clear victory for the medium tension mattress.
An innerspring mattress with medium firmness could help the sleeper enjoy a better sleep than the hard board mattress and the soft sponge mattress.
Quality of sleep, as influenced by mattresses with various degree of firmness
An ‘innerspring’ mattress is another name for a sprung mattress.
The medium tension sprung mattress offered better support. It also led to less body movement and gave a better sleep according to the participant’s subjective views. The results were the same on the back or side.
The downside with this study is that it examined both mattress type (foam v springs) and firmness at the same time. It’s hard to conclude which was the bigger factor in leading to the better night’s sleep.