A zip and link mattress (sometimes just called a zip-link mattress) is two separate mattresses which are zipped together. There are a couple of reasons why you might want a zip link bed.
- The first is if you share a bed with a real Fidget Bridget who spends the whole night shuffling around. The theory is that if you have two mattresses joined by a zip then you won’t feel Bridget moving so much.
- The other reason is that you should really pick a mattress which is the right firmness for your body weight. Lighter people need softer mattresses, heavier people need firmer mattresses if they are to get enough support to keep their spines straight.
So, if you’re a 7 stone gymnast who shares a bed with a 23 stone rugby player then you might benefit from a zip link bed with different tensions on each side.
Zip and link mattresses generally cost a bit more than the equivalent sized king size or super king size mattress. There are some reasonably affordable options available such as the John Lewis Classic NO. 2 Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress, Sealy Backcare Mattress or the Hyder Beds Pocket Backcare 1400 (those ones are about £700-£1000 in zip-link size, so not exactly giveaway prices).
Lots of the big names in the mattress market don’t seem to sell any zip-link mattresses, but respected brands like Sealy, Sleepeezee, John Lewis and Vispring have a good choice.
Prices are for a king size model. You can usually also get a super king or an ’emperor’ sized mattress, which is even bigger (generally 200 x 200cm though it does seem to vary). These are indulgently spacious but they require a large room and – in the case of emperor mattresses – you have a limited choice of bases.
Here are six zip and link mattresses that we recommend, based on specification, awards and value for money:
1. John Lewis Classic NO. 2 Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress – medium or firm – £729 (King Size) or £879 (Super King Size)
I’m yet to find a better value zip link mattress than the John Lewis Classic NO. 2 Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress.
Manufacturers often charge through the nose for the zip link version of their mattress. Prices are sometimes doubled, presumably because they don’t sell many of them.
John Lewis only add on about £200 to the price of its standard king size No. 2 mattress, which seems more reasonable.
The design is simple and classic. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles but it ticks the boxes. It is the equivalent of Walls vanilla ice cream. It isn’t Häagen-Dazs but it’s also not an unbranded lolly from Iceland.
The support is provided by a layer of 1200 pocket springs. That is the proper way of making a sprung mattress, rather than cheaper ‘open coil’ mattresses that should only be offered to guests that you don’t want to stay too long.
The 1200 figure is perfectly decent. You will see mattresses with higher numbers, but anything above 1000 is good enough for people of an average build. Mattresses with thousands of springs are showing off a bit and most of their springs are tiny.
Comfort layer
The layer on top of the springs is polyester. More expensive mattresses tend to use natural materials but some studies suggest that synthetic materials are better for people with allergies. The advantage of natural materials is that they can be better at keeping your temperature regulated, but it’s very common to use synthetic materials and I haven’t found reviews of this mattress where people are complaining of overheating.
If you want a similar mattress with a layer of wool then take a look at the Waitrose Wool range, which is sold by John Lewis.
You can choose from medium or firm versions of the John Lewis Classic NO. 2 Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress. As a general rule, lighter people and side sleepers will be better on the medium version. Heavier people and front or back sleepers will be better on the firm version. It’s difficult to give definitive advice on this, as one person’s idea of ‘firm’ is different to another’s (Ed: “ohhhh matron“).
If you use the John Lewis Classic NO. 2 Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress with a John Lewis mattress protector then you can qualify for the trial period that gives the possibility of a swap if it’s not right for you. I would suggest this is probably wise, as there are a small number of negative reviews from people who expected it to feel firmer.
The warranty is seven years, which is pretty good for a mattress in this price range.
2. Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattress – medium – £1849 (Super King)
This Sleepeezee pocket sprung mattress won a Best Buy from expert testers and it scores well with customers too (4.5/5 on Mattress Online). The Zip Link version comes in super king size, so make sure your bedroom is big enough for its 180cm width.
The Sleepeezee brand is hard to fault. It scores very well on Trustpilot (4.3/5) and it has a long history of Royal Warrants. Sleepeezee is based in the UK (in Kent) and has been going for about 100 years.
Impressive specifications
For your money you get a mattress with 1800 pocket springs. There are two main types of springs in modern mattresses and pocket springs are certainly the better option as you wobble around less. Pocket springs are the ‘classic’ way of designing a quality mattress whilst lots of more modern brands just use layers of foam.
The 1800 number is very good and will offer a solid base for you. Most high quality sprung mattresses range from about 1000-2000 springs. Beyond that number looks good on paper, but it is usually several layers of mini springs which has less of an impact than bigger springs.
On top of the pocket springs are two types of foam. One is a memory foam which is designed to mould around you and bounce back slowly. It is known for its consistent support but some people find memory makes them a little warm.
To counter this the mattress also has a layer of ‘Stay Cool Gel’. This is another synthetic material but it is designed to ‘reduce excess body heat’.
The firmness level of this mattress is ‘medium’. A firmer big-name mattress which is available as a zip-link mattress is the Sealy Posturepedic Backcare Mattress (£1029, very firm).
Warranty and trial period
The warranty and trial period that you get with the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattress are both positives – with a couple of caveats.
Generally speaking, you get more generous trial periods with those modern foam based mattresses that you see advertised constantly on telly. With brands like Simba and Emma you get several months to make up your mind – and if you don’t like it, you can get your money back.
With pocket sprung mattresses like this one, you get a 60 night trial period and your options are to swap it rather than getting a refund. It’s still a big selling point but it’s not quite as dazzling. I would highly recommend reading the terms and conditions of the trial period before ordering.
The warranty with the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 Pocket Gel Zip Link Mattress is 10 years. This is excellent for a traditionally made pocket sprung mattress which doesn’t cost more than a new car. Again, you will find some modern mattresses with longer warranties but the point is often made that some of these brands offer warranties which are longer than they have been trading for.
You can’t choose different tensions on either side of this zip and link mattress (if you want that, try a dual tension mattress such as the Flaxby model at #5 on this list).
3. Sleepeezee Perfectly British Mayfair 3200 Pocket Pillow Top Zip Link Mattress – medium firmness – £2399 (Super King)
This Sleepeezee zip & link mattress is only available in super king size as a zip and link, but it’s worth considering for five reasons. Well, there are probably more than five, but here we go:
- Sleepeezee as a brand has got a Royal Warrant, meaning that you’ll be sleeping in a royal bed (the household of King Charles specifically). That in itself is probably not enough reason to buy a bed, but it’s a good start.
- This particular mattress was a finalist in the (terribly exciting) mattress of the year category at the main industry awards in 2019. A couple of other Sleepeezee mattresses have also been given Which awards recently too.
- You’re getting a high specification mattress. It’s 35cm deep, which is deeper than an episode of In Our Time on BBC Radio 4 (most decent mattresses are 20cm-30cm deep). It uses a high number of pocket springs, which are the superior option to old fashioned open coil springs which your grandma had in her spare room.
- It comes with a 60 night sleep trial (read the terms and conditions first). The trial period allows you a swap but not a refund.
- Sleepeezee scores 4.3/5 on TrustPilot, which is very good.
One thing to note is that the (verbosely titled) Sleepeezee Perfectly British Mayfair 3200 Pocket Pillow Top Zip Link Mattress can’t be turned over because it has a topper as part of the mattress. Personally, I like a mattress that can be turned over to help it last longer, but it can be a faff trying to turn over a huge great thing that weighs more than a small car.
There is some (unsurprising) research which found that if your mattress starts to sag then it will ‘negatively affect sleep quality’, particularly if you sleep on your front or side (see Verhaert et al 2010).
Unfortunately, you can’t choose different tensions for each side of the mattress, you just get a medium firmness mattress all over.
Cheaper zip-link alternatives from Sleepeezee include the Backcare 1400 (£1249).
4. Spring King Tuscany 2000 Mattress – medium firm – £669 (King Size or Super King)
This zip and link bed from Spring Kings was formerly branded as Hyder Beds. Honestly, I had never heard of either brand, but the specification is outstanding for the price.
It is hand tufted on top which is generally seen as the better manufacturing method, rather than a flat quilted top, which you’ll usually see on cheaper mattresses. You can turn it over, which is often not possible with mattresses at the cheaper end of the market.
That’s two big ticks in my book, so far.
The 2000 in the title refers to the number of pocket springs.
I look for mattresses with 1000-2000 full size springs. You will see mattresses with 600-800 springs but these are not quite as supportive. A number closer to 2000 is better for heavier than average people but 1000 is fine for most people. It’s also worth explaining that these numbers refer to the number on a king size mattress – it will be lower on smaller mattresses and higher on super king size models.
That’s a third tick then, as the level of support is very good.
The fourth tick is that it includes some natural materials, which are good at regulating your temperature – such as wool.
The final tick is that customer reviews are positive, with an overall score of 4.8/5.
There are also some less good points with this mattress. The warranty is only one year and there is no trial period so it is something of a gamble.
Fancy something firmer, Sir?
Spring Kings also sell a firmer model with a ‘3000’ in the title called the Spring King Backcare Ultimate 3000 Mattress. It it also available as a zip link mattress. That won’t suit everyone but I thought it was worth mentioning for anyone looking for an extra firm model.
Details are a little scant but we do know that there is a layer of 1000 standard sized pocket springs to provide the majority of the support. My best guess is that there are also 2000 mini springs for extra comfort. Of course, it might just be that the manufacturers are fans of the song Year 3000 by Busted, but the general convention is that a number refers to the spring count. You can’t fit 3000 standard size springs on a single layer of a mattress, so it’s always worth probing a little deeper if you see large numbers.
It’s also a bit of an old myth that extra firm beds are inherently better for your back. The evidence is that you need to match firmness to your build and how you sleep. If you are overweight or sleep on your front or back then you will likely get better support from a firm mattress than someone who sleeps on their side. Lighter people and side sleepers tend to get better support from softer and medium firmness mattresses.
The fly in the ointment here is that manufacturers have never got into a room and agreed on a universal convention for measuring firmness of a mattress. One company’s firm mattress might feel the same as another company’s soft mattress.
5. Vispring Chiswick Zip Link Pocket Spring Zip Link Mattress – medium firmness – £2899 / £3199 (King size / Emporer)
Astute readers will have gathered from the price tag that Vispring are at the posh end of the mattress market.
They’ve been making mattresses for more than a century and are credited with inventing the pocket spring mattress, which was later adopted as the norm by dozens of mattress companies. More recently they held a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which is no mean feat.
This zip link model will make a mattress fanatic’s heart beat a little faster with its hand-side stitching (“phwoarrr….”), tufted finish (“oooh yeah….”) and viscose cover (“now you’re talking…”).
Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.
The thing about springs
Amongst all that jargon you will have gathered that this is a well constructed, traditionally made mattress. You can turn it over, which should help with longevity.
The spring count is 1200, which is plenty unless you are very heavy (somewhere between 1000 and 2000 springs is considered normal with a number closer to 2000 being more important if you’re heavier than average).
As an aside, you may have read in the description that there are 700 springs and may be utterly confused. You might have your head in your hands. I wouldn’t blame you. The 1200 figure refers to the number of springs on a king size version of the mattress, but it is generally used across all sizes to make it simpler to compare mattresses. In this case, they seem to have treated this zip link mattress as two mattresses for the purposes of counting the springs.
Signs of quality
The hand-side stitching referred to earlier just means that the edge of the mattress has been constructed in a way which takes a bit more time but which makes it more durable.
This mattress only seems to be available as a zip-link mattress in Super King or Emperor sizes (emperor is bigger than a super king).
From what I can tell, John Lewis & Partners (which sells this mattress) doesn’t offer the option of having half the mattress softer than the other half. So, it’s a good choice if you are a similar weight to your partner. Men – I would avoided asking your wife if she weighs more than you…
In case you’re interested, the non zip-link version of this mattress is £1200 cheaper and comes in medium or firm.
There are also a few other Visprings available as zip link mattresses including some that about £15,000 (gulp).
6. Flaxby Master’s Guild 4450 Pillow Top Mattress – king or super king or emperor – £2099/£2399/£2799 – choice of firmness
This Flaxby mattress deserves a place in our top five as it’s one of the only zip and link mattresses we’ve found that allows you to choose the firmness you want on either side. Usually you have to settle for a zip link mattress which is the same firmness all over if you want the simplicity of buying online.
You have to select ‘king size’ or ‘super king size’ or ’emperor’ for it to show the zip- link option. It is firm on one side and medium tension on the other.
It’s made by a company called Harrison Spinks and sold by Dreams. You may not have heard of Harrison Spinks but they’re a posh British company which manufacture the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection. They have won several industry awards including being named as the National Bed Federation’s best manufacturer in 2015 and 2018. They were the mattress company which featured in the BBC’s Inside The Factory (I won’t hold it against you if you didn’t watch it).
The most significant difference between this option and the more expensive ones in the range is that it can’t be turned over (you can turn over the Flaxby Masters Guild 16150 Pocket Sprung Dual Tension Mattress). Ideally, you want to be able to turn a mattress to help it last longer and avoid sagging over time, but you can rotate it at least.
These zip-link mattresses are only available in king, super king size or emperor size (that’s even larger than a super king).
