Testing out a Vispring mattress is a rather exciting moment for a mattress nerd like me.

You’re probably aware that these are some of the most expensive mattresses you can buy. The brand invented pocket springs and has been going for more than a century. It also offers a 30-year guarantee, which is almost unheard of within the industry. 

The model we tested out was the firm version of the Vispring Herald Superb Mattress but you can also get it in a medium tension version. We will get round to trying that one at a later date. 

Firmness rating of the Vispring Herald Superb Mattress 

My first test was to lie on my back and put my hands underneath my spine. This is a nice simple test that you can do in a mattress store. If it is very easy to get your hand underneath then the mattress is probably a bit too firm for you and isn’t offering you the support that you require. If it’s exceptionally difficult to get your hand underneath then you’re sinking in a bit too much and the mattress is probably a bit too soft for you.

In this instance it felt about right to me as a 13 stone man who was about six foot tall. Testing it out yourself is very important particularly if you are coughing up for a Vispring mattress.

For the second test, I flipped over onto my front, which is my preferred sleeping position. Again, it felt about right to me. I didn’t sink in too far but I also didn’t feel like I was just lying on a plank. 

Finally, I tried lying on my side to see how that would feel. In this position I felt that this mattress was too firm for me and was putting too much pressure onto my hips and shoulders. If you are somewhat heavier than me then you might find it’s about right, but for me it wasn’t quite there. 

Edge firmness and strength of the Vispring Herald Superb Mattress

My next test when I’m trying out a mattress is to lie right on the edge of the bed. This is particularly useful for parents who get shoved towards the edge of the mattress by young children who climb into their bed uninvited. 

If a mattress sinks in at the edge then this can be a sign that it’s not a particularly strong and robust mattress. Equally some mattresses try to put in ridges around the edge which strengthen it but can feel a bit unnatural. 

In this case I found the Vispring to offer excellent strength right to the edges. I also sat on the edge of the bed and found that it didn’t compress too much so I could happily sit there and put my socks on and off. 

Motion transfer of the Vispring Herald Superb Mattress

My final test involves lying on the mattress and asking my wife to get up and down and wriggle around. Again, this is a very simple test that you can do in a mattress shop, even if you will feel like a bit of idiot. 

The motion transfer on the Vispring mattress was excellent. It’s not quite up there with something like a Tempur mattress, which operates very differently and has a very different design. However, I would say it’s about as good as you’re going to get with a sprung mattress.

Final thoughts on the Vispring Herald Superb Mattress 

Overall then, it’s hard to fault this Vispring mattress and it’s really just a question finding the one that is the right firmness rating for you. The problem of course is that the price tag of a Vispring mattress is very high. 

When we tested the herald super mattress it was £3095 for a double mattress. A single model was £2285 whilst a king size was £3599 and a superking was £4515. That’s before you’ve included a divan set to go with it. 

Vispring will argue with some merit that the cost is quite reasonable, once it’s spread over 30 years. Whether or not you’re willing to pay such a significant amount at the beginning of that 30 years is up to you.

See our main Vispring guide for some cheaper Vispring mattresses.