John Lewis Mattress | The Ultimate Comparison Guide

John Lewis Mattress Collection

John Lewis & Partners has a wide range of mattresses manufactured exclusively for them, mainly by Harrison Spinks. But how do you choose the best mattress for you from the hundreds available? Luckily, John Lewis has separated their best mattresses into separate categories. Now, all we have to do is decide which John Lewis collection is best for you.

The Collections Include:

John Lewis & Partners Ultimate collection

John Lewis & Partners Classic collection

John Lewis & Partners Essentials collection

John Lewis & Partners Eco collection

John Lewis & Partners Climate collection

Ultimate Collection

The Ultimate Collection includes luxury mattresses made with natural materials. These mattresses are constructed using natural fillings, including Egyptian cotton, British wool, hemp, alpaca wool and cashmere. They are available in all sizes, including zip link options for couples who prefer a different feel to one another or those with narrow stairwells. They can be purchased in most sizes for under £5599.99

Anyday Collection

The Anyday collection is more budget-friendly mattresses ranging from hybrid memory foam mattresses to traditional pocket sprung mattresses. They are available to purchase in most sizes for under £399.

Eco Collection

The Eco Collection focuses primarily on sustainability and better for the environment, ensuring the mattresses are made from recycled materials. This includes plastic bottles and recycled polymer blended fibres.

They’re also a fantastic vegan-friendly choice. Suppose you’re looking to invest in quality mattresses that are safe for the environment and animals. In that case, this is a great collection.

Climate Collection

The John Lewis Climate Collection mattresses provide a cooler sleep and feature temperature-regulating technology. In addition, these mattresses incorporate different cooling materials for a refreshed feeling of sleep. These include graphite-infused materials with copper beads and phase-transitioned crystals that release heat.

Classic Collection

The Classic Collection is divided into Classic Eco and Classic Wool; pocket sprung mattresses offer a more traditional style. The Classic Eco range concentrates on sustainable materials. The Classic Wool range is constructed with a layer of wool which is great for anyone after a medium feel and supportive mattress.

How do John Lewis Mattresses Compare to Winstons Beds?

John Lewis Partners Classic Eco 800

The John Lewis Partners Classic Eco 800 is a more traditional, environmentally friendly pocket-sprung mattress constructed from 800 pocket springs. However, while it has a more conventional design, it’s not made from entirely natural materials, which is not the worst considering the price. The Eco mattress has approximately 1300gsm to 1900gsm of comfort fillings. The total weight of the bed is 26kg (as advertised on the JL website), and a king-size 800 spring unit weighs approximately 20-22kg, which leaves between 4-6 kilograms of comfort layers.

The Eco 800 consists of a 16cm spring unit individually pocketed and sealed with heat instead of glue as its core support system. The mattress comfort fillings are constructed from recycled plastic bottles, and its sleeping surface is made from recycled cotton. In addition, it has a depth of 24cm, so you won’t need to shell out on non-standard fitted sheets and mattress protectors. As for firmness, the Eco 800 offers a medium firmness level. Online reviews show that medium firmness is well-suited for a range of sleeping positions. Still, if you weigh much more than 11 stones, you might find the Eco 800 too soft. 

• The Eco 800 is a one-sided mattress, so there is does not need to be turned but should be rotated from head to toe regularly. The mattress comes with a 7-year guarantee and a 60-night trial. 
• This Eco 800 has a medium feel, and on a scale of 1 (very soft) to 10 (very firm), we would rate this as 5, making it a true medium-feel mattress.
• Customer testimonials show that the Eco 800 performs much better on a platform top divan than on a sprung base. However, they felt insufficient support for sleeping on their front or back.
• The Eco 800 is also not sumptuous, and there is very little edge support, allowing the mattress to sink if you sit on the end of your bed. There is also a high level of motion transfer, so you’re pretty likely to feel your partner when they move.
• The Eco 800 is an ok mattress for the price being asked, but due to the high motion transfer and lack of support, if you or your partner are light sleepers or have joint pains, this may not be the mattress for you. This mattress will cost you £329 for a double.

John Lewis & Partners Luxury Natural Collection Egyptian Cotton 5750

The Natural Collection Egyptian Cotton 5750 is one of their most popular natural fibre mattresses, blending natural fibres and Cortec pocket springs. It has a comfortable medium feel that uses fillings made from Egyptian cotton, linen, hemp and viscose–so it will appeal to those who want something made of natural materials.

At its centre, it consists of an approximately 16cm pocket-spring core sandwiched between two sheets of mini pocket springs and a synthetic white fibre pad, with the natural fibres distributed on the top and the synthetic eco-white fibre pad beneath.

Using our industry knowledge of spring weights and using the information provided on the JL website, we have worked out the GSM of the mattress to be approximately 1800gsm-2300gsm of comfort fibres, with the remainder of the weight coming from the springs. The mattress also does not seem 100% natural as it contains an eco-white fibre pad, a synthetic white fibre insulator.

• The Egyptian Cotton 5750 has a medium soft feel, and on a scale of 1 (very soft) to 10 (very firm), we would rate this as 4.
• Our research also revealed that the Egyptian Cotton 5750 supports your hips if you prefer to sleep on your side, but it isn’t so good for those who like to sleep on their back.
• In terms of insulation, we rank this as a cool mattress that is great for those who prefer a cooler feel. This is a good mattress if you’re looking for one with natural fillings. But due to the low GSM of natural fibres, it loses height over time as the fibres compress. Nevertheless, the support it delivers is still good. This mattress comes with a 7-year guarantee and a 60-night comfort trial.

John Lewis & Partners Luxury Natural Collection Mohair 14000

The John Lewis Luxury Natural Collection Mohair 14000 has a medium feel and is a pocket sprung mattress that’s upholstered using four sheets of micro springs. We’ve discussed the benefits of a higher spring count, but this is only a suitable construction method if you have the correct amount of upholstery compared to the spring count. Nearest to the surface, you sleep on wool, viscose and mohair, giving a medium feel.

The drawback of this john lewis mattress is it only seems to have 3 layers of upholstery on either side of the mattress, which may cause the mattress to indent and dip quicker.

John Lewis markets this model as a ‘medium tension’ mattress. Our research agrees with this, and we rated it as 6 on a scale from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very firm).

Our research also revealed that the Luxury Natural Collection Mohair 14000 gives good support to your spine, mainly if you are a stomach sleeper. We also found this model was consistent, whatever your body weight.

However, the mattress loses depth, and support changes considerably for back-sleepers. This is possibly due to the natural fibres compressing, but the firmness was still good as it didn’t soften over time.

Using our industry knowledge of spring weights and the information provided on the John Lewis website, we have worked out the GSM of the mohair 14000 mattress to be approximately 3100gsm-3400gsm of comfort fibres, with the remainder of the weight coming from the springs.

The border has 3 rows of hand side stitching. If you sleep on your stomach and want a mattress with natural fillings, this is a good choice. However, this mattress loses depth over time, and the support for back sleepers is poor.

John Lewis & Partners Luxury Natural Collection Cashmere 27000

The Luxury Natural Collection Cashmere 27000 has a firmer feel. It has a pocket spring core with six sheets of micro springs, on top of which are several comfort layers made from materials such as cashmere, mohair and wool.

Our research measures the Luxury Natural Collection Cashmere 27000 as a 9 on a scale where one is the softest and 10 is the firmest.

This model has only four layers of upholstery on either side of the mattress, which will reduce the comfort levels very quickly and cause the mattress to indent and dip.

Using our industry knowledge of spring weights and the information provided on the John Lewis website, we have worked out the GSM of the Cashmere 27000 mattress to be approximately 2800gsm-3200gsm of comfort fibres, with the remainder of the weight coming from the springs.

The border has 4 rows of hand side stitching. You’ll get reasonable support as a side sleeper, which will continue to be the case for years to come. But the same can’t be said if you sleep on your back. It’s poor at supporting back sleepers, with the support getting fractionally worse over time.

Don’t expect this mattress to be in excellent condition after a few years. It sags dramatically, with customers claiming it dips after 6 months of use, so you may find it becomes less comfortable over time.

John Lewis & Partners Ultimate Natural Collection 37000

The John Lewis & Partners Ultimate Natural Collection 37000 is aimed at those who prefer a medium feel. It’s upholstered with natural fibres such as insulating wool, breathable cotton, and hemp. The mattress is also springy and anti-bacterial.

There are 36,000 micro springs and a core of 1000 Cortec pocket springs at its centre. These are individually sealed with heat rather than glue.

It has five layers of upholstery on either side of the mattress, most of which seem to be blended pads. We would expect them to be hand teased fibres at this price point. The wool, hemp and Egyptian cotton fillings surround this core and are topped off with a 50% viscose and 50% wool cover. It comes with a seven-year guarantee and a 60-night comfort trial.

While marketed as a firmer mattress, our research rated the Ultimate Natural Collection 37000 as 7 on a scale from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very firm), so in reality, it has a medium feel.

Our research also indicated that although the Ultimate Natural Collection 37000 supports your spine if you’re lying on your front or back, it’s not as supportive when you lie on your side.

The transfer of motion is reduced, which is good, so you’re unlikely to disturb your partner when you move around in your sleep.

Research showed the Ultimate Natural Collection 37000 is not durable. It lost over 1cm in height as the fibres compacted like many mattresses that use natural filling materials but don’t layer them correctly. This will, unfortunately, lead to significant changes in the level of support it provides, mainly when lying on your back.

Using our industry knowledge of spring weights and the information provided on the John Lewis website, we have worked out the GSM of the Ultimate Natural Collection 37000 mattress to be approximately 4200gsm-4700gsm of comfort fibres with the remainder of the weight coming from the springs. The border has five rows of hand side stitching.

John Lewis Mattresses Contain Many More Springs, so are They Better?

We’ve discussed the ratio to spring counts in a mattress on numerous occasions.

First from reviews found on mattresses with a large number of micro springs are dips and sags. This is because the springs are so small that they can fail quickly as they are not made for constant movement and large amounts of weight.

Once one spring goes, the rest soon follow, and this is why you will find the guarantee periods on such mattresses to be below 10 years.

Micro springs compress quickly compared to standard pocket spring units, where the usefulness of micro-adjustments comes from, but this can cause motion transfer and lead to a restless night of sleep. Also, you need multiple sheets of micro springs to get any significant support. In contrast, a calico pocket spring unit will do the same job, if not better, leaving more room for comfort layers.

A mattress can only contain so many layers of springs before the natural fillings GSM and value begins to be diminished. This is because springs take up space where deeper natural filling layers could be. Generally, the total spring count in John Lewis mattresses comprises micro pocket springs, not leaving much room for the comfort layers.

A calico pocket spring unit is far better than layer upon layer of micro springs. It will provide a more consistent sleeping surface and free up the space for natural comfort layers. In addition, a higher quality mattress will always utilise more GSM of fibre than steel.

What Other Mattress Brands can you find at J Lewis Shops?

Mattresses sold at JL Partners Shops can be split into two main categories:

Memory Foam Mattress

Brands like Simba and Emma dominate the bed in a box market with 100 night or 200-night trials, which means you can return the mattress if you don’t love it. Instead of springs, these use different types of foams and typically cost around £500 – £700 for a king size.

Tempur

Tempur is a pioneer in memory foam mattresses after taking inspiration from NASA. The sinking effect you get from a Tempur mattress cannot be replicated (believe us, we have tried). You can expect to spend about £1500 to £2500 for a king size mattress.​

Traditional Mattresses

Vispring

Vispring invented the pocket spring system more than 100 years ago and has remained one of the most famous brands ever since. Guarantees can be as long as 30 years. And you will need to spend around £1000 to £5000 on a kingsize.

Hypnos

The British Royal Family use Hypnos mattresses and has won awards recently at the NBF bed retailer Awards. A Hypnos mattress will set you back about £1000 to £2500 for a king size.

Why Should you Choose Winstons?

The John Lewis mattress range specifications are definitely at the higher end of the mattress market. But when compared to mattresses by Winstons, we believe the clear winner is us. Unlike JL, we disclose the GSM and blend of the natural fibres we use. JL makes the mistake of using cheap micro springs over more expensive natural fibres yet charging significantly more. There should never be more steel than natural fibre in a costly luxury mattress.

We use more GSM of natural fibres than any other luxury mattress retailer in Great Britain because we know it’s what’s needed to deliver the most comfort and durability. This is why we give a 30-year guarantee compared to 15,10, or 7 years. By choosing Winstons, you will not find a higher spec or quality mattress anywhere in the UK at each price point. If you’re still uncertain and need more help deciding, contact our mattress experts on 0161 250 9200 for no pressure advice.