What is Mattress Tension?

Choosing mattress firmness boils down to personal sleeping requirements.

Unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than saying “soft, medium or firm”. In the mattress industry, there isn’t actually a precise or global definition of what these indicators mean.

Sliding scales and ratings are rife, but with no continuity around what any of it means, purchase can end up being more of a guess than a precise selection. This guide is there to help cut out the guess work.

But why does this confusion exist? It is because retailers are using spring tension alone to dictate the firmness of a mattress. And this is wrong. Mattress firmness ratings are based on the upholstery layers and spring tension.

Along with the user’s body weight. For example if you’re looking for a medium firm mattress, you need to look at the right upholstery, as well as the spring tension and your own body weight in order to work out the correct mattress tension.

I know what you’re thinking – how do you do this yourself, and more importantly, why do you have to?

Choosing spring tension can vary from person to person.

There are a number of factors, although bodyweight is the most important, alongside price point. If your partner requires a different spring tension, there are split tension or zip and link options available.

Should you be only considering the ‘feel’ of the mattress, however, you’re doing it wrong. As such, a soft spring mattress doesn’t necessarily result in a soft bed. As mentioned, there are other factors to bear in mind.

If you are on a budget and would prefer an entry-level mattress, then it is worth noting that there is generally only one spring tension available.

This is often a 1.4mm gauge wire which is a medium firmness. This suits the largest number of sleepers as it is set in the middle and more people are likely to fall somewhere into this medium bracket.

Spring tensions are often broken down into soft, medium, and firm and, as mentioned, this can be a touch confusing for the uninitiated. Bodyweight is the most important thing to consider when choosing the right spring tension for you.

Your weight actually plays an important part in making sure you end up with the right mattress.

If you don’t take your weight into consideration, then you will find yourself guessing the best mattress tension you need, something which many retailers will avoid making clear.

By means of a very simple explanation – a light person will find an orthopaedic mattress rock hard, whereas a heavier person may find it is just right in terms of comfort. So, what kind of mattress would be best for a heavier person who is asking for a firm mattress?

Here at Winston’s, we know exactly which type of mattress would be suitable and unsuitable for a buyer weighing 18 stone. And we see it as our responsibility to make sure that you get the right mattress for your needs.

After all, we know which materials more durable, and which spring type are the most supportive. We also know whether a particular mattress would be better with an extra layer of filling. Or if something needs changing.

More than that, we know it shouldn’t fall to you to know all these things when you buy a mattress. You need to be able to trust your retailer.

The mattress and bedding industry is rife with confusing buzzwords and slogans.

And the most complex is the perception of firmness and support. Often, these two words are used by retailers and buyers as one and the same – this has to stop.

Firmness and support are completely different and have very distinct meanings. Which must be acknowledged if you hope to end up with a quality mattress with the perfect finish for you.

The support unit of your mattress is always dictated by your weight, determining the distribution of weight you receive while sleeping. This is because spring units are manufactured with specific weight tolerances in mind. They are designed to take a certain amount of weight to compress and extend correctly.

If you end up with a spring unit which is not designed to take your body weight, you’re going to end up with either a firmer spring than you need (in which case it won’t compress as it should) or with too soft a spring (meaning it will compress too far). Both issues that will prevent the mattress from supporting you.

It is key that you understand the weight limit that can be applied to the spring in any given mattress.

Following the spring selection, the next thing you need to consider is how the upholstery layers of the mattress can and will affect the firmness and comfort.

One way to look at this is with a basic comparison:

Imagine two medium tension spring mattresses, suitable for a 13 stone user. The spring unit is identical, but we decide to top each one with a different upholstery layer. One ends up with a medium tension feel, while the other is much softer. This is how important the upholstery is.

• Foam upholstery provides a much firmer feel than wool or cotton, which provides a very soft finish.
• Horsehair will provide a very firm feel.
• Alpaca fibre and bamboo can provide some of the softest finishes.