Mattress fabrics (known as ‘ticking’) does have a relative impact on the price you will be paying for the mattress. Knowing what is used will help you in making an informed decision and also knowing how they are advertised will also help you. The type of fabric you choose will also have a direct relation to the cost of the mattress – Bear in mind that on a Superking sized mattress it takes more than nine square yards of fabric to cover it in its entirety. If a fabric costs the manufacturer just £3 a yard then this equates to £27 that has to be added to the raw manufacturing cost. Many high end mattress fabrics can cost between £5-7 per meter.
There are only four ‘classes’ of fabrics used for mattresses;
Stitchbond / Damask / Knits / Specials.
Stitchbond: This is the cheapest grade of fabric that can ethically be used on a mattress. Any lower grade will probably be sackcloth! It’s rather rough to the touch and used primarily on budget and economy mattresses. It is a printed material, patterns are not woven like damask or any other mattress fabric.
Damask: This is a woven fabric that will be on the majority of mattresses. It has become generally termed ‘Belgian Damask’ even though many of the damask fabrics described as such has never been through Europe, never mind Belgium. There are plenty of fabric manufacturers that produce material for mattresses, each with their own speciality and it is unusual for a manufacturer to stick with just one fabric supplier. Most come from Europe, France and Italy being favourite sources. But also, from as far afield as India and Malaysia.
Knits: Although commonly referred to as a microquilt – which is tecnically a finish, it is also a term of reference to the fabric (which is a knitted fabric rather than woven as a damask is). These types of fabrics fall in the luxurious ranges. Extremely soft and because of the flatter surface used mainly as a covering for Memory Foam or Latex topped mattresses. It would be unusual to have this fabric on the side panels or indeed on a matching base. A complimentary damask or other woven fabric would be used for these parts. It is also worth pointing out that this fabric, although termed microquilt – can also be tufted depending on the mattress.
Specials: In the past few years a multi million pound business has grown in relation to fabric coverings for the mattress industry. The latest innovation soon to hit the shops are Probiotic Fabrics such as Purotex®, Bugshield®, that actively neutralises bed bug allergens and suppress noxious bacteria. This means that as bacteria builds up on your mattress these good bacteria within the fabric comes alongs and kills them. When the job is done they lie dormant until more bad bacteria comes along.
Currently we have an absolute huge selection of specialist mattress fabrics. Ones impregnated with Aloe Vera, Ylang Ylang, Tea Tree Oil or scented with Vanilla, Lavender, Apples etc all designed to aid you in a restful nights sleep. Climate Control fabrics such as Coolmax®, Outlast®, Climasmart® etc, Organic and Eco fabrics, Naturals such as Cotton, Merino Wool, Bamboo, Health fabrics to reduce static build up such as Stressfree, Silver particles, Silver Flec, Copper threads .. and so on .. and on ..
As you can see just by this extremely small example, much can be made of fabric coverings. The fight between textile merchants really is cut-throat, each one vying for a slice of the mattress market. Knowing this, it makes absolute sense that these magical properties of fabrics should not influence you in any way prior to selecting a mattress based on your budget.
If you find a well constructed mattress at the right price that has a premium fabric then consider it as icing on the cake. Always be aware of how much is made of the fabric and so little of the actual construction of the mattress.
Hi
I have inherited an antique bed frame which functions as 2 singles but also as a double when put together, which is how I’d like to set it up. I need to buy a mattress for it. However, the centre has 2 wooden panels which would separate off a zip and link mattress on the bottom side of the mattress, probably by around 5-6cm. I wonder whether it is ok to just zip the top section of the mattress, which presumably would be well above the height of the wooden middle section and then put a mattress topper on. You seem very knoweldgeable on the subject, so I wondered whether you might have any ideas or thoughts on what would be best to do.
Many thanks.
Hi Sam. I would personally consider bridging the bottom of the base (with chip foam / foam or something that would offer some kind of suspension) enabling the mattress to sit on a level rather than levelling the sleep surface. I would love to see a pic of the actual bed. John.