Hi Chris. Sorry – had to remove links.

We also [controversially] think that a 2000 pocket spring unit would be more beneficial than the three thousand offered, particularly if it meant the inclusion of additional upholstery in its stead. Also, for the price, this would have to be a full two sided mattress – which we currently doubt. A very good comment Chris and a potentially good find. We will investigate further on your behalf. Please email Ryan to keep in touch. John and Ryan.

In your case the best way to go about this is to make a checklist and see which mattress gives you more for your money. Usually the only difference will be the spring unit, but by seeing which gives you more upholstery should be the clincher. John and Ryan.

Many thanks

Hi Keith. Give Millbrook a call on 0845 373 1111 and ask them this very same question. If I was in the market for a new mattress I would have less hair then I already have through frustration trying to differentiate the actual differences in models from Millbrook. As I have said countless times before, the information you actually need to know to make an informed choice is not present in any of their descriptions. “luxuriously upholstered with sumptuous warm fillings “ tells you bugger all, and if they are not prepared to tell you where your hundreds of pounds are being spent then go elsewhere.

Hope this helps Keith and be sure to let us know of your findings. John and Ryan.

Finally. Ryan and I don’ t consider ourselves to be in a scam business. This industry, just like any other in the consumer industry does have it’s fair share of greed.
John and Ryan.

Any mattress can be broken down to their constituent parts and similar [or most times - exact] parts can be used to create a comparable model. For comparisons, take a look at Vi-Spring mattresses, I would say these are Savoir’s closest rival and differences between construction methods and components are marginal.
Taking it one step further, similar – but not comparable, opens your options even further. Once you make your decision to purchase full in the knowledge of the exact component parts then give us a call to see if we can offer anything similar. John and Ryan.

Thank you for your speedy reply.
Sorry I didn’t make it clear; I was told by the delivery men that the ends of the zippers were purposefully kept loose to make it easier to zip the mattresses together, but there was one which also had loose stitching.
Interestingly, the zip ends of the replacement beds vary; only a few have been left loose, most of them have been stitched in to the end of the zip. It is this variation and lack of attention to detail which has really surprised me.
Kind regards, Gill
Hi Gill, first of all you should not be apologising that the standard of finish you expect is not reflected in the product you have purchased and even moreso considering the price you have paid. Attention to detail is a real bug bear to Ryan and myself. Even though many of the products we sell are mass produced and obviously the selling price reflects this – we still constantly nag factories to provide us with a finish to detailing that we ourselves would expect. Bad detailing stands out like a sore thumb – stitching / fabric patterns lining true to the edge / the strength of tufting / side stitching being equal / labels being stitched squarely and a myriad of other detail that obviously will not affect the performance of the mattress but shows the difference between a manufacturer who takes genuine pride in their product to those who simply do not care!
If it helps, and I do not make any apologies on behalf of your manufacturer, it is very very rare that loose threads / stitching will pull to an extent that will cause the zip to come away. But – being conscious of the price and the manufacturer, this noticeable lack of attention should really not be there in the first place.
Take pictures and express your dissapointment to the manufacturer and the retailer. Let us know how you get on. John.

Thank you for providing such an informative website. I’m particularly interested in your comments about Harrison Spinks beds, and thought you might be interested in our experience of them.

My husband and I recently bought a Somnus Imperial 7800 zip and link divan set, regular firmness rating. We paid £3,789 in a sale, reduced from £4,369, RRP £5,829. When they were delivered we were surprised to find the finish of the zips, zip covers and piping poor, with loose zip ends and threads and uneven stitching. The mattresses also did not look like a pair, the top cover on one was much looser than expected and gathered unattractively into the piping.

Within days we were offered replacement beds, but slept on the originals while they were being made. I had problems rolling into the dip in middle of the 2 beds where they were zipped up. I weigh 10 stone, my husband 11 stone.

The finish of the replacement beds is slightly better than the original pair, but one bed is nice and tight and firm whilst the other is soft at one end and lumpy at the other. The cover on the latter is also loose and baggy.

The suppler says these are hand-made beds so we should expect differences between them. As to the finish, they says this is superficial and does not affect the quality of the materials, but I find it unsightly.

Where do Somnus get their reputation from if this is what they produce? I appreciate we bought these in a sale, but that should not affect the quality. I thought maybe I was being too fussy, so went back to look at the beds in the showroom. Their finish and evenness of tension was superior to the beds we’ve received. I feel so disappointed and confused. Kind regards, Gill.

Hi Gill. I’m quite surprised to hear this. Surprised that Somnus is trying to cover up or make excuses for what sounds like essentially a poor standard of workmanship and finish. Firstly, not many people know or are aware that display models in a showroom are manufactured to a higher standard than those that will be sold. After all, these are the showpieces designed to make you part with your hard earned. Can I prove this? No, of course I can’t – but your experience goes a long way to support this theory and there are plenty of examples of this on the internet forums. To pay nearly £4000 for a bed anyone would reasonably expect a finish that is worthy of a hand made bed – and I am assuming they mean tailor made rather than hand made! Incidentally, the loose ends of the zippers are purposefully kept loose – in order that you can zip them up easily when the mattresses are together.
Dont less this pass. Sale or not, you have paid a lot of money and all aspects of the mattress should be of a relative standard. Somnus will have/ should have a quality inspection procedure in place and perhaps this aspect of the manufacture may have been compromised. Feel free to update your comment. John.

Natural fibres are indeed the best, and as you have vouched will pay dividends over the years. Unfortunately, price is usually the inhibitor and so compromises will have to be made to fit your budget. Currently, cotton prices are at an all time high and so this staple component in many high end mattresses will either have to be reduced by weight, replaced, or paid a premium for. Thanks for your contribution Tim, some really interesting points raised. John.