Help & Advice

Factors to consider when buying a mattress or bed

Here are 11 factors to consider when buying a mattress or bed

1. Mattress Firmness
Mattresses must always be supportive — we don't do soggy! We only make and design mattresses with comfortable lumbar support and beds that remain flat to fully support your mattresses.

 Foam and Latex mattresses often claim that being "roller tested" by machines can indicate the quality and the longevity of a mattress. Roller testing is conducted over 48 hours without the endless hours of body heat endured by any mattress in real time. Within two years, Foam and Latex mattress layers begin to crumble and lump up due to body heat. Simulated sleep roller tested mattresses dont receive the over 24,000 hours of consistent pressure and heat from our bodies during its lifetime.

Here at Warren Evans we have a history of receiving reliable awards for quality products ...making better products that represent better value again and again.

The best thing you can do is to get in touch with our team of sleep experts. They will ask you the right questions to find the mattress that adapts to your needs. Please phone 020 3927 7777, email us at [email protected] or book a video call here to allow us to show you around the products and talk you through the differences.

2. Price
Limited budget? Whatever the amount you spend with us, you will always receive better value for your money. The best mattresses you can buy cost a lot less from us. From our natural materials to our spring systems, we can assure you we have the right mattress for you. 

We only use organic wool top sleeping layers in our mattresses. Quality springs are a base to build on to, and of course they fluctuate in price depending on the complicated nature of the spring type and so on. But, we never use anything other than Organic wool, and because we use so much of it we get a good price for such great additional value. The reason Organic is so important in wool is that when a sheep is really looked after, it's expensive. When it's fed good foods and not additives, it's expensive. When it's left to run on fresh fields and looked after so that it doesn't have to take on huge amounts of antibiotics or it isn't being fed growth hormones, it's expensive. And apart from being expensive it's the right way to treat animals. So the best quality sheep are chosen for their excellent grade of wool, it sells for much more than standard wool and it's of the best wool in the world - given that the sheep are so well attended. That quality of making sure that wool is organic vastly accentuates it's excellent qualities of cooling and yet keeping warm people sleeping on it, and it maintains its robust nature for longer, of  rebounding again and again, to be comfortable night after night.

3. Home trial

Shopping for a new mattress can be overwhelming — it's a big decision! Good sleep makes all the differences to our health and well-being. A free home trial is the only way you will really know if a mattress suits you. We've been offering free trials for over 20 years. It's a safe and accurate way to know that a mattress suits you. That's what we offer a 10 Week Free Sleep Trial on all our mattresses and beds. This way you can make sure they're the right fit for you. Particularly with mattresses, it's important to give them a proper test.

4. Free returns
Our  10 week free Home Trial is a money back proposition (as opposed to a "forced credit" towards other in-store products) and it is complete with our "no quibbles" free return collection - a proper money back, free trial.

5. Built to last 
A wholesome, well-made mattress is heavier as it has thicker fillers which certainly give longer and higher quality support and comfort throughout its life. A good mattress can't be "rolled into a box" and give lasting support. All our mattresses are sturdy and reliable, hand made and conveniently delivered into the room of your choice free of charge. We only use 3 types of fillers: all of the sleeping layers100 % organic wool with either 100 % cotton rebound pads or 100 % coconut fibre pads for insulating and cocooning our hybrid and pocket sprung mattress units.

6. Natural fillers and covers   
Our mattresses contain no foams (plastic and petrochemical products), no latex (rubber) and no"cooling gels".
All our mattress covers are made from natural 100% cotton covers with only natural fire retardants, no nasty chemical F-R's are used at all, it's been like that for us for years now. 

We choose to use traditional highly successful mattress fillers that are made from cotton, organic wool and coconut coir fibres, in conjunction with fabulous spring units. The way that we combine the fillers and the springs allows the mattress to become a natural set of lungs, breathing air in and out of the mattress throughout the nights of use. This keeps the fibres in pristine condition, augmenting their ability to remain supportive materials by maintaining their body and shape.

The natural organic wool supports coolness in the summer by allowing moisture to "wick away" and evaporate - creating coolness, 

and warmth during the winter because when you're in bed and you're not hot, you're not creating humidity; so there is no moisture to "wick away" and the organic wool will be dry and becomes an incredibly effective insulator that protects you from coldness and keeps you warm untill you begin to it perspire and so on...

It's essential for us, that we use organic wool because the best quality sheep are chosen for their excellent grade of their fleece, it's sells for much more than standard wool and it's of the best wool in the world - given that the sheep are so well bred and cared for. The added value of making sure that wool is organic and British vastly accentuates it's excellent qualities of and maintaining balance and great homeostasis (allowing people to control naturally their own temperature whilst sleeping), and organic wool maintains its robust nature for longer, rebounding again and again, to be comfortable night after night.

 

7. Guarantees

The highly acclaimed tests that are conducted and bragged about by "award winning mattresses" only prove durability in the first short period of a mattress's life. Roller tests actually give very positive results for foam and foam highbred mattress products. Unfortunately, this masks the fact that they deliver very poor quality of support over any reasonable time and that people overheat while sleeping on them.

Our quality mattress springs, fillers, and covers last much longer and deliver a much higher level of the properties required for a good night's sleep over the years. You can see our terms and conditions to see the extensive length of our guarantees.

8. Health
Asthma, skin allergies, and toxic fungi are worsened by foam, as it's nonporous and traps air, perspiration, and humidity. In turn, this generates a hot and damp breeding ground for bacteria, especially as our minuscule skin scales do not travel through foams and remain trapped within this toxic breeding ground. This is bad for us and our immediate environment in so many ways.
Virtually all the mattresses made worldwide now contain Foam or Latex - not in our mattresses

"Natural Latex" is being heavily championed as a foam alternative; but it's only minimally better as it is Rubber which requires many poisonous, toxic chemicals to process. It has the same negative realities as foam mattresses - virtually no internal airflow , creating a mattress that is a sponge that holds moisture. The myth that it's biodegradable in landfills is also nonsense. Tests have shown that latex takes over 150 years to biodegrade in landfill conditions. Sprung and natural fillers are by far the superior choice. Steel springs are easy to recycle and natural Fillers right away in soil within three years or so, and they feed a healthy biological balance within the soil whilst doing so. (Please read more below.)

9. Hygiene
Natural materials wick away moisture, and because they allow air to move through their fibers, they dry out thoroughly. We use 100% organic wool on all our sleeping layers with, 100% cotton rebound and 100% coconut fibre pads to cocoon and protect the spring units from the outer sleeping surfaces

The "natural latex" that other companies offer is nothing but rubber and it's absolutely not natural. It requires many poisonous and toxic chemicals and chemical processes, delivering the same negative realities as the foam mattresses mentioned above. The myth that it's biodegradable in landfills is also nonsense. Tests have shown that latex takes over 150 years to biodegrade in landfill conditions.

10. Quality
We use only 100% cotton covers, natural fire retardants, proper quality springs, natural porous fillers, and traditional craftsmanship.
Our mattresses give years of cool, supportive, and comfortable sleep. The same applies to our sturdy beautiful beds. Built to last using solid wood and ply, the natural finishes are VOCs-safe and protected with a long-lasting quality finish.

11. Beds
Our bed frames and slats are made from 100% solid wood and solid ply that is 100% FSC approved. With 45 years of hand-making incredibly solid and durable beds that are built to last, we are very proud that they are beautiful and simply attractive, too. All the materials and workmanship in our beds and mattresses is guaranteed for years. With over 1 million products out there, we are truly the connoisseurs of quality handmade beds and mattresses.

The best part? Beds are in the 10 Week Free Trial, too! All with free delivery, assembly, and returns (to most of southern UK), saving you up to £128 compared to prices of other retailers' standard beds and mattress full service.

One-to-one video link with us into our display room for more insight into access issues, back aches, etc. here: 'Video Shop With Us'.

 

How to take care of your new mattress

Did I choose the right mattress?

Just like a new pair of shoes, it will take some time for your body to adjust to your new mattress. All mattresses take 2-4 weeks to break in, to open the springs and/or soften the fillers and make them as comfortable as the showroom models. If you are very light in weight, this process can take up to 6 weeks. 

To help prevent damaging your mattress and invalidating your guarantee, it is strongly advised the mattress is never bent or folded for access or transport purposes. Try not to let the kids use it as a trampoline, avoid using it as a step ladder to reach something high up.

Due to the production and nature of our mattresses we sell, please expect a tolerance of up to plus or minus 1” (2.5cm) on all the mattress dimensions we quote.

Why should I rotate my mattress?

The rotation and/or flipping of our double sided mattresses reduces the appearance of dipping while increasing the mattress’s life expectancy.

To properly maintain any of our double sided mattresses you must flip (like a pancake) and rotate (head to toe) your mattress after the first 2 weeks of use. After that flip the mattress seasonally, and rotate every 2 weeks (bar when you were flipping your mattress). This helps to spread the wear an tear across a wider area, and help extend its life. For all of our single sided mattresses merely rotate them every two weeks - head to toe.

Mattress covers and protectors are ideal to help keep your mattress clean and healthy. We advise you to use washable covers or mattress protectors to help keep your mattress clean and healthy.

Why does my mattress smell?

All types of new mattresses smell a little to begin with. We notice the same when the showroom mattresses are replaced. Once the mattress is made, it is sealed in its protective packaging cover straight away which does not give it time to air. The good news is that it gives off a healthy organic smell, like an attractive beautiful farm field, and the smell has no dangerous VOC's (volatile organic compounds) within it, it is not harmful. 

One of the big problems with using Foams, Glues, Chemical fire retardancy processing and Latex materials in mattress productions is the harmful chemicals off-fuming continually into your bedrooms air and into your lungs over the years. It's called VOC's, and is widely documented as harmful, commonly banned in some of the more forwardthinking countries within Europe and seen to be one of the most dangerous things that we continue to allow in our homes here in good old Blighty. Often considered to be quite carcinogenic and to cause all manner of breathing issues and respiratory problems, but so common in household goods that the industry is still not regulated. So all the mattresses you buy elsewhere with almost no exception will have more VOCs than I would like to have in my mattresses which is zero virtually. And let's be clear, Foam is excessively high in VOC's. VOC's particularly become active when heated above room temperature. So therefore when carpets with foam underlay are placed on warm floors OR when phone is used in a mattress and slept on on by warm bodies, it produces large amounts off-fuming, and the volume of off-fuming never reduces over its lifetime. A couple years ago proposed laws to ban certain fire retardancy chemicals from being used in domestic upholstery appliances was challenged from coming here into the UK. Anyhow, best just to use natural where we fire retardancy chemicals from being used in domestic upholstery appliances was challenged from coming here into the UK. Anyhow, best just to use natural where we dont use chemicals.

Most people don't mind the beautiful smell of organic wool (including myself -Warren Evans), in fact we find it rather reassuring!! But if it does bother you even slightly, we advise airing the mattress without duvet, sheets and mattress protectors for the first couple of days whenever possible. (prop the bedroom door open and leave a window open or on the catch if safe). Please do not worry, the smell only takes days to fade, and if it's not to your liking your coverage still by the no quibbles return policy of 10 weeks, for money back promise.

How can I clean my mattress?

We advise you start by lightly hoovering your mattress. This helps remove surface fluff, dust, and dirt and also prevents all of these from penetrating deeper into the mattress. We recommend you lay the mattress flat on the floor if possible, using a tarp or something so it's not in direct contact with the floor.

You can also fill a spray bottle with half a cup of laundry detergent and a coup of warm water. Shake well so that it mixes properly and spray the solution where the stains are. Let it soak for 30-40 minutes and rinse throughly. It's really important that you let it dry properly!

If the stains don't go away, you can also fill a spray bottle with 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar and 3/4 of water. Shake the solution well and spray the stains. Let it soak for a 5 minutes or so and rub it with a warm cloth. Once clean, gently press on the mattress to remove excess water. Once again, make sure it's completely dry afterwards.

We advise you not to use too much water. The Egyptian covers as well as the cotton/wool fillers are super breathable, but a damp environment can create mould and we want to avoid this.

I'm moving my mattress. How can I make sure it's not damaged?

Do not bend your mattress! This can have an impact on the fillers and spring system, that's why we strongly discourage you from bending it. If this is a concern of yours, we do offer a Zip&Link option for our bigger mattresses to ensure it's quality and guarantee stay intact.

How to take care of your new bed

How can I avoid damaging my new bed?

To avoid a creaking bed frame and ensure a peaceful night’s sleep, please make sure your bed frame (especially your head board) is pushed up against or touching a wall when positioning your new frame in your bedroom after assembly.

Please also bear in mind that direct sunlight will inevitably have an effect on the wood's appearance, as it can discolour the stains. Part of the charm of our natural wood products is that there can be a unique variation in colour, grain and knots between each different product and their individual components.

If you have ordered one of our bed frames in a white or lighter painted finishes, please note that as the pine wood matures and darkens under the white and cream paint; the knots may start to age through the painted finish as time passes. Unfortunately, this is not something we can control; it is the woods natural aging process.

Due to the handmade nature of our products, we allow a tolerance of plus or minus 1” (2.5cm) on all our product's dimensions.

I need to disassemble my bed. How can I do it?

If you need to disassemble and re-assemble your bed frame at any point, please ensure the instructions for this procedure are adhered to, to avoid invalidating your guarantee. Instructions are available on our website and you can find them clicking here or through our Customer Service Team at [email protected]. We can assure you our frames are very simple build.

How can I clean my wood products?

Wood is a low-maintenance resistant material. Weekly dustings are important for its upkeep. Avoiding excess water is also key when cleaning and, overall maintaining, wood as good as new.

Be particularly careful when you clean wooden painted surfaces. In this case, we recommend using a light or white cloth. Some cloths can transfer the dyes to the paint.

In case of any spillages, it is key to blot away the liquid to avoid a sticky mess! If you act quick, you can simply slightly damp a lint-free or microfibre cloth with plain water and wipe away the mess immediately. The most important thing about taking care of wood is not to saturate the wood with too much water.

However, if there are any stains that require some more ‘heavy duty’ work, there’s also a solution. There are plenty of products in the market for this special purpose. But if you want to clean your furniture with products that you may have at home, you can do so.

Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 2 cups of warm water for a homemade cleaner. You can also add a squirt of liquid dish soap for extra cleaning power if needed. Always ensure you rinse the surface until almost dry.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can the following, as advised by Better Homes and Gardens:

1. To revive grimy wood furniture, mix equal parts olive oil, denaturated alcohol, gum turpentine, and strained lemon juice. Make sure you are using a lint-free or microfibre cloth that is damp, not wet.

2. Apply with a soft cloth and buff with a clean cloth.

How can I clean my easy-clean velvet products?

General maintenance: vacuum every few weeks. Also, keep velvet out of direct sunlight as much as possible. The colour may fade over time.

For general stains, try to act quickly. It’s better to act before the stain sinks in. 1-2 drops of dish soap in a cup of lukewarm water. Mix it until it becomes sudsy. Soak the lint-free or microfibre cloth and blot the stain until it disappears. This works better than rubbing or dragging if the stain hasn’t sunk in. If you add too much dish soap, you will end up with too much foam – the velvet will soak, and it will be soapy. Be careful with the quantity of dish soap! Do not use too much water. It is important to pat dry as much as possible. Velvet needs to be kept dry.

When brushing the velvet, particularly for our headboards and bedframes, it’s better to use a downwards motion – always follow the same direction, otherwise you will see imprints on the velvet. This does not imply it is damaged, but it’s just a question of making it aesthetically pleasing. It also helps to use the back of a blunt knife to “comb” the fabric – once again, always in the same downwards motion – to make it look neat.

Quick tip: If the issue is a spill, soak up the excess liquid first with a lint-free cloth. If it is a large stain, you can use the hairdryer on the lowest heat setting to speed up the process. To avoid water marks after cleaning we advise that you dampen a colourfast cloth with boiled water from a kettle and gently wipe the entire panel or cushion from seam to seam. This will help to prevent any water stains as the fabric dries.

Vacuum your headboard (if buttoned) when you clean. Once a fortnight should be fine. If you have pets or you are a smoker, a good way to eliminate the odour is putting 50/50 water and vinegar in a spray bottle, shake it thoroughly and spray lightly. Allow to airdry. Always make sure the velvet doesn’t soak.

Steaming also works. Start at one corner and move the steamer along the fabric in a slow steady motion. Make sure not to hold the steamer in one stop for more than a few seconds. After you steam, use a stiff lint brush to brush the fibres down as they soften.

How can I clean my Belgian linen products?

If the stain is dry, make sure to gently scrape it (i.e., mud). Do not rub! Use 1-2 drops of dish soap in a cup of lukewarm/cold water depending on the type of stain. Mild soap or detergent works too. Mix it until it becomes sudsy. Take a light-coloured lint-free or microfibre cloth and make it damp (not wet!) to blot the stain until it disappears. You can gently rub it side to side if you need to. Make sure to do this very gently, otherwise you will end up pushing the stain further into the fabric. Ideally, you want to transfer the dirt to the cloth instead. Bear in mind that linen becomes softer and more absorbent over time.

If it’s an old stain, vinegar and baking soda can help. Mix ½ of vinegar with 2 cups of water and gently rub the stain to get it out. Let it sit for a couple minutes before. This way the vinegar can “pull” the stain.

How can I clean my soft jeans cotton products?

Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over the stain and let it sit for a few seconds. Wet a clean rag with water and gently rub it over the baking soda to make a paste. This way you can scrub away the stains. After rubbing it, leave the baking soda paste on the couch to dry and vacuum it up the remainder once completely dry.