Mattresses and Bedding: The Specifications That Are Not Comparable

Bedding is a category full of numbers that look comparable and are not. Firmness ratings and thread counts are the two worst offenders, and both are set by the manufacturer rather than by any standard.

Mattress firmness is not a standard

A "medium firm" from one brand can feel like a "firm" from another. There is no shared scale. What you can compare:

• Construction type. Pocket sprung, memory foam, latex, hybrid — these describe how the mattress behaves and are consistent between makers.
• Spring count, within the same construction type, gives a rough sense of how localised the support is.
• Foam density, where stated, predicts durability better than firmness does.
• Depth, which matters because it decides whether your fitted sheets still fit.

Because firmness cannot be compared on paper, a trial period is the specification that actually matters. A brand offering a genuine at-home trial with free return collection is telling you something a firmness rating cannot.

Thread count is mostly noise

Beyond a moderate figure, thread count is inflated by counting plied threads, and very high numbers usually indicate that rather than quality. More useful:

• Weave. Percale is crisp, matte and cooler. Sateen is smoother, slightly shiny and warmer.
• Fibre. Long-staple cotton wears better and pills less. Linen is cool, durable and creases by design. Polyester blends resist creasing and breathe less.
• Weight, where given, in grams per square metre — a better durability signal than thread count.

Bed sizes differ by country

A "king" is not one size. Dimensions differ between markets, and buying bedding from an overseas retailer to fit a locally bought bed is a reliable way to get something that does not fit. Compare the centimetres, not the name.

Mattress depth matters as much as the length and width for fitted sheets — a deep mattress needs a deep fitted sheet, and the standard depth assumed varies by brand.

Duvets and pillows

Duvet warmth is rated on a scale that is broadly consistent within a market, and a lower rating for summer with a higher one for winter is more useful than one middling duvet year-round. Filling matters for weight and for allergies: down is light and warm, synthetic is heavier for the same warmth and easier to wash.

Pillow choice follows sleeping position more than price. Side sleepers need more loft to fill the gap between shoulder and head; front sleepers need very little.

Where to spend

The mattress, which you spend a third of your life on, and which is difficult and expensive to replace. Sheets are effectively consumable — buying mid-range and replacing on a cycle usually costs less over time than buying cheap repeatedly and less than buying at the top of the market.

Before you order

Check the trial period and who pays for collection if you return a mattress. Check the mattress depth against your existing fitted sheets. Check bed dimensions in centimetres rather than by name, particularly when buying across markets. And check delivery — whether it is to the room, and whether the old mattress is taken away, since disposal is otherwise your problem.