You might not have given much thought to how your mattress is made, but the quality of manufacture can have a huge impact on your sleep and health. We’ve delved under the layers of the John Lewis British Natural and Ultimate collection mattresses to reveal exactly what makes them so comfortable and such a sound investment for years to come.
Our mattresses don’t start life in a factory, but on the Harrison Spinks farm in Yorkshire. This 300 acre family-run farm is home to hundreds of sheep, who roam and graze on fields free from pesticides or fertilisers, and it’s their pure-grade springy and resilient wool that goes into our mattresses.
As well as sheep, the farm is home to alpacas and angora goats, all reared for their wool. It is here that pesticide free pastures of hemp and flax crops are grown. These crops produce fibres that help to absorb moisture from your mattress while you sleep, keeping you cool and dry.
Wool is a sustainable natural mattress filling, which can be fully recycled at the end of the mattress’ life. Cashmere, silk, Egyptian cotton and mohair are the other luxury natural fillings that may be added to your mattress, especially in the mattresses towards the top of the range.
Our manufacturers, Harrison Spinks, are proud to partner with British Wool on their traceable wool scheme, to ensure all our wool fillings are responsibly sourced from British farms, and those farmers receive a fair price for their wool.
Vibrant green hemp and cobalt blue flax are harvested in late summer, matured and threshed to produce the exceptionally soft and absorbent fibres.
Hemp is resilient, durable and excellent for temperature regulation. Growing hemp on the farm not only guarantees the quality of this filling, it also significantly reduces the impact on the environment.
Flax and hemp are also super-strong, and more absorbent than cotton to help keep you cool and dry. Hemp is sustainable; it requires no pesticides and no herbicides.
Each mattress is hand-tailored by expert craftsmen and women in Yorkshire.
The luxury natural fillings are hand-teased or layered into place above the patented pocket springs, and completed by adding the soft fabric top and bottom panels. Mattresses are then placed in the tufting press to secure the natural fillings in place and create an ultra-soft sleeping surface.
The luxury mattress surface and mattress border are then joined together by a skilled upholsterer. Each bed has over 200 side stitches that are woven by hand with a 12 inch needle to ensure that your body is held in the right position, even at its outermost edges.
The mattress makers carry out quality checks at every stage of the manufacturing process. These time-honoured craftsmanship skills culminate in a mattress of the highest quality.
All the springs in our British Natural and Ultimate collections are designed and manufactured in-house at Harrison Spinks with innovative patented technology. The use of 100% recyclable pocket springs provides advanced comfort and industry leading spring counts. The use of pocketed micro springs eliminates the use of foam and glue. The more springs mean more points of contact with the body, relieving pressure and providing greater comfort and lumbar support.
Every British Natural and Ultimate collection mattress contains a Cortec™ quad core combined with layers of micro springs to create unrivalled support. These springs work independently from one another offering superior comfort and contouring to your body with accuracy and precision. It is the absence of glue which allows each spring to work individually for maximum efficiency, with excellent airflow for the ultimate in temperature control and pressure relief.
Some of the more premium mattresses contain a Cortec™ quad Revolution® core. This is the same as Cortec™ Quad however Quad Revolution® has an additional spring within every third spring. This helps provide greater lumbar support and enhanced comfort. The heavier parts of the body are perfectly supported to maintain an aligned spine, to prevent any unwanted aches and pains.
Ensuring animal welfare
We're committed to ensuring high standards of animal welfare in all stages of the supply chain. We require that our suppliers do likewise, by eliminating cruel practices in animal husbandry and providing the best possible conditions for animals whose by-products are used to make the things we sell.