How We Make Your Mattress

Built From the Inside Out

How We Make Your Mattress

A mattress is a system of components working together.

The springs provide support. Insulating layers protect and separate. Comfort fillings create cushioning, breathability and resilience. The border holds the construction together. Tufting secures the internal layers.

Changing any one of these elements changes how the finished mattress feels.

That is why we build our mattresses from the inside out — starting with the support system and developing each layer around the comfort we want the finished mattress to provide.

1. It Starts With the Spring System

The foundation of the mattress

At the centre of most of our mattresses is a pocket spring system.

Each pocket spring is individually contained, allowing it to respond independently as pressure is applied across the mattress.

This creates a more responsive support surface than a spring system where every spring moves together.

Across The Natural Collection we use different spring arrangements according to the mattress specification.

These can include:

Full-height pocket springs
Forming the principal support core of the mattress.

Mini pocket springs
Smaller springs positioned within selected comfort constructions to create additional responsiveness.

Hand-nested calico pocket springs
Used within selected Reserve mattresses for a more traditional approach to pocket spring construction.

The important factor is not simply the number of springs.

Spring dimensions, tension, arrangement and the upholstery surrounding them all contribute to the finished feel.

2. Protecting the Spring Core

Creating the transition into comfort

The spring system should not sit directly against the softer comfort fillings.

An insulating layer is positioned around the spring unit to create separation between the mechanical support system and the upholstery above it.

Depending on the mattress construction, this may include firmer natural or cotton-based materials selected to provide stability and create a strong foundation for the softer comfort layers.

This stage may rarely be seen once the mattress is finished, but it plays an important structural role.

Rather than using one universal combination, we work with different materials throughout our collections, including:

Cotton for softness and breathability.

Wool and lambswool for natural resilience and temperature regulation.

Flax, bamboo, nettle and botanical fibres within selected plant-based blends.

Natural latex for responsive, pressure-relieving comfort.

Horsehair for springy resilience and natural ventilation.

Cashmere, silk, alpaca and pashmina within selected luxury upholstery blends.

The order of these layers matters.

Firmer and more structured materials can sit closer to the spring system while softer, finer materials are introduced nearer the sleeping surface.

The result is a gradual transition from support to comfort.

Explore Our Materials

4. Creating the Mattress Border

The mattress border is more than a decorative finishing panel.

It surrounds the internal construction and helps maintain the shape and structure of the finished mattress.

Depending on the collection, our mattress borders can incorporate different construction and finishing techniques.

Selected mattresses feature simulated side stitching, while our traditionally constructed mattresses can use more detailed hand-finished techniques.

Handles and ventilation details are added according to the individual mattress specification.

5. Closing the Mattress

Bringing every layer together

Once the spring system and upholstery layers have been assembled, the mattress is enclosed within its outer fabric.

The panel and border fabrics are selected to complement the mattress construction beneath them.

Some mattresses use cotton-based fabrics.

Others use stretch fabrics designed to work closely with responsive comfort materials such as natural latex.

The outer fabric may be the part you see, but it is the construction beneath it that determines how the mattress performs.

6. Tufting

Securing the internal construction

Many traditionally upholstered mattresses contain substantial layers of loose natural fibres.

Those layers need to be held securely in position.

Tufting passes through the depth of the mattress, drawing the upper and lower surfaces together and helping secure the internal upholstery.

The characteristic surface contours created by tufting are therefore not simply decorative.

They are part of the mattress construction.

Deeper natural upholstery can also begin to settle around these tufted areas during use as the fibres respond to the sleeper.

Traditional skill where the construction demands it

7. Hand Side Stitching

On selected mattresses, traditional hand side stitching is used around the mattress border.

This is a skilled process where the craftsman works into the mattress edge, helping connect and reinforce the outer upholstery around the spring system.

It requires significantly more time and judgement than simply creating the appearance of stitching on the outside of the border.

For that reason, genuine hand side stitching is reserved for mattresses where the internal construction is designed to benefit from it.

8. The Finishing Details

Small details still matter

Once the mattress construction is complete, attention turns to finishing.

Borders are checked.

Handles and vents are inspected where fitted.

Tufts are reviewed.

Seams and stitching are examined.

The mattress is checked for its overall shape, finish and construction before being prepared to leave our Yorkshire manufacturing facility.

A mattress can contain excellent materials and still be poorly finished.

We believe both matter.