How to Choose a Luxury Continental Bed: A Practical Guide

Start with how a continental bed is built

A continental bed is not one mattress on a frame. It is a series of layers. A sprung base sits on the floor, a sprung main mattress sits on the base, and a top mattress sits above that. Each layer does part of the work, which is why a continental bed feels deeper and more supportive than a single slab of foam. In a Mattsons bed the base is built in ten layers over pocket springs, the main mattress is built in fourteen layers with the dual spring system, and a TAGEL top mattress finishes the surface.

Continental, frame or low profile

There are three broad shapes to choose between. A continental bed sits higher and feels generous, and is easy to get in and out of. A frame bed sets the mattress within a frame for a lower and more contemporary line. A low profile bed keeps the slim silhouette while still being made the same way. In the Mattsons collection, Elegance, Pure, Soulful and Rise are continental beds, Strand is the frame bed and Light is the low profile option. None is better than another. They suit different rooms and different bodies.

Choosing your firmness

Firmness is where most buyers go wrong, because a bed that feels good for a minute in a showroom is not the same as one that supports you for years. As a general guide, heavier bodies and back sleepers tend to need firmer support to keep the spine aligned, while lighter bodies and side sleepers often want a little more give at the shoulder and hip to relieve pressure. Because Mattsons builds to order, you select your firmness rather than accept a fixed setting, and side stitching can be added to reinforce the structure.

Two people, two needs

Couples rarely weigh the same or sleep the same way, and a bed that suits one can be wrong for the other. It is worth raising with the maker before you order, since a bed built to preference can be specified around both sleepers rather than a single average. It is one of the real advantages of a made to order bed over a boxed one.

Size and height

Height matters more than people expect. A continental build sits tall. A Mattsons Pure, for example, has a mattress height of thirty centimetres, a base of twenty five and a total height of around sixty five, which changes how the bed feels to get into and how it sits in the room. Measure the space, think about headboards and bedding, and picture the bed at its real height rather than a catalogue photograph.

The top mattress

The top mattress is the layer you actually lie on, and it sets the first impression of comfort. Mattsons finishes its beds with a TAGEL top mattress built in its own layers. It also protects the main mattress and can be refreshed over the life of the bed, which is part of how a continental bed stays comfortable for so long.

What to check before you buy

Four things separate a bed you keep from one you replace. What is inside it, whether the maker will build it to your preference, how long it is made to last, and whether you can try it first. Mattsons builds with natural fibres over a Swedish pine base and a dual spring system, offers over one hundred fabrics and adjustable firmness, and makes its beds to last a quarter of a century. Trying one in person still matters, which is why it is worth finding a retailer before you decide.

Matching the range to you

If you want the most enveloping, exclusive feel, look first at Pure. For a contemporary line without giving up support, Soulful or the frame style Strand. For a refined, slim first Mattsons, Light. If none of the standard builds is quite right, the range is made to order, so the honest next step is a conversation rather than a catalogue. Compare the models in the collection, read what goes inside them in our materials guide, and find somewhere to try one on our retailers page.

Questions people ask

What is a continental bed?
A continental bed is built in layers, a sprung base, a sprung main mattress and a top mattress, which gives a higher and more supportive feel than a single mattress on a frame.

What is the difference between a continental bed and a frame bed?
A continental bed sits higher and feels generous. A frame bed places the mattress within a frame for a lower, more contemporary line.

How do I choose the right firmness?
Match it to your weight and sleeping position, firmer for heavier bodies and back sleepers, softer at the shoulder and hip for lighter bodies and side sleepers, and choose a bed that lets you specify it.

How long should a luxury bed last?
A well made handmade bed should last for decades. Mattsons makes its beds to last a quarter of a century.