When AsleepSealy Mirrorform Information
Mirrorform is a brand name of Sealy. Mirrorform comes in a variety of different types. All Sealy products are good value but some Mirrorform products are much better value than others, especially if you have back pain. (see our guide)
We've worked with Sealy to produce our own version which is even more tailored to those with back pain. To understand why "Back in Action Mirrorform" is our recommended sleep surface for 2008 it is essential to understand about mattress design, and to be able to distinguish between marketing hype and real information.
It will take a bit of reading but this page will help.
In the beginning there were SPRINGS... and Hype
When we first researched mattress design in the late 1980's we did it at the main London Reference Library. There was an amazing amount of data ... and it opened our eyes to how much of the bed industry is "double speak". We learnt that the UK market was dominated by factories making springs, that virtually no imports existed due to the size of the mattresses and the cost of import, and that the spring manufacturers had a monopoly but also a problem ... they couldn't find a way to make people buy more mattresses. So ... they had created ways of making people spend more money ... pocket springs in individual linings allowed mattresses to be sold for up to 400% more than interlocked springs ... yet we could find no evidence that they gave any greater comfort. (Back in Action info: We observe that pocket sprung beds get harder with age and if you want to go pocket sprung spend a lot and expect to change regularly)
We also found that Sprung bases had been introduced to create the impression of a "matched" base and mattress. The literature made it quite clear that the motivation for this was to increase the amount spent on bases. (Back in Action info: We find metal spring bases actually decrease the sleep area of a bed ... we prefer slatted beech)
Then; Something new: Tempur
Back in the early nineties Back in Action was one of the first retailers in the country to have Tempur "toppers". The Tempur material was unique to Tempur and their mattresses contained no springs at all. The foam inside had an extraordinary effect: it appeared to flow like thick warm oil, and the mattresses quickly found fame for helping those in hospital and those with back pain. Later the mattresses became an astounding success ... and last year Back in Action sold thousands. Tempur became one of the fastest growing mattress companies anywhere.
All good things have to end. Tempur distanced themselves from Back Care.
In 2006/2007 Tempur were faced with massive competition from other manufacturers, both in the UK and in China, who could now make mattresses which competed well on performance but were much cheaper. Tempur UK notified Back Care retailers that they needed to move themselves upmarket ... to be viewed as a luxury mattress rather than a back care product. They decided to re-launch their products with new foam and to make them available through luxury bed stores. Companies involved or associated with health such as Back in Action were told they would no longer be able to sell Tempur's prime mattress offerings. (Tempur 15cm, Tempur 20cm, Tempur 25cm, Tempur 22cm)
As it happens we didn't like ... (and don't like) ... their new mattress products using their new Tempur HD foam. So ... despite having sold thousands of Tempur mattresses each recent year we've had to drop the product. If you would like one of Tempur's 2006 Mattresses we have a few left in stock, but these are at a premium as they are in our opinion superior to Tempur's HD products.
How to choose from the Tempur copies:
What we've seen over the last few years is a flood of "memory foam" or "visco-elastic" mattresses on the market ... each borrowing Tempur's main sales messages. However we've also noticed the quality varies enormously, and whilst some are good value others should be avoided. What's more a warranty is pretty useless if the company making the product won't be around in future.
For these and other reasons you won't find every visco mattress on our site or in store ... if you want that kind of choice you would be better off going to other mattress sites where you will see that almost every mattress is described as wonderful. Frankly that's not true and on our site we have selected the good ones and offer opinions. So the first piece of advice is choose from our selection ... but we would say that wouldn't we.
Back in Action Mirrorform ... our 2008 offering.
We are arrogant and experienced enough to believe that we have something of value to contribute: as postural experts for over 20 years we can see just what happens to people's shape when they lie down on mattress. We can see that almost all mattresses allow postural distortion ... (despite the great marketing pictures manufacturers produce!). Those with back pain need great alignment ... and mattresses that give great alignment don't usually feel good in the showroom. For this reason most manufacturers compromise and most back pain sufferers end up finding that their new mattress is not as good as they hoped.
The Back in Action Mirrorform uses all of Sealy's fantastic quality control, their reliable warranty, and our expertise. It won't feel instantly great in the showroom, but chances are it will align you better and that means you will have the greatest chance of a good nights sleep. We are so confident that we offer a 60-day trial.
All sizes are in stock.