The Flaxby Mattress collection is made by Harrison Spinks, the Leeds-based British mattress manufacturer with roots going back to 1840, and is sold exclusively in the UK through Dreams Beds. Every Flaxby mattress in the range is handmade by Harrison Spinks master craftsmen who apply traditional techniques to every stage of the build, from the coiling of the springs through to the natural filling layers above them. When I ran my hand over the cover on the showroom models, it felt nicely finished and properly put together. Regardless of the type of mattress you choose, the Flaxby collection makes up some of the best quality in materials and construction you will find at this price point.
Who makes Flaxby mattresses?
Flaxby Mattresses are made by Harrison Spinks, one of the oldest British mattress manufacturers still operating today, and are sold in the UK exclusively through Dreams Beds. Harrison Spinks also makes mattresses under its own name at a higher price point, so buying a Flaxby effectively gets you the Harrison Spinks manufacturing pipeline at a more accessible Dreams price. The materials inside the Flaxby range are of decent quality relative to their price and have proven popular with readers looking for proper British craftsmanship without stepping into the top of the Harrison Spinks own-brand range. The trade-off is that Flaxby is Dreams-exclusive, so you are limited on where you can try them and compare like for like.
Where are Flaxby mattresses produced?
These mattresses are made here in the UK, at the Harrison Spinks factory in Leeds, so you can rest assured in the knowledge that you are getting decent workmanship from home grown talent.
What is inside a Flaxby mattress?
Many of the Flaxby mattresses use high quality pocket springs, normally far in excess of the cheaper substitutes offered by other, less known mattress brands. Pocket springs are a good indicator of a very high quality mattress. When I pressed down into the surface, I could feel that springy push-back straight away rather than that dead, foamy sink.
One of the primary benefits offered by many of the Flaxby range is split tension in a number of the sizes. Since every person is different, their needs are often different, meaning while your partner may prefer a softer mattress, you may prefer a medium tension. Flaxby offers zip and link mattresses that support split tension, allowing one side to be firmer than the other. Very clever stuff. Just be aware that if you are sensitive to a join in the middle, you might notice a slight difference between sides depending on the model.
Are Flaxby mattresses any good?
Backed by hundreds of owner reviews and a solid 5 year guarantee to back up any problems that may arise, it is clear this is a company that can be trusted. The materials mentioned above are all of very good quality and should not represent any problems throughout the purchase. Sitting on the edge, the support held up better than a lot of softer, foam-heavy options. The costs for this type of mattress are still quite high compared to the industry average, but due to the expected longevity offered both in the form of the guarantee and quality of parts, this should be seen as an investment. I will say though, 5 years is decent but not massive, some brands at this price push 10 years which is worth bearing in mind.
The reviews speak for themselves, this is a very good brand for mattresses.
How much does a Flaxby mattress cost?
Prices start from around £400 increasing to £800 depending on the quality of fillings. The firmness of these mattresses doesn't tend to determine the price though, so you will find something with a suitable firmness across the range of price points.
Inside the Flaxby range
Flaxby organises its catalogue into guild ranges, with each step up bringing more springs and richer fillings. The Oxtons Guild is the entry point - single pocket spring layer, wool and cotton fillings, does the job without flagship pricing. The Masters Guild is where most buyers end up. It adds a second pocket spring layer underneath the first, thicker natural fillings, and a more substantial cover. The difference between Oxtons and Masters is noticeable when you compare them side by side in Dreams.
Within Masters Guild, the 4450 and 8450 are the models that come up most often. The 14950 sits at the very top with cashmere and silk in the filling layers. For most people, the standard Masters Guild is the right call. Oxtons delivers the Flaxby feel at a lower price but the fillings are thinner and they'll bed in faster over time. The higher Masters Guild tiers are better mattresses, but the jump at the top end is real rather than dramatic, and the pricing jumps with it.
The Harrison Spinks connection
This is the thing that makes Flaxby worth paying attention to. Harrison Spinks is a heritage British mattress manufacturer that sells under its own name at considerably higher prices. Flaxby is made in the same Leeds factory, by the same people, using the same approach. Dreams just distributes it at a more accessible tier. If you've been looking at Harrison Spinks and finding the flagship range outside your budget, Flaxby is how you get that manufacturing without the premium name on the label.
The 5 year guarantee is where Flaxby falls behind. Harrison Spinks own-brand models carry longer cover, and some D2C rivals at comparable pricing offer 10 years. It's respectable but it's not category-leading. In practice, Harrison Spinks build quality tends to outlast the guarantee by a comfortable margin, so it's more of a numbers game than a product issue. Still, I'd like to see that number pushed higher.
Dreams exclusivity means you can try it in store but you can't shop the price across retailers. Worth waiting for a Dreams sale rather than paying the sticker price.
Flaxby is Harrison Spinks quality through Dreams at accessible pricing. The Masters Guild range is where most buyers should focus. The split tension options are strong for couples who prefer different firmness levels on each side. And the build quality sits well ahead of what the D2C foam brands offer at similar prices. If traditional British pocket spring construction appeals to you but the heritage brand pricing doesn't, this is where I'd start.
