iGel vs Flaxby Mattress Reviews

TL;DR - amazing selection for testing at Northwich, 1st class staff and service, and the delivery team and experience was incredible. Amazing bed testing experience - my partner and I, with a 3yro and a 5yro spent at least 3 hours in the store testing everything and homing in on the mattress for us. The staff greeted us and asked what we were looking to do, and were totally fine with me asking for no help unless we found something (my previous experience at other companies meant I was not hopeful.). They understood, and this was the first place where they just said "Well, you can't test a bed without a pillow!" and gave us a Tempura pillow each for the afternoon! My approach to testing was risky - find a firmness we both liked to start with, and then test everything in that category and don't look at the price! Well, doing that kept me at the iGel 2050i, I nearly fell asleep in the store! This tech and construction was clearly for us the most comfortable in the store. The 3yro and 5yro thoroughly tested the bunk beds, and ran around everywhere, the store staff understood we needed to test and didn't mind the chaos the little ones were causing. Amazing experience at the Northwich store. The sales staff then appeared and checked in when it was clear we'd just stopped really testing and actually encouraged us to test exactly as we sleep, which was really nice to have that encouragement to be at ease lying down with your loved one in a shop! So I disappointed the staff and said I'd think about it. Honestly the mattress was nearly double what I'd put in mind, but the comfort was amazing in the shop. We got home and lay on the old mattress. It was a disappointment. I went back the following day before an offer ended and made the purchase, with delivery about 6 days later. Come the day before a delivery day, a text with a 2 hour time slot,. The day of the delivery, Ben in the van called and said they were 30mins away, which they were. You could also track their location online. Van arrived, the guys jumped out, I asked if they wanted any help, which they didn't and then they got the mattress through an impossibly small staircase within 15mins. I actually thought before delivery it wouldn't go and I'd have to take the handrail off, but there was no stopping the team - looked at the route, and just did it. Ben said when we got back down I'm actually proud of that one!". It was a tight fit, but the team didn't even think of not trying, just incredible. So here we are now, a few weeks after delivery, and I can honestly say the 2050i is an incredible mattress, the comfort and sleep we are getting now is seriously unimaginably better than before. Any regrets? That I didn't spend more time on the 3000i... by the time I got to that, I'd looked at the price of the 2050i and I think I'd probably tapped out on price. Next time...

We decided to wait a short while before leaving a review so we can comment on both the service and the product, so we will start with the product. Pre sales: We walked into the branch in Congleton and Martin was the salesman who we met. Very professional, listened to us and made recommendations based on what answers we gave him. (always a great start) Once we were confident on our selection, we got a quote. Again we went through all the options, once we added on what we wanted, Martin went through some offers on the extras which were good value based on what we were buying anyway. (such as protectors) Once everything was priced and finalised, we got a formal quote and gave it an hour to 'wait'. Went back, paid and felt happy with the purchase based on the product we tested and the sales approach. From firmness rating to technical specification of the materials, it helped us make an informed decision based on no. of springs, gel layers etc. and focus on what was more of a priority for us. We met Darrell later once we paid and couldn't rate this store any better. It's clear both individuals have a very natirual and consultative selling style, selling based on matching a product to people. Should the product live up to its claims, we will be OK! Delivery: Received multiple emails and texts with our delivery date, reminders and time updates. It arrived in time. Our delivery team was Mark and Linv. These guys were amazing. Took the mattress where we wanted it with no problem, both courteous and respectful to our property, best heavy goods courriers we have had. Product: We purchase the igel 2050i and will address initially it was very firm, more than what we expected, but to be expected with a new unit. After a couple of weeks of use and turning the mattress as per the care guidelines, it loosened off a bit and is now more like what we tested in store. There was a smell to the mattress initially, but it dissipated after about 2-3 days. 4 weeks later and the mattress is excellent. Can offer nothing but thanks to the Congleton branch and the delivery team. It honestly was great to see a full complement of people having pride in their jobs. We walked into this store with the money ready to buy what we wanted, but was fully expecting to be let down... But we're glad to be proved wrong! Pre-sales - 10/10 Sales support - 10/10 Delivery - 10/10 Product - 10/10 Not sure if it's too early to comment on the mattress, but so far it's settled as expected and seems like excellent quality. From a after sales perspective, we feel confident if there is an issue, that the team will support us.

an honest review, so to begin with, i wasnt even planning on buying a new mattress at the time, it was on a whim that i went into the shop as hadn't looked at new beds for a loooooong time, so thought why not, probably wont be very good, but the sales team were excellent and taking the time, which was well over an hour, going through a lot of bed options, and only going to this one as a "i do have one more to show but its a lot more money" option... but it was so comfortable the second i got on it in the shop compared to the others, which granted were half the price! from paperwork to delivery and the first nights sleep, its bliss! trying in the shop means you know what your buying before you even get it, and cant technically be disappointed. now for the details:- Its THICCCCCCK! this is a very deep and heavy mattress, 40+cm, so know your sheets are going to fit before buying you aint going to be rotating or moving it often as it is heavy, just move yourself around the bed for bedding in sleeping possitions to keep it fresh... you sink into it like a marshmellow, then stop when it thinks your possition is correct, and it is, your supported where you need it, free where your not the Igel cooling, i cant really comment on tooo much as its not been hot nights yet to test, but its certainly not like other memory foams iv had before where the heat bounces back and it feels sweaty what down sides can there be other than those that people make up due to not doing reaserch before they get it.... HEAVY, THICK, kinda pricy you spend half your life in bed, why not have it in the most comfort you can possibly get, its no different than people spending 1000s on sofas and tvs, they only do 1 job, as does this, but it does its job dam well! there really isnt much that can be said for this mattress, if you can afford it, get it! simple

I've deliberately left it several months before leaving this review (product was delivered end of Feb 2026) as Benson's were emailing for a review before we'd even received the mattress! This product is so poor I'm now being referred to a musculoskeletal specialist due to the pain and discomfort I'm experiencing, specifically as a result of sleeping on this mattress. We know it's the mattress as I travel alot for work and whenever I sleep in any hotel the pain disappears within a day or two. Come home to my own bed and within 24hrs I'm in crippling pain and can struggle to stand or sit. We went to Benson's, assuming they would know what they were talking about. They had us lay on some fancy, hooked up to a computer, bed full of sensors that supposedly measures body weight, pressure points in different sleeping positions etc. etc. and then spits out the "right mattress for you". The Igel NanoTech 3000i medium mattress was what we were recommended. However.... I weigh 19 and a half stone. I'm 6ft 4inches tall and built like the side of the proverbial barn, so I'm very obviously a big solid chap. Benson's own website states on it's "Sleep Hub" about the right mattress for your weight...: Best mattresses for heavier sleepers (Over 16st / 101kg) If you're in this range, you'll need extra support to prevent sinking too deep into the mattress. Here's what works best: A firmer mattress (7-9 on the firmness scale) will keep your spine aligned. High-density foam or reinforced pocket springs help with durability. A thicker mattress (at least 25cm) is better for long-term comfort. Avoid: Soft mattresses-you'll sink in too much and lose support, leading to back pain. Best picks: Firm hybrid mattresses - Durable and supportive. Orthopaedic mattresses - Designed for extra lumbar support. The so called "Bed Specialist made no reference to my size, however delicately, making no effort to steer us towards a firmer/reinforced/orthopaedic mattress. She was purely interested in upselling Benson's own brand mattress and accessories. She was quite happy to sell us a medium mattress despite the fact their own website (and the rest of the internet if you do a little research) say's anything less than a firm mattress will cause back pain. She also failed to check what type of bed base we have. We have a pine slatted base. When we received our Igel mattress and read through the paperwork it stated quite explicitly that this mattress was not suitable for slatted bed bases and required a solid/divan base otherwise the mattress would sag through the gaps. Using it on the wrong bed base apparently voids the warranty. So Benson's have sold us £1,500 of product that is not only not suitable for my size, is causing me significant physical pain impacting my daily ability to function, but they've also not made us aware of the required bed base type meaning we've bought something where the warranty is now void and we're stuck with it. We've not even finished paying it off and we're now shopping for a better alternative. But I can promise you that shopping effort will absolutely not involve a trip to Bensons for Beds.

Took delivery of the mattress a week today, June 29th. Waking up every morning with bad lower back pain ever since. No instructions were supplied with it, but I remembered that the staff at the shop told me it needed to be rotated ( not flipped) weekly. Just done that and found the instruction pamphlet underneath the mattress. I had been sleeping on it for a week. Read them and it clearly states that you need two people to rotate the mattress, lifting it from the underside as flat as possible, as bending the mattress will break glue bonds and dislodge internal fixings. I live alone. At no point was this explained to me before ordering the mattress. It is physically impossible for me ( or anyone else living alone) to rotate the mattress weekly without bending it. The pamphlet states that claims will be refused if there is evidence of bending the mattress. But it also says claims will be refused where lack of rotation is evident. So what am I supposed to do? I either rotate it by myself and bend it, or I don't rotate it….both of which will result in a claim refusal! I also clearly stated that I had a pine bed with a slatted base. Again, at no point was it explained to me that slatted bases would give a lower level of support. Hence maybe the reason I am waking up in pain every morning. Had I have been told about both these things, I would never have ordered this particular mattress. Feeling unhappy and misinformed.