Wool, white fibres and 2000 full-height pocket springs go into the Relyon Isabelle 2000 Pocket Mattress, a traditional tufted mattress sold by Mattress Online. It's the sort of bed you look at when you want a firmer surface without giving up cushioning, though living with it means regular rotation.
It belongs on the shortlist for back sleepers who like firm support, and front sleepers who need to avoid sinking too far at the hips. The proper spring unit and the wool are good reasons to buy, and I rate Relyon as well made and fair for the money.
Skip it if you're a lightweight side sleeper, because your shoulder will want more give than this, or if you'd rather flip a mattress than only spin it. My main reservation is that one-sided build, and the owner evidence is thin, with the longest review finding it softer than its firm label and weak at the edge when you sit.
The Isabelle's 2000 springs are all full height, with the minis on top
The Isabelle's core is a substantial unit of 2000 full-height pocket springs, with a separate layer of mini springs above them whose count isn't given. The listing doesn't say which size the 2000 is counted for either, so ask before you compare it with another mattress's figure.
The listing's "initial plush feel" means cushioning from those smaller springs under the wool and fibres. It doesn't mean a deeply soft top. I regard minis as spring-count padding more than a reason to spend extra, and the money would have done more as extra wool.
Wool sits between layers of soft white fibres, which are synthetic, polyester among them. Wool breathes and lasts. There's no foam anywhere in the stack, though the fibres mean it isn't all natural. The damask cover is tufted to hold the layers in place, with a flat top and no pillow top, which suits me.
The Isabelle needs regular rotation despite its no-turn label
No-turn saves you flipping the Isabelle, but it doesn't remove the maintenance. Mattress Online's page says to rotate it seasonally, while Relyon's care leaflet asks for more, so follow the leaflet: head to foot weekly for the first three months to encourage even settlement, then every three months afterwards. Weekly rotation belongs beside exercise on my list of things I'm sure would help and am somehow not doing. Put a reminder in your phone the day it arrives.
To my mind no-turn is a cost saving dressed up as a convenience.
Check your base before buying. Relyon's leaflet asks for slats no more than 6cm (about 2.4 inches) apart and its website allows a little more, so work to the leaflet. Its 29cm depth, give or take 2cm, calls for deep-pocket fitted sheets. The leaflet also says never to fold or roll it, so expect it full size and measure the turn in your stairs too.
The retailer has listed the double as discontinued, so check your size is still offered. The 100-Night Comfort Trial at Mattress Online works as an exchange, and you have to buy its protector with the mattress to qualify, so check the exchange charges first. Get the guarantee terms in writing too, as the listing and the linked leaflet differ on its length, and the leaflet calls hollows in the sleeping area normal settlement.
One detailed owner found the Isabelle softer than its firm label
The firm label is a sensible starting point, but the owners don't agree about the feel. One calls it a good firm, supportive mattress, while another just likes the price. The longest review finds it comfy lying down but "not really what I would call firm", with springs that give a lot when you sit up, or sit near the edge.
The firm-and-supportive review is the oldest, written before the listing's stated depth went up, so it may describe an earlier spec. The firmer-edge wording the retailer's listing used to carry has since gone as well. One account doesn't prove weak edges, but sitting on the edge is where I trust owners over a listing.
If you perch on the edge each morning to dress, ask the retailer about the current edge build before you order.
What to buy instead
Choose the Relyon Prairie 1000 Pocket if being able to turn it comes first. It's the cheaper firm route, with half the main springs and soft white fibres and a dual density polyester pad where the Isabelle has wool, but it's double-sided, so you get two usable sleeping surfaces.
For a turnable firm mattress with wool and cotton, look at the Hypnos Marlow Ortho Deluxe. Spend the extra for those fillings and the double-sided construction, and ignore the clinical-sounding name.
At about the same money, the Relyon Anna 1500 Pocket is the Medium Relyon, with silk over 1500 springs, and suits a side sleeper who wants more shoulder give. If you want more natural fibre while staying firm, the Relyon Luxury Pashmina 2350 Pocket is the next rung up, though it keeps the minis and the one-sided build.
