Hästens vs. Vispring
Sleep better on Hästens? or on Vispring? a comparison
Sleeping badly, half of the Netherlands suffers from it at one time or another. You don't expect sleeping problems on a Hästens or Vispring bed. But which bed is better? We get this question regularly. And is therefore a great first topic for our blog series. We know everything about both strong but very different brands, because we have been selling Vispring for over twenty years and Hästens for over ten years. We have therefore collected a lot of customer experiences. Hästens has become big in the region partly because of our efforts. The same applies to Vispring and we still carry this brand. With good reasons.
Conclusion
This comparison is based on long experience with both brands. But choosing a bed is and remains a personal matter. I only reflect here what I see about the beds and what I hear from clients. Both brands deliver quality. But on some of Vispring's strengths, Hästens has no answer.
For example, the entry-level Hästens box springs and mattresses have no side stitching, no tufting and no double spring layer. This hardly distinguishes these entry-level Hästens mattresses from ordinary ready-to-use mattresses. However, all Hästens mattresses do have a topper, but this is often perceived as too warm and hardens without regular "massaging.
Hästens’ more luxurious box springs and mattresses (starting at 20,000 euros) certainly live up to the brand’s reputation, but with more precise side stitching, superior tufting, the use of exclusively natural materials, and a wider selection of fabrics and designs, Vispring still sets the standard. Moreover, Vispring’s double box springs and mattresses, priced between 8,000 and 20,000 euros, already feature a technically high-quality construction and thus offer a better value for money than Hästens.
The brands side by side
Vispring
Side stitching
All mattresses
Tufting
All mattresses
Double-spring
From €8,000.
Design
Many choices in fabric, leather and colors
Natural Materials
Full
Price-performance ratio
Very good
Hästens
Side stitching
Top models only
Tufting
Top models only
Double spring layer
Top models only
Design
Limited choice of fabrics and colors
Natural materials
Partial (synthetic pockets)
Price-performance ratio
Satisfactory to good
Philosophy of sleeping according to Hästens and Vispring
Hästens and Vispring manufacture beds, box springs, and mattresses in the premium segment. However, there are significant differences between these brands, which I’d like to highlight below. The Swedish company Hästens, originally a saddle maker, began producing box springs and mattresses in the middle of the last century.
As with ViSpring, handmade and the use of natural materials are paramount. Especially since the 1990s, Hästens has been successful, thanks in part to active marketing and with the valued "soft lie", the deep sinking into the mattress but especially into the topper, which comes as standard. This deep lying is an explicable characteristic of producers from cold countries, because deep lying also means warm lying. Another advantage of the topper is that it can easily be replaced separately in case of an accident.
Successful is the blue block design, by which you immediately recognize a Hästens. But experiences with the soft mattress often turned out to be negative in the long run (too soft, too warm) and preferences changed. Hästens did not follow this trend. However, the brand did raise its prices, and during the last economic crisis sales declined and the number of sales outlets decreased. Even after the crisis, the beds remained unchanged and highly priced. The ideal room temperature for a good sleep is around 17-19 degrees, which is not feasible in every home, and a Hästens proved too warm for many. The topper also lost its popularity, because with insufficient airing and massaging it became hard after a few years.
The internal ventilation of the mattresses was somewhat hampered by the synthetic pockets and the mattresses without side stitching proved to be prone to distortion. The block design was also past its trend and increasingly difficult to combine nicely in bedrooms. This combination of factors caused a decline in outlets and sales. Hästens did not know how to adapt sufficiently to other requirements and brought too little innovation.
Market Approach
The chic British and Queens Award-winning Vispring is a brand in the same segment as Hästens, but with a very different profile. Whereas Hästens built its reputation and image primarily with a hefty marketing budget, Vispring is a more constant, exclusive and somewhat more subdued brand, which has been developing and producing top-quality mattresses since 1901. Also for very exclusive customers such as the British royal family. And continues to do so today, completely handmade and with 100% natural materials, including the pockets (casing of the springs).
Vispring invests its budgets mainly in developing and improving its products and less in marketing. Attracting customers is left mainly to the stores that carry the brand. This results in very good quality products but with the disadvantage of lower awareness and higher dependence on the quality of the outlets. Despite this, the brand has become a very stable player that is appreciated by connoisseurs. Customers are also very loyal to the brand and almost always buy a Vispring again.
Technical differences between mattresses
Side stitching
All Vispring mattresses have side stitching, even the entry-level models. Side stitching involves attaching the edge of the mattress internally to the pocket springs. An intensive and manual job that can take up to eight hours per mattress and ensures that the mattresses are sprung edge-to-edge. It also prevents the mattress edges from sagging over time and becoming less tight and stable.
Hästens applies side stitching only to the top models. The method of application also differs. Vispring applies the side stitching when the mattress is still "open" so that it can be done very precisely. Hästens opts for a quicker method and shoots the side stitching through an already closed mattress, without being able to check whether the attachment to the pocket springs is going well.
Also important for the lying comfort of a mattress is the direction in which the pocket springs are placed. At Vispring, this is always done lengthwise, with the springs being inserted by hand. Simply because there are no machines yet that can do this. The big advantage of springs in the longitudinal direction is that the weight of the person next to you does not make a hole in the sleeping area. Again, it is handwork, takes more time but provides a lot of extra comfort. Hästens mattresses and almost all ready-made mattresses have the less comfortable machine-produced springs across transversely.
The pocket spring
Then the about the springs themselves: Vispring has a fine reputation as the inventor of the pocket spring and thus the step to independent body support. They still produce all springs themselves, from vanadium steel that is extra elastic and dimensionally stable. There are almost sixty spring types to choose from, in different hardnesses. Each spring is wrapped in a pocket made of natural cotton (synthetic at Hästens), which also allows the mattress to breathe on the inside. All springs are joined together with natural yarn, in such a way that each spring can continue to move completely freely. By placing the springs in a honeycomb pattern, there is also no empty space between the springs as with machine production, which provides extra stability and comfort. Therefore, no materials can get between the springs and be damaged. Another important difference from Hästens is the double layer of springs. All Vispring top line mattresses have a comfortable, double layer of springs, whereas with Hästens a single layer of pocket springs is used.
Tufting
The studding (tufting) of a mattress also adds a lot of comfort. This involves a vertical connection of the top and bottom of a mattress that provides extra stability and durability. The advantage of tufting is also that all intermediate and top layers of the mattress are fixed and thus stay in place. Tufting can only be done manually. At Vispring, this is done with a solid connection. At Hästens, only the expensive models are tufted.
All techniques combine to provide optimal ventilation, moisture management, support and comfort.
Which Hästens bed or Vispring mattress is the best choice for whom?
After decades of experience with both Hästens beds and Vispring mattresses—and hundreds of conversations with customers—we’ve noticed a clear pattern in who ultimately chooses which brand. Both are exceptional sleep systems, but they appeal to fundamentally different types of buyers.
Choose Hästens if…
- Design and aesthetics are just as important to you as technical specifications. The checkered Hästens pattern is iconic and instantly recognizable as a Hästens mattress.
- If you're looking for an international brand name that exudes prestige—a Hästens bed is a globally recognized symbol of luxury sleep.
- You are willing to regularly massage, air out, and rotate your Hästens mattress or topper to ensure optimal performance.
- You're looking at the higher price range (€18,000+) and want to enjoy the extensive Hästens bed collection.
Choose Vispring as…
- You want the highest technical quality within your budget, without spending extra on marketing or brand awareness.
- You want a wide selection of exclusive fabrics for upholstering daybeds and headboards.
- You prefer an exclusive, more understated brand that has built its reputation on craftsmanship.
- If you're looking for the best value Hästens alternative in the high-end segment (€8,000–€100,000).
For a thorough comparison, please stop by our showroom in Amsterdam. We’d be happy to compare different brands for you to help you determine which one best suits your body and needs.
