As you can see from the list above, there are no petroleum products, no foam, and no glues included in this mattress. With the exception of the steel coils, it is made of all natural materials.
Below is a good look at the horsehair (the curly black fibers); you can see the wool and cotton layers above and below the horsehair. In our mattress, horsehair was used in both the top mattress and main mattress, as well as in the box foundation.
Construction
All of the layers of the Hästens mattress are compressed with hand-stitched cords called functional tufting. These travel through the entire mattress, anchoring it together without the use of glues. You might see what looks like tufting on cheaper mainstream mattresses, but it is almost always merely decorative, and serves no practical purpose.
Almost every aspect of the Hastens mattress is constructed by hand. Layers are stacked by hand, covers are sewn by hand. Workmen and women use long needles to puncture the layers and create the tufting. Pocketed coils are fastened together by hand with metal hog ties.
Stitching on the side of the mattress isn't decorative either; These stitches travel throughout the layers of the mattress as well, lending stability and structure. The company says that the grid pattern of the fabric assists craftspeople as an alignment tool when assembling and stitching the mattress.
Comfort & Feel
There are three aspects that make up our assessment of comfort and feel. We call these "preference-based characteristics" because no rating here is better or worse – rather, the attributes that are most desirable to you will be determined solely by your personal preferences. We apply the same classification standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Softness ( what’s this )
The Hästens 2000T can be customized (on both sides of the mattress) to your preferred firmness, based on your consultations with your Hästens representative. The company achieves the variations by changing the gauge of the springs. Choose between Extra Firm, Firm Medium, and Soft.
Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )
Just looking at the Hastens mattress, it appears soft and deeply cushioned, especially the top mattress. And our tester certainly felt hugged and cradled by the 2000T. He noted that he felt nestled into the mattress, but the feeling was nothing like memory foam, where the foam molds around your body. Rather, we found that the top mattress sort of fluffs up around you, but doesn't feel confining at all.
Altogether, we found the cushioning depth to be a bit deeper than average.
| Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
6 | Deeper than average cushioning |
Responsiveness ( what’s this )
| Response Rate (1=Slowest, 9=Fastest) |
8 | Fast recovery, lots of bounce |
Back Support & Pressure Relief
The two things that you should always be sure to get from your mattress are spinal alignment (commonly thought of as "back support") and pressure relief. Unfortunately, no mattress will deliver these two things equally well for all sleepers. In particular, spinal alignment and pressure relief capabilities will vary across sleepers with different weights, body shapes, and sleep positions. To help you determine how this mattress will perform for you, we break down our spinal alignment and pressure relief assessments by sleeper type.
Spinal Alignment
The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.
Because the Hästens 2000T mattress is custom ordered, buyers work closely with their representative so their support needs are met.
The bed we tested was configured with a Medium side and a Firm side. Our 200-pound tester, who is primarily a back sleeper, found the Medium side was a good match for him. His hips sunk into the mattress and created good spinal alignment. For a stomach sleeper, a Firm configuration will likely work best.
Because the Hästens bed can be configured in this way, and isn't "one size fits all" it should suit the widest variety of sleepers of any size. Even those on the heavy end of the weight spectrum should do very well on this mattress due to its customized support and excellent construction.
Pressure Relief ( what's this )
When a mattress pushes back against your body with too much force in a concentrated area, the result can be pain, soreness, loss of circulation, excessive tossing, and other problems. In general, such "pressure points" are of greatest concern for side sleepers, since that's the position in which your body's weight is distributed over the smallest surface area. To find the right mattress for your needs, keep in mind that the pressure-relieving capabilities of any given mattress will vary depending on the sleeper. Factors like your weight and body shape (e.g., broader shoulders and/or hips) will determine how far you sink into the mattress, and the pressure relief offered by that mattress will vary widely at different depths.
Mainstream mattresses typically achieve pressure relief through the use of latex foam or memory foam, which can have excellent pressure-relieving qualities. The Hästens mattress has no foam at all, but our tester found pressure relief to be excellent. The compressed layers of wool/cotton and particularly the horsehair, did an excellent job cushioning the pointy parts of our tester's body--his shoulders and hips--while on his side.
Other Features
Beyond the preference-based characteristics of comfort and feel, and the body matching for spinal alignment and pressure relief, a mattress will have a number of other attributes that can make it a better or worse choice for you. We call these "priority-based characteristics" because they are areas in which a mattress can be better or worse, but that will have differing amounts of importance to each sleeper. So, determining how much importance to give to these features will be entirely a matter of your own personal priorities. As always, we apply the same ratings standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Motion Isolation ( what’s this )
With a bowling pin standing upright on the bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it, as well as the whole weight of our 200-lb. tester. With the bowling ball, the pin wiggled slightly but didn't fall.
When our tester dropped his weight on the bed, however, the pin did fall. The coils are pocketed, meaning that they can compress individually. However, all the internal parts of the mattress are stitched and attached to each other, so the bed does move more as a unit.
We felt that the Hästens would be a good choice for those who don't want to feel a partner's movements, but if you are very sensitive to this or very easily disturbed, it could be a deal breaker.
| Motion Isolation Rating | 6 /10 | Good but not the best |
Temperature ( what’s this )
If you tend to "sleep hot" this aspect may be a priority for you. Innerspring mattress are usually a great choice for air flow and heat dissipation, and the Hastens mattress really excels. It's many layers of natural materials--including wool, cotton, and horsehair--are highly breathable, and its pocketed coil layers are made mainly of air between the coils.
If you have a known issue of overheating on other mattresses, we think the Hästens would be an excellent solution.
| Stays “Cool” Rating | 10 /10 | Exceptional |
Edge Support ( what’s this )
If you find yourself often pushed to the very edge of your mattress, this could be a priority for you. Both sitting and laying on the edge, our tester felt stable and well supported. Hästens uses stronger springs on the corners of the bed to further enhance edge support.
| Edge Support Rating | 10/10 | Excellent |
Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )
Even though this mattress has deeper cushioning than average, our tester had no trouble repositioning or moving around.
| Repositioning Rating | 9/10 | Excellent |
Green Features ( what’s this )
For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe.
It's hard to find mattresses much more natural than a Hastens mattress. As discussed in the Construction section above. all material except the steel springs are natural and biodegradable. Furthermore, most of the materials are certified as sustainably and humanely sourced from animals (sheep, geese, horses), or from plants (flax, cotton, Swedish pine).
Natural materials are chosen for their ability to reduce static, dissipate heat, wick away moisture, and for breathability without the use of chemicals or glues.
Steel may not be natural, but the company does use Swedish steel, so shipping distance and carbon footprint is minimized for the bulkiest of materials. Similarly, the pine used in the beds is also from Sweden.
In terms off off-gassing and potential allergens, the beds use of natural materials and steel minimize or eliminate this. Even the horsehair is hypoallergenic.
No glues or chemical coatings are used in the materials or fabrics; the mattress is held together with functional tufting and metal hogties.
Hästens is a 150-year old company that takes pride in its human resources practices, fair wages, and employee benefits. And the company is 5th generation family-owned, with a long history of the best quality materials, construction, and company policies.
If natural materials, sustainable environmental policies, humane animal treatment, and a stated environmental policy are priorities for you, Hästens excels in all of these. It's worth noting that the mattress is not certified organic, though many of its materials are.
| Green Rating | 9 /10 | Excellent |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
We did not test the Hastens mattress with an adjustable base. However, the company does have a model that includes an adjustable foundation.
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does A Hästens Mattress Cost?
Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on all online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.
| Size | Dimensions |
Mattress, Top Mattress, and Foundation (price will vary depending on customization) |
| Twin XL | 39" x 80" x 21.6" | $21,145 |
| Full (Double) | 54" x 75" x 21.6" | $31,395 |
| Queen | 60" x 80" x 21.6" | $35,990 |
| King | 76" x 80" x 21.6" | $42,290 |
| California King | 72" x 84" x 21.6" | $42,290 |
What Are You Getting?
The history and legacy of the 150-year-old Hästens company is as much a part of your purchase as the bed itself. From its beginnings in the early 1800s as a master saddlemaker and upholsterer, the fifth-generation family-owned business today manufactures luxury beds in much the same way as it did a century ago. Mattresses and foundations are crafted by hand, and made to order. Your Hastens representative is your partner in helping you customize and perfect your choices and preferences.
The company stands out for its environmental and sustainability policies, as well as for the caliber of its highly trained workforce in a single factory in Sweden.
You are getting a mattress that's customized entirely for you and your partner, from several types of springs, to 16 fabric and upholstery choices. A Hästens bed is as much a piece of furniture as a mattress, and the company says that most customers love to see the exclusive checked upholstery rather than covering it with shirts and sheets.
Aside from the steel springs, almost all of the materials in the bed are natural, from New Zealand wool, to Egyptian cotton, and horsehair and wood from Sweden. The layers of the mattress are hand-stitched and hog-tied together without the use of glues or chemical coatings. Altogether, the mattress, top mattress, and foundation measure close to 22 inches tall.
How Long Will the Hästens Mattress Last?
The Hästens mattress is meant to be your last mattress purchase. There are no materials in this bed that are going to break down significantly. Many of the beds we review are using newer materials like petroleum-based foams, that just don't have a long track record. But that's not the case with this bed, whose materials have been tried and tested for more than a century.
Overall Value
It's hard to assess the value of a Hästens mattress, as it simply exists in a class almost by itself. Assuming that a $35,000 mattress and foundation is in your price range, we do think you are purchasing a mattress that will truly last a lifetime, and one that's tailored from the start for your specific needs. If you value the history and legacy of a company that's been around for 150 years, and will likely be around for another century, and value a company with highly trained and specialized craftsmen, then a Hastens mattress may be worth consideration. A Hästens bed is a serious and significant piece of furniture that would be at home in a custom designer home.
So, in many ways including value, it's simply difficult to compare with Hastens mattress with mainstream beds at all. For that reason, we are not giving it a GoodBed Value Rating, as we do for pre-made mattresses you might order online.
Other Factors to Consider
Hästens includes a 25-year warranty that covers breakage of the springs or wood. The top mattress is not covered by a warranty at all. Part of the reason for this is that Sweden's government includes significant consumer protections on purchases, making the types of warranties we see in the United States unnecessary.
Whie the Hästens company has been in business since the mid-1800s, they have only been sold in the United States in the 15 or 20 years, and a potential drawback is availability; Hästens mattresses are only available in about 30 showrooms in North America.
Shipping and delivery will depend on the store where you purchase the mattress. A store locator is available to help.
