Traditionally, the first piece of advice anyone would give you about buying a mattress is to try before you buy. But the new generation of foam-based bed-in-a-box mattresses that can only be ordered online are actually such great quality that their 100-day money back guarantee isn’t taken up as much as you might think. That’s not to say the good old pocket sprung mattresses have had their day and if you’re going for one of these – or indeed latex or a hybrid – it’s still worth a lie down on one if you can. It’s just that spending a few minutes on a showroom mattress is no longer the be-all-and-end-all.
The second bit of guidance mattress buyers would usually get is that a cheap mattress is a false economy and that spending less than around £200 is a fast-track ticket to insomnia. But again, times have changed and as our roundup shows, there are exceptions to this.
Read on to find out our favourites and if you want to know more about where to start your search for a new mattress, see our Buyer’s Guide below.
How to buy the best mattress for you
How can you tell when you need a new mattress?
The general rule of thumb is that a mattress needs changing every seven years, although some last a bit longer and if you’re unlucky, it will start showing signs of wear and tear before that. Tell-tale signs that it may be time to get a new mattress include not sleeping well or waking up with aches and pains or stiffness. If you sleep better in other beds or you don’t sleep as soundly as you did this time last year, this should also act as a wake-up call.
How much should I spend?
Mattresses can cost up to tens of thousands of pounds, but as our roundup reveals, you don’t have to have deep pockets to get a decent one that will last you years. In fact, the ‘new generation’ of bed-in-a-box mattresses that are only available online come in at a fraction of the price for the same comfort levels, not least because these companies don’t have the overheads of showrooms and salespeople. But don’t be tempted to choose your mattress on the price-tag alone because if it doesn’t suit your particular size, shape and sleeping style, you’ll have wasted every penny. And don’t forget the shipping costs – they can whack up the overall cost quite a bit in some cases, while with other mattresses, delivery is free.
What are the different types available?
Until recently, the nirvana of mattress types was pocket sprung – where the springs are sewn into fabric pockets. While these are still doing well, latex and foam mattresses have become a huge hit in the last couple of years, with many of the ‘new generation’ ones arriving ready rolled (easy to fit in your boot) or even vacuum packed (delivered to your door). And while some of these can only be ordered online – meaning you can’t try them out - these companies will gladly give you your money back if you’re not happy 100 or so days in. Then there’s the hybrids – combinations such as pocket sprung and foam. A popular budget end mattress is the continuous coil mattress, made from a single looped wire, and open coil mattress, made from single springs fixed together with one wire. But our advice is to avoid these because they can wear out and sag in no time. Also, because they move as one unit, your partner won’t thank you for even the smallest movement in your sleep.
What other key questions do I need to ask?
- What is the mattress made of?
- Are the materials healthy, natural and hygienic?
- Do you prefer soft or firm mattresses, or somewhere in the middle (and don’t fall for the myth that firmer is better for bad backs and older people – the tension is purely a personal preference)?
- Is the mattress supportive – in other words, does it maintain spinal alignment without causing pressure points?
- Do you prefer a non-turn mattress, which only needs rotating rather than turning – and how practical is it to do so (some are really heavy and/or don’t have handles)?
- Does the mattress require a certain type of bed base? Is the mattress breathable?
- Does it have a strong chemical smell and does it go after a few days?
- Does the mattress have a trial period and if not, is there any other type of guarantee?
- What’s the warranty period?
The best pocket sprung mattresses
1. Sealy Nostromo: The best mid-range pocket sprung mattress
Price: From £650 (single size)
You’ll be hard pushed to find this kind of cloud-like quality with any other pocket sprung mattress at this price point. It is suitable for all sleep styles – including those who sleep on their backs (usually a nightmare to cater for when it comes to mattresses) – and for most body types too, although you might find it a bit blancmange-like if you’re particularly tall or heavy. No need to exasperate your bed partner if you’re a restless sleeper as it’s lovely and stable and even after years of use, it doesn’t seem to sag. It’s breathable, so it won’t get damp if you get clammy in the night and because it’s got a latex layer over the pocket-sprung core, it’s inadvisable to turn it, although you should rotate it, using the handles. Quick tip – this mattress is also marketed in some stores as the Sealy Teramo 1400.
Buy the Sealy Nostromo mattress now from mattressonline.co.uk
Key specs – Type: pocket sprung with added latex layer, 1400 spring count, no-turn; Sizes: four sizes from single to super king; Warranty: four-year warranty
2. Somnus Supremacy Marquis 14000: The best high-end pocket sprung mattress
Price: From £1389 (single size)
You’ll be longing to hit the sack when you remember you’ve invested in one of these beauties. Made from all-natural materials including Egyptian cotton, Yorkshire Dales eco wool, Herdwick eco wool, wool-teased long-stranded horsetail and mohair, this is the Rolls Royce of mattresses, boasting a mammoth 14000 springs, as well as unique pocket spring technology, which provides outstanding comfort and postural support right up to the very edges. There are various levels of firmness, including ortho-tension (it doesn’t feel like a rock, honest), and if you and your partner have different needs, get both with the halve-and-zip option. The airflow is terrific, so it stays dry even if you perspire and it can be made to a bespoke size. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s knocks the socks off mattresses twice or even three times this price (and yes, they really do exist).
Buy the Somnus Supremacy Marquis 14000 now from Barker and Stonehouse
Key specs – Type: pocket sprung, 14,000 spring count, all-natural materials; Sizes: available in any size (including bespoke), available in regular, firm and ortho-tension; Warranty: seven-year guarantee
The best memory foam mattresses
3. Casper: The best foam mattress for side and back sleepers
Price: From £350 (single size)
This American company has become one of the fastest growing consumer brands ever, making a jaw-dropping $100 million in sales in its first year. There’s quite a list of celebrity investors too, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and designer Steven Alan. No wonder that, having launched in the US in 2014, they decided to expand over here last year, where they are doing equally well with their foam-core mattress, with memory foam layer. Part of a new generation of bed-in-a-box mattresses that you can only buy online, it is outlandishly comfortable, even if you sleep on your back and no matter how big or small, slight or stout you are – and it provides great support for your spine. There’s no sagging even years down the line, and it won’t get damp on humid nights. Our only complaint is that there are no handles, so revolving or turning this mattress (which should be done every three to six months) is no job for wimps.
Buy the Casper mattress now from Casper
Key specs – Type: Foam core with memory foam layer (3.8cm open cell comfort layer, 3.8cm responsive memory foam, 3.8cm adaptive transition foam, 12.6cm durable support foam); Sizes: four sizes from single to super king, arrives vacuum-packed, available online only; Warranty: 100-day-money-back-guarantee
4. Leesa: The best foam mattress for front sleepers and restless sleepers
Price: From £360 (single size)
This company isn’t quite as big and bold in its promises as some of its bed-in-a-box rivals in the current mattress wars, but don’t let their bashfulness put you off because this is every bit as good as the Casper and it’s actually marginally better for smaller sleepers and those who sleep on their front (although not quite as good for side-sleepers). Made from three layers of varying density foam (one for airflow; one for pressure relief; and one for strength and durability), it envelops you as soon as you lie on it and not too firm or soft and you can turn over in the night as much as you want to without disturbing the person lying next to you. It’s incredibly durable, but it’s hellish to try and rotate (why, oh why, don’t these newbie mattresses have handles?) and it’s quite warm, so probably not best for those who get too hot at night, although it doesn’t get damp if you perspire. Some people will like the fact that this is an ethical company too – for every 10 mattresses sold, they donate one to charity.
Buy the Leesa mattress now from Leesa
Key specs – Type: Three layers of differing density foam (bottom layer 15cm dense support foam; middle layer 5cm memory foam; top layer 5cm cooling Avena foam), no-turn; Sizes: single to super king (including EU sizes), arrives vacuum-packed, available online only, Warranty: 100-night trial with money back guarantee
The best budget mattresses to buy
5. IKEA Morgedal: The best mattress under £200
Price: From £125 (single size)
It would be very easy to pass on this mattress because it’s just a no-frills lump of foam – a 7cm foam core, with a further 7cm layer of foam on top. But the truth is we’d be recommending it at twice the price because it’s sag-free, it moulds supportively around your body and will see you through years of restful sleep. Once you get it home (it will fit in your boot), rest it for a few days until it fully ‘puffs out’ or you won’t do it justice. It suits all sleep styles and sizes of people and if one of you tosses and turns or gets up a lot in the night, you won’t even know about it because only their bit of the mattress moves. It’s not worth raving about, however, unless you use it with a slatted base or mattress base and be warned that if you’re the kind of person that sweats at night, it can get horribly damp.
Buy the Morgedal mattress now from Ikea
Key specs – Type: 7cm foam core with 7cm layer of foam on top, no-turn; Sizes: three sizes from single to king, ready rolled; Warranty: 25-year warranty
6. Dormeo Memory Plus Mattress: The best budget memory foam mattress for people who get clammy at night
Price: From £209.99 (single size)
This memory foam mattress is streets above some of the mattresses we tested at four times this price (yes, really). Arriving vacuum-packed in an astonishingly compact box, it has a foam core with a 3cm memory foam on top and is very slightly softer than average, but with excellent spine support for all, especially those who are on the smaller side. If you sleep on your back, you may well have had trouble finding the right mattress in the past, but this one will do you proud – as it will to those who are prone to moving around a lot in the night and don’t want to disturb their partner. Menopausal women will be grateful it doesn’t soak up perspiration. As for niggles, it can get slightly softer as the years go on (but it still doesn’t sag) and it isn’t that easy to rotate due to the lack of handles. But count yourself lucky it doesn’t need turning and at least it’s not a heavy mattress.
Buy the Dormeo Memory Plus now from Dormeo
Key specs – Type: Foam core with 3cm memory foam on top; no-turn; Sizes: five sizes from single to super king, arrives vacuum-packed; Warranty: 15-year guarantee