Are you struggling with getting a good night’s sleep in these uncertain times? You're not alone. But while there are some factors around sleeping you can't control, there are plenty of steps you can take – one of the most important is that you need to have the best possible mattress for you.
A good mattress is crucial not only for getting a night of uninterrupted sleep, but achieving good back health. So if you're waking up feeling unrested and sore in the morning, it could be time to ditch your old mattress and get shopping for one that provides the right support for your body.
The average person spends an estimated 33 years of their life in bed - so when you think about it, it's crucial you get the right mattress to suit your needs. Factors which you may need to consider: are you a front or back sleeper, do you have allergies, do you struggle with back pain, do you have a different stature to your bed partner?
Keep scrolling for our top mattress picks
How do I know when I need a new mattress?
Even if your mattress was perfect when you bought it, remember that over a span of eight to ten years it will decline in its support, so you should definitely consider replacing it after this time. Tell tale signs that you need a new mattress include squeaky springs, dipping in the middle and worn fabric.
If you're waking up with aches or pains - or if you feel unrested and as if you haven't slept well - this could also be an indicator that your mattress is no longer meeting your needs. Remember that if you've put on or lost weight or have encountered health problems, you may need a different mattress that offers a different kind of support.
Which type of mattress is best for sleeping?
There are so many different options – including memory foam, spring systems, hybrids, quilted gel and pressure relief foam, to name a few. This bedroom essential is a big investment, but your health is at stake so don't cut corners – plus if you think about it logically, a £600 mattress works out at £1.64 per night over the span of ten years – you can't argue with that price!
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Which level of mattress firmness is best?
A good mattress needs to support your body in a neutral position - in which your spine has a good curvature and your body is in proper alignment. If a mattress is too firm it can push on the main pressure points - namely the buttocks, heels, shoulders, and head - and put your body out of alignment. The same, but in reverse can be said of a mattress that is too soft, and lets them flop back. Both scenarios can lead to waking up with aches and pains. Generally, a medium firmness suits most people best, and remember a mattress can be softened with a foam topper if you find it too firm.
What type of mattress is best for back pain?
If you suffer from back pain, you may want to look into buying a memory foam or latex mattress. These are often thought to be the best options for back pain, since they cushion pressure points and conform to your body, while supporting your spine and keeping it aligned. Most back pain from sleeping comes from your mattress not providing adequate support to your body through the night and causing your spine to become misaligned.
What If I don’t like the mattress after I've tried it?
Shopping online is hard, but don’t worry if you’re not a fan of the mattress when it arrives, despite the great reviews. A lot of the top UK mattress manufacturers now offer free trials so you can see if the particular mattress is the right one for you. So for example, an 100-night trial means that if you decide you don't like the mattress once the 100 days up you can send it back and get a refund.
Which size mattress do I need?
The size of mattress you need will depend on the size of your bed frame. Make sure you measure your bed frame before you order your mattress. You want to have a little space between the mattress and the bed frame so you can tuck in blankets when you make the bed, but not too much, or your mattress will move around during the night and disturb your sleep.
What is a pocket sprung mattress?
A pocket sprung mattress features hundreds - or thousands - or individual pocket springs. This type of mattress provides good individual support and is a good option when two sleeping partners have different statures or body types. There are several different spring counts available, ranging from 600 to as high as 2500 or more.
What is memory foam?
Memory foam, or viscoelastic foam is one of the most common materials used in mattresses. It recovers its shape - softening when you lie on it but will return to its original shape when you get up. It's been used for the last 50 years and get this for an interesting piece of trivia - it was originally invented by NASA for use during space launches to ensure the comfort of their astronauts.
What is a hybrid mattress?
A hybrid mattress is a multi-layer mattress that combines more traditional inter spring layers with layers of memory foam, latex or gel. If you choose a hybrid mattress you'll experience multiple benefits - both the pressure relief of the foam layers and the sturdy feel of a classic spring mattress.
So which mattress to choose? We've rounded up the best options for you to choose from, so read on – a good's night sleep is just a click away!
Top-rated mattresses you can buy online now
Kono 3D Hybrid double mattress, £132.99 (WAS £157.99), Amazon
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If you're on a very tight budget but still want comfort and quality, check out Amazon's top-rated budget Hybrid mattress. The Kono hypoallergenic double features memory foam and spring layers and has hundreds of five-star reviews. Says one satisfied customer: "I'm so surprised and extremely grateful that this company are supplying mattresses of this quality for this price! The packaging was perfect, the mattress looks very expensive - and the important part - extremely comfortable!!! So much so I’m going to purchase a second one." Get one in the sale - hurry!
© SimbaSimba Sleep Hybrid mattress double, £647.40 (WAS £919), Simba
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Hybrid mattresses combine multiple benefits – Simba’s best-selling model features five different layers including the Simbtex open-cell foam and another with their unique patented spring-comfort system, topping it off with a breathable sleep surface for what they describe as "gravity-defying comfort". Simba are currently offering up to 40% off mattresses when you spend over £300, so hurry to grab a bargain.
What is Simbatex open cell foam?
Simbatex is Simba’s specially developed cooling foam. It has an open-cell structure which keeps you cool by encouraging air flow through the mattress, and uses graphite particles to filter heat away. So you enjoy the comfort of foam, without it getting too hot and "sinky".
Hybrid Pro mattress double, £959.40 (WAS £1,359), Simba
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If you’ve got a little more to invest, then you should go for the Simba Hybrid pro – the brand’s most advanced mattress ever. It offers ultimate comfort and airflow thanks to the 5,000 titanium Aerocoil springs and has unbeatable temperature regulation due to a luxe natural wool layer. Simba are currently offering up to 40% off mattresses when you spend over £300, so hurry to grab a bargain.
Best UK Mattress for kids aged three and up
Simba Hybrid kids mattress, £299.40 (WAS £439), Simba Sleep
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If you have kids aged three and up, Simba’s Hybrid kids mattress is a fantastic choice – plus it's suitable for spare room snoozers of any age. The mattress arrives conveniently rolled up in a cardboard box that you can unroll over the bed frame before it expands. It’s slimline but doesn’t scrimp on quality or comfort – it features five layers including Simba’s Aerocoil titanium springs, for support and airflow and a soft and breathable sleep surface.
Although it was about half the thickness of our old kids’ mattress, my son, aged eight, says he’s much more comfortable, and hasn’t woken up once in the night since we swapped over. Another plus point of this great mattress is that it has a removable and washable cover too. The only downside is you might end up feeling jealous your little one now has the comfiest bed in the house! Simba are currently offering up to 40% off mattresses when you spend over £300, so hurry to grab a bargain.
Best hybrid pillow
Simba Hybrid pillow, £81.75 (WAS £109), Simba Sleep
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Simba also make a hybrid pillow, and it's selling like hotcakes. It features space-inspired temperature regulation that will keep you at the perfect sleeping temperature whatever the season. Plus, each pillow comes with hundreds of Nanocubes that can be added or removed to tailor the height and firmness of your pillow. It's the Rolls Royce of pillows, basically, and well worth the price tag. It's currently 25% off in the Simba Sleep sale.
What is a nanocube?
A nanocube is a blue cube which is made of open-cell foam. They provide flexible support for your neck and head, and help air flow through the pillow. You can pop a few handfuls of our little blue cubes in or take some out to find the perfect balance of height and firmness that suits you.
Best Hybrid mattress topper
Simba Hybrid double topper, £226.85 (WAS £349), Simba Sleep
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If you don't want to buy a whole new mattress, investing in a good topper to give it a new lease of life can be just as effective as buying a new one. Especially when it's a top-quality one like Simba's. It's engineered to give an instant boost to any mattress, featuring the cooling comfort of open cell foam and the support of their specially designed springs. It also has an anti-slip base and wriggle-free straps for a secure and sound sleep.
I tested one out for this article and had some amazing findings to report - my partner found his bad back was greatly improved just a few weeks after we started using it. We both noticed right from the outset that the mattress felt more comfortable for all sleeping positions (he's a front sleeper and I'm a back and side sleeper) and we both agreed it came up medium firm.
It arrived rolled up in its cardboard box and was very easy to fit, all we had to do was unroll it over the bed, leave it for a few hours to expand, then fit it, securing it with the four straps which fit over each corner of your mattress.
We're a few months into the trial of this hybrid, three-layer mattress topper and so far, so good. It's a particularly good choice for sleepers who are prone to overheating (like myself) thanks to the cooling open-cell foam top layer. It'll be a godsend when summer rolls around!
If you want to grab one it's currently 35% off in the Simba Sleep sale.
Signature Crystal 3000 Pocket Sprung Orthopaedic Natural Fillings Mattress Hybrid, £319.99, (WAS £575.98) Happy Beds
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Yorkshire-based retailer Happy Beds is offering up big savings on beds and mattresses in their sale. This 3000 Pocket Sprung Orthopaedic mattress is among their top-rated, with reviewers giving it the thumbs up for being great value for money and super comfortable.
Elite mattress double, £1299, Brook + Wilde
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Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the Elite mattress from Brook + Wilde is a fantastic choice for those looking for a premium hybrid mattress tailored to suit your individual needs and with top-rate customer service and support. You can choose between soft, medium and firm (I went with medium, with provides the perfect balance of support and sink) – and they even offer to make a bespoke mattress with different preferences on each half if you and your partner can't agree. Delivery is free and 0% interest financing is available on the double from £89.91 per month.
The mattress consists of eight layers, including the removable washable top cover, 2,500 pocket springs and layers of top-quality memory foam. It's hypoallergenic, which makes it a great choice for allergy sufferers, and the cover itself is made from a breathable four-way stretch fabric, which feels both soft yet strong and means it stays nice and cool during sleep. It also has four handles which are great if you want to move the mattress.
Do you have a partner who tosses and turns a lot during sleep? If so no problem, it has a non-slip base and motion transfer is minimal, so you won’t notice a thing. Overall, this is a great mattress which is built to last and it comes with a 10-year guarantee and a 100-night trial period – trust us, though you won’t be wanting to send it back! The whole ordering and delivery process was a great experience and the mattress is comfortable and extremely well made and delivers on its promise of being tailor-made to promote deep restful sleep.
© NectarMemory foam double mattress, £484.50 (WAS £969), Nectar
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This award-winning option from Nectar constantly tops mattress review lists – it’s a 25cm thick medium firm memory foam mattress which hugs your body and keeps you cool, which is perfect for the summer months. Memory foam, of course, remembers its shape, returning to its original form night after night. Nectar Sleep are currently offering savings of up to 50%.
SleepSoul Comfort 800 Pocket Mattress, was £279.99 now £179.95, Mattress Online
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How about a Mattress you don't need to turn? The SleepSoul Comfort 800 is an affordable mattress that's single-side in its design, all you need to do is rotate it from top to bottom every three months or so. It features a 2cm layer of reflex foam and 800 individual pocket springs, meaning this mattress responds to your movements for support where your body needs it most. It's also hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites and comes with a 10-year warranty.
© DreamcloudLuxury hybrid double mattress, was £1249 now £624.50, DreamCloud
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If you’re looking for a premium mattress, check out DreamCloud’s luxury hybrid, which promises the perfect balance of contouring comfort and pushback support. Equally Recommendable if you sleep on your side, back or stomach. Right now you can save up to £867.19 and get free home delivery at DreamCloud, plus a 365 night home trial and forever warranty. Financing is available too from £52.04 per month
Casper the Hybrid Mattress double, was £800 now £500, Mattresses Online
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Casper's three-layer hybrid memory foam mattress Is their most luxurious model and delivers excellent spinal alignment and care. It's a breathable, medium firmness mattress which comes with a ten-year guarantee and a 60-night trial period so you can test it out and see if it's the one for you. Reviewers noted that you can move around without worrying about disturbing your partner and praised it for being super comfy.
Zen 1500 pocket sprung memory foam double mattress, was £549.99 now £439.99, Memory Foam Warehouse
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This great sprung memory foam mattress is made extra comfy by the layer of high-density, pressure-relieving memory foam it features. This temperature-sensitive memory foam layer sits upon a pocket-sprung base. The quilted cover means your optimum body temperature is regulated throughout the night. You get free delivery in one to three working days and 0% financing is available from £20 per month.
Silentnight studio memory mattress double, £419, Silentnight
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This great mattress offers great all-round medium-firm support. It’s a hybrid, combining a 2cm memory foam layer which cocoons and molds to your shape, and a 1000 Mirapocket springs layer, with each spring individually responding to your movements and shape. The knitted cover is soft to the touch and looks great too. It’s a tried-and-tested hit, scoring a Which? Best Buy award last year.
© DormeoMemory deluxe memory foam double mattress, was £879.99, Dormeo
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This is definitely one for those who prefer their mattresses on the medium/soft side of the scale – it has double the standard amount of memory foam, offering the most comfortable and supportive night’s sleep imaginable. And if you’re looking to tick the anti-allergic box this one has you covered – its special anti-bacterial, anti-dust mite and anti-fungal protection create a healthy and hygienic sleep environment.
Natural Plus mattress double, £499, Marks & Spencer
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Made from natural fabrics including cotton and lambswool, Marks & Spencer's Natural Plus mattress is a great all-rounder. The 1500 pocket sprung design is luxurious and comfortable and it has an anti-bacterial finish - it's Marks & Spencer's top-rated mattress.
ANYDAY collection 1000 pocket spring mattress double, £209, John Lewis
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If you’re looking for a budget mattress that ticks all the right boxes then John Lewis’ best-selling, four-star-rated double mattress is a great option. It’s a traditional spring mattress which is built with comfort in mind - it's blend of polyester fillings and springs give a medium tension and it's covered with a flat micro-quilted soft stretch knit fabric while the border is finished with vertical quilting. There's no need to turn this mattress, but rotate it regularly to prolong comfort. For an extra £29.95, they offer a mattress and divan recycling service.
5G mattress double, was £809 now £486, Ergoflex
This mattress has thousands of five-star reviews. Since Ergoflex went into business in 2006 they’ve been evolving their mattress model, and the 5G is their latest offering. It's made of high-density visco-elastic memory foam which they manufacture themselves rather than sourcing from wholesale suppliers, and each mattress comes with a washable cover and ten-year guarantee. You can currently save £323 with the code: SAVE 40
© EmmaEmma Medium tension memory foam double mattress, £419.40, John Lewis
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If you’re really focused on back health, the Emma Original mattress is a great option. It's designed with a combo of adaptive foam layers that provide a pressure-relieving sleep foundation to suit all body types – it’s one of John Lewis' bestselling mattresses right now.
© EveEve Hybrid double mattress, £326, eBay Home Outlet
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If you can't decide between spring and foam then Eve’s mattress option provides both – there are 650 full-sized pocket springs packed into this little number along with their unique foam for top-to-toe support and comfort.
Pocket memory plus 1000 double mattress, £175.99, Wayfair Sleep
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Wayfair Sleep's hypoallergenic hybrid offering also combines spring and memory foam. This one's on the soft side and you can get next-day delivery. It features 1000 individually nested pocket springs - these ensure that movement on one side of the mattress doesn't affect the other, making it ideal for those sharing a bed with restless sleepers.
Hybrid mattress double, was £799.99 now £479.99, Otty
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This firm mattress is a good choice for those who sleep on their backs, and offers great spine support. It's a hybrid, so has a combination of springs and foam to offer good support from the 16cm pocket springs and comfort from the foam. The top layer combines temperature regulating memory foam, keeping you at the optimum temperature from winter to summer and everything in between.
Otty Pure hybrid charcoal bamboo and charcoal mattress, was £899 now £389.99, Otty
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A comfy mattress with eco-credentials? Yep, that's what you get with this Otty number. The charcoal and bamboo-based foam doesn't feel any different from regular foam, but it's good for the environment. And it's a high achiever, being moisture-wicking, antibacterial and temperature-regulating to boot. This mattress has quite a firm surface, making it a good choice for front or back sleepers.
Fogarty Just Right Memory Foam Top Open Coil Mattress, was £149 now £119.20, Dunelm
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If you're a front or back sleeper, and you're not looking to spend a great deal - this medium-firmness hybrid mattress is ideal. It's handmade in the UK and features memory foam on top, which moulds to your body's shape. It also comes with a 10-year guarantee, which is great for peace of mind.
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