The best mattresses aren’t just about getting a dreamy night’s sleep, they’re one of the biggest home investments you’ll make. A great mattress should support your body in different sleep positions, keep you cool through the night, and, of course, feel blissfully comfortable for years to come. With more choice than ever, whether you’re after something organic, non-toxic, or a clever hybrid. It’s worth taking the time to find the one that really suits you.
Aside from being kinder to the planet, the best mattresses should also be good for your body and an easy way to help you sleep better. The right one will ease pressure across your hips, shoulders, and neck, while keeping your spine aligned so you don’t wake up feeling stiff and achy. Many are designed to work for all sleeping styles, though some will naturally suit side or back sleepers better than others. We’ve highlighted those differences in our round-up to help you make the right choice.
When it comes to sleep hygiene, your mattress really is the star of the show. A good one should last at least eight to ten years (sometimes even 15 if you splurge on luxury), and most modern brands now offer handy trial periods. That means you can actually sleep on your mattress for weeks before committing fully, perfect if you’re not sure whether it’s “the one.” Just be sure to double-check the retailer’s return policy so you’re not caught out.
The 9 best mattresses, tested and approved by us
Best overall
Emma covers convenience, comfort, and cost in this dreamy mattress, which is why it had to have the top-spot. It's filled with three layers of cushioning memory foam that reduced motion-transfer to nothing, whilst easing any joint pain our tester struggled with.
Best cooling
Nectar blends the natural properties of carbon with an open, breathable layer of over 1,500 pocket springs to deliver a mattress that will help hot sleepers and those tackling night sweats. It's supportive, comfortable, and most importantly cooling.
Best for couples
Sensitive sleepers who share a bed can rejoice. Not only does this minimise motion transfer to nothing, it has brilliant edge-to-edge support, so you can hang off the bed and still be supported by Simba's signature excellence. The Apex is all-natural, and hypoallergenic too.
Best for joint pain
This firm mattress took our testers by surprise. You'll need some time to get used to the firm surface, but once you do, it's cooling and hard-working when it comes to relieving pressure and pains that are long-standing. It's seriously impressive.
Most luxurious
You can't beat Button & Sprung when it comes to luxury, sustainability, and comfort. Handcrafted in Devon, this all-natural pocket-sprung mattress is packed with cotton, wool, hemp, and flax. It's cooling and indulgent, delivering slumbers so impressive, the price tag is justifiable.
Best firm
This has been dubbed the 'menopause mattress', meaning it's great for hot sleepers who need a breathable place to lie their hot limbs. It's wonderfully deep and plush enough to cradle different sleeping positions, but still firm enough to please those who want a rock-solid bed.
Softest
Nectar delivers award-winning sleep in lots of respects, but the sink-in-softness offered by their Hybrid Mattress can't go uncelebrated. If you want to sink into your bed as if it were a pillow, this foam bed is perfect. It's cushioning, supportive, and even surprisingly bouncy too.
Best value
Memory foam is the natural choice for those looking for a soft bed, but it can get hot. OTTY's slim bamboo and charcoal mattress is brilliant for keeping things breathable, whilst offering support in all the right places. It's a competitive price too.
Best for allergies
Sealy has a stellar reputation as a brand that thinks carefully about allergies. Their Gel mattress is treated with a hypoallergenic ProShield, which is a trademarked speciality of the brand. It's designed to combat allergens and keep you in a cool, comfortable slumber.
Best mattress overall
Hands-down, the Emma Original is the best mattress you can buy in the UK. This competitively priced bed-in-a-box uses three layers of responsive memory foam to prevent pressure from building up on your hips, shoulders, and back. It's medium-firm (closer to medium, than firm) with plenty of cushioning, and it's great at absorbing motion, which means you shouldn’t be too disturbed by a partner or other bed buddy moving around, either.
Memory foam tends to get a reputation as a warmer fabric to sleep on. But hot sleepers, don’t run for the hills just yet—the Emma mattress foam is open-pored, so it’s more breathable than basic foams. The mattress has a temperature-regulating top cover, too, which aims to keep you cool throughout the night. That said, some people do still find this mattress warm. If you seriously overheat at night, I'd recommend the Eve Premium Hybrid (featured in our best cooling mattresses guide) instead. It's slightly firmer though, so if you prefer the feel of soft, snug cushioning while you sleep, the Emma Original wins hands down.
Where the Emma Original mattress really stands out is its price. It's bagged a huge swathe of best performance awards, yet it's still £300 cheaper than its closest competitor (the Eve Premium Hybrid). It's fantastic value for money, and that balance of performance and price is why it takes the number one spot in our best mattress guide.
If you want to give it a try, the Emma Original comes with a 200-night trial, so you’ll have plenty of time to see if it suits you. Overall, if you want a great-value mattress that’s comfortable, supportive, and packed with handy features like handles and a removable, machine washable cover too.
You can find out more in Linda's full Emma Mattress review.
Best cooling mattress
The luxury five-layer Eve Premium Hybrid isn't marketed as a cooling mattress, but it's one of the best options for hot sleepers. How come? Firstly, the top layers of cushioning foam are infused with graphite to draw away excess heat; secondly, toward the bottom of the mattress, over 1,500 pocket springs keep the air flowing freely. Those springs also aid pressure relief and ensure your spine is in alignment as you snooze, making this an extremely supportive mattress.
Another reason why the Eve Premium Hybrid is a good option for hot sleepers is it's firmer than the Emma Original (number one in our guide). You sleep on the surface, rather than sinking into it, which helps to prevent heat from building up. This makes for an almost weightless sleep experience, too, which is very pleasant. The Eve still falls within the medium-firm bracket, but it's definitely at the firmer end. That makes it a great option for heavier bodies (you're less likely to sink through the comfort layers to the lower support layers) or anyone who just prefers a firmer mattress. But you might find it a little hard if you’re at the lighter end of the scales. And, if you want a softer mattress, this isn't the mattress for you.
Motion transfer is excellent—you won't notice a restless partner tossing and turning—and edge support is very good too. You can sleep right up to the sides without them sinking. And cleaning fans, Eve’s top-line hybrid mattress also has an antibacterial top panel that can be zipped off for a machine wash. With all the dead skin and dust mites that collect on mattresses over time, this feature really is a must.
The Eve Premium Hybrid comes with a premium price tag to match, but you get what you pay for here. The mattress gets top marks for support, breathability, and durability, and if you're a hot sleeper it's especially worth considering.
Our testers are currently writing a fresh review for this mattress. Watch this space for our updated thoughts four years on from testing.
Best mattress for couples
The name gives a little of the Earth Apex away, because not only is this a natural mattress, it's one of the best you can buy. Our expert tester, said "sleeping on this is pure bliss. I normally stir multiple times in the night: when my partner gets up, when I overheat, and when I'm not comfortable. When I started sleeping on this, all of that stopped."
The reason I recommend this for couples if because of the impressive edge-to-edge support. You could quite literally hang off the bed without feeling any collapse of weakening in the mattress' structure. Pair that with the invisible motion tranfer and you can see why it's a popular choice for bedfellows who are fed up with disturbing each other.
It's also important to acknowledge the immense effort that Simba has gone to in order to make this kind to the planet. It's from their Earth range, which means that it can be broken-down and recycled. I like that for the idea that you're not sleeping on any hidden nasties, but also for the future of the mattress too.
The Apex is also crafted from pocket springs and an all-natural fill of luxury wool, silk, and cashgora, this is perfect for keeping your body in total bliss. It balances support and cushioning perfectly and, because the materials are all-natural, your body naturally finds it easier to temperature regulate. It's expensive, but worth the splurge.
You can find out more in our full Simba Earth Apex Mattress review.
Best mattress for joint pain
When I say the Tempur Pro SmartCool Mattress is a solid option for those who struggle with joint pain, I mean it in lots of ways. This firm mattress takes some getting used to, but it's designed to help relieve pressure on your hips and shoulders, so it could be a godsend if that's something you've struggled with for a long time. That said, you can opt for any number of firmnesses, ranging from sift through to firm. The best results seem to be those from the medium-firm mattress (the one our expert tested).
Tempur are pretty secretive about what's inside this mattress (supposedly only 10 people in the world know), but it's NASA-approved and also certified as effective by our expert tester, so I think we can assume that whatever's inside works really well.
Whilst this is a foam mattress, it isn't conventionally cushioning or warming like other foam mattresses are. In fact, our tester found this really helpful for her night sweats and her partner warmed-up to the feel of the firm foam pretty quickly. The way that it minimised motion transfer impressed the couple so much that our tester's husband firmly believes that it's the best mattress he's ever slept on.
Whilst this is expensive, the personalised comfort and exceptional pressure relief meant that it earnt a spot in our guide.
You can find out more in our full review, which is coming very soon.
Most luxurious mattress
This mattress sits at the very top of our buying guide for the best cooling mattresses. Rather than use smoke, mirrors, and chemicals, Button & Sprung are open, lavish, and impressive with how they make their mattresses. It's a breath of fresh air and it'll almost guarantee a good night's sleep.
The Southdown first came to our attention as a brilliant mattress for keeping you cool naturally. It's packed with natural, breathable materials, such as wool, silk, hemp, flax, and cotton as well as thousands of springs that give the mattress an open structure. You'll get great airflow, supreme support, and a seriously dreamy mattress with this.
Our expert tester raved, "It’s responsive without too much motion transfer. I thought my John Lewis mattress was great, but this is on another level. It's gifted me the best sleep I’ve had in years." In fact, she loved it so much that she bought it. That's a first for us and it cemented our decision to also give it an award as the most luxurious, but impressive mattress that we've tested.
Handmade, eco-friendly, and guaranteed for ten years, it's actually relatively easy to see why this could add up to being an expensive mattress. You've also got a zip and link option if you and your partner have different sleep needs.
You can find out more in our full Button & Sprung Southdown Mattress review.
Best firm mattress
Whilst there are firmer mattresses in this guide (Tempur's ProCool Gel Mattress has been compared to a "slab"), this wins the award as the best firm mattress, because it balances support and firmness with comfort too. You can share a bed with someone without them complaining about how solid this is, whilst reaping the rewards of a firm mattress.
Our expert tester described the feel of this as "like a memory foam mattress, but without the drawbacks. If you want to sink-in to your bed, you won't, but it's exceptionally comfortable anyway." It contoured to her body, kept her in alignment, and helped with her joint pain, but importantly didn't heat up too much overnight. Her partner also noticed that the motion transfer in the bed was minimal. Neither stirred when the other got up in the night.
It would be remiss of me not to add that this is also known as the 'menopause mattress'. It has a cult-like following thanks to the way that it naturally cools your body down in the night. According to the manufacturers, it's 10 times more breathable than memory foam. It has 1600 Mirapocket® springs that allow airflow (whilst also alleviating pressure). See? It's not just us.
As ever, it's important to put all the credentials in context. After three months of testing, our experts said "this won't cool you down like AC or a bucket of ice – you might still suffer from night sweats – but this is the best way to get a comfortable, cooler night's sleep."
You can find out more in Carly's full Silentnight Mattress review.
Best soft mattress
This is an example of what Nectar's Hybrid mattress looks like in a bedroom. The room looks pretty dark, which is actually another tip for cooler sleep: keep your room dark all day so that it doesn't get too hot.
This popular memory foam 'bed-in-a-box' comes with a whopping 365-night trial—you can sleep on it for a whole year before returning it if it isn't right—leaving most other UK sleep brands in the dust. The Nectar Mattress is well-rated among customers for motion isolation (e.g reducing motion transfer, so you won't feel when someone else in the bed moves), so it's worth considering if you're regularly woken up by your partner. Throw in multiple support and pressure relief layers, and it's a recipe for a comfortable night's sleep, leaving your body well-supported too.
But the Nectar Mattress isn’t without its niggles. If you have a lighter body, for example, you may find it too firm. The polymer cover isn’t the most luxe either, but despite its appearance, it will help regulate in-bed temperature, so you don’t feel like you’re sleeping in a sauna.
You can also sleep peacefully knowing that you are doing your bit for the planet with Nectar’s carbon-neutral mattress. All Nectar emissions are offset by global schemes, including an Amazon forest protection program. It also has a wonderful 'forever warranty', which means for the first 10 years of ownership, Nectar will replace your mattress if it is defective, with no charge. After 10 years, they'll also repair and re-cover your Nectar, or replace it, if a manufacturing defect is confirmed. There's no doubt that having that kind of guarantee for such an investment purchase is reassuring.
The Nectar is also one of the more affordable mid-range mattresses out there, matching the Emma Original on price. There are regular discounts throughout the year too (take a look at our best Nectar mattress deals to stay in the know), and with the 365-night risk-free trial and forever warranty, this one offers very good value for money indeed.
You can find out more in Linda's full review of the Nectar Hybrid mattress.
Best value mattress
The bed-in-a-box style mattresses are one of my favourite innovations in the industry. They've transformed bedroom renovations from close to impossible to box-sized and very doable. One of the best in the game? OTTY.
The OTTY Pure is a hybrid cooling mattress, combining springs and memory foam for comfort, support, and airflow. It features six layers, including a bamboo and charcoal memory foam top that helps regulate temperature, plus a charcoal-infused cover designed to wick away moisture. Our tester, who often has night sweats, said, "I'm prone to waking up in a bit of a clammy heap in the night, but I slept right through the night without any excess body heat or night sweats waking me up."
With up to 2,000 16cm springs and high-density support foam, the Pure is 64% spring and 34% foam – cushioned yet supportive. While heavier sleepers may find it a touch soft, our expert found the balance just right, if not a little firm for foam.
OTTY's promise of sweeter dreams and sounder sleep was definitely fulfilled with their hybrid. And the best part about it all is the reasonable price tag. That's the stuff that dreams are made of.
You can find out more in our full OTTY Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal Mattress review.
Best mattress for allergies
One of the first things you should know about Sealy is that they're almost famous for how good they are for those who suffer with allergies. Not only are they endorsed by Allergy UK, they also have a patented ProShield fabric treatment that's engineered to keep allergens at bay. So, if you're a sensitive sleeper in need of something that's more than simply hypoallergenic, you are in luck.
The ProShield also incorporated something called SmarTex, which is a special material that acts like a gel, designed to keep you cool, reducing the sweat that might settle on your mattress, making it less hygienic. Our expert tester actually normally struggles with night sweats and she was blown away with how much this helped her regulate her body temperature.
There are also lots of other clever technologies integrated in the Sealy that make it super supportive from edge-to-edge as well as breathable and comfortable. You can see in the name that it's Posturepedic and our expert can testify to how impressive this is. "I have always struggled with shoulder pain, but that was very quickly soothed by the mattress. It wasn't overnight, but it might as well have been." It might be expensive, but it's a real winner.
You can find out more in our full review of the Sealy Posturepedic Elevate Gel Cool Mattress.
Mattress buying advice from our experts
What is the best mattress to buy in the UK?
As mentioned in our above review, we think the best mattress in the UK is the Emma Original mattress—no other mattress comes close to offering the same levels of comfort and support for the price. Made from soft, contouring memory foam, this mid-range, medium-firm mattress adapts well to your body, relieving tension from pressure points and providing full-body cushioning and support. It's also excellent at absorbing motion, so you won't be disturbed by a restless partner. It's often sold with a discount at Emma, putting a double mattress at around the £450 mark, rather than the full £699. That's outstanding value for money—you won't find a higher performance at this price point.
If you're after a luxury mattress and have more to spend though, we also recommend the superb Eve Premium Hybrid. It's firmer than the Emma, and a fantastic option for anyone who overheats at night, with a number of features that help prevent heat from building up. At full price, a double starts from just under £1,000 at Eve—but there's £244 off Eve mattresses at the moment, dropping the price to £734.
When is the best time to buy a new mattress?
The mattress world is competitive, which means there's often a sale to be found on even the best mattresses. Some of the biggest discounts of the year come in November when hundreds of Black Friday mattress deals are released. Not all of them are good—but many are excellent and we'll steer you to the best ones once they're released.
Black Friday isn't the only time of year to save money on a mattress though. We see equally good offers in the January sales, and there are some huge bargains to be found over Easter, too.
The summer sales are also ripe with mattress deals, as companies look to shift older stock, promote newer models, and boost their bottom line before the end of the financial year. There's currently up to 50% off Emma mattresses at the moment, for example—that's better than Black Friday last year.
You'll find decent mattress sales on any bank holiday too. Our advice is: if you're looking for the cheapest price possible, wait for one of the big sales in November, January, Easter or over the summer.
How to choose the right mattress
1. Sleeping position
The best mattress for you will be very different from the next person’s, which means there isn’t one single mattress to rule them all. That said, we think the Emma Original comes pretty close in terms of cost versus build quality, features, and performance.
If you’re sleeping solo, the mattress world is your oyster as you can pick an option that’s closely tailored to your body and sleep needs. For anyone sharing a bed, approach this next step together. Prepare to make some compromises to ensure you both get as close to your best mattress as possible.
Here are the four things to consider before buying a mattress:
The aim is to keep your spine in neutral alignment as you snooze in your preferred sleeping position, so your dominant sleep position will impact your choice of mattress.
- Stomach sleepers need a firmer mattress.
- Back sleepers and anyone who switches positions in the night do best on a medium-firm mattress.
- Side sleepers who don’t switch positions should try a softer mattress to reduce pressure on their hips, knees and shoulders.
2. Body type
Bodyweight plays an important role in deciding which is the best mattress for you. If you’re on the lighter end, try a soft mattress; heavier bodies are better supported by a firmer mattress. Hot sleepers, meanwhile, fare better on breathable hybrids. It's important to consider these aspects when choosing the best mattress for you, as well as practical matters like size and price.
3. Aches and pains
If your bedtime routine involves stretching out sore, knotted muscles, you're probably looking for the best mattress for back and neck pain. Go for a medium-firm bed with pressure-relieving properties.
4. Trial period
We wouldn’t recommend buying a mattress if it doesn’t come with a trial offer because you need at least a few weeks of sleeping on your new bed to ensure it’s right. Happily, all of the best bed-in-a-box brands offer trial periods ranging from 90 to 365 nights.
Which is the best type of mattress?
1. Memory foam mattresses
Chances are, if you ask people what they consider to be the most comfortable mattress material, they’d say memory foam. These dish out a deep contouring hug and provide high levels of pressure relief. Trouble is, some types of memory foam sleep warm, making them a nightmare for hot sleepers. Modern premium foams are designed to be more breathable though, so don’t write them off immediately.
Who are they good for: Sleepers dealing with aches and pains; side sleepers; people who enjoy feeling more cushioned by their mattress, rather than like they are sleeping on top of it.
Who should avoid them: Stomach sleepers (not firm enough); anyone who hates the feeling of being hugged by a mattress; very hot sleepers.
Top options: Emma Original mattress, Nectar mattress
2. Hybrid mattresses
The newest type of mattress and our personal favorite. Hybrids sandwich together foam and coils/springs to deliver supreme pressure relief, comfort, and support. Though, that’s why they’re so expensive.
Who are they good for: Combo sleepers; hot sleepers; couples (they usually have top-notch motion isolation tech).
Who should avoid them: Hybrid mattresses work for most people if you pick one with the right foam and firmness for your body and sleep needs. However, anyone on a small budget should avoid them (they’re pricey).
Top options: Eve Premium Hybrid mattress, Brook + Wilde Lux mattress
3. Latex mattresses
This mattress type is bouncy, cool, and offers a quick response to pressure relief. Latex is a natural material too, so it’ll appeal to anyone favoring an organic mattress.
Who are they good for: Hot sleepers; people wanting a more eco-friendly mattress; those who like a little bounce in their bed.
Who should avoid them: Anyone who needs deep pressure relief for chronic neck, hip, and back pain.
Top option: Dunlopillo Royal Sovereign Latex mattress
If you want extra bounce, this is the best mattress type for you. Innerspring mattresses are normally firm and very supportive, thanks to various pocketed support coils infused throughout.
Who are they good for: Back sleepers; stomach sleepers; heavier bodies; sleepers needing high levels of support and firmness.
Who should avoid them: Lightweight bodies; people needing deep pressure relief.
Top option: Sealy Teramo 1400
4. Innerspring mattresses
Mattresses are really personal purchases and they're not ones to be made lightly. I'd always recommend making a list of what you need doing your research into which mattresses will suit you, and then don't be afraid to send a mattress back if you're not comfortable. It should always give you a good night's sleep.