A good mattress improves your sleep, say mattress makers – and they would, wouldn’t they? But they’re right. The older I get, the more I know it. When I was 20, I could sleep anywhere: a friend’s floor, a sofa – even a phone box one night. These days, I won’t get a single one of 40 winks if I’m not lying on a decent mattress. Comfy but firm, cosy but breathable, and with lots of cool spots for my feet.
Today’s best mattresses promise all this and more. Pocket springs are still around, but they face stiff – well, medium-firm – competition from hybrid mattresses that combine springs and memory foam for the ideal balance of comfort and support.
Many of today’s trendiest brands don’t have showrooms, so you can’t usually try before you buy. Instead, these bed-in-a-box models come with generous trial periods – but you’re still buying blind. That’s why I’ve tested them myself to help you separate the dream buys from the nightmares.
I, along with a panel of family members, tested 14 bestselling bed-in-a-box mattresses – including two in this latest update. Among them were four pocket-sprung models, two all-foam models and several bed-in-a-box hybrids, covering various degrees of firmness, features and price. Here’s how we got on.
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At a glance
Best mattress overall:
Otty Original Hybrid
Best mattress for couples:
Simba Hybrid Pro
Best budget mattress:
Ikea Valevåg
Best sustainable mattress:
Woolroom Standen Wool
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Why you should trust me
I’ve spent three decades testing products, from mattress toppers to heated clothes airers, so I’m professionally sceptical of manufacturers’ claims to magically improve our lives by buying their stuff. I also have a solid background in napping, insomnia and swearing at alarm clocks, so I welcomed the chance to sleep on the job.
How I tested
First, I needed some sleepers. I wanted a broad range of feedback from people of varying sizes who sleep in various positions. I asked my dad (85), my niece (22), my sister and our husbands to join my mattress panel. We each spent at least a fortnight (and sometimes months) sleeping on an allocated mattress.
Before we divvied them up, my panel assembled to offer their first impressions. I asked them to sit, bounce and lie down on every test sample, alone and together. This enabled us to compare the mattresses side by side. I collected scores out of 10 for everyone’s assessment of firmness and other factors such as breathability, motion isolation and overall comfort, then worked out our average score for each mattress.
We then began the sleeping tests. To quantify sleep quality, I used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which uses a questionnaire to assess factors such as how long it takes to nod off. I then added questions such as whether they experienced back pain or woke up in the night. Some of us also used our smartwatches to gather sleep-tracking stats.
I tested other factors on my own. I used dumbbells to measure how far each mattress sank under various weights, while an infrared thermometer and heat pad revealed how fast they could cool under a warm body. A glass of water on the surface gave an idea of how well a mattress would absorb the movement of a restless partner (motion isolation).
Environmental credentials were also a consideration. I gathered what information I could about each model’s materials, manufacturing processes, and its potential for recycling. I also checked verified reviews from paying customers and excluded any mattresses that received significant negative feedback for delivery and customer service.
The mattresses sourced for this article are being donated to two charities: Southampton-based poverty support group Scratch and Hampshire-based survivors’ advocacy organisation Stop Domestic Abuse.
To dive deeper in to my testing process, read how I tested mattresses for comfort, cost and sustainability
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The best mattresses you can buy in 2026
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<em>Best mattress overall:</em>Otty Original Hybrid
- What we love:A robust and supremely comfortable hybrid at a good price
- What we don’t love:May feel less supportive over time
Otty’s flagship offering is a firm but cosy and supremely comfortable mattress that helped me sleep fantastically from the first night of testing. The only other one that managed this was the Simba Hybrid Pro, which is far more expensive.
Why we love it
The Otty offers an outstanding balance of support, cushioning and breathability. My husband and I slept on it for two months and were sad to see it go. It feels ergonomically supportive, with no dip in the middle, even after several weeks.
It isn’t too firm, though. As a small side sleeper, I can suffer lower back pain on very firm mattresses, but this didn’t happen with the Otty. My sleep tracker also revealed that I woke up briefly in the night (“microarousals”) less often than usual. The surface felt breathable and cooled down faster than most other hybrids in my heat-retention tests.
When I asked for my family’s opinions, they put the Otty fourth overall on firmness – squarely at the firm end of the wide medium-firm spectrum – and gave it the highest rating for overall comfort, with an average of 8.3/10.
It’s a shame that … the firmness we loved won’t be welcomed by everyone. If you’re upgrading from a well-used pocket-sprung mattress, the strong, flat surface of the Otty may take some adapting to.
Suitable for: anyone who wants to upgrade to a hybrid without forking out four figures
Type: hybrid
Firmness: advertised as medium-firm, panel rated as 8/10
Depth: 25cm
Cover: unzip to wash at 40C
Turn or rotate: rotate once a month for first 12 months, then every three months
Trial period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Old mattress recycling: £40
Sustainability credentials: foam is CertiPur- and Europur-approved for environmental standards
To find out more, read our full Otty Original Hybrid mattress review
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<em>Best mattress for couples:</em>Simba Hybrid Pro
- What we love:Motion isolation stops disturbances from a restless partner
- What we don’t love:Support is less consistent than you’d hope for the price
This sumptuous mattress also had me sleeping soundly from the off. It’s expensive, and won’t be firm enough for some, but its wonderfully comfy surface makes you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud – and it may even bring peace if you share your bed with a fidgety partner (or the dog, or the kids).
Why we love it
The medium-firm Simba Hybrid Pro is supportive enough for most people, but it has a cosy, yielding feel that may be the result of its natural wool upper layer. The overall effect is luxurious and decidedly soporific.
The Hybrid Pro had the best motion isolation here. The mattress doesn’t completely lack bounce, especially on a slatted base, but its foam layers absorb movement so well that it genuinely helped my husband and me sleep through each other’s tossing and turning.
Temperature regulation was less impressive. The mattress also softened noticeably in the middle after several weeks of testing, but this is common with hybrids.
Our panel’s collective firmness score was 7/10, and our comfort average was an excellent 8.1/10, although my husband and sister found it a bit too soft.
It’s a shame that … the price is high, especially for a mattress that may not maintain its support consistently enough for firm-bed fans.
Suitable for: couples who crave a bit of peace (but still want to share a bed)
Type: hybrid
Firmness: advertised as medium-firm, panel rated as 7/10
Depth: 28cm
Cover: unzip to wash at 40C
Turn or rotate: rotate once a month for first three months, then every three months
Trial period: 200 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Old mattress recycling: £50
Sustainability credentials: Simba is B Corp certified and aiming for net zero by 2030. Hybrid Pro foam is CertiPur approved
To find out more, read our full Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review
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<em>Best budget mattress:</em>Ikea Valevåg
- What we love:This breathable, lightweight mattress is a genuine bargain
- What we don’t love:Its bounciness makes sharing it a distracting experience
Ikea’s popular mattress is a bed-in-a-box bargain. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a hybrid, but it avoids that label principally because its pocket springs are wrapped in only slim layers of polyfoam for cushioning. It feels much less robust than its pricier rivals, but it’d be a great choice for the kids or the spare room.
Why we love it
Simplicity has its benefits. The Valevåg expanded to full size faster than the hybrids and was much lighter. Finally, a mattress I could lift and manoeuvre by myself.
Ikea’s mattress is also wonderfully breathable, and with no memory foam to trap heat, it cooled down faster than any other mattress in my temperature-control test. Hi-tech open-cell foam is all very well for letting the air circulate, but plain old springs do the same for a lot less cash.
My 22-year-old niece, Alex, slept on the Valevåg for two months and was energetically reluctant to give it back. She said it felt supportive enough without being “solid like some of the others”.
It’s a shame that … the Valevåg doesn’t hide its cheapness. Our average firmness score was 6.8/10, which barely qualifies for “medium-firm” (although Ikea does make a “firm” version). The bounce of the springs also means motion isolation is poor.
Suitable for: young buyers starting out, or for a guest room
Type: pocket sprung
Firmness: advertised as medium-firm, panel rated as 6.8/10
Depth: 24cm
Cover: not removable
Turn or rotate: not needed
Trial period: 365 nights (exchange only)
Warranty: 10 years
Old mattress recycling: £40 via the Mattress Recycling People
Sustainability credentials: 2025 target of 20% recycled content in all Ikea mattress foams
To find out more, read our full Ikea Valevåg mattress review
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<em>Best sustainable mattress:</em>Woolroom Standen Wool
- What we love:Comfortable, supportive and helps control temperature
- What we don’t love:Heavy and expensive
Woolroom’s mattress is a masterpiece. The “regular” (medium) edition I tested supported my body confidently without ever feeling too firm, and cushioned me without sinking like foam can. It even smelled delicious. This mattress improved my sleep, proving instantly comfortable and never once disappointing over the three months of testing.
What we love
Firmness preference is subjective, but everyone in my family was wowed by the Woolroom’s perfectly balanced, supportive cosiness when I invited them to try it. (You’ll note that I did not invite them to sleep-test this one for me.)
The springs are supportive but with a degree of flexibility, which stops the mattress from feeling hard. As a small side-sleeper, I need some “give” to cradle my hips, knees and shoulders for spine alignment – essential for good sleep and long-term spinal comfort, as explained in our guide to choosing a mattress for back pain. The Woolroom achieved this every night through three months of testing, and there was never any fear that I’d have to “wear it in”.
This is a traditional-looking mattress, with a classic tufted ticking made from breathable natural fibres that helped keep my night sweats at bay. Under the bonnet is a sophisticated system of calico-encased pocket springs (1,400 in the king size) and 12 (12!) layers of traceable British wool, silk, cashmere and cotton – six layers on each side. Strictly speaking, this isn’t a “hybrid” mattress because it doesn’t contain any foam, but it has more layers of material than most of the hybrids I’ve tested.
Woolroom’s sustainability credentials helped me sleep even more soundly. It manufactures its mattresses in the UK, recycles 100% of all returned mattresses, and holds numerous certifications, including the Wool ID traceability scheme.
If this mattress weren’t quite so pricey (the double I tested normally costs £2,109, although it was discounted to £1,581.75 at the time of writing), it would have replaced the Otty as our best mattress overall.
It’s a shame that … it costs more than many will want to pay for a mattress, although its RRP is nearly 10% cheaper than the Tempur below. Another downside is its chunky weight. The 40kg double was too heavy for me to turn on my own.
Type: pocket sprung
Firmness: advertised as regular, Alan rated as 8/10, I rated as 7.5/10
Depth: 29cm
Cover: not removable, but you can pay extra for a zippable cover
Turn: “regularly” for 12 weeks, then every 3 months
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 15 years
Old mattress recycling: £50
Sustainability: certifications include Wool ID, Global Organic Textile Standard and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for no harmful chemicals; worked with Bangor University’s Bio Composites team to ensure no VOC emissions
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The best of the rest
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Naturalmat the Superb
- What we love:Genuinely sustainable. Plush, cosy, fabulously breathable
- What we don’t love:Expensive, and the medium edition is on the soft side
Best for: side sleepers who love a cushioned surface and hate overheating at night
Calling your product “the Superb” might sound like hubris, but after testing it, I reckon the name is justified. Naturalmat’s mattress is super breathable, sumptuously cosy and among the most sustainable products here, with free recycling at the end of its life when you buy a new one from the brand. I can see why it’s been chosen by luxury hotel chains, including Six Senses and the Hoxton.
Handmade in Devon using organic wool, springy natural latex and cotton-wrapped pocket springs, the Superb comes in nine standard sizes and three tensions (soft, medium and firm). The medium I tested was slightly softer than expected and left my lower back craving more support. However, if you love a cosily cushioned surface but don’t fancy the body-hugging sensation of memory foam, the medium or even soft Naturalmat would be an excellent choice for you.
The Naturalmat Superb isn’t marketed as a cooling mattress, but it performed exceptionally well in my temperature-control tests, dissipating heat faster than any mattress other than the Ikea Valevåg, a relatively airy budget model. The Naturalmat is also hypoallergenic thanks to the use of naturally hypoallergenic latex and the Oeko-Tex-approved geraniol treatment that protects the non-removable fabric casing from dust mites and other allergens.
It didn’t make the final cut because … at £1,950 for the double, this is an expensive mattress, and its 45-day trial period falls short of most rivals’.
Type: pocket sprung with latex comfort layers; firmness: advertised as medium; Alan and I rated as 6/10; depth: 25cm; cover: not removable; turn: flip and rotate every three months; trial: 45 days; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: £60, all Naturalmat mattresses recycled for free when you buy a new one; sustainability: B Corp certified, 100% renewable energy, Oeko-Tex Standard 100-approved materials, net zero Scope 3 by 2023 – and all mattresses are delivered in plastic-free reusable bags that drivers take away
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Tempur Ease
- What we love:Light but robust and supportive. Great motion isolation
- What we don’t love:Too firm if you like the sink-in relief of memory foam
Best for: couples who want a firm mattress with outstanding motion isolation
I’d expected the Tempur Ease to feel and perform much like the Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool, only with less impact on my wallet thanks to its lower price. However, it’s significantly firmer and also much lighter, at a nimble 25.95kg for the 25cm-deep double size I tested.
Its gently yielding firmness makes the Tempur Ease an excellent choice for those of us who love a flat, supportive surface that doesn’t dip or bounce. As a petite side-sleeper, I would have welcomed a little more cushioning, but I found the Tempur Ease much more comfortable than the enveloping SmartCool. Like all foam mattresses, the Ease will soften over the months under the weight and warmth of your body, although Tempur guarantees that you won’t see a “visible indentation” of more than 2cm in the 10-year warranty period.
The Tempur Ease contains upper layers of adaptive memory foam over base layers of dense foam, all wrapped up in a removable fabric cover. Its all-foam composition results in amazing motion isolation – when Alan turned in bed beside me, I could hear him moving but didn’t feel a single ripple, making this a great choice if you sleep with a restless partner.
The Ease’s breathable cover and open-cell foam helped its surface fall back to room temperature reasonably quickly in my tests – but it did warm up under our bodies after about half an hour. This wasn’t a problem in my test month of March, but you might benefit from breathable bedding or a cooling mattress topper in summer.
It didn’t make the final cut because … this is a decidedly firm mattress that comes in only one tension, so if you like the cosiness of memory foam, you may be disappointed. Its slight tendency to trap heat may also prove problematic in summer.
Type: foam; firmness: advertised as medium firm; Alan and I rated as 8/10; depth: 20cm, 22cm or 25cm; cover: remove to wash at 30C; rotate: “from time to time”; trial: 100 nights; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: not offered in UK; sustainability: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, Tempur’s manufacturing facility is zero landfill and it aims to be carbon neutral by 2040
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Millbrook Wool Luxury 4000
- What we love:Luxuriously comfortable and naturally breathable
- What we don’t love:Too heavy to turn solo, and too bouncy for restless sleepers
Best for: keeping cool on hot summer nights
A layer of UK-sourced wool just below the sleeping surface of this pocket-sprung mattress adds a slightly spongy feel, but there’s no foam in here, and the mattress is double-sided. Once it starts to soften, which happens fairly quickly, you can flip it to get the fresh, cool firmness of the other side.
I tested this mattress for six weeks from early May 2025, when the nights were still chilly, until mid-June, when conditions approached 24/7 mugginess. Initially, I loved its robust, traditional feel and liked the way its tufted surface allowed the air to circulate in the way modern hybrids often don’t. I often struggle with night sweats, and the breathable surface and wool layer genuinely helped me dial down the sogginess.
The Millbrook doesn’t offer much in the way of motion isolation, however. Its bounciness amplified both my husband’s and my tossing and turning. Another issue to emerge over the weeks was a surprising level of softening. Flipping the mattress made it feel supportive again, but we were disappointed to have to do this so soon and so frequently.
It didn’t make the final cut because … initially, this mattress offers plenty of support, but it needs flipping every week for four months, which isn’t easy given its above-average weight. It’s also a little too bouncy for couples who want to sleep in peace.
Type: pocket sprung; firmness: advertised as medium to firm, we rated as 8.5/10 then 7/10; depth: 28cm; cover: not removable; turn: “regularly”; trial: 60 nights (exchange only) at Mattress Online; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: £35 with Mattress Online if you buy a new mattress; sustainability: Millbrook Beds uses fabrics and fillings “from sustainable sources”; no memory foam or chemical treatments used; Planet Mark certified
To find out more, read our full Millbrook Wool Luxury 4000 review
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Origin Hybrid Pro
- What we love:Cooling, supportive and absorbs tossing and turning
- What we don’t love:Too firm for smaller side-sleepers, too deep for most sheets
Best for: couples who both love a firm orthopaedic mattress
Origin claims its Hybrid Pro is “medium-firm”, but it was one of the highest scorers in all my measures of firmness. If, like my sister Maeve and her husband, Ben, you crave the strong pushback of a solid mattress, you’ll love it.
This gigantic, heavy hybrid also delivers outstanding temperature regulation and motion isolation. Maeve and Ben reported that the “silky surface with long dents” kept them pleasantly cool, and after years on a pocket-sprung mattress, they declared its movement-absorbing powers to be “life changing”.
It didn’t make the final cut because … this level of firmness is too hard for many, including me. The 31cm depth also means your standard fitted sheets won’t fit, and the cover isn’t removable.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as medium-firm, panel rated as 8.2/10; depth: 31cm; cover: not removable; rotate: not needed; trial: 200 nights; warranty: 15 years; old mattress recycling: £54; sustainability: foam is CertiPur approved; returned mattresses go to the British Heart Foundation
To find out more, read our full Origin Hybrid Pro review
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Sealy Elevate Emin Firm
- What we love:Extremely supportive and breathable
- What we don’t love:Too firm for some and the cover isn’t removable
Best for: larger people and back sleepers who love robust support
Sealy’s orthopaedic mattress looks and feels like a traditional pocket-sprung model, but it’s actually a hybrid with layers of foam that improve its stability, motion isolation and support. This is the firmest mattress I tested, and despite liking the way that felt when I first lay down on it, I soon had to concede defeat when my back ached after a few nights. Over time, it may have developed more cushioning, or my back might have grown used to it (commonly needed with firm mattresses), but I passed it on to my sister and her husband.
“I love this one: it’s the firmest bed I’ve ever tried, but it isn’t like sleeping on the floor,” said Ben. “I spend hours sitting up in bed reading, and most mattresses are too soft for that. This is perfect.” Maeve agreed on the sitting up part, but found it too firm for sleep. “My hips had nowhere to go,” she said. “I want to love this mattress, but my back didn’t quite feel right.” It’s important to say here that Maeve and I are small, and a larger person would benefit much more from the Sealy’s orthopaedic firmness.
Its seven-year guarantee is shorter than others here, but this feels like a mattress that will last a decade. It’s also a good year-round choice, with temperature-regulating fabric casing and excellent results in my heat-retention test, where it cooled down faster than most mattresses containing foam. Just a shame you can’t remove the cover for washing.
It didn’t make the final cut because … you may have to head for your nearest bed superstore to buy this mattress. The Where To Buy button on Sealy’s page takes you to a list of stores, including Dreams, DFS and Bensons – none of which sell the Elevate Emin via its website.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as firm, Alan and I rated as 9/10; depth: 28cm; cover: not removable; turn: rotate twice a month during first year, then once a month; trial: none; warranty: seven years; old mattress recycling: many bed stores, including Dreams, will collect and recycle your old mattress for £55 (double/king); sustainability: Sealy has a “zero-to-landfill” policy for waste materials leaving site
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Eve Wunderflip Premium Hybrid
- What we love:Its squishy memory foam is a wonderful motion absorber
- What we don’t love:The zip-off memory foam layer is decidedly soft – and heavy
Best for: couples who like a well-cushioned surface
Eve describes the Wunderflip as a double-sided mattress. It has a solid central section that’s firmer on one side than the other, so you flip it (with a little effort) to select your level of firmness. You then zip on a thick, spongy “comfort layer” – much like a mattress topper – on whichever side you choose.
My weight tests and family feedback revealed the two sides to be disappointingly similar. Both were too soft for Maeve and Ben, who switched to the much firmer Origin after two weeks. Their daughter Alex tried it out and also found it too soft, as did my husband.
I liked the Wunderflip much more than my family did. Its supportive base layers provide strong, consistent pushback beneath the cushioned top layer, especially on the “firmer” side. The foamy cushioning is brilliant at absorbing movement, and it all feels extremely robust.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the “flip for firmness” idea doesn’t really work, because both sides are similarly soft. Plus, the hulking weight (more than 50kg for a double) makes it tricky to manoeuvre.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as medium on one side and firm on the other, panel rated as 4.3 and 6.5 respectively; depth: 28cm; cover: not removable; rotate: once a month for first 12 months, then every three months; trial: 200 nights; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: £50; sustainability: foam is CertiPur approved and CFC/PBDE-free; cover is Oeko-Tex certified
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Panda Hybrid Bamboo
- What we love:Adaptive support suits a wide range of people
- What we don’t love:Initially too firm for smaller side-sleepers, but softens
Best for: couples who sleep on their sides, and those who overheat
This fabulous-looking hybrid excels at motion isolation and temperature regulation, and its naturally hypoallergenic bamboo yarn cover may help limit morning sneezes. Its high-density foam makes it feel very firm at first, but over weeks of testing, it softened significantly without ever feeling saggy.
I had allocated the Panda to my dad for the sleep test, but he couldn’t get on with it, describing it as “hard on my joints”. It felt too firm for me at first, too, but adapted to become a cosy sleeping surface for my husband and me.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the softening means it’s hard to judge whether it’s right for you. The cover is removable, but inconveniently in one big unit, like one big mattress shell.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as medium-firm to firm, panel rated as 6.8/10; depth: 25cm; cover: remove to wash at 30C; rotate: every six months; trial: 100 nights; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: free; sustainability: foam is CertiPur approved; polyester content is made from “recycled ocean bottles”; will recycle old mattress
To find out more, read our full Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress review
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Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool
- What we love:The layers of memory foam bring relief for joint pain
- What we don’t love:It’s expensive, and somewhat softer than advertised
Best for: fans of soft beds and those experiencing joint issues, such as hip or shoulder pain
Tempur was among the first brands to make mattresses entirely from memory foam. I tested a “medium” version of the Pro Plus SmartCool mattress, which combines four variously dense layers of “Tempur Material” foam to create a supportive but rather marshmallowy sleeping surface. My husband, an avowed fan of firm beds, said it was “like being sucked into quicksand”.
The plush tension of the SmartCool makes your body feel cradled to relieve pressure and help soothe joint pain. I asked my dad, Don, 85, to sleep-test it and report back on its impact on his recently injured hip and shoulder. He enjoyed the initial sense of weightlessness but admitted that the overall effect was too soft for his taste. The mattress is available in medium-firm and firm, too, but it’s worth noting that even the firmest foam softens within weeks, as I discovered when testing hybrids including the Simba Hybrid Pro and Panda Hybrid Bamboo.
I was impressed by the mattress’s SmartCool fabric cover, which aims to offset foam’s tendency to trap body heat. The mattress didn’t exactly cool me down during the roasting nights of July’s heatwave, but it felt surprisingly fresh to touch and didn’t greet me with a pool of sweat in the morning.
It didn’t make the final cut because … the deep cushioning of “medium” tension Tempur foam is an acquired taste, which I’ve yet to acquire. Its lack of support left me and my other family members craving a firmer surface.
Type: foam; firmness: advertised as medium, panel rated as 5/10; depth: 21, 25 (as tested) and 30cm; cover: unzip to wash at 40C; turn: don’t turn; “you can rotate to maintain even comfort”; trial: 100 nights; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: not offered in UK; sustainability: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified; Pro mattresses are Danish Indoor Climate labelled; Tempur’s manufacturing facility is zero landfill and it aims to be carbon neutral by 2040
To find out more, read our full Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool mattress review
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Emma Original
- What we love:Cosy mattress with good motion isolation and breathability
- What we don’t love:Too soft for those who like a supportive mattress
Best for: side sleepers and couples who like a cushioned surface
Emma’s cosy, breathable mattress is more affordable than most hybrids in our roundup, and has a fairly simple pocket spring and foam construction. Previously called the Emma Hybrid Premium, the Original isn’t really a “premium” hybrid – it has 672 springs in the double mattress I tested, while the more expensive Simba Hybrid Pro, by contrast, has up to 4,800 springs in a king size.
In our initial testing, my family and I found the Emma very comfortable. Its relatively low spring count and three upper layers of foam push it to the softer end of the medium-firm spectrum. I found it less comfortable to sleep on because it didn’t support my hips and lower back enough, but it may suit those who prefer a well-cushioned surface with good pressure relief for sore joints. Its foam also does an excellent job of absorbing the movements of a restless partner. I also like that the cover’s top section unzips easily for washing, and the mattress’s relatively light weight makes it easier to rotate and manoeuvre than others I’ve tested.
Emma’s delivery and customer service have received mixed reviews in the past, so I bought my test mattress instead of requesting a sample. It was delivered by DPD, on time and without problems.
It didn’t make the final cut because … it didn’t support my lower back well. This led to brief back pain that was fixed by switching to a firmer mattress.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as medium-firm, panel rated as 6/10; depth: 25cm; cover: unzip to wash at 60C (upper section); 40C (lower section); turn: rotate monthly for six months, then every three months; trial: 200 nights; warranty: 10 years; old mattress recycling: none offered; sustainability: Emma’s Second Life programme refurbishes returned mattresses for resale; company aims to “uphold human, environmental and labour rights” and achieve net zero by 2030
To find out more, read our full Emma Original mattress review
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Slumberland Orthopaedic Support Luxe
- What we love:This adaptive hybrid is well cushioned and dissipates heat
- What we don’t love:Could be better at retaining its initial supportiveness
Best for: side sleepers who tend to overheat at night
From Bensons’ description of its own-brand mattress, I’d expected something almost as firm as the orthopaedic Sealy, but it’s a much more adaptive and cushioned affair. Too cushioned, as it turned out. Alan and I tested this one ourselves, and we’re not heavy people, but we noticed that the foam layer had softened far beyond its supposedly “firm” rating after a month of sleeping on it. Our tests with weights bore this out, revealing that the centre of the mattress sank a centimetre (30%) further under 7.5kg than it had a month before. At £899.99 for the double, I’d expect more robust performance.
That said, this mattress is cosy and will suit those who like the way foam yields under their body. I loved the feel of the patterned surface, with its lovely soft stretch-knit fabric – although, sadly, you can’t remove it for washing. The foam never trapped the heat of our bodies, either, although that may be because we tested the Slumberland on the chilly nights of November 2025.
It didn’t make the final cut because … all foam softens in its initial months of sleeping, but here it made the mattress feel less supportive or robust than I’d have hoped, given its price. The cheaper Otty Original Hybrid does a much better job of retaining its support, despite containing multiple layers of foam.
Type: hybrid; firmness: advertised as firm, Alan and I rated as 8.5/10 then 7/10; depth: 26.5cm; cover: not removable; turn: rotate “on a semi-regular basis”; trial: 40 nights; warranty: eight years; old mattress recycling: from £25; sustainability: packaging is made from minimum 50% sugar cane and 30% recycled plastics in line with Bensons’ net zero commitment
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What you need to know
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Should I buy a firm or soft mattress?
If you’re an average-size person who sleeps mostly on your side and occasionally on your back, then your ideal mattress is medium-firm. The upper layers of such mattresses – the Otty Original Hybrid and Simba Hybrid Pro, for example – are soft enough for immediate comfort and pressure relief, while the lower layers make you feel supported.
This balance of cushioning and support is important for spine alignment, as explained in our guide to the best mattress for back pain. “Medium-firm mattresses consistently come out on top in research into back pain,” says osteopath and sports coach Ian Greaves of Southampton Physio. “Comfort matters as much as support, and medium-firm beds strike a better balance than firm or soft types.”
However, there’s every chance you’re not average, so you may need something firmer or softer. Depending on your size, sleeping position, and propensity to aches and pains, you may feel more comfortable (and do your back more long-term good) on a mattress with a lower or higher firmness score than a standard medium-firm.
Generally speaking, the bigger you are, the firmer your mattress should be. A robust, relatively unyielding mattress such as the Sealy Elevate Emin Firm or Origin Hybrid Pro will give your back the extra support it needs.
Conversely, if you’re small, like me, you need cushioning for your pressure points (hips, knees, shoulders). This is especially important if you experience joint pain, which may be relieved by the soft, cradling sensation of a memory foam mattress such as the Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool or the Eve Wunderflip Premium Hybrid.
Side-sleepers need cushioning, too, for the same reason. When you lie on your side on a too-firm mattress, your hips don’t sit low enough, and your lower spine curves up: a recipe for back pain. People who sleep on their back or front, though, may find that a firmer sleeping surface is just right.
What is a bed-in-a-box mattress?
The bed-in-a-box industry has upgraded mattress delivery for the era of apartment living, with companies such as Otty, Eve and Simba vacuum-shrinking their models for transport.
As a house-dweller who goes through mattresses as frequently as a normal person goes through tubes of toothpaste, I can confirm that getting a mattress up a flight of stairs is significantly easier when it’s shrunk into a box.
Not all mattresses can be delivered this way, however. The more conventionally constructed mattresses I’ve reviewed, including the Woolroom Standen Wool and the Millbrook Wool Luxury 4000, were delivered full-size. Mattresses that contain foam seem more likely to be delivered in bed-in-a-box format, but this isn’t always the case: the all-foam Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool was delivered full-size.
Are bed-in-a-box mattresses bad for the environment?
Vacuum-shrinking a mattress is essentially the same idea as squeezing winter duvets into vacuum storage bags – but on a bigger scale. It’s convenient, but it leaves you with a huge amount of plastic packaging that’s unlikely to be picked up with your recycling collection, which means a trip to the tip – unless you repurpose it as a dust sheet.
On the upside, vacuum-packing allows a single lorry to carry many more mattresses than traditional deliveries. Bed-in-a-box brands also tend not to have showrooms, so they offer lengthy home trials to help you decide whether your new mattress is truly right for you. My experience of this process has been fairly smooth, with Otty and Emma collecting mattresses and issuing refunds quickly.
Note that no delivery team took away my old mattress. Most will offer a recycling service for a fee of about £50, but this has to be organised at the time of ordering your new mattress. It also seems expensive given that my local council’s recycling team collects mattresses for £20.
Ultimately, when it comes to environmental considerations, the worst mattresses are those that are thrown out the fastest. Bed-in-a-box warranties typically cover 10 years, which is excellent. Just don’t void your guarantee by, for example, standing on the mattress or using an electric blanket (as foam can soften and even crack under too much heat).
How do I know it’s a good deal?
It’s Black Friday all year round in mattress world. Bed-in-a-box companies seem to regard “sale” prices as the rule rather than the exception, and Simba, Emma and Dormeo have all been sanctioned by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading marketing tactics.
There are genuine deals to be found, however. Search PriceRunner to view the price history of a model, while the free AnyTracker app is less quick but gives richer results, including alerts when your desired mattress meets your desired price.
How to clean a mattress
Here are a few stats to help you sleep at night: the average mattress contains between 1.5 million and 10 million dust mites, depending on whom you believe. These mites feast on dead skin cells, of which you shed up to 40,000 a minute, and thrive on moisture, of which you leak about a pint a night. “Up to 10% of the weight of an old pillow could be made up of dust mite faeces,” say researchers from UCL. Sweet dreams.
To keep your mattress in as good a shape as possible, start with a good mattress protector and clean sheets, which you should change about once a week. A zip-off washable cover, as featured on many of our best mattresses, including the Otty Original Hybrid and Simba Hybrid Pro, is another key line of defence against grossness. Just make sure all covers are fully dry after washing, because any remaining moisture will lead to mould – and you really don’t want to share your bed with mould spores.
While all the covers are removed, get out the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum every surface of the mattress, including the bottom if it’s one-sided, and into any nooks and crannies. Now let it air for a while, with an open window if the weather allows. You could also hang your duvet out to air for a few hours. Just remember that while fresh air can help dissipate smells, it also lets in allergens, so it’s worth vacuuming your mattress again before you put all the freshly cleaned elements back together.
If there are no stains, a vacuum will be fine. For spills or accidents, blot up as much liquid as possible to stop moisture from soaking in. Fresh stains can be dabbed with a little cold water and washing-up liquid –avoid rubbing, as this can spread the stain. Upholstery cleaner is safe in small doses, but don’t use carpet cleaner, as it may damage your mattress. For odours, sprinkle baking soda over the surface, leave for several hours, then vacuum thoroughly.
For more, read our guide on how to clean your mattress
How often should I replace a mattress?
The Sleep Foundation and Bed Advice UK suggest that your mattress will need replacing every seven to eight years. “After that time, your mattress will have had around four bathtubs of sweat applied to it,” says Hannah Shore, head of sleep science at Mattress Online. “Dust, dead skin cells and other matter will also collect in the mattress, making it unhygienic.”
That may be true, but most of the mattresses we reviewed come with 10-year warranties, and two – the Woolroom Standen Wool and Origin Hybrid Pro – even stretch to 15 years. So what’s the deal? Surely it’s more environmentally and financially responsible to hang on to a mattress until it’s falling apart? Maybe, but studies suggest it’s not good for your health or your sleep quality.
The cocktail of bacterial goo that leaches into a mattress under the weight of at least one human every night eats away at its springs, fillings and foam. The result is a lumpy surface that loses its comfort and support. Support is key when choosing a mattress – without it, you’ll suffer all manner of maladies, including back pain, aching shoulders and poor sleep. One US study tracked a cohort of men and women with minor sleep-related pain, and whose beds were an average of nine-and-a-half years old. Switching to new, medium-firm mattresses resulted in “significant improvements” in their back pain and sleep quality.
The seven-year switch is not an exact science, though. Mattress durability varies widely, and some mattresses made using high-quality materials such as natural latex can have a lifespan of up to 20 years, according to UK mattress company Latex Sense. Rather than assume your mattress will need replacing in seven years, look out for some tell-tale signs.
Sagging and failing springs are the most obvious. Others are that you wake up sneezing, feel your partner moving in bed more than you used to, and feel the bed giving way when you sit on the side. “One of the best signs is that you sleep better elsewhere,” says Shore. “If you sleep significantly better in a hotel bed, it’s probably a sign that your mattress at home needs replacing.”
A few provisos, though. One thing I’ve learned from sleep-testing more than a dozen mattresses over the years is that a new bed can mess up your sleep for the first couple of nights, especially if you’re used to a much softer surface. Your body needs to adjust. Bear in mind that even the firmest foam layers soften over the first few months, so give your new bed a chance – and take advantage of free trials if you don’t get on with it.
What should I do with my old mattress?
The road to environmental hell is paved with old mattresses. According to the latest fly-tipping action plan from Keep Britain Tidy, we throw away more than 5m mattresses annually, with only a quarter being recycled. The Furniture Recycling Group is even more gloomy, claiming that 8.5m mattresses go to landfill every year.
Most councils run a bulky waste collection service, but it’ll cost you (about £20 a mattress outside London; perhaps more than double that in London), and you may have to book well in advance. What’s more, your council-collected mattress will probably end up in landfill.
There are ways to keep your old mattress out of the waste mountain, though. Here are a few to try.
Have it recycled by a mattress brand
Most bed brands will collect and recycle your old mattress, although this service is often only available if you buy a new mattress from them. It gets pricey, too – a problem that the Keep Britain Tidy report blames on a widespread “lack of specialist equipment”.
Here’s a quick guide to prices at the time of writing, with links for more details:
Argos: £30
Bensons: £55
Dreams: from £40 for a single
Eve: £50
John Lewis: £39.95
Land of Beds: £45
Mattress Next Day: £39
Mattress Online: £35 when you buy a new one
Otty: £60 (£20 per additional item)
Simba: £50
Woolroom: £50
We’d like to see more companies following the lead of Panda, which doesn’t charge a penny to recycle your old mattress if you buy a new one from the company (otherwise, it costs £50).
If you can squeeze your old mattress into (or on top of) your car, it’s worth checking the Recycle Now website to find a local recycling facility that’ll take it. You could also investigate Dunelm’s mattress and furniture recycling scheme, which works with Clearabee to recycle mattresses, although collection prices are significantly higher than those from mattress brands.
Give it away
If – and this is really important – your mattress is in good condition, you could give it to charity. Dunelm’s mattress and furniture recycling scheme also works with the British Heart Foundation to collect unsoiled mattresses and other furniture for free. Look for local organisations, too: my test mattresses go to hardship charity Scratch in Southampton. You may also be able to find a taker via platforms such as Freecycle and Buy Nothing.
Find a waste-to-energy skip
Waste-to-energy skips convert rubbish, including mattresses, into electricity or heat through incineration. You may have to pay a fair amount to hire one, but if you’re having a household clearout or renovation, it’d be well worth finding.
For more on sleeping in style and comfort from the Filter:
• The best mattresses for back pain
• The best duvets in the UK for every season and sleeper
• The best pillows for every type of sleeper
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Jane Hoskyn is a consumer journalist and WFH pioneer with three decades of experience in rearranging bookshelves and “testing” coffee machines while deadlines loom. Her work has made her a low-key expert in all manner of consumables, from sports watches to solar panels. She would always rather be in the woods
• This article was originally published on 6 February 2025. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This article was last updated on 22 May 2026; the Tempur Ease and Naturalmat the Superb were added after testing, and prices were updated throughout.
