The average person spends approximately a third of their life asleep in bed, so ensuring you have the best mattress to get a good night's sleep is essential. What we all need from a mattress is completely different. Some of us are side sleepers, whereas others may be front or back sleepers. You may have a tendency to overheat during the night, but someone else may be a cool sleeper. Others may have hip or shoulder pain that needs more cushioning, but you might have a back problem that needs extra support. Choosing the right mattress for your requirements isn't a job to take lightly. Luckily, we're here to help you make an informed decision.
With a wide range of mattresses available online, you no longer need to make a special trip out to the shops to get one. But we know what you're thinking: what about testing it out? Well, you'll find that many brands offer sleep trials when you buy a mattress online, so you'll have a good chunk of time to make sure it's the right one for you. After all, it can take a few weeks for your body to get used to a new one, so it might take a while to choose the best mattress for you.
Best mattress at a glance:
• Best hybrid mattress overall: Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress - View on Simba Sleep
• Best hybrid mattress with targeted body support: Silentnight Studio Memory 1000 Pocket Mattress - View on Argos
• Best mattress for hot sleepers: iGel Advance 2050i Mattress - View on Bensons for Beds
• Best mattress for aches and pains: Emma Original Mattress - View on Emma Sleep
As well as considering the amount of testing you'll get to do once your new mattress has arrived, there are a number of things you'll want to consider during the buying process. We've covered this in detail in our FAQs section, but the main things include the type, firmness and size of your required mattress. You'll also want to consider your overall budget. Are you looking for a budget mattress to tide you over? Or have you got the funds to invest in a mattress at the higher end of the price scale?
Whatever type of sleeper you are and whatever you're looking for in a mattress, the shopping experts here at Yours have put together a list of the best mattresses based on our personal experiences, reviews from real customers online and great mattress deals we've uncovered. Just to let you know, the prices we've included are based on a double mattress, but there are more sizes available, which we will list in the specifications of each mattress. You'll just need to check the price for your desired size before you buy.
Our pick of the best mattresses
Best hybrid mattress overall
simbasleep.com
There are up to 4,000 Areocoil titanium springs and nine layers to lie back on with the Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress. It includes an anti-allergy, natural wool layer that enhances breathability and an open-cell, graphite-infused Simbatex layer that is designed to tackle overheating with its temperature-regulating properties. As the name suggests, this hybrid mattress combines both foam and edge-to-edge springs to bring you superior comfort and a restful night's kip.
Our review: "I love my Simba Hybrid Pro. Actually, I'm not sure I've ever been this comfy. As a side sleeper, I often fidget and fight for comfort. But, with the Simba Hybrid Pro, I find myself settling on a side much easier. The mattress is firm, supportive and comfortable. My old mattress had become lumpy and uneven, which was no fun. But, this Hybrid Pro has been a great help to my physical health, as well as well-being. I'm very prone to allergies and feel the symptoms at night, so I appreciate that it has been made with anti-allergy fibres. Not only that, but I adore that it's made from recycled fibres - so, less is going to landfill. Happy sleeper, happy planet."
Pros
- Great option for hot sleepers
- Made using sustainable materials with carbon-neutral delivery
- 10-year guarantee
Cons
- Some may prefer a firmer mattress
Best hybrid mattress with targeted body support
www.argos.co.uk
Looking for a mattress that will feel like it's giving your body a gentle hug every night? You need the Silentnight Studio Memory 1000 Pocket Mattress. It moulds to the contours of your body while offering soothing pressure relief and comfort, thanks to the bound-back memory foam layer. It also has a mirapocket layer with 1,00 pocket springs inside that respond to movement and provide spinal alignment and targeted body support where you need it most.
Our review: "After the mattress was left to settle for the recommended 24-48 hours so it's fully fluffed up, I climbed into bed and those people I've heard that say memory foam is like sleeping in a cloud were very, very correct. Over the course of a month of me sleeping I've very rarely woken up to shift around, I sink in and once the lights are out that's it until my alarm goes off."
Pros
- Body-hugging memory foam
- Great sink-in sleep
- Delivered rolled up and easy to unpack
Cons
- Small length for tall person
Best mattress for hot sleepers
www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk
If the dreaded night sweats are keeping you from having an uninterrupted night's sleep, the iGel Advance 2050i Mattress will certainly help to keep symptoms at bay. Stocked exclusively at Bensons for Beds, the gel layer has intelligent temperature-regulating technology that helps you sleep not too hot or not too cold and is proven to release, store and absorb heat to help you remain at the ideal sleep temperature. It's luxuriously soft and breathable, too.
Our review: "I've been suffering for months with terrible night sweats (waking me up every hour) and had been dreading the idea of trying to sleep in the heat of summer. I admit was sceptical that the iGel mattress could really be effective at keeping me cool but in desperation, I agreed to give it a go and I couldn't be more impressed – for the past week I've had the best sleep I've had in years."
Take a look at our iGel Mattress review for more information.
Pros
- Choice of firmness
- Soothing and supportive pressure relieve
- Moisture-wicking fabric to prevent waking caused by humidity for an all-night fresher feel
Cons
- It's very deep, so you may need to buy extra deep fitted sheets if you use them
Best mattress for aches and pains
www.emma-sleep.co.uk
Tossing and turning will be a thing of the past, thanks to the Emma Original Mattress. You'll get three layers of thick, pressure-relieving foam with this mattress, with over 100 supporting points so that your body is fully supported while you sleep, making it a great option for those with back problems and other aches and pains. Whatever your sleeping position, you're sure to have a comfortable and relaxing trip to the Land Of Nod with this one.
Customer review: "I can hardly believe the difference my mattress has made to my sleep. It makes me wonder why I had waited so long to make the purchase."
Pros
- Includes temperature-regulating foam
- Helps to distribute your body weight evenly to reduce pressure
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
Cons
- Some may prefer a thicker mattress
Best mattress warranty
www.nectarsleep.co.uk
With a full 365-night trial and a forever warranty, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress offers great peace of mind as well as nights of peaceful sleep. The quilted cover is designed to draw heat away from your body and circulate fresh air to keep you cool while the adaptive memory foam is designed to relieve common pressure points beneath your shoulders, hips and legs for better spinal alignment on any body type.
Customer review: "Bought my Nectar mattress about 6 weeks ago, we had a memory foam mattress before and loved it. Was very surprised that my new Nectar mattress was even better, no getting up with back/shoulder/hip pains of a morning anymore. Would highly recommend everyone get a Nectar mattress, im so glad we did."
Pros
- Five layers of comfort
- Quilted cooling cover
- Great warranty
Cons
- Some reviewers have reported it's a little bit hard to begin with
Best budget mattress
www.dunelm.com
Both comforting and supporting, the Fogarty Just Right Memory Foam Top Open Coil Mattress is a great option if you're on a budget. It has a traditional coil construction with springs that move with your body but with a layer of memory foam on top that will mould around your body's contours. The wireframe that surrounds the mattress has a quilted border to provide edge-to-edge support, and it's made using hypoallergic fabric to help reduce any allergy triggers.
Customer review: "Fogarty mattress beautiful comfy mattress. Far better than expected particularly at this great price. Very pleased."
Pros
- Memory foam top
- Medium support
- 10-year guarantee
Cons
- For health and hygiene reasons, Dunelm is unable to offer a refund or exchange on this mattress
Best orthopaedic mattress
www.johnlewis.com
This hand-tufted, soft-touch Ortho Support 2000 Pocket Spring Mattress gives you a naturally more supportive sleep surface whilst also ensuring comfort and durability. Inside the mattress is a layer of zoned pocket springs that provide enhanced spinal alignment, with each spring designed to react to your body shape and weight to provide individual body support. It also has a polyester Comfort Layer that offers a breathable and fresh sleeping environment.
Customer review: "This is a very comfortable firm mattress that gives a good night's sleep. What more can you ask?"
Pros
- Hypoallergenic
- 2000 springs
- Spine support
Cons
- Some may prefer a softer mattress
How to buy a mattress online
Buying a mattress online can feel like an intimidating task. After all, a mattress is something you'll be using day in and day out for many years to come. This is why, with the help of Sleep Foundation, we've put together a guide on how to buy a mattress online with things you need to consider.
Budget
Before starting your search for the best mattress, you'll want to set your budget upfront. This will help you narrow down the search to ones in your price range so you can ignore the rest. Something to bear in mind is that higher-quality materials, design and construction typically come with higher price tags, as well as those with specialist features like cooling technology or targetted joint relief.
Mattress type
Mattress materials such as memory foam, polyfoam, latex, and metal coils each have potential benefits for sleepers. When choosing a mattress, it's important to understand the fundamental differences between these materials in terms of feel, performance, and cost.
Memory foam mattresses are designed to contour your individual body shape over time and provide excellent pressure relief for those aches and pains. They also tend to absorb motion and are very quiet, so you're unlikely to be disturbed by your partner or pet moving around in the night. Memory foam mattresses can trap heat unless they have cooling features built-in, so this is something to bear in mind if you're a hot sleeper.
Innerspring mattresses are a more traditional option and contain metal coils wrapped in a fabric cover to support you while you're sleeping. They tend to be a more affordable mattress compared to memory foam, and they're bouncy, breathable and easy to move on. However, they're prone to noise, motion transfer and pressure build-up.
Hybrid mattresses, as the name suggests, provide the best of both worlds, as they are typically made with metal coils and a combination of memory foam, polyfoam, latex and microcoils. With this blend of technology, hybrid mattresses have a great balance of bounce, durability, edge support and temperature regulation. They do tend to come with a higher price tag than most other mattresses, though, due to their construction and durability.
Firmness level
The most comfortable firmness level for you depends on your sleep position and personal preferences.
Side sleepers concentrate their weight onto one side of the body, creating pressure points at the hips and shoulders, so a softer, more contouring mattress would be ideal for helping to redistribute their weight. Medium to medium-firm models are best suited to back sleepers, while front sleepers would benefit from a firmer mattress to support their alignment.
Of course, your own comfort level is a big thing to consider, too. Some of you may prefer the feeling of a soft, plush model, while others need a firm surface to help them drift off into the land of nod.
Mattress size
The size of the mattress you choose will mostly be down to the size bed you have and the space you have available in your room. Whether you choose a single, double, king, queen, super king or super queen, the dimensions tend to be the same across brands for the standard sizes. However, the thickness of them can vary, so this is something to take into account.
Sleep trials, returns and warranties
We know that buying a mattress online without trying it out in the shops can seem a little daunting, but as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, many brands now offer sleep trials so you can make sure you're 100 per cent happy with it before fully committing.
Some retailers give you up to a full year to try out your mattress, but check the terms of the retailer you're buying it from if that's something that is important to you.
When should you replace a mattress?
A mattress should last between seven and 10 years on average. However, if you invest in a good quality one and ensure you keep it in good condition, there's no reason why it couldn't last longer than this. However, if your mattress is noticeably saggy or damaged, making more noise than usual, causing you muscle or joint stiffness, or you're finding that its negativity affecting your sleep in any way, it's probably time to get a new one.
Before committing to getting a new mattress, you may want to try adding a mattress topper and investing in some decent pillows to see if that makes any improvements to your overall comfort while you sleep.
Rosie Floyd is a Pets, Homes and Garden Product Writer for Yours, specialising in home appliances, décor and furnishings, as well as all things dogs. After completing her Journalism & Media degree from Coventry University back in 2015, she started her career writing about must-visit holiday destinations, moving on to creating content around outdoor living and garden buildings, before joining the team at Bauer.