The best mattress for a good night’s sleep

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.

Black Friday deals on mattresses:

We interrupt the regularly scheduled content to let you know that although Black Friday is over, there are still plenty of discounts to take advantage of, including a whole host of Black Friday deals on mattresses. Want to grab a bargain? These are the retailers that still have the best deals live, or keep scrolling to continue reading our buyer’s guide.

Shop Black Friday mattresses on: Amazon UK | EMMA | Very | John Lewis | SIMBA | Nectar Sleep

Save 45%: Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress, WAS £1,169, NOW £642.95
Save 20%: Emma Original Mattress, WAS £317, NOW £253.60
Save 60%: Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, WAS £1,299, NOW £519.60

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.

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

Our pick of the best mattresses

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.