A mattress is the one piece of furniture you spend a third of your life on, and the choice is less about price than about matching the mattress to how you actually sleep. Four things decide it: your sleeping position, your weight, whether you share the bed, and how warm you sleep.

Start with your sleeping position

  • Side sleepers need the mattress to give at the shoulder and hip so the spine stays level. A medium or medium-firm mattress, or one with a foam comfort layer, usually suits best.
  • Back sleepers want support through the lower back without the hips sinking. Medium-firm is the common choice.
  • Front sleepers generally need the firmest option, since a soft mattress lets the hips drop and arches the lower back.
  • Restless sleepers who change position tend to get on best with a responsive pocket sprung or hybrid mattress rather than deep memory foam, which takes a moment to recover its shape.

Then account for weight

Firmness ratings describe the feel for an average build. The heavier you are, the more any mattress compresses, so a firm rating will feel medium and a soft one will bottom out. Lighter sleepers experience the opposite: a firm mattress can feel unyielding because there is not enough weight to compress the comfort layer at all. If two people of very different builds share the bed, a pocket sprung or hybrid model copes better than a single slab of foam.

The main mattress types

Pocket sprung

Individual springs in fabric pockets, each moving independently. Movement transfers less across the bed than any sprung alternative, and the construction breathes well. Spring counts – 1000, 2000, 3000 – indicate how finely the support is divided rather than how firm the mattress is.

Memory foam

Foam that softens with body heat and moulds to your shape, spreading weight rather than concentrating it. Excellent for pressure relief and for couples, with the caveat that foam holds warmth. Gel-infused and open-cell versions address this.

Hybrid

Pocket springs beneath a foam comfort layer – the compromise most people are happiest with if they cannot decide between the two.

Open coil

A single continuous wire spring system. The most economical construction, well suited to guest rooms, children’s beds and occasional use, though movement transfers more across the bed.

Latex

Naturally springy and breathable, with a responsive feel quite unlike memory foam, and naturally resistant to dust mites.

Orthopaedic

Worth knowing that “orthopaedic” is a description of firmness rather than a medical standard. These are firmer mattresses built for support; if you have a specific back condition, take advice from your GP or physiotherapist about what will suit you rather than relying on the label.

Depth, and what sits underneath

Mattress depth affects both comfort and fit. On an ottoman bed a mattress that is too deep prevents the base closing properly, and on a bunk or high sleeper it can raise the sleeping surface above the safety rail. Both limits are listed on the product pages.

The base matters too. Sprung slats flex and add a little softness; solid slats and platform tops feel firmer and suit memory foam, which is designed to be supported evenly. A mattress that felt right in a showroom can feel different at home purely because of the base under it.

Rolled mattresses

Many foam and hybrid mattresses arrive vacuum-packed and rolled, which makes them far easier to get up a narrow staircase. Allow up to 48 hours after unrolling for the mattress to reach full depth, and air the room while it does – a faint manufacturing smell is normal and disperses.

Looking after it, and when to replace

Rotate a mattress head to foot every few months. Only turn it over if it is double-sided; most modern mattresses with a foam comfort layer are single-sided and should never be flipped. A mattress protector is the cheapest thing you can buy to extend its life.

As a general guide, a mattress is worth replacing after around seven or eight years, or sooner if you wake stiff, can feel the springs, or see a visible dip.

Sizes

UK mattress sizes are standard: single 90 x 190cm, small double 120 x 190cm, double 135 x 190cm, king 150 x 200cm and super king 180 x 200cm. Our bed size guide sets out every size with the room space each one needs.

Browse the full range of mattresses, including memory foam and pocket sprung models, all delivered free to UK mainland addresses. If you would rather talk it through, call us on 01752 418 418.