The UK’s best mattress in 2025, tried and tested

Personally, I like a bit more give than this mattress delivers, but on the brand’s website there are 11 reviews of the mohair mattress, and all of them left five stars. What is a huge bonus is that if you share a bed with someone who has different mattress preferences, you can buy two types with with zip-and-link covers to cater for individual needs.

Take note:

Only for those looking for a particularly firm mattress.

What’s the most comfortable mattress?

Our top pick is the Simba Hybrid Pro, a foam and pocket sprung mattress that is equally soft and sumptuous as it is supportive. Of course, it goes without saying that the best mattress for you, isn’t necessarily the same as it is for your sibling, mother, cousin or friend. There’s no one size fits all policy with mattresses, which is why sleep trial periods are important factors to consider when buying a mattress online. Another good choice would be Panda London’s Bamboo Mattress.

Simba Hybrid Pro Double Mattress

Panda Hybrid Bamboo Double Mattress

How do you choose the right mattress?

Mark Tremlett, Founder of Naturalmat, says, ‘every person will have their preferences, and whether firm or soft, dense or sprung, it is essential that the mattress provides the right comfort and support you need.’

Choosing the right mattress for you will depend on your body type and sleeping position. For example, side sleepers have different needs to back sleepers who often require more support. Some sleepers may need pressure relief in certain areas, others need hypoallergenic materials, while some may value temperature regulation. It’s really quite the science, which is why we’ve rounded up the best mattresses to invest in now to help you choose which type of new mattress is best for you.

While there is a lot of science involved in finding the right mattress for your body type and sleeping position, the most important thing to look for is whether you get a good sleep. The level of firmness of the mattress is certainly something to think about–perhaps more so than whether to opt for springs or foam. There are soft, medium soft, medium-firm, and even firm orthopaedic mattresses designed to suit all kinds of sleep needs. Starting with the softer mattress option, a medium soft mattress is good for those who shift around throughout the night as they hug your body shape. These are also the best for side sleepers. The next level up is a medium-firm mattress, or medium soft. These are ideal for back sleepers and mostly suit the average person who need a little more back support when sleeping. Finally, a firm mattress will prevent back pain and help your spinal alignment as they are sturdier and prevent you from moving around too much. These are also the best choice for front sleepers or stomach sleepers.

What is a hybrid mattress?

While many of us will have grown up with a fully sprung mattress, hybrid mattresses have become increasingly popular in recent years. A hybrid mattress (sometimes called a combination mattress) incorporates both springs and foam (and/or gel, or latex) layers. The foam sections are usually on the top, to provide cushioning and comfort. This of course means that a hybrid mattress cannot be flipped, due to it needing to be a specific way up. The recommendation instead, is to rotate a hybrid mattress every few months. As memory foam mattresses can feel a little dense to some people, a hybrid is a great option as it combines the lighter bounciness of springs, with the body moulding, supportive cushioning of memory foam. Hybrid mattresses are also suitable for different sleeping positions, whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper, or stomach sleeper.

What are the mattress experts saying?

Global Marketing Director at Vispring, Clare Schifano, says ‘Take your time to decide what works for you. If you are buying in person,  go back and visit a few times. Don’t be embarrassed. Lay on your side, on your stomach — shuffle around a bit. We move in our sleep about twenty times per night, so see how that feels. I would also recommend wearing comfortable clothes. Most people don’t sleep in thick jumpers with bags slung over their shoulders (unless you’ve had a really big night) so it’s unrealistic to assess the comfort of a mattress while dressed like that.’

Can I buy a mattress online in the UK?

Yes! Increasingly, buyers are flocking towards “mattress in a box” or bed-in-a-box furniture stores such as Simba, Emma and Panda, which operate an online-only model selling foam or premium hybrid mattresses that arrive in a compact box, often with free delivery, unless a certain room or two-person delivery is selected. As these mattresses are only available online, they come with generous try-at-home policies (many offer 100 night trials) so you can return them if you’re not convinced and receive a full refund. If you do decide to buy online, be sure to look at each brand’s warranty so you know your rights if you need to return or exchange the type of mattress you’ve plumped for. We also recommend purchasing a mattress protector (this is different to a mattress topper which provides extra cushioning), to improve the lifespan of your mattress. Many of the mattresses come with a minimum 10-year-guarantee too, so you can rest easy if something should happen to it.

How much should a mattress cost?

Mattresses come with a vast spectrum of price tags, and are one of the things in your home that you should invest in as generously as your budget allows. Mark Tremlett recommends thinking about the amount of time you spend in bed – a third of our lives according to the National Institute of Health – and allocating funds accordingly. ‘Over a seven-to-eight year lifespan it can cost the same as a daily cup of coffee,’ he says.

How to buy a mattress in a couple?

Mark Tremlett, Founder of Naturalmat, says, “if you are buying with a partner, make sure you are both satisfied and comfortable. Zip and Link mattresses with different tensions on either side can be a great option if you find you have differing preferences to one another when it comes to comfort.’

Are foam or spring mattresses better in 2025?

There are three categories of mattress: those with springs, those with foam and those with both, known as hybrids, which have swept the market in recent years. When it comes to springs, there are open coil mattresses and pocket sprung mattresses; the latter being higher quality and more expensive. “In an open coil mattress, the spring coils that form the mattress all move together as one unit, so if you are sleeping next to someone and they move in the night, you will move too,” warns Vispring. In a pocket sprung mattress, each spring is encased in its own fabric pocket. “This enables each spring to move independently from the other springs, which creates more support and less movement of the mattress when you or your partner move during sleep.” This motion transfer is particularly important if you and your partner have different sleeping habits or times. “In general, the more pocket springs that are contained within a mattress, the more supportive it will be. A higher spring count offers more contact points with your body and will better contour your shape.”