Mattresses

How to pick the right mattress

A mattress is one of the few purchases where the right answer depends almost entirely on your body and how you sleep, not on which brand spends most on advertising. Three things actually matter, in this order: your sleep position, your weight, and how warm you run.

Sleep position drives firmness. Side sleepers want softer comfort layers because the shoulder and hip carry most of the body weight when you're on your side, and a firm mattress doesn't give those joints anywhere to settle. Back sleepers want medium-firm so the spine stays in line. Stomach sleepers (the smallest group) want firmer still, otherwise the lower back arches.

Body weight changes how a mattress feels. A medium mattress feels firmer to a lighter sleeper because they sink in less, and softer to a heavier sleeper because they compress more of the comfort layer. Above ~95 kg, look at firmer or higher-coil-count pocket-spring mattresses to avoid the surface collapsing over a couple of years.

Temperature is the third axis. Memory foam holds heat. Pocket springs breathe more freely. If you run warm, share a bed with a partner who runs warmer than you, or live in a south-facing bedroom, look at hybrid pocket-spring mattresses with cooling layers rather than all-foam designs.

The mattress brands we list

We compare mattresses from a long list of UK retailers. The brand names below are the ones that show up most often across the categories above.

Coolflex — UK-stocked range built around temperature management. Five mattress lines from the entry-level Essentials Pocket through to the Hybrid Ice phase-change cover. If you sleep hot, this is where to look first. Read our Coolflex range guide.

Hypnos — long-standing British mattress maker, holders of a Royal Warrant. Hand-tufted construction, natural fillings (wool, cotton, cashmere on the upper ranges). Premium price point, premium build. Side sleepers and traditionalists tend to land here.

Silentnight — the household name. Wide range from value pocket-spring mattresses up to memory foam hybrids. The brand most likely to be in stock at a given size and budget across multiple retailers.

Sleepeezee — pocket-spring specialist, also Royal Warrant holders. Strong on the ortho-style ranges for back sleepers and heavier bodies.

Sealy — American-origin brand with a UK manufacturing line. Best known for their Posturepedic range, which targets back support specifically.

Filter the grid above by brand to see what we have in stock from each, or browse the full mattress range without filters to see everything together. Prices update daily as the retailers change them.