The best mattresses tried and tested by us in 2024

The best mattress isn’t going to be the one that feels good when you try it for a few minutes. It takes time to adjust, and it’ll likely feel different after some time. This makes the prospect of buying a new mattress daunting.

We’ve tested around 40 mattresses in the past few years, sleeping on them for months at a time to form the most detailed opinion possible (and to spare you having to do the same). Below, you’ll find a roundup of our absolute favourites, chosen after careful testing.

READ NEXT: Best firm mattress

No time to read our mini reviews? Check out our at-a-glance list for a quick snapshot of our top picks. Alternatively, scroll down for our buying guide if you need more information. We also explain how we test the mattresses that have ended up on our roundup.

Best mattress: At a glance

How we test mattresses

We test our mattresses by sleeping on them, for at least two weeks and as long as three months. As we do so, there are a number of factors we take into account:

Comfort and firmness: Simply put, how does it feel to sleep on? Does it offer levels of plush comfort or is it better suited to those who prefer a firmer feel?

Temperature control: Some mattresses, all-foam ones in particular, might feel warmer than others, which makes them less suitable for those who are prone to overheating at night.

Motion isolation: If you share a bed with a partner, how disturbed are you by their movements during the night?

Mattress base: The foundation on which you put your mattress, whether that be a solid divan base, sprung slatted bed or even the floor, will impact how a mattress feels beneath you. We do our best to take this into account when we’re testing mattresses.

Value for money: Last but not least, how much you spend on a mattress is very important. We’ve tested products across a wide range of price points, many of which also offer generous trial periods and money-back guarantees.

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The best mattresses you can buy in 2024

1. Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress: Best premium mattress

Price when reviewed: From £929 (single) | Check prices at Simba

Great for… its cool and comfortable wool layer
Not so great for… sleepers on a budget

Even after the brand reduced its prices in early 2024, the Simba Hybrid Pro remains one of the most expensive mattresses featured on this roundup. That said, it’s also one of the comfiest. Our reviewer was particularly impressed with the uppermost wool comfort layer, which offered better temperature regulation than the foam used in most hybrids.

The mattress also adds an additional layer of microsprings compared to the original Simba Hybrid, which makes it both bouncy and more breathable. We found the mattress exceedingly comfortable in a range of sleeping positions. In fact, our reviewer  liked it so much that they didn’t want to go back to using their regular, everyday mattress.

The fact the Hybrid Pro comes with a 200-night trial rather than the 100 nights offered by some of its rivals also means you have the luxury of being able to try it for more than six months before making a decision. Although, as you’ll quickly find out further down the roundup, Simba is not unbeaten on trial period length. 

We also gave five-star reviews to Simba’s Luxe and Ultra mattresses. Each one of these is more expensive than the last. But if money is no object, they are well worth checking out. 

Read our full Simba Hybrid Pro review

2. Emma NextGen Premium: Best mattress for most people

Price when reviewed: From £479 (single) | Check prices at Emma

UPDATE: Since publishing our article, Expert Reviews has noticed a recent influx of negative customer reviews for Emma Sleep on Trustpilot, with many customers complaining of delays to shipping and a lack of communication over when deliveries will happen. A spokesperson for Emma has informed us that the brand is working on resolving these issues, and estimated delivery times on Emma’s online store have been updated accordingly.

Great for… a cool and comfortable sleep
Not so great for… those who prefer a softer mattress

Many mattresses claim to offer the best of both worlds – comfortable yet supportive, cosy yet cool – without quite delivering on the promise. In our tester’s opinion, however, the Emma NextGen Premium genuinely hits every mark. This sumptuous mattress uses a higher proportion of springs than other hybrid mattresses, and the result is a lovely balance of comfort, breathability and ergonomic support.

Our reviewer noted that the “extra-tall” 18.5cm pocket springs help the NextGen Premium do an excellent job of absorbing and isolating movement, even when sharing with a restless partner. The springs also allow a level of airflow that’s rare in a bed-in-a-box mattress, avoiding the dreaded clamminess you often get with memory foam.

Admittedly, the mattress is a little on the firmer side (and we’d argue firmer than the ‘medium-firm’ label that the Emma gives it) so those who prefer a softer sleep may need a mattress topper for optimum comfort.

The NextGen Premium comes with a 200-night trial, and there’s even a removable cover that’s adept at wicking away moisture from your skin which pops in the washing machine.

Read our full Emma NextGen Premium mattress review

Check prices at Emma

3. Origin Hybrid Mattress: Best affordable mattress

Price when reviewed: From £465 (single) | Check prices at Origin

Great for… sleepers who need ample support
Not so great for… lighter sleepers who are after more softness

Sneaking in at under £500 for a single and rising to £719 for a king size, Origin’s Hybrid mattress is an affordable option that impressed our reviewer enough  to earn it the maximum five stars in her full review. It has just enough softness for those who favour a more cushioned sleeping surface, while also delivering the kind of ergonomic support preferred  by firm mattress enthusiasts. In our opinion, a comfortable all-rounder, and at a great price too.

Like many newer hybrid mattresses, the Origin Hybrid contains a grid-based layer designed to optimise back support and a temperature-control layer to keep you cool while you sleep. There’s also a solid foam layer for extra support where needed, even right at the edge of the mattress, and a layer of pocket springs whose innovative tapered design offers greater support the further you sink into the mattress.

Read our full Origin Hybrid Mattress review

4. Nectar Essential Hybrid Mattress: Best mattress for a lengthy trial period

Price when reviewed: From £475 (single) | Check prices at Nectar

Great for… the indecisive
Not so great for… those who want a removable top cover

Nectar’s affordable Essential Hybrid offering is thinner than some of the brand’s other mattresses: the Nectar Premier, for instance, is 28cm while the Essential is 25cm. That aside, our reviewer found it still offered plenty of comfort and support as well as decent motion isolation, praising it as “an excellent medium-firm option” in her full-length review. 

The real stand out feature with a Nectar mattress though, is the generous 365-night trial period. You get a whole year to try it out, before the end of which you can return it for a full refund if you don’t agree with our five-star Best Buy award. 

As far as value for money is concerned, Nectar’s Essential Hybrid undercuts many of its bed-in-a-box rivals on price. Following a recent restructuring of the brand’s price model, it starts at just £475 in a single and rises to just £725 for a super king. It’s one of the cheapest hybrids we’ve reviewed.

Read our full Nectar Essential Hybrid mattress review

Check prices at Nectar

5. Dormeo Memory Plus: Best budget foam mattress

Price when reviewed: From £295 (single) | Check prices at Dormeo

Great for… a foam option for the spare room
Not so great for… those who want a thicker mattress

The Dormeo Memory Plus has a 140mm foam core with a 30mm memory foam top layer, so it’s a lot thinner than some other mattresses we’ve reviewed. It’s a bit softer than average but, despite this thinness, we found the Memory Plus  offers good levels of support.

If you sleep on your back and have struggled to find something suitable, this mattress may well hit the mark, as it might for people who are prone to moving around a lot in the night and don’t want to disturb their partner. Best of all, though, is its remarkably low price – which is even cheaper during one of Dormeo’s online sales. In our experience, deals seasons such as Black Friday are the best times to look out for a discounted Memory Plus mattress.

Of course, that thin design has a couple of downsides. During testing, we did notice that fitted sheets have some slack. But on the other hand rotating it isn’t too difficult as it’s not very heavy. All in all, you’ll be very hard pushed to find anything better at this impressively low price.

Read our full Dormeo Memory Plus mattress review

Check prices at Dormeo

Where are the other mattresses?

For the sake of offering you the best of the best in our roundup above, the mattresses we’ve featured are ones that earned five stars and Best Buy awards when we initially reviewed them. That said, there are plenty of other mattresses we’ve reviewed favourably and would still recommend.

1. Otty Original Hybrid: A great firm option

While its corner support could be improved, Otty’s Original Hybrid is a great hybrid mattress  – particularly if you prefer a firmer feel. Admittedly, it’s creeped up in price over the years since we first reviewed it. But at £800 in a king size, it’s still more affordable than a number of its rivals. 

Check price at Otty

2. Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: An all-foam mattress with a year-long trial

As with Essential Hybrid featured in our roundup, you also get Nectar’s standout year-long trial with the brand’s all-foam offering. The 26cm thick Nectar mattress is comfortable and supportive but it can soften up as it gets warmer during the night. 

Check price at Nectar

3. Ergoflex 5G: A supportive foam mattress

Ergoflex’s all-foam 5G mattress is supportive and comfortable, though side sleepers might find that it could do with a bit more give. It offers very decent temperature regulation, too. One downside is Ergoflex’s short 30-night trial period.

Check price at Ergoflex

4. Hypnia Supreme: A comfortable foam mattress for a range of sleeping positions

The all-foam Hypnia Supreme is well-suited to a range of sleeping styles, while also offering excellent motion isolation. It feels supportive for an all-foam mattress but if you prefer a bit of bounce, then you’re better off opting for a sprung or hybrid model. 

Check price at Hypnia

How to choose the best mattress for you

What types of mattresses are available? 

Before you look for a mattress, consider the different types on the market:

• Traditional pocket sprung: These are made up of layers of springs encased in fabric, alongside materials such as wool. Before the era of the bed-in-a-box, you could expect many mattresses to be of this variety.

• Memory foam: Synthetic foam mattresses are popular for their ability to mould to your body, providing pressure point relief and thus being a good option for those who suffer from aches and pains. One common drawback is that memory foam absorbs heat, so can be uncomfortable for those prone to overheating at night. Another type of foam is latex, which, unlike memory foam, is a natural material and may be better for hot sleepers. For a more in-depth rundown on foam, check out our memory foam guide.
• Hybrid mattresses: A combination of pocket springs (either full size or ‘micro’ pocket springs) and memory (often alongside other materials) offers a best-of-both-worlds approach. Many of our favourite and most highly-reviewed mattresses are hybrids.

READ NEXT: Emma vs Simba – which should you buy?

What is a bed-in-a-box mattress? 

We throw this term around a lot when talking about many of the mattresses we review. A bed-in-a-box mattress is, as the name suggests, a mattress that arrives – rolled up and vacuum sealed – in a box. This can be very convenient, especially if your living conditions make mattress deliveries cumbersome. Bed-in-a-box mattresses will take a little time to fully expand when you unwrap them, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations on how long you should wait before you can sleep on it.

Does a good mattress need to cost a lot? 

As we’ve said, we’ve tested mattresses across a range of price points here at Expert Reviews, from £420 to £1,329 (king size). You can spend an awful lot of money on a new mattress, particularly when it comes to brands like Simba, but there are also plenty of affordable memory foam and hybrid mattresses out there. We’ve aimed to cater to a range of budgets in our roundup below.

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What else do I need to consider?

Buying a new mattress? You may also want to think about your current bed too. We’ve already pointed out that your bed base will have an impact on how your mattress will feel, and buying a bed will come with its own set of considerations. For instance, the curved slats on a sprung-slatted bed frame will make a mattress feel a little less firm.

Another thing to consider is mattress deals. Most bed-in-a-box brands regularly offer promotional sales, admittedly to such an extent that you will rarely see them at full price. In any case, we quote the full price in our mini reviews below, as well as highlighting some of the best deals on offer.

And what about trial periods? You no longer need to visit your local showroom if you want to try a mattress out before committing to the cost. Almost all bed-in-a-box brands offer generous trial periods, allowing you to try the mattress out at home (in some cases for as long as a whole year). Don’t like it? No problem: simply return it for a full refund.

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