7 best memory foam mattresses for an amazing night's sleep
The best memory foam mattresses are a one-way ticket to a good night's kip.
When it comes to sleep, you could be doing all the right things: cutting down on your screen time, meditating before clambering under your duvet, and avoiding caffeine. But if your mattress is lumpy, saggy and generally a bit bedraggled, you won’t be getting the good-quality, wellness-boosting beauty kip you need. I
Enter: the humble memory foam mattress. For many, the centre point of their dream bed. While pocket-sprung mattresses tend to put pressure on particular areas, memory foam mattresses contour to your body shape to deliver more consistent support and smooth motion transfer, so you don't wake up feeling inadequately rested. Or with back pain. Or neck pain. Or all of the above. There's also evidence to suggest that memory foam mattresses last longer than spring mattresses and are more breathable. Overheating is a thing of the past. Tempted? Your journey to a new mattress awaits.
Are memory foam mattresses better for you? | What are the disadvantages of memory foam mattresses? | What is off-gassing? | How thick should your memory foam mattress be? | Full mattress reviews.
Meet the expert:
- Silentnight's Sleep Expert, Hannah Shore.
In a rush? The best memory foam mattress at a glance:
- Best overall: Emma Premium Mattress, from £359.55
- Best for couples: Ergoflex 5G Mattress, £488, Ergoflex
- Best for hot sleepers: Brook & Wilde Elite mattress, from £949
- Best for spinal alignment: Nectar Premier Mattress, £739.60, Nectar
How we tested:
By speaking to experts, trialing memory foam mattresses over a period of a month when we could (we’re working our way through the rest), using product reviews and using search data, we’ve curated, what we feel is, a thorough edit of the best memory foam mattresses (and hybrid memory foam mattresses) on the market. We’ve marked mattresses including the Emma Original Mattress on features like cushioning and comfort, whether they offer enough support, price point, breathability, 100-night trial offerings and whether they’re hypoallergenic. You can rest assured, if anything changes, our guide will be quickly updated.
Here's how to sleep the cycle-smart way.
What are the advantages of memory foam mattresses?
Memory foam mattresses are great for anyone who needs extra support as they sleep, according to Silentnight's Sleep Expert, Hannah Shore. “A build-up of pressure during sleep is what often leads you to twist and turn throughout the night," she told us. "Memory foam is great at distributing pressure evenly to ensure you don’t get any numbness and allows you to have a restful night’s sleep.”
Another advantage of memory foam is the fact that they effectively absorb energy, meaning no hot sweats in the middle of the night. “Memory foam reacts with heat, the warmer it gets, the more you sink into it (that’s why some products may feel very firm when you first lie on them)," Hannah continued.
“As you sink into the memory foam, it inhibits some of the excess movement some people can have during sleep. This is why memory foam is great for restless sleepers.”
What are the disadvantages of memory foam mattresses?
To be honest, there aren't many, but memory foam isn't for everyone. Also, “too much memory foam in a mattress can lead you to sink in too far, when you then want to move throughout the night this means you have to put in more effort to turn over meaning you may wake more frequently,” Hannah warned.
What is off-gassing?
Off-gassing when the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the manufacture of many household items - all-foam mattresses included – are released into the air that you breathe. Everything off-gasses in some way; if it has a smell, it’s off-gassing. Fresh paint smelling? Off-gassing. New memory foam mattress smell? Off-gassing. There’s not much you can do to avoid it, no matter your mattresses’ price tag, but you can open windows and improve ventilation to dampen the scent.
How thick should your memory foam mattress be?
For high-quality memory foam mattresses, look towards those that are 10 to 14-inches thick. They'll be good enough to provide supreme comfort, and won't sag or develop soft spots after a couple of years (which thinner memory foam mattresses will).
After more sleep content? Shop the best weighted blankets, best duvets, best pillows and game-changing cooling pillows for the summer. We've also got silk bedding, silk pillowcases, the best mattress toppers and linen bedding. For more from GLAMOUR UK Commerce Writer Lucy Smith, follow her on Instagram @luceeeeesmith.
Which memory foam mattress is best? Scroll ahead.
1. Best overall
Emma Premium Mattress, £409.05, Emma
Why we love it: It doesn’t matter whether you’re a side, back or front sleeper, this premium option from Emma suits every type of sleeper - and is one of the comfiest memory foam mattresses we’ve tried.
Pros: Both a hybrid mattress and bed-in-a-box mattress, it comes packed with 5 layers of memory foam plus 12.5cm of pocket springs – which gives it extra bounce. If you regularly wake up in a hot sweat, especially around your time of the month, they’ve doubled their layers of Airgocell® foam – an open-pored foam that evaporates moisture as you snooze - helping you sleep like a Queen.
Cons: In terms of mattress feel, it's definitely a pick for buyers who prefer a firm mattress (not necessarily a deal breaker, but still something to take note of, nonetheless).
GLAMOUR tested review: We particularly felt support for our lower back as we tossed and turned at night - thanks to its layer of HRX foam. Definitely a top pick for back pain sufferers.
Customers are saying: Excellent supportive foam, comfortable and high-quality.
- Sizes available - Single, small double, double, king, super king.
- Sleep trial? Yes, 200 nights.
- Depth - 25cm.
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year guarantee.
- Firmness level - Medium-firm.
Save when you shop for the best memory foam mattress with these Emma Mattress discount codes.
Emma Sleep has launched a one-of-a-kind Emma Masterpiece Mattress with cutting edge technology, a black cover and backed by its in-house sleep experts. Between the 1st and 28th of December, you can win a chance to get a free and limited-edition mattress: The Emma Masterpiece Mattress. For each sign up, Emma will be donating £2 to Furnishing Futures, a charity that furnishes the homes of women and children after domestic abuse.
2. Best for couples
Ergoflex 5G Mattress, £488, Ergoflex
Why we love it: One of the original memory foam mattress brands, this new version (an upgrade on the OG 2006 model) is as comfy as it is clever.
Pros: With five layers, its top 9cm layer is the most impressive, with high-density visco-elastic memory foam, it moulds around your body and your partners, meaning you won’t be disrupted if they fidget or get up in the night. Which we know is highly likely, right? Similar to other memory foam mattresses, it has a layer to regulate your temperature, while this layer also has a cool-sleep airflow built-in, meaning you’ll never wake up too hot - even in the height of summer.
Cons: Compared to some of the other trial periods in this roundup, ergoflex's is only 30 days, which perhaps isn't long enough to adjust your sleeping style if coming from a pocket-sprung mattress previously.
Customers are saying: I never want to leave my bed, it's so comfortable – definitely good value for money.
- Sizes available - Single, double, king, super king, EU double, EU king.
- Sleep trial? Yes, 30 days.
- Depth - 23cm.
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year warranty.
- Firmness level - Medium-firm.
3. Best memory foam mattress for hot sleepers
Brook & Wilde Elite Mattress, from £999, Brook & Wilde
Why we love it: If you’re a night owl and love your sleep, this luxury mattress will be your new best friend. With eight layers, including memory foam, pocket springs and even a removable top cover that can be popped into the washing machine, you’ll have the comfiest and most hygienic mattress.
Pros: The memory foam also has an open-cell structure, which in non-bed tech terms means even if you sweat while you sleep, the mattress is designed to stay cool – night sweats be gone! The Elite, which is available in soft, medium, and firm, is also a hybrid mattress and includes a layer of 2500 mini pocket springs, giving you the bounce back and support that some memory foam-only beds don’t have.
Cons: Some reviews claim if you're on the heavier side (an example given in reviews was 130kg), that the firm mattress may be better as opposed to medium to prevent sagging long-term.
Customers are saying: Great service, fantastic comfort and, being manufactured in Britain (unlike some of Amazon's offerings), it's a good way to support workmanship within the UK after a pandemic where many trades suffered.
- Sizes available - Single, double, king, super king
- Sleep trial? Yes, 200 nights
- Depth - 28cm
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year guarantee
- Firmness level - Your choice of soft, medium or firm to suit your body type
4. Best for spinal allignment
Nectar Premier Mattress, £739.60, Nectar
Why we love it: Sleeping doesn't get more luxe than this. An upgrade on the Nectar memory foam mattress, Nectar Premier offers buyers an impressive six-layer structure, including a cooling cover for hot sleepers, a support layer and memory foam layer for pressure relief, and even a micro-zoned layer to help improve spinal alignment.
Pros: 28cm of depth creates a hotel bed frame and mattress feel, while the ‘forever’ warranty will ease any worries or doubts you might have.
Cons: Old mattress removal costs an extra £45.
GLAMOUR tested review: After leaving the mattress for 24 hours to plump up after removing it from the box, myself and my partner slept oh-so-soundly – him a back sleeper, myself a side sleeper – and even in the heat, it felt like it absorbed our body heat. Top marks.
Customers are saying: Definitely worth the hype, it's “worth five stars” and much better than similar budget mattresses on the market.
- Sizes available - Single, double, king, super king
- Sleep trial? Yes, 365 nights
- Depth - 28cm
- Warranty? Yes, forever
- Firmness level - Medium-firm
5. Best memory foam mattress under £1,000
Casper Hybrid Mattress, £500, Mattress Online
Why we love it: Casper mattresses may be more US-centric, but there's a reason Mattress Online have done us all the great favour of stocking them in the UK.
Pros: For starters, the Casper Hybrid mattress is vegan-friendly and with a 60-night trial period, you don't even have to worry about the potential of you not getting on with the hybrid mattress feel, as the tester period has got you covered. What's more, the springs are zoned to provide the support you need, where you need it, no matter your sleeping position. And, to top it all off, reinforced edge support has been added to prevent roll-off, while the knitted cover is removable and washable, somewhat negating the need for a mattress protector.
Cons: It will need to be rotated every three-six months for optimum upkeep.
Customers are saying: A top mattress with excellent support, and it's warm for the winter months, too.
- Sizes available - Single, small double, super king
- Sleep trial? Yes, 60 nights
- Depth - 24cm
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year warranty
- Firmness level - Medium
6. Best hybrid memory foam mattress
THE SIMBA Hybrid® Mattress, £749.40, Simba
Why we love it: Whether you’re an early riser or love to sleep in, this mattress will make you hit the snooze button time and time again due to its incredible comfort.
Pros: Made of Simbatex open-cell memory foam, Aerocoil® springs and an additional zoned foam base layer to boost its pressure-relieving abilities where you need it, the Simba hybrid memory foam and spring mattress have sold ½ million units for a reason, not least of all because it's a top pick for temperature regulation in the memory foam market.
Cons: None from us!
Customers are saying: Reviews from side sleepers, back sleepers and stomach sleepers all claim that the Simba spring and foam bed mattress has helped their back pain and improved their sleep.
- Sizes available - Kids, single, small double, double, EU double L, king, super king, EU queen
- Sleep trial? Yes, one year
- Depth - 25cm
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year guarantee
- Firmness - Medium-firm
Save money on the type of mattress to suit you with these Simba discounts
7. Best firm tension memory foam mattress
TEMPUR® Sensation Elite Memory Foam Mattress, £2,449, John Lewis
Why we love it: Anything that was originally designed for NASA pilots is bound to be comfortable - and this is where the materials in Tempur mattresses started out - so you know you’re in good hands with durability at the forefront from the get-go.
Pros: Made of viscoelastic, which is basically lots of ultra-sensitive open cells that move as you do, you’ll feel the memory foam weightlessly move around you and even respond to your body temperature as you sleep. Their memory foam mattresses are personalised to your desired firmness and the way you sleep (side sleeper here!), while they also come in different thicknesses - from supreme (21cm) to deluxe (30cm).
Cons: It does take a while to get used to and according to some reviews, while its responsiveness to movement is better than pocket-sprung mattresses, it doesn't eliminate movement altogether.
Customers are saying: Worth the investment and a top mattress pick for those recovering post-surgery.
- Sizes available - Small single, extra long single, single, small double, king, super king size, EU king.
- Sleep trial? Yes, 60 nights
- Depth - 25cm
- Warranty? Yes, 10-year guarantee
- Firmness level - Firm, best for pressure point relieving
Save when you shop for the best memory foam mattresses with these John Lewis discount codes.
