5 cooling mattresses for hot sleepers

Beat the heat with a mattress that's breathable and feels cool to lie on. Our mattress expert reveals five of the coolest and most breathable mattresses we've tested recently.

The most breathable mattress we've tested is the Soak & Sleep Naturals 8250 pocket sprung mattress, but it will also set you back more than £1,200 at full price. However, you don't need to spend that much. The breathable options listed here won't burn a hole in your budget, as they're all cheaper than the average price of all the mattresses we've tested, which is currently around £700. 

If you can’t stretch to a new mattress at the moment, or have just bought one, don’t sweat – we’ve also got top tips to help you stay cool at night.

Visit our best mattresses guide for in-depth advice on choosing the mattress type for you – plus our top-scoring mattress picks.

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5 cooling mattresses from our tests

Your mattress can make all the difference to how hot you feel in bed.

That's why we test:

• Mattress insulation – How much heat the layers of a mattress trap around you, and how much is let through the layers. This affects how warm or cool you feel in bed.
• Mattress breathability – How effective the mattress cover and layers are at wicking away moisture. A great mattress will let moisture through, so the surface doesn't get damp, which should stop you feeling sweaty.

Out of the 263 tested mattresses currently in our mattress reviews, we rate 147 as 'cold' or 'very cold' to lie on, so there's plenty of choice.

Here are five double mattresses that feel cool to lie on and have decent breathability. But to find out how durable and supportive they are, you'll need to read the full test results in our mattress reviews.

Ikea Vadsö 204.513.36

• Double
• Open coil
• Very cold

The budget-friendly Ikea Vadsö is an open-coil mattress made from a layer of Bonnell springs covered in matting and a 1.5cm layer of foam closest to the sleeping surface. Ikea says this mattress 'provides stable and even support, giving you the feeling that you're sleeping on top of the mattress rather than in it'.  

This mattress is rated 'very cold' to lie on, but this isn't surprising given the open-coil construction: it's great for letting heat escape. This mattress also does an effective job of wicking away moisture. Our independent tests confirm it will provide a firm surface to sleep on, but will the open-coil construction be too bouncy?

If you're a light sleeper, or share a bed with a fidget, read our full Ikea Vadsö mattress review to find out before you buy.

Buy a double for £99 from Ikea.

SleepSoul Nebula

• Double
• Pocket sprung
• Very cold

The SleepSoul Nebula combines a large 31cm pocket-sprung core topped with a few layers of foam. Foam can make you overheat if it's not breathable, but our tests revealed this mattress doesn't hold that much heat in its layers and is rated very cold to lie on.

It's also breathable, so even if you tend to sweat a lot at night it shouldn't make that worse, which is a relief as the cover isn't removable for washing.

It's the most breathable Sleepsoul mattress we've tested, and the coolest to lie on.

See our full SleepSoul Nebula double mattress review to see if it's supportive enough for your favourite sleeping position.

Jay-Be Bio Cool Hybrid 2000 mattress (326/7819)

• Double
• Pocket sprung
• Cold

The Jay-Be Bio Cool Hybrid 2000 is made from a combination of pocket springs and several fabric layers.

The large, 15cm spring core means we class it as pocket sprung, despite its hybrid name. It's rated 'cold' in our insulation tests and does a decent job of wicking away moisture, so it won't trap heat and make you super-hot in bed.

Will it give you a comfortable night’s sleep and can it stand the test of time, though?

Read the full Jay-Be Benchmark S3 mattress review and see what we uncovered.

Arthur Sleep King Arthur

• Double
• Pocket sprung
• Cold

This is one of the cheapest double mattresses we've tested recently. It's also one of the most breathable and is rated 'cold' to lie on.

It does a great job of letting moisture through its layers so you won't end up a sweaty mess.

It has a slightly more complex construction than the other mattresses in our top five, with a 26cm pocket-sprung core and a mini pocket-sprung layer sandwiched between multiple layers of foam. 

Read our full Arthur Sleep King Arthur mattress review to find out everything you need to know before you buy.

Silentnight Just Calm

• Double
• Springs and foam
• cold

Most of the breathable mattress we've tested are pocket sprung, but if you're after the extra support that foam offers then the Silentnight Just Calm double mattress could be worth a look.

Despite the layers of foam and memory foam sandwiched around the pocket-sprung core, it's both breathable and not hot to lie on.  It's part of the Silentnight Just range of mattresses which – if bought direct  – comes with a lengthy 365-night sleep trial.

Will this mattress give your back the best place to sleep?  Read our full test review 

Read our full Silentnight Just Calm review to find out how supportive it is and whether it will last.

Go to our mattress brands guide to discover the brands that came top of our exclusive customer survey – and the brands you should avoid.

Tips for sleeping in hot weather

• Make sure your bedding is made from breathable materials such as cotton. Need a new duvet? Find out which brands make the best duvets and see the best pillows.

• Keep curtains and blinds closed during the day, but open windows (if it’s safe to do so) to create a through breeze.

• Take a cool or lukewarm shower in the evening to help cool you down before bed.

• Before you go to sleep, use a fan. Electrical Safety First advice says you shouldn't leave a fan on all night, though. Find out how to buy the best fans  to help keep you cool.

• If you have the budget, consider investing in an air conditioner.

Looking to buy a new mattress? See our guide to the best mattress deals – it's updated every month with the best deals around.

Prices are correct at the time of writing, but deals can change or end at short notice. Always check T&Cs before buying.