Best mattresses 2024: our picks from independent expert lab tests

Avoid sleepless nights on a nightmare mattress. Use our expert mattress buying advice and trusted lab-tested Best Buy recommendations to choose the best mattress for you. 

We've tested mattresses for more than 50 years. Our expert lab tests uncover mattresses that won't sag and soften over time, and give your back the best place to rest. 

Read on to find out which mattresses won't let you down, along with all you need to know to pick the perfect mattress for you.

With Best Buys starting at just £200, a good night's sleep might cost less than you think – head to our full list of mattress reviews.

Best mattresses for 2024

Here, you'll find the top-scoring mattresses, including pocket sprung, memory foam and hybrid mattresses, plus our pick of the best cheap mattresses.

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to all our reviews.

Use our mattresses reviews to find the right Best Buy for you.

Mattress reviews by type

Looking for a specific type of mattress? Jump straight into our top recommended models by type:

• Best memory foam mattresses
• Best pocket sprung mattresses
• Best boxed mattresses
• Best cheap mattresses

Mattress reviews by price

• Mattresses under £400
• Mattresses under £600
• Mattresses under £800
• Mattresses under £1,000

Why you can trust our mattress reviews

We buy every single mattress we test and – unlike some other review sites – we don’t accept freebies, so you can have complete confidence in our test scores.

Our mattress reviews are based on rigorous lab testing and a barrage of assessments carried out by experts – nobody goes to the lengths we do.

Our tough tests simulate 8-10 years of use by rolling a heavy barrel over the mattress thousands of times, to assess durability. We conduct body-support tests before and afterwards to see whether the mattress becomes less supportive over time. We also measure the mattress for any change in height or firmness, to discover whether a mattress will sag or soften as it ages.

Our testing also reveals: 

• How evenly pressure is distributed across the mattress
• How breathable the mattress is
• How cold or warm it feels to lie on (insulation tests)
• How easy it is to turn over on
• How stable (bouncy) it is 
• If there's a high memory effect when you lie down

Find out more about how we test mattresses.

Where to buy a mattress

We've listed some options below, but before you head to the shops (or online), check out the best mattress shops in our latest customer survey*.

If you'd like to try mattresses in-store before you buy, you could head to one of these:

• Bensons for Beds stocks mattresses from a small single to a super-king, and in a variety of styles from pocket sprung to orthopedic. Stores sell mattresses from well-known brands and Bensons for Beds' own range, with double mattresses starting at less than £160. 
• Dreams sells a huge selection of mattresses in all sizes, including its own range and brands such as Tempur and Silentnight. Double mattresses start at less than £200.
• Ikea only stocks its own branded mattresses on its website and in stores. You can expect to find the standard sizes as well as European sizes in some ranges. Read more about these above.  
• John Lewis stocks its own John Lewis-branded mattresses, plus popular brands such as Emma and Simba. John Lewis's Anyday double mattresses are available for less than £200. 
• Tempur has a number of stores around the country with a range of mattresses available. Tempur-branded mattresses are also available in bed and department stores. Double mattresses start at more than £1,000.

If you're happy to try out your choice of mattress at home:

• Argos stocks a wide range of mattresses on its website including brands such as Tempur and Simba, plus its own collection. Double mattresses start at £110. Be aware that Argos will only take returns if the mattress is part of the Comfort Night guarantee scheme.
• Emma mattresses are available on the company's website, where sizes run from single to super-king, plus European sizes. You will receive a 200-night trial to ensure your new Emma mattress is right for you. 
• Simba has a dedicated website where it showcases its range of mattresses. Simba's collection is available in single to super-king, and it also stocks European sizes. 
• MattressOnline stocks an extensive range of mattress brands, including Emma and Tempur. Before you buy, check that your mattress is returnable as part of a sleep trial, as not all of them are automatically included. 

To find out more about mattress returns, see how to return a mattress.

Mattress types explained

There are four main mattress construction types: pocket sprung, memory foam/foam, coil spring and latex. You'll also find hybrid mattresses, which are made from a combination of foam and springs – we list these on our website as 'memory foam and springs'.

Mattresses of all types have impressed in our tough lab tests, so the type you choose comes down to personal preference and how much you want to spend.

Pocket sprung mattresses

Pros

• Each spring is enclosed in its own fabric 'pocket' and reacts to pressure from your body independently
• Can be cooler to sleep on
• Can be more breathable due to the spring construction

Cons

• Can be expensive
• Some sag significantly over time
• Generally not as warm as memory foam mattresses
• Spring layers don't tend to mould to your body like a foam mattress

Mattresses with spring systems are usually padded with synthetic polymers, but some contain natural fibres such as horsehair or wool. These layers can affect firmness and breathability, both of which we test in every mattress. But more layers aren’t always better – the support from the springs is more important.

With springs, it's quality rather than quantity that matters. We've tested mattresses with densities ranging from 440 to 1,085 springs, and found wide variation in the level of support offered.

Go to our pocket sprung mattress reviews to see the best we've tested.

Memory foam/foam mattresses

Pros

• Mould to your body shape
• Durable
• Can be pressure relieving

Cons

• Memory foam mattresses can be expensive
• Can restrict movement (memory effect)
• Can feel warm to lie on and increase body temperature

Memory foam mattresses, also known as memory mattresses, are topped with a layer of temperature-sensitive viscoelastic material (memory foam). 

This makes the shape of the mattress change to fit the shape of your body, and also tends to make the mattress feel warmer.

Go to our memory foam mattress reviews to see the best we've tested.

Coil spring mattresses (continuous coil and open coil)

Pros

• Cheaper than other types of mattress
• Can be cool to lie on
• Can be quite breathable due to the open coil construction

Cons

• If you share a bed, you're more likely to be disturbed because the springs move as one unit
• The coils tend to wear out more quickly than pocket springs

Continuous coil mattresses are usually made from a single, looped wire and are fairly basic.

Open coil mattresses are made of single springs fixed together by one wire.

When we surveyed Which? members to find out more about mattresses, those who own an open coil mattress are less likely to say it helps them to get a good night's sleep than those who own other types. 

Go to our open coil mattress reviews to see the best we've tested.

Latex mattresses

Pros

• Manufacturers claim that they're more resilient and better able to keep their shape
• A good choice for anyone who wants a more natural surface to sleep on

Cons

• Tend to be expensive
• Some people are allergic to latex

Latex mattresses are a less common type of mattress. They have a core made up of layers of springy latex.

Go to our latex mattress reviews to see the best we've tested.

Best mattress features to look for

Bed-in-a-box

These are mattresses that you buy online and they come vacuum-packed into a box delivered direct to your door. 

By cutting out the retailer and selling direct from manufacturer to consumer, many brands claim you’re getting a higher-quality mattress for less. 

Most online-only mattresses come with a sleep trial. Some start at 40 nights and go up to as long as a year. During this period, you can try the mattress at home and send it back if you don’t like it. In most cases, the manufacturer will collect the unwanted mattress from your home, free of charge, before recycling it or donating it to charity. 

Bed-in-a-box mattresses can be available in all types – foam, or memory foam, and also hybrid mattresses (combining both memory foam or foam and springs).

See our guide to the best boxed mattresses.

Natural fillings

Many pocket-sprung mattresses contain layers of synthetic fillings, such as foam. If you're keen to avoid these, look out for mattresses that specifically state they're made using only natural materials such as wool, coconut coir or cotton. 

Look carefully at the claims – and our reviews – as some might only have a token layer of natural materials. 

One-sided (no-turn)

As the name suggests, only one side of a one-sided mattress is designed to be slept on, so it won't need to be turned over regularly to keep it in good shape.

You'll probably still need to rotate it from head to toe, though, so it's a good idea to check the ease-of-use rating in our mattress reviews. This will tell you if a mattress is difficult to move. 

Mattresses can be extremely heavy – the heaviest we've tested weighs more than 50kg.

Rolled-up

Similar to bed-in-a-box mattresses, rolled mattresses come rolled-up and vacuum-packed in a bag, so you can take them home with you more easily.

Alternatively, they can be delivered to your home and easily taken to a bedroom without the hassle of having to drag a large mattress up your stairs or around tight corners.

Like bed-in-a-box mattresses, they sometimes need to be aired or left for a few hours to regain their shape.

Discover which mattress brands Which? members are the most satisfied with – see our guide to the best mattress brands.

How to choose the right mattress firmness

Contrary to popular belief, our tests have shown that a mattress doesn’t have to be firm to be beneficial, as long as the mattress does a good job of supporting your body. In fact, firmness comes down to personal preference. So how do you choose the right mattress for you?

Manufacturers describe the firmness of their mattresses in any number of ways, so don't rely on what's claimed. This is why we tend not to use terms such as 'soft' and 'firm' in our reviews. Instead, we assess mattress firmness on a scale of one to 10, where one is the firmest and 10 is the softest, so you can easily compare the firmness of different mattresses we've tested.

We also measure how supportive each mattress is for a range of different body sizes and sleeping positions – so whether you sleep on your front, side or back, we've got you covered.

Medical-sounding terms, such as ‘orthopedic’ and ‘posturepedic’, don't necessarily mean that a mattress is better for you. There are no restrictions on the term 'orthopedic mattress', so any mattress manufacturer can use that description. The body-support rating we give in our reviews shows how well each mattress keeps your spine in its natural position.

Not sure what size mattress to buy? See our guide to UK bed sizes.

How much does a good mattress cost?

How much you pay will depend on what type of mattress you want.

A basic open coil spring mattress can start at less than £100, while a handmade, hand-stitched pocket sprung mattress crafted from natural materials such as horse hair, coconut fibre or wool can cost more than £1,000. We've even seen some hybrid mattresses costing over £3,000.

Factors such as brand, size and the types of material used can all have a significant impact on cost. But our mattress tests have found that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a mattress that will support your spine and last for years. 

Our expert tests have uncovered a selection of Best Buys for you, with some costing less than £200.

* Latest best mattress brands customer survey based on an October 2023 online survey of 3,530 Which? Connect panel members.

Shopping on a budget? Go to our pick of this month's best mattress deals or see our guide to the most popular Ikea mattresses.

Is it possible to  buy an environmentally friendly mattress?

Many manufacturers claim that their mattresses are eco friendly or sustainable, and mattress sustainability is incredibly complicated: as well as the source and longevity of the materials used,  there's a need to think about the recyclability of the materials and how difficult it is to separate the layers for recycling.

Our research so far tells us that currently it’s hard to pin down a truly environmentally friendly mattress - one might be made up of multiple layers of natural materials but these might be hard to separate for recycling because they’re glued together; another might consist of man-made materials but have layers that separate easily and use materials that have a very long life cycle, or can easily be recycled.

However, we want to help shoppers make better, more environmentally conscious choices, and while it’s not a perfect assessment, our new Eco Buy label should help.

What are Which? Eco Buy mattresses?

For a double mattress to be awarded a Which? Eco Buy, it needs to tick a lot of boxes. We’re quite tough on what a mattress needs to be eligible, and for good reason. We won’t award a mattress Eco Buy unless we’re sure it’s worthy. 

In a nutshell: a double mattress will need to be well built, durable and long lasting, offering an acceptable level of body support for all sleeping positions, based on our tests. It must be constructed using materials with the lowest environmental impact (Co2 equivalent) based on life cycle analysis data available to us, and be easily separated for recycling at the end of the mattress’s life. We can only award Eco Buy mattresses to products tested under our latest test programme.

Below, we go into more detail about the criteria all Eco Buys recommendations must meet:

Materials and recyclability

We’ve based our Eco Buys on a life cycle analysis of the materials used in mattress production. We scrutinise each material used in the construction of the mattresses we test, weigh it and then calculate the Co2 equivalent based on the analysis. 

The overall sustainability rating includes the carbon footprint of the mattress, mattress recyclability and, for mattresses with a removable cover, the washability of the cover.

• Carbon footprint is calculated using data about the environmental impact of materials used in the construction of the mattress.
• Recyclability is based on the number of layers within the mattress, the number of different materials used, and how easy the layers are to separate for recycling.
• Washability is only applicable to mattresses with removable and washable covers. This must be at least 4 stars, and means it won’t shrink when you wash it.

Our life cycle analysis of the materials used doesn’t currently distinguish between new or recycled materials that are used for the production of the mattress, for example whether the PU foam has been previously recycled, or the springs are made from recycled iron, so this isn’t currently factored into our Eco Buy criteria. We are planning to add this in the future, though.

Recyclability

While there’s still a long way to go when it comes to actually recycling a mattress after you have sent it away, for our purposes we take into account how easy it is to separate the layers of a mattress. 

In theory, a mattress that is simple to take apart will make it much easier to recycle. A mattress that has many layers, glued together, makes it much harder to separate for recycling purposes. 

We currently don't take into account any of the chemicals that are used in the production and fire-proofing, or test for any potential biocides found in glue - but this is also something we are looking into.

And, for the moment, our mattress sustainability star ratings will not affect the overall score of each mattress but we hope to make this change next year when we’ll have tested more mattresses, and have more data available to us.

Performance

Eco Buy mattresses must be tested to our latest test programme, so all mattress test results are comparable; any mattresses tested before November 2022 will not be eligible. Eco Buy mattresses must also achieve a total test score of 68% and above, so we know we’re recommending a decent product. 

An Eco Buy mattress must also get a good four star rating for each of the body support tests, for each of the three sleeping positions that we test - back, side, front. The support a mattress provides shouldn’t diminish much over time; we expect a decent mattress to last around 8-10 before being replaced, so we also look for mattresses that get a good four star rating for change in body support.

Durability is vital. If it damages easily then it’s possible you’ll get rid of the mattress sooner than expected, so all our Eco buys need to have a five-star rating here too.