January 16

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Best UK Mattresses for 2021

By Colette Murphy

January 16, 2021


If you are looking for the best mattress, then getting information online on the best mattresses in the UK is a great way to start. There are tons of options available in your average brick and mortar shop, but there are also tons of options in the competitive bed-in-a-box sector, many coming with free trials. So, what is the best mattress?

Mattress manufacturers release new mattress models every year, and there is a growing number of brands and manufacturers in the sector. Buying a new mattress can be a challenge if you’re not familiar with things like production processes, terminology, materials, and some of the sneaky sales tactics of the industry.

We understand that you don’t have the time to spend hours scouring the net for the best mattress, so we have decided to help you out by laying out our best ranking mattresses for 2021.

1. Emma Original Mattress - Price: £299

We strongly recommended this mattress because of the accolades it has received and the outstanding material quality. It was one of the top mattresses in the Which? mattress comparison guide and is also loved by Real Homes. It has been awarded both the iNews Best Buy and Indy Best Buy award, and has been approved by the Good Housekeeping institution and Ideal Home. Many of these UK recognitions and recommendations were made in 2019 but carried through 2020 as well. What’s more, the mattress has received over 10 more accolades across Europe.

Emma’s product testing team went above and beyond when testing their mattress and used both machines and humans. They also used customer feedback along with advanced research to come up with the best mattress they’ve ever created that fits almost all sleeping needs and body types.

This mattress has a state of the art 3-layer profile that allows for maximum body support and spinal alignment. It has a visco-elastic memory foam layer as the middle layer which is topped by their proprietary Airgocell foam layer. The base layer is made of polyfoam. When combined, these layers make this mattress breathable and durable, as well as being great for pressure relief. The people at Emma also made this mattress user-friendly by adding handles and a removable machine washable cover.

The whole package comes vacuum-sealed and the mattress is rolled up and delivered in a nice box completely free of charge. You get to try the mattress in the comfort of your home for a total of 200 nights. If you’re not satisfied with the mattress, Emma will collect the mattress for you and refund you the whole amount. Also, Emma offers a 10-year warranty on all their mattresses, so you’ll be fully covered in case you decide to keep it. 

Also, the company is highly rated on Trustpilot which is another great place to start looking for top mattresses as you’ll get to hear feedback from actual customers.

2. Nectar Mattress - Price: £599

Nectar is a pretty new player in the scene and they’re making waves. The Nectar mattress is an extremely durable mattress made from memory foam and has very good pressure relieving properties. Nectar are ready to back this mattress with a 365-night trial, which is a testament to its durability. This is the only mattress on our list with this type of trial. There’s little that can go wrong in this case.

This is the perfect mattress for anyone who wants the real memory foam feel. It features a 3-layer design, and two of these are memory foam, which does a great job at contouring the body. The top layer is their most advanced memory foam yet and is about 30 times more breathable than other types. They also quilted a gel memory foam layer into the cover which was created to draw heat away independently. All the materials used were certified by Certipur and the packaging is FSC approved.

The Nectar mattress has received accolades from Good Housekeeping, Real Homes, and Ideal Home. It has also been recommended by Expert Reviews and was in the Evening Standard. Thousands of clients have given raving reviews as well, especially when it comes to comfort.

This is also the first mattress in the UK to have a 100% climate-neutral label. This shows their dedication to reducing its carbon footprint by forming a partnership with ClimatePartner.

3. Simba Hybrid Mattress - Price: £549

Simba was one of the first online mattress manufacturers in the UK and is one of the most trusted. This has been the most reviewed mattress in Europe and has over 100,000 five-star reviews. These reviews come from all sorts of independent sources such as YOTPO, Google reviews, Trustpilot, and their own site.

T3 gave this mattress a Best Buy stamp and called it the best mattress in the world. Men’s Health, Ideal Home, and Good Housekeeping also approved this mattress. Real Homes gave it the Product of the Year Award for 2020.

The hybrid mattress is made up of 4 layers in total and features 2500 conical springs. These adjust to the body very well and promote good sleep. The combination of traditional foam, polyfoam, open-cell memory foam, and springs gives the mattress a nice medium feel. Hybrids are known for providing the best of both worlds: comfort from the foam and support from the springs.

They also conducted studies on over 10 million customers with over 180 million profiles. This shows Simba’s dedication to creating the best mattress in the UK. Simba also has an app on Android and iOS that allows you to review your sleep performance and get advice from sleep experts. With all of this, it’s easy to see why Simba was able to ensure a reputation in sleep tech. This is not with mattresses only either, but their duvets, weighted blankets, and pillows all pushing the boundaries of technology.

Simba offers a solid 200-night trial period along with free delivery and return if you’re not satisfied. The mattress also comes with a 10-year warranty, which is par for the course for most bed-in-a-box mattresses in the UK.

4. Brook and Wilde Lux Mattress - Price: £549

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Brooke and Wilde here. This is mainly because they are not afraid to do something different in the ever-expanding bed-in-a-box sector. When compared to other models on this list, this one leans more on the premium side.

This mattress has 5 layers in total, and two sets of spring layers, one with 2000 springs and the other with 1000. It also has a polyfoam base, a memory foam layer, and features wave technology. All of this is covered by a hypoallergenic cover that is very luxurious. Every detail, component, and stitch is done by hand. This offers a mix of practicality and craftsmanship we truly appreciate.

Do you prefer to have a soft, medium, or firm mattress? Brooke and Wilde allow you to get your mattress in all 3 degrees of feelings, which you won’t find often with other brands. This allows you to pick a mattress based on your personal preferences.

It’s also starting to get more accolades. Which? gave them a Best Buy award, and it was loved by Grand Designs and Real Homes. It was also in Country & Townhouse. We’ve been keeping a close eye on them for a while and the amount of progress they’ve been able to make in such a short amount of time is commendable.

But where they truly stand apart is when it comes to service. Their mattresses are delivered by a 2-person crew and they will remove the old mattress free of charge if requested. This mattress also comes with a 100-night trial period so you’ll have tons of time to tell if you truly like it. It also comes with a 10-year warranty.

5. OTTY Hybrid - Price: £375

This mattress by OTTY is one of the most affordable on this list. This value mattress has the best of everything; it offers the support of coils along with the cushioning and comfort of memory foam.

The top layer is made of cool memory foam which consists of a blend of gel beads. This helps dissipate heat. The core is made of 2000 full-sized pocket springs which are 14 cm long. These offer much more support than most other hybrid models. This is what pushes the mattress into the firm category. The OTTY mattress also allows for edge-to-edge support, which is an essential feature for couples.

OTTY received an online Small Retailer of the Year Award by the National Bed Federation, which is one of the most prestigious organisations of its kind in the UK. It is also loved by Real Homes and was named Best Product of the Year by the reviewers at Expert Reviews. Trustpilot customers received the mattress very well and it is highly recommended by many users.

As is the case with most bed-in-the-box models with free trials, this one is delivered free of charge, has a 10-year warranty, and a 100-night trial period.

6. Ergoflex Mattress - Price: £479

This is the only bed in the box manufacturer in the UK that has been in operation longer than the 10-year warranty they offer. Ergoflex is a pioneer in the industry and paved the way for many others.

The Ergoflex mattress was made to be the best memory foam mattress and has one of the highest foam to foam percentages in the industry. Memory foam is known for its slow response compression feeling coupled with gradual feeling. This is the perfect type of mattress for those suffering from injuries and back pain. It is also a great option if you're suffering from orthopedic issues according to Back Doctor, which has been said to help Dr. Mark Craig recover from his back issues. It’s no wonder that it was ranked as a Best Buy by Which?

We should also say that the 5G by Ergoflex is a medium/firm to medium mattress which makes it a good option for most sleepers in the UK.

This mattress is OEKO-TEX 100 and Certipur-US certified. It is manufactured to BS 7177 UK and BS 5852 safety standards. This is a testament to Ergoflex’s dedication to top craftsmanship.

All of the layers of this mattress are wrapped in a Tencel white and grey cover. All fibres were produced through responsible processes and from responsibly sourced material. These are great for those suffering from allergies as well.

7. Eve Original Mattress - Price: £399

Eve has been a fixture on the scene for a few years now and has cemented its reputation as one of the most trusted bed-in-a-box brands in the UK. What separates Eve from the competition is not only their vibrant design, but their strict adherence to ISO 9001 standards during production. All of their materials are sourced from NBF producers and Certipur certified. The cover also received OEKO-TEX certification.

What will you find in the Eve original mattress? The top layer is made from their patented Ever Comfort foam which is said to be 30 times more breathable than regular polyfoam. The middle layer is made of memory foam, and the base layer is made of durable polyfoam. This mattress is great at reducing motion transfer thanks to the memory foam. The base is close to 18 cm which will give you lots of support and won’t have you feeling like you’re sinking in. This also allows you to keep your spine aligned.

The Eve Original mattress was featured in the Evening Standard and was given a Best Buy award by Which? The mattress comes with a 10-year warranty and a 100-night trial. The warranty will cover all performance issues.

8. Dormeo Octasmart Hybrid+ Mattress - Price: £1,199

Dormeo uses advanced sleep technology to create some of the best and smartest mattresses in the UK. The Octasmart Hybrid+ is one of the highest-rated among customers, with almost all of them giving it a 5-star review.

Dormeo claims that this is their smartest mattress ever and reviewed a top pick for Spring 2020 by Sleep Expert. The mattress combines Octaspring technology, foam, and pocket springs to offer the most complete sleeping experience. This is the standout mattress in the whole Octasmart range by Dormeo. These are made to be 8 times more breathable than the average memory foam and are designed to move in three dimensions.

In addition to the Octasprings, you’ll find Ecocell, pocket springs, and memory foam layers. These are arranged to offer zoning in three different areas that promote proper and natural spine alignment.

The cover is worth mentioning as well and has some of the best specs and features in the industry. It’s anti-dust mite, anti-mold, and antibacterial, which is great if you’re trying to create the healthiest sleep environment possible. It also has tons of tiny comfort pockets that facilitate air circulation.

This mattress comes with a 60-day trial which allows you enough time to tell if it’s the right mattress for you. Octasmart also offers a whopping 18-year warranty to cover risk as time goes by.

9. REM-Fit 400 Mattress - Price: £499

REM-Fit is taking a slightly different approach with design by putting more emphasis on optimal rest and sleep recovery. This mattress was made to fit the needs of most sleepers in the UK.

This hybrid mattress has 4 layers and features open-cell foam which is said to be 30X more breathable than traditional memory foam. It also has 2000 full-sized springs in total, a polyfoam based, and edge support. The company also makes sure that they only work with Certipur certified suppliers to maintain the quality of their products. The mattresses are made by a National Bed Federation member as well.

REM-Fit is still relatively new in the UK market but has managed to receive approval by Good Housekeeping. We look forward to them getting many more accolades in the future.

This mattress comes with a 100-night trial period which will give you time to test it along with a no questions asked free return policy if you don’t like it. It also comes with an impressive 15-year warranty which will secure your purchase for a while.

10. Tempur Original Mattress - Price: £1,729

Tempur is one of the most recognisable and respected names in the mattress industry. This model is a bit more luxurious and geared towards those who aren't afraid to spend a little more. It all started with the secret Tempur blend that was used to support NASA astronauts during lift-off. Tempur was born after realising its commercial potential.

Tempur offers three versions of their mattress: Luxe (30cm), Elite (25cm), and Supreme (21cm). This not only affects the thickness of the mattress, but the inner layers as well. The mattress we chose for this review of the best mattresses in the UK is the balanced Tempur Original Elite.

Tempur likes to be secretive and discrete about the composition of their layers. The Tempur Elite Original is made of a double Durabase layer as the base, support material, and top comfort material. It is the combination of these layers that gives this mattress a medium feel which is great for people who are looking for a versatile allrounder.

This mattress comes with a 100-night trial and a 10-year guarantee.

Colette Murphy

About the author

Hi, my name is Collette, I was born, raised in New York where i still currently live. I am currently in my mid thirties and after changed career multiple times and struggling to find a passion I decided to leave the career based live behind and start an online community for like minded people. This community is a safe place for women and like minded men who want to steer clear of misogyny, sexism, degrading comments and racism. I hope you enjoy your stay.

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