Best mattress 2023: Memory foam, pocket-sprung and hybrid mattresses tried and tested

Holy comfort levels, this Hypnos mattress is incredible. The edge-to-edge support is second to none, and the medium tension provides fantastic support. No matter if we laid on our side, back or front, we felt supported and woke up with no pain or aches in the morning. The support is thanks to the six-turn, pocket-sprung system. In layman’s terms, this means each spring works independently to support your body and react to movement, weight and shape.

There are also eight layers of traceable British wool, which help with temperature regulation. We always felt nicely warm on the mattress and didn’t overheat at all, not even on warmer nights. The wool is also naturally fire-retardant and antimicrobial, to keep you free of nasties and sweat all night long. This mattress is perfect for even the fussiest of sleepers. We love that every Hypnos mattress is handmade by craftspeople in the UK – this is a truly British mattress right here.

Read the full Hypnos wool origins 6 mattress review

We loved this hybrid mattress because it felt like the true Goldilocks choice – not too firm, not too soft. When we initially tested it, we thought it was very soft, but after sleeping on it, we’ve come to realise that beneath all that sumptuous memory foam is some serious support from five zones of springs, designed to adapt to your body as you move in the night. These springs work independently of each other, which meant our co-tester didn’t wake us up, no matter how much they fidgeted in the night. A reinforced core zone is designed to keep spines aligned; while we can’t be medically sure that this happened, we certainly felt supported.

We loved how much we felt like we were sleeping in a bubble of bliss on this mattress. As we have already mentioned, the isolation was excellent, but we were also impressed with how well it regulated our temperature. With other mattresses, our co-tester was liable to disagree with us about warmth, but on the Emma premium, we were both kept at a perfect temperature. This is thanks to the two layers of memory foam specifically designed to help airflow. It gets two thumbs up from us.

Read the full Emma premium mattress review

Dusk is relatively new to the mattress game, but that hasn’t stopped the brand from creating a seriously decent mattress. It has fantastic edge-to-edge support and was one of the best hybrids we tested for this. It’s also got a medium-firm tension, which will suit pretty much anyone. It impressed both us and our very discerning – ok, fussy – co-tester. It was one of those mattresses that makes it hard to get out of bed, in the right way. The top layer on this mattress is made from cooling gel foam, which is designed to maximise airflow and keep you temperate all night long – great for those liable to night sweats.

The support in the Dusk mattress comes from 2,000 springs (in the king size) sandwiched between layers of memory foam. These three layers work together to provide dependable support that kept us snuggled all night long while keeping our spines in optimal alignment. It’s a very decent mattress for the money.

The perla is Brook + Wilde’s newest and “best ever” mattress. Zoned lumbar support means you’re cradled in all the right places, whether you’re a side or a back sleeper. There are 14 layers of the creme de la creme of mattress fillings in the perla. These include cashmere-rich wool to wick away sweat and help regulate body temperature. We can confirm we found the mattress toasty but never overly hot.

The excellent cradling support on the perla is provided via high-density wool layers. There are also two layers of full-sized pocket springs – one with 1,000 springs and the other with 2,000 springs. And two micro-spring layers have 2,000 springs each. All these springs combine to provide both deep, long-lasting support and springy pushback. With silk, cashmere, alpaca and wool all in the Perla, it is at the top of the luxury mattress scale – with a price tag to fit. It is incredibly thick and sumptuous, and you can choose the tension level to suit you and your body type. Brook + Wilde is truly spoiling us here.

We’ve also reviewed Brook + Wilde’s Elite mattress

We were thoroughly impressed with this hybrid mattress. A layer of memory foam moulds to your body, gently cradling you, while a layer of springs gives more considered support, which saw us wake without any aches or pains. Just under the surface of the mattress is a layer of wool, which has natural temperature-regulating and hypoallergenic properties. We didn’t overheat on the Simba hybrid pro, and there was noticeably improved airflow compared with traditional, older-style memory foam mattresses.

The hybrid pro has edge-to-edge support with no trail-off towards the sides. A multi-zoned foam layer at the base adjusts to movements and body shape to ensure you’re held in all the right places. With seven layers, this is Simba’s second-thickest mattress, so it’s definitely at the more luxurious end of the spectrum.

Read the full Simba hybrid pro review

This Emma mattress comes vacuum-packed and rolled, and although it seemed to come up to shape within about 40 minutes, we left it for the recommended four hours to fully expand. This mattress is undoubtedly on the softer side of medium out of all the memory foam models we tested, so it is well suited to those with smaller builds. The sleep surface is made from Emma’s patented UltraDry cover, which is designed to help regulate your temperature and wick away sweat. You can also unzip it from the mattress to wash it.

We found this mattress to be very comfortable, with solid support beneath the memory foam layer. This is thanks to the heavy-duty foam at the bottom of the mattress. The upper layer of foam is designed to gently support all pressure points in the body. It suited both side and back sleepers because of this and impressed even the most discerning of testers.

Read the full Emma original mattress review

Eve has excelled itself with this fantastic hybrid mattress. It is very thick indeed – one of the thickest we tried. The initial “sink” you get from the foam is backed up by decent support underneath. There are 1,400 full-size springs in Eve’s premium hybrid, along with five layers of foam. The result is on the firmer side of medium, which is ideal for most people, and those with heavier builds will probably find this is the best hybrid for them.

The ticking is soft and made from a breathable fabric that’s interwoven with silver thread. Yep, it’s literally lined with silver. Apparently, this helps protect the mattress from dust, germs and other allergens. Beneath, there are two layers of cooling foam – they have graphite in them, which helps distribute the heat that your body radiates. Certainly, we never overheated on this mattress. We also liked the non-slip base, which meant the mattress stayed put on our bed. We were thoroughly impressed with this model, which performed well against all the other hybrids we tried.

Simba calls this its most advanced mattress to date, with the hybrid luxe boasting 10 layers. This does make the mattress thick (although it arrives Swiss-roll style). There’s a textured, breathable ticking, which is grippy to prevent your sheets from slipping around. You can zip this cover off should you wish to wash it – but all the best getting it back on again. There are also three layers of springs, two of which are Simba’s own aerocoils, and some sturdy-sounding steel base springs. This provides decent support. Don’t get us wrong, when we initially sat on the luxe it gave us a sinking feeling – quite literally. But after prolonged testing, we can report that although it’s on the softer side, it has kept us supported all night long – both when we’ve laid on our back and on our sides.

There’s a bamboo-infused wool layer, which has antibacterial properties and is naturally temperature-regulating. This is a big tick for allergy sufferers. There are also foam layers and Simbatex, the latter of which is Simba’s own cooling foam. We found we were toasty warm on the luxe, even on a chilly winter’s evening. And despite all that technology, which does perhaps sound slightly overwhelming, we found that the reality was highly comfortable.

Read the full Simba hybrid luxe review

This Dreams and Silentnight collaboration is much more like a traditional pocket-sprung mattress than any other hybrid we tried. It comes as a flat mattress instead of vacuum-packed in a box, for one. It also doesn’t have as much “sink” to it as other hybrids we tried, but we have to say we quite liked the subtlety of the memory foam. It also makes moving in bed, and getting out of it, much easier.

Underneath the memory foam are edge-to-edge zoned pocket springs. That means you get the maximum amount of support in all the right places. The springs and foam work together to ease aching joints and relieve pressure. We would say the support is on the firmer side of medium, so it’s well suited to heavier and average body types, while both back and side sleepers found this mattress comfortable. It is made from hypoallergenic and breathable materials, so there wasn’t a hint of overheating.

If you’re after a firm, supportive hybrid at a reasonable price, look no further than this octasmart mattress. It’s the firmest hybrid we tried, although perhaps slightly less supportive than others edge to edge. But, assuming you don’t plan to cling to the side, this number is great for both side and back sleepers. The octasprings inside are a bit different from traditional mattress springs – they’re biodegradable, for one. They also help to isolate movement, and we found we weren’t woken by our co-tester getting in and out of bed. These are complemented by a layer of individual pocket springs to give a nice bounce and firmer support.

As a result, the memory foam sinking feeling isn’t quite as pronounced on the octasmart mattress as on others we tried, but we were happy with that as it allowed us to move about at night without trouble. It’s a great, ache-free option for side sleepers, as there are three zoned areas on the mattress with targeted support for your back, shoulders and hips. As an added bonus, it’s 100 per cent recyclable when it comes to the end of its life.

Read the full Dormeo octasmart plus mattress review

This memory foam mattress was one of the softer mattresses we tried, which will suit lighter body types well. Like the Eve premium hybrid (£599, Evesleep.co.uk), this foam model has a removable, washable cover that has silver threaded through it for its antimicrobial properties. Directly beneath this is “float foam”, which is infused with graphite to help dispel heat. Extra-large pores in this layer also help with airflow. The effect this creates is an immediate sink into the mattress, with the foam moulding around you. Beneath this first layer of foam is a memory foam layer – this slowly moulds to the shape of whoever’s lying on it. This stopped any aches or pains occurring while we were sleeping. The “sink” in this mattress is more noticeable than most other memory foam mattresses we tried.

The backbone of the Eve premium foam is the base layer, which helps the mattress hold its shape over a long period of time. Eve’s mattresses are guaranteed for 10 years, so we reckon you’re pretty set. There are strips cut out of this harder foam to allow more give around the hips and shoulders, so you don’t get pressure pains when you sleep on it. The Eve premium foam is ideal for all types of sleepers, having been designed with everyone in mind.

Read the full Eve Sleep premium foam mattress review

If you want that hotel-bed feeling every night, then Sleepeezee has got you covered. The Edwardian mattress is part of its hospitality range, designed in conjunction with world-leading hotels to give guests (and now us) the perfect sleep experience. In the middle to upper range of the hospitality mattresses, the Edwardian 2000 is filled with British wool, silk and cotton – and 2,000 individual pocket springs. It’s also double-sided to extend its lifespan and has handy labels to tell you when to turn and rotate it.

The Sleepeezee mattress is on the firmer side of medium, so it would suit most body types. Thanks to those individual pocket springs, it has excellent spring-back, and we didn’t feel our co-tester move in the night once. It offered excellent support throughout the night and allowed us to move with ease while we slept. We were also impressed with how well it regulated our temperature – we were cosy all night.

If you’ve been lucky enough to sleep at a super-high-end hotel such as a Six Senses or a Z Hotel, then chances are you were sleeping on a Naturalmat mattress. This five-star pocket-sprung model is filled with 100 per cent natural fibres, as the name might suggest, including organic lambswool, cashmere and natural latex – even the pocket springs are nestled in their own cotton pockets. How cute!

The result is a delightful, supportive, medium-tension mattress (although you can choose the tension you want). The natural latex gives it a subtle spring to help with movement overnight, while the springs themselves offer dynamic support. The individual springs also meant we didn’t feel our co-tester moving about, which was welcome. The ticking is made from wool and cotton and is naturally flame-retardant – definitely no nasty chemicals here.

We’ve also reviewed Naturalmat’s mattress topper

As soon as we sat on this mattress, we noticed its reassuring firmness – we went for “firm” out of a choice of “regular”, “firm” and “extra firm”. At first, we weren’t sure if it was going to work out, as we’re used to something slightly softer. But we shouldn’t have jumped the gun. After one night of sleeping on this mattress, we were in love. The 1,400 pocket springs provide such fantastic support. We didn’t feel our co-tester moving about either, which was an added bonus. We sometimes have aches and pains when we lie in one position for too long, but we found the Loaf alleviated all of that.

The Loaf mattress is filled with all the good stuff: cotton, wool, silk, viscose and super-soft polyester. This cocktail should mean that it keeps its shape over a long period. It certainly feels very substantial, and we found it extremely breathable. It kept us temperate each and every night, all night long. One thing to note is that Loaf advises rotating this mattress every two weeks – this is no mean feat, so it might not be suited to those without adequate upper-body strength. But we think the price tag on this mattress is stonkingly good value.

This Naturalmat mattress is made from cashmere, lambswool and natural latex. The result is a strange – but not unpleasant – combination of soft yet firm. It’s not a sturdy mattress by any stretch – there are no springs inside. This means there’s very little bounce to it and makes it feel firm when you’re lying on it. We really liked this in the mattress – it had excellent isolation. We couldn’t feel our co-sleeper moving at all. And yet it was delightfully, luxuriously soft. It’s a great option for those with medium or light builds and works well for both back and side sleepers.

Everything in this mattress is natural, as the brand name might give away. As well as cashmere, lambswool and natural latex, it also contains organic coir – a fibre found on the outside of coconuts. This creates a long-lasting mattress that still offers some springy support when combined with latex. The ticking is made from organic cotton and wool – it’s rougher than other sleep surfaces but is naturally fire-retardant. The sleep we had on this model was divine – we didn’t overheat, and we felt gently supported. There’s something special about an all-natural mattress.

An all-natural mattress, the Herdy Sleep ticks all of the eco-friendly boxes. These mattresses are handmade in the Lake District from sustainable, local Herdwick sheep wool. Herdy has even set up a cooperative of local farmers, and it’s all fairly traded. The mattress is free from foam and chemicals, containing layers of wool, cotton, bamboo and three different types of spring. The base layer is made from recycled plastic bottles (PET), while the top layer is more wool.

How does all that translate in the sleep arena? Well, put simply, it’s awesome. The tension is firm but with a gentle bounce, creating a dependable level of support. We found it was great for both side and back sleepers, and it didn’t create any pain when we were asleep in one position for hours. We also didn’t notice our co-tester getting in and out of bed during the night, so that’s a big thumbs up from us. Indeed, we found ourselves looking forward to bedtime, so we could snuggle down on the mattress. The wool layers kept us snug on very chilly evenings but would also help regulate your temperature on hot nights.