14 best mattress recommendations for better rest, tested by The Independent’s sleep expert

After six months of testing, I found Simba’s hybrid luxe to be the best mattress. It hugely improved my sleep and offered the ideal balance between a firm and medium sleeping base. Better still, it’s breathable, keeping me cool during warmer months, yet cosy in the autumn and winter. I also found it offered good support for achy joints and helped me lie straight. While some may consider it a small point, I loved that the top anti-allergy cover layer can be removed and machine-washed.

The mattress has 11 layers. According to the brand, there is a foam base with recycled fibres; a bamboo and wool layer, which promotes temperature regulation; and an open-cell foam section for airflow. There are also springs nestled into two sections, including a foam element to prevent any digging in. It’s a lot of technical information, but what I can say is this mattress lives up to the claims. The only drawback is that all the layers mean this mattress is both heavy and high (31cm). The good news is that you rarely need to move a mattress, so the weight shouldn’t be a huge issue. The height can be trickier; it’s rare, but the thickness means you may need to buy new fitted sheets.

To really put this mattress through its paces, I asked IndyBest writer Helen Wilson-Beevers to try it out too. After a full year of testing, she agreed it’s worthy of the top spot. “I’ve found the mattress to be supremely comfy and sumptuously supportive,” she wrote in her review. “In fact, I would go as far as to say the Simba hybrid luxe mattress has transformed my sleep, leading to an increased feeling of restfulness at bedtime.”

Read the full Simba hybrid luxe mattress review

If you can’t seem to get on with the pocket-sprung variety, consider Emma’s memory foam mattress, which is designed to support your entire body and keep your spine evenly aligned for maximum relief and rest.

Made up of three layers of memory foam, I noticed a distinct sinking feeling as I lay down. While this felt unusual at first, it became strangely comforting. The mattress helped relieve pressure on high-impact areas such as my hips and shoulders, and I also really appreciated the foam’s low transference of motion, which meant my sleep was far less disturbed by my fidgety partner.

A great option for front, back or side sleepers, the original delivered optimal cushioning and support whichever position I slept in, and the extra layers of breathable foam really do work, as I found both my body and the mattress were left dry and cool, even during a heatwave.

Read the full Emma hybrid original mattress review

Mattresses are incredibly expensive, but Dusk’s hybrid brings a premium feel at an affordable price. I’ve tested this bed for a year, and I’m still surprised at how comfortable it is. It has excellent motion isolation, so you won’t notice if your partner turns over in the night, and the pocket springs under the memory foam are quiet, so there’s no annoying squeaking.

Unlike other memory foam beds, this is medium-firm, so there’s none of that awkward sinking feeling. The edge support is fantastic, and it has great support on pressure points, so it’s a good choice for side sleepers, too. It looks and feels much more expensive than it is, and it’s held up well; there have been no dips or bumps during the year I’ve put it to the test.

My only minor issue is that, though I love that you can wash it, the premium soft knitted outer layer on top isn’t particularly cool. You probably won’t overheat, but anyone who sleeps warm might want a slightly cooling mattress topper. You should also note that it takes a few days for the mattress to fully flatten out, so it may not feel fully comfortable at first. However, if you persevere, you’ll find a remarkably good bed for less than £300.

Nectar’s premier hybrid mattress is made from eight layers of foam, micro-springs, memory foam and a supportive base. While everyone’s perception of firmness will differ, in my experience, this is the best mattress for medium firmness, so it’s certainly not for you if you need a soft mattress – try the Simba earth apex for that.

My pressure points felt supported and my spine aligned, and it scored extra points for its ability to reduce motion transfer – I could not feel my partner turning over in the night. What’s more, when guests stayed in the bed, they commented on how comfortable it was. Unlike many memory foam mattresses, this is breathable.

One feature that sets Nectar apart from other brands is the 365-night free trial and forever warranty. By comparison, Simba offers 200-night trials, which is a fairly good trial period, but doesn’t let you try the bed through every season. Another great feature of this Nectar bed is that if you don’t get on with it, you can return it free of charge.

There’s a reason that British family-run mattress brand Hypnos has a royal warrant. You only have to look at a Hypnos mattress to understand the luxury, and the orthos support 7 is no exception. The layers of organic wool and cotton not only provide support, but they also ensure it’s breathable. I remained at the perfect temperature throughout my 90 nights of testing.

If you need extra support from a mattress for any ongoing aches and pains, then there is a high chance this mattress could be what you’ve been looking for. It offers a supportive amount of firmness without feeling hard. It moulds to your body without feeling like you’re sinking, which means it’s also perfect for motion isolation. You won’t feel anyone sharing the bed.

However, the layers of comfort mean this mattress is very heavy – you may need more than one of you when tussling with an awkward sheet. As the best firm mattress, most people will find this too hard, but it’s perfect if you need some support.

Simba’s earth apex mattress is an incredibly comfortable mattress with an impressive multilayer system. Unlike other mattresses I’ve tested, which use synthetic materials (polyurethane and polyester), this is made of cashgora goat wool, silk and Hampshire wool, which are layered and surround 5,700 titanium alloy micro springs (based on a king-size). While this might sound technical, the result is simply one of the most comfortable mattresses I have ever tested.

When it arrived, I was concerned that it would be soft and offer poor support for my spine. I have intermittent back issues, and I’ve found that soft mattresses can trigger bouts of sciatica. However, there were no issues after four months on this mattress. It made me realise my previous mattress was too firm.

This is also a great choice for keeping cool. The wool and silk, combined with the breathable springs, mean it’s well-ventilated and keeps you cool in summer.

As with other Simba mattresses I’ve tested, this bed is both high (32cm) and heavy to lift. The solid construction makes for a premium feel, but you might need a lower, understated bed frame to offset the height. Equally, if you want under-bed storage, you might find drawers more suitable than an ottoman, as this bed might be too high and heavy for the hydraulics.

The Emma hybrid premium is perfect for anyone who needs a firm mattress. Not only is the bed-in-a-box brand’s offering incredibly easy to install – with the mattress arriving rolled up in an easy-to-manoeuvre box – it’s also one of the comfiest mattresses I’ve ever snoozed on. What makes this so impressive is the five layers of comfort, four of which are made from foam, and one 12.5cm tall layer of pocket springs, making the whole thing soft and spongy.

But what sets this mattress apart from many other memory foam options is the premium honeycomb cover, which creates even more comfort and breathability.

To truly put this mattress to the test, I enlisted IndyBest writer Lauren Cunningham for a hands-on trial so we could compare notes. With her expert insight, Lauren evaluated every aspect of the mattress, highlighting the impressive blend of mouldable foam and pocket springs. The mattress is separated into five sections to provide “different levels of support for each area of the body: head, shoulders, lower back, thighs and feet,” she wrote in her review. “So, as long as you don’t sleep in any strange positions (i.e. your head where your feet should be), you’re sure to have just the right amount of support needed to sleep soundly. And none of the usual nagging neck or back pains were felt throughout the night.”

Read the full Emma hybrid premium review

Arriving in a modestly sized box, I was struck by the sheer scale of the Origin hybrid pro once it unfurled, delivering generous height (30cm). While the top layer is soft yet breathable, the others (including bamboo-infused wool and gel-infused foam layers) did a brilliant job keeping things cool. During a stifling summer heatwave, while the rest of the house felt like a slow cooker, the mattress remained remarkably cool to the touch, almost working like an internal air-con system. I actually woke up feeling refreshed rather than sticky and irritable, which is a rare feat when the thermostat refuses to drop below 28C.

Support-wise, the hybrid pro provided firm zoned support that, believe it or not, actually improved my partner’s snoring, and he also woke up significantly free of his usual shoulder aches. The motion isolation was also impressive – I didn’t notice my partner as he shuffled around.

Pressure relief felt exactly on point. Whether sleeping on my back or side, the mattress supported me in all the right places and helped gently ease tension at my hips and shoulders over several nights. It’s ideal for those seeking real relief from pressure points and a great option for optimal support without compromising on cosiness. The price is attractive, too, but if it still feels a tad out of reach, we’d recommend checking out the previous generation, the Origin hybrid (£338, Originmattress.co.uk).

The hybrid ultra is a medium-firm mattress with 13 layers of foam and springs, and it comes complete with a zip-off cover. Interestingly, this Simba offering has the most springs (8,500) of all the brand’s hybrid mattresses. The sections include a double foam layer to promote coolness, as well as a layer incorporating kapok, wool and bamboo for further temperature regulation potential. I welcomed the cooling focus on warm nights.

It also provides supreme comfort, a sturdy medium-firm composition with a bit of springy bounce and breathable coolness. It’s suitable for front, back and side sleepers, too. Best of all, all those springs mean that this bed has great motion isolation. If your partner fidgets in their sleep, you probably won’t notice in this bed.

However, as with all Simba beds, this is very high. In fact, at 34cm high, it’s the tallest mattress I’ve ever tested, so you may need to buy new fitted sheets. Apart from the height, the biggest drawback is the price. This is one of the most expensive beds I’ve tested. Having said that, it’s worth every penny.

Bringing the comfort of a hotel room into your bedroom, you can buy the exact mattress used at Premier Inn hotels. The mattress is made up of seven layers, including an innovative gel layer for bounce and a memory foam layer for that sinking-in feeling. The design has edge-to-edge support to provide comfort, while the temperature-regulating sleep surface kept me cool in the summer and cosy on colder nights. Finished with a micro-quilted surface, the top layer can be unzipped and rotated, which is a lot easier than turning the entire thing.

When testing, I found that it offered medium to firm support and was impressed with the zoned system, which helps to evenly distribute weight across the mattress. Better still, I found that I got into a comfortable sleeping position far more quickly than with my old mattress. If you sleep on your side, this is a great option as it avoids putting too much pressure on your hips and shoulders.

My big gripe is how hefty it is to unpack and position, but once it’s on your bed frame, you’ll have no regrets. However, it’s a bit of a risk; there’s no sleep trial, so if it isn’t for you, you can’t send it back.

Given that this mattress doesn’t come with a sleep trial, I wanted to get a second opinion, enlisting senior IndyBest writer Daisy Lester. She also found it to be “noticeably higher and heftier” than mattresses. But she was impressed with its affordable price, noting that it’s “hundreds of pounds cheaper than hotel competition from the likes of Soho House and Hypnos, while also being more affordable than industry leaders Simba and Emma.” In her review, she noted it as being “great for those who want extra support” and added it’s a “stellar all-rounder”.

Read the full Premier Inn mattress review

If you perspire uncontrollably throughout the night during the summer months, trying all you can to stay cool, the Emma hybrid thermosync mattress could help. Made up of six layers, which are all designed to regulate your temperature, it has a removable top cover featuring open-pore fibres that pull the heat away from your body as you sleep.

The mattress isn’t a miracle maker. You’re still going to be hot when it’s 30C outside, but when the temperatures weren’t as extreme and dropped to around 23C, I was as cool as a cucumber. It regulated the body temperature of my partner and me so effectively that there weren’t any damp bedsheets the next morning.

To get a second opinion on this mattress, I enlisted my colleague Alex Lee. As someone who also tends to run warm, he was eager to put it to the test. In his review, he echoed the praise for its cooling properties and highlighted its soft, comfortable feel. After a couple of weeks of testing, he wrote in his review that he “couldn’t imagine sleeping on anything else”. He added that it’s “extremely comfortable” and moulded to his body regardless of his sleeping position.

Read the full Emma hybrid thermosync mattress review

Simba’s hybrid is the brand’s bestselling mattress. It features six layers of pure comfort, with the most important layer being the core-zoned foam support base, which gives the mattress its thickness and stability. Better still, it’s zoned so that every area of your body is supported, while the middle layer of pocket springs provides just the right amount of bounce. The top layer is soft, breathable and hypoallergenic, so it’s a great option for allergy sufferers. The zip-off design is also washable.

The sinkage is perfect, as is the balance of support and cushioning. Its medium firmness is suited to those who sleep on their side, front or back, while its breathability makes the mattress a stellar option for those who tend to get hot during the night.

This hybrid sits right in the middle of the market, but it outperforms some beds nearly three times the price. However, it’s not perfect. There’s a strong off-gassing smell for the first few hours with this bed, and Simba says you need to rotate it 180 degrees once a month for the first three months, which is a little tedious. The motion isolation is good but not perfect, so light sleepers may want to look elsewhere.

To gather a second opinion, Kate Hilpern tested this mattress over several weeks. Much like me, she was impressed by its overall comfort and exceptional edge-to-edge support. “The Simba hybrid mattress is one that gives an instant and cloud-like balance of comfort and support right up to the edges,” she wrote in her review. “If you’re prone to waking up with aches and pains, especially in your back, you’ll really notice the spinal support in this Simba hybrid mattress – even if you’re practically hanging off the side of the bed,” she added.

Read the full Simba hybrid original mattress review

The DreamCloud luxury hybrid mattress is an absolute steal. It challenges the brands at the top end of the market at a much lower price. I have a recurring bad back and have tried several memory foam mattresses and hybrids. I frequently find the market-leading memory foam ones too soft from me and find this aggravates my back. On the other hand, hybrids are heavy and expensive.

This mattress arrived rolled up, like a memory foam mattress in a tidy box. It was much easier to move it into position, and when it sprang into shape, it was refreshingly light and easy to move. Some of the premium ones are so dense that I found lifting them to change the sheets a challenge, but this mattress is lightweight.

But this lightness doesn’t compromise comfort. The mattress combines memory foam and reinforced edge pocket springs to provide incredible support while feeling soft and comfy. This bed provides perfect support, but it offers enough give to make going to bed feel like a treat.

This hybrid mattress from Panda calls on bamboo to give you a better night’s kip. It’s vegan, and topped with a luxe, naturally hypoallergenic and antibacterial bamboo cover that immediately gets extra points for being removable. Beneath this layer, there’s a breathable foam layer, which is infused with the all-important bamboo, which is naturally temperature regulating, so should do well in every season.

The mattress is on the firmer side of medium and when lying down, I noticed a very slight sinking-in feeling, with a subtle bounce, owing to a layer of springs. I found it to provide excellent comfort and support, particularly for back sleepers. However, the brand assures it’s suitable for front and side sleepers too, because there are two different kinds of foam working to accommodate you and your sleeping position, and keep you properly aligned right through the night.