Which mattress is the best?

Choosing a Mattress – A Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep

We spend one third of our lives asleep and with study after study showing the importance of a good night’s sleep to both physical and mental health, it makes sense that we create an environment that promotes good sleep. Central to a good sleep set-up is the perfect mattress. The search for your ultimate mattress can seem like a formidable task with lots of Goldilocks-esque conundrums to be navigated. Too hard? Too soft? We’re aiming to help you find the mattress that is “just right”.

Do I need a new mattress?

It is recommended that you change your mattress every 6-8 years. With time and use, your mattress's ability to provide optimal support diminishes and your sleep and general wellbeing can suffer as a result. Tell-tale signs that your mattress needs to be replaced include sagging and indents in the mattress – its ability to provide the necessary support to your joints, pressure points and back is compromised. You may notice seemingly inexplicable aches and pains, sore joints and back pain – a tired mattress can be the cause of these unexplained ailments. A mattress that begins to make noise can be an indicator of loose springs, another sign to invest in a new high-performing mattress. Allergies can also be triggered by a mattress that is past its sell-by date – dust and spores can gather and multiply over time, potentially aggravating allergies and intolerances. 

Mattress Sizes Explained

Check out our table below for the measurements of the different mattress sizes available to ensure you choose the right size mattress for your needs and your space.

A single mattress is a great option for kids and compact rooms. The Soft Clouds Junior Mattress 3ft is exceptionally good value for money. A small double mattress provides a little more room to stretch out. The Respa Calypso Mattress is a great 4 foot mattress option. The classic double mattress is a popular choice for co-sleepers or single sleepers who like to sprawl. Consider the luxurious Respa Platinum 2000 Mattress if comfort is top of your priorities. A king size mattress ramps up the luxury, perfect for those who value comfort, for taller people and for couples who like their space. The Soft Clouds Madrid King Size Mattress ticks all the boxes for spectacularly serene slumber. A super king size mattress provides superior comfort, perfect for spacious bedrooms. The Natural Sleep Company’s Royal Super King Mattress oozes luxury and comfort.

Types of mattresses explained

A memory foam mattress? A latex mattress? A pocket-sprung mattress? With so many specifications being bandied about, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and to want to retreat under the covers. Ultimately, it’s the mattress that feels the best to lie on that is the mattress that’s best for you but there are some useful things to know about the different types of mattresses that may influence your decision.

A memory foam mattress features ergonomic foam that moulds around the contours of your body providing a cradling effect and more importantly offering pressure relief, good spine alignment and even weight distribution. Memory foam mattresses are great for side sleepers and mitigate the movement of a sleeping partner, making you less likely to suffer from your partner tossing and turning. Memory foam mattresses can trap heat and get warm although most mattresses have developed breathable solutions to overcome this issue. The Soft Clouds Emmy Foam Mattress is the epitome of comfort. Its unique construction which boasts a 2.5cm top layer of gel memory foam, a 7.5cm middle layer of soft foam and a 15cm layer of support foam, envelops your body, providing contoured support and excellent pressure relief.

A latex mattress is similar to memory foam but offers a more resilient, bouncy feel. Slightly firmer than memory foam, latex mattresses offer soft comfort and impressive pressure point support. Latex is a natural material which is hypoallergenic, naturally porous and breathable allowing it to assist in regulating body temperature. A latex mattress allows you to stay cool but cosy all night. The Pocket 1600 Mattress range from Respa Mattresses has an innovative pocket sprung system topped with a sumptuous layer of zoned natural latex offering a blissful combination of plush comfort and noteworthy pressure point support.

Pocket sprung mattresses comprise of hundreds and even thousands of individual springs enclosed in cloth pockets. These springs act independently of each other, reacting to provide support as the sleeper turns and moves during sleep. This ability to provide full body support makes pocket sprung mattresses a durable, comfortable and supportive choice of mattress. The Respa Augusta Mattress combines luxurious fillings with the RespaForm Pocket Spring System.

Orthopaedic mattresses are designed to support bones, joints and spinal alignment. The top choice for those living with back pain, orthopaedic mattresses provide evenly spread support preventing the build-up of pressure on vulnerable areas such as the neck, back and hips during sleep and alleviate stress on the spine thus reducing back pain. The Natural Sleep Company’s Spinal Support Mattress is a firm mattress that provides supportive back care and comfort, developed with orthopaedic care in mind but designed without compromising on the luxurious feel of a top quality mattress. The Respa Symmetry Mattress is another impressive orthopaedic mattress, offering a pleasing combination of support and comfort.

Firm, medium or soft – which is the one for me?

The firmness or softness of a mattress is mainly determined by its construction and materials but really is quite a subjective feature that can depend on the size, weight and preferences of the sleeper. Pocket sprung and latex mattresses have the potential to be firmer while memory foam mattresses are generally considered to be softer. 

Firm mattresses have many benefits with support top of the list. They support the body and give the feel that you are sleeping “on top of” the bed as opposed to sinking into it. They tend to be cooler to sleep on but can aggravate pressure points such as shoulders and hips, especially for side sleepers. Firm mattresses are great for stomach sleepers, those with back pain, larger individuals and those with mobility issues.

Soft mattresses provide that enveloping, sunk-into feeling. While they offer pressure relief, they can lack support and can also be more difficult to move around in. However, they handle movement better than firm mattresses, meaning tossing and turning tends to translate less on a soft mattress. Soft mattresses suit side sleepers and those with joint pain.

Medium mattresses are generally the most popular, especially for couples, striking the perfect balance between squishiness and support. Medium mattresses compress slightly when slept on, providing a soft texture that relieves pressure and promotes good sleep.

Mattresses for children

Because mattresses inevitably become trampolines, playhouses and dens, it’s tempting to opt for a cheaper mattress when it comes to buying a mattress for your child. But science tells us kids do most of their growing while they’re asleep so it’s essential they sleep on a supportive mattress that allows their bones to develop and promotes good posture and correct spinal alignment. A good mattress also impacts positively on a child’s quality of sleep, allowing them to rest and recharge. A firm or medium-firm mattress provides adequate support as they switch between sleeping positions throughout the night. Pocket sprung mattresses are a great choice for kids. Consider the Soft Clouds Finest Mattress or the Respa Cadence Mattress for your little one and rest easy knowing they’re supported while they slumber.

Now, armed with information on the types, sorts and styles of mattresses it’s time to test them out for real. Come visit our Furniture & Living Showroom, sample the indulgent comfort on offer from our range of top-quality mattresses and make sure you head home to a blissful sleep.