Buying a mattress; as long as it’s soft and comfy, it’s good enough to sleep on, right?
If only things were that easy. For one, we wouldn’t need to write another word. But perhaps more importantly, it’s essential to remember that not all mattresses are made equal and the quality of your sleep depends on factors far beyond simple comfort.
When choosing the best mattress for your own unique needs, you’ll want to consider your body type, too, as well as your preferred sleep position, the size of your bedroom and the suitability of the mattress’s material.
Whilst this is a decision certainly best slept on, here’s a few things to bear in mind; our top tips for choosing the right mattress for you.
Go Into A Store And Lie Down
When it comes to comparing mattresses, there’s nothing quite like trying out a mattress in person. And fortunately, any reputable mattress supplier will be more than happy for you to come to their store and let you try out their mattresses for size. Sure, you won’t be able to take a well-earned nap right there in public, but you can certainly get a sense of how the mattress feels first-hand. The store’s salespeople will also be able to guide you through some of the more impenetrable jargon that comes with mattress shopping.
Once you know what kind of mattress feels right for you and what you need from a mattress, find some reviews online to cross-reference your instincts.
Then, it’s back to a physical store that sells the mattresses you have shortlisted so you can try them out thoroughly before you buy them. We recommend trying out the mattress in the position you tend to sleep in, to identify any immediate issues lurking beneath the surface.
We don’t know about you, but all this comparing and travelling to mattress stores to test them out has made us knackered, we need our new mattress now.
Ideal Tip: It should be noted here that because there isn’t much regulation in the mattress industry, many retailers sell the same mattress under different model names, preventing customers from comparison shopping. The best way to get around this nefarious tactic is to obtain detailed product specifications, and then compare their materials and construction.
Find Brands That Offer A Sleep Trial
A mattress is a big investment. Luckily, many big brands allow you to try the mattress out at home first, with no financial commitment necessary should the mattress not suit your specific sleep needs. Yep, if you don’t love your new mattress, you can send it back and exchange it for a new one!
It’s not all positive news, though; you should be aware that there are strict conditions with these types of sleep trials. Most will allow you to remove the original packaging, sure, but insist you use a mattress protector for the duration of the trial period. Some insist that the original packaging is kept on, which pretty much defeats the whole point of trying to find out if you’re happy with the mattress. Unless, of course, you enjoy sleeping on a squeaky plastic sheet.
Because of this, do make sure you read the terms and conditions of your trial and be sure to keep proof of purchase.
Buy Within Your Budget
The last thing you want is a sleepless night on your new mattress, worrying about money; that would rather defeat the point of investing in your sleep, after all!
Of course, when you buy a mattress, you need to work within your budget, and a top quality one can be surprisingly expensive. In fact, according to finance and budget experts Nimble Fins, a premium mattress will cost you in the region of £3000, on average. Considering we’re advised to replace our mattresses once every ten years or so, that represents an enormous outlay over the course of your (admittedly well rested) lifetime.
That said, the consumer experts at Which have identified their ‘best buys’, with several clocking in at under a grand and some not much more than £150, showing that quality needn’t cost a fortune. Rather than fretting about price, work out your budget precisely, and adapt your needs accordingly.
You’ll also be pleased to hear that the guys over at CHOICE Australia found that “many cheaper mattresses are just as effective as pricey models”. However, they also found that the same mattresses are sold at totally different prices in different stores, so do shop around.
Read: How to choose the right mattress for your bedroom
Understanding Mattress Materials: What’s Inside Matters
Now that you’ve sorted your budget, let’s talk about what your money is actually buying. The material of your mattress isn’t just industry jargon – it fundamentally affects how you’ll sleep for the next decade.
The mattress market has evolved far beyond the traditional spring models your grandparents swore by. Today’s shoppers are typically choosing between foam mattresses or hybrid mattresses, each offering distinct advantages depending on your sleep style.
Memory foam mattresses have gained popularity for their body-contouring properties and motion isolation – perfect if your partner tosses and turns like they’re auditioning for Cirque du Soleil. However, some sleepers find them too warm or feel like they’re sinking into quicksand.
Hybrid mattresses attempt to offer the best of both worlds, combining supportive springs with comfort layers of foam or latex. They tend to sleep cooler and provide more bounce (make of that what you will), whilst still offering decent pressure relief.
Then there’s latex, which offers natural breathability and durability, though it comes with a heftier price tag. And yes, traditional innerspring mattresses are still around, often at the budget-friendly end of the spectrum.
The key is matching the material to your needs: side sleepers often prefer softer foam for pressure relief, stomach sleepers typically need firmer support, and back sleepers usually fall somewhere in between. Hot sleepers should prioritize breathable materials, whilst those with allergies might lean towards hypoallergenic options like natural latex.
Making A List, Checking it Twice
If we haven’t driven you to bed already, we should reiterate that there are just so many considerations when choosing a mattress. If we wrote them all, this article would send you to sleep. So, we’re going to keep this one brief and to the point; here’s a useful summary of things you need to take into account when choosing a mattress:
- Firmness
- Material
- Whether you sleep on your own or with a partner
- Airflow
- Warranty/ Guarantee
- Mattress size
- The position you sleep in
- How warm your bedroom gets.
- The lifespan of a mattress
It’s also important to consider here if you really need a new mattress. As the Guardian reports, “As the sleep economy grows, online companies vie to sell us new mattresses, offering 100-day returns. This has helped create an impossible waste mountain”. They go on to highlight that “The UK threw away more than 7m mattresses in 2017, the vast majority of which went straight to landfill”.
We’ve all seen a poorly disposed of mattress at the side of the road once in a while; well, imagine that multiplied by 7 million, every single year.
There are a surprising amount of mattress scammers out there, who sell second-hand mattresses dressed up as new ones, so make sure you buy from a reputable seller or directly from the manufacturer. Avoid unknown eBay sellers and if the price seems too good to be true, it likely is too good to be true.
The Bottom Line
Considering how sleep is essential in maintaining our overall health, the mattress you sleep on should be treated with respect and deep consideration. If you do make the wrong choice and can’t return your mattress, it’s not the end of the world – there are always mattress toppers.
