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Our Favorite Mattress in a Box
Nectar Sleep Premier Hybrid Double Mattress
Best Hybrid
Simba Hybrid Pro King-Size Mattress
Best Cooling
Emma Hybrid Thermosync Double Mattress
Best for Allergies
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Double Mattress
In a time of great uncertainty about international trade, mattresses are one purchase you can make without losing sleep. Because they’re large and heavy, roll-packed bed-in-a-box mattresses are relatively expensive to ship. And because they shouldn’t be left compressed for too long, reputable makers try to avoid shipping them over the ocean. This means that even in this (possibly waning) era of international manufacturing, most mattresses are a domestic product.
WIRED has a guide to the best mattress in the United States, made by sleep-testing hundreds of mattresses for a week each. We wanted to provide a similar story for our UK audience so that our British readers can likewise get support in all the right places, sleep soundly, and awaken refreshed and ready to face the day ahead.
Below, you’ll find hybrid, memory foam, and pocket-sprung options that provide a good balance between comfort and support. They do well to relieve the pressure in key areas such as the hips and lumbar area and work well for all sleeping positions. Our UK team likes the Nectar Premier Hybrid best—the American version ranks in the middle of our main list.
We’ve highlighted mattresses that work well at dampening motion from side to side, which makes them ideal if you’re sharing with a restless partner. We’ve also discovered mattresses that use natural fabrics and ingenious cooling technology that encourages air to flow around your body, ensuring you remain at an optimum temperature all night and all year round.
We’ve also pinpointed mattresses with the best edge support to make it easy to get in and out of bed. Strong edges also make it easy for you to make use of the full surface so you can sleep right up to the sides without falling out, and all our choices come with at least a 100-day sleep trial, so if you decide the mattress is not quite right for you, it’s easy to return. All prices listed are for a double size.
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We picked out a selection of the most popular mattresses in the UK including hybrid, pocket spring, and memory foam designs and tested them in our homes, at night, while we slept. We rated them on design, comfort, and materials, but in addition we were keen to see how well their sides held together when sitting on them and laying right up to the edges. We also checked how hot we felt when sleeping on the mattresses in relation to room temperature.
To gauge how good the pressure relief is on each mattress, we placed an 8-kilogram weight on the surface and measured how far it sank down. We were also keen to see how well the surface bounced back and retained its shape. We also tested any motion isolation technology—essentially, if your partner moves, do you move too?—using an empty long-stem wine glass and a 5-kilogram dumbbell. We wanted to see if the wine glass moved or buckled when the dumbbell was dropped at a distance nearby. The less the glass moves, the better the mattress does to limit movement from side to side.
Which Mattress Tension Should I Choose?
Many brands rate their mattresses from 1 to 10 to give you an idea of how firm or soft it is. This is the “tension.” It’s worth noting that what 1 and 10 represent differs depending on the brand. Emma rates 1 as the firmest side of its scale, while Simba rates 1 as the softest tension, for example.
Many of the latest medium-firm designs provide the sweet spot between soft and firm, making it easier for two people to agree on one mattress bought online without trying it first. For peace of mind, look for a company that offers a generous at-home sleep trial, so if you decide it’s not for you then it’s much easier to return.
“While there isn’t one size fits all when buying a mattress, you should look for designs that promise to keep your spine aligned while offering comfort to suit your pressure points,” says Josh Roberts, product manager at Bed Factory Direct. “Which tension you choose depends on how you sleep. Those that sleep on the side typically prefer something a bit softer, while back and stomach sleepers will benefit from having a firmer support.”
Memory Foam or Hybrid: Which Is Best?
Memory foam mattresses come in all shapes and sizes, with numerous layers making up their structure. They are sometimes crafted with special materials such as bamboo or charcoal to enhance their performance and breathability. Meanwhile, hybrid mattresses are made up of both memory foam and springs in various configurations and layering. Which option you go for is a highly personal choice, but there are some pros and cons to both mattress designs.
“Memory foam mattresses are known for their contouring comfort that can mold to your body shape to offer great pressure relief,” says Josh Roberts. “They are also a great option for limiting movement from side to side, which is ideal if you’re sharing a bed. Memory foam is known to trap heat, however, so if you are a hot sleeper it’s important to look for design with enhanced breathability and specific cooling materials included. Hybrid designs can offer the best of both worlds, as they have a layer of foam for comfort and a core of springs for additional support. Hybrid mattresses help with airflow and help you stay at an optimum temperature as you sleep, too. And if you’re heavier than average or you sleep on your back or side, then a hybrid mattress is usually better as it offers a bit more movement and bounce and can cushion those pressure points.”
Which Is the Best for Back Pain?
“A medium-firm to firm mattress is generally recommended for those experiencing back pain, as it promotes proper spinal alignment and prevents excessive sinking,” says Michael Buckle, senior mattress buyer at Dreams. “Zoned support, where targeted areas offer varying levels of firmness, can further enhance comfort and alleviate pressure points. Hybrid and orthopedic models often provide an effective combination of structure and cushioning, making them well-suited to individuals requiring additional lumbar support.”
For more information and WIRED’s pick for the best mattress for easing back pain, check out this comprehensive buyer’s guide.
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Photograph: Emily Peck
Our Favorite Mattress in a Box
Nectar Sleep Premier Hybrid Double Mattress
A great-value mattress with a luxurious feel, the Nectar Premier Hybrid ticks all the bed-in-a-box boxes. With its layers of micro and encapsulated springs, pressure-relieving memory foam, and quilted cooling cover, it’s comforting, supportive, and breathable. The mattress comes rolled up and vacuum-packed for easy setup, and within five hours the mattress had reached its full shape. There was limited off-gassing in the room to contend with, which is that new-factory smell you can sometimes get with a new mattress.
While the main structure of the mattress feels quite firm, the “dynamic support layer” just beneath the quilted cooling cover is what gives this mattress its plush feel. I used an 8-kilogram weight to measure the sinkage at around 3.8 centimeters, which is around average for a medium-firm mattress with good pressure relief. There are eight layers to enjoy here, including one that promotes spinal alignment, and I found it ideal for both back and side sleeping. While my partner is a front sleeper who prefers a less squishy top surface, he was surprised with just how well he slept here. We are both restless sleepers, but the motion-isolation technology on this mattress really came into its own, and we each remained undisturbed by the other throughout the night.
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Photograph: Simon Hill
Best Hybrid
Simba Hybrid Pro King-Size Mattress
The Hybrid Pro is Simba’s best-selling medium-firm mattress and one that comes highly recommended by both myself and WIRED reviewer Simon Hill. Within its deep 28-centimeter frame, the Pro includes 4,800 titanium-alloy Aerocoil springs teamed with Simbatex foam and a breathable wool top layer. I measured its medium-firm tension as having an average sinkage of 6.3-centimeters, which is little above average, but it bounces back nicely so I never felt like I was sinking in.
The pressure relief here is good, and it supported me well around my hips, shoulders, and lower back. I tested this mattress in the spring months when room temperatures never rose above 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), and I remained comfortably cool. It will be interesting to see how it fares in high summer temperatures, although the layer of Simbatex foam has an open-cell structure to encourage airflow.
Simon noted how well it does in limiting movement from side to side, which made it great for sharing with his wife as both sides went undisturbed in the night. He appreciated the good edge support here too, as it meant he could stretch out and enjoy the sleep surface to its full potential.
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Photograph: Emma Mattress
Best Cooling
Emma Hybrid Thermosync Double Mattress
Mattresses that include memory foam often retain heat and make you feel too hot as you sleep. Mercifully, Emma has addressed this issue with an impressively breathable design that includes a layer of foam called ThermoSync, which has been infused with graphite particles that capture excess heat from your body to help regulate your temperature. The mattress is also finished with an impressive cover, which is moisture-wicking and removable for easy washing.
I tested this mattress in summer and spring and was pleased with how comfortably cool I felt at night. While I think the edge support could be better here, this mattress handles movement well, and I enjoyed sleeping on its supportive foam and seven-zone pocket spring design. Emma rates the firmness of this mattress as 7.5 out of 10 on its firmness scale, with 1 being the firmest and 10 being the softest. I’d say that it verges on the softer side of medium-firm, and I think it’s more suitable for side and back sleepers than for front sleepers.
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Photograph: Emily Peck
Best for Allergies
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Double Mattress
At 25 centimeters, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress is a little shallower than the 27-centimeter Simba Hybrid Pro and Nectar Premier Hybrid, but it isn’t any less comfortable or supportive. I really enjoyed how supportive it felt compared to other medium-firm designs I’ve tried. It has six layers of foam and 800 individual pocket springs to create a mattress that moves with your body and contours it gently. I measured the sinkage at a modest 3.8 centimeters, which is below the average in this roundup and is a good indication of just how firm and supportive it is.
The mattress also has a layer of orthopedic-grade foam that is highly resilient and should help with spinal alignment. The materials used here are chosen for their breathability, and this mattress makes an attractive option for anyone who suffers from allergies. I’ve put this mattress in my allergy-prone son’s room, and he’s not had any issues, which is unusual. The cover is also made from bamboo that is organically grown, hypoallergenic, and naturally antibacterial. There’s also a layer of open-cell memory foam infused with bamboo, which is naturally odor-resistant and breathable.
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Photograph: Emily Peck
Best Pocket-Sprung
Next 4500 Pocket Sprung Superior Deluxe Wool Mattress
I’ve tested dozens of hybrid and all-memory foam mattresses over the past few years, but I refuse to let this Next pocket-sprung design go. It has been in my guest bedroom for six months, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made an excuse to snuggle up on it. While it might cost more than your average hybrid or memory foam mattress, I think it’s an excellent buy. The medium-firm design is incredibly supportive from edge to edge, so I’ve been able to move around freely and make use of the entire sleeping surface. I can also sit and pause on the side of the bed and not worry about the sides collapsing. While this may sound trivial, it’s something that really makes a difference to me in the morning.
The sinkage on this mattress is a little harder to measure, as it comes with a soft pillow-top finish. It did really well in the motion-isolation test, and my empty wine glass remained standing triumphantly. The pillow top adds a little sumptuousness to a great-value design without making it feel too soft. Overall, I think this mattress works well for all sleeping positions, but be warned: Tight-fitted sheets don’t always fit its indulgently thick frame.
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Photograph: Simon Hill
Best Firm
Panda Hybrid Mattress Pro
Fans of a firm mattress who tend to overheat at night will appreciate the Panda Hybrid Mattress Pro. We agreed that, while it felt firm at first, it was very comfy and supportive to sleep on. This hybrid mattress combines layers of springs with two types of foam (bamboo-infused and orthopedic grade). This combination offers excellent temperature regulation and motion isolation.
Whether I was shifting around or getting up early, the Panda Hybrid Mattress Pro limited the impact of my movement on my partner and vice versa. But the cooling power of this mattress really impressed us, keeping us comfortable, even on warm nights. There’s good edge support, and the lovely naturally hypoallergenic bamboo cover zips off for washing. Panda advises you to rotate the mattress every six months. Panda offers a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty with this mattress. —Simon Hill
Honorable Mentions
Zoma Mattress for £499: This memory foam design has three layers inside with a responsive layer designed to help alleviate pressure points and ensure the mattress bounces back so you never feel stuck. It also has a stretchy ventilated AirCloth cover that helps to regulate temperatures.
Otty Hybrid Charcoal for £699: Another excellent choice for anyone who suffers from allergies, this mattress comes with breathable bamboo and odor-eliminating, hypoallergenic charcoal-infused memory foam. The medium-firm mattress also has a unique airflow system to regulate temperatures, so you never sleep too hot.
Simba Hybrid Ultra for £2,799: As the brand’s most advanced hybrid design, this Simba mattress has an impressive 11 layers and includes a generous 7,300 springs. At 34 centimeters high, it’s thick and heavy to move, so you’ll need a sturdy bed frame and space to house it, but it’s oh so worth it.
Eve the WunderFlip Premium Hybrid Sleep Mattress for £499: If you and your partner can’t decide on which mattress tension to choose, this adaptable mattress with both a firm and softer side may be an excellent compromise. You can flip it over from side to side as you see fit until you both agree on your favorite.
Levitex Sleep Posture Mattress for £759: The unique foam used in this Levitex mattress is designed to make your body feel as weightless as possible, so you feel relaxed and supported. It’s a great choice for anyone keen to improve their sleep quality and posture.
