10 Best Memory Foam Mattress UK (Expert Buyers Guide) – 2023

The Emma mattress has a nice medium firm feel to it with layers of memory foam, cooling aerogel foam and supportive cool foam. The result? A highly supportive mattress that bounces back quickly and doesn’t trap you in place.

It has free delivery and if you don’t like it you have a free return as well within the 100-nights you get to test it for.

The cover is soft, breathable, and washable so you’re kept comfortable all night long I’m personally a very hot sleeper so need the cooling features, and I can say they’ve been great! I got a king size Emma mattress and tried it through the hot weather of summer and didn’t overheat once.

I also tried it on the floor and a slatted bedframe and it worked perfectly on both.

An excellent investment in your sleep and one of the best memory foam mattresses.

Read the full review of the Emma mattress here.

3. Best Cheap Memory Foam Mattress – SILENTNIGHT 7-ZONE

• 3 Layers
• 5 Year Guarantee
• Good Budget Mattress
• Varied Firmness

Price

PRICE

The seven zones in this mattress mean that it’s firmer in the middle and softer at the ends, which gives you the right support in the right places.

While this mattress is an absolute bargain and really great value, I should say now that it won’t be suitable for everybody.

For people who are around 100kg, the 20cm thickness may be a problem because you might be able to feel the bottom of the bed beneath you. However, most people shouldn’t experience this.

This mattress is really squishy and comfortable and has a plush cover which acts as a bit of cushioning against the foam layers.

The guarantee that comes with this mattress is a bit strange, here’s how it works:

Year One: Standard warranty, including labour and transportation cost included.

Year Two: Almost the same as after one year but if you get a replacement mattress, you have to cover the transportation cost.

Year Two-Three:This is the beginning of a sliding scale of charges. If you claim, then you pay £250 of the current retail price.

Year Three-Four: You pay 60% of the current retail price.

Year Four-Five: You pay 80% of the current retail price.

With this in mind, if your mattress has a defect you’ll know about it straight away. You shouldn’t need to use the warranty anyway.

This mattress comes rolled up in a vacuum-packed bag, so when it arrives, leave it unrolled so it will regain its shape. There will be a smell for the first little while but that will disappear.

Read the full Silentnight 7 Zone review here

4. Best Hybrid Spring and Foam Mattress – Simba Hybrid Mattress

Simba started out supplying thread to mattress companies the world over, before delving into making their own superb mattresses.

They’ve combined pocket spring with sympatex, a combo of memory foam and latex into a superbly comfortable and supportive mattress

They’ve even gone so far as to partner with the Sleep to Live Institution. They’ve looked at the sleeping profiles of over ten million people, to find out exactly what people need from their mattress.

This is Simba’s only mattress since they’re confident this is the only mattress anyone would ever need and it’s available in a range of sizes from single through double to king-size.

When this mattress arrives it might have an odd smell because of the memory foam. That’s totally normal, it’ll dissipate after a day or so, just air it out before sleeping on it.

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You’ll get a 100-night trial with this one and it also comes with a ten-year guarantee – exactly what you want.

5. Best Firm Memory Foam Mattress – STUDIO BY SILENTNIGHT

• Firm Feel
• Comes Vacuum Packed And Rolled
• Trusted Brand
• 5 Year Guarantee

Price & Reviews

Once again Silentnight are doing it right, their Studio mattress is a perfect mattress for anyone wanting a firmer feel. It comes rolled up in a box similar to the Nectar mattress so you can easily maneuver it into the right room and set it up

This mattress comes in three different firmnesses, a soft a medium and a firm mattress, I’ve linked to the firm one as we’ve got a lot of great memory foam mattress for a medium feel so thought a firm one was due!

But if you don’t want the firm one then just click through and there are links to the other ones there.

A nice feel across this whole mattress with plenty of support for back and front sleepers, an ideal choice for anyone looking for a firmer mattress.

WHAT ACTUALLY IS MEMORY FOAM?

A good place to start.

Memory foam is a viscoelastic material (say that five times faster).

This basically means that memory foam will get softer when it’s exposed to heat. What this means for you, is that when you lie on a memory foam mattress, it will soften and mould to the shape of your body.

Maximum comfort!

A memory foam mattress is usually made up of a thin layer of memory foam on top, with a firmer foam underneath it. This is great because it means you won’t sink too far into your mattress and you’ll get the support you need.

What’s cool (at least I think it is…) is that memory foam was actually invented by Nasa as a seat material for their aircrafts. They needed a seat that could withstand the force of takeoffs and landings. The result? An early form of the memory foam we now have today! Pretty cool right?

WHO IS MEMORY FOAM GOOD FOR?

I think memory foam is now good for pretty much anyone thanks to the improvements in it that have happened over the last 20 years. But in particular, it’s good for two types of people:

Back and Side Sleep positions

Front sleepers won’t get on so well but side sleepers, in particular, will do great on a memory foam mattress because the comfort layer of the memory foam allows your shoulders and hips to sink in keeping your spine level and your back happy. More side sleeper mattresses here and more back sleeper mattresses here.

Back sleepers will also sink in nicely letting their hips fall into place and their whole body relax so you get kept still without feeling trapped allowing for a restful night’s sleep.

Front sleepers will struggle because your face can start to sink in which can block your breathing and wake you up through the night. I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous just not comfortable, front sleepers are better off with a different type of mattress like a spring mattress. However, if you’re a fornt sleeper and heart-set on getting a memory foam mattress, you can compensate for this by getting a thinner pillow.

Couples

Memory foam helps limit motion transfer across the mattress so when your partner moves you won’t feel it. Compared to old spring mattresses where you’d get bounced out of bed if your partner sat on the other side.

I know I’m a light sleeper and if my wife gets up I notice, but with a memory foam mattress for the first time ever we had a morning where she got up before me without waking me up! Heavy sleepers won’t know what I’m talking about but all you slight sleepers will.

People With Back Pain

Nothing beats the pressure relieving comfort of memory foam if you’ve got back problems. Pressure points in your joints can suffer through the night without the right support, and foam lets these points get fully embraced and supported so you don’t end up waking up with aches and pains.

In particular, it allows complete support of your back relieving the pressure on it and letting it fully relax.

WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS?

These problems usually happen if you go for a cheaper memory foam mattress, so it’s good to be aware of them.

1. Trapped Heat

Old memory foam mattresses were really bad for keeping heat in. You’d wake up way too hot and really sweaty. Not ideal.

Memory foam mattresses are now designed with multiple layers including a specially designed cooling layer which solves this problem, since the air can flow letting out your body heat. If you add a breathable mattress cover as the top layer, then you have a winning combo.

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2. Getting Stuck!

If you had an older memory foam mattress, then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about already.

Older memory foam wasn’t as responsive as it is now, so after getting comfy to fall asleep, you might have found yourself being stuck in the spot all night.

Fortunately, if you roll over on a memory foam mattress now, you aren’t going to feel like you’re rolling uphill because it quickly springs back supporting you as you move and giving your freedom to move around a little.

3. The Smell

Unfortunately, all brand new memory foam mattresses have a weird smell when you unpack them.

However, the good news is that this is easily fixed! All you need to do is air it out for a few hours and the smell will go away.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES?

1. IT’S GREAT FOR JOINT AND BACK PAIN

I mentioned it briefly already, but memory foam is brilliant if you suffer from joint or back pain.

It’s designed to mould around your body while you sleep, which means you’ll sink deeper around your shoulders and hips but not your middle. This means your back will be completely aligned giving you superb pressure relief and a wonderful night’s sleep.

2. IT’S SO COMFORTABLE!

Memory foam hugs your body and makes you feel almost weightless which keeps you still through the night and letting you sleep undistrubed. The only real way to describe it is to try it yourself, once you do you’ll be hooked and wonder how you ever slept before.

3. IT’S HYPOALLERGENIC!

If you’re an asthma sufferer or troubled by allergies, then this is for you.

Memory foam is naturally resistant to dust mites and germs so keep much fresher and cleaner than other mattresses which can end up full of dust and other nastiness I’m sure you don’t want to sleep on.

For an extra precaution, you could even consider getting one with a washable cover so any chance of dust getting trapped is removed leaving you fresh and comfortable night after night.

4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TURN THEM!

I’m a huge fan of convenience, so this is a big positive for me.

Because memory foam mattresses are usually made up of lots of layers, you don’t need to flip them. The top layer is where the cooling and memory foam layers will be with a firmer layer on the base, so if you flipped it you’d be removing the soft side and sleeping on the less supportive firm side. Plus the top cover is usually quilted in some way and designed to be breathable while the underside is designed to be grippy.

Long story short, please don’t flip your memory foam mattress!

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS?

Now that you know everything you could need to know, here’s what you should be looking for in your perfect memory foam mattress.

1. LAYERS

This is arguably the most important feature of a memory foam mattress.

Proper layers are what make sure you don’t sink too far into your mattress and are what stop you from getting stuck in the same spot all night. They also let air flow through the mattress, which’ll keep you cool.

It’s normally layers of foam that are made of cooling foam, memory foam and sometimes latex split into different sizes depending on the brand and how high-quality it is.

You could even opt for a hybrid memory foam mattress, which is a mix of foam and springs. I think these are great, since you get the support from the foam and the bounce from the springs.

2. COOLING FEATURES

Make sure you find out if your mattress has some kind of cooling feature, since without it it’s likely you’ll overheat though there are ways to cool a memory foam mattress.

The most common features are usually related to the layers or sometimes the cover that has been designed for the mattress.

3. A GUARANTEE

Some of the best mattress companies in the UK will offer you a 10-year warranty. Does your mattress do that?

You should also check the trial period that your mattress comes with. Some online retailers will give you a whopping 100-night trial, so you have just under three months to test out your mattress before committing to it.

4. FINANCING

Although a worthy investment, mattresses can still be a big spend, fortunately, many of the UK online mattress companies have easy 0% financing options so you can order and pay it off in smaller monthly installments. And 0% interest means you’re not paying any more than if you’d bought it all at once.

5. IS IT 100% FOAM

Like I said before, quite often memory foam mattresses are a combination of springs and foam, normally called a hybrid mattress. These are great offering a firmer and more traditional feel for those who are perhaps worried about going for 100% foam.

SHOULD I BUY MY MATTRESS ONLINE?

This is something that I know trips a lot of people up, since many are wary of buying big things online.

However, the online mattress business is booming, with some companies dealing exclusively online sending you out a mattress-in-a-box. Doing this and offering large trial periods means that these companies can keep their prices low.

On top of all that, mattresses bought online are super convenient because they can be shipped to your door, vacuum-packed.

A really great value choice.

OTHER MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS I REVIEWED

Eve Mattress

The Eve memory foam mattress is loved across the UK, with over 2000 5 star reviews the public speak the truth! A thoroughly tested mattress and comfortable for every type of sleeper the eve really does hit a home run.

3 Layers gives it maximum comfort with the first layer of state of the art responsive memory foam gets you started on the right foot. Designed to spring back much faster than its traditional counterparts it stops you sinking in and getting stuck in your own grooves.

Its second layer checks another box by being 3cm of the delightful cooling core which is 30% more breathable than other memory foams. All this on top of a firm base to ensure you get the support you need.

You can order it on 0% finance and get a 100-night trial to fully try it out and get to know it. Then you have the 10-year guarantee to have you sleeping soundly for over a decade. Check out our full review here.

Leesa Memory Foam Mattress

The Leesa mattress keeps it simple with 3 layers, not unlike the Eve above.

Layer 1 is the cooling Avena foam which has a little more bounce to it making it nice and comfortable while allowing for airflow underneath and stopping you getting too hot.

Layer 2 is 5 cm of pressure reloiveing memory foam that contours to your body giving that cloud like feel every one loves.

Layer 3 is 15 cm of Dense core support giving you a firm base that keeps you comfortable and supported through the whole night.

But what I really like is that they donate one mattress for every 10 sold and have helped non profit organisations teh world over. Here in the UK they’ve helped out homles charities in London, Manchester, edinburugh, Cardiff, and Exeter.

Some companies only pretend to give back so it’s nbice to hear that Leesa really are doing their bit to make the world better.

DORMEO OCTASPRING HYBRID

The Dormeo Octaspring mattress is quite a unique memory foam mattress because it has these foam “Octasprings” in it.

These are octagonal springs made out of foam that provide more firmness that normal foam while still being softer and more malleable than a traditional metal spring.

They’re also much more breathable than foam allowing air to pass through the whole thing to stop you overheating through the night.

And these octasprings are on top of a layer of traditional pocket springs giving you, even more, bounce and feel than traditional memory foam making this the ideal choice for someone who’s not quite ready for a full memory foam experience.

Read more Dormeo Octaspring reviews here.

Kayflex Plus 5000

• Great Price
• Hybrid Pocket Spring And Memory Foam
• Comes Vac Packed
• Medium Feel

Price & reviews

Kayflex have nailed the budget memory foam mattress.

This Hybrid mattress combines memory foam and pocket springs to give you a nice responsive mattress. It’s a medium feel so great for side sleepers and a really great price to boot!

The memory foam stops roll together and is, of course, hypoallergenic so you can’t go wrong.

Tempur Cloud Memory Foam Mattress

Tempur are the original memory foam mattress makers and still one of the best but….

Their mattresses are super expensive! You could end up spending more than £1,500 on a Tempur mattress when you can get an equivalent mattress from an online company for a fraction of the price.

That said, they have a lot of brand trust behind them and so I thought they were worth including. The Cloud memory foam mattress has an extra soft layer which is the memory foam that cradles the body while the base is a firmer material so you don’t sink in too deeply.

The outer cover is washable which helps keep it clean and fresh. and the motion control keeps you sleeping soundly no matter what side of the bed you sleep on.

More Tempur mattress reviews

FAQS ON THE BEST MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES

Can I use my memory foam mattress on a slat bed frame?

Yes you can! You want a mattress , like the Nectar, that doesn’t need flipped if you’re going to use a slat bed frame, but generally they are absolutely fine. I’ve got the best slat bed mattresses here if you’re interested.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS?

Prevention is definitely easier than trying to clean a mattress!

If you want to look after your mattress, I would consider getting a mattress protector to keep it clean and fresh.

However, if the worst has happened and the end is nigh, use a damp cloth (no wetter than a baby wipe) to clean the area.

Different manufacturers have different recommendations though, so make sure you check what they say. And check out our article for how often you should change your mattress in case you actually need a new one, not a clean one.

CAN I GET MY CHILD A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS?

Sure!

You can even get memory foam mattresses for cribs, so memory foam mattresses are totally fine for kids.

They might even sleep better!

Am I Better off with a memory foam mattress topper?

you might be if you don’t have enough money and can’t afford the price tag of a new memory foam mattress. Mattress toppers are a great way to increase the life of your mattress and bring in some much-needed comfort. (You can see my memory foam mattress topper recommendations here)

If your mattress is just one giant sag or has springs pointing out of it, however, you’re going to need a new one. No amount of toppers is going to be able to save it!

I’M REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT THIS! WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Like I said before: buying a mattress is a big deal. If you aren’t sure or want some more advice, please leave your questions in the comment box below. I’ll be able to get back to you and help you out!

HAPPY SLEEPING!

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