Best mattress 2024 – 10 best mattresses tried, tested, and recommended

Finding the best mattress for your sleep style can make a huge difference to the quality of your sleep.

That’s where Ideal Home's mattress experts come in, with hundreds of hours of testing experience that can guide you to the best mattress for side sleepers, the best mattress for back pain, or the best memory foam mattress.

We’ve tried, tested, and reviewed bestselling mattresses from the biggest brands – including Simba, Emma, Tempur, Hypnos, Nectar, Silentnight and many more – putting each mattress through its paces to compare comfort, motion transfer, temperature regulation, and edge support.

Read on to find the best mattress for your best night's sleep, and to make sure you have all of the ingredients for restful slumber, head over to our guide to the best duvets next.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best mattresses we've tested. You'll find more information on each mattress and why our review team recommends it if you keep on scrolling.

Best mattresses 2024 – tried and tested

Best mattress overall

The Simba Hybrid Original Mattress is a good all-rounder at a reasonable price point, which makes it our top recommendation for best mattress overall. Plus, it regularly becomes even better value in Simba's frequent sales events, so you'll rarely need to pay full price. 

A hybrid mattress that mixes a cushioning memory foam top layer with pocket spring support, our reviewers describe this as the 'Goldilocks of mattresses – not too soft or too firm'. It's particularly popular with our side sleeping testers who prefer a slightly firmer feeling mattress. The cushioning memory foam layer allows shoulders and hips to sink into the mattress enough for a good spinal alignment, but without sinking in so much that you feel like you're being enveloped.

Our back sleeping testers also found that slightly firmer surface comfortable, with the pocket springs offering support and the memory foam cushioning pressure points for a good night's sleep. Only our front sleepers struggled, needing a firmer base to get comfortable – consider the Sealy Newton Posturepedic mattress or the memory foam-free Hypnos Pillow Top Select mattress if that's you.

The Simba Hybrid Original also impressed our testers who had had bad experiences with overheating on memory foam mattresses before. Simba uses open-cell memory foam in the Hybrid Original which allows thirty times the airflow of regular memory foam. Our reviewers were very happy with the results, with only the hottest of our testers saying they got a little too warm overnight.

The mattress-in-a-box delivery is also great news for those with awkward access, and Simba offers a generous 200-night sleep trial if you buy direct from the brand, meaning you get plenty of time to test out this mattress before you commit.

Our full Simba Hybrid Original mattress review has more detail.

Best mattress for back pain

Finding the best mattress for back pain can be tricky as sadly there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Different types of back pain can need different types of support, so it's always best to seek medical advice before you consider changing your mattress. 

However, sleeping on a too-firm or too-soft mattress can be a common cause of overnight aches and pains. Opting for a hybrid mattress is often a good solution for back pain as this mattress type tends to offer good solid spring support combined with a top comfort layer that cushions the natural curvature of the spine.

The Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress offers all of the above, providing a super supportive base layer of twin-layered nano and pocket springs with a cushioning memory foam top layer that's available in three firmness levels, so you can tailor the mattress tension to your exact requirements to ease aches and pains.

Our reviewers unanimously loved this mattress, scoring it highly in terms of comfort, breathability, motion isolation and edge support. And our back pain-prone tester found that after a few nights on the Ultima her lower back pain was a thing of the past, also praising the lack of motion transfer when her partner tossed and turned nearby.

The only downside is the price. However, Brook + Wilde does occasionally offer discounts, so, time your purchase right and you could be able to snap up this luxury mattress with 20-30% off.

Our full Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress review has more detail.

Best budget mattress

The entry-level Emma Original mattress is a popular choice with many shoppers thanks to its affordable price point and cushioning sleep surface. That budget-friendly price tag is made possible because this is an all-foam mattress that sees a firmer foam core topped with a layer of cushioning memory foam, so there are no coil or pocket springs in sight.

As a result, this is a softer sleep surface than most hybrid mattresses and our testers found it best for lighter weight side sleepers who will appreciate the sink-in support around shoulders and hips. Over time, heavier-weight sleepers may struggle with the lack of spring support as an all-foam mattress is more likely to become compacted with extended use – the Simba Hybrid Original with its additional spring support will likely be a better investment. 

Our back sleeping testers were split, with some finding the softer surface didn't offer enough support around the hips, and others loving that little extra give. Our front sleepers struggled the most on its all-foam construction, with hips sinking in too low for good spinal alignment.

This budget foam mattress also struggles in terms of breathability, with the dense memory foam top layer causing our hot sleepers to overheat in the night. However, it was universally praised by our review team for its motion isolation, with the lack of springs meaning any movement from a fidgety bed partner was almost totally dampened and very little motion transfer occured across the mattress.

The mattress-in-a-box delivery is also super useful for homes with awkward access, and Emma's generous 200-night sleep trial allows you to fully test the mattress in your own home before committing.

Our full Emma Original mattress review has more detail.

Best memory foam mattress

If you have more money to invest, then we'd say this is the best memory foam mattress you can buy. 

Tempur is the brand widely accredited with creating the very first memory foam mattress after adapting the material NASA first invented for use in its space craft. And, although the brand's mattresses don't come cheap, they are the most comfortable memory foam surfaces we've slept on.

If you love the cushioning feel of memory foam but you're a heavierweight sleeper, then Tempur's range of firmness levels are also great news, allowing you to take advantage of that cocooning 'hug' without sinking too deep into the surface. That's a rarity in the world of all foam mattresses, with most – like the Emma Original mattress – taking a one-size-fits-all approach to firmness to keep price points lower. Plus, if a restless partner is causing sleep disturbance, that will be a thing of the past with this mattress thanks to its seriously impressive motion dampening.

However, it does still suffer from some common all-foam mattress niggles. Like the Emma Original mattress, our reviewers felt the Tempur Sensation's edge support is lacking, and that deep memory foam surface does mean if you have mobility issues you might find changing position in bed a little trickier. Our hot sleepers also struggled with the mattress's lack of breathability, with that dense memory foam surface making them more prone to overheat at night, and there was off-gassing odours from the memory foam to contend with for the first few weeks. 

However, many of our testers were willing to look past those niggles because of the degree to which the Tempur Sensation's cushioning surface eased aches and pains and relieved pressure on the hips, back, and shoulders. This is one seriously comfortable mattress that elicited sighs of contentment from every tester who laid down on its surface.

Our full Tempur Sensation mattress review has more detail.

Best mattress for side sleepers

Research has shown that the majority of us sleep on our sides, and as a result there are many mattresses designed with side sleepers in mind, such as the Simba Hybrid Original and Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress higher up this list.

However, in practice, our testers found the Simba Hybrid Original slightly firmer than the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress, so if you're a lightweight side sleeper then you may prefer the Luxe Cooling's softer surface tension that allows shoulders and hips to sink down a little deeper for good spinal alignment. Heavierweight side sleepers will sink into any mattress a little deeper, so a slightly firmer surface like the Simba Hybrid Original can come up trumps comfort-wise.

And, although the Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress offers three surface tensions – including a softer option for lighterweight builds – it's more of an investment if you don't catch it during a sale, so the Emma Luxe Cooling can be a more budget-friendly side sleeping option.

Unlike some Emma mattresses, our reviewers also found the Luxe Cooling does exactly what its name promises, with its extra graphite-infused foam layer offering a more breathable sleep surface than its predecessors, the Emma Premium mattress and the Emma Original mattress.

Emma also runs regular discounts that can see the mattress price significantly reduced, offers mattress-in-a-box delivery that's useful if you have awkward access, and offers a lengthy 200-night manufacturer sleep trial.

Our full Emma Luxe Cooling mattress review has more detail.

Best firm mattress

If you're craving a firmer sleep surface, then the Sealy Newton Posturepedic Mattress is our top recommendation for the best firm mattress. Its firmer feel also makes it a great option for front sleepers.

This is a hybrid mattress that employs open coil springs for support and a layer of latex to create a firm yet still cushioned enough sleep surface. A firm mattress is often recommended for those seeking good postural support in bed, so it was the 'firm' variation of the mattress we tested, although it is also available in a 'medium' tension. 

Designed in conjunction with the Orthopaedic Advisory Board – which Sealy states is a mix of 'orthopaedic surgeons, bio-mechanical engineers, and medical scientists' – our reviewer who suffers from lower back and neck pain was keen to put it to the test and see if it could give the Brook + Wilde Ultima mattress a run for its money as the best mattress for easing back pain.

It took her a while to get used to the firmer latex sleep surface compared to her previous memory foam mattress, but after a month of sleeping on this mattress she gave it the seal of approval, saying 'whilst sleeping on the Sealy Newton Posturepedic mattress, I didn’t wake up with lower backache like I often do'. 

In our tests, the Newton Posturepedic also performed well in terms of edge support and temperature regulation. In fact, the only real downside our reviewer noted was that motion transfer could have been a little better, which is perhaps due to that continuous coil spring unit. However, this wasn't enough to negatively impact sleep in our testing, and if you're looking for a firmer feeling mattress, then we found the Sealy Newton Posturepedic mattress to be a great buy at a decent price point.

Find the full details in our Sealy Newton Posturepedic mattress review.

Best hybrid mattress

A hybrid mattress combines spring support with a cushioning top layer, making it a popular choice with many sleepers looking for the best of both worlds when it comes to mattress construction.

As such, there are a lot of hybrid mattresses on the market and crowning the best-in-class can be a tricky business. However, our reviewer loved the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress. Comfort-wise she found this mattress gave her all the right support in all the right places, easing the back and neck pain she had been suffering from after sleeping on an all-foam mattress without any spring support. And, as a hot sleeper, it also kept her cool at night. 

In our opinion, that improved temperature regulation is the main reason why you might consider investing some more cash and upgrading from the Simba Hybrid Original mattress (which still takes the top spot in our round-up thanks to its lower price point) to the Simba Hybrid Pro.

If you don't have a problem with sleeping warm, then the lower-priced Hybrid Original could still be the best hybrid mattress for you. However, for the step up in cash, the Simba Pro offers an extra temperature-regulating wool layer in its construction and an additional layer of Aerocoil® micro springs that aid breathability by circulating more air through the mattress as it compresses. Our reviewer certainly found those additions worked, saying, 'After sleeping on the Simba Pro for six months I’ve not woken up too hot once, which is amazing for me because I do run warm at night'. 

Our Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review has the full lowdown.

Best cooling mattress for hot sleepers

If you're looking for a cooling mattress then you're likely a hot sleeper who needs a mattress with good breathability – in which case the Hypnos Pillow Top Select mattress is our top recommendation.

This mattress is made predominantly from natural materials, which makes it far more eco-friendly than most synthetic mattresses, and that's also great news for those of us who struggle to sleep on a foam or memory foam mattress without overheating. The natural materials used in the Hypnos Pillow Top Select's fill, plus its airflow-enhancing pocket spring system and ventilation features, mean it proved highly breathable in our tests. Our hot sleeping reviewers crowned it the best cooling mattress they'd tested.

Even better, this breathability is achieved without any compromise on comfort. The clever pillow top design is packed with British wool and responsibly sourced natural plant-based fibres, Himalayan allo, kapok, and cotton, and adds luxurious comfort to its pocket spring base. 

Alongside its foam-free inner, the Hypnos Pillow Top doesn't use chemical fire retardants like most synthetic mattresses, comes in eco-friendly packaging, and can be fully recycled at the end of its lifespan. The real only downside is its price, and a little less motion isolation than a pure foam mattress can provide.

Our full Hypnos Pillow Top mattress review has more detail.

Best 'infused' mattress

'Infusions' are big in the world of mattresses right now. From charcoal and green tea to copper and Panda's bamboo-infused foam, all manner of on-trend ingredients have been blended into mattress foam alongside promises they will provide better sleep. So do they work? The jury's still out as far as we're concerned, however, in the case of Panda's Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, this mattress has plenty going for it beyond its top layer of bamboo-infused foam. 

Before testing this mattress, our reviewer's biggest sleep challenges were overheating and being disturbed by the movement of her partner sleeping adjacent. After six months of testing the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, she found she slept cooler in comparison to her old memory foam mattress – likely thanks to the Hybrid Bamboo Mattress' open-cell foam upper layer that allows for more airflow – and any tossing and turning from her husband was dampened by the combination of two layers of memory foam and a pocket spring core, so her sleep was less disturbed.

That said, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress is an investment. Compared to the Simba Hybrid Original mattress at #1 in our round-up – which benefits from regular discounts that can often be reduced to half price – the Panda mattress is significantly more expensive, both at full RRP and, from our observations, during sale periods. And, whilst the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress' 100-night sleep trial is more than generous, it is still beaten by Simba's current 200-night trial. 

However, those sleep trials offer a brilliant way to test out which mattress is best for you, and if you're looking for a good all-rounder mattress that offers comfort, support, breathability, and motion isolation, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress is well worth having on your radar.

Our full Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress review has more detail.

Longest sleep trial

Similar to the Emma Original mattress, the popular Nectar Memory Foam mattress is an all-foam affair with no springs in sight. However, if you're not yet sure if a memory foam mattress is the right choice for you, the Nectar Memory Foam mattress offers a whopping 365-night sleep trail to help you decide – that's 165 days more than Emma's current 200-night sleep trial.

Just like the Emma Original, the Nectar Memory Foam mattress is a very cushioning sleep surface that's a good option for side sleepers, with very little motion transfer thanks to the movement-dampening effect of the memory foam top layer. Nectar's mattress-in-a-box delivery also makes for easy delivery to homes and rooms with awkward access. 

Similarly to the Emma Original, that pure foam construction means the Nectar Memory Foam mattress may be a little too soft for those of us on the heavier side – a hybrid mattress or the Tempur Sensation memory foam mattress with its three firmness options will likely be the better choice in this case – and if you're a front sleeper then a memory-foam free mattress, like the Sealy Newton Posturepedic mattress or Hypnos Pillow Top Select mattress will offer better support.

So how to choose between the Emma Original and the Nectar Memory Foam mattress? Well, the Nectar option lacks side handles for rotation, its cover isn't removable like the machine-washable Emma Original cover, and our reviewer found its 'new mattress' off-gassing smell took longer to dissipate. 

However, regular Nectar discounts can mean that prices of the Nectar Memory Foam are sometimes slashed beyond that of the Emma Original, so in terms of affordability it's all about when you shop. And, although Emma's 200-night sleep trial is very generous, we all know that time can fly, so a year's worth of snooze-testing is a big selling point.

Other mattress we've tested

Each month we put new mattresses through the Ideal Home review process – from popular bestsellers to the latest launches – to see how they compare to the best-in-class mattresses included in this round-up.

Whilst not all the mattresses we review make the grade and get included in this edit – perhaps they perform well but another option offers better value, they are outshone in one category of our review process, or they get replaced by a newer model – we've included some of the most popular mattresses we've reviewed below so that you can compare their pros and cons for yourself.

• REM-Fit Eco Premium Hybrid mattress review 5 out of 5 stars
• Emma NextGen Premium mattress 4.5 out of 5 stars
• DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Silentnight Lift Replenish Hybrid mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Otty Pure Plus Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal Premium mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• OTTY Pure Hybrid Bamboo and Charcoal mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Emma Select Diamond Hybrid mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Eve Premium Hybrid mattress review 4.5 out of 5 stars
• Woolroom Hebridean 3000 mattress review 4 out of 5 stars
• Emma Premium mattress review 4 out of 5 stars
• Dusk Cool Gel Foam Hybrid Mattress review 4 out of 5 stars

How to choose the best mattress

Whether you’re predominantly a front, side, or back sleeper, your weight, body temperature, and any pre-existing aches and pains, plus whether you sleep alone or with a partner can all affect which mattress is best for you.

Finding the best mattress for your best night's sleep largely comes down to matching a mattress to your sleep preferences. So in this guide, we'll help you to decide which mattress is the best fit for you.

Sleep position

Your favourite sleeping position can be a big factor in which type of mattress you'll find the most comfortable, so it's important to consider whether you're predominantly a side, back, or front sleeper before you start mattress shopping. 

This is because the spine needs to be supported differently for optimum alignment in each of the respective sleep positions, and that's where mattress firmness comes into play. 

As a general rule, mattresses tend to range from soft-medium, medium, and medium-firm, to firm, and extra firm. However, there are no industry-wide standards of mattress firmness, so one manufacturer's medium rating can sometimes be another brand's firm. That's why we always try to include our tester's firmness findings in all of our reviews. 

Your mattress firmness preferences are always a personal decision – there are no right or wrong answers – but below are the generally agreed-upon recommendations for each type of sleeper.

The best mattress for side sleepers

Sleeping on your side allows your spine to relax and therefore takes the pressure off of the back. This makes it one of the healthiest ways to sleep. Side sleepers will generally prefer the cushioning of a medium-soft or medium-firm mattress that allows the shoulder and hips to sink in a little whilst supporting the waist so that the spine can rest in its most natural position.

A hybrid mattress that mixes a pocket-spring base layer with a memory foam or latex top layer can be a popular choice for this style of sleeping due to the cushioning effect that enables the mattress sleep surface to mould to the curves of the body and support natural spine alignment. 

If you're solely a side sleeper, then you could also opt for a more affordable all-foam mattress. This will save you some cash compared to a hybrid mattress, and you likely won't miss the additional spring support as much as a front or back sleeper.

The best mattress for back sleepers

If you're a back sleeper then a medium-firm mattress may well be the best option for you, as it will offer support to the hips and upper back whilst adding a little cushioning to support the lower back too.

Memory foam can also be a good option for this sleep position, although you'll likely want a slightly firmer surface than a side sleeper. You'll probably also prefer a hybrid or pocket-spring mattress for the additional support they offer as opposed to an all-foam mattress.

The best mattress for front sleepers

Generally, this is the sleep style least recommended by osteopaths due to the pressure it can put on the neck, however, front sleeping is still the position of choice for a minority of us. If this is you then your mattress choice could help eliminate some of the pressure put on your spine when sleeping in this position. 

A firm mattress is the best option here as it will keep the hips lifted rather than allowing them to sink, therefore reducing the unnatural curvature of the spine.

You're likely to sleep best on a pocket-spring mattress, as a hybrid mattress topped with memory foam, or an all-foam mattress, are both likely to be too soft for your needs.

Motion isolation

Sharing our bed can have a big impact on potential sleep disturbance, so it's an important factor to consider when choosing a mattress. 

Unfortunately, your mattress choice might not be able to eliminate all of your partner's annoying sleep habits, but if one of you tends to toss and turn in the night or fidget before finding the most comfortable sleep position, or you go to bed and get up at different times, then opting for a mattress with good motion isolation can prevent a lot of night-time disturbance. 

There are two main factors that help to add good motion isolation to a mattress. One is the addition of mini coil springs to a pocket spring or hybrid mattress. These smaller springs can help to absorb and reduce the amount of bounce in the mattress, and therefore reduce vibrations from one side of the mattress to the other  – so far less risk of your partner bouncing you out of bed as they exuberantly get in! 

The other is the addition of a cushioned top layer – like memory foam or latex – which will absorb and have a dampening effect on each partner's movements.

Both are well worth considering if a fidgety sleep buddy is waking you up at night and you're desperately looking for how to sleep better in tandem. Opting for the largest size mattress your room (and budget) allows can also decrease disturbance – our guide to how to choose the right size mattress can help. 

Temperature regulation

If you regularly wake up too hot at night, then it could well be your mattress to blame. Our bodies naturally give off heat and moisture during the night, and with a synthetic mattress, this heat and humidity can be reflected toward the sleeper. 

Whether made from foam or memory foam, a synthetic mattress is constructed from materials that are a variation on polyester or polyurethane – both of them forms of plastic derived from petroleum – and, if you think of their essence as being similar to a plastic bag, it's easy to see why a synthetic mattress can lack breathability and get hot and sweaty pretty quickly! 

A mattress filled with natural materials will generally do the best job of offering breathability and providing the coolest sleep. In our tests, we've found wool-fill mattresses in particular are the hot sleeper's best friend. 

Wool does a great job at regulating temperature throughout the night, helping those prone to overheating or night sweats to maintain a comfortable, steady temperature, and therefore secure a deeper night's sleep. No wonder, seeing as a sheep's temperature-regulating fleece keeps it warm in the winter and cool in the summer! Wool is also naturally absorbent, wicking moisture away from the body and releasing it into the air, therefore creating a 'breathable' mattress that's ideal for hot sleepers.

An entry-level natural-fill or wool-filled mattress will generally be more of an investment than an entry-level synthetic mattress, but if night-time overheating is affecting your sleep quality then it can be an investment in your wellbeing that's well worth making.

If overheating is a concern but you want the affordability of a synthetic mattress, then look out for terms like 'air-flow' and 'cooling' which generally demonstrate attempts have been made to allow the dissipation of heat away from the body. 

A wool mattress protector or mattress topper can also do a great job of helping to combat the overheating associated with a synthetic mattress. If you're not sure which option is right for you, then our guide to a mattress topper vs new mattress can help.

Sleep trials

To help us to avoid any expensive mattress buying mistakes, and all of the palaver of how to get rid of a mattress that isn't suitable, a wide range of mattress manufacturers now offer sleep trials to allow you to test out a mattress in the comfort of your own home, night after night, before committing.

This can be a great way of taking some of the stress out of this major investment purchase, especially as experts tend to say it can take up to three months to get used to sleeping on a new mattress.

You'll usually have to pay for the mattress upfront, and there will generally be terms and conditions to abide by to qualify for a return and refund so always check the small print, but a sleep trial can be a great way to find out of a mattress is the right fit for you.

Generally speaking, you'll need to buy from the mattress manufacturer directly to take advantage of a sleep trial, and trial periods can differ considerably in length, with Emma and Simba both currently offering a 200-night sleep trial, and Nectar offering a whopping 365 nights.

How we test mattresses

Ideal Home's sleep experts have multiple years of experience in putting mattresses to the test. We know our open-cell foam from our high-density viscoelastic, and our pocket springs from our coil springs. In the course of our testing, we've also developed extensive knowledge of what makes the best night's sleep – in our opinion that's breathability, temperature regulation, motion isolation, cushioning, and support.

In order to compile this guide to the best mattresses you can shop, our mattress reviewers have tested out bestselling mattresses from the leading brand names in the world of sleep. Each mattress has then been rated, and compared by our sleep experts, and only our top recommendations are included in this guide.

Amy Lockwood

Amy is the Ideal Home team's Consumer Expert for all things sleep-related. She regularly tests out the best-in-class mattresses and commissions reviews of the latest launches for this guide. She knows her pocket-spring from her memory-foam, and everything in between, as well as putting the best duvets through their paces, sourcing the best pillows for a good night's sleep, and rounding up the best cooling mattress toppers, amongst many more night time essentials.

You can click here to find out more about how we review products at Ideal Home, and here to find out how we test mattresses specifically. You can rest assured that we only recommend mattresses that our team of reviewers has tested in person. 

Each mattress has been sleep-tested in the homes of our review team and slept on for a minimum of a month – in most cases far longer – before we write our review. This enables our reviewers to adjust to each new sleep surface and assess a mattress's performance over the course of multiple weeks.

We test out the mattress' comfort, motion isolation, edge support, breathability, and temperature regulation to find the best mattress for a variety of needs. We also make sure to take into account additional factors such as the delivery process, any off-gassing in the case of foam mattresses, sleep trials, and, of course, price point, in making our recommendations.