A pocket sprung mattress is made from individually woven pockets of springs. It tends to feel bouncy and supportive. The more springs the better, particularly if you share a bed, since they provide the support that stops you both rolling into the middle or disturbing each other when you turn.
A memory foam mattress has a reputation for trapping heat, but new formulations of foam offer far better temperature regulation and are well worth considering. They consist of a base layer of supportive foam, usually topped with a second (and in some cases third) layer of softer foam which moulds to your body shape for comfort.
A hybrid mattress, which is the type we focus on in this guide, contains one or more layers of pocket springs and layers of memory foam to provide improved comfort, support and temperature regulation.
There are other, more niche types of mattress out there – such as latex mattresses, which tend to be very expensive – and open-coil mattresses, which tend to be cheap and uncomfortable.
Wash your bed linen every two weeks, use a mattress protector to prevent stains, pull your duvet back to allow it to air everyday, and turn it regularly to avoid sagging, according to Dreams. In the case of spills, use warm soapy water and a cloth as soon as possible.
Most new ‘bed-in-a-box’ mattresses will have a slight chemical odour immediately after unpacking. Air it by an open window for a couple of hour to lessen the effect. It always disappears within a couple of days.
Mattresses cost on average between £350 and £3,000, so you can basically pay what you can afford, with excellent options at each end of the scale.
‘The best way to make your money go further is to do the research,’ says Penny Albright, founder of Easy Sleep Guide. Most people assume that the less you pay, the less you get but that isn’t true with modern mattresses. You can find memory foam for £500 and under. There are many affordable options out there when you look.’
‘Going up a scale, you can spend just under £1,000 on something like the Emma mattress, with three layers of foam for those that need spinal support. Products around this price range also have temperature regulating technologies and are highly breathable. At the top end of the scale, you can get a Simba Hybrid mattress that has seven layers, including one made of pure wool,’ she explains.
Penny also warns that catering for back pain might come with a greater price tag. ‘If you time things just right you can usually get a great deal from some of the top award-winners around January, so being thrifty will really pay off,’ she says.
Always buy the biggest mattress possible without making the room feel cramped. The more you can move around at night, the better you will sleep – especially if you like to spread out when you sleep, or if you sleep with a partner or pets. If you’re buying for a guest room, consider buying two singles instead of one double for flexibility.
According to sleep consultant Dr Neil Stanley, ‘you should buy a new bed when you start noticing your old one.’ This could mean noticing discomfort, waking up with aches and pains or not feeling rested. Worn fabric or squeaky springs are also a tell-tale sign that it’s time to upgrade (or else add a mattress topper as a temporary fix).
Also, a word of warning: ‘remember that each night, you sweat a significant amount of moisture and shed a good amount of dead skin into your mattress,’ Stanley says, ‘So for hygiene reasons it would be good to change your bed regularly.’
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