Best Memory Foam Mattress – Reviews And Awards 2021 UK
Are you ready to strangle your old pocket sprung mattress? One way to get away from coils is to switch to memory foam. If you had trouble in the past with a foam mattress (severe dips, strange chemical smells), then do not worry.
The good news is that memory foam has advanced quite a bit. Gone are the times when such beds were just slabs of foam with no support. These days, they include materials that are approved by NASA and other technologies that provide a fantastic night’s sleep.
So which memory foam mattress is the best? (See the best beds from different brands and materials).
We believe in choice. For this reason, we did not pick one mattress and one alone. We picked seven of the best memory foam mattresses so that you can find something that is best suited to your needs. This article will also reveal more about each mattress, including what makes them so good, what kind of guarantee and night trial you can expect, and the awards that were given to these beds and their brands.
Please note that all prices were correct at the time of writing and that we show the “double” size without the base.
1. The Emma Original Mattress By Emma – 3 Layers Of Memory Foam At £529
We are going to open the show with a superstar. When the Emma bed brand created their Original mattress, their ultimate goal was a lofty one. They aimed to create something that would overtake the best pocket sprung mattresses. Shoot, why not every type of bed out there? Well, they came pretty close. With this Emma mattress, some might even say that they succeeded – if awards and sales count for anything. Indeed, this softy is the UK’s top seller and most-awarded mattress on the market. But let’s have a look at those layers and see why people go gaga over this memory foam mattress.
In case you would rather look at other types of beds, you can visit our top picks for the best pocket sprung mattresses. More into latex? We’ve got you covered there too. We also found and reviewed the best latex mattresses on the market today.
Meet The Mattress
The top layer of the Original mattress contains Airgocell foam. When a material has one job and does it well, a mattress is already ahead of most beds on the market. But the Airgocell foam is a triple threat. How so? Well, this top can breathe.
It allows the layer of foam to remove stale air from the Original mattress. The breathability also removes moisture and keeps the body cool during hot nights. In the middle of the mattress is a comfort layer of visco-elastic memory foam. This type of foam gives back sleepers and other snoozing positions all the comfort and support that they need. It also removes back pain and provides great pressure relief. The base layer of the Emma mattress is something called HRX foam. This is sturdy stuff. Not only does it act as a stabilizer for the rest of the mattress but it also helps to keep the spine straight, well-rested, and healthy.
See the best beds for a bad back to improve your nights if you suffer from back pain. We also found and reviewed the best mattresses for arthritis. Spine-Health offers five great tips for dealing with chronic pain at bedtime.
The Home Trial And Guarantee
Is there a night trial period? Yes. Emma allows customers to test this mattress at home. The night trial period is amazing. Some brands only offer a 60-night or 100-night trial. But let’s say you want to switch your old pocket sprung mattress for this foamy wonder. You can test it for 200 nights – which is more than enough time to make up your mind. Should a customer feel that this is the best memory foam mattress for them, then the brand will activate a 10-year guarantee.
As a bed-in-a-box, the Emma mattress is vacuum packed for easy delivery and handling. At the end of the day, Emma gives their customers plenty of time to decide on a mattress, no matter if it’s a single, double or super king. Whatever you choose, they will give it a decade of protection and send a box that is easy to carry upstairs to your chosen bedroom.
Awards And Reviews
Here are just some of the awards that the Original Emma mattress has won. They include a Which? Best Buy award in 2020, a near-perfect score in 9 categories during tests conducted by The Mattress Guide in 2020, being named the Best Mattress in the BMUK Awards (2020) and winning the Best Mattress Reviewed prize during the 2020 TMG Awards.
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Emma mattress review for more information.
2. The Simba Hybrid Mattress By Simba – 6 Layers Of Memory Foam And Springs At £538.30
One day, Simba designers stared at their drawing board and pondered what the perfect mattress might look and feel like. They made some scribbles and the result was the Simba Hybrid mattress. Sure, sure, you caught us.
We snuck a hybrid mattress into a list that is supposed to be about the best memory foam mattresses. Guilty. But.
Meet The Mattress
The Simba Hybrid mattress is not a classic pocket sprung bed. Those giant loose springs that we all know and hate are not inside this bed. Yay! But before we get to the coils, let’s view the layers in order. The top layer is a breathable sheet that covers the mattress and allows air to circulate. This prevents staleness and stuffiness. Underneath the upper sheet is an open-cell memory foam layer. Open-cell technology also basically helps air to move more easily through the mattress, keeping it cool and fresh.
Are you looking for more tips on how to stay cool during hot nights? The Sleep Council has great advice on how to banish those irritating summer evenings and sleep well. You can read their article to stay cool on hot nights.
Ah, next up are those springs. They are called the AEROCOIL® SPRING-COMFORT LAYER. Due to their small size, these springs are technically called micro-coils. That does not mean that they are weak or anything. Despite their small size, the springs are remarkably strong and useful. Each coil is also wrapped in their own pocket as well, which protects the springs for a longer life. The fabric pockets also allow them to work both individually and yet together as a sensitive unit that provides support to every movement you make. The springs are also made from a titanium alloy. This is another reason why this Simba hybrid mattress will last for a long time.
The next layer is high-definition memory foam. In the field of sleeping products, this material is used to add more support to the best memory foam mattresses. The foam steadies the firmness of the bed, making it very helpful to those with back pain. It also does not matter if people are back sleepers or side sleepers. This material erases pressure points for all sleepers. The second-last layer echoes several traits of the previous sheet. The thick support base is made from stiff memory foam. It has several support zones that also zap those annoying shoulder, hip, and head pressure areas. The final layer is actually more like a protective holder. For better and longer-lasting cleanliness and protection, it keeps most of the mattress enclosed within.
Love a fresh bed? You can use our best tips to keep your mattress clean and crisp.
Why stick to one brand when looking for the best mattresses to support your favourite sleeping position? We wrote three articles to discuss the best mattresses for back sleepers, the best beds for side sleepers, and we also found the best mattresses for stomach sleepers. Back sleepers and side sleepers all need extra luxury, like great cushions and the best mattress toppers.
The Home Test And Guarantee
The Simba hybrid, which is available in eight sizes (including the super king-size) offers a wonderful night trial period and guarantee. As you probably already know, not all mattress products have fantastic trials or warranties but that is not the case with Simba. It does not matter if you choose the single, double or that super king memory foam mattress, all of them can be tested at home for the same period of time.
You can snuggle into that comfy top layer (and the rest of the mattress) for a 200-night trial period. Should you dislike the mattress for some reason, Simba will collect it for free and without any hassles. But should you decide that this is the best memory foam mattress for you, then you will get a 10-year warranty. Like all mattresses, memory foam can sometimes glitch or tear. In the rare event that this happens and your mattress is still inside its 10-year guarantee, then Simba will simply replace it with a new one.
Awards And Reviews
This bed-in-a-box has a spectacular answer to the question, “Is memory foam the best mattress?” Over the years, the mattress has raked in nine industry awards. All of these accolades were given to the Simba Hybrid mattress by highly respected institutions and review sites. Some of the best mattress awards include a Which? Best Buy award in 2020, the Good Housekeeping Institute also placed its seal of approval on the foam memory mattress in 2019. It also received great reviews and approval from Ideal Home, Real Homes, and Men’sHealth UK.
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Simba mattress review to learn more about their best mattresses, special deals, and authentic customer reviews.
3. The Memory Foam Mattress By Nectar Sleep – 5 Layers Of Memory Foam At £549
In their quest to create the cosiest mattress, the Nectar Sleep brand created a gem. Today, their Memory Foam Mattress is one of the most popular products on the market. This is mostly due to the quality and luxury feel.But there is something else too. The brand also honours the one thing that is so important to some consumers, that without it, they will leave to go and buy a product elsewhere.
The best mattress with memory foam (and other fillings, really) should have a proper guarantee and night trial period. You won’t get better than this one.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we will quickly look at each layer of the mattress. If anything, this will show why the mattress can convince anyone never to snooze on classic pocket springs again.
Meet The Mattress
Nectar’s memory foam mattress is a five-layer sandwich filled with softness and support. The top layer of this bed has abilities found only in the best memory foam mattresses. Nobody can sleep when their bed is trying to cook them like last night’s dinner. These days, it is important to have mattresses with memory foam top-cooling abilities and that is what you will get. The upper layer senses movements and as you turn, it pulls the heat away from your body so that you can stay cool and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Just like the top cover, the second layer also regulates temperature. It also has an extra duty which is to remove moisture. The third layer of memory foam is designed to do what most pocket sprung mattresses are good at. In other words, it gives support to your body while you sleep or move. Another trait it shares with the best springs is the removal of those pesky pressure points. Needless to say, this type of foam comfort is a welcome feature for heavier side sleepers.
In case you want even more body support, the fourth layer is a stronger type of foam than the previous one. As a bonus, it is also lined with support zones. The latter is another trademark feature of the best memory foam mattresses. The final layer is a movement-resistant material that prevents your memory foam mattress from sliding around on the base.
Do you currently have a mattress that is travelling all over the frame? Homesteady has a handy 2-in-1 article. One part gives helpful tips to prevent beds from sliding around on floors while the other half explains how you can stop that mattress from moving around on the base. Visit their page to learn how to keep your mattress in place.
The Home Test And Guarantee
But what about that wonderful home trial and warranty? We will not keep you in suspense any longer. Nectar Sleep is one of two mattress brands that offer the best trial-and-warranty deals in the business. Some say this makes them the best memory foam mattress brands and it is hard to argue with that logic.
The trial period is a year long. That’s right – 365 days. Some of the best guarantees on the market consist of a 20-year warranty but not even that offer can beat Nectar Sleep. In the event that you buy a mattress from them, whether it’s a single or a super king bed, you can look forward to a lifetime warranty.
In case you are interested, the other brand with a lifetime guarantee and a year-long home test is the DreamCloud bed company. You can look at their mattresses, awards, and products on the DreamCloud website.
Awards And Reviews
Has anybody hurled any awards at this bed’s memory foam? Top mattress awards were recently given to Nectar’s mattress. The best include The Best Overall Mattress by The Sleep Foundation, The Independent named the bed as one of the 2020’s best memory foam mattresses (it also beat several pocket sprung mattresses for the honour), and The Good Housekeeping Institute also recently approved of the mattress.
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Nectar Sleep mattress review.
4. The Premium Mattress By Eve Sleep – 4 Layers Of Memory Foam At £948
The Eve Sleep bed brand is famous for three things. First, the brand creates mattresses that are stylish and simple. They are mostly white with yellow lines and tags. Secondly, they craft memory foam mattresses of the highest quality. Finally, they also make waves as a popular bed-in-a-box company. Want a super king foam mattress? The vacuum-packed item will arrive at your home as a small, easy-to-handle package. This is definitely preferable to manoeuvring a full-size super king mattress up those stairs!
Intrigued by the idea of a bed-in-a-box? Take a moment and look at all the top boxed mattresses from different brands.
Meet The Mattress
While there are other fantastic boxed beds out there, let’s look at the star of the moment – the Premium Mattress by Eve Sleep. It has four layers of memory foam and then two extra layers that add comfort and functionality to the bed. The top cover is dreamy. It is removable and washable. But this top layer also keeps things hygienic while you sleep. Indeed, the sheet is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. The bottom layer is a non-slip coating that keeps the mattress in place on the base. Sandwiched between these two are the four memory foam sheets.
The first one is such a soft memory foam layer that it was given a very apt name – floatfoam®. Similar to pocket springs, it also provides excellent pressure relief and a soft-medium feel. The best memory foam mattress should not only be supportive but also cooling. This temperature control benefit lies in the second layer of this bed-in-a-box. How does it work? The memory foam is infused with charcoal which gets rid of excessive body heat. This is a welcome feature during hot summer nights or when you feel feverish.
Speaking of a fever, a cold or the flu can interfere with a good night’s rest. WebMD has good tips to help yourself or someone in your family get the sleep they need when they are ill. You can read their helpful article on how to sleep better when ill.
While the first two sheets are designed to add comfort and coolness, the next layer of this memory foam mattress keeps your spine in top shape. The secret is the density which makes this foam stiffer than most. It keeps the spine well-aligned no matter how strangely you sprawl in your sleep. This will reduce those dreaded backaches first thing in the morning. Finally, the base sheet acts as a strong anchor that keeps the rest of the mattress healthy and long-lasting.
The Home Test And Guarantee
So, how long are the guarantee and trial period? Thanks to a 100-night trial period, you can indeed test this bed at home. While it is not a year-long or even 200 days, a 100-night trial on a brand new mattress is a pretty good deal. Eve Sleep will also not quibble if you feel that this is not the best mattress for you. But customers who decide to keep the mattress can look forward to 10-year guarantee (which is also pretty decent). You can read more about their terms and conditions on their warranty page.
Awards And Reviews
Do you only sleep on prize winners? Then the Premium bed might be the best memory foam mattress for you. In 2019, it won a Which? Best Buy award. This bed-in-a-box also performs well with customer reviews. At the time of writing, around 992 Trustpilot reviews gave this vacuum-packed wonder a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Eve Sleep review to meet their stylish mattresses, baby beds, and more.
5. The Mattress-Now Comfortable Mattress By Silentnight – 1 Layer Of Memory Foam At £169
The Silentnight bed brand makes both pocket sprung and memory foam mattresses. They also focus on environmentally-friendly ranges that use a lot of recycled plastic. They use what in their mattresses? You read that right. Silentnight takes plastic bottles and breaks them down into micro-fibres that are surprisingly useful and comfortable inside beds.
You can read more about their unusual green policy. But at the end of the day, this makes their beds fully recyclable, which is good news for the planet and those who care about Earth.
Meet The Mattress
The bed we choose is the Mattress-Now Comfortable Mattress. Besides its great price, the mattress seems to do a great job with just one layer of memory foam. This is a perfect situation if you are looking for a highly-affordable mattress that does not have springs and is delivered as a bed-in-a-box. But what is so special about this one layer of foam comfort? This kind of memory foam is called Miratex. Most people would agree that the best memory foam mattress should both be luxuriously soft but it should also provide support. This is exactly what Miratex memory foam does.
As a bonus, one will also receive a top cover that is one of the best products if you desire a hypoallergenic mattress. Besides this hygienic top cover, the entire mattress is also treated with Purotex. The friendly probiotic bacteria removes moisture and dust mites for a healthier and fresh sleeping environment.
Looking for the best beds at a budget buy? There is no need to search for hours. We did the homework and found the top mattresses that are both quality products and cheap.
The Mattress-Now Comfortable Mattress is also suitable as a bunk bed. If you are looking for the best kids mattresses, we wrote a good article about the best cot beds that are safe and promote better sleep.
The Home Test And Guarantee
Silentnight also offers a 60-night comfort exchange for this mattress. This trial period is not the longest in the industry. However, the time period is roughly two months. For most people, this should be sufficient time to sleep on the decision to buy or not. But in the event that you decide that foam comfort is not really for you and you might want to try pocket springs, then no biggie. (You can also look at our best mattress with pocket springs collection over here). Those who decide to keep their bed-in-a-box can expect a 3-year warranty. In all honesty, yes, this is the shortest guarantee you are likely to see. But the limited warranty probably has something to do with the fact that there is only one layer of memory foam and also the low price of the mattress.
We also found and reviewed the best free home trial periods on the market. Be sure to look at these home trials for beds if you want to test your new mattress before buying.
Awards And Reviews
Despite the short guarantee, plenty of consumers have already purchased these memory foam mattresses in different sizes. Many have left great reviews and you can read them on the bed’s own page at Silentnight. But in case you do not feel like jumping to another page right now, here is the gist of what people had to say.
At the time of writing, the mattress scored a combined rating of 8.1 out of 10. That is pretty fantastic. What about awards? Well, the Mattress-Now Comfortable Mattress has not yet won any awards. However, it does belong to a brand that has won many accolades for quality products. But besides having received prizes for mattresses, the carbon-neutral company has also won awards for other things. Like encouraging apprenticeship and job creation. Silentnight also belongs to the Forest Stewardship Council (which focuses on ethical sourcing of natural materials like timber).
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Silentnight mattress review to learn more about their bouncy pocket springs and luxurious memory foam.
6. The Memory Plus Memory Foam Mattress By Dormeo – 2 Memory Foam Layers At £249.99
The Dormeo bed brand also makes mattresses with pocket springs, memory foam, and hybrids. But when it comes to foamy stuff, they are known for using only the best Italian memory foam. This touch of quality is just the beginning.
Dormeo often gives free gifts with each mattress that they sell and their guarantee is also fantastic. But without further waffle, let’s dive into the best memory foam mattress we chose from Dormeo.
Meet The Mattress
The Memory Plus Memory Foam Mattress is available in five sizes, from single to super king size. No matter the size, the mattress consists of two different layers of memory foam. One layer is extra thick memory foam, designed to create a feeling of comfort and luxury when you sleep. The memory foam mattress also contains something called Ecocell Foam. This memory foam is nifty because it was designed to stay elastic forever. The foam also has a three-dimensional cellular structure that not only adds support but also keeps the memory foam mattress well-ventilated. Thanks to the deep support and great feeling of snugness, you can look forward to a good night’s sleep.
The memory foam layers also include other noteworthy perks. For starters, they fight allergens and dirt. This helps to keep the mattress hygienic and also to help manage allergies triggered by dust mites and other microbes. But why only keep your mattress allergen-free? Should you or somebody in your family suffer from serious allergies, the Mayo Clinic has a great article. It is full of advice about how to keep your entire home allergen-free.
This memory foam mattress also eliminates motion transfer between partners. This is a very welcome feature for couples who get up or go to sleep at different times (or when one partner tosses and turns). If you hate flipping a mattress over, then here is some more good news. The only maintenance in that regard is that the memory foam mattress only needs to be rotated once in a while. Turning a mattress is easy. So easy, in fact, that anyone can do it, regardless of age or physical challenges. Rotating a mattress also makes quick work of a hateful chore (try to flip a mattress and you will see what we mean!).
The mattress also has four additional air vents to keep your bed at the best temperature during all seasons.
The Home Test And Guarantee
You can test this memory foam mattress for 60 days. Should you decide that this is the best mattress for you, then Dormeo will give you a 15-year warranty. This bed-in-a-box also comes with a free delivery. However, if you are excited to sleep on your new mattress as soon as possible, then here is a fair warning. Nearly all boxed mattresses need some time to inflate to their proper depth. The amount of time varies from brand to brand. But let’s say you decided to purchase that super-king sized mattress from Dormeo. How long are you supposed to wait for the memory foam mattress to expand? According to their web site, the bed will inflate within 24 hours. Here is a useful tip: Don’t get rid of your old mattress on the same day your box arrives! You might need to sleep another night on your old bed.
When you are ready to dispose of your old mattress, you can read our guide for the best tips on how to do that safely, without effort and also how to protect the environment too.
Awards And Reviews
Some of the best memory foam mattresses have a Which? Best Buy award. This accolade is only given to the best products on the market today. If you like this mattress, then you might also appreciate the fact that the Memory Plus Memory Foam Mattress was given a Which? Best Buy award last year (the prize was given in 2019 for being chosen as one of the review site’s best mattresses for June). But what about reviews? On the bed’s product page, customer reviews rate this mattress as 4.6 out of 5, which is pretty fantastic.
Are you interested in the brand? You can read our full Dormeo mattress review to see the brand’s best mattresses, deals, and awards.
7. The Original Mattress By Tempur – Up To Four Layers Of Memory Foam At £1,379
Tempur is the only mattress maker that produces beds and cushions that are certified for quality by NASA. Indeed, the memory foam that Tempur uses in their best mattresses, from single to super king size, all contain foam originally designed by the space agency but improved upon by Tempur.
In this case, we chose the Original Mattress that has three variations (they have different numbers of foam layers as well).
Meet The Mattress
The three variations are called the Original Supreme (21 cm thick), the Original Elite (25 cm thick), and the Original Luxe (30 cm thick). The thinnest of the three mattresses have three layers of memory foam. The main purpose of the top sheet of foam? Comfort. Ultimate, cosy comfort. The middle layer of the Original Supreme is all about support. You can sleep longer and better, knowing that pressure points and a saggy mattress are a thing of the past. The final layer is the base. This sturdy chunk provides support to the rest of the mattress and also the body.
Both the Elite and Luxe mattresses have these three layers as well. What makes them different? They also have an extra fourth layer, which is another support base at the bottom. The only difference between the Elite and Luxe is that the latter has the thickest pair of support bases.
The Original mattresses have more perks, including a medium feel, the beds are also “no turn” for easier maintenance and handling while the covers are removable and easy to wash. The memory foam also regulates temperature and the beds also have a stylish look that will add class to the decor of any bedroom.
Do you want to view the best beds with different feels? Here are the top choices if you like soft beds. Otherwise, here are the best medium-firm beds and firm mattresses.
The Home Test And Guarantee
You can curl up and sleep on the Original mattress of your choice at home. But how long do you get? A 100-night trial. Having more than three months to sleep on a brand-new mattress, testing its level of support and luxury is a sweet treat. When your body and mind wake up feeling refreshed and you do not want to part with the mattress after the 100-night test ends, what kind of guarantee can you expect?
The best mattress warranties start around 10 years and that is exactly what Tempur offers with every sale. A decade of solid protection is great but keep in mind that Tempur only recognizes factory mistakes and not things like accidents or willful damage that occurred in the customer’s home. If you want to scrutinize their small print, you can read more about their rules and regulations.
Awards And Reviews
At the time of writing, the Original mattresses have not yet won any awards. That being said, they do contain that famous NASA-approved space foam (if you recall, this is something that is exclusive to Tempur and no other brands offer this material). At Trustpilot, several people also commented on the superb body support and other reasons why they felt that this was the best mattress for them. Currently, the Original mattresses are rated 4.3 out of 5, which is “Excellent.”
Interested in the brand? Read our full Tempur mattress review. In this article, you will also get a chance to read all about the interesting relationship between the brand and NASA.
Get Our Free Guide To Choose The Best Mattress
Memory foam mattresses are taking the field by storm. In the past, they were pretty useless. They developed dents and sometimes even grew those dreaded clumps of mould. But modern mattresses are made from the best technologies that keep things hygienic as well as providing the best support and care for the body. They are particularly loved by side sleepers and those who love soft-medium mattresses (firmer tensions are available too).
Many people now feel that the best mattress for them and their family is a memory foam bed. But due to the popularity of these mattresses, a bewildering range of choices are now available on the market. How do you pick the best one without being saddled a month later with buyer’s regret (and possibly back pain)? Worse, your kid is no longer sleeper as well as they should.
To save you the trouble and worry, we wrote a comprehensive guide on how to evaluate and how pick the best mattresses for your family. In case you are not sure about the different sizes of beds, you can visit our article that explains that Emperor mattress and gives the exact measurements of each bed so you can choose the most suitable mattress. Here is your guide to mattress sizes.
