The thought of having a mattress that mould to your body while you sleep sounds great. But do memory foam mattresses live up to the hype? Some people swear by memory foam mattresses, but they don't suit everyone. If you're tempted, you'll need to think about which type you want and how much you're willing to spend. Otherwise you might end up a dud that you'll wish you could forget.Memory foam mattresses, also known as memory mattresses, are topped with a layer of temperature-sensitive viscoelastic material (memory foam). This type of mattress is good at relieving pressure on painful joints, but is usually pricier than sprung mattresses.Memory foam mattresses feel very different to lie on than regular sprung mattresses. This means memory foam mattresses aren’t for everyone – some of you have said that you find memory foam mattresses too hot. But those who like memory foam seem to love it – as one owner told us: 'my memory foam mattress is the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever had.'Read on for more advice about memory foam mattresses.
If you know you want one already, go straight to our mattress reviews. Memory foam moulds to your body shape Memory foam is affected by room temperature, so you might find the memory mattress cold and hard when you first go to bed. As it reacts to your body heat, it moulds to your shape - this can make it more difficult for you to move or get out of bed compared to other mattress types. Memory foam also reduces air circulation around your body, which makes the memory foam mattress feel warmer. Many people find this helpful in winter but you may feel too hot in summer. If you usually use an electric blanket, it's important to note that many manufacturers say not to use one with memory foam, as it's a potential fire hazard. But as a memory foam mattress is warmer, you shouldn't miss it. If you do, go up a tog on your duvet or add an extra blanket. Memory foam mattresses generally can't be turned over. But you can turn them around, and some mattresses have handles which make this easier to do.
Memory foam mattresses are the second most popular type of mattress among Which? Nearly a quarter of the members we surveyed about their mattress had bought a memory foam one. Memory foam-only mattressesMost memory foam mattresses are actually sprung mattresses with a layer of memory foam on top. Some, however, have extra layers of memory foam instead of springs. These are often described as pure memory foam, or memory foam-only, mattresses.They tend to be pricier and softer, but not necessarily better - some pure memory foam mattresses impressed in our tests, while others were poor.To find out more about the other types of mattresses, so you can find the best one for you, take a look at our guide on choosing the best type of mattress.Cheap memory foam mattressesMemory foam mattresses can cost more than £2,000, but our independent tests show that you don’t always get what you pay for. If you're set on memory foam but can't afford to spend thousands of pounds, we've found several cheaper options worth considering.
In fact, we've found two Best Buy memory foam mattresses for under £400 - this is fantastic value for money. One has a spring core with memory foam on top, while the other is pure memory foam - great if you want a slightly softer mattress.members can log in to read all our independent memory foam mattress reviews. If you're not already a member, you can unlock our memory foam mattress reviews and get full access to all the reviews on our website with a trial subscription to Which? Price: Low to High Price: High to Low Average review rating: High to Low TEMPUR Hybrid Supreme Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Hybrid Elite Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Hybrid Luxe Mattress - Medium Firm TEMPUR Original 21 Mattress - Firm TEMPUR Original Deluxe 22 Mattress - Medium Firm TEMPUR Original Deluxe 27 Mattress - Medium Firm TEMPUR Cloud 21 Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Cloud Deluxe 22 Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Cloud Deluxe 27 Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Sensation 21 Mattress - Medium Firm
TEMPUR Sensation Deluxe 22 Mattress - Medium TEMPUR Sensation Deluxe 27 Mattress - Medium The material used in a memory foam mattress is activated by body heat so it supports and hugs your body shape in any position you want to sleep in. When you settle down for a night on one of these mattresses, you will feel supreme comfort as the cells form around your body. We have memory foam mattresses in a variety of thicknesses and sizes including; single, double, king and super king to suit a variety of beds and budgets. Our range includes the Sensation Deluxe 27 mattress from TEMPUR which features an extra deep layer of temperature sensitive foam and offers sublime support and comfort to combat aches and pains to give you a brilliant night’s sleep. To ensure that you get the perfect mattress for you, we also offer a 40 Night Comfort Guarantee which enables you to find a no quibble replacement for your mattress if it does not suit you. If you have any questions or require any more information on any of our great range of memory foam mattresses or any other product, please do not hesitate to call our friendly sales team on 0800 652 5090.
Mattresses have become so technological – some are even based on research from the US space agency NASA – that they now sometimes go by the name 'sleep systems'. And at up to £40,000 a throw, some even cost as much as a mid-range BMW and command the same sort of social status. But is it really necessary to fork out to get a good night's sleep? The consensus is that a cheap mattress is indeed a false economy – spending, say, less than £200 is almost certainly not going to ensure a good night's sleep unless you are very young, very light and frequently sleeping somewhere else. Cheap mattresses also need replacing more often, perhaps as frequently as every two years. Spend a bit extra, say, more than £1,000, and you should not need to change the mattresses for 10 years, or, in the most luxurious pocket spring cases, up to 25. "Spend as much as you can afford," advises Andy Hills of And So To Bed. "The minimum should be about £700 on the mattress and bed base combined.
It always strikes me as absurd that people will spend £3,000 or £4,000 on a sofa which they sit on for an hour or two some evenings, and much less than £1,000 on a bed where they will spend a crucial eight hours every night." Once you have fixed the budget, the next priority is looking for the right kind of support. "People often ask for orthopaedic mattresses, but all that means is a hard one," says Hills. "Very few people actually need a hard mattress unless they have crushed a disc. For most other people, they will simply be uncomfortable, particularly for lighter women, creating shoulder pain and pins and needles sensations." Indeed, your body weight will largely dictate the sort of tension you require – the softer ones are better for an eight-stone woman, a firmer mattress will benefit a 16-stone rugby player type. Of course, many suppliers sell combination mattresses with different tensions on either side, catering for couples with greatly varying weights. Always remember to lie down on a mattress in the showroom and ask for professional advice
Others sell two mattresses zipped together, a technique much improved on the old days, making it now almost impossible to tell that there is a divide. "We say if couples feel the zip, we'll give them their money back," says Hills. With spring mattresses, the firmness is largely dictated by the number of springs. High-quality mattresses such as Vi-Spring, such as the superb double model, will often have soft cotton and lamb's wool to enhance the springs; the very best will have horsehair filling, which breathes well and acts like more tiny springs. Vi-Spring offer a comfort promise – try the mattress for up to 90 days, if need be, they will replace it with a softer or harder one. Tempur, a manufacturer of memory foam mattresses using material developed at NASA to relieve g-force pressures during space launches, offers a 60-night free trial. The viscoelastic foam is designed to eliminate pressure points by spreading body weight evenly. The foam cell mattresses, that start at around £1,040 for a double, reorganise themselves constantly to mould to the exact contours of a body, and because they do not harbour dust mites in the same way as more traditional mattresses, they are excellent for asthma sufferers.
Although good mattresses are expensive, they are surely worth it for health and happiness, even if it means making savings elsewhere. "People often put up with wakeful nights, constant tiredness and sore backs for a long time before connecting it to the mattress," warns Lucy Benham of John Lewis. "A good test is sitting on the edge and seeing whether the whole side of the mattress collapses. If so, the mattress needs urgent replacement. "Also, when looking at a new one, remember that quilted ones tend to be of lower quality. Tufted ones, which look like they have buttons going through them, are better as this means the filling is contained to avoid it moving around. Good stitching around the sides indicates that the springs are contained in pockets, which will be much more effective than open spring mattresses. "But always remember to lie down on a mattress in the showroom and ask for professional advice. Choosing a new mattress is a very important decision indeed."
Make sure the bed base is suitable for your mattress. A poor base will make even the most expensive mattress uncomfortable. Divan or upholstered ones are best for spring mattresses as the springs in both components complement each other. Memory foam mattresses are better if you have only a wooden slatted base. To gauge the right tension for you, lie on the mattress in the showroom, and push your hand under the small of your back. If there is a large gap, the mattress is too soft, no gap at all, then it's too firm. Just being able to pass your hand through suggests that the tension is spot on. If the mattress is too hard, your body will try to compensate by frequently tossing and turning during the night, up to 60 times. This will impair your and your partner's sleep. A good mattress will reduce turning to 17 times a night. A too-hard mattress makes the body do the work, rather than the bed. The shoulder and hips cannot sink into the mattress, so they curve towards each other, resulting in a bent and stressed spine.
A too-soft mattress lets the body sink into a hammock position, causing hips and shoulders to pinch in, the spine to curve and putting pressure on joints and muscles. Numbness and tingling can follow. The best spring mattresses tend to be pocket-sprung, where each individual spring is kept separate to respond to pressure from your body. Five of the best mattresses 1. Vispring wembury superb small double mattress, £1550 Made from British fleece wool, cotton and horsehair to added breathability, this Vispring mattress is guaranteed to give you a comfortable night's sleep. 2. Tempur sensation deluxe 22 memory foam mattress, £1899 The NASA developed Tempur material works to redistribute body weight and reduce pressure points while you sleep. The supportive foam layer also cradles the body throughout the night, making sure you achieve optimum relaxation. 3. Sealy Activ Geltex 2800 box top pocket spring, £1150 Sealy combines the latest technology and eco-friendly luxury fillings to provide the ultimate in quality sleep solutions.