Knowing how to choose a mattress can feel like a mammoth task, from navigating showrooms, researching the latest mattress technology to understanding what type of support you need for your sleep position – it can leave you feeling all the more tired and finding the best mattress for you isn'y easy.
Whether you're replacing your mattress for a new one or you're looking for something that offers more support to your back and neck as you sleep, there are many options to choose from.
To help you find the right mattress for you, we spoke to sleep expert, Alison Jones, from leading mattress brand Sealy UK who understands that there is no one size fits all approach to mattress shopping and has shared her top tips on how to choose a mattress so you can reap the benefits of good quality, deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
What to consider when choosing a mattress
While you're browsing for your new mattress, there are a number of things you'll want to keep in mind including your sleep concerns, the support you need, your budget and any allergies you have to decide what type of mattress works best for you.
Your sleep concerns
If you sleep on the wrong type of mattress for you, you’ll more than likely end up with more than just a rough night’s slumber. Ahead of your hunt for a new mattress, consider how your current mattress affects your sleep.
Hot sleepers
If you are prone to overheating throughout the night, opt for a mattress with cooling technology to regulate your core temperature during sleep. Not all cooling materials are made the same, with memory foam working to retain heat. Instead, look for mattresses with Geltex, a unique cooling material, that allows air to move throughout the body of the mattress and avoids overheating during the night.
Back pain
If back pain and joint soreness has become a regular nuisance when trying to sleep, or worse, in the mornings when you are waking up – Alison stresses the importance of orthopedically-approved mattresses.
Certain sleep positions can place unnecessary pressure on the neck, spine and hips, whilst a poor quality or unsupportive mattress can cause the spine to become misaligned as well as exacerbate pre-existing joint, spine and ligament issues. Another option is to add a mattress topper for back pain to your current mattress.
Get the right support
Mattresses can typically be defined as plush, medium, or firm, and how you sleep can typically define your support necessities in order to provide the correct support as you sleep.
Research suggests the majority of the population sleeps on their side, most commonly in the fetal position, which involves curling up on your side with your knees bent towards the chest. The key with this sleep position is to look for a mattress that will offer adequate cushioning to vulnerable pressure points such as your neck, shoulders, and hips. So you should look for a soft mattress with a plush comfort layer and pocket spring system that will react to your body's shape to create a personalised feel.
Falling asleep on your back is considered one of the best ways to support your spine throughout the night, as it is deemed to be the most natural spinal position. When sleeping on your back, the aim is to keep the head, neck, shoulders, and spine level, therefore a medium to firm, orthopaedic mattress will be right up your street.
By contrast, sleeping on your stomach puts the most amount of pressure on your spine and adds stress to your neck. It is key when sleeping in this position to avoid a mattress that is too soft, as your torso will begin to relax and sink into the mattress throughout the night, potentially putting you at risk of aches and pains in the long run. A medium to firm mattress with pocket springs would be ideal, to respond to your body's positioning, providing ultimate support.
Alison recommends that if you sleep in a combination of these positions a medium firmness will be the most supportive as you move throughout the night.
Your sleep position and firmness level
When looking for the firmness of the mattress, many brands rate the firmness out of 10, 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. We'd advise to keep these figures in mind when browsing.
Side sleepers: This is the most common position to sleep in and a soft to medium firmness is best for side sleepers to keep the spine aligned. If the mattress is too firm, it could put too much pressure on the hips and shoulders.
Back sleepers: A medium firmness is best for back sleepers as if it's too firm or too soft, you can risk not having the correct alignment.
Stomach sleepers: Go for a firmer mattress if you're a stomach sleeper if you don't want to sink too far into the mattress.
Combination sleepers: If you fidget throughout the night and find yourself in various positions, a medium support mattress is best for you and all your sleeping positions.
Make an investment
According to the UK Sleep Council, the average person spends more than 2,300 hours a year sleeping. With that much time in bed, it’s important to invest in a quality mattress that will last. Although the outlay may seem steep at first, the benefits of years of comfortable sleep more than make up for the initial cost. As well as many expensive options, there are plenty of affordable mattress options to shop.
Look out for hypoallergenic materials
Research indicates that 24 per cent of the population has a dust allergy so it’s important to keep yourself healthy by choosing a hypoallergenic mattress to reduce your sneezing time and increase your snoozing time.
Look for mattresses that contain ProShield technology, such as Sealy's Posturepedic range, which is endorsed by the Allergy Foundation, to not only alleviate those evening sneezes but also significantly extend the lifespan of the mattress.
Types of mattresses
It's likely you'll have heard of many of these mattress types already, but some may be better suited to you than others.
Memory foam
These are designed to conform to the shape of your body and take the weight off different pressure points of your body. It can often feel like you're being cradled and are ideal for those who suffer from back pain or people who like to sleep on their side as they promote the correct spine alignment as you sleep. This puts less pressure on your hips and shoulders, helping you avoid aches and pains in the morning when you wake up.
They're also a great choice if you sleep next to your partner as they offer motion isolation which means you're less likely to feel your partner moving in the bed during the night, so it hopefully won't wake you up!
The only downside is that they're often a bit warmer than other mattresses, so if you do get hot during the night, we'd recommend opting for a memory foam mattress with cooling properties.
Innerspring
These are more traditional style mattresses, made using steel coils. They tend to be firmer and provide more bounce. They're best suited to back or front sleepers who benefit from a firmer surface to keep their spine aligned.
When shopping for an innerspring mattress, you'll find that the coil gauge and coil count can vary from mattress to mattress. Coil gauge determines how thick the steel is, and this figure typically ranges from 12-15. The lower the number, the more firm and durable the mattress is. The coil count tells you the number of coils in the mattress. You're looking for at least 400 coils in a queen sized mattress. There's also pocket-sprung models where each coil is individually wrapped for better support.
Latex
For the more eco-conscious sleeper, a latex mattress is a brilliant option. It's made from rubber trees and is similar to memory foam, although it tends to be more expensive.
It tends to be quite firm and bouncy but is still very resilient.
Hybrid
For the best of both worlds, go for a hybrid mattress. These are usually a combination of latex or memory foam with coils too. The coils tend to sit at the base of the mattress for added support while the memory foam layer sits on top of the coils for pressure relief. Note that these tend to be more expensive than other kinds of mattresses, but there are a huge range to choose from on the market.
When should I replace my mattress?
There's no strict rule on how often you should change your mattress, but you can expect your mattress to last 8-10 years. There are a few signs your mattress needs replacing that you should be aware of. These include lumps, indents, difficulty sleeping and and pain when you wake up. If you see any of these signs, it's probably time to dispose of your mattress and get a new one.
If you feel like you might need a new mattress but can't yet afford one, a mattress topper is a brilliant and more affordable way to add some comfort to your mattress. It will also help extend the life of your mattress, as will a mattress protector and regular mattress cleans.
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Features & Reviews Editor Emily Gilbert has been a journalist since 2016 and has worked across a variety of specialist and lifestyle brands both in print and online. Specialising in travel content and product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases, her favourite being gadgets for the home.