13 best mattresses 2025, tested & reviewed at home
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Investing in one of the best mattresses can make the difference between a restless night of tossing and turning and waking up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. While any best mattress round-up worth its micro-springs will cover temperature regulation, motion isolation, edge support, and breathability, we've narrowed down our tried-and-tested favourites to help you find the perfect match for your unique sleep style.
There are countless reasons why ditching your old mattress in favour of the right one could elevate the quality of your kip tenfold (from relieving your joints of pressure to ensuring you wake up less, move about less and feel less disturbed by your partner). And since getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our physical and mental health, investing in one of the best mattresses 2025 has to offer is something you shouldn't sleep on.
That said, shopping for a new mattress can be a bit daunting. A mattress is a big investment, and there's lots to consider – from firmness levels to your sleeping style, preferred price tag and much, much more. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all. To assist you, we called upon the entire GLAMOUR team — each with unique body types, sleep styles, and specific mattress preferences —to personally test the options below in their own homes, selecting from some of the best online furniture stores in the UK.
Below, we've compiled the ultimate guide to buying a new mattress by scouring through the best rated options available from sleep tech brands online. Each one can be conveniently delivered to your doorstep within days, offering a diverse range of choices to accommodate every budget and sleeping position. Whether you prefer memory foam, pocket-sprung, cool mattress, hybrid, or one of the best mattress for side sleepers, these options stand out as the optimal investments for achieving a superior night's sleep. Here's everything you need to know…
SKIP TO: Our picks | What is the best mattress to buy in 2025? | How we test |Replacing your mattress | Shopping for a mattress and brands to know| Mattress types | Which mattress is good - spring or foam? | Mattress firmness | How much to spend | Best mattresses for back pain | What is the difference between a mattress and a pillow top? |
What is the best mattress to buy in 2025
Choosing the "best mattress" is highly subjective and depends on your individual needs. Right now, we're big fans of the Emma Hybrid Premium Mattress, but we'd also recommend the REM-Fit® 400 Hybrid Mattress and Simba's Hybrid range. These three brands offer a variety of mattresses, including some of the best options for side sleepers and back pain relief, all at different price points to suit most budgets. While many high-quality mattresses come with sleep trials, returning one can be a hassle — especially since they're vacuum-packed and tricky to repack. That’s why it’s crucial to do your research beforehand to ensure you’re making the right choice for the long haul.
How did we test the best mattresses?
When testing the mattresses in this edit, the GLAMOUR team assessed each one by spending a minimum of 30 days sleeping on them in their own homes. Adhering to our testing criteria, we all assessed on firmness, comfort, support, motion isolation, cost, and sustainability credentials, in addition to considering factors such as delivery convenience and impact on sleep quality. We've had hands-on testing experience both at home and in store showrooms and while we've tested over 21 mattresses, these final 13 get the GLAMOUR seal of approval. Ahead, find discover comprehensive reviews accompanied by our tester's insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each mattress so you can make an informed decision before investing.
How often should you replace a mattress and how do you know when to change it?
According to the Sleep Council, you should change your mattress once every seven years, when you start to notice that you sleep better in other beds or when you wake up with aches and pains. Particularly if it didn't cost you very much. Luxury mattresses like those crafted by Simba or Brook and Wilde might last you longer – up to a decade. And you can help them last for longer with a mattress protector.
What are the best mattress companies in the UK and can you order a mattress online?
Yes! Sleep-tech companies like Emma, Simba, and Nectar, have made the process simple with their "mattress in a box" offerings, and according to the National Bed Federation, bed-in-a-box mattresses now make up around 25% (!) of the industry market share. Most bed in a box mattresses come with an 100 night trial, a ten-year warranty and can be delivered direct to your door. Elsewhere, brands like Silentnight, Sealy and Dormeo are offering buyers a whole host of equally high-quality non-rolled options, from pocket memory mattresses to ortho mattresses, so don't overlook these not-in-a-box brands, either.
After more sleep content? We've got bed frames, weighted blankets and mattress toppers, best duvets and the best pillows, plus anti-allergy pillows, cooling pillows, silk bedding, best sofa beds, silk pillowcases, linen bedding and bedroom furniture. Elsewhere, find body pillows to invest in, pregnancy pillows if you're expecting, sleep masks to keep the morning light at bay and pillow spray to help you nod off. For more from GLAMOUR UK's Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.
Scroll for our full edit of best mattresses for your best night's sleep ever, reviewed by team GLAMOUR.
Mattress FAQs: GLAMOUR's 2025 guide to choosing the best mattresses
What type of mattress is best? The verdict:
Naturally, it's all down to personal preference. We caught up with Angela Moran – the Product Strategy Director at Silentnight – to find out everything you need to know about different mattress styles. Unsurprisingly, she knows her stuff... and she had a few tips for how to choose the best mattress for you.
Quality pocket sprung mattresses provide good support, helping to distribute your weight evenly and keep your spine aligned as you sleep. The steel coils inside compress when you sit on them, giving you a bit more bounce – though you might need to replace them more regularly.
Spring counts in pocket sprung mattresses vary from around 600/800 to 2,500 – but can go even higher when there are multiple layers. Pocket sprung mattresses are available in a range of firmness levels – more on that later.
Memory foam mattresses serve up a bit more cushioning, ideal for those who like to sink in and feel cocooned. The top layer of memory foam provides pressure relief to your pressure points, ideal if you're a side sleeper or suffer with lower back pain, painful hips, shoulders or knees. Memory foam mattresses conform to body contours, slowly responding to the user's shape. They tend to last longer than pocket sprung mattresses. Traditionally these would run a bit hotter than their pocket sprung counterparts, but with modern tech that's no longer the case, long live the best electric blankets!
Hybrid mattresses are constructed with both foam and coils. They give you the comfort of foam or latex mattresses, but the spring of something with springs. Hybrid mattresses also tend to give good edge support (read: you can sleep right at the edge without feeling like you're going to fall off).
Which mattress is best – spring or foam?
Distinguishing between spring and foam mattresses comes down to a few factors. Namely:
- All-foam mattresses tend to come out on top when it comes to motion isolation.
- Foam mattresses - not all - can offer less breathability, thus making sprung mattresses better for the warmer months.
- While foam mattresses exceed sprung mattresses when it comes to support for side sleepers, if you like a bit of extra support or a firmer mattress, you'll likely prefer a sprung sleep surface.
- In terms of sound, a foam mattress will generally be quieter.
- Likewise, foam mattresses win when it comes to sagging over an extended period, too, and cheaper sprung models are known for doing this over time.
- A win for the sprung mattresses - more often than not they'll come in cheaper than their foam counterparts, with the most expensive foam models reaching up to £2,500.
How firm should my mattress be?
The level of support you choose depends on your body weight and personal preference. "Generally speaking, the lighter the person the softer the mattress you will need," Angela said. "Sleeping position makes a difference, too." Side sleepers will be well supported by a softer mattress or medium mattress, while back sleepers or front sleepers may want to consider a medium-firm mattress or firm mattress.
How much should I spend on a mattress?
When it comes to mattresses, you really do get what you pay for. For a decent mattress, you should expect to pay somewhere around the £300 mark if it's to be comfortable and durable. Emma's Original Mattress is one of the best mattresses of the year, costing £289, while The Casper Hybrid mattress is £500. We've also got a full edit of the best cheap mattresses here.
For mattresses between £500 and £1,000, you'll get something that lasts longer, which regulates temperature, reduces bounce when your partner moves during the night and helps with back and ache spinal alignment through multiple layers or a larger number of pocket springs. It's also worth mentioning that Black Friday is steadily approaching, bringing with it some of the best mattress deals of the year. The prices listed below are for UK single mattresses, but we've also included details on all available sizes for each option.
Which mattress is best for back pain?
There is no single mattress for back pain that will tackle aches and pains effectively for everyone, but generally speaking, considering the firmness of your mattress is important when choosing which mattress you buy. A firmer mattress will provide more back support. Also, the coils or pocket springs are what provide the support in mattresses; so you should look for something with more coils and springs for more support.
What is the difference between a mattress and a pillow top?
Mattresses and pillow tops don't actually have to be separate things. You can buy mattresses with a pillow top as part of the makeup and, naturally, ones without, too. Ultimately, a pillow top is an extra layer of padding atop your sprung or foam mattress and they tend to act much like a mattress topper. For instance, the Silentnight Thornbury mattress has a luxury quilted Pillow top sleep surface and reviewers remarked that it was a top choice for heavier buyers and, aside from that, had helped with aches and pains, and the quality of their sleep overall, too. In summary? Pillow top mattresses are a good choice if you're after that extra ounce of support and you prefer a sprung to a foam mattress – pillow tops are more common on sprung-style mattresses.