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Best Mattresses For Pregnant Women

Best Mattresses For Pregnant Women UK (2023)

Last updated: 31.10.2023 Reading time: 7 Min.

Sleep is always important but especially so during pregnancy. You need to feel well-rested and healthy so that your baby can grow and develop. And, to do this, you definitely need a great mattress.

Many women experience insomnia during pregnancy. While hormones certainly play a role in this, insomnia can also be caused — or worsened — but a worn or unsuitable mattress. If your mattress is no longer sufficiently supporting your body or if you’re feeling too cold or too hot to sleep comfortably, then you may need to consider purchasing a new mattress to help you during your pregnancy — and beyond!

In this article, we’ll be sharing the best mattresses for pregnant women. We’ll also look at a few of the best pregnancy pillows available in the UK and general guidelines for improving the quality of your sleep.

best mattress for pregnant women

The best mattresses for pregnant women in the UK

Sleep Hero Favourite

Simba Hybrid

The Simba Hybrid mattress is a high-quality pocket sprung mattress with multiple layers of foam.

This award-winning and five-star-rated original mattress by Simba Sleep is a unique hybrid mattress that combines polyfoam, memory foam, high-definition foam, and pocket springs.

The Simba Hybrid is an award-winning hybrid pocket sprung foam mattress by Simba Sleep. 🏆

It features four layers, including:

  • A comfort layer of graphite-infused, open-cell Simbatex foam
  • A core of up to 2000 Aerocoil mini pocket springs across 13 zones
  • A CertiPur stability layer
  • A base layer of no roll-off SupportCore with up to 1000 barrel springs

This is a medium-firm mattress that's an excellent choice for a wide range of sleepers, regardless of body size or preferred sleeping position.

Simba Hybrid mattress
The Simba is one of our favourite hybrid mattresses.

The Simba mattress is supportive enough to prevent a build-up of tension, but also soft enough to allow your body to sink in where necessary.

This allows for optimal spinal alignment. 🦴

The Simba Hybrid mattress comes with an antibacterial hypoallergenic cover designed to maximise airflow.

The cover is also removable and machine-washable - but we'd always recommend making use of a mattress protector to safeguard your mattress. 🧼

The Simba comes with free delivery, a 200-day risk-free trial period, and a 10-year guarantee. 

40% OFF SIMBA HYBRID

  Simba Hybrid
Composition: Hybrid mattress with foams, mini pocket springs, and full-size pocket springs.
Firmness level: Medium-firm
Height: 25 cm (10 inches)
Trial period: 200 days
Guarantee: 10 years
What makes this mattress special:  A unique combination of materials; very comfortable for average-weight back and side sleepers; cooling properties
Runner-Up

Emma Original Plus

The Emma Original is an award-winning memory foam mattress and one of the UK's most popular choices.

This bestselling mattress by Emma Sleep offers 3 layers of premium foam and soft comfort with sufficient support and stability.

The Emma Original is a best-selling memory foam mattress and one of the UK's number-one mattresses. 🏆

It is made up of three different layers of foam, including pressure-relieving memory foam.

Emma original mattress

Memory foam offers great orthopaedic support, making it a good choice for people prone to back pain.

The Emma Original is rated as a medium-firm mattress, though we think it falls on the softer end of the scale.

This makes it an excellent choice for lighter-weight people and side sleepers, but we wouldn't necessarily recommend it to people looking for a firmer feel. 🧱

Conveniently, the mattress comes with a removable mattress cover that can be machine-washed at up to 60℃.

You can upgrade the Emma Original to the Emma Original Plus, which includes an advanced temperature-regulating Diamond Hybrid cover. 

The Emma Original is delivered free of charge and comes with a risk-free 200-night trial period. 

20% OFF EMMA ORIGINAL PLUS + 5% OFF W/ "SLEEPHEROUK5"

  Emma Original
Composition: Memory foam with a base layer of HRX cold foam
Firmness level: Soft
Height: 25 cm (9.8 inches)
Trial period: 200 nights
Guarantee: 10 years
What makes this mattress special? One of the UK's bestselling mattresses with excellent body contouring and a soft feel.
Best Trial Period

Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

The Nectar is a luxurious memory foam mattress suitable for most people and sleeping positions.

This bestselling mattress comes with a revolutionary 365-day trial period and a lifetime warranty.

The Nectar memory foam mattress is one of our favourite mattresses.

It features 3 layers of high-quality, high-density memory foam for optimal spinal alignment, pressure relief, and comfort.

The base layer also has 7 contour zones to enhance its ergonomic design and keep your body in a healthy sleeping position. 📏

This prevents a build-up of tension and allows for orthopaedic support.

Nectar mattress
The Nectar is a medium-firm mattress.

The Nectar mattress comes with a breathable cover that enhances airflow to allow for a cool and comfortable sleep. 💨

Unfortunately, the cover is not machine-washable.

We'd suggest using a mattress protector to safeguard your mattress against stains, spills, and bacteria.

The Nectar mattress comes with free delivery & returns, a revolutionary 365-day trial period, and a "forever warranty". 

45% OFF NECTAR 

  Nectar mattress
Composition: Memory foam with a 7-zone cold foam base
Firmness level: Medium-firm
Height: 25 cm (10 inches)
Trial period: 365 days
Guarantee: Lifetime warranty
What makes this mattress special? Exceptionally comfortable for average-weight & lighter sleepers; lifetime warranty & revolutionary one-year sleep trial.
Luxury Option

DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress is a 5-layered premium mattress that combines memory foam with pocket springs.

This is a high-quality mattress designed for enhanced breathability, comfort, and support. 

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid is a premium mattress from the same company that's brought you the Nectar memory foam mattress.

It combines high-quality memory foam with full-size pocket springs (called ActiveEdge coils), each measuring 15 cm (5.9 inches).

DreamCloud luxury hybrid

This is an orthopaedically designed mattress with medium-firm support to help eliminate back, neck, and shoulder pains.

The mattress offers enhanced breathability to help keep you cool and refreshed all night long. ❄️

It also has low motion transfer and great edge support, making it a great choice for couples.

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress is 28 cm (11 inches) thick and stands out as a key feature in any bedroom. 🏆

The mattress comes with free delivery & returns, a remarkable 365-night risk-free trial period, and a lifetime guarantee.

£540 OFF DREAMCLOUD + FREE BEDDING SET£ 408.07

  DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid
Composition: Memory foam, pocket springs
Firmness level:  Medium-firm
Height: 28 cm (11 inches)
Trial period: 365 days
Guarantee: Lifetime warranty
What makes this mattress special? Fantastic premium-choice option suitable for most; revolutionary trial period and a lifetime guarantee.

How we test products

Our mission is to take the guesswork out of finding the perfect sleep products.

We've dedicated hundreds of hours to testing mattresses and sleep accessories, and rely on a team of testers of differing weights, temperature preferences, and sleeping positions to evaluate each product. 

Tested products are granted the Sleep Hero tested stamp of approval, a mark of our review's reliability.

To learn more about our testing process, check out our methodology page.

If we haven't personally tested a product, please be assured that we invest significant time and energy into scouring the UK market and researching the best recommendations, and we work with a team of sleep experts who review our articles, ensuring that the insights we provide are not only relatable but also reliable.

How to choose a maternity mattress

You’re pregnant. Your belly is growing larger and larger every week. Leg cramps and heartburn start to interfere with your sleep. Your body can no longer sleep in positions you previously found comfortable. All round, nighttime has become uncomfortable.

These are just some of the common issues that pregnant women struggle with when trying to get a good night’s sleep. While you have no control over how your body is changing, you can control your environment to ensure that you’re still able to get a good night’s sleep.

If you already sleep on your side or on your back, then you’re in luck. But if you normally sleep on your stomach, then you’ll need to adjust. As your belly grows, you’ll no longer be able to sleep on your stomach. This means that you need to find a mattress that’s comfortable for back and side sleepers.

You also need to choose a mattress that offers great support and reduces back pain. You can opt for a soft orthopaedic mattress to relieve some of the tension. You can also choose a soft memory foam mattress. Memory foam is particularly well-suited to pregnancy as the foam adapts well to the contours of your body, offering that real cocooning support.

You might also want to enjoy a larger mattress. While single or standard double mattresses can be sufficient in size, we highly suggest that you opt for larger mattresses, like the 150 x 200 cm king mattress, 180 x 200 cm super king mattress, or even the 200 x 200 cm emperor mattress. You’ll be much more comfortable with a mattress of this size. It also ensures that both you and your partner have enough room to move.

Criteria to consider when purchasing a maternity mattress

While aspects such as comfort and support are universal guidelines, there are certain key criteria you need to consider when purchasing a maternity mattress.

This is because pregnant women have different needs, and so any mattress chosen for pregnant women has to meet these needs.

Here are the most important criteria to consider when purchasing a mattress for pregnant women:

  • Mattress support
  • The firmness level of the mattress
  • The thickness of the mattress
  • Materials used and certification labels (such as Oeko-Tex, GOTS, etc.)
  • Temperature regulation
  • Motion transfer
  • Price of the mattress

The addition of weight on the belly during pregnancy can easily lead to increased tension and pressure. A mattress for pregnant women thus needs to offer greater support and ensure the healthy alignment of the spine in order to ease this tension. A mattress needs to be soft enough to allow for sufficient comfort but firm enough in order to support the body.

The weight imbalance of the belly also often leads to difficulty standing and/or getting up, especially during the third trimester of the pregnancy. A low bed will cause more stress for a pregnant woman. So, it is advisable to opt for a thicker mattress that will make it easier for a pregnant woman to get in and out of bed.

Pregnant women will also want to pay special attention to the materials used and certification labels that the mattress has. Materials affect comfort and temperature regulation. If you’re pregnant, you definitely want to ensure that you opt for a temperature-neutral mattress to keep you comfortable climate-wise. You’d also want to opt for a mattress that’s certified to be free from chemicals and harmful toxins to protect both you and your unborn child.

Motion transfer is always important when choosing a mattress for couples but especially so if you’re pregnant as you don’t want your partner’s movements to disturb you.

Of course, the price of the mattress plays a part as well, but remember that a good mattress is a long-term investment that you’ll benefit from even after your pregnancy.

Tips for getting a good night’s sleep when you’re pregnant

Having a great mattress certainly helps but there are also some common tips and tricks you can make use of to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping on your side is recommended, and we’d highly recommend that you sleep on your left side. This sleeping position improves the flow of blood and nutrients through your body and to your baby.

This sleeping position also takes the pressure off your kidneys and liver, making it easier to eliminate fluids and waste substances. In turn, this helps with swelling in your hands, ankles, and feet.

Nutrition also affects the quality of your sleep. We’d recommend that you eat lighter foods and avoid spicy foods, especially from your second trimester onwards. This will help reduce heartburn.

If you’re in your third trimester, you can also put a pillow between your knees, behind your back, and under your stomach to help relieve pain and unease. A pregnancy pillow will also be of great use.

The best pregnancy pillows

As your belly grows, you’ll definitely benefit from the comforts of a pregnancy pillow. Here are our top choices that are available via Amazon in the UK.

Can you sleep on your stomach while pregnant?

While conventionally the answer to this question would be no, this is no longer true. There are new several revolutionary inflatable mattresses that allow pregnant women to sleep their bellies. These mattresses have a hole in the middle that’s intended for the pregnant belly to slide in to, making it possible for a pregnant woman to sleep on her stomach.

In the UK, you’ll find two of these types of mattresses on Amazon, the On The Chest and the QLOA inflatable mattresses. Both of these have been specifically designed to allow pregnant women to sleep on their bellies.

Despite seeming like an unnatural position to lie in when pregnant, it actually helps relieve back pain associated with pregnancy, elevates the hips, and decompresses the spine. It may not be the type of mattress you’d choose to spend your night on but it can definitely help to ease pregnancy-associated aches and pains throughout the day.

Baby mattresses

As a future mom, you’ve undoubtedly already thought about your baby’s room. Perhaps you’ve selected colours and toys or set up a nursing station. But it’s important to also choose a good mattress for your baby. Indeed, the first few months - and years - of your baby’s life are important for growth and bone development.

But there’s no need to panic - we’ve already got you covered.

Check out our favourites below.

You can also read our full guide on the best mattresses for babies and small children.

Conclusion

The purchase of a mattress for pregnant women is a complicated task. When pregnant, your body changes rapidly and your needs and preferences constantly change.

While many of the comforts can be addressed with a great pregnancy pillow, it is important to start off with a great mattress that’s soft enough to offer comfort but firm enough to offer sufficient support.

Nicky

Nicky

Content Director & Partner Relations

My mum calls me "bear" because I like to sleep so much. I never thought that, one day, I'd be a certified sleep coach and apply my skills more widely. Can you tell that I've found my calling? 

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