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.
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".
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. |
The Simbatex Foam mattress has 30x more airflow than standard memory foam.
The Simbatex Foam mattress is an advanced all-foam mattress designed to provide a truly luxurious sleep experience.
It features three layers, including:
- Simbatex foam comfort layer
- Simba response foam layer
- High-density zoned foam base
These layers are contained in a premium 500g hypoallergenic removable cover.
We tested the Simbatex Foam mattress in each sleeping position and found it to be exceptionally comfortable and supportive.
The Simbatex foam layer is particularly impressive, contouring to your body and reducing pressure on your shoulders and hips.
You'll experience optimal alignment of the spine and neck in this position, as the response foam and zoned base layer help the body stay supported throughout the night.
Side and back sleepers will especially appreciate the balance of support and comfort provided by this mattress.
Due to the cooling graphite infused in the foam, which helps to absorb extra heat, the Simbatex Foam mattress is one of the coolest all-foam mattresses we've tested.
The Simbatex Foam mattress also includes a 200-night sleep trial and a 10-year guarantee.
Unfortunately, the cover is not machine-washable, so we'd recommend purchasing a mattress protector to keep your warranty valid.
The Simbatex Foam mattress comes with free delivery and can be at your door in as little as 3 days!
BUY SIMBATEX FOAM MATTRESS£ 679
Simbatex Foam Mattress | |
Composition: | Simbatex foam |
Firmness level: | Medium-firm |
Height: | 25 cm (10 inches) |
Trial period: | 200 nights |
Guarantee: | 10 years |
What makes this mattress special? | The Simbatex Foam mattress features cooling graphite and an open-cell structure for a cooler sleep than standard foam mattresses. |
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.
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℃.
The Emma Original is delivered free of charge and comes with a risk-free 200-night trial period.
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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. |
This mattress is available in the Supreme (21 cm), Elite (25 cm), and Luxe (30 cm) versions.
The Tempur Original is the flagship product by Tempur, the only sleep company to use NASA-approved memory foam.
Tempur material is designed to respond to your body's temperature, shape, and weight, offering comfort and support no matter your sleeping preferences. 🤗
But the underlying foam layers also offer sufficient stability, so your body will remain well-supported at all times.
The Tempur Original offers a medium-firm feel.
Tempur Original mattresses are available in three different sub-categories:
- Supreme (21 cm / 8.2 inches deep)
- Elite (25 cm / 10 inches deep)
- Luxe (30 cm / 11.8 inches deep)
All Tempur Original mattress covers feature CoolTouch technology, which keeps the fabric fresh and dry.
The Elite and Luxe versions both have a removable cover that's machine-washable at 60℃. 🛀
Tempur Original | |
Composition: | Tempur memory foam |
Firmness level: | Medium-firm |
Height: | 21 cm (8.2 inches), 25 cm (10 inches), or 30 cm (11.8 inches) |
Trial period: | 100 days |
Guarantee: | 10 years |
What makes this mattress special? | Original NASA-approved memory foam. |
This high-quality medium-firm mattress is suitable for most body types and sleeping positions.
The Eve Original is Eve Sleep's flagship mattress - and their best-selling product. 🏅
This is a memory foam mattress made up of three layers of high-quality foam.
The mattress has a high point elasticity and provides great support, promoting optimal spinal alignment and reducing pressure points.
It is a medium-firm mattress that has been designed to suit most body profiles and sleeping positions.
The mattress comes with a removable cover that can be machine-washed at 40°C.
This is great news for people prone to allergies. 🤧
The Eve Original comes with free delivery & returns, a 100-day risk-free trial period, and a 10-year guarantee.
Eve Original | |
Composition: | Memory foam |
Firmness level: | Medium-firm |
Height: | 24 cm (9.4 inches) |
Trial period: | 1 year |
Guarantee: | 10 years |
What makes this mattress special? | Proudly British, award-winning, and great value for money. |
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.
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.
What is a memory foam mattress?
Memory foam may sound like a new-age phenomenon, but it's actually been around for quite a few decades.
NASA first designed it as a pressure-absorbing material to cushion astronauts' seats and absorb impact during space travel. 🚀

And how did this space-age material end up in mattresses?
Well, you have Tempur to thank for that, who started playing around with memory foam in mattresses back in 1991.
Tempur memory foam mattresses are still some of the best in the world, though a bit on the expensive side.
We can recommend much more affordable ones!
Today, memory foam mattresses are very popular - especially in the form of bed-in-a-box mattresses.
We'll tell you why a little further down. 😉
But, first:
What is memory foam?
In a nutshell, memory foam (also often called viscoelastic polyurethane foam or low-resilience polyurethane foam) is a foam made predominantly of polyurethane and a few additional chemicals to increase viscosity and density.
Memory foam is characterised by its so-called memory effect or memory imprint.
When you apply pressure to the foam, it leaves an imprint that will remain visible for a few seconds.
Look at the images below that demonstrate this memory effect.👇
This memory effect allows the memory foam to adapt remarkably well to the body, resulting in body-hugging comfort and support.
Temperature response
Memory foam also responds to temperature.
The foam will be firmer when cold and soften up when warmer.
As you warm up while sleeping, the foam will become softer and mould to your body even more.
This is great if you're looking for that body-contouring support.
But, in poorer quality mattresses, this can quickly become problematic.
As poorer quality memory foam mattresses respond slower, they may take a while to react to your body and bounce back to the original shape.
This can result in bad sleeping positions, leading to aches and pains.
Are memory foam mattresses 100% memory foam?
Most memory foam mattresses actually don't consist of 100% memory foam.
They're usually constructed of multiple layers of different types of foam to offer both comfort and support.
Memory foam on its own can be a little soft.
You'll often find memory foam mattresses constructed of an upper layer of viscoelastic foam and a lower layer of cold foam.
Cold foam provides additional support and stability. 💎
Many spring mattresses also have a memory foam pillow top for extra comfort.
The Hypnia Supreme Hybrid is one of our favourite pillow top mattresses.
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Bed-in-a-box memory foam mattresses
Many of the mattresses we recommend are bed-in-a-box mattresses.
These are predominantly made of memory foam.
Why?
Memory foam can be compressed quite significantly, so a memory foam mattress can be squashed together, rolled up, and sent to you via post in a compact box. 📦
That's a pretty unique feature.
Once you unpack the mattress and remove the vacuum seal, it'll slowly return to its full size.
All the mattresses we recommend in this article, like the Ergoflex, are of the bed-in-a-box variety.
50% OFF ERGOFLEX WITH SAVE50£ 385
Who are memory foam mattresses suitable for?
There are many different mattress types to choose from, but memory foam mattresses are generally a great choice for a wide variety of sleepers.
That said, they may not necessarily be the best choice for you.
Let's dive into this in a bit more detail. 👇
But, first, here is a quick overview:
Memory foam mattresses are suitable for: | Memory foam mattresses are less suitable for: |
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Memory foam is a good choice for calmer sleepers
Memory foam is enormously comfortable. 😴
But, since the foam really adapts to the contours of your body, moving around on the mattress can be a bit challenging.
Sleepers frequently describe it as sleeping in the mattress rather than on the mattress.
Think of it this way:
- You're sleeping in one position, and the memory foam adapts to your body shape.
- Then, you change your sleeping position.
- But, because of the memory effect, the foam parts you lay on previously will still retain the indent for a little while.
- The foams need some time to bounce back to neutral.
This is alright if you move occasionally.
But if you frequently toss and turn at night, it may become a little uncomfortable - if not downright challenging. 💃
This makes memory foam mattresses unsuitable for very restless sleepers.
If you're a restless sleeper, we'd suggest opting for a cold foam, pocket sprung, or hybrid mattress instead.
Our favourite?
The Simba mattress, which features a combination of foams and mini pocket springs!
Memory foam is a great choice for people who easily feel cold at night
Memory foam retains more heat than other types of foam. 🥵
This results in overall warmer sleep.
That's great news if you easily feel cold at night and like your bed to be snug and warm. 🥰
But, if you feel hot quite easily or if you're a very heavy sweater, then this becomes a little uncomfortable.
Most modern-day memory foam mattresses counteract this heat retention by introducing more breathable foams or making use of cooling covers that allow for increased airflow.
This helps regulate body temperature more effectively and prevents overheating.
If you're a very heavy sweater, though, we'd recommend opting for a pocket-sprung mattress or a hybrid mattress(with foams & springs) instead.
The spaces between the pocket springs create natural ventilation channels, which allows air to flow more freely.
This enhanced breathability and airflow keep you cooler and more comfortable. ❄️
The Simba mattress is one of our favourite hybrid mattresses, but we can also recommend the Silentnight Eco Comfort Pocket 1200 Mattress as an eco-friendly - and budget-friendly - pocket sprung option.
Memory foam is a great choice for orthopaedic concerns
Memory foam is the material of choice for anyone struggling with orthopaedic concerns.
Since the foam adapts so well to the contours of your body, it reduces pressure points and allows for good pressure relief.
This body-hugging sensation gives your muscles the chance to relax fully. 🤗
Orthopaedic memory foam mattresses help prevent and relieve back and neck pains.
Memory foam is great for couples
Memory foam displays very low motion transfer.
Motion transfer refers to the ability of movements to travel through a mattress.
If the motion transfer is low, then movements are effectively absorbed and won't be carried across the mattress.
This means that you won't feel your partner move on the opposite side of the bed while sleeping.
A mattress with low motion transfer is a great choice for couples. 👩❤️👨
Memory foam is also completely noiseless, unlike some spring mattresses, so you're unlikely to be kept awake by any squeaking.
Memory foam is a hypoallergenic choice
Memory foam mattresses are usually hypoallergenic with anti-dust-mite properties.
This is great news for people prone to allergies. 🤧
Most of the mattresses we recommend also feature a removable and machine-washable cover to keep your mattress clean and hygienic.
For extra protection, we'd always recommend a waterproof mattress protector.
These safeguard your mattress against spills, dirt, stains, and bacteria.
Our recommended mattress protectors:
Criteria to consider when purchasing a memory foam mattress
We wish we could tell you that all memory foam mattresses are created equal, but, unfortunately, that's not the case.
As with all purchases, you need to ensure that you're investing in a quality product guaranteed to last you for a long time.
You also need to find one that is perfectly matched to suit your individual preferences.
Luckily, you have us to guide you. 😀
Below, you'll find a list of criteria to consider when purchasing a memory foam mattress.
1. High density
The most important quality feature of a memory foam mattress is its density.
Density is measured in units indicating how much polyurethane foam was used for one cubic metre.
The rule of thumb is this:
The higher the density, the higher the quality of the mattress. 👍
A higher density mattress is also less likely to suffer from dents and sagging, resulting in an overall longer lifespan.
A good memory foam mattress should last for 8 - 10 years.
You can use the below table as a rough guideline to density and lifespan:
Density in kg/m³ | Quality indicator | Expected lifespan |
Under 30 | Inferior quality | Up to 3 years |
30-40 | Average quality | 3 - 6 years |
40-50 | Good quality | 6 - 8 years |
50-60 | Very good quality | 8 - 10 years |
Over 60 | Excellent quality | 10 years and more |
2. What other materials are used?
Most memory foam mattresses consist of a memory foam layer combined with several layers of other types of foam.
The upper comfort layer is usually your viscoelastic memory foam while the lower support layers are often made from cold foam.
This gives the mattress more stability.
But you're also likely to find a range of other materials in your mattress, ranging from gel foam to aloe, bamboo, or wool. 🌱
These may affect the comfort, breathability, and support features of your mattress.
The Simba Hybrid Luxe, for example, features a top bamboo wool layer to enhance temperature regulation.
It's important to pay attention to the quality of these other mattress materials as well.
3. Pay attention to the degree of firmness
Memory foam mattresses are generally on the softer end of the scale.
The foam also reacts to temperature and is likely to become even softer as it warms up while you sleep. 💤
But, the actual degree of firmness of your mattress depends significantly on the other mattress materials used.
You can even find some firm memory foam mattresses, like the Nectar.
Unlike many other memory foam mattresses, the Nectar has a firmer top layer to counteract the softer memory foam - hence its firmer and more supportive feel.
There is no right or wrong when choosing a degree of firmness, though your sleeping position and build/body weight will influence this a bit.
Ultimately, you need to choose a mattress that allows your spine to remain optimally aligned.
If you sleep on your side, for example, you're likely to need a slightly softer mattress to allow the heavier parts of your body to sink in.
This will allow for optimal spinal alignment.
Take a look at the illustration below.👇

As you can see, the hips and shoulders sink in a little more deeply while the lighter parts of the body are adequately supported.
This allows your spine to remain straight, eliminating causes of tension and resultant back pain.
If you're a back or stomach sleeper (or if you're of a slightly larger build), you'll need a mattress that's a little firmer to provide enough stability and support.

Determining the right degree of firmness can be challenging. 🤯
This is why we've devised the Sleep Hero firmness scale.
Here, we rate mattresses on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 the firmest.
All of the mattresses we review receive a value on this scale to help guide your purchasing decision. 🛍
But, ultimately, you will need to sleep on a mattress for a few weeks to see if the firmness is right for you.
That's why we always recommend choosing a mattress that comes with a risk-free trial period.
4. Risk-free trial periods
We can certainly help guide you in finding the best mattress.
That's what Sleep Hero is all about. ⭐️
But the only way to really see if a mattress is right for you is to try it out yourself.
We're not talking about lying on a mattress for a few minutes in a retail store.
Everything feels comfortable for a few minutes. 🤷♀️
To really see if a mattress is right for you, you need to sleep on it for a period of at least three weeks.
This gives your body the chance to get used to a new feel, which is especially important if your new mattress is vastly different from your old one.
We always recommend purchasing a mattress that comes with free delivery, a risk-free trial period, free returns, and full refunds.
These make your mattress purchase a risk-free investment.
Trial periods differ by brand, but most offer a minimum of 100 days. 🗓
Our favourite memory foam mattresses offer the following:
- The Ergoflex comes with a 30-night trial.
- The Nectar mattress comes with an industry-leading 365-night trial!
If you've slept on one of these mattresses for a few weeks and still don't find it as comfortable as you had hoped, you can send it back and receive a full refund. 💰
That's the kind of service we enjoy.
UK memory foam mattress sizes
Memory foam mattresses, like most other mattresses, are available in a wide range of sizes.
The standard UK mattress sizes include:
- Small single memory foam mattress: 75 x 190 cm (2'6" x 6'3")
- Single memory foam mattress: 90 x 190 cm (3’ x 6’3”)
- Memory foam small double mattress: 120 x 190 cm (4' x 6'3")
- Memory foam mattress double: 135 x 190 cm (4’6” x 6’3”)
- Memory foam mattress king size: 150 x 200 cm (5’ x 6’6”)
- Memory foam mattress super king size: 180 x 200 cm (6’ x 6’6”)
- Memory foam mattress emperor: 200 x 200 cm (6’6” x 6’6”)
You're also likely to find memory foam mattresses in a few custom sizes.
Foam can be cut quite easily, so it's a lot simpler to produce custom all-foam mattresses than it is to produce custom hybrid or sprung mattresses.👌
Choosing the right mattress size
The right mattress size will depend on your personal preference, whether or not you're sharing your bed with a partner, your budget, and the size of your room.
Singles could choose any size, but we recommend that couples choose one of the larger mattress sizes.
Memory foam tends to have poor to average edge support.
This means that the foam sinks in along the edges, and it may be problematic to sleep or sit near or on the edge of the mattress. ⛰
Couples wouldn't really be able to make use of the full width of the bed, so larger mattress sizes - like the king-size or even larger - would be preferable choices.
Our mattress size guide can help you choose the right size for you.

What do memory foam mattresses cost?
You may be able to find some cheap memory foam mattresses in the UK, but these are usually quite thin and won't last you very long.
We wouldn't recommend these.
Dormeo also has some budget options that might be suitable, but they won't be as good quality as their Octaspring collection.
We also wouldn't recommend IKEA memory foam mattresses. Some of the more premium ones are okay, but there are many better products available.
Most high-quality memory foam mattresses will set you back between £400 and £550 for the smallest size.
Of course, you can pay significantly more for a Tempur memory foam mattress or a little less for a budget Silentnight or Sealy mattress.
But most of our recommended mattresses are in that price range.
The best memory foam mattress deals
This doesn't mean you can't get a great deal on your new memory foam mattress.
Most of the UK bed-in-a-box brands we recommend, like Simba, Eve, or Nectar, regularly offer discounts and promotions.
A good coupon code can get you up to 45% off. 🥳
You don't have to spend hours searching the internet for a good deal.
We collect all of the best coupon codes for you and display them on our discounts page.
Simply select your code, apply it upon checkout, and enjoy your savings.
Bed frames for memory foam mattresses
Many bed-in-a-box mattress brands stress that you have to place your new memory foam mattress on a suitable bed base.
Some, like Eve, will even void your warranty if the mattress hasn't been placed on a compatible frame. 🛌
Luckily, there is a wide range of bed frames to choose from.
Box springs are the easiest choice as they provide a solid foundation for your mattress.
Be careful with slatted frames
Slatted frames also work, but these are often not recommended for memory foam mattresses.
This is because there are gaps between the individual slats, and memory foam may conform and adapt to these gaps over time.
This can damage the mattress. 😔
But, this doesn't mean that you can't choose a slatted bed frame.
Just make sure that the slats aren't too far apart: a maximum distance of 5 cm between slats is optimal.
You can even choose height-adjustable or rigid slatted frames.
Our favourite bed frames:
Memory foam mattress toppers
A mattress topper is a relatively thin layer of extra padding that can enhance the comfort of your mattress.
They are predominantly used to add some softness to mattresses that may otherwise be too firm.
Many mattress toppers are made from memory foam.
This is because memory foam is so soft and comfortable, making it the perfect material to add a little soft cushioning to the top of your mattress. 🤗
So if you've purchased a hybrid or pocket sprung mattress and you generally like the feel of it but want a touch more comfort, a memory foam mattress topper is the perfect solution.
Memory foam toppers are also available in all standard UK mattress sizes, including the popular memory foam mattress topper small double and memory foam mattress topper king size.
Our favourite UK memory foam mattress toppers:
Memory foam pillows
While you definitely need a good mattress for the best night's sleep, you also shouldn't underestimate the importance of a quality pillow.
A bad pillow can lead to neck, shoulder, and upper back pain.
To find the right pillow, it's best to pay attention to your sleeping position:
- Choose a flat pillow if you sleep on your stomach.
- Choose a medium-loft pillow if you sleep on your back.
- Choose a high-loft pillow if you sleep on your side.

We really like adjustable pillows that allow you to customise the height and firmness of your pillow to suit you best.
Memory foam pillows are perfect for this. 🎉
They adapt to the shape of your head and neck optimally, relieving neck and shoulder pains.
Our favourite UK memory foam pillows:
Alternatives to memory foam mattresses
Memory foam is great - but it may not be the right choice for you.
If you're looking for a mattress that's perhaps more breathable or less body-hugging, then consider the below alternatives.
Spring mattresses
Spring mattresses are often firmer and offer more stability than memory foam mattresses.
They usually feature a spring core with upper comfort layers of foam.
Springs allow for greater elasticity and enhanced breathability, making them the perfect choice for people who need more support and enjoy a cooler sleep. ❄️
Quality is important when it comes to spring mattresses.
Many inferior spring mattresses, like open coil mattresses, can create or worsen back pain.
We always recommend pocket sprung mattresses.

Cold foam mattresses
Cold foam mattresses demonstrate high adaptability and are often used for orthopaedic purposes.
They're easier to move around on, too, so they're better suited for restless sleepers.🕺
Most mattresses feature a base layer of cold foam for enhanced stability and support.

Gel foam mattresses
Gel foam mattresses are very comfortable, providing a soft and cuddly feel.
They also allow for enhanced airflow, which keeps you cooler. 💨
Gel foam is most commonly found as an upper comfort layer in a combination foam mattress, used together with more adaptable and/or stable and firmer base foams.
BUY JUST BLISS GEL HYBRID£ 469

Latex mattresses
Latex mattresses offer a very high degree of comfort.
High-quality natural latex mattresses also offer excellent ventilation, and they're a great organic mattress choice. 🐼
Unfortunately, pure latex mattresses are costly.
Hybrid mattresses
Hybrid mattresses usually combine high-quality memory foam with a core of pocket springs.
This results in a mattress that offers the exceptional adaptability and comfort of memory foam with the increased support, stability, and breathability of springs.
Should you buy a memory foam mattress?
Memory foam mattresses are excellent but they may not be suitable for everyone.
We can recommend memory foam mattresses to:
- People who like sleeping in their bed rather than on top of their bed
- People who easily feel cold at night
- People with orthopaedic concerns
- Couples
- Allergy sufferers
We would not recommend memory foam mattresses to:
- People who easily feel hot at night or heavy sweaters
- Restless sleepers
If you're not sure, you can always make use of risk-free trial periods to try out a mattress in the comfort of your own home.
Table of Contents
Our top UK memory foam mattress recommendations
What is a memory foam mattress?
Who are memory foam mattresses suitable for?
Criteria to consider when purchasing a memory foam mattress
What do memory foam mattresses cost?
Bed frames for memory foam mattresses
Alternatives to memory foam mattresses