The best memory foam mattresses are a one-way ticket to a good night’s sleep. While you may be practising good sleep habits like limiting screen time, meditating before bed, and avoiding caffeine, a worn-out, sagging mattress can still hinder your chances of achieving the rejuvenating rest you deserve for optimal well-being.
Enter: the humble memory foam mattress. For many, the centre point of their dream bed. While pocket-sprung mattresses tend to put pressure on particular areas, memory foam mattresses contour to your body shape to deliver more consistent support and smooth motion transfer so you don’t wake up feeling inadequately rested. Or with back pain. Or neck pain. Or all of the above. There’s also evidence to suggest that memory foam mattresses last longer than spring mattresses and are more breathable. Overheating is a thing of the past. Tempted? Your journey to a new mattress awaits.
SKIP TO: Are memory foam mattresses better for you? | What are the disadvantages of memory foam mattresses? | What is off-gassing? | How thick should your memory foam mattress be? | How we tested | Full mattress reviews
Meet the expert:
The best memory foam mattress at a glance:
- Best overall: Emma NextGen Premium Mattress, £314.25, Emma
- Best for spinal alignment: Nectar Premier Mattress, £675, Nectar
- Best for hybrid: THE SIMBA Hybrid® Mattress, £629, Simba
- Best sustainable: Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, £950, Panda
What are the advantages of memory foam mattresses?
Memory foam mattresses are great for anyone who needs extra support as they sleep, according to Silentnight’s Sleep Expert, Hannah Shore. “A build-up of pressure during sleep is what often leads you to twist and turn throughout the night,” she told us. “Memory foam is great at distributing pressure evenly to ensure you don’t get any numbness and allows you to have a restful night’s sleep.”
Another advantage of memory foam is the fact that they effectively absorb energy, meaning no hot sweats in the middle of the night. “Memory foam reacts with heat, the warmer it gets, the more you sink into it (that’s why some products may feel very firm when you first lie on them),” Hannah continued.
“As you sink into the memory foam, it inhibits some of the excess movement some people can have during sleep. This is why memory foam is great for restless sleepers.”
What are the disadvantages of memory foam mattresses?
To be honest, there aren’t many, but memory foam isn’t for everyone. Also, “too much memory foam in a mattress can lead you to sink in too far, when you then want to move throughout the night this means you have to put in more effort to turn over meaning you may wake more frequently,” Hannah warned.
What is off-gassing?
Off-gassing when the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the manufacture of many household items – all-foam mattresses included – are released into the air that you breathe. Everything off-gasses in some way; if it has a smell, it’s off-gassing. Fresh paint smelling? Off-gassing. New memory foam mattress smell? Off-gassing. There’s not much you can do to avoid it, no matter your mattresses’ price tag, but you can open windows and improve ventilation to dampen the scent.
How thick should your memory foam mattress be?
For high-quality memory foam mattresses, look towards those that are 10 to 14-inches thick. They’ll be good enough to provide supreme comfort, and won’t sag or develop soft spots after a couple of years (which thinner memory foam mattresses will).
How we tested:
By speaking to experts, trialing memory foam mattresses over a period of a month when we could (we’re working our way through the rest), using product reviews and using search data, we’ve curated, what we feel is, a thorough edit of the best memory foam mattresses (and hybrid memory foam mattresses) on the market. We’ve marked mattresses including the Emma Original Mattress on features like cushioning and comfort, whether they offer enough support, price point, breathability, sleep trial offerings and whether they’re hypoallergenic. You can rest assured, if anything changes, our guide will be quickly updated.
After more sleep content? Shop the best mattresses, bed frames, best weighted blankets, best duvets, and best pillows. We’ve also got silk bedding, silk pillowcases, the best mattress toppers and linen bedding. For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.