How to Choose a Mattress – Without Losing Sleep Over It

⏱ 7 minute read

Buying a new mattress should be fairly simple. You lie on it. You like it. You buy it.

Except then someone mentions pocket springs, memory foam, natural fillings, firmness ratings, spring counts — and suddenly choosing somewhere to sleep feels more complicated than buying a car.

So, after 30 years of helping people choose a bed and mattress, here’s our straightforward guide to finding the right mattress for you — without the jargon or the sales pressure.

And yes, Milo has contributed. His advice is mainly to choose the biggest mattress possible and spend most of the day on it — so we’ve edited his section quite heavily.

Milo — our Chief Mattress Tester

1️⃣ Forget what you think you should be buying

One of the biggest mistakes we see is people coming into the shop already convinced they need a particular mattress.

“I need an extra firm one.” “I was told memory foam is best.” “I need lots of pocket springs.”

Not necessarily. There isn’t one mattress that’s right for everyone. Your size, sleeping position, comfort preference, whether you share a bed, and even how warm you get at night can all make a difference.

The aim isn’t to find the best mattress — it’s to find the best one for you. Not sure where to start? Our Which Mattress is Right for Me? guide is a good place to begin.

2️⃣ Start with how it feels

Mattress firmness generally ranges from soft through to extra firm. But here’s something important:

Firmness and support are not the same thing.

A mattress doesn’t have to feel rock hard to support you properly. Equally, a lovely soft mattress isn’t necessarily unsupportive. When you’re lying down, you want your body to feel comfortably cradled — without uncomfortable pressure around areas like your shoulders and hips.

The best way to find your firmness? Lie on it. Properly. In your usual sleep position, for at least five minutes. That’s what our showrooms are for — no rush, no pressure. Not sure which firmness to go for? Read our What Firmness Mattress Do I Need? guide.

🐾 Milo’s Advice: Bigger is always better. If in doubt, go bigger. Also, the middle of the bed is the best bit and should be reserved exclusively for dogs. We have overruled him on this.

3️⃣ Think about how you sleep

Your sleep position is a useful starting point — though it’s a rough guide rather than a rule. The most important thing is always how the mattress feels to you.

• Side sleepers — a softer to medium feel tends to work better, as your hips and shoulders need a little give to keep your spine level.
• Back sleepers — medium to medium-firm is a good starting point, with enough support under the lumbar region to maintain your lower back’s natural curve.
• Front sleepers — a slightly firmer surface can help prevent the hips from sinking and the spine from arching, though sleeping on your front does put more strain on the back regardless of mattress type.
• Combination sleepers — if you move around a lot, a medium feel with good responsiveness (pocket sprung mattresses are great for this) tends to adapt well to different positions throughout the night.

Take these as a starting point. Your body will tell you more than any firmness chart.

4️⃣ If you share a bed, choose together

A good mattress needs to work for both of you. If at all possible, come in together.

You may be different weights, sleep in completely different positions, or have completely different ideas of what “medium” means. All of that matters — and it’s much easier to find the right answer when you’re both there to try things out. And if you’re not sure what size to go for, our Mattress Sizes Explained guide is worth a read before you visit.

And yes, we’ve witnessed plenty of mattress negotiations over the years. We’re staying neutral. 😄

For couples with very different preferences, it’s worth knowing that some of our mattresses are available in zip-and-link versions — two mattresses zipped together, each with a different feel. Ask us in store for details.

5️⃣ Don’t get hung up on spring counts

Spring count is one of those numbers that sounds very important and is often used as a selling point. And yes, it matters — but it’s only part of the story.

A higher spring count generally means the springs are smaller and more numerous, which can give a finer degree of body contouring. But the quality of the springs, the gauge of the wire, how they’re arranged, and what’s layered on top of them all make just as much difference to how a mattress actually feels and performs.

A well-made 1000-spring mattress with quality materials will almost always outperform a poorly made 3000-spring mattress. So rather than chasing a number, focus on how the mattress feels to lie on — and ask us about the construction if you’d like to understand what’s inside it.

Spring count is a useful data point. It’s not the whole picture.

6️⃣ Choose the mattress type that suits you

There are lots of different mattress constructions out there, but broadly speaking you’ll come across these main types:

• Pocket sprung — individual springs housed in their own fabric pockets, moving independently of each other. Great for couples (less motion transfer), good body contouring, and generally very durable. One of the most popular choices for good reason.
• Memory foam — responds to your body heat and weight to mould around you, relieving pressure points. Excellent for those with joint or muscle pain. Can feel warmer than sprung mattresses, though many modern versions include cooling layers to address this.
• Hybrid — combines a pocket spring base with foam or other comfort layers on top. Aims to give you the support of springs with the pressure relief of foam. A good middle ground for many sleepers.
• Open coil — the traditional spring mattress, where all the springs are connected. Generally more affordable, lighter, and easier to turn. A perfectly good option for guest rooms or lighter use, though they tend to have a shorter lifespan than pocket sprung.

None of these is automatically “the best”. Are you spotting a theme yet? The right type depends entirely on what feels right for you, how you sleep, and what you’re looking for from a mattress.

Want to understand what’s actually inside a mattress? Our Mattress Fillings Explained guide covers everything from memory foam and latex to wool, cashmere, and natural fibres. And if you’d like to try different constructions side by side, our showrooms in King’s Lynn and Wisbech have a wide range to try — we’re always happy to talk you through the differences.

7️⃣ Think about temperature too

If you’re someone who regularly throws the duvet off at 2am because you’re roasting, tell us. It matters more than you might think.

Some mattress constructions and fillings can feel warmer than others. Memory foam, for example, is known for retaining heat — though many modern versions include cooling gel layers or open-cell foam to help with this. Denser fillings and certain synthetic materials can also trap warmth.

On the other hand, breathable covers, natural fibres (wool is a particularly good temperature regulator), and certain cooling materials can make a real difference for warmer sleepers. If this sounds like you, it’s worth factoring it into your decision alongside firmness and support. You may also find our article The Truth About Cooling Mattresses interesting.

Our Camel 1200 Mattress is a brilliant option for hot sleepers — camel fibre is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, making it one of the best natural fillings for temperature regulation. Just worth knowing: it’s an extremely soft mattress, so it’s not for everyone. Come and try it in store and you’ll know immediately whether it’s for you.

8️⃣ Give yourself a realistic budget

We’re not going to tell you to spend as much as possible — and we’re not going to point you towards the cheapest option either. What we’d much rather do is understand what you’re comfortable spending and show you the best mattresses within that range.

A good mattress is an investment in your sleep — and your sleep affects everything else. But “good” doesn’t have to mean the most expensive one in the showroom. There are excellent mattresses at a wide range of price points, and we’d rather help you find the right one for your budget than try to persuade you into something you don’t need.

So just tell us what you’re comfortable with. That’s genuinely the most helpful thing you can do.

9️⃣ Actually lie on it

This is probably our single biggest piece of advice. And we mean it properly.

Get into your normal sleeping position. Roll over. Go back and try the first one again. Take your time. We genuinely don’t mind — in fact, we actively encourage it.

We’ve been selling beds for over 30 years. Seeing people lying around in our shops is completely normal. We do it all the time.

1️⃣⃣0️⃣ Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions

There are no silly questions when you’re buying something you’re hopefully going to sleep on for the next several years. Ask us anything — about construction, fillings, firmness, size, what the difference is between two mattresses that look almost identical. We’ve heard it all and we love talking about it.

The only question we’d rather you didn’t ask is “which one should I just go for?” — because the honest answer is always “the one that feels right to you”. And the only way to find that out is to lie on them.

Milo, demonstrating the correct approach to mattress testing. He has been on this one for four hours. We have not disturbed him.