Adjustable bed mattresses
An adjustable bed mattress has to bend at the head and knees without damage, so it needs to be flexible: foam, or pocket springs without stiff edge rods. Every mattress here is suitable for adjustable beds, but check your bed maker's depth guidance too.
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Shop all mattressesDo adjustable beds need a special mattress?
An adjustable bed doesn't need a special type of mattress, but it does need a flexible one that can bend at the head and knees without damage: usually foam, or pocket springs without stiff edge rods.
An electric adjustable bed raises the head section, the knee section or both, and the mattress has to follow every bend, then lie flat again. A mattress that can't flex won't sit properly when the bed is raised, and bending it day after day can strain or damage its springs. Open coil mattresses and very deep or rigid mattresses usually don't cope well.
Which mattress types work on an adjustable bed?
Foam mattresses, including memory foam, are the simplest choice for an adjustable bed, because foam bends easily and recovers its shape. Pocket sprung and hybrid mattresses can work too, as long as they don't have a stiff rod around the edge.
| Mattress type | On an adjustable bed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Memory foam | Usually yes | Bends with the bed and moulds to you in each position |
| Reflex and other foams | Usually yes | Flexible, and springier than memory foam |
| Pocket sprung or hybrid without edge rods | Often | Each spring moves on its own, so the unit can flex |
| Pocket sprung with stiff edge rods | Usually no | The rods resist bending |
| Open coil | Usually no | The springs are wired into one unit that doesn't bend easily |
Every mattress in this collection is suitable for adjustable beds. If you'd like to look at the wider range, our memory foam mattresses and foam mattresses are the most likely to suit. With pocket sprung mattresses, check each one for edge rods before ordering, or ask us.
How thick should an adjustable bed mattress be?
An adjustable bed mattress is often 15 to 25 cm deep, but the depth your bed's maker recommends is the one to follow.
Too deep, and the mattress resists bending and may not stay in place when the head end rises. Too thin, and you may feel the hinged sections of the base through it. Many adjustable beds also have a retaining bar at the foot end to stop the mattress sliding, which is one more reason to match the mattress to the bed's instructions.
What size mattress does an adjustable bed take?
Adjustable beds are often single or small double, so the usual mattress sizes are a single mattress at 90 x 190 cm (3ft x 6ft3) or a small double mattress at 120 x 190 cm (4ft x 6ft3). Measure the bed or check its instructions, as some use European sizes.
Larger adjustable beds are sometimes two beds side by side, known as dual adjustable, so each person can raise their own side. Each half then needs a mattress of its own. The halves aren't always standard UK sizes, so check each one: two European singles (90 x 200 cm) make exactly 180 x 200 cm, a super king, while two UK singles make 180 x 190 cm, 10 cm shorter.
Can I use my old mattress on an adjustable bed?
You can use your existing mattress on an adjustable bed only if it's flexible, the right size and within the bed maker's depth limit. A foam mattress often passes all three; an open coil mattress, or a pocket sprung one with edge rods, usually doesn't.
Age matters too. An adult mattress typically lasts around 7 to 10 years, so if yours is close to that or has started to sag, a new bed is a sensible time to replace it. A topper can't fix a sagging mattress.
If back pain is part of the reason for an adjustable bed, our mattresses for back pain page explains what the evidence says. Neither the bed nor the mattress is a treatment, and a GP or physiotherapist is the right person to advise on ongoing pain.
A family-run shop can't know every adjustable bed on the market, but we can read the instructions for yours. Send us the bed's details, including its depth limit, and we'll suggest mattresses that fit.
Adjustable bed mattresses: your questions answered
Can't see your question? Ask us and we'll get back to you.
Can you use a memory foam mattress on an adjustable bed?
Memory foam is a good match for an adjustable bed, because it bends easily as the head and knee sections rise and recovers its shape when the bed lies flat. Check the depth against the bed maker's guidance, as a very deep mattress can resist bending even if it's all foam.
Can a pocket sprung mattress go on an adjustable bed?
Some pocket sprung mattresses can go on an adjustable bed and some can't. Each spring sits in its own fabric pocket and moves independently, so the spring unit can flex, but a stiff rod around the edge stops it bending. Choose one without edge rods and within the bed's depth limit.
What is a flexible mattress?
A flexible mattress is one that can bend without damage and recover its shape afterwards, which is what an adjustable bed needs. Foam mattresses are naturally flexible, and pocket sprung mattresses can be if they have no stiff edge rods. Open coil mattresses, with their springs wired into one unit, usually aren't.
Can I put one king size mattress on a dual adjustable bed?
One large mattress won't work on a dual adjustable bed, because each half of the bed rises separately and one mattress can't bend two ways at once. Use one mattress per half, in the size given in the bed's instructions, so each side can move on its own.
What firmness should an adjustable bed mattress be?
Choose firmness for how you sleep, just as you would on a flat bed: medium-soft to medium for side sleepers, medium to medium-firm for back sleepers and medium-firm to firm for front sleepers. Firmer isn't automatically better: a 2003 trial in The Lancet found people with chronic lower back pain did better on medium-firm mattresses than firm ones.
Will my mattress slide down an adjustable bed?
A mattress of the right size shouldn't slide far on an adjustable bed. Many adjustable beds have a retaining bar at the foot end that holds the mattress in place as the head end rises. If yours keeps slipping, check that the mattress matches the bed's size and that the retaining bar is fitted.
What sheets fit an adjustable bed?
Standard fitted sheets in your mattress size work on an adjustable bed, as long as the pocket is deeper than the mattress, so the corners stay tucked in when the bed bends. On a dual adjustable bed, use a separate fitted sheet for each half so each side can move freely.
Can I put any mattress on an electric profiling bed?
A home adjustable bed takes any mattress that's flexible and the right size and depth. If a profiling bed has been provided for care at home, ask the occupational therapist or nurse involved before changing the mattress, because some people need a specialist mattress chosen for their care.
Not sure which mattress?
Tell us about your bed and how you sleep, and we'll suggest a few that fit.