Mattresses

Choosing a mattress comes down to three decisions: the size your bed takes, how the mattress is built and how firm it feels. We sell every size from shorty bunks to super kings, plus European sizes.

Read our buying guide

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How do I choose a mattress?

Choose a mattress in three steps: measure your bed frame to find the size, pick a type that suits how you sleep, then pick a firmness for your sleep position and build.

  1. Size: measure the inside of the frame, width and length, in centimetres.
  2. Type: memory foam, pocket sprung, hybrid, open coil or foam, each with its own feel.
  3. Firmness: softer for side sleepers, firmer for front sleepers and heavier builds.

Then check two practical points. If the mattress is for a bunk, cabin bed or high sleeper, find the maximum mattress line marked on the bed and choose a mattress no deeper than that. And check whether it arrives rolled in a box or flat, which matters if your stairs are narrow.

What size mattress do I need?

The mattress size you need is the one that matches the inside of your bed frame, so measure the frame rather than the old mattress, which may have spread or sagged over the years.

Who's sleeping Sizes to look at
A young child Shorty, small single or single
An older child or teenager Single, small double or European single
One adult Single, small double or double
Two adults Double, king or super king

Check the length too. A mattress should be about 10 to 15 cm longer than the tallest person sleeping on it, so the 190 cm length of most UK sizes suits people up to about 175 to 180 cm. Kings, super kings and every European size are 200 cm long. Each size has its own page with exact measurements, bedding sizes and the sizes it's often mistaken for: start with single mattresses, double mattresses or king size mattresses.

Which type of mattress is best?

No type of mattress is best for everyone: memory foam suits side sleepers and light sleepers, pocket springs suit warm sleepers and heavier builds, and a hybrid combines the two.

  • Memory foam: softens with body heat and moulds to your shape, easing pressure at the shoulders and hips. It's quiet and passes on very little movement, but can feel warmer than springs.
  • Pocket sprung: each spring sits in its own fabric pocket and moves on its own, so a partner turning over disturbs you less than on open coil. Air moves freely through the springs.
  • Hybrid: pocket springs underneath, with a comfort layer of memory foam, latex or gel foam on top.
  • Open coil: one unit of springs linked by wire. Lighter, cheaper and bouncier, and many are two-sided so you can flip them.
  • Reflex foam: high-density foam with no springs, springier than memory foam. Light and quiet, so it works well on bunks and guest beds.

How firm should my mattress be?

How firm your mattress should be depends mainly on how you sleep: side sleepers usually suit medium-soft to medium, back sleepers medium to medium-firm, and front sleepers medium-firm to firm.

How you sleep Firmness On our 1 to 10 scale
On your side Medium-soft to medium 3 to 6
On your back Medium to medium-firm 5 to 8
On your front Medium-firm to firm 7 to 10
In several positions Medium 5 to 6

Your build matters too. Heavier people usually need firmer support and a deeper mattress, while lighter people and children often find a very firm mattress hard. Firmer isn't automatically better for your back: a 2003 trial published in The Lancet found people with chronic lower back pain did better on a medium-firm mattress than a firm one. If you have ongoing pain, see a GP or physiotherapist. Brands don't share a firmness scale, which is why every one of our mattress pages uses the same 1 to 10 scale.

Is a rolled mattress as good as one delivered flat?

A rolled mattress can be every bit as good as one delivered flat, because rolling is a way of packing a mattress, not a sign of its quality. Foam, hybrid and some pocket sprung mattresses roll; many pocket sprung ones can't, so they come flat.

A rolled mattress arrives compressed and vacuum packed in a box that's easy to carry up narrow stairs. Unbox it soon after delivery. You can sleep on it after a few hours, it reaches full shape within 24 to 72 hours, and any faint new smell fades with airing. A flat mattress arrives fully wrapped and ready to use straight away. Each mattress page says which way it arrives and shows its delivery time, and most can be delivered the next working day. If access is tight, start with our rolled mattresses.

Do you sell mattresses for children's beds and awkward sizes?

Yes: Mattress Town specialises in mattresses for children's beds, bunk beds, cabin beds and trundles, along with awkward and European sizes.

For a child's bed, start with kids mattresses. Every mattress we sell meets UK fire safety rules (BS 7177). If your bed is a shorty, a small single or a European size, or doesn't match a standard UK size at all, see awkward size mattresses.

We're family-run, and we'll happily help if you're torn between two sizes or two types: send your bed's measurements and how you sleep through the contact page.

Written by the Mattress Town team. Last updated .

Mattresses: your questions answered

Can't see your question? Ask us and we'll get back to you.

What should I check before buying a mattress online?

Before buying a mattress online, check the inside measurements of your bed frame, the maximum mattress depth if it's a bunk, cabin bed or high sleeper, and the firmness rating against how you sleep. Then check how the mattress is delivered: rolled mattresses come boxed, while flat ones need room on the stairs and landing.

What do the firmness numbers on your mattresses mean?

Every mattress page at Mattress Town shows firmness on a 1 to 10 scale: 1 to 2 is soft, 3 to 4 medium-soft, 5 to 6 medium, 7 to 8 medium-firm and 9 to 10 firm. There's no industry-wide firmness scale, so using one scale across our range lets you compare mattresses like for like.

How long does a mattress last?

You can expect an adult mattress to last around 7 to 10 years. Replace a mattress sooner if it sags, has lumps, you can feel the springs through it, or you regularly wake up stiff. A topper can change how a mattress feels, but it can't fix one that has started to sag.

How quickly can you deliver a mattress?

Most of our mattresses can be delivered the next working day, which means Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Each mattress page shows its own delivery time, so check it if you need a mattress by a particular day. We email tracking details when your order is on its way.

Can I sleep on a rolled mattress straight away?

Not quite: a rolled mattress can usually be slept on after a few hours, once it has unrolled and started to recover its shape. Full shape takes 24 to 72 hours. Unbox a rolled mattress soon after it arrives rather than leaving it compressed, and open a window if you notice a faint new smell.

Do I need a new bed base with a new mattress?

A new mattress doesn't usually need a new bed base, as long as the base is the right size, flat and in good condition. Check the slat spacing the mattress maker recommends, choose a flexible mattress for an adjustable bed, and avoid putting a mattress straight on the floor, where trapped moisture can lead to mould underneath.

Memory foam or pocket sprung: which should I buy?

Buy memory foam if you sleep on your side, wake easily when a partner moves or like a mattress that moulds to you. Buy pocket sprung if you sleep warm or need firm, springy support for a heavier build. A hybrid mattress puts a foam comfort layer over pocket springs, so it gives you some of both.

How often should I turn my mattress?

Rotate a new mattress head to toe every few weeks for the first three months, then every three months after that. Only flip a mattress over if the maker says it's two-sided, because many mattresses have their comfort layers on one side only. Many open coil mattresses are two-sided.

Not sure which mattress?

Tell us about your bed and how you sleep, and we'll suggest a few that fit.

Ask us