Premium matress recommendations right now? For the third time since Mattressly began rating mattresses, the Avocado Green Mattress takes the top of the podium. It stands out with its exceptionally long sleep trial period (Avocado gives you a full year to test this mattress). The Green also features a selection of high-quality materials. While these elements add to its value, it’s worth noting that a Green Mattress costs about $220 above the average price of a queen mattress in our ratings. The Avocado Green is a hybrid mattress. Similar to an innerspring mattress, a hybrid mattress has a base layer of spring coils but has thicker comfort layers above these coils than a spring mattress. In a similar fashion, the Avocado uses 2 inches of organic latex for its comfort layer. Above this is a layer of organic wool topped with an organic cotton cover. The wool performs double duty as both a natural fire retardant and a material that helps you stay cool and dry. There’s no greenwashing with Avocado, as it has certifications from eight reputable organizations for its organic and natural materials.
We tested Emma’s Original last year and gave it top marks so we were expecting great things of its Hybrid sister. At £519 for a single compared to £299 for the Original, it’s more of an investment, for sure, so we were keen to see what it delivers in terms of comfort that the Original doesn’t. For a start, it feels heavier, although it’s just as easy to release from its packaging and fills up to size pretty quickly. It also has handles, which are extremely useful not just for maneuvering them into place but for lifting when sheet changing. It’s a small detail but really useful nonetheless. Like all hybrid mattresses it pairs layers of memory foam with pocket springs for a combination that intends to provided the best of both worlds. A top layer of the company’s patented Airgocell open pored, breathable layer sits above a seam of pocket springs that provides body support and allows air to flow, keeping things cool by preventing heat and moisture from becoming trapped.
If you’re after a firm, supportive hybrid at a very reasonable price, look no further than this octasmart mattress. It’s the firmest hybrid we tried, although perhaps slightly less supportive than others edge to edge. But, assuming you don’t plan to cling to the side, this number is great for both side and back sleepers. The “octasprings” inside are a bit different to traditional mattress springs – they’re biodegradable for one. They also help isolate movement, and we found we weren’t woken by our co-tester getting in and out of bed. These are complemented by a layer of individual pocket springs, to give a nice bounce and firmer support. As a result, the memory foam sinking feeling isn’t quite as pronounced on the octasmart mattress as others we tried, but we were happy with that as it allowed us to move about at night without trouble. It’s a great, ache-free option for side sleepers, as there are three zoned areas on the mattress with targeted support for your back, shoulders and hips. As an added bonus, it’s 100 per cent recyclable when it comes to the end of its life.
What type of mattress should I get? OK, so you’ve decided you want a new mattress. But you’re blindsided by the different types. Worry no: here’s a quick cheat sheet. Sprung mattress – these are the traditional-style mattresses, which mostly come all ready to sleep on. They often have several thousand springs, which provide support while you sleep. Williams from the National Bed Federation says: “You should probably look for a minimum of 1,000 springs in a king size. Obviously, this needs to be pro rata’d down when buying a double or single. Where mattresses are advertised as having many thousands of springs, this is where layers of micro-springs are placed over the top of the main pocket spring unit as comfort layers. Find additional details at https://mattressly.com/.
This buy online bed-in-a-box is probably the one most of us will have heard of, and offers free delivery, a 100-night sleep trial and free returns if it’s not for you. Conveniently packaged, the box in question is a cinch to get upstairs and in fact, one of us managed it on our own although it’s probably better with two. Instructions for unboxing are online rather than in the package but it’s simple to work out so we didn’t bother – although watch the scissors as you release it from the plastic as you could easily nick the mattress if you’re not careful. Getting it out of the box and onto the bed, once the plastic packaging was opened, it immediately started to get its shape and was ready to sleep on in just a couple of hours.