What does your current bed get wrong?
- Too sinky to move on
- The edge collapses
- It creaks, or wakes whoever drops off first
- It gets hot and hard to keep fresh
Springs and latex give you a surface that pushes back
A springy surface lets you move without sinking deeply into the comfort layer. Pocket springs are my starting point for couples because they work independently, and a hybrid combines a spring unit, usually pocket springs, with a substantial foam or latex comfort layer. The word "hybrid" gets rather grand treatment in mattress advertising. Look at what's on top of the springs: a thinner comfort layer keeps more of their springy feel, while a deep, soft one lets you sink further.
Latex mattresses are well worth trying if you like bounce. The National Bed Federation's consumer site, Bed Advice UK, describes latex as responding and recovering immediately, which gives it that bouncy feel, compared with memory foam's slow response and recovery. I think latex is the best material too many people walk straight past, usually after looking at the price.1 If you have a latex allergy, skip latex.
There was never much mystery about the foam's original purpose: NASA Spinoff's 2005 account traces its origins to NASA-contracted "slow spring back foam". Modern foams vary. For this purchase, concentrate on how deeply you sink and how easily you can move across the surface. A small amount of memory foam over springs is a sensible compromise when you like cushioning but still want some spring underneath.
Open coil gives more bounce than pocket springs, as Bed Advice UK's explanation of coil springs makes clear.2 It also passes movement across the bed. That's why I still steer couples towards pocket springs when one person wants to settle sooner than the other. Buying on bounce alone is a bit like choosing a flat entirely for the balcony: you'll also have to live with the rest of it.
Mini springs can form a resilient comfort layer too, so foam isn't the only option above the main spring unit. Ask what's in the comfort layer and how deep it is. A long list of layers sounds impressive, but you need to know whether you'll float near the surface or sink into it. Honestly, a pocket-spring hybrid with a springy comfort layer is the easiest place to start when you haven't settled on a material.
A strong edge lets you use more of the bed
An edge that holds its shape gives you more room to use comfortably. A weak edge squashes when you sit near it, so you lose width even though the mattress has the same dimensions on the label. You're paying for the whole rectangle. I see no reason to accept a narrow strip down the middle as the satisfactory bit.
Spring units can be built with a reinforced edge, and hand side-stitching helps hold a sprung mattress in shape. When you're comparing pocket-spring mattresses, ask about the edge construction. Neither the word "firm" nor an impressive-looking photograph tells you how the edge feels when you sit near it.
Sit on the edge of a mattress in a showroom before buying, because that's where you'll notice whether it folds away beneath you. Then lie down near the edge and see whether you feel supported. You don't need a theatrical sales demonstration; you need enough time to notice the feel without someone narrating your every move.
Size up if the room allows. To my mind, a king is the double two adults should start with: you each get more width, and a bigger bed means less partner disturbance. Measure the room with space left to walk around the bed and open your storage. A lovely big mattress becomes less lovely when getting dressed requires a sideways shuffle.
Typical UK sizes. They vary a little between makers, and European sizes differ.
| Size | Width | Length | Width each when shared equally |
|---|
| Double | 135 cm (4ft 6in) | 190 cm (6ft 3in) | 67.5 cm (2ft 3in) |
| King | 150 cm (5ft) | 200 cm (6ft 6in) | 75 cm (2ft 6in) |
Quiet materials and separate springs help when one of you settles first
Pocket springs are the better fit when you want springiness without every movement travelling across the bed. Open-coil springs are linked by wire, with no fabric around them, so movement travels across the whole surface, as Bed Advice UK describes. Pocket springs sit in individual fabric pockets and move on their own. They also help stop you rolling together, which is useful once togetherness has been fully attended to.
Foam and latex have no springs to squeak and are quiet in use, according to the National Bed Federation's consumer guidance. Both also reduce partner disturbance. That makes foam a perfectly reasonable option if a still surface appeals more than bounce. The sales habit of calling every mattress ideal for every couple is nonsense; these are different feels, and you don't have to like both.
For creaking, look at the frame first. Joints, bolts and slats rub against each other, so tighten the fixings and examine where the slats sit before blaming the mattress. Felt pads at those contact points quieten many frames. Metal frames squeak, and I wouldn't choose one when avoiding noise is high on your list. A springy mattress on a creaking frame still leaves you with a creaking bed.
Once one of you wants to sleep, a comfort layer that settles quickly is more helpful than plenty of lingering movement. Choose two duvets as well if you pull the bedding in different directions: each person can move their own without dragging the other's across the bed. Our mattresses for couples selection is another place to compare options when disturbance during sleep is your bigger concern.
Keep it clean without cooking yourselves
Foam holds heat, so skip a deep memory-foam comfort layer if you already sleep hot. The National Bed Federation's consumer FAQs explain that foam is a good insulator: the higher the density, the greater the potential heat retention.3 People can get hot on beds of every construction. I think a lighter duvet is a much better first move than trusting an icy-blue mattress advert.
I'm less convinced by cooling covers and phase-change fabrics than by choosing a bed and bedding that suit your temperature in the first place. A cover is still something you're lying on beneath the rest of your bedding. The cooling vocabulary can get so elaborate you'd expect a weather forecast with the delivery; keep your attention on the depth of foam and how warm you feel during the trial.
A washable protector makes cleaning simpler when there's a spill. Bed Advice UK's care guidance says to clean stains as soon as they appear and always use a mattress protector. I'm no fan of protectors because they can hamper breathability, but spills are the honest case for one. Choose one you can wash and dry without turning laundry day into a project.
Treat a spill straight away and sponge it with cold water, using as little as needed. Don't soak the mattress: liquid that seeps into the filling can cause problems. Let it dry fully before remaking the bed. A cover that zips off helps with cleaning only when its care label says it can be washed, so read the label before putting it in the machine. The fillings never go in.
Bed Advice UK also lists "creaks and crunches" among signs that a mattress may need replacing. If the sound comes from the mattress itself, assess its condition alongside any sagging or change in comfort. A fresh protector won't repair worn-out filling or a damaged spring unit.
Leave deep sink and folding edges off your shortlist
A bed that absorbs too much movement, folds at the edge or is difficult to clean is a poor match for this job. I think the trade would sell fewer unsuitable mattresses if the labels spent less time promising bliss and more time describing the comfort layer. Cross these off your shortlist where they apply:
- A deep, soft memory-foam comfort layer when bounce is the point. You'll sink further, with less of the springy surface feel you're looking for.
- Open coil when one of you wants to sleep straight after. The linked springs pass movement across the bed.
- A squeaking frame blamed on the mattress. Replacing the mattress leaves you with the same frame.
- Skipping the protector. A spill that reaches the filling is the hardest kind to get out.
- An edge that folds when you sit on it. You'll have less room to use comfortably.
Read the returns terms before you commit, and use the trial if there's one. The small print is less alluring than the bedroom photography, admittedly, but you need to know whether a return means a refund or an exchange and who pays for collection. Compare those terms alongside the construction and the amount you'll pay.
Latex, edges and upkeep: notes on three mattresses from this list
The mattresses below are WantMattress's own picks, chosen from published specifications and retailer information.
All three have a latex layer, so a latex allergy rules out each of them. I think the edges, covers and upkeep give you more concrete differences to compare than another comfort slogan.
Latex and two spring layers make this an option for couples who want springs with washable fabric at the surface. Origin lists its layers in sequence: a machine-washable zip-off top cover with HexAdapt Pro Pillowtop padding, HexaGrid Plus gel-infused polymers, graphite-infused latex, bamboo-infused wool, microsprings, gel-infused comfort foam and individually wrapped pocket springs. The padding is part of the cover, not a separate topper, and only the top cover comes off. Origin also describes a reinforced high-density edge. I sleep on the Origin Hybrid Pro myself.
Origin sells online and delivers it boxed, so you'll judge the feel at home under its return terms. Its product page calls it medium-plush, but its own pages differ on the feel. I wouldn't choose on that wording alone. Origin says it doesn't need rotating, and there's no flipping either. If you're planning to use an adjustable base, choose another mattress because Origin advises against that pairing. Read the return conditions before ordering so you know how to return it if the feel doesn't suit you.
Couples who want latex with pocket springs but don't want a mattress they have to flip have a reason to consider this Slumberland. Bensons lists mini pocket springs and full-height pocket springs, a latex layer and an Ultra Deep Comfort layer. The deep quilted stretch-knit surface contains Truecomfort fillings, and the retailer describes a reinforced edge. I favour pocket springs for sharing, but Ultra Deep Comfort and Truecomfort aren't material names. Ask what those fillings contain so you can compare the comfort layer properly.
If you're a lighter sleeper, start with Soft. If you're heavier, start with Medium, then judge the feel for yourself. Bensons instructs regular rotation using the handles, without flipping. A washable protector is the practical cleaning choice here because the cover isn't described as removable. If washing the cover itself is essential to you, choose a mattress with explicit removal and washing instructions. Don't assume the quilted surface can go in the machine. Ask Bensons for the cover's care instructions before committing.
The edge combines several construction details under what Bensons calls Triple Edge Protection: firmer edge springs on both sides of the mattress, a metal frame and hand side-stitching. Bensons also lists RWS-certified British wool, graphite-infused natural latex, a fruit-fibre and cotton layer, Hypnos pocket springs and a viscose damask cover. That combination suits couples who want a sprung mattress with wool and latex fillings and specific information about its edge. I prefer those named construction details to a broad claim about how supported you'll feel.
Medium and Firm are the available options, so choose with your weight in mind and judge the give in the comfort layer. The care commitment is just as concrete: this mattress is double-sided, and Bensons says to rotate and turn it. Even bedroom furniture comes with homework. If you won't keep up with turning, choose a no-turn mattress instead. Handling it needs to fit your routine, so ask Bensons for the turning schedule and arrange help if you need it.
