The landlord's mattress needs a look under the sheet
An inherited mattress is usable if it's newish, in good condition and free of dips; a sag is the reason to ask for a replacement. You might know nothing about its age or who slept on it before you. I care much more about the shape it has kept than the horror story you could invent about its previous occupants. University accommodation already provides plenty of opportunities for creative writing.
Strip the bedding off and look across the surface, because a neatly tucked sheet can hide a hollow. Check the area where your middle rests, then lie down in your usual position. If you sink into an existing dip, fresh bedding won't change the support underneath. Neither will a thicker cover. That hollow remains there with you in it.
Honestly, I have very little patience for the idea that every used mattress is disgusting and every new one is good. A well-kept mattress from someone whose history you know can be a better buy than a poor new one. Buying something wrapped in plastic is a bloody expensive way to feel virtuous if you still can't get comfortable. Condition and construction deserve your attention before the packaging does.
Speak to the landlord before spending your own money. Some will replace a worn mattress when you ask; others will let you bring your own. Photograph a visible dip and explain the problem clearly. If you agree to a swap, get agreement about where the original mattress goes and what needs to be in the room when you leave. You need permission before disposing of someone else's mattress, even one you would happily never see again.
A rolled pocket-sprung mattress suits student moves
A decent rolled pocket-sprung mattress is the construction I favour for a student room: supportive enough for everyday use, with boxed delivery that makes a narrow staircase less awkward. You're buying for a degree and possibly a couple of moves along the way. The mattress doesn't need a name longer than your course title.
Pocket springs sit in separate fabric pockets and compress individually under your weight. With open coil, the springs are connected and the surface moves together. A dip can form under one sleeper, too. You don't need a partner to develop the trench down the middle, which is a particularly unfair way to lose sleeping space in a single bed.
I reserve open coil for a really tight budget or an occasional guest bed. For your main bed, compare pocket-sprung options before accepting open coil because it's "only for uni". You'll use this mattress every night. Saving on something you rarely use makes more sense to me than treating your everyday bed as disposable.
Rolled sprung mattresses are one of the genuinely useful advances in this trade. The mattress arrives compressed in a box, so one or two people can carry it up a stair more easily than a full-sized, unboxed mattress. You still need to check the package weight and arrange help where needed. A box is a useful delivery format; it doesn't make a heavy mattress weightless.
Walk past the very cheapest low-density foam slabs. They compress too easily under your weight and bottom out, so you feel more of the hard base beneath you. My budget choice is a decent rolled sprung mattress with a comfort layer over the springs. If you're warm at night, keep deep memory foam low on your shortlist: I like its cushioning, but dislike the warmth for someone who already throws the duvet off.
Your weight guides the tension, and your frame sets the size
Start with medium-firm for most students, adjust for your weight and sleeping position, and buy the size that fits the frame. I choose tension by how much weight goes into the mattress before thinking about whether you sleep on your side or back. Your favourite influencer's mattress preference comes a very distant last.
A lighter person compresses the surface less, so a mattress that feels comfortably cushioned to someone heavier can feel like a plank to them. Side sleepers also need enough give for their shoulder and hip. Use these as my shopping starting points, then check how the mattress actually feels. Firmness labels vary between makers, because apparently agreeing on what "medium" means would spoil everyone's fun.
My tension starting points: these are shopping rules of thumb, not clinical weight thresholds.
| Your weight and position | Where I would start you |
|---|
| Under about nine stone, especially sleeping on your side | A softer feel, with enough cushioning for your shoulder and hip to sink a little |
| Between the lighter and heavier ends | Medium-firm, with a little more surface give if you mainly sleep on your side |
| Heavier build | A firmer feel that keeps you from sinking too deeply |
Measure the frame's mattress space before ordering. A single and a small double are common in halls and rented rooms, but the room description is no substitute for a tape measure. A larger mattress hanging over a smaller frame has unsupported edges. You also need enough room to open the door and move around the bed.
Standard UK mattress sizes: match the width and length to your bed frame.
| Size | Width by length | What to check |
|---|
| Single | 90 x 190 cm | The frame's internal mattress space |
| Small double | 120 x 190 cm | That both the frame and room accommodate the extra width |
| Double | 135 x 190 cm | That you have a double frame, rather than a small double |
A small double is my preferred upgrade for one person if the frame and room allow it. More turning space is lovely; climbing over your desk to get into bed is less of a triumph. Where the bed belongs to the landlord, ask before changing the frame.
Check underneath the mattress as well. A broken slat can leave a section unsupported, and widely spaced slats deserve attention before you blame the mattress for a dip. Compare the base with the mattress maker's requirements. A broken slat in the landlord's bed is theirs to fix, so report it before putting a new mattress on top.
Plan delivery and departure before you order
Check the delivery route and returns terms before paying, then give your mattress its full expansion time before sleeping on it. A room above a shop can have a lovely address and an absolutely ridiculous entrance. Measure the narrowest doorway and the turn on the stairs, and check the boxed dimensions and weight against that route.
Find out whether delivery is to the entrance or your room. Those are very different services when you're on an upper floor, so arrange someone to help carry the box if necessary. Open it in the room where the mattress will stay, with enough clear space for it to expand. Follow the maker's timing and air the room while the packaging smell clears. Arrival day is much easier if you already know where you'll sleep while it expands.
Online buying is my preference for price comparison, but read the return conditions before committing. Check whether a used mattress can be returned, who arranges collection and whether there is a charge. If you visit a shop, spend a proper ten minutes lying in your usual sleeping position. Perching on the edge in your coat tells you very little, though it does suggest you're ready to leave.
Put a washable protector on from the first night. I'm usually fussy about protectors because they can reduce breathability, but a student room is one place where I think the practical benefit outweighs that reservation. Choose a washable one and follow its care label. Wash the protector and bedding between terms at the very least; weekly is my preference for sheets.
For a tight budget, ask retailers about ex-display mattresses and end-of-season stock. I like this route because you can compare the actual construction and condition before getting carried away by a discount. Check for marks or dips, and ask about the return conditions for that particular mattress. Judge the amount you'll actually pay against other suitable mattresses, including any delivery cost.
Plan what happens when you leave. You can take the mattress to your next place, sell it in good condition, or ask the landlord whether they'll keep it. Some charities accept mattresses in good condition with an intact fire label, so check their requirements before arranging a donation. Local councils also offer old-mattress collection, usually for a fee. Dumping it beside the bins leaves somebody else with the cost and the mess.
If the next stop involves a sofa bed, a topper is a sensible short-term comfort fix when the surface is level but too firm. It won't repair a sag underneath. For a longer stay in a first flat, put a proper bed on your list rather than continually adding padding to something unsuitable.
Student-bed shortcuts I would skip
Keep the saving, lose the false economy: these are the purchases and shortcuts I would avoid. "Only for uni" is a poor excuse for a bad bed, even if you'll cheerfully apply it to the saucepan collection.
- Keeping the landlord's mattress without checking it. Pull back the sheet and look for a dip before agreeing that it's fine.
- The cheapest low-density foam slab. It bottoms out under your weight; a decent rolled sprung mattress is my budget route for a degree.
- Choosing open coil simply because you'll sleep alone. One person's weight can form a dip, and the connected springs move together.
- Skipping the washable protector. In a room you'll hand back, keeping the mattress clean is worth the small comfort compromise.
- Buying a double for a single frame. Measure first, because unsupported overhanging edges won't give you a properly usable larger bed.
