Why our sleep experts loved it
As you might guess from the price, the Dormeo Memory Plus is a budget bed. It certainly does not feel like a 10-year investment, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a perfectly good value option for the right sleeper. It’s comfortable, pressure relieving and allergy friendly, so I would use it as a solid short to medium term solution for side sleepers and anyone who just wants to replace an old open-coil mattress without spending a fortune.
On paper at least, the Memory Plus is an unassuming, slimline memory foam mattress with a medium feel, rolled for easy delivery and backed by the Dormeo warranty. On my bed though, like many other affordable all-foam models, it starts off lovely and cushioned, but also has construction that feels more about comfort and value than long term sturdiness.
Construction & Materials This is a fully foam mattress, so there are no springs. The base or support layer is Dormeo’s Ecocell foam, which is a permanently elastic foam with a 3-dimensional open cellular structure. The open cell structure is designed to improve air flow and also allow the support foam to adapt to your weight and shape. On top is a layer of memory foam which will do the contouring and pressure relief work, particularly at the shoulders and hips.
It has a fairly slim overall profile when compared with many mid range hybrids or even some premium all-foam mattresses. The thing about depth is that the closer you are to the base of a bed, the sooner you will start to feel the support foam, and even the slats or base beneath. If you have a heavier build, you might feel the support foam with this mattress sooner than you would on a thicker mattress. That said, for children, teens, lighter adults, or if it is going on a guest bed this is less of an issue, but is worth being aware of if you are used to a deeper hotel style bed.
The cover is a soft knitted fabric with a stitched pattern which does give it a slightly more premium look than the price would suggest. It is also breathable and incorporates carbon fibres which are woven into the cover and which Dormeo claims help to repel dust. As for the foam itself, the mattress is treated with anti-bacterial and anti-dust mite protection and is marketed as hypoallergenic and vegan-friendly. It is single-sided, so you sleep on the memory foam side and just rotate it rather than flipping it.
Firmness & Feel Dormeo rate this as a medium mattress and that seems about right in terms of day to day feel. There is an initial softness as the memory foam warms and moulds to your shape, followed by a more linear, slightly firmer support from the Ecocell base foam. You don’t sink endlessly, but you do get the familiar memory foam sensation of being gently cradled.
This is also the area where this mattress works best. As a side sleeper, the memory foam top layer is thick enough to smooth out the usual hotspots at the shoulders and hips, so you do not feel the sharper pressure you would on a firmer pocket sprung bed. For back sleepers of average build, it is supportive enough that your lower back does not collapse as long as the base is solid and not already sagging.
If you sleep on your front this is more borderline. You might be ok with it if you are lighter and like a bit of sink, but if you are on the heavier side or have lower back issues then it is likely a firmer or deeper mattress would be a better long term match, despite the manufacturer’s all-rounder claims.
The other thing to note about a thinner mattress like this is overall loft. On a standard bed frame the sleeping surface is lower than you might expect for a modern hybrid. That isn’t necessarily a problem in itself, but it is more a basic functional bed rather than a plush, enveloping one.
Performance & Support Day to day performance is a mix of strengths and compromises that slots very neatly into the price point.
Central support is good for light to average weight sleepers. The Ecocell foam does a decent enough job of maintaining a fairly neutral spine line, especially if paired with a stable base. There is no targeted, multi-zone support or reinforced middle section so the mattress is uniformly supportive rather than zone-specific, but again, that is exactly what you would expect at this price point.
Edge support is not a standout. As with most budget all foam mattresses, the perimeter of the bed compresses quite easily if you sit on the side, and you will also feel some roll off if you are sitting up against it and sleep at the very edge. For one person sleeping in the middle of the bed it’s not an issue, but for a couple sharing a smaller bed, the usable width does feel a little constrained.
Motion isolation, as you would expect from a foam bed, is very good. There are no springs to bounce movement across the surface, so if one partner turns over in the night the other is far less likely to feel it. That alone can be a huge upgrade if you are coming from a bouncy, noisy open coil mattress.
Durability is where I would be realistic. The relatively slim profile and simple foam layering tell you that this is not a premium hotel mattress build. After a few years of nightly use, particularly with a heavier sleeper, the memory foam is likely to soften and start to develop body impressions more quickly than you would with a thicker denser mattress. That is not a fault of this mattress per se, it is just what you can reasonably expect from a budget all foam mattress design.
Temperature Regulation Heat retention is a common complaint with memory foam and the Dormeo Memory Plus does a reasonable but not exceptional job here.
The Ecocell support foam has an open 3-dimensional cell structure, designed to allow air to flow through the mattress more easily than a very dense closed-cell foam. The breathable knitted cover also helps, so together this takes the edge off the traditional memory foam heat.
It’s fair to say I would expect this mattress to feel a little warmer than a pocket sprung bed with lots of airflow, but not so hot that it will be a problem for most UK sleepers. If you are a very hot sleeper, or have had issues with heat on foam mattresses before then you might still prefer a hybrid that has springs and more space for air to circulate. A cotton mattress protector and breathable bedding will help keep things as cool as possible.
Practical Features As a bed to live with on a day to day basis, the Dormeo Memory Plus has a lot of practical points in its favour, especially if you live in a smaller property or need to get it upstairs on your own.
It arrives vacuum packed and rolled, which makes it far easier to manoeuvre around hallways and up staircases compared to a fully expanded mattress. Once the packaging is out of the way and it has been unrolled it gradually expands to full size. As with most rolled foam mattresses there will be a mild new mattress smell when you first open it, but that should dissipate within a few days in a well ventilated room.
Being single-sided, you do not need to flip it, just rotate it head to toe now and then to minimise uneven wear. Again this is more important with a lighter budget foam mattress, where long term resilience is not its strong point.
Finally there is also decent peace of mind built in for the price bracket. There is the long Dormeo warranty and the usual retailer home trial period. Realistically though, I would expect most people to replace this sort of mattress after a few years of good service, rather than try to eke it out for a decade.
Pricing is mostly in the budget to lower mid-range bracket, and the regular promotions and deals do bring the cost down further still. This is where the Dormeo Memory Plus makes most sense, as a comfortable upgrade from a worn out old mattress rather than as a long term luxury buy.
Who It Suits Side sleepers on a budget are the most obvious winners. The medium memory foam top layer has enough cushioning at the shoulders and hips to feel noticeably more forgiving than a basic firm sprung mattress, but the overall feel is soft enough that you do not feel like you are getting swallowed up.
Light to average-weight back sleepers who like the idea of memory foam but don’t want an overly deep, enveloping bed should also do well. The Ecocell base offers decent enough underlying support as long as your bed base is solid, and the foam-on-foam construction minimises partner disturbance.
Allergy sufferers and anyone looking for a hygienic spec will also appreciate the anti-allergy treatment, dust-repelling cover and hypoallergenic, vegan-friendly materials. If you are sensitive to dust mites it’s a reassuringly clean smelling choice at a low price point.
Guest rooms, student rooms and short-term lets are another sweet spot. The slim profile and rolled delivery make it easy to squeeze into awkward spaces, it is comfortable enough to please guests, and if you need to replace it after a few years of heavy turnover it has not cost a fortune.
Who It Does not Suit Heavier sleepers are the group I would advise heading towards something more substantial. There is not a lot of headroom before the shallow depth means you start to feel the firmness of the base foam and potentially the bed base beneath. The risk of deeper impressions and a sagging feel is higher for heavier bodies on a mattress like this over time.
Front sleepers with back issues may also want to look elsewhere. Medium memory foam will allow the hips to sink a little too far in prone position, especially if you are not very light, which can lead to aggravation of the lower back. A firmer, thicker mattress with better central support is more likely to be a safe choice.
Finally, anyone wanting a long-term, buy it once mattress should approach this one with caution. The construction and depth immediately relegates it to the category of mattresses that are more about a few comfortable years than a decade or more of like-new performance. If you want a mattress that you can use without having to think about replacing it any time soon, a deeper hybrid or higher density foam mattress would serve you better.
Last but not least, fans of a very lofty, luxurious hotel bed feel may find the Dormeo Memory Plus a little underwhelming. It is not towering, pillow-topped hotel aesthetic, and the edges are not firm enough to sit on for long periods comfortably.
Final Verdict The Dormeo Memory Plus Memory Foam Mattress is a genuinely good value option from a well known, solid brand. It delivers very decent comfort, pressure relief and motion isolation for the money, and is particularly well suited to side sleepers and lighter back sleepers who want that classic memory foam cuddle without breaking the bank.
The trick is to see it for what it is. This is not a thick ultra-durable mattress that is going to look and feel like new for 10 to 15 years. It is a slim, all foam budget friendly bed which prioritises comfort, convenience and anti-allergy features over long term heft and deep pocket sprung support. For side sleepers and lighter back sleepers on a budget, particularly in smaller households, guest rooms or student spaces, this is a very easy mattress to recommend.
If you are heavier, sleep mainly on your front or want a mattress you will not have to think about replacing for a very long time then I would use the Dormeo Memory Plus as a benchmark and look one or two steps up the ladder. In its own price bracket though, it does exactly what you would hope, providing a comfortable, supportive rolled memory foam mattress from a trusted name, with compromises that are entirely in line with what you are paying.
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