Why our sleep experts loved it
The Highgrove Solar Comfort Mattress is a proper budget pick, the sort you buy because you need a workable mattress fast and you do not want to spend more than you have to. I should be clear about my angle here. I have not tried this mattress in person or at home, my assessment is based on the published specifications and a small amount of customer feedback. And I did not get the chance to visit Archers in Scotland to lie on it in store, so this is very much a spec led review rather than a hands on test.
Design and features
This is an open coil mattress with a rod edge border and a quilted poly cotton cover. Open coil is the old school, entry level spring system, hourglass springs linked together with helical wire. In my experience it is durable enough for light to average use, but it is not refined and it is not great at isolating movement. If you share a bed and one of you is a fidget, you are more likely to notice each other compared with pocket springs or foam. The rod edge border is the best part of this build. It usually does make the sides feel less collapsible, and it can reduce that annoying sensation of rolling off when you sit on the edge to put socks on. The quilted finish is fine and practical, it helps keep the top layers from shifting around. The fillings sound like basic white fibre upholstery. It is inexpensive, it does the job, and it also tends to compress faster than plusher, denser comfort materials.
Mattress comfort
Highgrove pitches this as medium and comfortable, and that tracks with what I would expect from a quilted open coil with fibre fillings. You are likely to get a fairly flat, even feel rather than that cosy sink in hug. But medium in a budget mattress can be a bit misleading over time. On day one it can feel pleasantly balanced, then after weeks and months the comfort layer can settle and you start to feel more of the spring unit underneath. If you like a traditional mattress feel and you do not want anything too warm or enveloping, this style can suit. If you are expecting pressure relief like a decent memory foam or a thicker hybrid, this probably will not deliver it.
Suitability
This tension is most convincing for side sleepers, especially average weight sleepers who want a gentler surface without losing all support. It should also work for back sleepers who like a medium feel, but I would not personally steer a back sleeper with regular lower back niggles towards open coil unless the budget is truly tight. A slightly firmer, more supportive construction tends to keep the hips from dipping and helps the spine stay neutral. For heavier sleepers, open coil plus fibre fillings is rarely a happy long term match. It can feel fine initially, then soften and lose comfort consistency. If you are deciding between this and a simple reflex foam slab, I actually think foam can be the better buy at the same money if you do not mind a firmer, more uniform feel. Springs at this level are not a luxury, they are a compromise.
The verdict
I do not love open coil mattresses, and I would not pretend this is anything other than a low cost, no frills build. But for the price point, you could do a lot worse. The rod edge support is a genuine plus, the quilted cover is sensible, and the medium tension makes it a reasonable choice for side sleepers who just need something comfortable and serviceable. The customer feedback we have is limited and focused on delivery communication and good service, which is reassuring but it does not tell us much about long term comfort or durability. If you can stretch your budget, I would push you toward pocket springs or a better foam construction. If you cannot, the Solar Comfort looks like a straightforward, decent stopgap that should do its job, as long as you keep expectations realistic and rotate and flip it regularly.
Why you can trust WantMattress
We spend hours testing (and/or researching) every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about
how we test .
