Why our sleep experts loved it
The Mlily Hybrid Gel 5000 is sold as the premium bed in Furniture Village's own Mlily Hybrid Gel range. There's a lot of hype about 5000 springs, cooling gel foam and tech inspired by Manchester United footballers. On paper it looks very impressive. In reality, after trying it in store and comparing it directly with the cheaper Hybrid Gel 3000, I found it to be a comfortable, well-specified medium hybrid, but not a dramatic step up in feel to justify the price jump for most people.
Construction & materials
This is a 30 cm deep hybrid mattress that combines multiple foam layers with a tall pocket spring unit. It is a rolled mattress, so it arrives compressed and boxed, then expands once you open the packaging.
Furniture Village specify it as a hybrid pocket spring and gel foam design with a removable polyester cover, two distinct layers of gel memory foam and a deep pocket spring core. The cover is smooth and slightly stretchy, with a breathable knit on the top and perforated side panels to help air escape as you move.
The spring count is where the marketing gets a little clever. The headline talks about 5000 pocket springs in a king size, yet the detailed specification lists 3000 springs for the same size. That strongly suggests a mix of full-height pocket springs and smaller micro-springs stacked in layers. In other words, you are not getting 5000 full-depth traditional springs, but a combination of main springs and extra responsive mini units.
You also have transitional foams under and over the spring unit to smooth out the feel and reduce pressure points. In practice it feels like a fairly sophisticated, multi-layer hybrid: comfort foams on top, a responsive spring core in the middle, then firmer support foam at the base.
The whole package is finished with an all-round edge support system using reinforced joints at the corners, designed to stop the sides collapsing and to give you usable width right up to the edge of the mattress.
Firmness & feel
This is officially rated as a medium mattress, and that tallies with how it felt to lie on. Initially it comes across on the slightly firmer side of medium because the top gel foam has a touch more resistance than classic, slow-sinking memory foam. After a few minutes on the bed the foam warms a little and you settle into a more balanced mid-level hug.
On my back, the Hybrid Gel 5000 felt supportive without being rigid. My lower back was well held and I could feel the springs doing most of the lifting, with the foam layers simply smoothing out the contact rather than swallowing me. On my side, my shoulder and hip were able to sink enough to avoid sharp pressure, but I never disappeared into the mattress. It has that buoyant cradle feel you expect from a modern hybrid rather than an old school soft memory foam bed.
Front sleeping was acceptable for light to medium body weights, but if you are heavier and spend a lot of time on your front I suspect you might want something a touch firmer, or at least more zoned, to prevent your lower back bowing into the mattress over time.
Compared directly with the Mlily Hybrid Gel 3000 in store, the 5000 felt marginally plusher and a shade more substantial under the shoulders, but the overall character was extremely similar. If I had not known which was which, I would have struggled to tell them apart in a quick side by side test. Personally, I found the 3000 variant more than sufficient and better value.
Performance & support
Support across the surface is generally good. The core pocket springs keep the spine nicely aligned in neutral positions, and because they are individually wrapped, they respond quite locally to movement. The extra micro-springs and foam layers give a slightly more refined transition as you roll from back to side, which will suit restless sleepers who move a lot at night.
Motion transfer is moderate. You can still feel a partner getting in or out of bed, but the combination of foam and individually pocketed springs does a decent job of damping out big movements. I would expect most couples to find it acceptable unless one of you is extremely light and the other very heavy.
The edge support is one of the selling points. Those corner reinforcements and perimeter structure do make the border feel firmer than many boxed hybrids, and I could sit on the side without slipping straight off. Lying right up to the edge felt secure and you can genuinely use the full sleeping width.
In terms of longevity, the construction is closer to a mid-market hybrid than a true luxury mattress. The spring and foam mix should offer several good years of service if properly supported and rotated, but I would not necessarily expect it to feel factory fresh a decade on, particularly for heavier sleepers. Regular rotation and using it on a suitable base make a big difference.
Temperature regulation
If you overheat on dense memory foam, this mattress will likely feel like a step in the right direction. You have two dedicated layers of cooling gel-infused memory foam designed to draw heat away from the body, plus a breathable top fabric and vented borders to encourage airflow through the mattress as you move.
When I tried it, the surface felt pleasantly neutral cool to the touch rather than icy, and I did not get that sticky, stuck in foam sensation you sometimes experience with cheaper visco mattresses. The gel foam responded more quickly and recovered faster as I changed position. In practice, I would describe it as sleeping comfortably temperate rather than dramatically cool. Hot sleepers who currently wake up clammy on basic memory foam should notice an improvement, but if you are extremely heat sensitive you may still want to pair it with a breathable protector and lighter bedding for summer.
Practical features
One of the big conveniences is that this is a rolled mattress. Furniture Village deliver it compressed and boxed, you take it to the room, carefully cut away the plastic and let it expand. It should be aired for around four hours before use to allow it to fully loft and to let any initial factory smell disperse.
It is a no-turn mattress, so you never flip it, but you should rotate it head to toe regularly to keep wear even. The care instructions specify that, if you are using a slatted bed frame, the gaps between slats must not exceed 7.5 cm, otherwise dipping may occur and the guarantee could be affected.
The cover is a removable polyester knit, which is practical for everyday use, especially for allergy sufferers and anyone prone to spills. You will still want to use a separate mattress protector, but being able to unzip the cover for airing or spot cleaning is a useful extra.
The mattress is available in double, king and super king sizes, giving plenty of options for couples and larger bedrooms. Being 30 cm deep, it works best with deep fitted sheets. Standard depth cotton sheets will be at their limit and may ping off thinner corners.
Who it suits
Side and back sleepers who like a true medium feel: If you want noticeable cushioning at the shoulders and hips without losing support through the lower back, the Hybrid Gel 5000 hits a comfortable middle ground.
Warm sleepers who dislike classic memory foam: The gel-infused foams and breathable border keep the surface feeling cooler and more responsive than many dense visco beds, so it is a good option if you have previously overheated on memory foam.
Couples needing edge to edge usable space: The reinforced border and corner joints give you more confidence sleeping near the edge without rolling off, which makes the most of the full width, especially in a double.
Homes with tricky stairs or tight access: Because it arrives rolled, it is much easier to manoeuvre into loft rooms or townhouses with narrow staircases than a traditional flat-delivered mattress.
Anyone who likes the idea of performance sleep tech: Mlily lean heavily on their sports and recovery story, and this mattress uses that same family of gel foams, air mesh borders and pocket springs. If you enjoy that narrative, this will appeal.
Who it does not suit
Shoppers on a tighter budget: The Hybrid Gel 5000 is the pricier model in the range. Given how similar it feels in practice to the Hybrid Gel 3000, I think many people would be perfectly happy saving the difference and choosing the 3000 instead.
People who need a very firm or very soft bed: This is firmly in the medium bracket. If you are looking for a truly firm orthopaedic feel or a plush, deep hotel-style sink, other models will be more suitable.
Heavier front sleepers: If you are significantly heavier and sleep mainly on your stomach, you may prefer something with a more assertive, zoned spring unit or a genuinely firm rating to stop the mid-section dipping over time.
Fans of natural fillings: The Hybrid Gel 5000 is all about foams and synthetic fabrics. If you specifically want wool, cotton or other natural fibres for humidity management and sustainability reasons, this is unlikely to tick that box.
Final verdict
The Mlily Hybrid Gel 5000 is a well-built, modern hybrid that delivers what it promises on paper: a genuinely medium feel, good all-round support, better-than-average temperature control for a foam-topped mattress and decent edge stability. The 30 cm depth and multi-layer construction give it a reassuringly substantial feel, and I found it comfortable from the first lie down, softening slightly after a few minutes without ever feeling saggy.
Where it stumbles slightly, in my view, is value. The 5000 springs headline is partly marketing shorthand for a combination of full springs and micro-springs rather than 5000 full-sized coils, and the day to day comfort difference compared with the Hybrid Gel 3000 is subtle at best. Given that the 3000 is already a very capable mattress with the same basic recipe of gel foams, breathable cover and medium support, I personally struggle to justify paying extra for the 5000 unless you specifically want the extra height or are determined to buy the top of range badge.
If you like a balanced medium feel, appreciate a cooler tending hybrid and are happy to pay a little more for a slightly deeper, more complex construction, the Mlily Hybrid Gel 5000 could suit you very well. If your priority is getting the best blend of comfort and value, I would seriously consider the Mlily Hybrid Gel 3000 first and treat the 5000 as a nice-to-have upgrade rather than an essential one.
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