Why our sleep experts loved it
Hypnos Pillow Top Select Mattress is the ideal bed for the customer in the market for a medium mattress from a luxury British bed brand with over 100 years of mattress-making experience. In classic Hypnos fashion, it is well constructed and the materials are of very high quality, and it features all the company’s signature attributes such as sustainable fillings, excellent breathability, plush pillow top, and double guard coil edge protection. It is a beautifully finished, well-made mattress that would be at home in any bedroom. The cost of this mattress is on the high end of the market, but its quality, and the brand itself, demand a higher price point, so there is no need to look for a discount.
Design & first impressions
The Hypnos Pillow Top Select is unapologetically a Hypnos. It looks it, it feels it, it smells it. The plush, hand-tufted pillow top is mated with the familiar damask-style cover, and its 29cm depth means that it looks a substantial but not overly thick mattress. It has that air of precision about it, of meticulous handcrafted detail, that the brand’s Royal Warrant would lead you to expect. Positioned on a divan base, the duo looks like it would have been equally at home 50 years ago, so tastefully understated is it. There is no bling, no flashy logos, no oversized bolsters. It looks like a bed, and that is all it need be. The feel is one of instant quality and attention to detail. The mattress’s hand stitching is visible and the pillow top’s surface tension is firm, but has some give.
Construction & materials
The Hypnos Pillow Top Select’s inner construction is the ReActivePro™ 6-turn pocket spring system. Each pocket spring works independently of the next, flexing and rebounding in response to the sleeper’s weight and movement. The six turns per spring make for a more responsive spring system than is found in conventional coils, subtly adapting to your shifting shape and position throughout the night. Supporting and protecting this advanced spring technology is the Triple Edge Protection™ that surrounds the mattress, both reinforcing the perimeter and increasing its stability across the entire width of the mattress. The extra stability and support at the edges is a useful inclusion that makes the mattress feel particularly strong and usable from the very edge right to the centre.
Above this responsive spring base is a rich, multi-layered blend of natural and sustainable filling materials. Layers of British wool, cotton, Himalayan allo, and organic kapok create a comfort system that is plush, breathable, and feels almost cloud-like to lie on. The inclusion of soft, resilient Solotex™ and eOlus™ fibres is a more modern touch that add additional breathability. Both of these materials are fully recyclable and are engineered to mimic the gentle cushioning of foam but without its tendency to absorb and hold heat. The wool and cotton both regulate temperature naturally, while the kapok and allo provide resilience and structure to the mattress top. No filling is filler, everything here has been carefully selected for a purpose.
Comfort & feel
The Pillow Top Select’s comfort level and mattress feel has a plush, cushiony immediacy that quickly gives way to the firmer, more stable support system underneath. The pillow top itself is beautifully soft and cushioning, but the ReActivePro™ spring base means that you should not lose spinal alignment and support under that initial surface layer of comfort. It is a medium feel mattress, one that offers the sleeper some cushioning but without losing that stable, supportive base underneath. The top layer has a very smooth, almost buoyant quality that effectively cradles the shoulders and hips without the degree of sinkage that you often get from full-foam mattresses. The motion isolation properties are also very good, meaning that your partner’s movements on the bed are unlikely to disturb you.
Performance & support
The mattress shines when it comes to the evenness of its support. Thanks to the Triple Edge Protection™, you will find that you can sleep, sit, or rest comfortably in any area of the mattress without the perimeter feeling soft or wobbly. The ReActivePro™ springs perform well and give a very customisable support that feels as though it adapts to different sleeping positions almost effortlessly. Back and side sleepers in particular will notice how the mattress manages to marry cushioning with firm lift under the lumbar region. Additionally, the mattress’s materials seem to retain their shape and structure well over time, with no visible dips or compression even after many months of regular use. It is also an exceptionally breathable mattress, helped by the inclusion of side air vents as well as by the natural fibre blend. The top layer of the bed should always feel fresh and cool.
Temperature regulation
Temperature regulation is one of those features that not many mattresses manage quite so naturally as the Pillow Top Select does. Wool and cotton wick away moisture and regulate airflow, while the eOlus™ and Solotex™ layers prevent the mattress from holding onto too much heat. The result is a consistently comfortable surface, whatever the time of year. We found it to stay refreshingly cool even during warmer nights and pleasantly warm when the temperature dropped. For those who struggle with the insulating qualities of memory foam, or the clamminess of some synthetic mattresses, this Hypnos offering is a very breathable alternative.
Practical features
Of course, the finishing touches are as practical as they are refined. As you would expect from Hypnos, there are no corners cut in the product details. Pillow Top Select is single sided, meaning that you do not need to flip it, only rotate it once or twice per year to maintain its shape, using the flag-stitched handles for ease. The cover is smooth, with a reassuringly premium feel. It is also chemical-free. Hand tufting keeps the fillings in place, helping to maintain their loft and structure. The side air vents improve breathability while the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) provides traceability and ethical provenance for the wool included. It’s all very considered, down to the edge protection and the positioning of the handles.
Everyday use
Our daily use experience with this mattress has been one of simply consistent luxury. It does not feel overly plush or showy, but exquisitely balanced. The blend of responsive pocket springs and natural fibres gives the bed a resilient, almost weightless quality to the touch. It settled quickly after the initial unboxing and has maintained a consistent profile over weeks of regular use. Sleeping or sitting on the edge revealed no sign of sagging, and the pillow top has remained lofty and smooth. There is little to maintain here, with no signs of heat build-up or odour, and the mattress genuinely feels like it has been engineered to last many years of good sleep.
Who it suits
Not for everyone, the Hypnos Pillow Top Select is best suited to those that want a medium bed with a natural comfort layer and reliable, even support throughout. It is an excellent choice for side and back sleepers that are looking for pressure point relief without too much sinkage. Couples will also appreciate the motion control and consistent edge performance. Environmentally conscious shoppers will also be drawn to the use of sustainable materials and the recyclability of some of its components. The Pillow Top Select is a smart, ethical mattress to invest in for those that want a traditional pocket sprung feel with some more modern touches and refinements.
Who it doesn’t suit
Although a medium feel, if you are after an ultra-firm or ultra-soft mattress, this is not the bed for you. Front sleepers that prefer a rock solid feel will likely find the pillow top to be slightly too plush. It also not the right bed for those on a tight budget, it is a premium mattress that comes with a premium price. However, for those shoppers that are looking for a long-term investment, the quality and craftsmanship of this mattress and its construction justifies the cost. It’s not small or thin, so its depth might be an issue for those with lower profile bed frames, though it does add an undeniable visual heft.
Verdict
The Hypnos Pillow Top Select Mattress is a wonderfully British mattress, in the very best possible way. An old-school style of mattress-making but with a modern update in the materials and some more cutting-edge spring technology, it really does have it all. The hand-tailored pillow top combined with the precision of the ReActivePro™ 6-turn pocket springs really does give the sleeper a sense of exceptional comfort, the bed feels indulgent but without losing that reliable, even support. It has all the usual hallmarks of a Hypnos that we would expect, from the sustainable materials and use of natural fibres to the breathability and impeccable craftsmanship. A premium product, the price is on the higher end of the market, but it is exactly the kind of bed that justifies the cost and offers long-term value to the customer that values quality and sleep experience above all.
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