Why our sleep experts loved it
I’ve been testing the Silentnight SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 Pocket Sprung Mattress as a firm model that squarely targets hot sleepers and those who like solid, unflinching support. It’s a Dreams exclusive and was on promotion at the time of testing at around £600, down from £749, which is in that tricky mid range where you are aiming for properly grown up performance but not the “five star hotel” levels of plushness some of the ultra premium models can command.
One thing was immediately clear from my first night on it, which is that this is very much a firm mattress in the traditional sense of the word. In other words, not one of those that are technically “firm” on paper but end up feeling more like a medium in reality. For me, as a back sleeper and mostly side sleeper of a fairly light build, that is likely to be a bit of a problem, but if you are on the heavier side or someone who really favours lying on their back, that is likely to be very good news indeed.
The real difference here, though, comes with the aloe vera infused cover and the Breatheasy idea, which is all about trying to keep you cool and comfortable without that memory foam “hug” so many people now associate with a modern mattress. It is a slightly unusual combination in this price bracket, and it does give the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 a softer, more pampering first touch than you get with many traditional firm models.
Construction & materials At its heart, the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 is a pocket sprung mattress, based around Silentnight’s Mirapocket spring system, using in this case just over 1000 individually wrapped pocket springs in the core. The spring count is on the modest side by current mid range standards, where 1400 to 2000 pocket springs are increasingly common, but in practice the layout does still provide a decent amount of contact points and a reassuringly stable feel.
Above the spring unit, Silentnight then packs synthetic comfort fibres that are designed to be more airy and breathable than dense and spongy. You do not get a deep, pillowy loft with these materials. Instead, the padding is quite taut and compact under the hand, which is exactly what you would expect on a genuinely firm mattress. There is enough here to take the edge off the springs, but it never crosses into soft or squishy territory.
The top panel is where things get more interesting. The knitted sleep surface is aloe vera infused, which is claimed to naturally hydrate and soothe the skin. In practical use, that translates into a cover that feels a touch silkier and more “cosmetic” than the standard polyester knit you would find on many similarly priced models. It is a subtle difference, but if you lie on the mattress without sheets you can feel that the fabric has a smoother hand feel than most of its rivals.
Around the sides, the mattress is finished with some breathable fabric panels that tie into the Breatheasy promise of improved airflow around the body. The overall construction feels robust and well made, and at 71 kg for the largest package you are clearly dealing with a substantial piece of kit rather than a lightweight rolled mattress.
Firmness & feel Silentnight and Dreams are marketing this as a firm mattress and, in real world use, it absolutely delivers on that promise. On first lying down there is a moment of surface cushioning, then very quickly you hit the underlying resistance of the pocket springs. There is no sense of sinking into the mattress, no memory foam style contouring.
On my back, the sensation is unusually supportive. My lower back in particular felt lifted rather than allowed to sag, and my hips were kept firmly aligned with my shoulders. The overall effect is of lying on a flat, stable platform that happens to have a thin comfort layer on top, rather than a thick, enveloping pillow of foam. It is the sort of firmness that many back sleepers actively seek out, particularly if they have previously found that softer mattresses aggravate their lower back.
On my side, however, the story is different. My shoulders in particular feel a bit “perched” on the surface, and after a while I become aware of pressure building up at the shoulder and hip. For a heavier side sleeper that may settle out as the springs start to work more deeply, but if you are on the lighter side or particularly pressure sensitive you are likely to find it too unyielding. It is one of the firmest “firm” options I have tested in this price band, and remains a touch too stiff for me personally even after several nights of use.
Front sleepers who like a board like feel will probably get on with it very well, as there is very little hammocking under the pelvis. Overall, I would peg it as a straight firm on the comfort scale, sitting close to the line of very firm for lighter frames, especially in the first weeks.
Performance & support Where the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 excels is in pure support and stability. The Mirapocket springs all respond individually, so you do not get that old fashioned “trampoline” effect you may remember from more traditional open coil mattresses. Rolling from one side to the other feels controlled and the mattress recovers its shape quite quickly after you move.
Support across the central third is nicely assertive, which is exactly where you want it if you are trying to keep hips and lower back in line. I felt very well held when lying on my back, with no sense of my mid section sagging into a dip. For heavier sleepers, that firmer spring tension should pay dividends over time, as the mattress is less likely to develop the sort of sagging you can sometimes see in softer models with lower gauge springs.
Motion transfer is reasonably well controlled. The pocket spring layout naturally isolates movement better than a linked spring system, and while you can certainly feel a partner getting in and out of bed, the ripple is muted rather than dramatic. I would not class it as the best mattress for a very light sleeper who wakes at every little disturbance, but it is perfectly acceptable for most couples, especially given there is no deep foam layer to absorb movement further down.
Edge support is solid rather than spectacular. Sitting on the very outer edge does compress the comfort layers, but I never felt in danger of sliding off, and lying right up to the side of the mattress still felt stable. If you use every centimetre of your mattress because you share a smaller size, this will be more than adequate, although some reinforced edge designs do perform better.
Temperature regulation This mattress is clearly designed with hot sleepers in mind and, to its credit, it does a good job in this respect. The first point of call is the lack of memory foam. Without a thick, heat retaining foam layer wrapping around you, there is more natural airflow around the body, and you lie more on top of the mattress than in it, which automatically feels cooler.
The fibre comfort layers themselves are described as airy, and in use they do not hold onto heat in the same way denser foam does. During testing, even on warmer nights, I never had that clammy feeling when turning over and the surface seemed to cool down quite quickly after I had been lying in one spot for a while.
The Breatheasy branding is underpinned by the breathable border fabric. While you cannot see inside the mattress, the combination of loose fibre padding, open spring core and vented sides is a well proven recipe for good ventilation. If you are an “over heater” who has struggled with heat build up on foam heavy hybrids, this will feel noticeably fresher.
The aloe vera treatment on the cover is more about skin feel than temperature, but it does give a smooth, cool to the touch first impression when you run your hand across the fabric. With a sheet on top the effect is muted, but you still get that underlying sense of a breathable, non plasticky surface.
Practical features In practical terms, the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 is a fairly no nonsense, straightforward pocket sprung mattress. It is not a rolled mattress, so you will need to plan for a full size delivery and have at least two people on hand to manoeuvre it, especially given the 71 kg package weight for the larger sizes. Once in place, I found it surprisingly easy to rotate given its weight, but it is not something most people will want to tackle alone.
Like other mattresses sold through Dreams, it is covered by a 100 night comfort guarantee and free weekday delivery, which takes some of the risk out of choosing a firmer feel. The model is exclusive to Dreams, so you will not find it cheaper elsewhere, but it also means it has been specced with that mid market customer in mind who wants branded reassurance from Silentnight at a relatively accessible price.
The surface itself feels smooth and well finished. The aloe vera infused knit feels slightly softer and more “pampering” than the utilitarian covers you sometimes see around this price, and it definitely gives the mattress a more premium first impression. There are handles on the sides to help with rotation, though as with many modern mattresses these are best thought of as a help rather than something to haul the full weight with.
At the time of testing, the promotional price of £559, down from £749, felt about right for what is on offer: a branded, properly firm pocket sprung mattress with a couple of nice touches rather than a feature packed flagship. If you catch it at or near the lower price, it represents decent value, but at full RRP it starts to compete with higher spring count models and more complex comfort systems.
Who it suits This mattress is best suited to people who know they like a genuinely firm feel. If you wake up with a happier back on hotel beds that feel solid and supportive, there is a good chance you will get on with the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000. Back sleepers in particular are likely to appreciate the way it keeps the spine straight and stops the hips from dipping.
Heavier sleepers, or anyone who has “bottomed out” softer mattresses in the past, should also consider it. The combination of firm tension and relatively simple fibre comfort layers gives a reassuring sense of durability and resistance, and it does feel capable of standing up to long term use without collapsing into a permanent hollow.
Hot sleepers, or those who have tried memory foam and found it too warm or enveloping, will benefit from the breathable, foam free construction. You get the contouring advantages of pocket springs without the heat trapping downsides of dense foam on top, and the Breatheasy design does seem to help the mattress stay fresher overnight.
Finally, if you like a slightly more pampering surface but still want firmness underneath, the aloe vera treatment is a subtle but pleasant bonus. The top fabric feels that bit softer and more skin friendly than many firm mattresses manage, which makes the whole experience feel a touch less austere.
Who it does not suit If you are a predominantly side sleeping, lighter person, this is unlikely to be the right mattress for you. During my testing I found the shoulder and hip could feel quite exposed when lying on my side, and there was not enough sink to fully relieve pressure in those areas. Over time that could lead to pins and needles or general discomfort for anyone under about average weight who sleeps mostly on their side.
Equally, if you love the deep, cocooning feel of memory foam or plush pillow tops, you will probably find the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 too flat and unyielding. It is designed to keep you on top of the mattress with minimal sink, not to wrap around you.
Spring count purists who want 1400, 2000 or more pockets as a minimum might also feel underwhelmed on paper. While the 1000 spring Mirapocket core does perform well for most use cases, if you are specifically chasing ultra fine zoning and micro spring comfort, there are more sophisticated constructions out there, usually at a higher price.
Finally, if you are on a very tight budget or shopping for a guest room that will only be used occasionally, you may not need this level of firm, targeted support. A cheaper medium feel mattress might be a better buy if you are not particularly picky about back support or temperature.
Final verdict The Silentnight SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 Pocket Sprung Mattress is a strong proposition for anyone who wants a properly firm, cool sleeping surface without veering into ultra premium pricing. It does not try to do everything. Instead, it focuses on delivering robust support, good temperature regulation and a slightly more luxurious top fabric than you might expect at this level.
The compromises are clear. The 1000 spring core is not class leading, and the comfort layers are relatively simple compared with some multi layer hybrids. For lighter, side sleeping users like me, it felt too firm overall, and there are certainly softer, more pressure relieving options for a similar outlay.
However, judged on its own terms as a firm mattress for back sleepers, heavier builds and hot sleepers, it does its job very well. If you have struggled with soft, heat trapping mattresses and want something that feels cooler, more supportive and a bit more straightforward, the SleepResponse Breatheasy 1000 is well worth considering, particularly if you can buy at the sale price rather than the full RRP.
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