The Sleep Guy’s Simple Summary
“There are two main Tempur mattresses to choose from. ONE by Tempur is the cheaper option but go for the Tempur Pro Smartcool if you can afford it. It comes in three different thickness levels, but the cheapest/thinnest version is perfectly good enough. Buy it direct from Tempur if you are buying online, as you get a more generous returns policy. The versions sold by Dreams and John Lewis are slightly different, but they have the advantage that you can try them out in store first”
Tempur is one of the most famous (and most expensive) mattress companies in the UK market. There are only two main Tempur models but there are lots of extra decisions you need to make, such as whether you want a softer or firmer version and whether you want a thinner or deeper model.
There are also variations depending on whether you buy your Tempur mattress from Tempur.com, John Lewis or Dreams.
Fear not though, it’s not quite as baffling as it first appears. We’re going to ask which is the best Tempur mattress? And are they worth the money? We will compare the different Tempur models and consider the pros and cons of buying a Tempur mattress. We also look at customer reviews and awards for Tempur as well as suggesting where you can buy Tempur mattresses for the best price.
Strap yourself in, this is going to be an exciting ride full of thrills, action and adventure. Well, that might be an exaggeration but it will hopefully be kind of useful if you’re considering buying a Tempur mattress.
Which is the best Tempur mattress?
Tempur has recently undergone a radical change and redesigned/replaced four of its five main mattresses. You might get one of the older models in a clearance sale or similar, but they are being discontinued.
We will include a brief summary of what these mattresses were called before we move onto the guide to the new Tempur range.
What were the old Tempur models?
- Tempur Cloud was the softest Tempur mattress and was made entirely from different types of foam.
- The Tempur Original was a medium firmness Tempur mattress which was also made entirely from different types of foam. It was the ‘standard’ Tempur mattress which used the original technology designed for astronauts.
- Tempur Hybrid was another medium firmness Tempur mattress. It used a combination of springs and foam.
- Tempur Sensation was a firm Tempur mattress, which used different types of foam.
The Tempur mattress that survived the major redesign is ONE by Tempur. It is a cheaper model which still uses Tempur materials. We will cover more detail on this later.
What are the new Tempur mattresses?
Right, let’s get to the point.
There are now two main Tempur mattresses:
- Tempur Pro Smartcool. I would call this the standard model.
- Tempur ONE. I consider this to be the budget Tempur mattress (although it’s certainly not cheap compared to most mattresses). It’s still a good mattress, but it comes with fewer bells and whistles and it’s a little thinner.
Tempur Pro Smartcool – a quick summary
If you go for a Tempur Pro Smartcool, you then have the choice of whether you want the cheaper version (Tempur Pro Smartcool), the mid-priced version (Tempur Pro Plus Smartcool) or the luxury version (Tempur Pro Luxe Smartcool).
The key thing to understand here is that the three versions use the same design and the same technology. The difference is how thick each layer is.
The most expensive version (Tempur Pro Luxe Smartcool) is made up of five layers totalling 30cm deep. The cheapest version (Tempur Pro Smartcool) is made up of the same layers but totals 21cm deep.
The outer cover is the same regardless of which Tempur Smartcool mattress one you choose.
Once you’ve chosen the thickness, you then need to choose the firmness level. Each of the three versions of the Tempur Pro Smartcool mattress comes in soft, medium, medium firm and firm.
This is where Tempur mattresses are better than most other mattress brands. Most mattresses only come in one firmness level, so you have to either like it or move on to a mattress with a different design.
We will discuss firmness levels in more detail later but the general rule is heavier people need firmer mattresses. Also, if you sleep on your front or back then you need a firmer mattress than someone who sleeps on their side. Combine those two together for your best guess of which firmness level you need.
What about the Tempur Pro CoolQuilt range sold at John Lewis and Partners? Is it the same as the Tempur Pro Smart Cool range of mattresses?
This is a little bit confusing.
John Lewis sells several Tempur mattresses which are called Tempur Pro CoolQuilt instead of Tempur Pro Smartcool.
At first glance, I thought they had just changed the word ‘Smartcool’ for the word CoolQuilt. However, it doesn’t appear to be that simple (sorry about that).
The CoolQuilt mattresses sold at John Lewis come with the same choice of three thickness levels, but the total depth is different to the Smartcool mattresses sold by Tempur:
- The cheapest Tempur CoolQuilt (sold at John Lewis) is called the Tempur Pro Coolquilt and is 23cm deep. The cheapest Tempur Pro Smartcool (sold direct from Tempur) is called the Tempur Pro Smartcool and is 21cm deep.
- The mid priced models add in the word ‘Plus’ to the title. The one sold at John Lewis is 27cm deep whilst the one sold at Tempur is 25cm deep.
- The most expensive model adds in the word ‘Luxe’ to the title. The one sold at John Lewis totals 32cm deep, whilst the mattress sold direct from Tempur is 30cm deep.
Despite being thinner, the mattresses sold direct from Tempur actually have more layers than the Tempur mattresses sold by John Lewis (the plot thickens, just like the mattresses!).
For example, the cheapest Tempur Pro Smartcool mattress has five layers (I’m excluding the outer cover in my figures) whilst the cheapest Tempur Pro CoolQuilt sold at John Lewis has three layers. The one sold direct by Tempur splits the bottom layer into two identical layers whereas the mattress sold at John Lewis has one deep bottom layer. The Tempur mattress sold at John Lewis also lacks the ‘3cm TEMPUR Adapt Material’ which has ‘body conforming, pressure relieving and motion absorbing technology’
It seems to be a similar story with the mid-priced ‘Plus’ version. If you go for the Tempur CoolQuilt sold at John Lewis then you get a thicker mattress but fewer layers. If you go for the Tempur Smartcool, sold direct from Tempur then you get a thinner mattress made from more layer.
Once you get to the most expensive version of each mattress – the Luxe – the differences are less noticeable. They both have five layers by this point.
What about the covers of the Tempur Smartcool and the Tempur CoolQuilt? Are they the same?
The outer covers the Tempur Smartcool and the Tempur CoolQuilt do look a little different to each other.
And how are they described?
The Tempur CoolQuilt cover (sold at John Lewis) is described this way:
“…the QuickRefresh cover is cool-to-the-touch and luxuriously pillowy, while being easy to unzip and remove for airing“
whilst the Tempur Smartcool cover (sold direct from Tempur) is described like this:
“Our innovative cooling mattress cover with SmartCool Technology is cool-to-the-touch and helps to absorb excess body heat and keep you feeling cool and fresh, while the QuickRefresh cover can be easily unzipped and washed.“
So, both covers are ‘cool-to-the-touch’ and are easy to unzip. From my understanding, the Tempur CoolQuilt cover has a fleecier and softer feel than the Tempur Smartcool. Honestly though, once you’ve put fitted sheets on top there is unlikely to be a significant difference in feel.
The more notable difference will be the thickness and the number of layers.
Is the Tempur Smartcool Air sold at the Dreams the same as the Tempur Smartcool mattress?
Crumbs! Another range to decipher!
Dreams has its own version of the Tempur mattress range. Instead of selling Tempur Smartcool they sell Tempur Smartcool Air. So are they the same thing with different labels?
The short answer is no, but they are pretty similar.
Just like buying from Tempur direct, you get a choice of three thickness levels depending on your budget:
- Tempur Smartcool Air is the cheapest model sold at Dreams
- Tempur Smartcool Air Plus is the mid priced model
- Tempur Smartcool Air Luxe is the most expensive model
You can also choose from soft, medium, medium firm and firm models – as you can if you buy from Tempur.com.
The difference is the number of layers. The Tempur Smartcool mattresses sold by Tempur are shown as having five layers plus the cover. The Tempur Smartcool mattresses sold by Dreams have four layers plus a cover.
They have a slightly different pattern on the outer cover.
Overall, I would say that the Tempur mattresses sold at Dreams are more similar to those sold direct from Tempur than those sold at John Lewis. The Dreams models are the same depth as those sold by Tempur, whereas the John Lewis models are different depths altogether.
So why don’t Tempur just sell the same mattress everywhere? I don’t know the answer to this but my hunch is that they want to be able to offer something exclusive and different on their own website, rather than being just another retailer.
I’m confused. Should I buy my Tempur mattress from Tempur.com, Dreams or from John Lewis?
This may feel like a whole heap of confusing waffle. Please accept my apologies.
My personal opinion is that whether you buy a Tempur mattress from John Lewis, Tempur.com or from Dreams then you are getting a pretty similar product. They aren’t exactly the same, but the general design and use of layers is pretty similar.
Tempur certainly wouldn’t put their name on any old rubbish, so I wouldn’t worry too much about these small differences.
Bigger factors that might make up your mind:
- the trial period that you get varies slightly depending on where you buy it. We will cover this in more detail but if you buy it from Tempur.com then you have the possibility of getting a refund if you don’t like it. If you buy it from John Lewis or Dreams then you will be given the choice of swapping it if you don’t like it.
- if you can try out a mattress in person then that is preferable. Get yourself to a John Lewis or larger Dreams branch if you have one nearby. Of course, mattresses use up a lot of showroom space so they won’t necessarily have the exact depth and firmness level you are considering.
- you may be a big fan of the John Lewis brand, due to their reputation for good customer service so might think that’s your best bet.
What about the Tempur One mattress and the Tempur for John Lewis memory foam mattress?
But wait! We aren’t done yet with trying to decipher the Tempur range.
If you go direct to Tempur, you can by a Tempur One mattress. This is their cheapest mattress. It is slightly thinner than the three Smartcool mattresses. It has a smaller range of firmness levels available (soft, medium and firm) and a much smaller range of sizes than the Tempur Smartcool mattresses.
It comes with the same trial period and the same warranty length as the more expensive models.
For a similar sort of price, you can also get a Tempur mattress at the cheaper end of their range from John Lewis. It is exclusive to John Lewis and is called the ‘Tempur for John Lewis Memory Foam Mattress’.
It is the same depth and comes in the same three sizes as the Tempur One mattress. The difference is that the Tempur for John Lewis Memory Foam mattress only comes in a medium firmness model whereas the Tempur One mattress comes in three firmness levels. My best guess is that this mattress is pretty similar to the medium version of the Tempur One mattress, but there is only limited information available.
How can I find a Tempur mattress which is the right firmness for me?
As we said earlier, heavier people generally need firmer mattresses. The idea is that a mattress should give you adequate support so that you sink in just the right amount to keep your spine aligned when you lie on your side.
Another factor is which position you usually sleep in. People who sleep on their sides need slightly softer mattresses than people who sleep on their backs. It’s important that you don’t end up with too much pressure on your shoulders and hips.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an industry-wide agreement on what ‘soft’ or ‘medium’ actually means. You can’t say – for example – an average weight man should definitely choose a medium firmness mattress. Your best bet is either to try out a few Tempur mattresses in a showroom or take advantage of the 100 night trial and contact Tempur if it isn’t right for you. Check the terms and conditions of the Tempur trial period first.
What about a Tempur mattress topper?
We used to suggest that a Tempur mattress topper is a good way to get the technology of Tempur without buying a new mattress. You would spend about £1000 and put the topper on top of your existing mattress. However, these aren’t being sold at the time of writing and only appear in the Tempur Outlet.
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Pros and cons of Tempur mattresses
Pros:
- The original and most prestigious memory foam type brand with an appealing history
- Great choice of firmness levels, mattress size and depth
- Longer established than other memory foam brands, most of whom started trading in the last decade
- Trial periods available, good length warranty
Cons:
- Three or four times as expensive as rivals
- Shorter trial period than some rivals (e.g. Nectar Sleep, Emma Mattress, Simba Sleep)
- Lower TrustPilot rating than most other foam mattress brands
Which is the best Tempur mattress according to customers?
There aren’t a huge number of reviews available for the Tempur Smartcool range (or the Tempur QuiltCool range sold at John Lewis) as they are relatively new.
Previously, we found positive reviews of around 4.5/5 for the various Tempur models at John Lewis, Dreams and at Tempur.com but these models are being phased out.
How do Tempur brand scores compare to rivals?
Meanwhile, TrustPilot scores are also available and give the score for a brand as a whole. Tempur scores 3.8/5 at the time of writing. With a company like Tempur, reviews cover everything including their pillows, sheets, toppers and bedframes. It also includes things like the ordering process, website usability, delivery times and so on. So, a lot of the reviews aren’t actually about a specific mattress.
We looked at the ‘TrustScore’ for various mattress companies operating in the UK in 2024 and compiled this list:
- Ergoflex – 4.8/5 (bed in a box memory foam mattress)
- Dunlopillo – 4.7/5 (luxury latex mattress)
- OTTY – 4.5/5 (bed in a box mattress)
- Simba Sleep – 4.5/5 (bed in a box mattress)
- Happy Beds – 4.4/5 (mostly pocket sprung mattresses at the budget end of the market)
- Silentnight 4.3/5 (big brand selling pocket sprung, memory foam and bed in a box mattresses)
- Sleepeezee – 4.3/5 (mid-priced, mostly pocket sprung mattresses, royal approval)
- DreamCloud – 4.2/5 (luxury spring and foam mattress)
- Nectar Sleep – 4.2/5 (bed in a box mattress)
- Hypnos Beds – 4.1/5 (posh pocket sprung mattresses, royal approval)
- REM Fit – 4.1/5 (bed in a box hybrid mattresses)
- Dormeo – 4.0/5 (memory foam specialists)
- Harrison Spinks (manufacturers of the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection, Somnus and Herdy Sleep) – 4.0/5
- Emma Mattress – 3.9/5 (bed in a box mattress)
- Eve Sleep – 3.9/5 (bed in a box mattress)
- Vispring – 3.9/5 (posh pocket sprung mattresses)
- Mammoth – 3.8/5 (foam mattresses, aimed at ‘elite sport and healthcare’ market)
- Tempur – 3.8/5 (the original memory-foam mattress company)
- Sealy – 3.1/5 (‘world’s biggest mattress brand’, pocket sprung and memory foam mattresses)
Where two brands had the same score, we put them in alphabetical order. We couldn’t find several luxury mattress brands on TrustPilot and there is inevitably some variation in how many reviews each company had.
What do customers say about Tempur mattresses?
To give you a flavour of the reviews, we like to include one positive and one negative review – although of course, this is just a small selection and you should have a good read for yourself.
We always like to include a review which a) is about the mattress rather than a comment about how friendly the delivery driver was etc. and b) which has been made by someone who has had the mattress for several months or ideally more than a year. We also like to include the response from the mattress company if they have commented on the negative review.
An example of one of the many positive reviews for Tempur on TrustPilot
One of the ‘one star’ reviews for Tempur on TrustPilot, along with the response from Tempur
What type of mattresses do Tempur make?
The short answer to this question is that Tempur make memory foam mattresses.
However, it’s a little bit more complicated as Tempur themselves say that their mattresses are ‘not just memory foam’. I will avoid a dull history lesson, but the gist of it is that the Tempur material was developed by NASA to keep astronauts comfy and Tempur developed it into a material for mattresses.
I guess a similar comparison is with Coca-Cola. It costs a lot more than a supermarket cola, but it’s got the pedigree of being the first in the market and has its own unique flavour.
For the uninitiated, foam or memory foam is an alternative to using springs on a mattress. Springs are what most of us are used to on a mattress but a cheap sprung mattress can get a bit lumpy as the springs wear out.
The good and the bad of memory foam
Memory foam bounces back slower than other types of foam meaning that you get a bit of a sinking feeling. However, some experts recommend the consistent support that memory foam offers. For example, in their sleeping guide, the charity Versus Arthritis says that ‘many people find memory foam mattresses or toppers helpful’.
There are pros and cons to memory foam mattresses. For example, Lanoë, Simões et al compared foam mattresses with pocket mattresses in a study called ‘Improving the environmental performance of bedding products by using life cycle assessment at the design stage’ (2013). Their conclusion was that a foam mattress ‘has a higher environmental impact’ than a more traditional pocket sprung mattress most notably due to the manufacturing process. They propose ‘reutilization of foam’ and ‘a 20% weight reduction of the polyurethane foam’ to reduce the environmental impact.
I should make clear that this study looked at foam mattresses in general rather than at Tempur specifically. You can read about Tempur’s ‘goals of sustainability’ on their website
If you’re looking for ways to fill your day, you can read our comparison of memory foam v pocket springs.
Adjustable options from Tempur
One other thing worth mentioning is that Tempur is a popular choice at the luxury end of the adjustable bed market. Pocket sprung beds don’t take kindly to being bent and stretched regularly but some foam mattresses are much better for this. Tempur make a range of posh adjustable beds where you can move one side up and down whilst the other stays flat.
Their top of the range adjustable beds come with things like massagers, but you can end up spending thousands of pounds once you’ve bought an adjustable base and a new Tempur mattress.
You may have also seen the brand ‘Tempurpedic’ and may be wondering if Tempurpedic and Tempur are the same. As far as I can tell, Tempurpedic mattresses are sold in the USA whilst Tempur mattresses are sold in the UK. Please get in touch if I’ve got that wrong…
Which awards have Tempur mattresses won?
Tempur’s pedigree and history is impressive in the memory foam mattress market.
According to the official website, Tempur is the ‘only mattress…recognised by NASA and certified by The Space Foundation’. The company ‘was presented with an award by NASA in May 1998’ after its work turning space technology into mattresses for non-astronauts.
The Tempur Hybrid won an award from expert testers in 2018. They tested the 21cm ‘Supreme’ version which is the cheapest option.
This is also a good moment to mention research which has been carried out into Tempur mattresses. Back in 2000, a paper was published called ‘The effect of position and mattress on interface pressure‘ (Defloor). It mostly looked at what position patients in a nursing setting should sleep but it also concluded that ‘A Tempur polyethylene-urethane mattress reduces interface pressures by 20 to 30’. In simple terms, that means that it spreads your weight out well.
What guarantee and home trial period does Tempur offer?
The trial period you get with Tempur mattresses varies slightly depending on where you buy if from.
If you buy direct from Tempur then you get a 100 night trial. If you aren’t happy with it after a couple of months they will ‘reimburse your purchase price’. You have to use a mattress protector on the mattress. You will be charged an ‘applicable uplift charge if you ask us to come and collect’.
Tempur mattresses bought from Dreams come with a ‘100 night comfort guarantee’. This allows you to swap for another mattress. You have to pay a £65 collection and re-delivery charge. If you choose a more expensive mattress then you pay the extra (fair enough). If you choose a cheaper mattress then you get the difference in Dreams vouchers. This may not be terribly useful but you could perhaps spend the vouchers on some pillows.
If you buy your Tempur mattress from John Lewis and Partners then you get a 60 night comfort trial. This allows you to swap for another Tempur mattress but you have to pay a collection fee of about £30. You also need to to use a mattress protector to be able to swap it. From what I can tell, you have to swap for another Tempur mattress rather than any other mattress sold by John Lewis (it’s a little bit unclear as it depends which part of the website you look at).
My opinion is that the trial period is most generous if you buy a Tempur mattress direct from Tempur. I am basing this on the terms and conditions rather than real world experience of speaking with customer services at John Lewis, Dreams and Tempur.
All three retailers offer the same 10 year warranty.
How common are trial periods with mattresses?
As a general rule you will find that quite a few now come with a trial period. For a while it was mostly memory foam mattresses that offered this, but you now get it with lots of pocket spring mattresses.
If you’re shopping online, I would highly recommend either trying a mattress out in a store or getting one with a trial period. As I said earlier, there’s inconsistency between brands about what they mean when they say that a mattress is ‘soft’ ‘medium’ or ‘firm’ so it is useful to have the chance to change your mind.
As we saw in the previous section, there is some variation in how trial periods work. Some give a refund whilst others offer you a swap from quite a narrow choice.
Where can I buy Tempur mattresses?
Tempur mattresses are much more widely available than some of the relatively new mattress brands which just sell direct and don’t have showrooms. You’ll find that prices vary a bit, so I would do a bit of shopping around online.
Buying from Tempur direct is an option but you can also buy them from big names like John Lewis & Partners, Dreams and Furniture Village.
As discussed earlier, the Tempur mattresses sold at John Lewis and Dreams are slightly different to those sold direct from Tempur. That makes it difficult to do a price comparison.
However, I checked the online price of the cheapest ‘standard’ Tempur double mattress in 2024 and found that the price was:
- £1899 at Dreams (21cm deep Tempur Pro Air SmartCool Mattress)
- £1999 at Tempur.com (21cam deep Tempur Pro Smartcool)
- £2299 at John Lewis (23cm deep Tempur Pro CoolQuilt)
Keep in mind that I just checked on one day, so the prices will be different when you check.
What are the alternatives to a Tempur Mattress?
You can look at Tempur alternatives in two ways.
Either, you pick another memory foam mattress which gets good reviews and offers a trial period or you pick a similarly priced mattress which uses completely different materials. Generally speaking, Tempur memory foam mattresses are two or three times more expensive than other foam mattresses.
If you want a highly rated mattress which uses memory foam, then you could consider:
The Nectar Sleep Mattress
The Nectar Sleep Memory Foam Mattress (£600 for a double size) will cost you about a quarter of the price you’ll pay for a Tempur mattress. You don’t get the same range of thickness levels and firmness levels offered by Tempur and you get don’t the long-established pedigree.
However, it is 25cm deep which puts it on a par with Tempur’s mid-priced ‘Smartcool Plus’ mattress.
Two areas where the Nectar Sleep betters Tempur
Other factors that work in the favour of the Nectar Sleep Foam mattress are that it offers a whole year to try it out, compared to 100 nights with the Tempur mattress. It is certainly true that most people will have a good idea of whether they are sleeping well on a mattress within a few weeks. You could claim that the Nectar Sleep long trial period is a bit of a gimmick to stand out in a crowded market. However, studies have shown that foam ‘stiffness’ varies according to room temperature (Saunders et al, 1958) and so there is an argument that it’s beneficial to be able to try out a mattress in winter and summer.
The Nectar Sleep trial offers a refund, which makes it similar to Tempur if you purchase from Tempur direct but not if you buy via John Lewis or Dreams (see the section further up about the trial period with Tempur).
Alongside that 365 night trial is Nectar’s ‘forever’ guarantee which compares favourably to Tempur’s 10 year warranty. Nectar Sleep as a brand scores 4.2/5 on TrustPilot compared to 3.8/5 for Tempur at the time of writing.
Of course, a major downside is that Nectar is a relatively unknown brand compared to Tempur. Nectar only entered the UK market in 2018 whilst Tempur has been selling its mattresses since the early 1990s.
Ergoflex 5G
The Ergoflex 5G Memory Foam Mattress (£886) has a lot in common with the Nectar Sleep Memory Foam mattress. Again, it’s a similar depth to the mid-priced Tempur Smartcool Plus model and it matches the 10-year guarantee that you get with Tempur.
The home trial period is notably shorter at 30 nights, but that should still give you a good indication of whether you find it comfortable and supportive. Again, there is a not a choice of firmness levels with the Ergoflex 5G, so you may find that it doesn’t provide you with the right support. It currently beats the Tempur brand on TrustPilot, with an average of 4.8/5 at the time of writing.
If you are looking for similarly priced mattresses to the Tempur range then you could consider:
Dunlopillo
Dunlopillo are the leaders in the latex mattress market. They have a good range of firmness levels and prices which start at about £1649 for a double mattress. There’s a good argument that latex is more sustainable and environmentally friendly to produce than foam, although recycling it afterwards can be an issue. Dunlopillo has won several awards and has an outstanding score of 4.7/5 on TrustPilot (2024). See our full guide to Dunlopillo for suggestions of which model will be right for you.
Dunlopillo use latex in their mattresses which is a natural alternative to foam
Vispring
Vispring is a prestigious brand which invented the pocket spring mattress about 100 years ago. They use lots of plush natural materials such as wool and alpaca in their mattresses as well as high quality pocket springs. The cheapest mattresses in their range are about £1000 whilst models with higher spring counts can be more like £6000 for a double mattress. A lot of their mattresses come with a 20 or 30 year warranty, which is longer than any other pocket sprung mattress brand in the UK. See our top 5 Vispring mattresses. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
Vispring mattresses are amongst the best in the world…but they aren’t cheap
