There’s an old myth that sleeping on a firm mattress is good for you, regardless of your build and weight. Most experts and researchers now say that is nonsense. What you need is a ‘supportive’ mattress, which matches your build.
Those interested in the science of sleep and research might like to look at a study in 2004 by Hadler and Evans. It was titled ‘Medium-firm mattresses reduced pain-related disability more than firm mattresses in chronic, nonspecific low-back pain’. Another interesting study carried out in Canada ‘compared a waterbed mattress, a foam mattress, and a firm mattress for the treatment of chronic Lower Back Pain’. It concluded that ‘the hard mattress resulted in worse outcomes but that the differences were small’.
However, if you’re on the larger side, then a firm mattress might be right for you. If you use a soft mattress then your spine won’t be straight when you lie down as you’ll sink into it too much.
Unfortunately, there’s no consistent guidance from mattress makers on who a ‘firm’ mattress is best for. However, John Lewis & Partners suggests that their firm mattresses are best for anyone weighing more than 16 stone.
How do you sleep?
The other factor to consider is the position that you sleep in. People who sleep on their back or front tend to need firmer mattresses than people who sleep on their side.
You can have a good guess as to the right mattress firmness for you by combining your weight with your sleeping position.
We’ve pick out five of the best firm mattresses on the market in 2024. We looked at industry awards, specifications, customer reviews and value for money.
Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at time of writing. There may be discounts and offers from time to time.
1. Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort – £379
Silentnight is a mid-range brand, which is probably the biggest name in the UK market. The same company also own Rest Assured. You can pick up a good deal on their Silentnight range if you shop around or wait for a sale.
We’ve included it because of strong reviews from customers on Amazon (4.4/5 from about 2000 reviews) and Mattressman (just under 4.7/5). The Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort is also nice and deep (28cm) and it has an adequate number of springs to offer a decent level of support. The figure of 1400 tells you how many springs there are on the king size version. There are proportionately less on smaller sizes.
We’ve also included it in this guide to the best firm mattresses because of the reasonable price. Not everyone spends a thousand pounds on a mattress…despite what the salesperson might want you to believe.
Is a pocket spring mattress a good choice?
Pocket spring mattresses are what most of us are used to. They give you a bouncy sensation, whereas a foam mattress giving more of a sinking feeling.
Some argue that foam mattresses offer more consistent all over support. Others say they are better for allergies but that question is up for debate. A Norwegian study suggested ‘a simple replacement of foam mattresses with spring mattresses may reduce the exposure to house‐dust‐mite allergens’ (Schei, Hessen et al, 2002).
Perhaps more importantly, most of us still go for what we’re used to, which is pocket sprung mattresses. See our comparison of pocket springs v memory foam for more of the pros and cons. It’s a rollicking read.
The main downside with the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort is that you can’t turn it over. You’ll need to rotate it regularly to reduce the risk of it developing dips over time.
You may also like to know that the Silentnight Eco Comfort range of mattresses was given a prize at the Furniture Awards 2019. Equally, you may have absolutely no interest in this detail. I’m not judging.
You may have noticed that Silentnight refer to something called Mirapocket rather than pocket springs. Mirapocket is basically their own version of pocket springs where some springs are firmer than others to match your body’s shape. Other brands do something similar and call it a ‘zoned’ mattress.
The trials of life
A few years ago, you didn’t any sort of trial with the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort. If you didn’t like it, you’d be stuck with it.
The mattress industry has moved on since then and it’s now become very common for mattresses to come with trial periods.
Not all trial periods are equal though – some are very generous and simple whilst others require you to leap through more hoops than a dog at Crufts. We’ve compared a few of the trial periods from different retailers and mattress brands in our guide to mattresses with trial periods.
In the case of Mattressman (which sells the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort), you don’t have to pay to send it back. That’s a big plus as some will charge quite a bit to return it. However, you don’t get a refund – you just get the option of an exchange. If you end up choosing a cheaper mattress then you don’t get back the difference so you could be out of pocket. They also insist that you buy a mattress protector from them at the time of your purchase.
For and against – The Sleep Guy’s opinion of the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort
“The price is certainly a positive with the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort which is less than half the price of the Hypnos Orthos Elite (featured later). In fact, it is about a quarter of the price of the John Lewis British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress or the Vispring Realm Pocket Sprung Mattress.“
“It’s a less prestigious name than Vispring or Hypnos but Silentnight are a big name, and you are getting a lot for your money. The huge number of positive reviews is another plus point.”
“There are some negatives though. It’s a single sided mattress, unlike the John Lewis British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress.
2. Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam Mattress – £267
Hold your horses. Yes, I know that this is not the world’s most luxurious firm mattress.
However, we like to include a budget option that surpasses expectations for the price tag.
So, why have we picked this Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam mattress?
What we like about the Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam Mattress
The two main reasons that this mattress has made our top five firm mattresses guide are the positive reviews (4.5/5 from hundreds of reviewers) and the 60 night comfort trial. The opportunity to swap it for another mattress is usually reserved for mattresses costing a fair bit more.
The Bodyshape is also made in the UK, which I see as a positive thing.
The specification is good but it’s not going to blow your socks off.
The benefits of memory foam
Memory foam is a popular alternative to a sprung mattress. Other mattresses on this page use springs, which is what most of us have slept on for our whole lives. Most memory foam mattresses tend to be medium or medium-firm when it comes to firmness levels. This one is unusual in describing itself as firm. The word ‘ortho’ is used as a synonym for ‘firm’ in this instance.
The idea of memory foam is that you get less of a bouncy mattress and more of a body-hugging, consistently supportive mattress. Lots of people love memory foam (I’m a convert in the last couple of years). It doesn’t spring back like traditional foam, hence all those lovely pictures you see of a hand print in a memory foam mattress (there are so many of these around that I’ve thought of making a gallery).
The most common criticism of memory foam mattresses is that they can make you feel warm but most have some scientific sounding means of reducing this issue. In the case of the Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam Mattress it has ‘adaptive cooling technology’.
You are unlikely to find a mattress that is 100% memory foam. More common is to use a combination of different types of foam with the memory foam as either the top layer or the second layer.
This Bodyshape mattress has a 3cm layer of memory foam. That is not vast but is actually more than I would expect for the price. It is deep enough that it will make a notable difference to comfort compared to a standard mattress.
A few things which are better on more expensive models
The depth of the Bodyshape Ortho mattress is 20cm. That is at the lower end of what I would go for with a mattress. Most memory foam mattresses are around the 25cm mark for their standard model or 20cm for their cheaper model. You will not notice a big difference if you are light-ish or average build. It’s more of an issue if you are heavier than average. The plus side of this is that the mattress is not heavy, so it is a good one if you will need to move it regularly (such as keeping it underneath a bedframe or if you are sleeping in a lounge).
I’m also lukewarm on the warranty on the Bodyshape Ortho mattress. You get three years, which is certainly at the low end in the mattress market. There are a few mattresses offering just a year, but if you spend about twice as much then you would get a 10 or 15 year warranty (such as the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress).
You will notice that a lot of mattresses like to put a positive spin on them being single-sided. In this case it is described as being ‘easy to care for’. This is certainly true but I prefer a mattress that be turned over as it can help extend its life. The big caveat here is that memory foam mattresses – regardless of their price – are very rarely double sided. Even Tempur’s £2000+ memory foam mattresses use a carefully constructed combination of layers that aren’t designed to be flipped over.
A better mattress if you can afford it
If you like the idea of a firm memory foam mattress but want a more famous brand then I would take a look at the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress (as mentioned 30 seconds ago). It usually costs about twice the price of the Bodyshape Ortho but you get a longer warranty and a longer trial period. It’s also a more familiar brand name and uses a combination of springs and memory foam (hence the hybrid name). We’ve got one of these Rem Fit mattresses and have been pleased with it.
For and against – the Sleep Guy’s opinion of the Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam mattress
“If you are flushed with money and want a mattress that you will use every night for 10 years then I would say don’t buy the Bodyshape Ortho. However, if you are on a tight budget or perhaps just want a firm mattress that you use occasionally then it’s worth a look. There are other circumstances where this mattress might work well for you. Perhaps you need a mattress that isn’t very deep so that you can store it underneath a low bed frame? Or perhaps you have a bunk bed which is only safe to use with a thinner than average mattress? This one is just 20cm deep so it might fit the bill. That depth will limit comfort for some heavier people but it does make it easy to store and move.”
“The warranty and memory foam depth are reasonable for the money. Its best points are certainly the abundant positive customer reviews and the trial period.”
3. Hypnos Orthos Support 6 Pocket Sprung Mattress – £845
Hypnos is at the posh end of the mattress market. So posh in fact that it has a royal seal, meaning you can tell your friends that you sleep in a regal bed.
The company regularly wins awards, most notably from the National Bed Federation. It named it best manufacturer in 2014 and 2017 and runner up in 2018. It also won a sustainability award from the same organisation in 2021.
Hypnos is a long-established company and takes a traditional approach to mattress making. Models such as the Hypnos Orthos Elite use pocket springs rather than memory foam or similar new-fangled materials.
This model is far from being their most expensive (some models cost £2000), but it’s got a good specification for the money and has a 10-year warranty.
There are 1200 springs on the king size version. That is not as high as some but is perfectly adequate support unless you are large enough to take up two seats on an aeroplane.
Other signs of quality are the ‘hand side stitching’ (a dull technical thing which means it will hold its shape), a decent depth of 27cm and a tufted finish. Cheap mattresses are usually quilted, which means they are flat on top rather than being held together with what look like buttons.
This is a mattress which can be turned over, which is a feature usually reserved for more expensive mattresses in the Hypnos range. A double sided mattress is usually seen as a good thing for making a mattress last longer. Watch the video about Hypnos here.
What’s the difference between the Hypnos Support 6, Hypnos Support 7 and Hypnos Support 8
Pay attention please at the back. There are three options when you get a firm mattress from the Hypnos Ortho range. The cheapest mattress is the Support 6 but there are also upgrades called the Support 7 (mid-priced) and Support 8 (most expensive). You can expect to pay £100 – £200 to jump up from one mattress to the next.
This is what Hypnos calls ‘ReActivePro pocket springs’.
The number refers to the number of twists in each spring.
The theory is that a greater number of twists will support your body better.
I would consider this particular upgrade to be the money-is-no-object option. Upgrading from a cheap brand to Hypnos will make a big difference, but upgrading from six to eight twists in the spring will make a more modest difference.
For and against – our expert opinion of the Hypnos Orthos Support 6 Pocket Spring Mattress
“The obvious plus point with this mattress is the brand’s reputation. Hypnos is a more prestigious name in the bed industry than Silentnight.”
“The question is whether you are happy to pay for a reputation for quality or whether you’d rather just focus on specs and stats”
“I’m certainly impressed by features such as hand side stitching, but the number of springs is less than the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort. A real plus point is that you can turn it over, much like the John Lewis British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress . You get a trial period, although it’s not as generous as some. You can exchange for a different mattress, but you need to buy one of their mattress protectors (see the full details)”
“On the plus side, the Hypnos Orthos Origins offers twice the warranty that you get with the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort“
4. British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress – £2099
You know you’re getting quality with the John Lewis & Partners name. They are made by a UK company called Harrison Spinks, which has won awards from the National Bed Federation. For example, they won Bed Manufacturer of the Year 2018 and 2022 which is pretty much like winning ‘Best Director’ at the Oscars. Except without the global TV audience and celebrity status, of course.
You may be interested to know that Harrison Spinks featured on a BBC TV series called Inside The Factory. Equally, you may not be at all interested in this fact.
You need to dig a little deeper to figure out the difference between the 14 different firm mattresses in the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection.
Indications of quality
The Herdwick 11000 model is available in Single, Small Double/Queen Size, Double, King Size, Super King and Super King Zip Link. It makes our list because it can be turned over, which should in theory make it last longer and not sag so quickly.
The cheaper mattresses in the John Lewis and Partners Natural Collection can’t be turned over, although that’s not to say they won’t be well made.
This mattress is certainly substantial enough. The double version is 55kg so you’ll want to find a local rugby team to help you turn it over.
It has hand side stitching, which is a sign of quality and means the sides won’t collapse like a custard slice when you sit on the edge of the bed.
It’s got 11000 springs, but don’t get too excited about that. You’d expect to see 1300+ springs on a good quality firm mattress, but you can only squeeze a couple of thousand full size springs onto a king size mattress. The rest are mini springs which have a ‘subtler’ impact than the main springs.
Regarding customer reviews, at the time of writing Harrison Spinks is averaging 4.0/5 on Trustpilot (see our beginners’ guide for the full list of TrustPilot reviews that we could find). Watch the video about the Natural Collection.
For and against – our expert opinion of the John Lewis & Partners
British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress
“Yes, it’s expensive but there are a lot of plus points which make this mattress stand out. I would put Harrison Spinks – which makes the mattress – up there with the likes of Hypnos in terms of reputation and awards. Plus, you get the John Lewis & Partners reputation for customer service.”
“I also like the fact that you can turn it over, which isn’t an option with some of the other mattresses in our top five – including the more expensive Vispring Realm Pocket Sprung Mattress“
“So, what are the downsides apart from the price? Well, the warranty could be better – Vispring offer a whole 23 years extra.”
5. Vispring Chiswick Pocket Sprung Mattress – £1499
Kudos to Vispring, who are one of the only mattress companies which actually steers you towards a particular firmness of mattress based on your weight.
According to a couple of guides, you should be considering a Vispring firm mattress if you weigh 16-20 stone. You will need an extra firm Vispring mattress if you weigh more than 20 stone.
Unfortunately, you can’t apply that rule to every mattress company as no one has ever quite agreed on what ‘firm’ or ‘soft’ actually means. However, it’s nice to have some clear guidance from Vispring at least. This Vispring Chiswick model is available as a firm mattress.
Vispring are also one of the leading names in luxury mattresses. They won mattress brand of the year for three years in a row and they invented the pocket spring, albeit quite a long time ago.
Is Vispring worth the money?
The catch, of course, is that they are a rather expensive option but as my mother would say…”you get what you pay for”. Their double mattresses range from about £1500 up to more than £5000.
The Vispring Chiswick is the cheapest in the range. It has about 1200 springs and uses wool and cotton. The higher-priced Vispring mattresses have a) more springs, which offer a little bit of extra support for heavier people b) more luxurious materials and c) the option to turn it over to help prolong its life.
It comes with a rather impressive 30 year structural guarantee. You may not keep it for that long but it’s a sign that Vispring have confidence in the quality of their products.
An academic study from 1999 explored the question of whether a more expensive mattress really is better than a cheap one. It’s worth mentioning – although I’m not wishing to push you into spending more than you can afford.
Three German researchers call Enck, Walten and Traue replaced a hotel’s aging mattresses with three different models. They were of ‘three different qualities and prices’. Guests were then questioned on how well they had slept. Researchers found that ‘the three qualities of the mattresses correlated significantly and positively with the perceived quality of sleep’.
They also found that it was a more significant difference amongst people who had pre-existing ‘back pain and sleep problems’ than it was for people who usually slept well.
Watch the video about Vispring here.
What if I don’t like it?
Vispring offer a Comfort Promise if you buy it from John Lewis. It’s not quite as simple as some trial periods, but it’s a definite plus point for something that costs a significant amount of money.
It allows you to swap the mattress for the same mattress in a different firmness level. You have to use the mattress for at least 30 days and then have 60 days to make the swap. You have to pay about £30 to have it collected and swapped. They also want you to try it out in the store first. You can read the full Terms and Conditions under the ‘Vispring Comfort Promise’ section on this page.
Side by side comparison: which firm mattress is right for you?
If you decide that a firm mattress is right for you, then you’ve got a good choice. All of our choices have lots of plus points, but none of them are the winners in every category. The Vispring Chiswick Pocket Sprung Mattress has the longest warranty. The John Lewis British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress can be flipped over to help it last longer whereas the Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort is considerably cheaper.
| What’s it called? | How much is it? | Warranty and trial | Can you turn it over? | Depth | Sizes |
| Silentnight 1400 Eco Comfort | £549 | 5 years, 60 night trial | No | 25cm | Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King |
| Hypnos Orthos Origins 5 Pocket Spring Mattress | £972 | 10 years, 60 night trial | Yes | 27cm | Small Single, Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King, Zip and Link |
| John Lewis British Natural Collection Herdwick 11000 Mattress | £2099 | 7 years, 60 night trial | Yes | 29cm | Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King |
| Bodyshape Ortho Memory Foam Mattress | £267 | 3 years, 60 night trial | No | 20cm | Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King |
| Vispring Chiswick Pocket Sprung Mattress | £1499 | 30 years, Comfort Promise | No | 21cm | Single, Double, King, Super King, Emporer, Zip Link |