There are a few different definitions of a ‘hybrid mattress’ online, but the most common one is a mattress which uses pocket springs and memory foam at the same time.
Pocket springs are the more traditional way of making a decent mattress and are what most of us are used to. Memory foam is a more modern alternative which gives consistent and comfortable support.
Some people claim that memory foam is better for allergies and that it doesn’t gather dust in the same way. However, there’s still some debate on this topic. For example, Schei, Hessen and Lund compared children’s foam and pocket sprung mattresses in a piece of research in 2002. They found much more evidence of dust mites on the foam mattresses.
Memory foam has a bit of a sinking and hugging feeling which you either love or find a bit disconcerting. It can also make you feel a bit warm but modern mattress companies have come up with fancy techniques for making it more breathable.
The idea is that a hybrid mattress offers a happy compromise between a traditional pocket sprung mattress a more modern memory foam mattress.
Our hybrid mattress selection
We’ve picked out five of the best hybrid mattresses in the UK. We considered taking factors such as customer reviews, specification, price tag, expert awards, length of warranty and returns policy. Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of writing in 2024. King size hybrid mattresses and super king size hybrid mattresses are usually available too if you want a bit more space (and have a bit more budget).
Here are five hybrid mattresses worth considering:
1. Simba Hybrid Original Mattress – medium/firm – £819
The Simba website claims that they’ve had ‘more awards, from more experts’ than any other mattress brand. You’d be a bit rude not to take a look. They also score well as a brand on TrustPilot (4.5/5) whilst The Simba Hybrid scores 4.8/5 on their own website or 3.9/5 on Amazon.co.uk (last checked 2024).
It offers a lot of the same appealing aftersales stuff that you get with other hybrid mattresses. That includes a 10 year guarantee and a huge trial period in which you can try it out at home (200 days).
Simba’s expanding range
I will try not to bore you rigid with a mattress history lesson, but it’s worth filling in a few details here.
About a decade ago, Simba turned up with one mattress. They were one of a number of new companies disrupting the industry by offering just one model and declaring it to be just right for most people. They called this mattress the Simba Sleep Mattress or the Simba Hybrid mattress.
Over the last few years, the Simba brand has gained popularity and the company has expanded things so that they now offer five different hybrid mattresses (as well as ‘Earth’ mattresses, which aren’t relevant in a guide to hybrid mattresses). The Simba Mattress was rebranded as the Simba Hybrid Original Mattress to avoid confusion alongside more expensive models such as the Simba Hybrid Pro and the Simba Hybrid Luxe. To confuse matters a little, they also launched a Simba Hybrid Essential mattress, which has a similar design to the early iteration of the Simba Sleep mattress in that it just used mini springs. I mention this in case you were an early customer and are looking for something with a similar feel and design.
The Simba Hybrid Original Mattress is still my pick from Simba’s hybrid range. I think it is a good balance of price and specification. The more expensive models have extra layers of foam and extra layers of mini springs, but the general design and quality is similar. They also have the same bells and whistles, such as the trial period and long warranty.
See our full guide to Simba for a blow-by-blow comparison.
And what about the Simba Hybrid Original Mattress?
Sorry, I went off a bit of a tangent there.
Let’s focus on the Simba Hybrid Original Mattress. After all, it’s the popular model from one of the most popular makers of Hybrid mattresses.
In terms of how it is made, the Simba Hybrid buries the memory foam layer a bit lower down so that you don’t get as much of a sinking and hugging feeling as you do with some memory foam mattresses. The Simba Hybrid is a ‘Carbon Neutral’ mattress, which means that they offset their greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing.
The springs in the Simba Hybrid Original Mattress are a combination of larger springs and smaller ’25mm conical pocket miQro springs’.
I realise I’m veering into an area of discussion that is so dull it could tranquilise an elephant. The gist of it is that the Simba Sleep micro springs provide a ‘comfort layer’ whilst the larger springs and the foam layers do most of the work.
Simba deserves plaudits for breaking through and impressing the traditional mattress brands. In 2022, it was named as a finalist in the online retailer of the year category at the main bed industry awards.
Pros and cons – The Sleep Guy’s summary
“Simba Sleep has established itself as one of the better known names amongst the influx of new mattress brands of the last 10 years. I’d say that’s a positive as we have seen some brands arrive and then disappear from the UK in recent years (e.g. Leesa and Casper)”
”You’re getting a mattress with a long trial period of 200 nights. The length of the Simba trial period has changed a bit over the years. Originally, it was 100 nights and for a while it was 365 nights. In my opinion, 200 is long enough as it allows you to try the mattress in summer and winter – so you’ll know if it keeps you the right temperature all year round.
2. DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress – medium/firm – £1649
DreamCloud is at the more luxurious end of the hybrid mattress market, but you get a couple of notable perks for your money.
As well as a decent specification, it comes with a 365 night risk free trial. That means you can send it back if you find it isn’t right for you within the first year. Most mattresses don’t come with a home trial and those that do tend to be for 30, 100 or occasionally 200 nights.
The DreamCloud also has a ‘forever’ warranty, whereas most mattresses come with somewhere between 1 and 10 year warranties. There are terms and conditions to this, of course.
In terms of reviews, the DreamCloud brand scores an average of 4.3/5 on TrustPilot. We checked in 2024 after about 1600 customer reviews.
Regarding specification, it’s exceedingly deep at 29cm. You might need to get yourself some extra deep bedsheets for this one. The spring layer is pocket springs rather than the cheaper option of ‘open coil’ springs whilst the memory foam sits on the top. You’d hope for pocket springs on a luxury priced mattress.
The good and bad news about memory foam
Memory foam is renowned for offering consistent support and has a slight hugging and sinking feeling to it. Some people find memory foam makes them warm. The DreamCloud hybrid is one which uses ‘breathable memory foam’ to try and get around this.
The official blurb describes the mattress tension as ‘luxury firm’ with a rating of 6.5/10, where 10 is very firm. Most customers consider it a medium/firm mattress. As a bit of an aside it’s worth realising that there’s no industry wide agreement on mattress firmness. One company’s so-called firm mattress could be the same as another company’s medium/firm mattress. It’s a bit like buying three pairs of size seven shoes from different shops and finding only one of them fits you. For this reason, I always like to try out a mattress either in a shop or with a home trial.
Pros and cons – The Sleep Guy’s summary
“Quite blatantly, a warranty that lasts ‘forever’ is a great big glowing positive. Every warranty has smallprint, so have a read. For instance, you’ll get a replacement for the first 10 years and a repair after that – and there are some exceptions.”
“The trial period is also firmly in the ‘pros’ column. It beats most other mattresses in our comparison including The OTTY Hybrid’s 100 night trial and Simba Sleep’s 200 night trial.”
“One downside is that DreamCloud isn’t a household name.”
3. Inofia Hybrid Mattress – medium/firm – £199
Here’s a hybrid mattress very much at the budget end of the UK mattress market. I’d say it gets good reviews for the price (4.4/5 from 2000+ reviews). Every salesman will remind you of how many hours you’ll spend on a mattress and usually bore you with a calculation per night. However, if you’re on a tight budget or want a cheap guest bedroom mattress then this might be worth a look.
It’s from a mattress company called Inofia, which are not as well-known as some but several of their mattresses score well with Amazon customers and have a large number of reviews, which is reassuring (a lot of them are in Spanish for some reason). Surprisingly – considering the price – it comes with a 10 year guarantee and a 100 night trial. There isn’t a huge amount of detail on how it works and the terms attached.
The Inofia hybrid mattress is a little thinner than some. It’s 22cm deep, compared to 25cm for the Simba Hybrid Original Mattress (featured further up this page).
How is this hybrid mattress constructed?
It uses a combination of pocket springs and memory foam. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give extra information such as the number of pocket springs or the thickness of the memory foam layer so it’s hard to compare it with other mattresses.
However, it’s worth noting that pocket springs are the superior option to cheap ‘open coil’ springs which you might expect to find on a cheap mattress.
There are also a few typos and unusual phrases in the listing, which need a bit of deciphering.
It’s got a ‘firmer feel’ according to the description. Most reviewers are in agreement and describe it as ‘medium to firm’ or firm. If that’s not right for you, there are other Inofia hybrid mattresses on Amazon.
Pros and cons – The Sleep Guy’s summary
“Value, value, value are the three biggest pros with this mattress. You’re paying budget prices but getting sales features normally found on more expensive mattresses – such as a trial period and a long guarantee.
“The downsides are in the detail. It’s described as having ‘pocketed springs’ but there is no explanation of how many. That’s a key piece of information on a mattress as it helps you figure out out if it will offer the support you require”
4. OTTY Hybrid Mattress – medium/firm – £699
The OTTY Hybrid is another high scorer with customers, with an average of 4.5/5 for the brand on TrustPilot at the time of writing. This model gets a very respectable 4/5 on Amazon.
It uses a combination of pocket springs (2000 on a king size version of the OTTY hybrid) as well as a layer of memory foam which is described as ‘Temperature Regulating Foam’.
You get a generous 100 night trial period, which is certainly better than five minutes in a showroom. Plus you get a 10 year warranty which is very decent in the mattress market.
Back in 2018, OTTY won a big award at the main bed industry awards (the National Bed Federation Awards, in case you’re interested) when it was named as ‘Small Online Bed Retailer of the Year’. I reckon the PR people describe it as ‘The Oscars of the mattress world’…
Pros and cons – The Sleep Guy’s summary
“We like two things about the springs on this hybrid mattress – the size and the number. You’re getting a generous number of springs and they are full size 160mm springs. As a result, this mattress might suit someone who is used to a conventional pocket spring mattress but likes the appeal of a 100 night trial”
“On the downside, the brand is relatively new compared to the likes of Vispring or Hypnos but it wrestled its way into the mainstream mattress market with a big award ahead of the traditional big players”
5. REM Fit Pocket 1000 Hybrid Mattress – medium/firm – £299
REM-Fit as a brand sits alongside OTTY and Simba Sleep in my book. The most well-known REM-Fit mattresses are the 400 and 500 model but I’ve picked out their budget model. It is remarkably good value. You’re getting a budget-priced mattress from a proper brand rather than taking a punt on an unknown.
The REM-Fit brand
The REM-Fit brand is another one which excels on TrustPilot. Current scores on the doors are 4.1/5.
They also give a 100 night trial period (fairly standard nowadays but still impressive) and a 15 year warranty. The latter is a full five years more than most rival mattresses.
The fact that you get both of these features on their budget mattress is something worth commending. I might even stand up and applaud.
Have they cut corners on construction to cut costs?
So, we’ve established that REM-Fit is a decent brand which offers an excellent trial period and warranty. The question then is what’s the difference between this cheap hybrid mattress compared to their more expensive models (the 400, 500 and 600). The other REM-Fit hybrids cost about twice as much, so you’d assume there would be pretty massive differences.
The first major difference is the number of pocket springs. This 1000 model has – surprisingly – got 1000 pocket springs. That is within my range-of-acceptability for a pocket sprung mattress (1000-2000 is my preferred range). Heavier people might feel some benefit from a higher number but it will be adequate for most of us.
The more expensive 400, 500 and 600 models have 2000-4000 springs (yes, I know that’s a little bit confusing!). However, it’s important to note that a mattress with 2000 springs is not necessary twice as good as one with 1000 springs. And once you get past 2000, the mattress will be using mini springs for a bit of extra comfort rather than full size pocket springs.
So, on springs I would say that the 1000 model has shrewdly cut costs but not to a point where this becomes a cheaply constructed mattress.
Another indicator of quality on a hybrid mattress is how deep a memory foam layer it uses. Cheaper mattresses use less memory foam and pad it out with cheaper foams. Encouragingly, the 1000 models has the same 5cm deep layer of ‘memory foam comfort layers’ as the 400 model. That’s another big tick for me.
A deep conversation
The 1000 model is notably thinner than the more expensive REM-Fit hybrid mattresses. It measures at 20cm whilst the REM-Fit 400 is 25cm deep.
Once again, I reckon that REM-Fit has made a shrewd move and reduced the depth down (to save costs) without going so far as to make this a ‘cheap’ quality mattress. A 20cm depth is at the lower end of the range I look for in a mattress – but it will be perfectly fine for most people. If you are heavy then you might benefit from a deeper mattress.
There are advantages to a slightly thinner mattress. It is easier to move around and store out the way and it is more likely to be safe to use on a top bunk.
A couple of firm points
Each REM-Fit mattress is a slightly different firmness.
The 1000 model is medium-firm. If you want a slightly softer model, go for the REM-Fit 400. For a much firmer model, choose the REM-Fit 500. As a general rule, firmer mattresses are more popular with people who are heavier and people who sleep on their back. Side sleepers and lighter people tend to sleep better on softer mattresses.
Pros and cons – The Sleep Guy’s summary
“I’m genuinely impressed with what you are getting here from a ‘budget’ mattress. Some other brands only offer long trial periods and warranties on their more expensive models. REM-Fit obviously has enough confidence in this design to go the whole hog and give a whopping 15 year warranty and a 100 night trial.”
“The specification is certainly not as luxurious as more expensive mattresses but I think they’ve made wise decisions about where they can and can’t cut costs. If you can find a better value mattress, I’d like to know about it!”
In depth: how large are the springs in your hybrid mattress?
One point worth exploring in some more depth is that there’s a significant difference in design between several mattresses which are all described as being ‘hybrid’.
The key thing to look for is the ratio of springs to foam.
Our bar chart below shows the approximate relative spring size of five popular ‘hybrid’ mattresses. The Emma Hybrid and the Simba Hybrid both take the approach of using mini springs to add an extra layer of comfort. Roughly 90% of the mattress’ depth is foam whilst approximately 10% is springs. Conversely, the OTTY Hybrid and the Eve Original Hybrid springs take up somewhere around 50-75% of the mattress’ overall depth.
To confuse things a little, it is worth pointing out that the Simba mattress included in this comparison is now known as the Simba Essential. Simba no longer sell a mattress just known as the Simba Hybrid. Instead, they offer a Simba Hybrid Original, which has a mix of big springs and smaller springs as well as its cheaper Simba Essential model.
What’s the ideal spring size for a hybrid mattress?
The question is, which is best? Is it better to have larger springs with a smaller foam layer or mini springs with a larger layer of foam? You will find that each manufacturer declares their ratio of springs to foam to be the best. My view is that:
1) It’s not as simple as declaring smaller or larger springs as being better or worse. You should see larger springs as offering support and smaller springs as offering a bit of extra comfort. On a mattress which is mostly foam, it is the foam layers which are doing most of the work. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you are dipping your toe in world of hybrid mattresses after years of sleeping on sprung mattresses then you may find it less of a change if you go with a mattress with larger springs.
2) Generally, mattress brands charge higher prices for their mattresses which have more springs. This tends to be the case whether you are looking at traditionally made pocket sprung mattresses or modern ‘bed in a box’ mattresses with springs. For example, the Simba Hybrid Pro has more springs than the cheaper Simba Hybrid. The graph below shows this correlation also applies to luxury Vispring mattresses.
So, when figuring out whether a mattress offers value for money, one factor to look at is the size of the springs.
The rise of the ‘hybrid mattress’
Ten years ago, if you went into a mattress showroom and asked for a ‘hybrid mattress’ you would probably be met with a blank expression. Mattresses certainly combined a range of materials but they weren’t widely known as ‘hybrid mattresses’.
As this graph from Google Trends shows, the search term ‘hybrid mattress’ started to gain interest in 2014. However, it only really became popular in the last five years. The numbers are relative to overall search traffic on the world wide web. We can’t just conclude it is due to more people having internet access.
Part of the reason for this (in my opinion) is the use of the term by ‘bed in a box’ mattress brands. Several of these brands appeared in the UK market in the mid-2010s. They offered a mostly foam mattress as an alternative to the traditional pocket spring brands. Emma, Nectar and Eve are some of the more famous ones but there are plenty of others. When they launched, they just offered one mattress which was 100% foam. It combined memory foam with other types of foam.
However, in the years since most of them have also released a ‘hybrid’ alternative which combines spring with foams. For example, there’s the Emma Hybrid and Emma Hybrid Original, the Casper Hybrid and the Eve Hybrid mattresses. They have all promoted the term heavily and led to it being a much more popular search term for shoppers.
You’ll now see that it’s been adopted by some traditional mattress brands. They have started to call their mattresses ‘hybrid’ models if they combine springs and foam.
