This review is for two mattresses in one, as we tested two versions of the same mattress recently. We will waffle on about the cheaper of the two first (Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20) and then give a few thoughts on the more expensive model (Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 25)

We started by testing the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20. This is a tweaked version of Tempur’s Smartcool mattress, but is a version sold by Dreams. 

It is cheaper then some Tempur mattresses (see our main Tempur guide) but is still at the luxury end of the foam mattress market and comes with the prestigious Tempur reputation.

When we tested it, the double version was £999 with the king size version at £1199 and the super king size version at £1399. 

Firmness level of the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20 

It took us a little longer than usual to give this mattress a firmness rating. A 100% foam mattress that uses a type of memory foam has a very different feel to the pocket sprung mattresses that most of us have spent our lives sleeping on. 

We eventually settled on a score of 7.5/10 with 1/10 being very soft and 10/10 being very firm. This tallies with the official firmness rating, which is medium-firm. In other words, we agreed with the mattress manufacturer’s firmness rating exactly. However, it’s always important to test a mattress for yourself or pick one that has a returns option.

We worked our way through various tests on firmness to reach this conclusion. 

On my back, I found it to be ever so slightly too firm for me but not far from what I would look for. I am 13 stone and 6 ft tall so you may find it is just right for you if you are slightly heavier than me. 

On my side I found it to be too firm for me and I didn’t sink in as much as I would like. On my front it was a similar story to how it felt on my back. 

If you are testing mattresses for yourself then I would recommend lying on your back and putting a hand underneath your spine (we call this The Spine Test). 

If there is a large gap then the mattress is too firm. However, if you can barely get your hand underneath without wriggling then the mattress is too soft for you. You want to hit the sweet spot where your back is in a natural sleeping position so that you wake up feeling refreshed rather than aching. This mattress was actually very close to the right level of firmness for me.

Edge support of the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20 (and the Custard Slice Test)

While laying on my side I shuffled to the very edge of the mattress to test out if it felt the same all over. We have found that some cheap foam mattresses sink far too much out the edges. This limits the sleeping space that you have. 

I thought this mattress performed well to the very edges and didn’t sink in any more significantly at the edges than in the middle. You could argue that this is more easily achieved on a firmer mattress, but it was an impressive performance nonetheless. 

To follow up this test, I sat on the edge of the mattress in this position (we call this the Custard Slice Test). It sunk in quite a lot and I felt a little unstable. This is something we have experienced before on foam mattresses, partly because they are constructed without the same hand side stitching that you get on high quality pocket sprung mattresses. 

This is not a deal-breaker for me as it’s only really a question of sitting a little further back when you are putting your socks on. 

Motion transfer on the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20 (the Wibble Wobble Test)

We have previously tested some of the standard Tempur mattresses, which tend to be more expensive than this model. In those cases, we have found that they are exceptionally good when we have assessed motion transfer. 

Forgive me for slipping into tedious jargon but this is a measure of how wobbly they are and how much movement can be felt by someone else in your bed. I prefer to call this the Wibble Wobble Test. 

This Tempur mattress achieved a similar level of motion transfer to the more expensive models. In other words, your spouse could get in and out of bed and you hopefully wouldn’t feel them at all. 

Handles on the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 20 

We always like to see how robust a mattress handle is as it’s a good sign of robustness and quality. I was surprised to find that this mattress does not have handles at all. We only tested the double version and it may be that you get handles on the larger versions. Foam mattresses do tend to be quite light compared to sprung mattresses, so it is relatively easy to move them. However, I do find handles to be helpful on a mattress. 

And what about the upgrade? 

We were lucky enough to also test the upgraded model of this mattress. It has a similar name but the number 20 is switched to a 25 to indicate that it is 25cm deep instead of 20cm deep. It’s full name then is the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattress 25.

We found that the more expensive mattress felt ever so slightly firmer. It is also described as medium-firm but I would put it at more like an 8/10 for firmness. The differences between this model and the cheaper model are quite small, but we noticed it most when sat on the mattress. The deeper mattress performed better and didn’t sink in quite as much. You might then consider it a worthwhile upgrade if you tend to sit on the edge of your bed to get dressed. 

The price of the upgraded model when we tested was £1399 for the double or £1599 for the king size. The super king size was £1799. 

Final thoughts on the Tempur Ease Smartcool Mattresses

We were impressed with both of these Tempur mattresses. The firmness rating was not quite right for me but was pretty close. It is fair to say that Tempur mattresses are significantly more expensive than many other memory foam mattresses. However, we did find this one performed well right to the edges and had it minimal motion transfer.

More from The Sleep Guy

• If you’re comparing different brands, see our full collection of mattress reviews to help you choose the best option for your budget and sleep style.
• Read our guide to the Tempur brand