As anyone who has been to a mattress shop will attest, Tempur mattresses have a very different feel (and price tag) to most other mattresses on the market.

Unlike a pocket sprung mattress that most of us are used to, a Tempur mattress offers a slow, steady sinking feeling. When I tested out the firm version of Tempur Pro Luxe Smartcool Mattress, the closest comparison I could think of was quicksand, although I must admit I’ve have never stood in quicksand in real life!

Firmness level for different sleeping positions

You can pick and choose firmness level with a temper Tempur mattress, which is a very definite plus point.

I began by testing this firm model out by lying on my front, which is what I tend to do at night. I found it to be quite comfortable, but a little bit too firm for my personal taste. I’m six foot tall and weigh about 13 stone, which I would imagine is about average for a man.

I then flipped onto my back and similarly found it to be a little bit too firm for my taste. Personally, I quite like the sinking feeling but it certainly takes a bit of getting used to if you have spent most of your life on pocket sprung mattresses. It also feels quite different to most of the foam mattresses that we have tested out from the likes of Simba and Emma.

Finally, I flipped onto my side and it was in this position that I found the mattress to be more comfortable.

This is slightly contrary to what I was expecting, as a firm mattress is not usually very well suited for side sleepers.

Typically, side sleepers go for softer mattresses, while front sleepers and back sleepers go for firmer mattresses. I can’t exactly account for this inconsistency in my testing but my overall conclusion is that I would very much recommend testing out the various firmness levels of Tempur mattresses before buying one.

They tend to be quite widely available compared to some brands, although there is some difference in labelling between the different Temper mattresses. as you can read about in our main Tempur guide. 

Strength at the edges

As you can see from the photo, you will sink quite deep into the Tempur Pro Luxe Firm Smartcool Mattress, if you sit on the edge.

If you were to compare this to a firm pocket sprung mattress, then you would notice quite a difference.

This is not surprising of course, as the foam is designed to react to your own weight. If you are putting your entire weight onto one section of the mattress, then it will sink quite considerably and behaves quite differently to a firm pocket sprung mattress. It is less of an issue if you sleep towards the edge of the mattress, but if you sit on the edge of the bed to put your socks on then you will notice that it does sink quite considerably.

Motion transfer

One of the strongest attributes about this type of foam mattress is how it behaves regarding motion transfer. As we moved around on the mattress, we noticed very little motion transfer at all, meaning that your sleeping partner shouldn’t be too disturbed if you move around or get out of bed. Pocket spring mattresses at the mid and softer end of the market don’t tend to offer this low motion transfer.

Price

When we tested out this Tempur mattress, the double model was £2769. The superking was about £1000 extra and the single was about £700 cheaper. 

It’s fair to say that this is a considerable investment. Given the unique feel that you get from a Tempur mattress, I would reiterate the importance of testing one out in person first. Ideally, you want to get to a shop with a good range so you can try out the different firmness levels. 

If you’ve got deep pockets and you like the feel, then it may well be a very good investment for you.