Quality matress tricks right now? For couples struggling to find a mattress that meets the needs of two different people, the Layla Memory Foam mattress is worth considering for several reasons. First, this is one of the few mattresses that is flippable, with two firmness levels in one mattress. One side is medium (4 out of 10 on the firmness scale) and the other side is medium-firm (7 out of 10). For reference, the scale of firmness levels starts at 1, which is soft, and goes up to the ultra-firm 10. Layla’s two firmness levels give you the ability to try out different feels if you’re unsure which you like best, or if you want to change firmness levels later on. Professional reviews give the Layla Memory Foam mattress high marks for helping sleepers with back pain. It’s also a good pick for side sleepers. The softer side of the mattress has 3 inches of memory foam, which is a material that excels at cushioning the pressure points of your hips and shoulders when you lie on your side.
A more traditional composition of up to 2500 hand-nested pocket springs paired with all-natural hypoallergenic fillings such as cashmere, wool, cotton and silk the Herdwick from the Woolroom is a classic choice. It’s delivered by a two-man team, which is just as well as the king size our testers chose is both weighty and solid. No mind, the delivery team seemed well versed in getting large objects up difficult, windy stairs to unpack and place the mattress in the room of choice. They also took away all packaging, which was great. At first glance you can see the craftsmanship that has gone into this quality piece, with a soft-to-the-touch, chemical free merino wool ticking top secured with tufted ‘buttons’. It almost felt a shame to cover it up with sheets. We were testing on a slatted base and although the mattress felt quite bouncy at first, it was plenty firm enough for our back sleeper, while it was wonderfully easy on the hips and shoulders for our side snoozer. The natural materials make it breathable and help to wick away nighttime sweat, ensuring the hottest of our testers had a very comfortable, wriggle-free night. As with all traditional spring mattresses it does require both turning and rotating to keep it at its best and while it’s heavy, the sturdy side handles make it a 5 minute job when changing sheets.
As soon as we sat on this mattress, we noticed its reassuring firmness – we went for “firm” out of a choice of “regular”, “firm” and “extra firm”. At first we weren’t sure if it was going to work out, as we’re used to something slightly softer. But we shouldn’t have jumped the gun. After one night sleeping on this mattress, we were in love. The 1,400 pocket springs provide such fantastic support. We didn’t feel our co-tester moving about either, which was an added bonus. We sometimes have aches and pains when we lie in one position for too long, but we found the Loaf alleviated all of that. The Loaf mattress is filled with all the good stuff: cotton, wool, silk, viscose and super-soft polyester. This cocktail should mean that it keeps its shape over a long period of time. It certainly feels very substantial, and we found it extremely breathable. It kept us temperate each and every night, all night long. One thing to note is that Loaf advises rotating this mattress every two weeks – this is no mean feat, so it might not be suited to those without adequate upper-body strength. But we think the price tag on this mattress is stonkingly good value.
According to The Sleep Charity, the average person spends about a third of their lives asleep. If the average life of a mattress is seven years (we’ll come on to that in a minute), then that’s 20,000 hours you’ll spend on one. How do I know when I need a new mattress? If you’re sleeping well on your mattress with no aches or pains then you don’t need to change it. But it’s important to notice if that’s not the case and to take action. Simon Williams from the National Bed Federation advises you to look for changes in how well you’re sleeping [and] sleeping better in other beds when away from home. Other things to look out for are back ache, stiffness in the morning, lumps and bumps in the mattress, squeaks and creaks during the night when you move, rolling into the middle, discolouration of the mattress fabric or wearing away of fabric. Read extra information on https://mattressly.com/.
There’s no mistaking that hybrids have a bit more heft to them than traditional memory foam only offerings. The Simba Hybrid pro has seven layers, all encased in a soft breathable sleep surface. A number of things make the Simba different from other hybrids. Firstly two layers of patented Aerocoil springs sandwiched between high definition edge support foam and an open-cell foam layer. Secondly, below the soft outer cover sits a natural temperature-regulating British wool layer to help wick away nighttime sweat. This is how it differs from the lower grade – but still highly rated – Simba Hybrid which only has one layer of springs and does not have the wool layer. As you’d expect, the box is heavy – definitely a two man job up our testers’ winding stairs. Once in situ though, the instructions in the box are easy to follow. The supplied cutter ensures you’re unlikely to damage the mattress cover releasing it from its plastic wrapping. The handles are a nice addition and it swells up to the appropriate 28cm in three to four hours.