Which Mattress Is Best For You?
Discover our expert guidance on how to choose a mattress that offers luxurious comfort and unrivalled support. Learn about the best mattress types for different sleep positions and which type of mattress is best suited to your body’s needs.
Selecting the right mattress is a significant decision that influences your daily comfort, long-term health and overall well-being. With various options available, finding the perfect fit can feel overwhelming. Allow our experts to guide you with their best mattress recommendations, helping to relieve targeted aches and pains for every type of sleeper. Through considered advice and insight, you will be empowered to create a sleep environment that feels both restorative and beautifully personal.
The key factors to consider when choosing a mattress
As you begin your search, it is essential to recognise the factors that create a truly serene and restorative sleep environment. Consider the size and style of your bed frame, the dimensions of your bedroom, and the proportions of your home to ensure your chosen mattress fits seamlessly into your space.
Your body type and any health concerns, such as persistent back problems or hip pain, are equally important. These will influence the level of firmness and support you require. The best mattress should cushion pressure points, align the spine perfectly, and create an effortless path to deep, restorative sleep.
Matching the best mattress to your sleeping position
Your favoured sleeping position holds the secret to selecting the best mattress. Whether you curl up on your side, sleep flat on your back or rest on your stomach, understanding how your posture affects pressure points is key to making the right choice.
The perfect mattress offers both unwavering support and gentle pressure relief, ensuring that hips, shoulders and lower back remain aligned throughout the night. Choosing the wrong mattress can lead to discomfort, restless sleep and long-term posture issues.
Types of mattresses suited to every sleeping style
Choosing the right type of mattress is central to creating a sleep environment that offers comfort, restoration and long-term wellbeing. While every type of mattress provides a foundation of comfort, each style presents unique benefits to different sleeping styles. Understanding these subtle distinctions will help you select the best type of mattress.
- Pocket sprung mattresses offer independent, tailored support to minimise motion transfer and alleviate pressure points.
- Memory foam mattresses contour to your body for pressure relief and are ideal if you seek the best mattress for hip pain or aching joints.
- Hybrid mattresses combine springs and foam, offering versatile comfort for combination sleepers or larger builds.
- Natural fibre mattresses, crafted with wool, cotton or hemp, offer exceptional cooling properties and are perfect for those who value sustainability alongside comfort.
- Orthopaedic mattresses are ideal for sleepers managing sciatica or lumbar pain, providing a firmer, structured sleep surface that protects spinal alignment.
The best mattress for back sleepers
For those who predominantly sleep on their back, selecting the right mattress is crucial to maintaining healthy spinal alignment and preventing discomfort. A mattress that is too soft can cause the lower back to bow, increasing pressure on the hips and legs. In contrast, an overly firm mattress may force the spine into an unnatural curve, placing strain on the shoulders, lower back and knees.
A medium-firm mattress offers the optimal balance of responsive support and gentle cushioning, making it an ideal choice for back sleepers. The Elsham Mattress exemplifies this balance, featuring individually pocketed springs that contour to the body with precision, paired with a breathable layer of natural wool for cooling comfort throughout the night.
For more expert guidance on the best mattress for back pain, explore our buying guide and discover how thoughtful support can transform your rest.
Mattresses tailored for side sleepers
When sleeping on your side, your body weight is concentrated across a narrower surface, making the hips and shoulders more susceptible to pressure and discomfort. A mattress that is too firm can intensify stress on these sensitive areas, while an overly soft mattress may cause the body to sink too deeply, disrupting spinal alignment and encouraging poor posture over time.
The best mattress for side sleepers lies in a soft to medium firmness, offering the perfect balance of cushioning and support to cradle the body's natural curves while maintaining a healthy sleep posture.
Our opulent Owen mattress, made exclusively for Feather & Black by Harrison Spinks, offers wonderful comfort without compromising support for a side sleeper. Its sumptuously soft and generous layers of 100% natural fibres are underpinned by deeply responsive pocket springs. Lighter-weight side sleepers may enjoy the gentle embrace of the soft firmness, while those with larger builds may prefer the comforting stability of the medium tension mattress.
Finding the ideal mattress for front sleepers
Front sleepers require extra consideration to prevent pressure building on the lower back. Sleeping on your stomach naturally draws the spine out of alignment if the mattress is too soft, leading to discomfort and tension across the lower back. A firm mattress provides the essential support required for front sleepers, as it keeps the hips elevated and the torso aligned, maintaining the spine’s natural curvature throughout the night.
The Conrad Mattress offers the best structure for front sleepers, featuring five layers of pocket springs and luxurious natural fillings. The advanced micro springs allow maximum adaptability to your movement and enhanced lumbar support. The lavish layers of 100% British natural fibres, including certified Yorkshire wool and naturally cooling antibacterial flax and hemp, ensure the lower back remains elevated while offering breathable, cloud-soft comfort.
The best mattress for temperature regulation
As you settle into bed, it’s natural for your body temperature to rise, especially during the warmer months. However, feeling overheated under the covers can quickly lead to restless, broken sleep. Understanding which mattress is best for temperature regulation is essential for a cooling sleep sanctuary, as they’re designed to maximise airflow through advanced materials and technologies that help prevent overheating as you sleep.
Exclusively for Feather & Black by Sleepeezee, our Bamboo Staycool 2400 Mattress offers an exceptional balance of cooling relief and support for back problems. Featuring advanced Staycool™ Gel technology, it actively regulates temperature to create the foundations for a comfortable sleep. The ultra-soft bamboo cover naturally wicks away moisture, while the pocket springs cushion your body, finished with a sumptuous pillow top, offering blissful comfort.
The best mattresses for restless sleepers
Restless sleepers can experience the same level of discomfort as those with targeted back pain. For a sound sleep, we recommend a medium mattress for those who toss and turn at night. The balance between support and cushioning allows you to move around and settle comfortably in different positions. For couples sharing a bed, a split tension or zip & link type mattress can also prevent you from disturbing your partner.
Our Owen Mattress is available in soft and medium tensions, with zip & link and split tension options, allowing you to customise each side of the bed to suit differing requirements. Its embedded pocket springs are highly reactive, adapting to the body’s contours to relieve pressure as you sleep and responding to individual movement to ensure couples don’t disrupt one another’s sleep during the night.
What type of mattress is best for me?
With these recommendations in mind, our experts have compiled their best mattress recommendations for all sleeping styles. Thoughtfully chosen to meet various needs, our comfort chart will help you find the perfect mattress.
Sleeping position |
Best type of mattress |
Product examples |
Side sleepers |
Lighter builds – soft tension Heavier builds – medium tension |
|
Back Sleepers |
Lighter builds - medium tension Heavier builds - firm tension |
|
Front sleepers |
Lighter builds – medium tension Heavier builds – firm tension |
|
Warm sleepers |
Cooling mattress for a restful sleep throughout the seasons |
|
Restless sleepers |
For all body types with a medium tension |
Discover your ideal mattress type with Feather & Black
With our expert guidance on the best types of mattresses, you can now decide which style is suited to your sleep style and pain points. Gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that influence the comfort of your sleep sanctuary will enable you to embrace the many benefits of feeling truly rested. Explore our exquisite collection of bed frames and mattresses to enjoy blissful comfort, superior support and long-lasting luxury night after night.