We engaged a wide range of testers. Photograph: Jane Hoskyn/The Guardian View image in fullscreen We engaged a wide range of testers. Photograph: Jane Hoskyn/The Guardian The Filter Sleep Review The best mattresses in 2026: sleep better with our 14 rigorously tested picks From luxury Simba and Otty mattresses to brilliant budget buys, here’s what we recommend – and how to know if you’ve found a good deal
The best mattresses for back pain The best mattress toppers, tested
Jane Hoskyn Mon 22 Jun 2026 18.33 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
A good mattress improves your sleep, say mattress makers – and they would, wouldn’t they? But they’re right. The older I get, the more I know it. When I was 20, I could sleep anywhere: a friend’s floor, a sofa – even a phone box one night. These days, I won’t get a single one of 40 winks if I’m not lying on a decent mattress. Comfy but firm, cosy but breathable, and with lots of cool spots for my feet.
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Today’s best mattresses promise all this and more. Pocket springs are still around, but they face stiff – well, medium-firm – competition from hybrid mattresses that combine springs and memory foam for the ideal balance of comfort and support.
Many of today’s trendiest brands don’t have showrooms, so you can’t usually try before you buy. Instead, these bed-in-a-box models come with generous trial periods – but you’re still buying blind. That’s why I’ve tested them myself to help you separate the dream buys from the nightmares.
Read more I, along with a panel of family members, tested 14 bestselling bed-in-a-box mattresses – including two in this latest update. Among them were four pocket-sprung models, two all-foam models and several bed-in-a-box hybrids, covering various degrees of firmness, features and price. Here’s how we got on.
Our favourite mattress – the Otty Original Hybrid – is currently reduced. Use the code THEFILTER10 for a 10% discount.
At a glance Best mattress overall: Otty Original Hybrid
Best mattress for couples: Simba Hybrid Pro
Best sustainable mattress: Woolroom Standen Wool
Why you should trust me I’ve spent three decades testing products, from mattress toppers to heated clothes airers , so I’m professionally sceptical of manufacturers’ claims to magically improve our lives by buying their stuff. I also have a solid background in napping, insomnia and swearing at alarm clocks, so I welcomed the chance to sleep on the job.
View image in fullscreen Balancing a glass of water on the mattresses tested their motion isolation abilities. Photograph: Jane Hoskyn/The Guardian First, I needed some sleepers. I wanted a broad range of feedback from people of varying sizes who sleep in various positions. I asked my dad (85), my niece (22), my sister and our husbands to join my mattress panel. We each spent at least a fortnight (and sometimes months) sleeping on an allocated mattress.
Before we divvied them up, my panel assembled to offer their first impressions. I asked them to sit, bounce and lie down on every test sample, alone and together. This enabled us to compare the mattresses side by side. I collected scores out of 10 for everyone’s assessment of firmness and other factors such as breathability, motion isolation…