Where to Buy Mattress?

The Short Answer

In the UK you can buy a mattress from an online furniture retailer, a specialist bed shop, a department store, a general homeware chain or direct from a manufacturer. Online retailers offer the widest choice of sizes and constructions and the clearest specifications, while a physical showroom lets you lie on the mattress before deciding. For most people the sensible route is to research the construction and depth online, then buy from a retailer that publishes full specifications and a clear returns policy.

We sell mattresses in every UK size through our mattresses UK sale range, with the depth, firmness and spring type listed on each product page so you can compare like for like rather than guessing from a description.

Buying Online

Online is where the choice sits. A showroom can only display a handful of models, whereas an online range covers single, small double, double, king and superking across pocket sprung, open coil, memory foam, hybrid and rolled foam constructions. It is also the easiest way to compare depth and firmness across several models at once.

What you lose is the chance to lie on the mattress. That gap is narrower than it used to be, partly because published specifications have improved and partly because returns policies have. What matters is that the retailer tells you the spring count or foam density, the depth in centimetres, the firmness rating and whether the mattress is turnable or single sided.

Rolled mattresses have made online buying much more practical in UK homes. They arrive vacuum packed and compressed, which means they pass through narrow hallways and stair turns that a full size sprung mattress simply cannot. Allow the recommended time for the mattress to expand fully before judging the comfort, since a freshly unrolled mattress feels firmer than it will after a few days.

Buying in a Showroom

A showroom is useful for one thing above all: calibrating what firmness ratings mean to your body. Medium in one range is not medium in another, and ten minutes lying in your usual sleeping position tells you more than any description. If you can, visit a showroom to establish your preference, then apply that knowledge wherever you buy.

Do it properly if you go. Wear normal clothes and shoes you can slip off, lie down for a genuine ten minutes rather than sitting on the edge, and lie in the position you actually sleep in. If you share a bed, go together and lie down together, because two bodies load a mattress differently from one.

Buying a Mattress and Bed Together

There is a practical argument for buying the mattress and frame from the same retailer. Frame heights, slat spacing and internal dimensions vary, and matching them removes the risk of a mattress sitting proud of the frame or a deep mattress swallowing a low headboard. It also means one delivery rather than two.

If you are replacing the whole bed, browse our modern beds UK sale range alongside the mattresses and check the base height and mattress depth together. The combined figure determines how easy the bed is to get in and out of, and it is easier to get right at the point of purchase than afterwards.

For children’s rooms, the frame often dictates the mattress rather than the other way around. Bunk beds in particular have maximum mattress depth limits set by the height of the guard rail, and exceeding that limit is a safety issue. Our bunk beds UK sale listings state the maximum depth, and it is worth noting before choosing a mattress.

What to Check Before You Buy Anywhere

Start with size. Measure the internal dimensions of your existing frame rather than trusting the size name, particularly with older beds, since a frame described as double may have been built to slightly different dimensions.

Then check depth. Deep mattresses need deep fitted sheets, and they raise the sleeping surface. A mattress 10cm deeper than your old one raises the bed by 10cm.

Look at the base type the mattress is designed for. Solid platform tops, sprung slats and rigid slats all affect how a mattress feels, and some foam mattresses require a slat gap no wider than a stated figure to avoid sagging between slats.

Finally, read the returns and trial terms before ordering, not after. A mattress takes a few weeks to feel normal, so knowing where you stand matters. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days.

Matching Firmness to How You Sleep

Sleeping position is the most useful guide to firmness. Side sleepers generally need enough give at the shoulder and hip for the spine to stay level, so softer to medium works well. Back sleepers tend to suit medium to firm, which supports the lower back without letting the hips drop. Front sleepers usually prefer firmer, since a soft surface lets the hips sink and arches the lower back.

Body weight modifies all of this. A heavier person compresses a mattress further, so a model rated medium may feel soft to them and firm to a lighter partner. Where preferences differ substantially, a medium firm pocket sprung mattress with a topper on one side is a workable compromise, or a zip and link mattress in two halves at king and superking sizes.

Temperature is the other factor worth weighing. Memory foam retains warmth, which suits people who sleep cold and frustrates those who sleep hot. Pocket sprung and hybrid constructions allow more airflow through the mattress.

Delivery, Access and Disposal

Before ordering, measure the route into the bedroom: front door width, hall width, stair turn and bedroom door. A one piece king or superking sprung mattress has very little flex, and a tight turn on a staircase is where deliveries fail. Rolled mattresses avoid the problem entirely.

Plan for the old mattress as well. Local councils generally offer a bulky waste collection, and some charities accept clean mattresses in good condition, though rules vary. Arranging this before the new mattress arrives saves having two mattresses in a bedroom for a fortnight.

If the room is being reorganised at the same time, it is a good moment to reconsider storage. Deep drawer bases and ottoman lifting bases both use the space under the mattress, and our wider modern bedroom furniture UK sale range includes wardrobes and chests that can absorb what the old bed was hiding.

How Often to Replace a Mattress

Around seven to ten years is the general guidance for a mattress in nightly use, though condition matters more than age. The signs worth acting on are visible dips where you sleep, springs you can feel through the surface, waking with stiffness that eases during the day, and consistently sleeping better away from home.

You can extend the life of a mattress by rotating it head to foot every few months, turning it if it is double sided, and using a washable protector. Some modern mattresses are single sided by design and should be rotated but never flipped, so check the label before turning anything over.

Buying With Us

We list mattresses alongside the frames they suit, with sizes, depths and constructions set out clearly. Browsing Furniture in Fashion lets you plan the whole bedroom in one place, from the mattress up to wardrobes and bedside cabinets, rather than piecing it together across separate orders.

Understanding the Constructions

Four constructions cover almost everything sold in the UK, and knowing the difference removes most of the confusion from a product page.

Open coil uses a single continuous wire framework. It is the lightest and the most affordable, it suits guest rooms and occasional use, and its weakness is motion transfer: movement on one side travels across the whole mattress. Pocket sprung uses individual springs in fabric pockets, so each spring responds on its own. That is what makes a pocket sprung mattress suitable for couples and for anyone who shares with a restless sleeper.

Memory foam moulds to the body and holds warmth, which some people find comforting and others find too hot. Hybrid construction puts a foam or latex comfort layer over a pocket sprung core, which is the middle ground most people get on with. Spring count is worth reading with a little scepticism: a high count on a narrow mattress means smaller springs, and quality of wire matters as much as quantity.

Getting the Size Right Before You Order

Mattress sizes in the UK are fixed, and mixing them up is the most common ordering mistake. Single is 90cm by 190cm, small double is 120cm by 190cm, double is 135cm by 190cm, king is 150cm by 200cm and superking is 180cm by 200cm. Note that singles, small doubles and doubles are 190cm long while kings and superkings are 200cm, so upsizing from a double to a king changes the length as well as the width.

Measure the existing mattress before replacing it rather than trusting the label, particularly on an older bed or one bought abroad. Continental sizes are close enough to UK sizes to look correct on paper and wrong once fitted, and an inherited frame may be an obsolete size that no current mattress matches.

Depth deserves the same attention. Standard fitted sheets suit a mattress around 25cm deep, and a 30cm or 32cm mattress needs deep pocket sheets. On a frame with side rails, a very deep mattress can also sit high enough to reduce the effective height of the rail, which matters on a child’s bed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to buy a mattress online without trying it?

Yes, provided the listing gives the depth, construction and firmness, and the retailer has a clear returns policy. Establishing your firmness preference in a showroom first makes online buying more reliable still.

Are rolled mattresses as good as conventional ones?

Modern rolled mattresses perform well and include foam, hybrid and pocket sprung constructions. Their main advantage is access, since they fit through narrow hallways and stair turns. Allow the stated expansion time before judging comfort.

What mattress size should I buy for my existing bed?

Measure the internal dimensions of the frame in centimetres and match those, rather than relying on the size name. Older frames occasionally differ slightly from current standards.

Do I need a new base with a new mattress?

Not always, but a worn or sagging base will shorten the life of a new mattress and can affect how it feels. Check the slats for flex or damage before deciding to keep it.

How do I get rid of my old mattress?

Most local councils run a bulky waste collection service, and some charities take clean mattresses in good condition. Arrange collection before the new mattress is delivered so you are not storing both.