How Much Should You Spend On A Mattress? - Virtuous Buyers Guide

How Much Should You Spend On A Mattress?

Mattresses range in price from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, although most models fall within the £400 to £800 range.

£400 to £800 (for a king) gets you a high-quality mattress from a top brand with the latest technologies like memory foam or memory gel (check out the Sleepeezee Jessica).

This article explores how much you should spend on a mattress with examples of what you can get at different prices (using king-size as a benchmark).

Let's jump in!

£200 to £300

£200 to £300 will get you an open coil mattress like the Giltedge Beds Solo or a pure reflex foam mattress like the Giltedge Beds Flex 150.

Mattresses in this price range fall into the cheap and cheerful camp – the technologies aren't particularly advanced but reliable. If you go down the open coil route, look for a mattress with a layer of memory foam like the Solo above.

£300 to £400

Upping your budget to over £300 introduces you to Silentnight and better mattress technologies like pocket springs and memory gel.

Pocket springs offer superior support and comfort to open coils and pure foam for better sleep. Memory gel offers memory foam performance with better cooling quality.

Check out the Giltedge Beds Silk 1000 for pocket springs + memory foam and the Giltedge Beds Bonnell for a high-quality memory gel mattress.  

£400 to £500

A budget of over £400 gives you access to pillowtop mattresses like the Giltedge Beds Premier Rest and premium pocket spring mattresses like the Millbrook Lavish 1000.

Many hybrid mattresses are also marked down in price from £800+ to less than £500, so you can usually get expensive hybrids on sale for this price.

£500 to £600

£500 to £600 is the sweet spot for a high-quality mattress that won't break the bank. It gives you access to hybrid mattresses like the Sleepsoul Cloud and luxurious pillow tops like the Shire Beds Pennine Pillowtop.   

It's worth paying between £500 and £600 if you want deeper comfort levels and higher-quality materials. There is usually a perceptible difference in quality between mattresses in this price range and below.

£600 to £700

Upping your budget to over £600 gives you access to hybrid mattresses like the Sleepeezee Beautyrest Lexington.

Finish your day in ultimate relaxation with the Lexington 1800 mattress, guaranteed to give you a cooler and more comfortable night's sleep. The gel Provides pressure-sensitive support that immediately responds to your body shape and helps regulate body temperature.

£700 to £800

Given the quality of mattresses between £600-£700, spending over £700 seems a waste of money, but the quality of mattresses in this price range is incredible.

You get access to luxury hybrid mattresses like the Sleepeezee Jessica 1800 and Mlily Bamboo Deluxe and active cooling mattresses like the Sleepeezee Cooler Seasonal – these all offer incredible performance on which you can rely.

£800 to £900

Once you break the £800 barrier, you get luxury pocket spring mattresses with thicker memory foam and more substantial materials.

Examples include the Mlily Bamboo Memory 2,500, which has 2,500 pocket springs, and the Giltedge Beds Pillowtop 3,000, with 3,000 pocket springs.

Over £900

Spending over £900 on a mattress opens the door to top-of-the-range hybrid and pocket spring mattresses like the Sleepeezee Pure Grand Luxe, Sleepeezee Perfectly British Mayfair, and Sleepeezee Pocket Gel Poise.

Such mattresses are best for people who need deep comfort and support - the higher standard of cushioning and zoning helps isolate movement.

How much should you spend?

You can get an excellent mattress for £300 to £400, but most people should spend £400 to £500 for access to premium pocket spring models. Hybrid mattresses start from around £600 and offer newer technologies like charcoal memory foam.

If you find the perfect mattress but can't afford it, we offer flexible finance, letting you spread the cost over 12, 24, or 36 months. We also have a mattress buyer's guide if you're having trouble choosing.