Tips for choosing the right mattress

[Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Silentnight, but all words and opinions are my own]

A good night’s sleep is essential to our health and happiness, but finding the right mattress can be really tricky. Chris and I recently decided to move our previous one into the guest bedroom (it’s a good all-rounder, so likely to suit anyone for a short stay), meaning we had to choose a new one for our own bed. So, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out the newly opened Bristol showroom of leading UK bed brand Silentnight and get some expert mattress advice.

It’s becoming easier and easier to buy mattresses online, but I always think it’s worth testing them out in person if you can – after all, we spend almost a third of our lives asleep, and they can make the difference between waking up feeling rested and refreshed or tired and sore. It’s particularly important for me, as I suffer from back problems, hip pain and insomnia, and I need all the help I can get!

As soon as we arrived at the showroom we were greeted by the friendly in-store team, who really know their stuff. The huge range of mattresses on the market nowadays can seem overwhelming, so it was great to have someone explain the options and break down all the jargon. We were even shown cutaway sections of different mattress types so that we could see exactly how each one is made. For example, I now know the difference between open-spring mattresses, which contain one long piece of wire coiled into numerous springs, and pocket-spring mattresses, where individual springs are housed in their own sleeves of fabric to provide more support. We also got to have a look at the mouldable memory foam and allergen-busting latex layers which are added to some Silentnight products.

Once we’d got our heads around the various choices, the team asked lots of questions about the way we sleep and pointed us towards a few which they thought would be particularly suited to us. We were then let loose on the display mattresses to try them for ourselves (I took this bit very seriously!), and finally settled on the ‘Eco Comfort Breathe 1200’ from the ‘Eco Comfort’ collection. I normally sleep on my side, and Chris on his front or back; we both also tend to move around a lot in the night. A medium mattress – not too soft, not too firm – was therefore the best choice, and this one is designed so that each spring reacts independently to weight and movement, meaning less disturbance for the other person. It’s also been zoned to aid spinal alignment by giving extra support around the hips and shoulders, and it’s topped with three layers of fibres that channel moisture away from the body, enhancing breathability and preventing overheating.

The icing on the cake was the ‘Eco Comfort’ range’s sustainability credentials. One of the layers is made from recycled plastic bottles (there are 150 in each mattress), and all the products in the collection are fully recyclable at the end of their life. What’s more, they’re naturally flame-retardant, meaning no chemical treatments are used during production.

Our new mattress arrived within a couple of weeks of the showroom visit, and after sleeping on it for almost a fortnight I can safely say we’ve made the right choice. Not only is it wonderfully comfy, it’s definitely keeping us cooler at night – and I’m sure I’m waking up in the small hours less frequently as a result. The additional support beneath my hips is also noticeable, and I’m much less achy come morning. In addition, it’s proven very comfortable when sitting up in bed reading (an important factor for me, as this helps me to drift off to sleep) or enjoying lazy breakfasts in bed at the weekend.

The ultimate seal of approval, of course, comes from Loki the cat. He can now jump up on the bed without disturbing us, and he’s happily spent every night since the mattress arrived curled up asleep at our feet. A win for us all!

If you’re looking for a new mattress, the following tips from the Silentnight team might help:

• Try not to have too many preconceived ideas of what you like and don’t like. You might think you want a firmer or softer mattress, but our bodies and sleeping patterns change over the years, and what you preferred last time around might not be right for you now
• It sounds obvious, but test mattresses in the position you normally sleep. For some inexplicable reason, I automatically lay down on the first one on my back. It was only when one of the in-store team asked if that was how I generally sleep that I realised I should be on my side!
• Lie on each one for at least 10 minutes to get a proper feel for it, and try not to feel self-conscious or hurried. It’s a big decision, and other people can wait their turn!
• Make sure you try mattresses out with pillows, as this will give a better reflection of your normal sleeping position
• If you’re in a couple, take your partner along and test them out together
• Check the returns policy, and make sure you can swap the mattress if it turns out not to be right once you’ve slept on it properly. Silentnight, for example, offers a 60-night comfort guarantee, meaning you can exchange your purchase free of charge within that time

Find Silentnight’s Bristol showroom at Unit 10, Broadmead, Cabot Circus, BS1 3HH, or see a full list of its showrooms and approved retailers across the UK here. The ‘Eco Comfort Breathe 1200’ mattress starts at £409; other Silentnight mattresses range from £129 to £1,209. 

All photography by Abi Dare