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6 best single memory foam mattresses in the UK - 2020 and 2021
The standard size for a single memory foam mattress is 190cm long and 90cm wide (3 feet wide and 6 foot 3 inches long). They make a good alternative to a pocket sprung mattress and many people find that memory foam gives them a more consistent level of support.
They are also good for people who don't get on well with dust, which tends to gather more in sprung mattresses. You can also use a single memory foam mattress with a slatted base which you usually get on a metal or wooden bedframe, as long as the gaps between the slats aren't too far apart.
If you're shopping for a single memory foam mattress, it's important to keep the firmness in mind. Heavier people should look for a mattress which is a bit firmer than lighter people. The way you sleep also matters, as side sleepers will get better support from a softer mattress than a person who sleeps on their back. The slightly annoying thing is that each mattress brand uses its own scale, so you can't be sure that one company's 'firm' mattress is the same as another's.
Anyway, here are six single memory foam mattresses which are worth a look. We've made our selections by looking at things from as many angles as possible, including customer reviews, mattress specification and depth, industry awards and price.
They are also good for people who don't get on well with dust, which tends to gather more in sprung mattresses. You can also use a single memory foam mattress with a slatted base which you usually get on a metal or wooden bedframe, as long as the gaps between the slats aren't too far apart.
If you're shopping for a single memory foam mattress, it's important to keep the firmness in mind. Heavier people should look for a mattress which is a bit firmer than lighter people. The way you sleep also matters, as side sleepers will get better support from a softer mattress than a person who sleeps on their back. The slightly annoying thing is that each mattress brand uses its own scale, so you can't be sure that one company's 'firm' mattress is the same as another's.
Anyway, here are six single memory foam mattresses which are worth a look. We've made our selections by looking at things from as many angles as possible, including customer reviews, mattress specification and depth, industry awards and price.
1. NEctar Sleep single Memory Foam Mattress (Medium/firm - £449)
**Nectar January Sale: £125 off any size mattress + 2 free pillows + free delivery**
The modern way of buying a single memory foam mattress is to pick one which arrives squashed into a box and comes with a home trial period. It's certainly preferable to spending your Saturday morning at a bed showroom on an industrial estate and you can send it back if you don't like it. Unwanted mattresses are recycled or donated to charity.
One such 'bed in a box' is this single memory foam mattress from Nectar Sleep. It elbows its way onto our list as it comes with a more generous trial period and warranty that its rivals. Nectar Sleep give you a whole year to try out this single memory foam mattress. That means you can see if it's right for you in summer and winter, which is useful as some people find memory foam makes them too warm. This one tries to get around the heat issue which some people have with memory foam by making the top layer a breathable 'cooling layer'. It also has a 'forever' warranty whereas most rival mattresses offer a (still impressive) 10 year warranty (read the Ts and Cs, of course). Customer reviews are positive at 4.3/5 on TrustPilot after thousands of comments. It's also won awards from Good Housekeeping, Ideal Home and other experts. The single version of this memory foam mattress is 25cm thick and it's made in the UK in a carbon neutral way. Read more about the Nectar Sleep mattress here. |
2. Ergoflex 5G single Memory Foam Mattress (medium/firm - £499)
**Ergoflex discount code: up to 40% off with code SAVE40**
Ergoflex's single memory foam mattress got our attention thanks to its TrustPilot reviews, which average 4.6/5 at the time of writing. That makes it the highest rated memory foam brand we could find. It's also won a big award from expert testers.
It's another of the single memory foam mattresses which are known as a 'bed in a box'. However, Ergoflex has been doing it for years and has a good argument to call itself a pioneer. You get 30 days to try this one and 10 years warranty. The company points out that they've been trading longer than the warranty, which can't be said of every mattress brand. In terms of specification, it is always worth having a look at the different layers on a single memory foam mattress. You'll find that even the most expensive Tempur memory foam mattresses aren't 100% memory foam. Instead, companies use different types of foam including a layer of memory foam on top to make the mattress comfy and supportive. Cheaper memory foam mattresses usually have a thinner layer of memory foam than more expensive models. The Ergoflex 5G has a generous 9cm layer of memory foam, which puts it on a par with the Nectar Sleep single memory foam mattress. It puts it well ahead of cheaper single memory foam mattresses such as the Silentnight 3 Zone mattress which has a 3cm layer of memory foam. Read more about the Ergoflex 5G here. |
3. Inofia Gel single Memory Foam Mattress - (medium firmness - £189)
Inofia is not a big name in the mattress market, but we've included this model as an option for anyone looking for a cheap single memory foam mattress. It was scoring 4.4/5 from hundreds of reviews on Amazon, at the time of typing.
It is 22cm deep, which is only 1cm less than the Ergoflex 5G, although it's not quite clear how deep the memory foam layer is. Rather unusually, considering the price, it comes with a 100 night trial period and a 10 year guarantee. Such things are usually reserved for mattresses which cost at least double this price. On the downside, the official blurb and description is a little hard to understand in places (e.g. it is 'shipped in a box convently to your door' and the mattress 'is designed with cooling gel memory foam provides cradling support'). |
4. Silentnight 3 Zone single Memory Foam Mattress (medium firmness - £149)
Here's another budget single memory foam mattress which is worth a look. It isn't as deep as some, but it's from a big name mattress maker and it has won awards.
The mattress is 18cm deep with a 3cm layer of memory foam, which is about a third of the amount of memory foam offered by Ergoflex and Nectar Sleep. However, reviews are positive and it's a big seller with a capital B. At the time of writing, this one was scoring 4.5/5 after more than 500 reviews on Amazon. In case you're wondering, the '3 Zone' bit in the title refers to the fact that it's a bit firmer in the middle for your bottom/hips and a bit softer for your head and feet. They also do a 7 Zone version which is a little bit thicker and a little bit more expensive. |
5. Emma Mattress (Medium firmness - £329)
The Emma Mattress is another single memory foam mattress which is known as a 'bed in a box'.
As with the Ergoflex 5G and Nectar Sleep mattress, you get a generous home trial period (200 nights) and a long warranty (10 years). The official blurb claims that the Emma Mattress is 'the UK’s No. 1 Most Awarded Mattress in 2019' and it's been given prizes from the likes of Good Housekeeping and Ideal Home. Customers give positive scores too, with an average of 4.5/5 on Amazon. The brand overall was scoring 4.4/5 on TrustPilot when I checked. There's one notable difference with this mattress which is worth explaining, as long as you haven't nodded off already. The layer of memory foam isn't the top layer on this mattress. Instead, they stick the memory foam a bit lower down and use something called 'Airgocell' on top, which is Emma's own 'temperature-regulating and open-pored foam'. The general idea is that you get the support of memory foam but don't get too hot in bed. Read more about the Emma Mattress here. |
6. Tempur Original/Cloud/Sensation single Memory Foam Mattress (Soft/medium/firm - £1179)
Yes, Tempur single memory memory foam mattresses really do cost more than you paid for your first car.
So, what are you getting for your money? Well, Tempur are the original and most famous of all the memory foam mattress brands. They developed technology designed for astronauts and cleverly developed it into memory foam mattresses. The company goes to great lengths to explain that not all memory foam is the same and that their mattresses are made with a secret formula. According to Tempur, 'fewer than 10 people in the world know how to make it, and they all work for us'. The other advantage of a Tempur mattress is that you can choose from different firmness levels, so you're more likely to find one which suits your weight and build. Tempur ‘cloud’ mattresses are soft, Tempur ‘original’ mattresses are medium firmness mattresses and Tempur 'Sensation' mattresses are firmer. You can also choose from different thicknesses ranging from the cheapest which is called 'supreme' through to 'luxe' which is the deepest and most expensive. The middle one is called 'elite'. Tempur also offer a 100 night trial, although do check the Ts & Cs as there are a few things you need to follow to qualify. On TrustPilot, Tempur scored 3.4/5 when we last checked but on Dreams, reviews were around 4.5/5. You can read our full Tempur guide for more info. |