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5 of the best small double mattresses 2020 and 2021
A small double mattress is one which is 120cm wide and 190cm long. You'll also see a small double mattress referred to as a 4ft mattress or as a queen size mattress in the UK (rather confusingly, a queen size bed is much larger in the USA and is similar to a UK king size mattress).
Small double mattresses tend to be popular with single sleepers who don't want to feel like they're sleeping in a child's bed or a couple who are pushed for space. You generally don't save a lot of money by getting a small double mattress instead of a double (in fact, they're often the same price).
There's a huge choice of small double mattresses on the UK market. We've picked out five which are worth considering after looking at factors including warranty length, specification, value for money, customer reviews and ratings, industry awards and the reputation of the brand.
We've tried to choose a good range of prices including some cheap small double mattresses and some more luxurious small double mattresses. Some come with home trial periods.
Prices are correct at the time of typing.
Small double mattresses tend to be popular with single sleepers who don't want to feel like they're sleeping in a child's bed or a couple who are pushed for space. You generally don't save a lot of money by getting a small double mattress instead of a double (in fact, they're often the same price).
There's a huge choice of small double mattresses on the UK market. We've picked out five which are worth considering after looking at factors including warranty length, specification, value for money, customer reviews and ratings, industry awards and the reputation of the brand.
We've tried to choose a good range of prices including some cheap small double mattresses and some more luxurious small double mattresses. Some come with home trial periods.
Prices are correct at the time of typing.
1. Nectar Sleep Memory Foam Small double Mattress - £549 (medium/firm)
**Nectar January Sale: £125 off any size mattress + 2 free pillows + free delivery + 30% off bedding until 19/01/21**
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I reckon that normal people only really think about mattresses about once every five or ten years when their previous mattress starts to poke them in the back or cause them problems.
If that's you then you might have missed the thrilling developments in the mattress world in recent years (Ed: er, really?). Let me fill you in. I promise I'll keep it brief. There are now a dozen or more 'bed in a box' mattress brands which courier you a mattress which you try out at home. If you don't like it, you can send it back for a refund, much like ordering a new pair of trousers from M&S. The companies keep overheads low as they don't have shops and you get to try out a mattress for longer than five seconds in a showroom. The Nectar Sleep Memory Foam small double mattress is one such 'bed in a box'. It stands out from the competition and makes our list because:
The Nectar Sleep small double mattress has a decent layer of memory foam, whereas some cheap small double memory foam mattresses just use a very thin layer. It's won awards from the likes of Good Housekeeping, Ideal Homes and Expert Reviews and the brand overall scores 4.3/5 on TrustPilot. The idea of memory foam is that you get a snug hugging feeling and consistent support. Several expert guides also recommend memory foam. For example, the UK charity Versus Arthritis, reckons that ‘many people find memory foam mattresses or toppers helpful’. Obviously that is referring to a specific condition but it's a useful bit of advice, particularly as they aren't trying to flog mattresses. The main downsides with memory foam mattresses are that some people don't like the sinking feeling and other people find that it makes them feel a bit too warm in bed. A modern memory foam mattress like the Netar Sleep one attempts to overcome this with 'breathable memory foam'. Of course, if it's not for you then you've got the option of returning it - just like your M&S trousers. |
The Nectar Sleep is a small double mattress with an industry leading trial period...
...and a 'forever' warranty
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2. Sleepeezee Memory Comfort 1000 Pocket Pillow Top small double Mattress - £419 (medium/firm tension)
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Before I tell you why this Sleepeezee small double mattress is a good'n, it's worth understanding a little bit about mattress firmness ratings. I'll try not to bore you to sleep.
The general advice is that lighter people need softer mattresses than heavier people so they sink in just the right amount. Also, back sleepers need slightly firmer mattresses than side sleepers for the same reason. If you combine those two then you'll get an idea of what firmness is best for you (e.g. a heavy person who sleeps on their back will probably want a firm mattress). The slight complication is that mattress brands aren't consistent in what they mean by a 'firm' or 'soft' mattress as there's no industry wide agreed standard measurement. With all that waffle in mind, a mattress with a home trial period is very appealing. With Sleepeezee's small double mattresses you can't ask for a refund but you can swap it for another one if you find that it doesn't feel right (if you buy it via Mattress Online). Besides the trial period, Sleepeezee also have several signs of quality without costing as much as most high quality mattress brands. Sleepeezee has a Royal Warrant meaning it is used by a Royal Household. Meanwhile, customers give it a very high score of 4.4/5 on TrustPilot at the time of writing. Several Sleepeezee small double mattresses have won awards from expert testers in recent years such as the Sleepeezee Hybrid 2000 Pocket Gel Mattress (£549) and the top of the range Sleepeezee Mayfair (£859). We've picked out this cheaper option - the Sleepeezee Memory Comfort 1000 small double mattress. It's a pocket spring mattress (which is what most of us sleep on) but it also has a layer of memory foam on top for a bit of additional comfort. This model doesn't have the very high pocket spring count that you'll find in the poshest mattresses, but it's certainly enough for most people, unless you're particularly heavy. It's a good depth and it has outstanding customer reviews (more than 9/10 from about 400 reviews on Mattress Online). You can also buy small double divan beds from Sleepeezee. |
This Sleepeezee small double mattress has hundreds of positive reviews...
...and the brand is used by a Royal Household
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3. Happy Beds Majestic 1000 Pocket Sprung small double Mattress - £195 (medium tension)
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Broadly speaking, you get what you pay for with a mattress. A £1000 mattress will be made with better materials than a £100 mattress. However, that doesn't mean that all cheap mattresses are rubbish and unsupportive. You sometimes pay a lot for a brand's prestigious reputation and my view is that some mattresses are deliberately over-priced so that a heavy discount can be added later (shocking, I know).
This cheap small double mattress from Happy Beds offers a good specification for the very modest price tag. There are a few boring but important signs that it's been well made. Firstly, it's got 1000 pocket springs. Very cheap and nasty small double mattresses use 'open coil' springs which wobble around and don't offer such good support. 1000 is a fairly low spring count, but it will be fine unless you're particularly heavy, in which case I would be looking for a number nearer to 2000 (such as this small double mattress). Secondly, it can be turned over. Some cheap mattresses put the good stuff on top and the cheap stuff at the bottom. If you flip this one over regularly, it should reduce the chance of it getting an indent of your body so quickly. Thirdly, it has something called a tufted finish which means that it is held together with those buttons you see on top. That should make a mattress last longer. It's also a good depth (25cm), it gets good reviews (4.6/5 on Happy Beds, 4.1/5 on Amazon and it comes with a 5 year guarantee. That's not sensational, but it's better than the year or two that some cheap small double mattresses offer. On the downside, it doesn't have a trial period. There also aren't any fancy materials so there's no pretentious talk of 'sumptuous Hungarian Yak Feathers' in the description. But for an unfussy and traditionally made small double mattress, it should do the job. |
This small double mattress offers a lot for less than £200
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4. The Emma small double mattress - £499 (medium firmness)
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The Emma Mattress is another popular 'bed in a box' which is available as a small-double mattress. As I said earlier, the idea of a 'bed in a box' is that you can try it out at home and return it for a refund if you don't like it.
Emma is worth a mention as it has a long trial period (200 nights), a long guarantee (10 years) and it's cheaper than many similar rival small double mattresses. Customer scores are also good, with an average of 4.6/5 on Google reviews, 4.5/5 on Amazon and 4.6/5 on TrustPilot (although that last one is for the brand as a whole). Emma also claims to be 'the UK’s most-awarded mattress in 2019' with various experts giving their approval, including The Independent and Good Housekeeping. As with the Nectar Sleep mattress it is made from foam and doesn't use any springs at all. However one notable (but quite boring) difference is that the Emma Mattress sticks the memory foam layer under a different type of foam called Airgocell which it reckons is more breathable. The theory is that you get the support of memory foam without as much of a sinking feeling or an overheating problem. You'll also see it labelled as the Emma Original small double mattress. |
This small double mattress from Emma offers several months to try it out
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5. John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection 5900 Pocket Sprung small double Mattress - MEDIUM OR FIRM - £999
**John Lewis & Partners Boxing Day Sale: up to 20% off mattresses**
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As you might expect, John Lewis & Partners offer plenty of high quality small double mattresses, including this 5900 model.
The posher end of their mattress range is called the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection with prices ranging from about £600 - £2500 for a small double mattress. They're made by Harrison Spinks, which is a Yorkshire based mattress manufacturer which was named as the National Bed Federation’s best manufacturer in 2015 and 2018. They've also got something called a Manufacturing Guild Mark which is only given out to a few mattress makers (just three companies last time I checked). The 5900 model mattress is somewhere in the middle of the range but I reckon it's a good balance of specification and price. It's made with pocket springs and has also got a layer of smaller springs for a bit of extra comfort. It uses natural and breathable materials like cotton and wool (the top of the range ones use more expensive materials like cashmere and silk). If you have allergies to dust then you might find that a synthetic foam mattress is better than natural materials. You can buy this small double mattress in medium or firm tensions. Unusually, John Lewis & Partners actually offers some guidance whereas most mattress brands just leave you to make an educated guess. They suggest that if you weigh 8-16 stone then you should go for the medium firmness version whilst the firm version is best for people who weigh 16+ stone. One downside is that you can't turn this one over, whereas you can turn over pricier ones like the Swaledale model. It comes with a 7 year guarantee which is OK, but not as good as other posh brands like Vispring which offer up to 30 years on their small double mattresses. |
A small double mattress from the John Lewis Natural Collection is made from high quality materials
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