A standard small single mattress is 75cm wide and 190cm long. That’s 2 feet 6 inches wide and 6 feet 3 inches for anyone currently reaching for a tape measure.
Small single mattresses are much less common than standard single sized mattresses. As a result, it’s a bit trickier to track down a decent one
However, with a bit of digging around we’ve found five which we think are worth your money.
They range in price massively. We’ll try to explain what you are getting for the price.
If you’re looking for a bunk bed mattress, then you’ll need to find a thinner mattress than most of those in our top 5. See our bunk bed page for more ideas.
Prices for these small single mattresses are correct at the time of writing. Review scores may have changed since we wrote this guide.
1. Happy Beds Majestic 1000 Pocket Sprung Small Single Mattress – £174 (medium tension)
Do you want a cheap small single mattress which is traditionally made? This Majestic model from Happy Beds might be worth considering.
It’s at the cheap end of the small single mattress market, but the specification is decent for the modest price.
The mattress is made with pocket springs. That’s an upgrade from the ‘open coil’ mattress which you slept on in your grandma’s spare room every Christmas. Pocket sprung mattresses are much more supportive and less wobbly than open coil models. Open coil mattresses are sometimes called ‘traditional’ springs.
It is hand tufted, which means it has those buttons on top to hold it together. That gives a mattress strength. You can also turn this one over, which should help it last a little longer. It comes with a 5 year guarantee which is quite good for a cheap mattress. Customers give it a score of 4.8/5 on Happy Beds or 4.3/5 on Amazon.
It’s an impressive 25cm deep, whereas most cheap small single mattresses are much thinner.
Not for bunk beds
It’s worth noting that a deep small single mattress like this is not suitable for most bunk beds. The top deck of a bunk bed usually accepts a mattress that is about 15cm deep or less. This is because of the height of the rail to stop you falling out. It does vary, so check the instructions for your bunk bed. If you want a small single sized bunk bed mattress, then I would look at the Theo bunk bed mattress from Happy Beds (£169).
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2. Millbrook Wool Luxury 1000 Pocket Spring Small Single Mattress – £329 (medium/firm)
This small single mattress from Southampton-based Millbrook Beds is worth a look as it comes with a 60-night sleep trial.
Home trials are very common now with ‘bed in a box’ mattresses. They are less common with pocket sprung mattresses and with small single mattresses. It’s worth reading the terms and conditions, as you can only swap it for another Millbrook mattress. You won’t get the difference back if you choose a cheaper one.
The advantage is that you can try out a mattress for longer than the thirty seconds you spend lying down on a mattress in a bed showroom.
How is this small single mattress constructed?
Regarding the specification, this model is actually quite similar to the Happy Beds Majestic mentioned earlier. It has the same number of pocket springs (1000). That figure is relatively low compared to some mattresses. However, it’ll do the job nicely unless you are much larger or heavier than average.
Technically speaking, the 1000 figure is how many springs you’d get on the king size version of the mattress but let’s not make it unnecessarily complicated.
Reviews of this mattress are very positive at about 4.6/5 from 500+ customers.
The most notable upgrades from the cheaper Happy Beds small single mattress are that you get a longer guarantee of 10 years. It also uses some wool, which is naturally breathable but tends to be more expensive than synthetic materials.
Is it the right firmness for you?
This small single mattress is ‘medium/firm’. As an aside, it’s worth saying that there are two things you need to know about mattress firmness:
- there is no industry wide agreement on how to determine mattress firmness. One bed company’s firm mattress might be the same as another company’s medium tension mattress. As a result, a trial period or a trip to a showroom is valuable.
- generally speaking, heavy people and people who sleep on their backs need firmer mattresses than lighter people and people who sleep on their sides. The idea is to support your body sufficiently so that you don’t sink in too much but don’t just lie on top without sinking in at all.
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3. Millbrook Wool Ortho 1000 Pocket Sprung Mattress – £280 (firm)
Another small single in the Millbrook range is the Wool Ortho 1000. Featuring locally sourced Hampshire fleece wool and 1000 springs (same as the Millbrook Wool Luxury model above). This mattress differs in that it provides a firmer orthopaedic support.
Reviews of this mattress are very positive at about 4.6/5 from 450+ customers.
As with the other Millbrook mattress, it’s worth reading the terms and conditions, as you can only swap it for another Millbrook mattress. You won’t get the difference back if you choose a cheaper one.
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4. Tempur Small Single Supreme Mattress – £1319 (soft, medium or firm)
We struggled to find many small single memory foam mattresses. However, if you want a memory foam mattress and need it to be 2 foot 6 inches wide then Tempur has a good range to pick from.
Admittedly, they’re the most expensive memory foam mattresses on the market. However, Tempur does have an unrivalled pedigree as the pioneers of memory foam mattresses.
For the uninitiated (i.e. anyone who doesn’t spend their life reading about mattresses), memory foam is a popular alternative to a sprung mattress. It’s a special type of foam which bounces back slower and gives you a consistent support all over.
Some people find the sinking and hugging feeling of memory foam a bit unnerving. Others find that it makes them feel warmer than more breathable, natural materials. However, many people love memory foam mattresses and never switch back to a sprung mattress.
Not just any memory foam
Tempur’s official blurb says that their memory foam is different to other brands of memory foam and that their special formula has ‘always remained secret’. To add to the excitement they also say that ‘fewer than 10 people in the world know how to make it, and they all work for us’.
The Tempur range takes a little bit of deciphering:
- Each mattress is either Supreme, meaning it is 21cm deep, Elite (25cm deep) or Luxe (30cm deep). Of course, you pay more for a thicker mattress.
- Each Tempur mattress also has a name based on how firm it is and how it’s made. Your options are Cloud (soft), Original (medium firmness) or Sensation (firm). The firmness rating doesn’t usually affect the price.
So, for example, if you want the cheapest firm mattress then you’d pick a Tempur Elite Sensation. If you want the most expensive and softest mattress then you’d get a Tempur Luxe Cloud mattress.
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