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Tempur mattresses - reviews, awards, discounts and buying guide
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Tempur is one of the most famous (and most expensive) mattress companies in the UK market. But are they worth the money?
In this brief (and fascinating) guide, we look at customer reviews and awards for Tempur as well as discussing the Tempur range of mattresses and where you can buy Tempur mattresses for the best price. Strap yourself in, this is going to be an exciting ride full of thrills, action and adventure. Well, that might be an exaggeration but it will hopefully be kind of useful if you're considering buying a Tempur mattress. |
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What type of mattresses do Tempur make?
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The short answer to this question is that Tempur make memory foam mattresses.
However, it's a little bit more complicated as Tempur themselves say that their mattresses are 'not just memory foam'. I will avoid a dull history lesson, but the gist of it is that the Tempur material was developed by NASA to keep astronauts comfy and Tempur developed it into a material for mattresses. I guess a similar comparison is with Coca-Cola. It costs a lot more than a supermarket cola, but it's got the pedigree of being the first in the market and has its own unique flavour. |
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For the uninitiated, foam or memory foam is an alternative to using springs on a mattress. Springs are what most of us are used to on a mattress but a cheap sprung mattress can get a bit lumpy as the springs wear out.
Memory foam bounces back slower than other types of foam meaning that you get a bit of a sinking feeling. However, some experts recommend the consistent support that memory foam offers. For example, in their sleeping guide, the charity Versus Arthritis says that ‘many people find memory foam mattresses or toppers helpful’.
If you're looking for ways to fill your day, you can read our comparison of memory foam v pocket springs.
One other thing worth mentioning is that Tempur is a popular choice at the luxury end of the adjustable bed market. Pocket sprung beds don't take kindly to being bent and stretched regularly but some foam mattresses are much better for this. Tempur make a range of posh adjustable beds where you can move one side up and down whilst the other stays flat. Their top of the range adjustable beds come with things like massagers, but you can end up spending thousands of pounds once you've bought an adjustable base and a new Tempur mattress.
You may have also seen the brand 'Tempurpedic' and may be wondering if Tempurpedic and Tempur are the same. As far as I can tell, Tempurpedic mattresses are sold in the USA whilst Tempur mattresses are sold in the UK. Please get in touch if I've got that wrong...
Memory foam bounces back slower than other types of foam meaning that you get a bit of a sinking feeling. However, some experts recommend the consistent support that memory foam offers. For example, in their sleeping guide, the charity Versus Arthritis says that ‘many people find memory foam mattresses or toppers helpful’.
If you're looking for ways to fill your day, you can read our comparison of memory foam v pocket springs.
One other thing worth mentioning is that Tempur is a popular choice at the luxury end of the adjustable bed market. Pocket sprung beds don't take kindly to being bent and stretched regularly but some foam mattresses are much better for this. Tempur make a range of posh adjustable beds where you can move one side up and down whilst the other stays flat. Their top of the range adjustable beds come with things like massagers, but you can end up spending thousands of pounds once you've bought an adjustable base and a new Tempur mattress.
You may have also seen the brand 'Tempurpedic' and may be wondering if Tempurpedic and Tempur are the same. As far as I can tell, Tempurpedic mattresses are sold in the USA whilst Tempur mattresses are sold in the UK. Please get in touch if I've got that wrong...
Which is the best Tempur mattress?
There are four main Tempur mattresses:
It isn't as simple as saying that one Tempur mattress is the 'best' for everyone, but there are some general rules which might be helpful.
Generally speaking, heavier people need firmer mattresses. The idea is that a mattress should give you adequate support so that you sink in just the right amount to keep your spine aligned when you lie on your side.
Another factor is which position you usually sleep in. People who sleep on their sides need slightly softer mattresses than people who sleep on their backs so that you don't end up with too much pressure on your shoulders and hips.
Unfortunately, there isn't an industry-wide agreement on what 'soft' or 'medium' actually means so you can't say that - for example - an average weight man should choose a medium firmness mattress. Your best bet is either to try out a few Tempur mattresses in a showroom or take advantage of the 100 night trial and contact Tempur if it isn't right for you (check the terms and conditions of the Tempur trial period first).
Once you've picked from the four Tempur mattresses, your next choice is how thick you want the mattress to be. The cheapest option is 21cm (Supreme), with a 25cm (Elite) and 30cm (Luxe) upgrade option. As a general rule, heavier people benefit more from thicker mattresses but the price does jump up quite a bit so your budget may make the decision for you.
One cheaper alternative is just to buy a Tempur mattress topper which sits on top of your existing mattress. The idea is that you get the unique Tempur formula without having to spend quite so much. At the time of writing, a double mattress topper from Tempur costs £669.
- Tempur Cloud is the softest Tempur mattress, made entirely from different types of foam.
- Tempur Original is a medium firmness Tempur mattress which is also made entirely from different types of foam. As you may gather from the name, this is the 'standard' Tempur mattress which uses the original technology designed for astronauts.
- Tempur Hybrid is another medium firmness Tempur mattress, but it uses a combination of springs and foam.
- Tempur Sensation is a firm Tempur mattress, which uses different types of foam.
It isn't as simple as saying that one Tempur mattress is the 'best' for everyone, but there are some general rules which might be helpful.
Generally speaking, heavier people need firmer mattresses. The idea is that a mattress should give you adequate support so that you sink in just the right amount to keep your spine aligned when you lie on your side.
Another factor is which position you usually sleep in. People who sleep on their sides need slightly softer mattresses than people who sleep on their backs so that you don't end up with too much pressure on your shoulders and hips.
Unfortunately, there isn't an industry-wide agreement on what 'soft' or 'medium' actually means so you can't say that - for example - an average weight man should choose a medium firmness mattress. Your best bet is either to try out a few Tempur mattresses in a showroom or take advantage of the 100 night trial and contact Tempur if it isn't right for you (check the terms and conditions of the Tempur trial period first).
Once you've picked from the four Tempur mattresses, your next choice is how thick you want the mattress to be. The cheapest option is 21cm (Supreme), with a 25cm (Elite) and 30cm (Luxe) upgrade option. As a general rule, heavier people benefit more from thicker mattresses but the price does jump up quite a bit so your budget may make the decision for you.
One cheaper alternative is just to buy a Tempur mattress topper which sits on top of your existing mattress. The idea is that you get the unique Tempur formula without having to spend quite so much. At the time of writing, a double mattress topper from Tempur costs £669.
Which awards have Tempur mattresses won?
Tempur's pedigree and history is impressive in the memory foam mattress market.
According to the official website, Tempur is the 'only mattress...recognised by NASA and certified by The Space Foundation'. The company 'was presented with an award by NASA in May 1998' after its work turning space technology into mattresses for non-astronauts.
The Tempur Hybrid won an award from expert testers in 2018. They tested the 21cm 'Supreme' version which is the cheapest option.
According to the official website, Tempur is the 'only mattress...recognised by NASA and certified by The Space Foundation'. The company 'was presented with an award by NASA in May 1998' after its work turning space technology into mattresses for non-astronauts.
The Tempur Hybrid won an award from expert testers in 2018. They tested the 21cm 'Supreme' version which is the cheapest option.
What reviews do customers give Tempur mattresses?
Various sites have customer review scores for the four main Tempur mattresses:
(Review scores are correct as of March 2020. The number of reviews ranged from 5 to 29 per mattress on Tempur.com, from 70 to 350 reviews on Dreams and from 2 to 28 reviews on John Lewis & Partners. We looked at the score for the mid-priced 'elite' model which tends to have the most reviews)
Meanwhile, TrustPilot scores are also available and give the score for a brand as a whole. With a company like Tempur, reviews cover everything including their pillows, sheets, toppers and bedframes. It also includes things like the ordering process, website usability, delivery times and so on. So, a lot of the reviews aren't actually about a specific mattress.
We looked at the 'TrustScore' for various mattress companies operating in the UK in March 2020 and compiled this list, with Tempur underlined:
Where two brands had the same score, we put them in alphabetical order. We couldn't find several luxury mattress brands on TrustPilot, such as Vispring and Somnus and there is inevitably some variation in how many reviews each company had.
- Tempur Cloud (soft, foam) - 4.5/5 on Tempur.com, 4.7/5 on JohnLewis.com, 4.7/5 on Dreams
- Tempur Original (medium, foam) - 4.4/5 on Tempur.com, 5/5 on JohnLewis.com, 4.7/5 on Dreams
- Tempur Hybrid (medium, springs and foam) - 5/5 on Tempur.com, 4.7/5 on JohnLewis.com, 4.8/5 on Dreams
- Tempur Sensation (firm, foam) - 4.6/5 on Tempur.com, 4.9/5 on JohnLewis.com, 4.7/5 on Dreams
(Review scores are correct as of March 2020. The number of reviews ranged from 5 to 29 per mattress on Tempur.com, from 70 to 350 reviews on Dreams and from 2 to 28 reviews on John Lewis & Partners. We looked at the score for the mid-priced 'elite' model which tends to have the most reviews)
Meanwhile, TrustPilot scores are also available and give the score for a brand as a whole. With a company like Tempur, reviews cover everything including their pillows, sheets, toppers and bedframes. It also includes things like the ordering process, website usability, delivery times and so on. So, a lot of the reviews aren't actually about a specific mattress.
We looked at the 'TrustScore' for various mattress companies operating in the UK in March 2020 and compiled this list, with Tempur underlined:
- Brook + Wilde - 4.8/5
- Ergoflex - 4.8/5
- Dunlopillo - 4.7/5
- Dormeo - 4.6/5
- Eve Sleep - 4.6/5
- OTTY - 4.6/5
- Simba Sleep - 4.6/5
- Casper - 4.5/5
- Sleepeezee - 4.5/5
- DreamCloud - 4.3/5
- Silentnight 4.3/5
- Emma Mattress - 4.2/5
- Nectar Sleep - 4.2/5
- Mammoth - 3.7/5
- Hypnos Beds - 3.6/5
- Happy Beds - 3.4/5
- Sealy - 3.4/5
- Harrison Spinks (manufacturer of the John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection) - 3.3/5
- Tempur - 3.2/5
Where two brands had the same score, we put them in alphabetical order. We couldn't find several luxury mattress brands on TrustPilot, such as Vispring and Somnus and there is inevitably some variation in how many reviews each company had.
What guarantee and home trial period does Tempur offer?
Tempur offers a 100 night trial period, so that if you don't like it you can send it back. There are some important terms and conditions that you need to agree to beforehand but the idea is that you get a proper chance to try out a mattress rather than just trying it for a few seconds in a showroom.
Tempur's trial period is better than some mattress manufacturers, as they will potentially 'reimburse your purchase price, less any uplift charges'. Some companies will only swap your mattress for another one that they sell, which limits your options somewhat.
Rather importantly, the terms and conditions also say that you need to 'buy a TEMPUR mattress from us via this website'. According to this article, Tempur's 100 night trial is available at 'selected' other sellers. However, I would strongly recommend confirming this with the shop as that article is quite old and things do change from time to time.
As a general rule you will find that quite a few memory foam mattresses now come with a trial period, whereas very few pocket sprung mattresses offer a home trial. If you're shopping online, I would highly recommend either trying a mattress out in a store or taking out a trial period. As I said earlier, there's inconsistency between brands about what they mean when they say that a mattress is 'soft' 'medium' or 'firm' so it is useful to have the chance to change your mind.
Of course, the trial period is completely separate to the guarantee that comes with a Tempur mattress. The Tempur guarantee on a mattress is 10 years, but again there are some terms and conditions which you can enjoy as a little bedtime reading.
Tempur's trial period is better than some mattress manufacturers, as they will potentially 'reimburse your purchase price, less any uplift charges'. Some companies will only swap your mattress for another one that they sell, which limits your options somewhat.
Rather importantly, the terms and conditions also say that you need to 'buy a TEMPUR mattress from us via this website'. According to this article, Tempur's 100 night trial is available at 'selected' other sellers. However, I would strongly recommend confirming this with the shop as that article is quite old and things do change from time to time.
As a general rule you will find that quite a few memory foam mattresses now come with a trial period, whereas very few pocket sprung mattresses offer a home trial. If you're shopping online, I would highly recommend either trying a mattress out in a store or taking out a trial period. As I said earlier, there's inconsistency between brands about what they mean when they say that a mattress is 'soft' 'medium' or 'firm' so it is useful to have the chance to change your mind.
Of course, the trial period is completely separate to the guarantee that comes with a Tempur mattress. The Tempur guarantee on a mattress is 10 years, but again there are some terms and conditions which you can enjoy as a little bedtime reading.
Where can I buy Tempur mattresses?
Tempur mattresses are much more widely available than some of the relatively new mattress brands which just sell direct and don't have showrooms. You'll find that prices vary a bit, so I would do a bit of shopping around online.
Buying from Tempur direct is an option but you can also buy them from big names like John Lewis & Partners, Dreams and Furniture Village.
Just for my own curiosity, I checked the online price of a 25cm deep ('Elite') Tempur Original king size mattress in March 2020 and found that the price was £2799 on Tempur.com, £1955 on JohnLewis.com, £1949 at Dreams.co.uk or £1949 at Furniture Village.
The Tempur.com mattress came with a 'bonus TEMPUR-FIT' mattress protector whilst the Dreams mattress came with an 'Exclusive CoolTouch mattress cover to keep you cool at night'. Also, there is some ambiguity about whether the 100 night Tempur trial is offered if you choose a third party retailer instead of Tempur direct, so I would suggest checking with the retailer first unless you are pretty confident you won't want to send it back.
Buying from Tempur direct is an option but you can also buy them from big names like John Lewis & Partners, Dreams and Furniture Village.
Just for my own curiosity, I checked the online price of a 25cm deep ('Elite') Tempur Original king size mattress in March 2020 and found that the price was £2799 on Tempur.com, £1955 on JohnLewis.com, £1949 at Dreams.co.uk or £1949 at Furniture Village.
The Tempur.com mattress came with a 'bonus TEMPUR-FIT' mattress protector whilst the Dreams mattress came with an 'Exclusive CoolTouch mattress cover to keep you cool at night'. Also, there is some ambiguity about whether the 100 night Tempur trial is offered if you choose a third party retailer instead of Tempur direct, so I would suggest checking with the retailer first unless you are pretty confident you won't want to send it back.
What are the alternatives to a Tempur Mattress?
You can look at Tempur alternatives in two ways.
Either, you pick another memory foam mattress which gets good reviews and offers a trial period or you pick a similarly priced mattress which uses completely different materials. Generally speaking, Tempur memory foam mattresses are two or three times more expensive than other foam mattresses.
If you want a highly rated mattress which uses memory foam, then you could consider:
If you are looking for similarly priced mattresses to the Tempur range then you could consider:
Either, you pick another memory foam mattress which gets good reviews and offers a trial period or you pick a similarly priced mattress which uses completely different materials. Generally speaking, Tempur memory foam mattresses are two or three times more expensive than other foam mattresses.
If you want a highly rated mattress which uses memory foam, then you could consider:
- Nectar Sleep Memory Foam Mattress - 365 night trial, 'forever' guarantee, 4.3/5 on TrustPilot (March 2020) - £699 for a double mattress
- Ergoflex 5G Memory Foam Mattress - 30 night trial, 10 year guarantee, 4.8/5 on TrustPilot (March 2020) - £719 for a double
- Brook + Wilde Lux Mattress - hybrid mattress with springs and memory foam, 100 night trial so you can return it, 10 year guarantee, 4.8/5 on TrustPilot (March 2020) - £699
If you are looking for similarly priced mattresses to the Tempur range then you could consider:
- Dunlopillo - leaders in the latex mattress market, several awards and scores of 4.7/5 on TrustPilot (March 2020) - about £1300 for a double
- Vispring - prestigious brand which invented the pocket spring mattress - about £900 - £5000 for a double mattress
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