Your Sleep Matters!
Your Sleep Matters!
Does the perfect mattress exist?
Well, no - we only wish it did. 🧞♂️
But, this doesn't mean that you can't find a mattress that's absolutely perfect for you to get a great night's sleep.
In this guide, we share some of the best mattresses available in Ireland. 🤩
We even give you recommendations on how to choose the one that's right for you.
So let's dive right in. 👇
Our top recommendations:
Do you need a new mattress?
If your old mattress is looking - and feeling - a little worn and you've been waking up with aches and pains, then it's probably time to upgrade your mattress. 🛌
So how do you even begin choosing your brand new mattress?
It isn't always easy, so here's a very quick guide to some of the factors you'll need to consider.
Think about the following:
Mattress material and degree of firmness for sleeping position tend to be the most difficult to figure out, so we'll explore those in a bit more detail further down. 👇
You can trust that we've done our research and will only recommend best-buy choices. ⭐️
But how do you know if a mattress is a good buy or not?
You can use these simple criteria to good you. 👇
The quality of your mattress matters.
After all, your mattress directly affects the quality of your sleep - and your sleep affects the quality of your life!
Regardless of what mattress you go for, you should always opt for the highest quality you can afford. 👍
And how exactly do you determine quality?
With mattresses, you can consider the materials used and their respective densities.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to mattress materials. 🙌
Mattresses can have any number of different fillings, ranging from synthetic foam to springs to natural coir and wool.
The material you choose depends on your personal preferences and sleeping requirements. 💤
Choosing the right material is quite important, so we look at this in much more detail further down.
If you're considering foam mattresses, you need to look at the density of the foams.
Density is measured in units showing how much foam was used for one cubic metre. 🧊
In general: The higher the density, the higher the quality of the mattress.
Higher density materials are also likely to last much longer.
This means that you can enjoy your mattress for a long time. 🗓
We'd recommend opting for a mattress of at least 40 kg/m³
For spring mattresses, you need to look at how many springs the mattress contains. 🌀
We would recommend choosing a mattress with at least 350 springs for the smallest size.
The higher the spring count, the higher the quality of the mattress and the more likely it is to last. 🥳
Mattresses come in different degrees of firmness. ⛅️🧸🧱
As with mattress materials, there is no right or wrong choice here.
The right degree of firmness for you depends on your personal preferences and requirements. 🧐
But, your body type and preferred sleeping style also play a role:
But as long as you're well-supported, any degree of firmness could theoretically work. 👍
We consider the best mattresses according to sleeping position in more detail below.
Choosing a mattress that will fit your bed frame and bedroom is essential.
Most mattresses are available in the standard mattress sizes in Ireland.
These include:
Some mattress brands offer European sizes, custom sizes, and the luxurious emperor bed size, but these are rarer. 👑
Most mattresses purchased online come with a risk-free trial period. 🤩
A 100-night trial period is standard, but some mattress brands offer even longer trials.
Trial periods give you the chance to try out the mattress in the comfort of your own home - and allow your body to get used to the new bed. 🏡
Sometimes, it can take up to 3 weeks to get used to a new mattress, especially if your new mattress is vastly different to your old mattress!
We love a good risk-free trial period. 🥳
If you're not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can simply return the mattress for a full refund!
There are a number of different mattress materials to choose from. 🧐
The most popular options include:
Mattress materials largely influence the specific characteristics of your bed.
We'll look at the most common mattress materials below. 👇
Memory foam (also often called viscoelastic polyurethane foam or low-resilience polyurethane foam) is a foam made predominantly of polyurethane and a few additional chemicals to increase viscosity and density. 🧪
Memory foam is characterised by its so-called memory effect or memory imprint.
When you apply pressure to the foam, it leaves an imprint that will remain visible for a few seconds.
This memory effect allows the memory foam to adapt remarkably well to the body, resulting in body-hugging comfort, relief of pressure points, and orthopaedic support.
Memory foam also responds to temperature. 🥵
The foam will be firmer when cold and soften up when warmer.
As you warm up while sleeping, the foam will become softer and mould to your body even more. 🤗
Since memory foam is softer, most mattresses will include a top layer of memory foam with a cold foam base so you can still benefit from the right level of support.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|
Memory foam mattresses adapt well to the contours of your body.
They offer great pressure relief.
Help with orthopaedic concerns.
Provide great support & superior comfort.
Allow for a warmer sleep, which is great for people who easily feel cold at night.
Low motion transfer makes them great for couples. |
Poor quality memory foam mattresses quickly form dents.
Memory foam can feel too hot and clammy for people who easily feel hot at night or heavy sweaters.
Not suitable for restless sleepers - moving around on memory foam can be quite challenging.
High-quality memory foam mattresses can be very expensive. |
One of our favourite memory foam mattresses is the Nectar.
It's not as soft as other memory foam options, making it a great mattress for a wide variety of sleepers.
There are many different types of spring mattresses. 🌀
These can be low-quality spring mattresses, like open coil mattresses, or high-quality spring mattresses, like pocket spring mattresses.
We would always recommend opting for the higher-quality pocket sprung mattresses.
In a pocket spring mattress, the spiral-shaped springs are all wrapped in individual fabric pockets - hence, pocket springs. 👛
Because they’re not connected to each other, as they would be in an open coil spring mattress, individual pocket springs can move independently of each other and ensure precise body adaption.
Pocket sprung mattresses won't ever just contain springs. 🙌
The springs will always be surrounded with and covered by one or multiple layers of foam.
Some even have a cushioning pillow top for extra comfort. 😴
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|
Pocket sprung mattresses tend to sleep cooler.
They offer good body adaptation and pressure relief.
They offer high stability and support.
They’re elastic and give a slightly bouncy feeling.
These are long-lasting, durable mattresses.
They’re more suitable for heavier people and heavier sweaters. |
Most quality pocket sprung mattresses are more expensive than foam mattresses.
They may not be suitable for lighter-weight people and pure side sleepers.
These mattresses are often heavier and can be difficult to move.
Mattress covers are often not removable. |
One of our favourite hybrid pocket sprung mattresses is the Simba.
The Simba Hybrid combines multiple layers of foam with mini pocket springs for superior body adaptation.
Latex mattresses can be made from natural latex, synthetic (man-made) latex, or a combination of the two. 😮
Natural latex is harvested from tropical rubber trees.
Since this doesn't damage the tree, it's considered a fantastic natural and eco-friendly alternative to man-made mattress materials. 🌱
Pure latex mattresses are very expensive and exceedingly rare to find, so most popular latex mattresses will also feature numerous other layers of foam. 💰
Many online brands only use a thin layer of latex in a layered mattress to enhance breathability and support.
But, you will be able to find a few pure latex mattresses.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|
Firmer and more responsive than memory foam.
Hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and dust-mite resistant.
Cooler and more breathable alternative to memory foam.
More durable than some mattress alternatives.
Eco-friendly (especially natural latex).
Relieves pressure. |
Generally more expensive (especially pure natural latex mattresses).
Latex doesn't mould around the body as well as memory foam.
Can be heavy to lift and turn. |
Your preferred sleeping position definitely influences the type of mattress you should choose.
If you sleep on your side, for example, it's likely that you'll need a softer mattress, while stomach and back sleepers generally need a firmer mattress.
Let's look at the best mattresses according to sleeping position in more detail. 👇
We always recommend that side sleepers choose a softer mattress. ☁️
This is because side sleepers need a mattress that allows their hips and shoulders to sink in a little more deeply to achieve optimal spinal alignment.
Side sleepers should look for mattresses that:
Suitable mattress materials include memory foam, cold foam, latex foam, and gel foam. ✅
We wouldn't necessarily recommend pocket sprung mattresses as these tend to be on the firmer side and may cause back and neck pain, but hybrid mattresses are also a good option.
Generally, back sleepers will benefit from slightly firmer mattresses. 🧱
This is because back sleepers require additional support, especially for the lighter parts of the body, like the head and feet.
If there isn't enough support at these points, your spine can't remain in an optimal alignment, which leads to lower back pain.
Back sleepers should look for mattresses that:
We would recommend mattresses composed of springs, memory foam, gel foam, or cold foam.
We wouldn't recommend pure latex mattresses as these may be a little too soft and won't offer enough stability. ☹️
One of our favourite mattresses for back sleepers is the Simba Hybrid.
Sleeping on your stomach isn't the healthiest position and can result in quite serve neck tension. 😩
But, we know it can be quite comfortable for a short period of time.
Stomach sleepers should choose a firm mattress.
This is because firm mattresses provide sufficient support to the pelvis, which prevents the formation of a hollow back.
Stomach sleepers should look for mattresses that:
We would recommend mattresses with a spring core, as well as hybrid mattresses made of cold foam, gel foam, or memory foam.
Finding the right mattress isn't always easy - but it doesn't have to be an absolute nightmare.
We're here to guide you through every step of the way.
Look for mattresses that match your budget, preferred degree of firmness, ideal temperature, favourite sleeping position, and personal needs, and you'll be good to go. 🥳
You'll find links to all of our best mattress articles below.
You may think you'll have to buy IKEA mattresses to shop on a budget, but this isn't necessarily true.
Bed-in-a-box mattresses offer unbeatable value for money!
A bed-in-a-box mattress is a high-quality mattress that's rolled up, vacuum-packed and sealed in a compact box that's shipped straight to your front door. 📦
Why the better price tag?
Since online retailers cut out the middleman, brands can afford to cut their prices and offer customers the best value for money. 🏷
But there are so many more benefits to ordering your mattress online.
Consider the following:
Ordering online for the first time may seem a little daunting. 🤔
But that's why we're here to help you!
Sleep Hero is dedicated to helping you find the very best mattress for a good night's sleep. 😴
If you need some guidance to get started, we'd recommend you read these two articles:
Don't forget to also check out our full mattress reviews for a look at some of our favourite mattresses in Ireland!
We have an affiliate relationship with some manufacturers, where we receive a commission on sales if you click over from our site. This does not affect the purchasing price. In contrast: By using our discount codes, you'll get the best deal possible.
