Firm mattresses are hugely popular but it’s incredibly important to understand that the belief “the firmer the better” is a misconception.
A firm mattress can certainly be your personal preference. A firm mattress will definitely be more suitable for front sleepers and back sleepers. And of course the heavier you are the firmer a mattress needs to be to offer correct support. And a firm mattress will surely be better for your back than a sagging, old mattress. HOWEVER…buying a too firm mattress for either partner can cause as many problems as buying too soft.
This is because a too firm mattress doesn’t allow your hips to sink into the mattress. This distorts your natural posture and causes lower back ache, especially first thing in the morning. Secondly a too firm mattress creates pressure points on your body causing you to toss and turn excessively and at worst wake up repeatedly.
Some of our favourite mattresses are classed as firm and we’ve listed the five best firm mattresses below. But when making a decision please take into account your own weight and favoured sleep position and be aware that firmer isn’t always better.
Open coil springs. White fibre filling. Hand tufted.
Medium/firm support level.
On the list for it’s fantastic value. Not the firmest, even being medium for heavier people but solid and reliable at a brilliant price point. Great starting point for customers looking for a firm feeling mattress.
Pro’s: Hand tufted which increases stability especially when compared to other mattresses in this price bracket.
Con’s: Open coil spring unit inevitably means some partner disturbance, particularly if there is a large weight differential between sleepers.
More info here.
Open coil springs. Hand tufted.
Firm support level.
Pro’s: Classic firm even extra firm mattress. A favourite of ours for many years. Over 30cm deep and in my opinion as hard as you need to go unless heavily built. When customers ask for a hard mattress this can quite often be the end of the search.
Con’s: Thick “rod edge” around the coil springs which greatly enhances its firmness. However this also makes it very difficult to bend and twist, which has made home delivery, particularly of super king size, a problem in the past.
More info here.
Full high density foam. Rolled.
Extra firm support level.
Pro’s: Well if you need/want/like a firm mattress this is it. Virtually no give under my 15 stone very much like lying on the floor. However it is regularly recommended and doesn’t disappoint so has to make a list of our best hard mattresses.
Con’s: I couldn’t sleep on it so its difficult for me to endorse this mattress but I do realise there is a niche of people who seek this level of firmness and that’s why we continue to display it in store.
More info here.
Posturepedic spring unit. Edge guard.
Firm support level.
Pro’s: A timeless classic from Sealy. The Millionaire remains one of the firmest mattresses on the market principally due to the wall of foam built into its edge. This edge guard, as its called, increases the firmness significantly across the whole mattress.
Con’s: Although it carries twice as many springs as a conventional open coil mattress it is nevertheless an open coil and therefore there is an element of side sway and partner disturbance.
More info here.
2000 pocket sprung mattress. Natural fillings.
Firm support level.
Pro’s: High spring count mattresses are not particularly known for their firmness. However The Mayfield manages to retain all the features of a luxury specification mattress and still create one of the firmest mattresses in the store.
Con’s: It’s absolutely packed full of springs and natural fillings which is great. But, naturally filled mattresses do require regular turning and this is quite a job with such a heavy mattress.
More info here.
Thank you for reading our list of our best firm mattresses. We’d love to see you in store if at all possible as trying out a number of mattresses is really the best way to find the perfect mattress for your individual preferences.
