Our verdict
Choosing a mattress can feel as stressful as choosing a child’s name. It has to be a good fit, it has to last a long time and you can’t easily change it if you make the wrong choice.
Now that many of us buy our mattresses online without trying them first, knowing the best mattress for your needs is a good idea.
Our tester Daisy is a front sleeper and describes herself as “fussy” when it comes to finding a good mattress. Having previously had memory foam mattresses, she was keen to see if something else would suit her better at night, so she tested out the Coolflex® Hybrid Breeze Ortho Mattress.
“I'd never bought an orthopaedic mattress before because that sounded a bit gimmicky but I wanted something quite firm that still felt comfortable rather than rock hard - and ideally memory foam that wouldn’t get too warm in the night,” she said.
“I was also interested to see whether a hybrid mattress would feel more supportive than the memory foam mattresses I’ve had before that have felt a bit flabby. I’m a front sleeper and quite fussy about mattresses that sag, so I basically wanted something that would hold me up without making me feel like I was lying on a concrete floor.
Although Daisy was initially unsure about having a firm mattress, she quickly came to like the Coolflex’s resistance.
“I was slightly nervous when I saw it described as ‘firm’, because there’s firm and then there’s sleeping-on-the-floor firm, and when I first tried it, it felt quite hard, but as soon as I lay down on it I got used to it,” she explained.
“The top has enough give that you still get the lovely sinking into bed feeling, just without actually sinking very far. It's solid and substantial, which is what I was hoping for, but the thinnish layer of memory foam at the top of the mattress stops it feeling unforgiving. I feel held up by it rather than sinking into it. Some people might find it too firm, but I really like it.”
Over the month that she and her partner tested this mattress, Daisy felt well supported and said she wasn’t waking up stiff, although she didn’t notice a dramatic change in her back pain.
She said: “I haven’t noticed a dramatic change but I do feel very well supported on it and haven’t been waking up feeling stiff from the mattress…[I] think on balance it feels like a good choice for stiffness and aches.”
Another thing that impressed Daisy about the Coolflex® Hybrid Breeze Ortho Mattress was how undisturbed her sleep was when her partner moved around at night.
“It feels solid underneath you but there’s enough cushioning on top that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable,” she explained.
“I also share the bed with my partner and he moves around quite a bit, so I’ve appreciated not being bounced around every time he turns over!”
Overall, Daisy really liked this mattress despite her initial reservations about its firmness. One thing she found off-putting, though, was the ‘off-gassing’ smell when the mattress was first opened in her bedroom.
“There was a very strong smell when we first unwrapped it which reminded me of the smell inside a new car. I really dislike that smell - it feels quite toxic/unnatural - so I opened the windows and left the room to air overnight before actually sleeping on the mattress,” she told us.
“My partner was much less bothered by it than I was so I think I’m particularly sensitive to it. It faded overnight when the mattress aired out and then I didn't notice it once it had been given time to expand and ventilate.”
The mattress has an RRP of £600, but having now tested it, Daisy thinks it’s something she would willingly part with her own money for.
“It feels very substantial for the money and, assuming it continues to hold its shape as it has so far, I think it would justify the price,” she said.
“I probably wouldn’t have bought it completely blind because 'firm' is such a subjective word when it comes to mattresses, but having actually slept on it I would happily buy it again.”