Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress review: “It’s really supportive and looks more expensive than it is”

RRP at time of testing: £449 | Check price at MattressNextDay

Our verdict

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress was tested by Mumsnet tester Becky and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella.

They were looking for an alternative to Bella’s previous mattress, which she found very uncomfortable.

“Isabella's old mattress was a really basic one [from] when we moved house,” she said. “It was really uncomfortable and you could feel all the springs and wires as you lay on it.”

“Isabella has a lot of trouble sleeping and staying asleep. She found the old mattress really uncomfortable and kept sleeping on the floor instead. We were hoping the new mattress would be much less wiry and bumpy. I was hoping [it] would improve the amount of time Bella wants to sleep on her bed and be more comfortable.”

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze is an extra-firm mattress. Becky was impressed that it retained its shape without sagging.

She told us: “The mattress was on the firmer side but this was good to keep her perched on top as opposed to sinking in like the old one.”

“You couldn't feel any springs or fillings with this mattress. We've found that the mattress has not sunk over time and has remained really firm, without the filling poking out.”

Becky's daughter would often sleep on the floor because her old mattress was uncomfortable, but the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze has made a big difference to her sleep.

How we’ve tested

Becky’s five-year-old daughter tested the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress for Mumsnet. She sleeps in a single bed and had been struggling with discomfort from her previous mattress, so she was excited to try something new.

Sealy says this mattress is ‘specifically intended for those who require a considerable amount of support to get a comfortable night’s sleep’. Despite that rather grown-up billing, the single mattress was suitable for Becky’s daughter and provided some extra bounce on the bed too.

Five-year-old Isabella tested this mattress for 30 nights and, in that time, her sleep significantly improved.

Her mum Becky said: “It's made such a difference to the quality of Isabella's sleep. She's felt much more supported by it compared to the other ones and has slept in it much more consistently.”

They tested the mattress on Isabella’s cabin bed frame, assessing its firmness, Isabella’s sleep quality and whether it retained its shape.

What’s in the box? 

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress comes flat, rather than boxed or rolled up.

Delivery and set-up

The mattress was delivered by MattressNextDay, flat and ready to use.

Isabella has a low cabin bed, which meant the mattress needed to be lifted into position.

Becky said that this wasn’t too difficult, but did require two people to manoeuvre it.

“She has a little cabin bed that is about as high as my shoulders. So it wasn’t difficult for two people to lift, but I think it would have been hard with just one person as it’s a very solid mattress,” she explained.

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress also requires flipping to extend its lifespan. Sealy recommends doing this ‘regularly’, although it doesn’t give a precise schedule.

Becky struggled to flip it, although she thinks this was down to the position of the bed and the furniture around it rather than the mattress itself.

“[The] handles were good for turning. It was slightly deeper than Bella's old mattress so I needed to get a new fitted sheet,” she said.

“[It] was slightly hard to flip because it caught her bookcase but we've just put the bookcase in a dodgy place.”

How comfortable and supportive is the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress?

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress has an extra-firm rating, which, according to Sealy, ‘means it’s particularly beneficial for sleepers who regularly wake with aches and pains or who struggle with a sore back in the morning’.

While Becky’s daughter doesn’t suffer from back pain, her previous mattress was uncomfortable and was causing her to have restless nights.

“It's much more comfortable than her old one and she can't feel any of the filling when she lies down. It's a huge improvement,” Becky shared.

“She's had no aches/stiffness or pain. She's slept in it more reliably than her old one and says it's far more comfortable.”

The Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress comes with a five-year guarantee.

Is the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress good value for money?

The mattress has an RRP of £449 for a single, which Becky thinks is a fair price for what you get.

“It's really supportive and looks more expensive than it is,” she said.

“It's a good quality mattress and has retained its shape well over the last 30 days. It's led to Bella having a much better night's sleep which has been really needed, so [it’s] good to spend the money on it and get that result.”

She also thought the mattress felt high quality, telling us:

“[The] materials and overall finish were really good. It had good details, and you could tell the quality was a good level up from [our previous] one. It felt like it was well finished.”

Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze vs Hypnos Wool Ortho vs Simba Hybrid Essential

Final verdict: is the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress worth it?

After 30 nights, both Becky and Isabella were impressed with the Sealy Ortho Plus Bronze mattress. Most importantly, Isabella’s sleep had significantly improved.

Becky thinks the mattress is good quality and worth its price tag.

“[The] details were neatly finished and materials looked like good quality,” she said.

“Over the 30 days it has not dipped or changed shape. It's remained really consistent, so we are pleased with that.”

Becky was also impressed with the safety credentials compared with her daughter’s previous mattress:

“After reading the booklet and the website I am much more confident in the materials compared to the last one.”

The mattress comes with a five-year guarantee from Sealy, and Becky thinks it’s a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for firm, supportive sleep.

“I feel like this mattress will be great for years and it's giving Isabella a much better and more consistent night’s sleep,” she told us.

About the editor

Charlie Bond is a freelance journalist and a mum of two (slightly wild) boys. As a lifestyle and shopping editor she's got more than 15 years' experience testing everything from family holiday hotspots to mum-friendly makeup.

She's always on the lookout for the best products to make parents' lives easier, whether that's a super-duper coffee machine (she's usually had three espressos by the morning school run) or a cleaning solution that really does get pen off the walls...

About Mumsnet reviews

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All prices are correct at time of publication.