Medium Mattresses

What to consider when buying a medium mattress

Here at Mattress Online, we want you to be confident that your new medium mattress will suit your sleep needs. That’s why we’ve included a short guide to help you understand what a medium mattress is and if this firmness is ideal for you.

What is a medium mattress?

A medium mattress is a mattress that sits towards the softer end of the Mattress Online firmness scale:

• Soft to medium
• Medium
• Medium to firm
• Firm
• Extra firm

You may notice that ‘medium’ isn’t in the middle of our firmness ratings - this is because we don’t sell ‘soft’ mattresses. We’ve found that soft mattresses just don’t provide enough support for a comfortable and restorative night’s sleep.

Medium mattresses combine the best of both comfort and support. They’re perfect if you don’t like sleeping on a firmer surface, but don’t want to sink too far into your mattress.

What is the best medium mattress?

We have analysed the three types of medium mattresses that can be considered the 'best':

• The most premium
• The best-selling
• The best-reviewed

Which is the most premium medium mattress?

The following mattress is our most premium medium mattress:

• The Hypnos Wheatley Supreme Wool Mattress

Hypnos is the leading mattress manufacturer in natural-filling, wool mattresses. The The Hypnos Wheatley Supreme Wool Mattress has been crafted with the finest blend of British wool for blissful, plush comfort. You’ll never sleep on a mattress more comfortable than the Wheatley by Hypnos.

So, depending on whether you wish to prioritise plush comfort or unparalleled pressure relief, either the Wheatley or Elite will be the medium mattress for you!

What is the best-selling medium mattress?

Here are our top 3 best-selling budget, mid-range and high-end:

• Best-selling budget medium mattress* - SleepSoul Comfort 800 Pocket Mattress
• Best-selling mid-range medium mattress* - Sealy Alston Gel Advantage Pillow Top Mattress
• Best-selling high-end medium mattress* - Hypnos Hemsworth Deluxe Mattress

What is the best-reviewed medium mattress?

Our best-reviewed medium mattress is the Silentnight Essentials Mirapocket 1000 Mattress.

With an average Feefo review rating of 4.6 from over 1,500 customers, you can rest assured that you’ll get a great night’s sleep with the Silentnight Essentials!

(Disclaimer: Product review ratings are subject to change. Review ratings as of 3rd February 2024.)

Are medium mattresses good?

Yes, medium mattresses are a great mattress firmness to consider!

They are one of the most popular mattress firmness among our customers as they provide suitable comfort and support for a wide variety of body types and all sleeping positions.

Who should have a medium mattress?

Medium mattresses offer the perfect balance of ‘sink-in’ comfort and full body support, they are suitable for most body types and sleeping positions.

How your body shape and weight distribution affects your firmness decision

A softer mattress is ideal for those who are light in weight as they may not otherwise get the support they need through the comfort layers. Generally speaking, if you weigh around 60kg or less, you may benefit from a softer mattress.

However, if you are heavier, or you concentrate your weight in specific areas, a firmer mattress should help ensure that you get the right support.

Choosing a medium mattress is a generally good choice if you are unsure about your preference.

If you are larger in build or experience back pain, we’d suggest browsing the following mattress firmnesses:

• Medium to firm
• Firm
• Extra firm

A medium mattress isn’t firm enough to provide adequate support for your joints while you sleep if you are larger in build or suffer from back pain. The heaviest parts of your body will sink too far into the mattress for you to feel the comfort and pressure-relieving benefits of the comfort and support layers.

Firmer mattresses encourage a healthier sleeping posture, which can help to relieve pressure from your back. Sleeping with a straighter spine helps to alleviate pressure from the following areas while you sleep:

• Neck
• Lower back
• Hips
• Knees

The goal is to help you wake up without aches and pains to help you feel refreshed and ready to take on the day.

If you’re looking for a mattress that offers superior back care, then we’d recommend looking at our orthopaedic mattress collection. These mattresses have been specially designed to provide targeted support for your back to ease aches and pains.

How your sleeping position affects your firmness decision

If you change sleeping positions a lot in the night, a medium mattress may be the perfect choice for you.

Medium mattresses offer the very best of both comfort and support which means that no matter how you sleep, your mattress will be able to accommodate your shifting body weight in the night.

For side sleepers, medium mattresses accommodate your shoulder pressing into the mattress, so you can stay comfy and receive great support for your joints.

For back sleepers, they help to keep your neck and spine aligned for a healthier sleeping position, without sinking too far into the mattress or feeling too firm.

For front sleepers, medium mattresses allow the heaviest parts of your body, such as your chest and hips to slightly sink into the mattress, but not so far as to curve your spine and place unnecessary pressure on your hips.

They’re also a great option if you share your bed with a partner and want to compromise on mattress firmness as they combine the best of comfort and support.

Are medium mattresses good for side sleepers?

Yes, medium mattresses are a good option for side sleepers.

When you sleep on your side, your shoulder, hip and knees press further into the mattress, meaning that you need a mattress that has enough ‘give’ to allow these parts of your body to comfortably sink into the mattress. Without this, your neck and spine may become misaligned during the night, which can lead to discomfort. You will instantly be able to feel the pressure being lifted from your shoulders, hips and knees for a more soothing sleep.

By having this extra ‘give’ in a medium mattress, your side sleeping posture will also greatly improve as your neck and spine will be more aligned, taking some of the strain away from your lower back.

Is a medium mattress good for your back?

If you are looking for a mattress that prioritises back care, we would recommend choosing a firmer mattress, or a specialised orthopaedic mattress.

As we have mentioned above, firmer mattresses encourage you to sleep with a healthier posture, meaning that your spine and neck are aligned and straight when you lie down. When you lie on your side or back with a straight spine, it helps to ease pressure from your lower back, hips and shoulders.

This means that the support layer of the mattress pushes up against the heaviest parts of your body to relieve pressure and provide targeted support.

Unless you have a lighter frame, a medium mattress or soft to medium mattress cannot provide the level of support you need to ease discomfort in your back. Take a look at our firmer mattresses, instead:

• Medium to firm
• Firm
• Extra firm

Orthopaedic mattresses, on the other hand, are mattresses that have been specially designed to provide enhanced levels of support for your back.

Every aspect of an orthopaedic mattress, from the comfort to support layers aims to:

• Maximise support for your back to ease aches and pains
• Correct your spinal alignment to promote a healthier sleeping posture and blood circulation
• Distribute your weight evenly across the mattress to release pressure in your joints

What medium mattress sizes do you sell?

Here at Mattress Online, we stock medium mattresses in the following sizes:

Standard UK sizes

These mattress sizes will fit their standard UK bed frame equivalent.

European sizes

These sizes will fit their European bed frame equivalent.

Adjustable bed sizes

These mattress sizes will fit the dimensions of an adjustable bed and have been crafted to allow for the vertical adjustments of these beds.

How much are medium mattresses?

No matter your budget, we’ll have a medium mattress to suit your sleep needs.

At Mattress Online, we have medium mattresses starting at around £100 for a single size, ranging up to around £3000 for our most premium superking option.

Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, treating yourself to a mid-range model or investing in a luxury medium mattress - we have an extensive, handpicked selection for you to choose from.

(Disclaimer: Product prices are subject to change. Prices as of 3rd February 2024.)

What types of medium mattresses are available?

We stock a wide variety of medium mattresses to choose from to suit every type of sleeper!

Mattress types:

• Memory foam medium mattresses - These mattresses mould to your body to provide tailored support and pressure relief.
• Pocket sprung medium mattresses - Responsive pocket springs cradle your body while you sleep and limit motion transfer between you and your partner.
• Orthopaedic medium mattresses - Ortho mattresses provide enhanced back care. Despite being a medium firmness, medium ortho mattresses still provide targeted back support.
• Standard sprung medium mattresses - An interconnected spring system provides firmer, full-body support.
• Latex medium mattresses - Latex is a natural filling that provides ultimate pressure relief and responds faster to your body shape than other foam mattresses.
• Natural filling medium mattresses - Sustainably sourced, breathable and plush fillings for a luxurious sleep.
• Gel foam medium mattresses - Gel foam has inherently cooling properties for a cooler and fresher sleep.
• Reflex foam medium mattresses - Excellent support and comfort on a budget.
• Pillow top medium mattresses - An additional layer is stitched onto the top of the mattress for extra luxury.
• Contract medium mattresses - Suitable for use in commercial settings and fully compliant with BS7177:2008 Source 5 - Medium Hazard (Crib 5) fire regulations.
• Adjustable medium mattresses - Designed specifically to be used on adjustable beds.

Mattress features:

• Rolled-up medium mattresses - Arrive at your house rolled up and boxed for your convenience.
• Hypoallergenic medium mattresses - Protects against allergens and dust mites for a healthier sleep undisturbed by allergens.
• Eco-friendly medium mattresses - Made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials.
• Single-sided medium mattresses - These mattresses only need to be rotated every 3 months to keep the fillings inside in perfect condition.
• Double-sided medium mattresses - These mattresses can be rotated and flipped every 3 months to keep the fillings inside evenly distributed to increase the lifespan of your mattress.

Which brands make medium mattresses?

We stock medium mattresses from over 20 different brands!

We are proud to stock the best mattress brands from across the world, with British-made mattresses pioneering sustainable manufacturing.

Here are some of our customer-favourite brands a little bit about them:

• Silentnight - A household name with over 75 years of experience in the mattress industry and inventors of the Mircoil and Mirapocket spring systems.
• Sealy - A global mattress brand constantly innovating new mattress technologies such as the PostureTech core spring system.
• Sleepeezee - One of the world’s best-known mattress manufacturers for their incredible craftsmanship.
• Hypnos - One of our most premium mattress brands pioneering sustainable and luxurious mattress manufacturing.
• Emma - Creators of the UK’s most awarded bed in a box mattress.
• SleepSoul - A Mattress Online customer-favourite for a budget-friendly, hybrid spring and foam mattress brand.

*Based on the sale of medium firmness mattresses between 1st Jan 2023 - 31st Jan 2024.