Cooling Mattresses

How Do Cooling Mattresses Work?

You give off heat all night, and some mattresses hold on to it. The cooling mattresses we sell are built so that heat can get away from you instead of collecting where you’re lying.

Gel is the best known way of doing it, and you’ll see it in a lot of our product names. The gel is mixed into the foam or added as a layer on top, and it pulls heat away from your body and spreads it through the mattress, so the spot you’re lying on doesn’t keep getting warmer.

Springs help in a different way. A pocket sprung mattress is mostly air inside, and every time you move, some of that warm air is pushed out and cooler air comes in. That’s why we often suggest pocket springs to customers who sleep hot.

The cover plays a part as well, because a breathable one lets sweat dry off and stops the bed feeling clammy.

We’d sooner be straight with you about the limits. A mattress won’t cool down a hot bedroom, and the word “cooling” in a product name doesn’t guarantee anything. How the mattress is built matters more, which is why we list the springs and fillings on every product page.

Types Of Cooling Mattresses

We stock four types of cooling mattress. Each one keeps you cool in a different way, so the right choice depends on the feel you like.

Cooling Gel Memory Foam

Memory foam moulds around you as it warms up, which is why it’s good for pressure relief and why some people find it hot. Ours has gel in the foam to draw that heat away. Choose this if you like the feel of memory foam but have found it too warm in the past.

Hybrid

Our hybrid mattresses have pocket springs in the base and a layer of foam on top, so air moves through the springs while the foam gives you something soft to lie on. Choose this if you sleep hot and aren’t sure which type to go for. It’s the one we’d recommend first.

Latex

Latex is bouncier than memory foam, so you lie on top of it and don’t sink in as far. Less of the mattress is wrapped around you, which keeps you cooler. Choose this if you want pressure relief without the sinking feeling.

Pocket Sprung

Our pocket sprung mattresses with fibre or natural fillings let more air through than any foam mattress. Choose this if you don’t like foam at all.

Each type now sits under its own sub-heading and follows the same order: what it is, how it keeps you cool, and who it’s for. If your theme doesn’t style a third heading level well, the four names can go back to bold text on their own line.

How To Choose A Cooling Mattress

If you’re not sure which one to buy, start with firmness. The softer the mattress, the further you sink into it and the more of it sits against your body holding heat. That’s why a medium firm or firm mattress tends to feel cooler than a soft one. You’ll find the firmness shown on every mattress on this page, and you can filter by it at the top.

Your weight makes a difference here. If you’re heavier you’ll sink further into soft foam, so we’d suggest a firmer mattress with springs. If you’re lighter you can choose something softer without it getting too warm.

Think about your sleeping position too. If you sleep on your side you need some give at the shoulder and hip, and a gel foam or hybrid mattress does that well. If you sleep on your back or front, medium firm to firm is usually more comfortable.

If you share the bed, remember there are two of you warming it up. We’d recommend pocket springs for couples because they let air through and they also stop you feeling each other move. Going up to a king size gives you both more room, which helps on warm nights.

If you’d like help choosing, call us on 0333 533 0300. And if the one you pick isn’t right, our 30 night trial lets you swap it for another.

Getting The Most From Your Cooling Mattress

What you put on the bed matters as much as the mattress. Cotton or bamboo sheets let heat and moisture through, and a lighter tog duvet in summer will do more than most people expect.

We’d still recommend a mattress protector, but choose a breathable one. Some waterproof protectors trap heat and cancel out what the mattress is doing.

If it’s mainly your head and neck that get hot, a cooling pillow can help. And if you have an adjustable bed, choose from our adjustable bed mattresses, which are made to bend with the base.