Mattresses keep getting thicker and thicker but there are moments where a thin mattress can be preferable. Spending many hundreds or even thousands of pounds on a 30-centimetre mattress for a smaller child or for a guest bed that will only be slept on occasionally is quite an unnecessary expense when there are fantastic, thin mattresses available on the market.
Many of the bigger sleep brands have one or more mattress models that include several of the features of the more exclusive mattresses in their range but measure a few centimetres less and at a significantly reduced price. These are often all-foam mattresses as pocket springs tend to take up quite some space.
We have listed some of the most popular thin mattresses in the UK right now, but don't be fooled by their slim appearance. They all come packed with a bunch of different, interesting characteristics such as temperature regulation, additional body support and exciting materials added to their construction.
(Important Facts, Studies, Advice, Considerations & FAQs In Conclusion)
| MATTRESS | THICKNESS | FIRMNESS | TRIAL & WARRANTY | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Essential Mattress | 18 cm | Medium-Soft | NA Nights 5 Years | £179 |
| Simba Comfort Foam Mattress | 19 cm | Medium-Firm | 100 Nights 3 Years | £265 |
| Dormeo Fresh Memory Foam Mattress | 14 cm | Medium-Firm | 60 Nights 15 Years | £249 |
| REM-Fit Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress | 20 cm | Medium-Firm | 100 Nights 15 Years | £519 |
| Dormeo Memory Classic Memory Foam Mattress | 14 cm | Medium-Firm | 60 Nights 15 Years | £319,99 |
| Silentnight Mattress Now Comfortable Mattress | 14 cm | Medium-Soft | NA Nights 5 Years | £149 |
1. Emma Essential Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • Breathable, open-pore structured foam • 7 support zones • 5-year warranty | • Hot sleepers • People needing extra body support • Couples |
Emma is one of the most popular mattress brands in the UK and offers a range of top-quality mattresses in different styles and materials. For those who want to try an Emma mattress at a more affordable price point, the Emma Essential could be a good choice. Featuring a breathable hybrid foam, paired with a supportive HRX foam, this thin mattress has many of the qualities of a top-shelf Emma mattress.
The open pores in the memory foam are meant to wick away moisture from your body and allowing for more airflow through the mattress to help you sleep cooler. The HRX foam and the 7 support zones of this mattress can help to improve the sleeper's spinal alignment and provide the necessary support for the shoulders and the lower back. This makes the Emma Essential suitable for all sleeping positions and body types.
Wrapping everything together is a breathable top cover that can further help to regulate the temperature of your body and prevent you from waking up feeling sweaty. The Emma Essential comes with a 5-year warranty and a standard 14-day return policy. It will be delivered through Emma's normal no-contact delivery and all you need to do is unwrap it, let it expand and go to sleep.
2. Simba Comfort Foam Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • Minimal motion transfer • 100-night trial • Hypoallergenic cover | • People prone to allergies • Couples • Sleepers in need of pressure relief |
The Simba mattresses are widely popular across the UK and the thinnest member of the family, the Simba Comfort Foam, is no different. Those who are looking to buy a guest room mattress from one of the leading mattress brands in the UK should have a closer look at this one as it comes with many of the same features as the other ones in the Simba range.
Starting with an Oeko-Tex certified cover that is soft to the touch and hypoallergenic which makes this a good option for those prone to allergies. It is also breathable and aims to keep you cool while you sleep. Underneath sits an open-cell structured Simbatex comfort layer that is designed to enhance the breathability of the mattress. It has high responsiveness and is meant to provide a comfortable sleeping experience.
The bottom layer is a solid, high-definition base layer that comes with castellated zoning. These zones can help promote the sleeper's spinal alignment, making sure that the body is supported wherever needed while taking pressure off the joints. The Simba Comfort Foam mattress comes with a 100-night trial, which is not common in second-tier mattresses and on top of that you will enjoy 3 years of guarantee.
3. Dormeo Fresh Memory Foam Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • Silver-fibre enriched cover • 15-year guarantee • Supportive Ecocell base layer | • People worrying about bacteria and dust mites • Sleepers who tend to wake up feeling sore • Couples |
The Dormeo Fresh Memory Foam is a thin mattress that comes packed with quality features at a reduced thickness and price. The base layer is a 12 cm Ecocell foam layer that has a 3-dimensional cellular structure that is meant to promote airflow through the mattress while providing a supportive foundation for the mattress.
The next layer is a deep memory foam layer that is directly sewn into the cover for optimal comfort and to diminish any tossing and turning. It is also meant to aid your muscle regeneration while sleeping as well as increasing your blood circulation. However, the most exciting feature of this mattress is the cover which is enriched with silver fibres.
Silver is an old and natural antibiotic and together with the Sanitized protection of the Dormeo Fresh it can help to protect the sleeper against dust mites, bacteria and fungi while also combating unpleasant odours from moisture getting trapped in the mattress. The composition of this mattress is designed to make you sleep fresh and comfortable sleep experience for many years to come, which is backed up by its 15-year guarantee.
4. REM-Fit Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • 100-night trial and 15-year guarantee • Temperature regulating features • Supportive and pressure-relieving mattress | • People prone to allergies • Hot sleepers • Couples |
The REM-Fit Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress could be an excellent choice for those looking for a thinner mattress with the usual high-quality features of the brand, such as temperature regulation and pressure relief. This mattress consists of a 17 cm high-density foam base layer with zoned support that can help relieve pressure and promote spinal alignment.
The second layer is a bamboo and charcoal-infused comfort layer that is designed to help to cool you down while comfortably moulding to your body when sleeping. The bamboo and charcoal can help wick moisture away from your body and thus regulate your temperature, preventing you from waking up feeling sweaty and maintaining your mattress odour-free.
The cover is made of a thermo-regulating knitted fibre that adds to the breathability of the mattress and provides a soft sleeping surface. It is also fully removable and machine washable for easy maintenance. The REM-Fit Bamboo Charcoal Memory Foam Mattress is hypoallergenic and comes with a 100-night trial and 15 years of guarantee for your peace of mind.
5. Dormeo Memory Classic Memory Foam Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • 15-year guarantee plus 60-night trial • Air vents on the sides • Sanitized antibacterial cover | • Hot sleepers • People sensitive to dust and bacteria • Most sleeping positions |
The Italian brand Dormeo is one of the leading European sleep brands and offers a wide range of mattresses and sleep accessories. The Dormeo Memory Classic Memory Foam mattress is in fact their original best-seller and the inspiration for the following mattresses to come. It features 12 cm of breathable Ecocell foam as a solid base that has a three-dimensional cellular structure that can help facilitate airflow through the mattress.
It can also help to relieve pressure from critical points such as the shoulders and hips of the sleeper. On top of the Ecocell foam sits a layer of memory foam that moulds to the sleeper's body and providing a comfortable and supportive surface to rest on.
The cover is Florentine stitched and features woven carbon fibres, that can help to create a barrier against dust mites, as well as being infused with Sanitized protection which aims to protect you against bacteria. The Dormeo Memory Classic also has added air vents on the sides to optimise breathability and comes with a 15-year guarantee and a 60-day trial period.
6. Silentnight Mattress Now Comfortable Mattress
| HIGHLIGHTS | SUITABILITY |
|---|---|
| • Purotex treated cover endorsed by Allergy UK • Five-year warranty • Edge-to-edge support | • Shoppers on a budget • Kids room and guest room • People prone to allergies |
The Silentnight Mattress Now range consists of a few different mattresses that are delivered rolled up and vacuum packed in a box for a hassle-free experience. One of the members, the "Comfortable", is a thin mattress that could be a great option for a kids room or even a guest room as it packs many good features in a reduced thickness.
The Comfortable mattress consists of high-density Miratex foam that spans across the entire surface, giving you edge-to-edge support which means that you can enjoy every centimetre of your mattress, up to the very edges. It is also designed to provide pressure relief to the sleeper by distributing the bodyweight evenly. Keeping it all together is a hypoallergenic soft-knit cover that has been endorsed by Allergy UK and contains Purotex fibres.
Purotex is a probiotic treatment of the fibres, containing friendly bacteria that are activated by the sleeper's body, taking over and replacing any harmful bacteria in the bed. The Silentnight Mattress Now Comfortable comes in a medium-firm firmness rating and a five-year warranty that speaks for good quality despite its affordable price.
Mattress Thickness And Layers
Most mattresses today consist of various different layers and what defines the thickness of a mattress is the number of layers that it has. The more layers a mattress has, the thicker it is and, usually, the more expensive it is. But having more layers doesn't necessarily make a mattress any better if there isn't a specific purpose to them.
In fact, some brands keep producing mattress models with layer upon layer of memory foam with different complex names to justify the higher price tag. In the meantime, other brands choose to strip down some of their most popular mattresses to the bare essentials, keeping only the most important layers and sell them at a more affordable price.
Most mattresses contain the following layers:
- Base layer
- Comfort layer(s)
- Transition layer (in some cases)
Base Layer
The base layer often defines the durability of the mattress and, as the name suggests, is the base of the mattress. It creates a solid foundation for the other layers and, of course, for the weight of the sleeper. These layers are often made of a sturdy, high-density foam or of coils in the case of innerspring mattresses. This layer often makes up for a big percentage of the mattress total and can also help prevent the mattress from sagging over time.
Comfort Layers
A mattress' comfort layers usually determine the specific features and price of the mattress as these can vary quite a bit. Memory foam, hybrid mattresses and latex mattresses often have comfort layers made of latex or a different type of foam from the base layer. These are usually softer and can mould to the sleeper's body, providing extra comfort and pressure relief. Some have an open-cell structure to allow for better airflow through the mattress and to prevent the sleeper from getting too hot.
Pocket sprung and hybrid mattresses sometimes have a pillow-top comfort layer, which means that fillings of a soft material such as polyester, cotton or wool have been packed and stitched together with the cover of the mattress. This makes for a plush and soft sleep surface, even if the mattress is on the firmer side of the spectrum. A mattress can contain one or more comfort layers of a few centimetres each and these should ideally fill different functions from each other.
Transition Layers
Transition layers aren't found in all mattresses, but they quite often do in innerspring mattresses such as pocket sprung mattresses for example. This layer acts, as the name suggests, as a transition between the base layer and the comfort layers as the difference between the two can be quite big. Placing a thin latex layer directly on top of a layer of pocket springs could potentially damage the latex layer and the sleeper could feel the springs against the body which is far from comfortable.
The transition layer can also provide extra support in areas such as around the hips and shoulders where we often place most of our body weight when sleeping. This can lead to improved spinal alignment and prevent future problems in our backs and joints.
What's In A Thin Mattress?
As mentioned earlier, thin mattresses are often stripped of any extras and just contain a base layer plus one or two comfort layers and this is often more than enough. You can make a high-quality, breathable mattress with temperature regulating features by adding a thin, cooling gel pad on top of an open-cell structured foam layer that sits on a high-density foam base layer and it doesn't necessarily need to be any thicker than 14-16 centimetres.
It all comes down to the different layers so make sure to have a look at their features and whether or not they make sense based on your personal preferences and needs.
Who Can Benefit From A Thin Mattress?
Pretty much anyone can benefit from a thin mattress that has the right features for their needs. However, thin mattresses are most frequently used for:
- Kids rooms. Smaller children who don't yet weigh a lot can sleep comfortably for a longer period of time on a thinner mattress.
- Guest rooms. If you're occasionally having guests staying overnight, a thin mattress can be a good choice as they will be comfortable enough to sleep on, even for an adult, for a shorter period of time.
- Bunk beds. Thin mattresses often fit bunk beds better than thicker ones, especially the top-bunk since too high of a mattress could put the sleeper in danger of falling over the edge.
- People with camper vans or boats. Thick mattresses weigh more which can result in higher fuel costs.
- People on tight budgets. A thin mattress often contain the same benefits as a thicker mattress but can cost up to several hundred pounds less.
What To Look For In A Thin Mattress
If you have decided to get yourself a thin mattress there are a few things you will want to consider. We've already talked about the importance of the layers, so make sure to check that it has at least one or two comfort layers that cover your most important needs at night, whether that means sleeping cooler, not having to worry about allergies or feeling safely cradled by hugging memory foam.
Secondly, you should consider the estimated durability of your mattress. Look for any guarantees and compare them to the price. Many mattresses today come with up to 20 years of guarantee, some even forever, while others only offer between 1-5 years. If sustainability is important to you, you will want to get a mattress to last you for many years to come and not have to change every 3-5 years so make sure that the brand is confident enough about their mattress that they offer you a good guarantee.
Finally, you should consider the price of the mattress. You might have found a thin mattress that sounds great but for a very small additional cost, you can get a much longer guarantee or way more advanced features. Then it might be worth considering paying those extra pounds or look for a cheaper alternative.
Firmness
Thin mattresses come with their own firmness ratings, just like any other mattress, and the most common ratings are soft, medium-soft, medium, medium-firm and firm. When looking to find the perfect thin mattress you should also consider what firmness the sleeper is used to and try to find one as similar as possible.
There's no right or wrong when it comes to selecting the firmness of a mattress, in the end, it comes down to preferences. There are however studies✓ suggesting that people with lower back problems could benefit from a mattress with medium firmness as they tend to respect the natural curvature of the spine.
Important!
If you suffer from any physical condition you should always consult with a specialist before deciding on a new mattress.
Thin Mattress Add-Ons
If you find your thin mattress a little too thin, don't worry. There are plenty of great mattress toppers that don't cost too much and can add some more height and comfort to your bed. Adding a few cosy pillows and a nice duvet will also add that little extra to your sleep area and make the overall sleeping experience better.
When In Doubt - Trial
In case you're still not fully convinced that a thin mattress is what you should go for, or maybe you are shopping online without any possibility to lay on the mattress before purchasing it - check for a trial period. Most of the bigger brands today offer some sort of free trial period. It can be of a few days up to as much as a year and you get to try the mattress out at home.
Should you not be convinced when the established trial period is over you can send it back for a full refund, or in some cases change it for a different mattress from the same brand. What's important here is to read the fine print carefully so that you are fully aware of the conditions of the trial period and that you treat the mattress carefully during this time. No brand is going to accept the return of a mattress that has stains or any marks on it so make sure to use a mattress protector until you are sure that it is the right thin mattress for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a thin mattress?
A thin mattress, also known as a "low profile mattress" is usually between 13-20 centimetres thick and usually consists of 2-4 different layers.
Why getting a thin mattress?
A thin mattress can be a great option for kid's rooms, guest rooms, the outdoors or for people on a tighter budget. You can find good, thin quality-mattresses for a cheaper price.
What is the best thin mattress?
It depends on what you look for in a mattress as not everyone have the same needs and preferences. You should look for your preferred firmness, materials, durability and price when searching for the best thin mattress for you.