THE best cooling mattresses can keep hot sleepers comfortable all year round.
But what should you look for and is there anything else you can do to improve ventilation? Read our guide to find out.
Why it's worth having a cool bedroom
Having a cool bedroom can make or break a good night's sleep, even during the winter months.
According to the Sleep Foundation, the best bedroom temperature for sleeping is approximately 18.3C, though it varies by a few degrees from person to person. Doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 15.6C and 19.4C.
If you struggle to keep your temperature down at night, here are some tips to help:
To help you stay cool all year round, we've picked out the best cool mattresses and mattress toppers.
Best cooling mattress and mattress toppers at a glance:
1. Emma Premium Mattress
- Emma Premium Mattress, £494.55 (was £1,099) for a double, at Emma - buy here
Pros: Incredibly cooling and moisture-wicking, supportive, comfortable
Cons: Takes some time to break in, no contact delivery means no help carrying the mattress in
The Emma Premium Mattress is one of the coolest Emma mattresses with ultra-breathable layers of Airgocell® foam and an UltraDry Original Cover. The open-pored HRX layer enhances airflow and evaporates moisture so you stay cool and dry and your mattress lasts longer.
For the ultimate cooling sleep package, check out the Emma Premium Cooling Mattress Bundle, which includes a cooling mattress, memory foam pillow, waterproof mattress protector, temperature-regulating cloud duvet and weighted blanket. Get all this for £1,834.00 (saving 8%) for a double.
We reviewed the Emma Premium Mattress and gave it a 5 star rating. It’s comfortable, supportive, and cooling - perfect for the warm summer months.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 200 days, Guarantee: 10 years
2. Best luxury hybrid mattress: Simba Hybrid Luxe mattress
- Simba Hybrid Luxe mattress, from £1379.40 (double) at Simba - buy here
Pros: comfortable, supportive, coolest mattress we've slept on, eased back pain, can't feel partner moving
Cons: expensive, requires deep-fitted sheets, heavy to manoeuvre
We recently tested out the Simba Hybrid Luxe and found it to be a top cooling mattress - in fact it's the coolest mattress we've ever slept on.
The sleep geniuses at Simba designed the mattress with a breathable sleep surface, temperature-regulating bamboo-infused wool and cooling Simbatex foam, all of which contribute to a super cool and comfortable night's sleep.
The Luxe is Simba's most expensive mattress (with good reason, we believe) - but if that's a sticking point for you, take a look at the Simba Pro below, which is significantly cheaper and we also highly rate for its cooling technology.
Read our Simba Hybrid Luxe review here
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 200 days, Guarantee: 10 years
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3. Best premium hybrid mattress: Simba Hybrid Pro mattress
- Simba Hybrid Pro mattress, from £959.40 (double) at Simba - buy here
Pros: soft, cool, supportive, can't feel partner moving
Cons: pricey, requires deep-fitted sheets, heavy to manoeuvre
Beds that are cool are, undeniably, better than beds that are not for comfort and overall sleep quality and like the Luxe above, the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress has been designed to keep you cool.
As well as a breathable sleep surface, it has two layers of patented springs to increase airflow and a layer of temperature-regulating British wool.
We tested it out and while we didn't find the cooling technology to be as superior as the Luxe, we found it kept us much cooler during the heatwave than a traditional memory foam mattress.
This mattress also comes with a 200-night-trial, a 0% finance option and a 10-year guarantee, so if something happened to it in the next decade, you can easily and cheaply get yourself a new one.
Read our Simba Pro review here.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 200 days, Guarantee: 10 years
4. Best budget hybrid mattress: Inofia memory foam and sprung ventilated mattress
- Inofia hybrid ventilated mattress, from £234.59 (was £275.99) (double) at Amazon - buy here
This mattress is part of Inofia’s Airflow collection, which combines a few different design features to make it super breathable.
The top cover is a breathable knitted material while underneath it is an open cell memory foam that helps to wick heat away.
Under that, you have pocket springs that not only help support the body but also improve air flow in the mattress.
What makes this design different is that the sides are covered with a 3D mesh fabric which helps hot air to escape as well.
The brand also offers a 100-night trial so you can make sure it’s right for you.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 100 days, Guarantee: N/A
5. Best for restless sleepers: Vesgantti pocket sprung mattress with breathable foam
- Vesgantti hybrid mattress, from £209.99 (double) at Amazon - buy here
This mattress from Vesgantti combines pocket springs with breathable foam to help cool hot sleepers down.
The hybrid design doubles as a shock-absorber that helps to reduce noise and movement if one person is tossing and turning at night.
To help improve airflow, the supportive foam and pocket springs are covered with a hypoallergenic material featuring “airy holes”.
You have 100 nights to try this mattress to see if it suits you.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 100 days, Guarantee: N/A
6. Best for moisture-wicking: eve sleep original hybrid spring and memory foam mattress
- eve sleep original hybrid mattress, from £449 (double) at eve sleep - buy here
The eve sleep hybrid mattress combines a pocket sprung base with two layers of open-cell memory foam, the upper layer of which is 30 times more breathable than the traditional stuff.
As an additional benefit, the moisture-wicking top panel of the mattress can be unzipped and popped in the wash at 40C, which helps to keep your mattress looking fresh too.
The memory foam also isolates the movement from your partner's tossing and turning so no more being woken up in the middle of the night.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 365 days, Guarantee: 10 years
7. Best gel hybrid mattress: iGel Advance 1600i mattress
- iGel Advance 1600i mattress, from £1,099.99 (double) at Bensons for Beds - buy here
Pros: Amazing at temperature regulation, eases pressure on aching joints, deliverers will put the mattress in a room of your choice
Cons: Expensive, big and heavy to manoeuvre
This mattress from high street retailer Bensons for Beds features a base with 1,600 foam-encased pocket springs with a squidgy iGel topper.
The iGel is a highly conductive, patented material that's designed to absorb excess heat when you are feeling too hot and release it when you are too chilly, helping to keep you at a pleasant temperature all night long.
This mattress is a super-chunky 26cm deep meaning that it will be something of a challenge to manoeuvre, but it’s also supremely comfortable and comes with a 10-year guarantee.
We tested out the iGel Advance 1600i mattress and were really impressed. It feels quite firm at first but it's really supportive and comfortable and keeps you at the perfect temperature while sleeping.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 56 days, Guarantee: 10 years
8. Best for back support: Silentnight Miracoil GelTex mattress
- Silentnight Miracoil GelTex mattress, from £829 (double) at Silentnight - buy here
The Miracoil is another mattress that combines a sprung base topped with three foam layers, including a 4cm gel-infused one on top which is designed to allow air to pass through more easily and prevent you from overheating.
It uses Active Response technology, which moves as you move to provide an even weight distribution and optimum pressure relief to ease aches and pains.
The mattress cover is also treated to reduce moisture and allergens caused by dust mites.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: 60 days, Guarantee: 5 years
9. Best mattress topper: Panda mattress topper
- Panda mattress topper, from £139.95 (double) at Amazon - buy now
This hydro-foam bamboo mattress topper from Panda is designed to help regulate your temperature by using tiny capsules of cooling gel in its memory foam.
The foam also offers orthopaedic support, which is great for those with back issues.
The bamboo cover, meanwhile, is hypoallergenic, dust mite resistant and antibacterial. It's silky smooth to touch and easy to remove if you need to wash it as well.
Plus, the topper comes with a 10-year manufacturer guarantee - buyers can get 100% of their money back or a free replacement if they are not satisfied.
Key specs - Type: mattress topper, Trial period: none, Guarantee: 10 years
10. Best for hayfever sufferers: Alkove 7-zone hybrid memory foam pocket sprung mattress
- Alkove 7-zone hybrid mattress, from £367.79 at Amazon - buy now
This mattress offers an adaptable way to cool down the body.
The mattress is breathable, durable and has been treated to prevent bacteria, mould and fungal growth.
The memory foam with cooling gel adapts to the sleeper's body temperature and position, absorbing and releasing heat and soothing pressure points.
It is delivered compressed, rolled and vacuum-sealed, meaning that it can fit through narrow hallways and staircases.
Key specs - Type: Hybrid, Trial period: none, Guarantee: 2 years
11. Best budget mattress topper: Dunelm Cooler Than Memory Foam mattress topper
- Dunelm Cooler Than Memory Foam mattress topper, from £75 (double) at Dunelm - buy now
Available in a variety of different sizes, this mattress topper ticks all the boxes when it comes to kitting out your summer bed.
It features bedding technology that allows air to circulate, keeping sleepers cool at night. It also provides pressure relief for those who needs the extra support.
It is machine washable and can be tumble-dried on a low heat setting.
Key specs - Type: mattress topper, Trial period: none, Guarantee: none
12. Best mattress protector: Dusk cooling mattress protector
- Dusk cooling mattress protector, £32.50 (single) at Dusk - buy now
For a super affordable option, try a cooling mattress protector like this one.
Breathable and soft to the touch, it's available in single, double, king and super king sizes.
You can put it in a 40C wash to clean, which makes maintaining hygiene on your bed much easier.
It can't be tumble tried though, so make sure you have enough space to line dry it.
Key specs - Type: mattress topper, Trial period: none, Guarantee: 10 years
Where to buy cooling mattresses
Cooling mattresses are a godsend when it comes to a restful, comfortable night's sleep and there are few different retailers you can get your hands on them.
Some of the best cooling mattresses come from Emma, Simba and Silentnight, but you can also find them from Amazon, Bensons for Beds and Eve Sleep.
How much does a cooling mattress cost?
The cost of a cooling mattress varies depending on where you're buying from and the size of the mattress (obviously a Super King is going to set you back more than a single).
Where you're buying from can make a big difference and it's worth checking to see if there are sales on. For example, if you'r looking at buying a double cooling mattress from Emma or Simba which are the most premium, it could cost around £1,500 but both brands do offer discounts so you could snap one up for under £1,000, sometimes considerably less.
If that's too pricey, Amazon has a lot of brands that provide cooling mattresses for as little as £250.
Or, if you don't want to go the whole hog, snap up a mattress topper for £150 or a mattress protector for as little as £30.
What to look for in a cooling mattress
Cooling mattresses should be able to regulate your body temperature so you don't get all hot and sweaty even on the warmest of nights.
These work by using gel particles or moisture wicking fabrics to absorb the heat from your body - if it doesn't have this technology then it's not a cooling mattress.
Of course, you also need to look out for anything that you would want in a regular mattress like firmness, size and whether it's spring, foam or hybrid.
What is the best cooling mattress?
The best cooling mattress will vary from person to person, as you also need to consider things like firmness, and whether you're after hypoallergenic properties.
However, based on our experience, we find that the Simba mattress offers the best solution when it comes to keeping cool during the summer - check out our review here.
Avoiding mattresses that only have traditional memory foam will help keep you cool during the summer months too - while they are amazing at supporting our pressure points, memory foam are known to trap body heat.
Do cooling mattresses work?
Cooling mattresses can help you sleep at a more comfortable temperature than regular mattresses, but as there are a few different types of cooling mattresses, the results can and do vary.
The most widely available are cooling foam mattresses with gel particles embedded in them or as a layer on top.
The gel absorbs the heat from your body and then releases it into the air around it so, depending on how breathable the mattress is, a mattress with a gel top layer would work better than one with gel particles embedded throughout.
You can also get mattresses that use moisture-wicking fabrics that are cool to the touch, which can help to pull the heat away from your body.
These are best on spring mattresses rather than foam ones as the space in the mattress helps the heat to escape.
For something fully adjustable, you can try an air or waterbed that will allow you to change the temperature and firmness to suit you.
Apart from air and waterbeds, where the temperature is constantly being monitored and adjusted, most mattresses will be cool when you first get into bed, which can help you get to sleep, but they do warm up by the morning.
If you’re looking for the best cooling mattress to suit you, it’s best to try one and see. Many manufacturers will let you return a mattress within the first three months if it's not a good fit.
Do gel mattresses keep you cool?
Gaining popularity in the 2010s, gel memory foam is considered a new product in the bedding industry.
According to the Sleep Foundation, most gel memory foams use "thermal gel", which is cool to touch, or "phase-changing gel", which transitions from a solid to a liquid when the temperature of the mattress rises.
Testing has suggested that the cooling quality of gel mattresses depends on the brand.
The Sleep Foundation says that the best options were ones that feature inner springs or are hybrid models.
How to cool down a memory foam mattress
Traditionally, memory foam mattresses trap body heat making them rather unsuitable for the summer months or hot sleepers.
However, this can be remedied by buying a specialised mattress topper or cooling pad.
Cooling sheets are another way to cool down your mattress.
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