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Buying a Mattress for Your First Flat: What Actually Matters

Firmness, size, trial periods and what's worth paying for: a simple guide to choosing your first mattress for a small UK flat without overspending.

Photo: Kim Schouten / Unsplash

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Your first mattress is one of the few things in a first flat worth spending properly on. You’ll use it every night for years, and a bad one affects everything else. But you don’t need to spend a fortune either. Here’s what actually makes a difference.

Start with the size

Measure the room before you fall in love with a king size. In the UK:

  • Single: 90 x 190 cm
  • Small double: 120 x 190 cm
  • Double: 135 x 190 cm
  • King: 150 x 200 cm

Leave at least 50 to 60 cm on the sides you get in and out of, and room to open the wardrobe and the door. In many rented bedrooms, a small double fits better than a double and still sleeps two people who don’t mind being close.

Firmness depends on how you sleep

There’s no single right firmness, but there is a rough guide:

  • Side sleepers usually like medium to medium-soft, so shoulders and hips can sink in a little.
  • Back sleepers tend to prefer medium to medium-firm.
  • Front sleepers often need firmer support to stop the lower back from dipping.

If two of you sleep differently, medium is the safest middle ground.

Foam, springs or hybrid?

Memory foam moulds to your body and stops you feeling a partner move. Some people find it sleeps warm.

Pocket springs are individually wrapped coils that give bouncy, breathable support. More springs isn’t automatically better, so don’t choose on spring count alone.

Hybrid mattresses combine pocket springs with foam on top and suit most people, which is why they’re so common now.

Use the trial period

Many online mattress brands offer a home trial, often 100 nights or more, with free returns if you don’t get on with it. Read the small print: some ask you to keep it for a minimum number of nights first, and returns can be fiddly. It’s still the best way to know, because ten minutes lying on a mattress in a shop tells you very little.

Think about getting it upstairs

Rolled mattresses arrive vacuum-packed in a box, which is a big advantage for a top-floor flat with a narrow staircase. Let it expand for the time the maker recommends before you judge it.

What’s worth paying for

A removable, washable cover. A decent trial period and warranty. Good edge support if you sit on the side of the bed a lot.

What isn’t

Fancy names for foam layers, and very high spring counts. Big “sale” discounts are also so common that the full price is rarely the real price.

Protect it from day one

A waterproof mattress protector is cheap and keeps the mattress clean, which matters if you ever want to use the warranty. Then make the bed look good with calm, Scandi-style bedding.

Frequently asked questions

What size mattress fits a small bedroom?
A UK small double is 120 x 190 cm and a double is 135 x 190 cm. In a small room, a small double often leaves enough space for a bedside table on each side, which a double may not.
How long should a mattress last?
Most last around seven to ten years with normal use. Rotating it every few months helps it wear evenly, and a mattress protector keeps it clean.

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