The best firm mattresses for a supported night of sleep

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Memory Foam
• Trial period: 365 nights

Nectar’s mattresses are some of the most comfortable we’ve tested at GQ, and the Memory Foam Mattress comes at a sub-£500 price point so that's not something we are going to argue with. What you’ll get is just under a ruler’s length of support from pressure-relieving memory foam — tremendous for side-sleepers, back-sleepers, or any-way-I-can-get-some-sleep-sleepers. There are three layers of foam in that depth, all designed for optimal support and aligning your spine. Nectar’s mattresses also come with a 365-night home trial for that extra piece of mind. From £475. At nectarsleep.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Pocket sprung
• Trial period: 40 nights

As much as its price represents an obscene amount of money for a mattress, Hypnos's Luxurious Earth 05 is worth every penny. Fittingly, this mattress isn't just environmentally friendly but offers generous layers of naturally temperature-regulating and antibacterial fibre, combined with responsive Talalay latex for superior pressure relief and spinal support. We can't tell you what a difference this fine mattress has made to our 40 winks and while it is expensive, you'll get to enjoy the fruits of your purchase night after night and that's a priceless experience. From £2,700. At bensonsforbeds.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Pocket sprung
• Trial period: 60 nights

This traditional pocket spring offer from John Lewis promises back, spine and neck support of the highest calibre, as offered by its 1,200 unique zoned pocket springs, which serve to evenly distribute your weight throughout the night. Great, right? John Lewis rates it as hypoallergenic, too, so if you’re especially vulnerable to dust mites, you can chalk that up as a plus. You may not find it as firm as some others within this round-up, but there's good value here and a range of sizes if pocket sprung is your kryptonite. From £499 £399. At johnlewis.com

• Sizes: Single, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Hybrid
• Trial period: 200 nights

Making mattress shopping a breeze, Simba's Hybrid Ultra Mattress is one of the best options out there, apropos of its thirteen layers of comfort, medium-firm construction, and luxury feel. Given not everyone has a spare three grand to spend on a mattress — that’s for a double — there are financing options available through Simba at 0 per cent interest. Better still, it's worth signing up for Simba's newsletter if you want to save yourself a few hundred quid, which let's face it, is worth a few spammy emails. From £1,999 (or £1,699 if you sign up to the newsletter). At simbasleep.com

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King, EU Single, EU Double, EU Queen
• Mattress type: Hybrid
• Trial period: 200 nights

If you’re a firm sleeper and you’re prone to overheating in the night, Emma’s Luxe Cooling Mattress could be the one for you. At just over £730 for a double, you’ll get a mattress that provides comfort and support throughout the night — and it regulates your temperature, absorbing your body heat and redistributing it through the bed, using graphite-infused foam and Emma’s Thermosync technology. It's also pretty sweet at absorbing motion so if you've got a partner that rolls, it will stop you from waking up. Living in the 21st century sometimes has its upsides. From £699 £489. At emma-sleep.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Pocket sprung
• Trial period: Not specified

If you get back aches and you need an extra-tough surface to sleep on — without relegating yourself to the floor — Silentnight’s Supreme Ortho Extra Firm Mattress could be the one for you. It’s got four layers of supportive bliss: a Tencel top for comfort, sandwiching British wool and EcoComfort fibre for temperature control, with a bottom layer of Silentnight’s Micracoil 782-spring support. A firm option is available too, but if tough is how you like it then look no further. The design is also made to specifically limit motion transfer, meaning you have less chance of waking up from your partner tossing around at night. From £800. At bensonsforbeds.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Hybrid
• Trial period: 100 nights

Here’s a mouthful for you — Reylon’s Somerton Dunlopillo Latex Mattress. But what, exactly, is it? Sourced from rubber trees, it’s a sustainable, eco-friendly material that provides elastic support throughout the night. It’s undergirded by 1,122 individual pocket springs, providing traditional bounce and support, while a supportive foam layer sits in the middle. There's edge-to-edge support, a tufted finish for extra durability and there's a luxurious Belgian damask sleep surface too. Despite the somewhat confusing science behind it, this Reylon is a breeze to live with – especially since it's covered by Dreams’ 100-night comfort guarantee. From £999. At dreams.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King, Emperor
• Mattress type: Pocket sprung
• Trial period: None

This bed is giving regal, it’s giving opulence, it’s giving you’ve just broken into a bedroom in Buckingham Palace and suddenly you’re being lulled into a kip. (We are legally obligated, probably, to advise that you do not break into Buckingham Palace or any other Royal estate.) Made with natural British wool, Feather & Black’s Bennett Mattress — which offers a variety of different tension grades, firm being the top — looks exactly like the sort of thing that the other half sleeps on. And at just over a grand for a double even at full price, we’d call that a relative bargain. From £899. At featherandblack.com

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Hybrid
• Trial period: 40 nights

Slumberland’s Air 6.0 Memory Mattress is a unique hybrid of memory foam and traditional pocket springs, which provide an abundance of support — an especially strong allure for those with back issues. There are three firmness ratings to choose from, with a firm-rated double mattress coming in at £800, an eminently reasonable price for such a strongly reviewed model. That said, you might need to buy yourself some new bed sheets as this mattress goes deep and standard sheets might not cut it. From £650. At bensonsforbeds.co.uk

• Sizes: Single, Double, King Size, Super King
• Mattress type: Hybrid
• Trial period: 100 nights

Dusk’s Original Hybrid offers a lot of goodies for its bargain £349 price point — that’s 2,000 pocket springs (in a king size mattress) and a memory foam layer combining for best-in-class comfort and support. You can’t go wrong with that. It’s also one of the better-looking mattresses on the market, with a paired back white-and-grey aesthetic that doesn't demand to be immediately cast out of sight under a bed sheet. It's exceptionally well-reviewed, and available at a very decent price for a hybrid mattress. From £399 £349. At dusk.com

• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King
• Mattress type: Memory foam
• Trial period: 200 nights

Eve offers all of the goodies we’ve come to expect from online mattress-in-a-box retailers — almost a year-long trial, a generous warranty period, and easy delivery — at a bargain price. Having re-designed its entire range too, this memory foam mattress is also flippable, with a firm tension one side and soft the other, just in case you change your mind about wanting that firm feeling. With 24 centimetres of supreme, memory foam support and comfort, you’ll seldom find such a reasonable buy. From £449 £314. At evesleep.co.uk

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