Two terms get used interchangeably and should not be. Support is whether the mattress holds your spine in line. Firmness is how the surface feels. A soft mattress can be well supported; a firm one can be badly supported.

Sleeping position drives the choice

  • Side sleepers — need the shoulder and hip to sink so the spine stays straight. Medium to medium-soft usually works.
  • Back sleepers — need the lumbar curve filled without the hips dropping. Medium to medium-firm.
  • Front sleepers — need the hips held up to avoid over-arching the lower back. Firm.
  • Position changers — medium is the honest compromise; a responsive core matters more than the exact rating.

Body weight shifts everything

Firmness ratings assume an average build. A lighter sleeper will find a "medium" mattress firmer than labelled because they do not compress the comfort layer. A heavier sleeper will pass through it into the support core and find the same mattress softer. If two people of very different weights share a bed, look at zoned support or dual-firmness construction before compromising on a single rating.

What the layers do

  • Rebonded foam core — the structural base. Density here decides how long the mattress holds shape.
  • Soft foam layer — the comfort layer that sets the initial feel.
  • Natural latex — responsive rather than sinking, naturally breathable, and holds up longer than most foams. Zoned latex varies firmness along the body.
  • Quilted top — surface feel and moisture handling. It changes first impressions more than long-term support.

Thickness is not quality

A 6-inch mattress with a dense core can outlast an 8-inch one with a thick soft layer over a weak base. Thickness matters for heavier sleepers, who need enough core depth not to bottom out, and for bed height once you add the frame.

Before you commit

Lie on it in your actual sleeping position for at least ten minutes, not sitting on the edge. Check whether the base is a platform or slatted — slat spacing over 75mm will let foam sag between them regardless of mattress quality. And confirm the warranty covers sagging depth, which is the failure that actually occurs.

Our mattress range covers rebonded, latex and zoned constructions, and thickness can be specified through the custom service.