The Best Cooling Mattresses for Hot Sleepers
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You can always kick off the duvet when you get too warm, but you’re stuck with your mattress all night, which is why the best cooling mattresses make such a difference for hot sleepers. Instead of soaking up your body heat and handing it back in the early hours, they use springs, gel-infused foam or natural wool to carry warmth away.
We’ve picked the standout mattresses in our range for every kind of hot sleeper, whether you love memory foam, need firm support or want to keep costs down.
What is the best cooling mattress in the UK?
The best cooling mattress for most hot sleepers in the UK is the Sareer Cool Blue Memory Pocket, which pairs temperature regulating memory foam with breathable pocket springs. Here’s how it compares with the rest of our picks:
| Mattress | Best for | What’s good | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sareer Cool Blue Memory Pocket | Best overall | Memory foam comfort, without the heat. Rated 4.8 out of 5 by customers | Feels firmer than you might expect, if you like a soft mattress |
| Maxitex Sapphire 2000 Pocket Gel | A premium choice | Stays cool, gets more supportive the deeper you sink, and you’ll feel less of a partner’s movement | Costs more than our budget picks |
| SOLACE+CO Cool Gel Eco Foam | Foam lovers who run warm | A soft, cushioned feel without the clammy heat, plus a cover that helps keep allergens down | Very hot sleepers may find a sprung mattress cooler, and it’s only available in three sizes |
| Maxitex Fresh Ortho Cool Memory | Firm support | Keeps you on top of the mattress instead of sinking into the warmth, in every size from small single to super king | May feel too firm for side sleepers |
| Jay-Be Bio Cool Hybrid 2000 e-Pocket | Eco-conscious sleepers | A naturally cool feel and fully recyclable at the end of its life | Not one for anyone who loves the sink-in feel of memory foam |
| Sareer Cool Blue Memory Foam | Hot sleepers on a budget | An affordable way to sleep cooler, ideal for a guest room or first flat | Slimmer than most at 15cm, so there’s less cushioning |
| Sareer Gel Coil | Single sleepers who like a sprung feel | Familiar bounce with a cooler surface | You’ll feel more of a partner’s movement, and it can’t be flipped |
How does a cooling mattress work?
A cooling mattress moves heat and moisture away from your body, which matters because your core temperature naturally drops as you fall asleep. Gel-infused foam helps by absorbing warmth as you settle, so it stays fresher than standard memory foam.
Springs let air move in and out every time you shift, which is why pocket sprung and hybrid mattresses tend to sleep cooler than solid foam. Natural fillings such as wool draw sweat away from your skin, and most of the mattresses below use more than one of these to keep you cool.
What should you look for in a cooling mattress?
Check what sits closest to you first, because a thick layer of dense memory foam will trap heat, however good the springs underneath are. Firmness matters too, since the further you sink into a soft mattress, the more of your body is wrapped in material that holds heat.
A medium firm or firm mattress keeps you on top, where air can reach you. Look for a breathable cover as well, and pair your mattress with a breathable mattress protector so you don’t cancel out the cooling you’ve paid for.
What is the best mattress for hot sleepers?
These are the best cooling mattresses in the UK from our range, each tackling heat in a slightly different way.
Best overall: Sareer Cool Blue Memory Pocket Mattress
If you only look at one mattress on this list, make it the Sareer Cool Blue Memory Pocket, which solves the classic memory foam problem, without losing the feel people love. Pocket springs keep air moving beneath the foam, while Cool Blue technology draws heat and moisture away as you sleep.
Its medium firm feel holds you on top of the mattress, rather than letting you sink into the warmth, and customers rate it 4.8 out of 5.
Best premium cooling mattress: Maxitex Sapphire 2000 Pocket Gel Mattress
The Maxitex Sapphire 2000 Pocket Gel is the one to choose if you want a cooling mattress that doesn’t compromise on anything else. A 1 inch layer of cooling gel sits over memory foam, with 2000 pocket springs underneath to keep air flowing.
Its progressive firmness gives you more support the deeper you sink, and you’ll find similar options in our gel mattresses range.
Best foam mattress for hot sleepers: SOLACE+CO Cool Gel Eco Foam Mattress
The SOLACE+CO Cool Gel Eco suits anyone who loves the sink-in comfort of foam but not the clammy feeling that can come with it. A Cool Gel Foam comfort layer keeps the surface fresher, and the SEAQUAL cover, made from recycled plastic including plastic recovered from the sea, is treated with Purotex® probiotics that absorb humidity as you move.
As an all-foam mattress, it relies on gel rather than airflow, so very hot sleepers may find a sprung option cooler still.
Best firm cooling mattress: Maxitex Fresh Ortho Cool Memory Mattress
Firm mattresses have a sneaky advantage for hot sleepers, because you sit on top of them rather than sinking in, and the Maxitex Fresh Ortho Cool Memory makes the most of it. Europa Beds build it in Britain, pairing a long life orthopaedic spring unit with a layer of cool memory foam that eases pressure points, while letting warmth escape.
The firm feel suits back and front sleepers best, and you’ll find more options like it in our orthopaedic mattresses range.
Best eco cooling mattress: Jay-Be Bio Cool Hybrid 2000 e-Pocket Mattress
Most cooling mattresses rely on gel or springs, but the award-winning Jay-Be Bio Cool Hybrid tackles heat at every layer. Its sugarcane Bio Cool fabric draws warmth away from your body, a mint-infused comfort layer gives a natural cooling sensation, and a 3D Spacer border keeps air moving around the edges.
With foam-free fillings and a fully recyclable design, it stands out in our eco-friendly mattresses range, though memory foam fans may want to look elsewhere.
Best budget mattress for hot sleepers: Sareer Cool Blue Memory Foam Mattress
The Sareer Cool Blue Memory Foam is one of the most affordable ways to get temperature regulating foam, proving you don’t need a big budget to sleep cooler.
Its design lets air channel through the mattress, and at 15cm deep it’s a particularly good fit for a guest room or a first flat.
Best sprung cooling mattress: Sareer Gel Coil Mattress
The Sareer Gel Coil proves a cooling mattress doesn’t have to be foam, pairing a traditional open coil spring unit with temperature regulating gel. Open coil springs are linked together, so you’ll feel more of a partner’s movement than on a pocket sprung mattress, which makes it best suited to single sleepers.
Do memory foam mattresses make you hot?
Memory foam mattresses can be hot, because traditional memory foam is dense and moulds so closely around your body that there’s very little room left for air to circulate. Gel-infused foams and foam paired with springs both counter this, giving you the same comforting hug, with far less heat.
Can a memory foam mattress cause night sweats?
A memory foam mattress can contribute to night sweats, as dense foam holds on to body heat. Room temperature and bedding play a part too, and our guide on how to keep cool at night covers both.
If night sweats happen often and you can’t explain them, speak to your GP.
Is a wool mattress cooling?
Wool is cooling, just not in the way most people expect. It doesn’t feel cold to the touch, but it draws moisture away from your skin so you’re less likely to wake up clammy, and you’ll find natural fillings across our eco-friendly mattresses.
Why is my mattress so hot?
A mattress usually feels hot because air can’t get through it, often because of dense foam, a thick protector or synthetic bedding. An older, softer mattress lets you sink further in too, surrounding you with more warm material.
Before replacing anything, check that your mattress protector is breathable, as it’s often the quickest fix.