Tempur Pro Plus SmartCool mattress review: is it worth buying?

House & Gardens Interior Feature: 'Collected and Curated'. The feature discusses the Cotswold home of Pippa Harris. Image of the spare room in Harris's home. The walls of the room are covered in white wallpaper with a green floral pattern. Behind the bed is a cream panelled headboard and a pendant light with a wicker lampshade hangs above the bed. The bed has white cotton bedding with a red floral patterned blanket at the foot of the bed.Mark Anthony Fox

Sleep is taken pretty seriously in our house – we’re proud of our nine-hour average. After years of renting and sleeping on mediocre discount mattresses, we finally found ourselves settled in one place and ready to invest in something genuinely comfortable.

My partner and I have both struggled with various strains and neck pain over the years, something that has become more noticeable now that we’re in our 30s. As a fairly active couple, good postural alignment during sleep is really important for us. And as someone with scoliosis, for me it’s even more essential.

Tempur mattresses had been on my radar for years. When I was a teenager, a physiotherapist recommended that I try a memory foam mattress. Another physio suggested I should sleep directly on a hard floor with no mattress at all, so naturally I ignored both pieces of advice at the time. Over the years I’ve heard mixed opinions about Tempur and memory foam mattresses in general. It seems people either love them or hate them, so when the opportunity arose to try out Tempur's Pro Plus SmartCool, I went into it relatively sceptical.

TEMPUR PRO SmartCool mattress

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Tempur's bestselling model, the Pro Plus SmartCool mattress is designed to offer advanced pressure relief and excellent motion absorption. Each mattress features Tempur's SmartCool Technology, woven into the zip-off QuickRefresh washable cover, which is supposed to absorb excess heat and keep you feeling fresh while you sleep. Alongside this, cooling technology works to regulate your body temperature by improving airflow and preventing overheating during the night. But would the mattress live up to all of these promises?

I picked the medium-firm option and 25cm depth. The depth makes the mattress feel incredibly cushioned, I can’t imagine why you would need more depth than this but Tempur does offer a 30cm option that now I am a little curious to try. Attempting to judge the firmness of the mattress proved tricky at first as I was adjusting to the sensation of the memory foam but I can say that I definitely feel more supported than I have been by all previous medium-firm mattresses that I've had, while also enjoying a new level of squishy comfort. Unexpectedly enjoyable!

A few months in, I’m pleased to say that I am loving this mattress. I’ve been getting plenty of deep, quality sleep and waking up with noticeably less tension in my neck and upper back. I’ve also realised that I tend to fall asleep on my back and wake up in the same position, which suggests I’m rolling and turning far less during the night. Another big benefit is the motion absorption. I haven’t been disturbed at all by my partner moving around, which used to happen fairly often with our previous mattress. I can’t confidently state that the SmartCool technology makes a huge difference compared to our last mattress but we are certainly not overheating, which I believe can be an issue with some memory foam mattresses.

The practical design of the cover is also a plus. Tempur Pro mattresses come with removable, washable covers. The QuickRefresh top layer unzips easily and can be machine washed at 40°C or 60°C, which makes keeping it clean incredibly convenient. If needed, the entire cover can also be washed. As someone who has spilt one or two morning coffees in bed, this is a feature I am particularly thrilled about.

One thing to consider is the cost; this mattress is a real investment and it could feel hard to justify the spend, given the huge amount of alternative, more affordable options out there. Luckily, Tempur offers a 100-night trial, allowing you to test the mattress at home to see if it works for you. Every Tempur mattress also comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s quality guarantee, offering some reassurance for longevity, given the higher price point.

A 21cm deep double mattress is priced at £2,099, the middle depth of 25cm goes up to £2,399 and the thickest, 30cm, is £2,899. Though there is currently a sale on, with £200 each of those prices.

The only real drawback for us was the delivery. The mattress arrived in a large, heavy box with no handles, which made it difficult to move — especially compared to many modern mattresses that arrive rolled and easier to handle. If you live in a tight space or have to navigate the box around corners to reach the bedroom, this might be a problem and should be taken into consideration.

As a bargain-loving 30 year old, I am slightly terrified of the price of this mattress. I have searched for reasons to confidently say ‘this is NOT worth it’. Unfortunately, I have had to face the fact that, personally, I really do think the Tempur Pro Plus is worth investing in. Sleep is so important for our health and wellbeing, and finding the right mattress for you will no doubt help you to have improved sleep quality and overall wellness. I think I might have found my perfect match here.