How to Choose a Mattress Feel: Soft, Medium, Medium Firm or Firm

Every Mayfair mattress in our range comes in four feels — Soft, Medium, Medium Firm and Firm — and the price stays the same whichever you choose. That's deliberately how it works: feel is a matter of personal comfort, not a premium feature, so you should pick based on how you actually sleep, not on price.

What "feel" actually changes

Feel comes down to how much the comfort layer gives under your body weight before you reach the firmer support layer beneath. A Soft feel lets you sink in further before that happens; a Firm feel keeps you sitting higher, with less initial give.

Soft

A deeper, more enveloping sink-in feel. Often preferred by side sleepers, since a softer comfort layer cushions the hips and shoulders — the two points that carry the most pressure when lying on your side.

Medium

A balanced middle ground — noticeable give without feeling like you're sinking in. A sensible default if you're not sure which way to lean, or if you sleep in a mix of positions through the night.

Medium Firm

Slightly more resistance than Medium, with a touch more support under the lower back. Popular with back sleepers and anyone who wants the adaptive comfort layer without feeling like they're sinking too far into it.

Firm

The least give of the four. Often preferred by front sleepers and those who simply prefer sleeping on top of a mattress rather than into it, or by heavier sleepers who want a bit more resistance underneath them.

Does depth change the decision?

Depth (the difference between our three tiers) and feel are separate choices. A deeper mattress simply means more comfort layer and more support layer beneath it — it doesn't automatically mean softer. You can get a Firm feel in any of our three depths, and a Soft feel in any of them too.

Still not sure?

If in doubt, Medium is the safest starting point — it's the most common preference and rarely feels wrong either way. But if you already know you sleep on your side, lean Soft; if you sleep on your back or front, lean towards Medium Firm or Firm.

See the full range, including all four feels across all three depths, in our Mayfair mattress collection.