Tempur is known for blazing the trail, creating the original memory foam mattress. But with ongoing advancements in the mattress industry, can the brand still innovate in the increasingly crowded market, especially given its high price points?
Much like many other mattresses currently available, Tempur’s smartcool mattress is built around three core features: support, temperature regulation and motion absorption.
The brand claims the top layer is made of billions of adaptive cells that respond to your body’s contours, becoming more pliable in warmer areas to provide tailored support. This allows heavier parts of the body to be fully supported while lighter areas, such as the arms and legs, receive light cushioning. The mattress has also been designed to draw heat away from the body, helping to prevent overheating during the night – a common cause of disrupted sleep. Tempur also says its motion isolation means you’re less likely to be disturbed by a partner shifting position.
I put the premium mattress to the test to see whether its steep price tag is justified and, more importantly, whether it made a noticeable difference to the quality of my sleep. Keep reading for my honest review.
Read more: How to choose the right mattress for you
How I tested
The smartcool range has standard sizes plus some irregular options (including long single and emperor). But you also have the choice of depth and softness. I tested the 25cm depth mattress with medium firmness (the second softest of four options).
For context, I’m a front sleeper who fidgets and runs warm when I sleep. I share my bed with my partner, mostly a back sleeper who is also prone to restlessness and wakes up a lot in the night. For this review, I’ve collated both of our feedback.
I spent three months sleeping on the mattress during winter, logging my sleep against certain criteria every morning: how quickly I fell asleep, whether I woke during the night, if I felt too hot or uncomfortable, and how rested I felt overall.
I’ve also considered:
- Comfort and feel: I assessed how it supported my body across different positions and whether the layers provided the right balance of cushioning and firmness.
- Spinal alignment: I paid attention to how my back and hips felt in the morning to see if it relieved aches.
- Partner disturbance: I monitored whether my partner’s movements affected my sleep.
- Temperature and breathability: I haven’t yet slept on the mattress during the summer months (I’ll update this review once I have). But I monitored whether it kept me cosy yet not overly warm and sweaty during the winter.
- Consistency over time: I tracked any changes in support, firmness, or sagging throughout the testing period to judge long-term durability.
Read more: Best mattress toppers for a comfortable night’s sleep, tried and tested
Tempur pro smartcool mattress
Sizes: Small single, single, long single, double, king size, super king size, plus special sizes like emperor and euro king
Mattress type: Memory foam (foam core)
Guarantee: 10 years
Brand's sleep trial: 100 nights
Rotate or flip: Rotate
Tested by: Front and back sleepers
Firmness rating: Available in "soft" to "firm" | Brand's "medium" rated by tester as 4/10
Depth: Available in 21cm, 25cm and 30cm
Cover: Machine washable up to 40C
Old mattress recycling: Not available
Why we love it
- Temperature regulating top layer keeps an even body temperature
- Cover can be removed and machine washed
- Movement from a partner is barely noticeable, which is ideal for light sleepers
Take note
- Not the best edge support and sitting up in bed isn’t the most comfortable
- Can't be used with heated pad or heated blanket
- Movement of top layer can be felt
Initial thoughts
Rather than arriving vacuum-sealed, it was delivered by two people in a ready-to-use state. It’s ‘floppier’ than others I’ve had in the past – when standing on its side after being delivered, it began to curl. There was a strong new mattress smell, which took a few days to dissipate.
It looks high tech upon first inspection with the grooved pattern for heat distribution and contrast colour of the zip-off top layer. Its depth (25cm) feels akin to a hotel mattress – I was initially concerned it was a little too high when placed on my bed, but with sheets and bedding on top, it looks plush and luxurious.
Overview
Without sounding too over the top, the Tempur smartcool mattress has improved my sleep considerably. I have been waking up refreshed instead of groggy, which is quite a statement in the depths of winter. And I’ve found I stir less during the night. My partner, who is a light and restless sleeper, has also noted a marked improvement in his sleep.
With several layers of Tempur’s memory foam (technically known as viscoelastic polyurethane), the mattress softens in response to heat and pressure, allowing it to mould closely to different bodies. Rather than pushing back like traditional springs, the material slowly adapts around your body, helping to distribute weight more evenly and reduce pressure points.
Firmness and pressure relief
Lying on this mattress feels like you’re being held in place, almost floating. The mattress adapts to my body, and I find I settle quickly before sleep. I also move around less, though it should be noted that it’s difficult to move once you’re embedded, so this could partly be why.
As a front sleeper, I don’t want to sink too deeply into my mattress to prevent any breathing restrictions at night. Thankfully, that’s not a problem with this mattress. Despite the top layer sinking in more around my core, my head and arms stay fairly level as they give off less heat, preventing that sinking feeling across my body.
The one drawback is that the mattress isn’t the best for sitting up in bed when reading or watching TV, as a deep groove forms, which is slightly uncomfortable after a while. I opted for the ‘medium’ firmness, the second softest of four options, which I would give a firmness rating of four out of 10. Although its softness means I feel supported during sleep, due to the responsive memory foam layer, getting out of bed can be slightly cumbersome at times. If you need more support getting out of bed, one of the firmer options might be better.
Tempur advises not to use a heated pad or blanket on this mattress to avoid damaging the cells.
Edge support
.png)
There is no reinforcement around the perimeter of the mattress, meaning practically no edge support. But because I feel supported by the memory foam layer while sleeping, I never feel like I’m going to fall out of bed.
Temperature regulation
I tend to wake up very hot and sometimes sweaty, so I’m the perfect candidate for testing temperature regulation. Over the two months of testing, I’ve only once woken up feeling hot – although it has only been tested in the winter.
The top of the mattress – which has grooves to distribute heat – is definitely cool to the touch, which is a slight shock to the system when jumping into bed on a winter evening. But once my body heat adjusts, the temperature evens out and stays comfortable for the duration of the night. I’m looking forward to seeing how the cooling top layer performs during the summer months.
Motion transfer
.png)
I wriggle a lot during the night, which doesn’t bode well when lying next to a light sleeper. I was anxious to introduce a new mattress that might exacerbate the situation. But thankfully, there is minimal motion transfer, so we don’t really notice each other when sleeping.
Both my partner and I find that our sleep cycles aren’t interrupted if the other switches positions or gets out of bed, and we both wake up feeling fresh and well-rested because of this.
Maintenance
The mattress has been designed with easy maintenance in mind. It should be rotated rather than flipped, a blessing given its weight. The top layer is removable and machine-washable to keep it fresh. This gives me hope for the longevity of the mattress, which comes with a 10-year warranty.
I can sometimes feel the removable top layer bunching slightly as it adjusts to my body, but this is a minor quirk rather than a big flaw.
Buy now £2099, Tempur
Your questions about the Tempur smartcool mattress answered
Is a Tempur mattress worth the money?
Although the Tempur pro smartcool mattress is expensive, the quality is reflected in the price. After months of testing, the mattress improved the quality of my sleep with its combination of temperature regulation, adaptive memory foam technology for full-body support and excellent motion isolation. The brand offers a 100-night trial, which is a good chance to test whether it works for you.
What are the disadvantages of Tempur mattresses?
The smartcool range cannot be used with an electric blanket or heating pad. According to the brand, heat may damage the delicate cells made to enhance supportiveness and temperature regulation.
Another drawback is the edge support. If sitting and getting in and out of bed are important factors for you, I’d recommend trying the firmer option (or a different brand!) for more edge support.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Samuel Mathewson has spent years testing and reviewing products, including mattresses, so he knows what to look for beyond first impressions. He’s particularly attuned to the details that make a real difference overnight, from proper support and pressure relief to temperature control and motion isolation. His own sleep habits make him a rigorous tester, too. As a front sleeper who tends to fidget and run hot, he also shares a bed with a partner prone to restlessness, so he’s always on the lookout for features to help support these factors.
