What’s the deal with IKEA mattresses – and which one is actually worth buying?

IKEA Valevåg.

We’re seeing more and more cheap and cheerful brands enter the mattress market these days, offering everything from the best bed-in-a-box mattresses to mattress toppers designed to upgrade the comfort of your existing bed. However, mattresses from IKEA often get overlooked, with many shoppers heading straight for its smart home gadgets – or the meatballs, in my case.

That said, IKEA mattresses shouldn’t be ignored, and there are actually plenty of reasons to consider them beyond their affordable price tags. The Swedish retailer offers a surprisingly large selection, covering a wide range of firmness levels, heights and materials, so there’s a good chance you’ll find something that suits your sleep style.

Below, I’ve broken down the different mattress types IKEA sells, along with which ones are most worth your time and money.

(Image credit: IKEA)

What kinds of mattresses does IKEA sell?

When it comes to mattress construction, most IKEA models fall into three main categories – pocket sprung, sprung (open coil) and foam.

There are a few variations too – including the occasional hybrid – but these three make up the core of the range. Within each category, you’ll also find multiple collections offering different firmness levels and features.

Pocket sprung mattresses

Range	Firmness	Sizes available	Price
Valevåg	Medium Firm, Firm	Single, Small Double, Double, King, Super King	From £149
Vesteröy	Medium Firm, Firm	Single, Double, King	From £139
Vågstranda	Medium Firm, Firm	Single, Double, King, Super King	From £249
Vatneström	Medium Firm, Firm	Double, King	From £689

Foam mattresses

Range	Firmness	Sizes available	Price
Åfjäll	Medium firm, Firm	European Single, Single, European Double, Double	From £85
Åbygda	Firm	Single, European Double, Double, King	From £139
Ågotnes	Firm	European Single, Single	From £60
Åkrehamn	Medium firm, Firm	Single, Double, King	From £179

Open coil / sprung mattresses

Range	Firmness	Sizes available	Price
Vestmarka	Medium firm, Firm	Double, King	From £139
Vadsö	Firm	Single, Double	From £85

Do IKEA mattresses fit standard sized beds?

One thing to be aware of is sizing. IKEA mattresses used to follow European bed sizes, which sometimes caused confusion for UK shoppers who discovered their new mattress didn’t quite fit a standard UK bed frame. Thankfully, IKEA now sells both standard UK sizes and European sizes, so if you’re in the UK it’s best to stick with the standard sizing to avoid any issues.

If you are looking at European sizes, here’s a quick guide:

80 × 200cm – European Small Single

90 × 200cm – European Single

140 × 200cm – European Double

Which is the best IKEA mattress?

From what we’ve seen, IKEA’s pocket sprung mattresses appear to be the most popular and highly rated across the entire collection. This includes the Valevåg, Vesteröy, Vågstranda and Vatneström models.

In fact, the The Guardian awarded the Valevåg mattress an impressive four stars last year, calling it “unarguably a brilliant buy.” Pocket sprung mattresses are generally a great choice because each spring sits inside its own fabric pocket. This helps the mattress contour more closely to your body whilst preventing the “roll-together” effect, where sleepers drift toward the middle of the bed.

Compared to traditional open-coil designs, pocket springs usually offer better support and improved durability. They’re also often a safer middle ground for shoppers who find foam mattresses a bit too firm or too warm.

Whilst we haven’t reviewed any IKEA mattresses ourselves just yet, they’re definitely on our radar. With their combination of strong value and surprisingly good quality, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see one earn a place on our list of the best mattresses in the future.

(Image credit: IKEA)