Extra Soft Mattresses
Extra soft is the deepest, plushest point on the firmness scale, and almost nobody makes one for the UK market. Mainstream brands build their plushest models at soft, because deeper sink than that suits too few sleepers to be worth manufacturing.
That leaves a practical question rather than a shopping list: how to reach an ultra-plush feel without giving up the support that keeps your spine straight. In most cases the answer is a well-made soft mattress, sometimes paired with a deep topper.
We'd rather point you somewhere useful than pretend a category exists where it doesn't, so nothing appears here that doesn't genuinely qualify.
Our picks at this firmness
Every mattress at this firmness
Emma Original Mattress
What extra soft actually means
Extra soft is 1 of 7 on our scale: maximum sink, with the surface yielding almost completely to your shape. It's the plushest feel a mattress can offer, and it's close to extinct as a standalone firmness in the UK. Manufacturers build their plushest mainstream models at soft, because extra soft supports so narrow a range of sleepers that few make it at all.
No mattress on Mattress Unboxed currently carries this firmness, and saying so plainly is more useful than padding the page with models that don't qualify.
If you're looking for the softest possible bed
- Start with our soft mattresses, the plushest widely available firmness, where lighter side sleepers usually find what they're after.
- Consider a soft mattress plus a plush topper. A deep feather or memory foam topper over a soft mattress recreates the extra soft feel while keeping proper support underneath, and it's the route most seekers of ultimate plushness end up taking.
- Look at pillow top and natural-filled designs in our pocket sprung range, which offer deep surface plushness over a supportive core.
A word of honest caution
Extra soft suits almost nobody as an everyday surface. Even light side sleepers, its natural audience, are usually better served by a quality soft. Deep, unsupported sink pulls the spine out of line for front and back sleepers and makes movement hard work for restless ones. It also sleeps warm. If a mattress you're considering feels extra soft in a showroom, it's worth asking whether it will still support you six months in.
How we compare them
We use information from manufacturer and retailer specifications, verified owner reviews and our own catalogue data across more than 800 construction-checked models, with prices checked regularly across our UK retail partners. You can read more on how we assess mattresses and how we stay independent on How We Make Money.
Why are there no extra soft mattresses listed?
Because almost none are made for the UK market, and we'd rather be straight about that than stretch the label. The plushest mainstream mattresses are built at soft, which is where we'd point you.
How do I get an extra soft feel?
The practical route is a quality soft mattress paired with a deep plush topper, such as feather or soft memory foam. That layers the sink-in feel you want over a core that still supports you.
Is an extra soft mattress bad for you?
For most sleepers the sink is too deep for good spinal alignment, especially front and back sleepers. Very light side sleepers tolerate it best, but even they usually sleep better on a supportive soft.
What's the softest mattress I can actually buy?
Browse our soft mattress range, which represents the plush end of what UK brands make. Pillow top designs within it offer some of the deepest surface comfort available.
Do any brands make extra soft mattresses?
A handful of specialist and custom makers will build to order, but mainstream UK brands generally stop at soft. If extra soft models reach the UK market, they'll appear here.