Medium Soft Mattresses
A medium soft mattress gives you the plush, cushioned feel firmer beds can't, while keeping enough support underneath to stop you sinking through to the base. It's the firmness where side sleepers and lighter bodies most often find pressure relief without losing alignment.
Medium soft starts around £160, though the typical model sits closer to £850, since this feel usually needs deeper, better-made comfort layers. Comparing side by side matters here because softer labels vary between brands even more than firm ones.
Prices are checked regularly across UK retailers, so each medium soft mattress shows its current cost and where you can buy it.
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×What medium soft actually means
Medium soft sits at 3 on our seven-point scale, one step below the middle. You settle visibly into the comfort layers and feel them shape around you, but the support core still catches you well before the sink becomes a swallow. It's plushness with a safety net.
Because softer feels amplify the effect of body weight, the same medium soft reads differently by build: genuinely soft to lighter sleepers, closer to a standard medium for heavier ones. As always, labels vary between brands, so treat them as a guide and use trial periods.
Who medium soft suits
- Side sleepers, especially of light to average build, who want proper pressure relief at the shoulder and hip.
- Anyone who finds medium mattresses subtly too firm but doesn't want to feel engulfed.
- Sleepers with pressure sensitivity at the joints who need the surface to give first.
- Anyone who likes a cosy, cradled feel that still lets them move.
Who might want a different option
- Front sleepers: the hip sink at this softness works against spinal alignment. Look at medium firm or firmer.
- Heavier sleepers, who will press through the plushness and may bottom out. Medium or firmer holds up better.
- Anyone who dislikes any sensation of sinking into a bed.
Choosing well at this firmness
Construction sets the character of the softness. A medium soft memory foam gives a slow, close cradle, while a softer pocket sprung or pillow top model gives plushness with more spring underneath. If you sleep warm as well as wanting softness, the sprung options breathe considerably better than deep foam.
How much medium soft mattresses cost
Medium soft starts around £160, but the typical model sits near £850, which reflects how often this feel comes from deeper, more generous comfort layers over a well-built core. The top of the range reaches into premium handmade territory.
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.
Is medium soft too soft for everyday use?
Not at all. Medium soft is a mainstream firmness with proper support underneath the plush surface, and for lighter and side-sleeping bodies it's often the correct everyday choice rather than an indulgence.
Who is a medium soft mattress best for?
Side sleepers of light to average weight get the most from it, since the extra give cushions the shoulder and hip where firmer surfaces create pressure. It also suits anyone who consistently finds medium mattresses a touch too hard.
Will I sink into a medium soft mattress?
You'll settle in noticeably more than on a medium, but a well-made medium soft catches you long before the stuck feeling of a very soft bed. If any sink bothers you, stay at medium or above.
Is medium soft suitable for couples?
It can be, particularly for couples of similar, lighter builds who both like a plusher feel. Where one partner is heavier or prefers firmness, a medium is usually the easier compromise.
Why do medium soft mattresses often cost more?
Softness with support requires deeper or more sophisticated comfort layers over a well-built core, and that extra material shows in the price. The typical medium soft sits near £850, higher than the market-wide average.