Tested by When we asked the Good Housekeeping readers to tell us about their sleep, we had over 1700 responses, and some of the stats have been keeping us up at night. Only 15 per cent of you said you sleep well, and 84% would choose a good night’s rest over an orgasm!
But here at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we want to change this, starting with making sure you have the top-performing bedroom basics that are the foundation of quality shuteye.
Enter our inaugural Sleep Awards, your definitive guide to the best mattresses, bedding and sleep aids for your bedroom.
We’ve tested nearly 300 products, sending out over 1200 pillows, duvets, GHI sleep awards toppers and protectors and more so we can bring you the comfiest, most breathable and premium buys.
Sweet dreams start here…
Meet the experts
How we tested sleep products
Our experts at the GHI start by assessing the quality and design of each product. They also put them through rigorous wash tests to ensure they won’t shrink or fade over time.
Then, we send samples out to our reader panel so each product can be trialled night after night at home. Our panellists share their experiences with us, commenting on comfort, breathability and ease of use.
Our experts then collate all this information to bring you the final scores.
All prices quoted are for UK doubles.
Score: 94/100
This premium mattress was a hit with our panel from the off – they all enjoyed night after night of great sleep and would unanimously recommend it. It was quiet, temperature regulating and supportive. Note, it requires regular turning, which is a two-person job due to its weight.
Score: 92/100
Another dreamy combination of foam and spring, our panel all slept well on this mattress, and said they’d recommend it to friends and family. They liked its supportive, firm design, which was quiet, even if their partners tossed and turned at night.
Score: 92/100
Crafted with the help of orthopaedic surgeons, this mattress combines foam with springs to provide the right level of support for each area of your body. Our testers slept soundly, saying it eased back aches and provided great cushioning support. You’ll need deep sheets though.
Score: 91/100
This is one of the original mattresses in a box, and it’s still a favourite with our testers, who found it quiet and comfortable. It was warm for the odd person, but there’s a 200-night trial if you’re not sure. It also maintained its shape well during testing.
Score: 93/100
Our panel loved drifting off on this premium topper’s nine centimetres of down and goose feather. The filling was evenly distributed, the soft cover is made from 300 thread count cotton and it fitted our beds securely. The detachable top layer washed well too.
Score: 93/100
The foam and 1500 springs in this topper provide stand-out support, transforming our panellists' mattresses and leaving them notably more comfortable. It fitted beds neatly and packed away easily too. It’s also a more sustainable pick, as Simba is a B Corp.
Score: 88/100
Hypoallergenic and soft, this breathable topper was a hit in our tests. It’s more affordable than many, and testers were pleased with its quality. It is thinner than some and lacks straps to secure it in place, but this didn’t stop most testers from sleeping easy.
Score: 100/100
A perfect score speaks for itself. This protector doesn’t rustle at night and washes well. At 40cm deep, it should fit most mattresses easily and it sat neatly and smoothly on ours in testing.
Score: 100/100
Another faultless buy, this is 70% bamboo (which is a more sustainable fabric) and lived up to its waterproof claims, preventing spills from reaching our mattress – even when we poured a glass of water on it. It was quiet to sleep on, safe to machine wash and tumble dry, and is available in a cot size if you need it for little ones.
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Score: 96/100
This memory foam pillow will mould well to your head and neck, whatever your sleep style, which meant everyone who tried it enjoyed supportive shuteye. Its soft cover washed easily, and it’s relatively breathable.
Score: 96/100
If you’re hot headed, try this memory foam pillow. While one side is soft bamboo, there’s a cooling gel pad on the other, so there’s always a colder side you can reach for. Its cover is machine washable, and testers praised its comfortable, supportive design.
Score: 95/100
With its hypoallergenic design (which isn’t always a guarantee with feathers), our testers enjoyed a blissful sleep with this plump pillow. The balance between softness and support was just right, meaning it suited a range of sleep styles. A truly luxurious buy.
Snuggledown Sumptuous Hungarian Goose Down Soft Support Pillow
Score: 95/100
Down bedding never comes cheap, but this airy pillow is more affordable than most – all while offering the comfort and support you’d hope for. It took a long time to dry after we washed it, but our panel enjoyed quality sleep with this one, describing it as “absolutely delightful”.
Score: 93/100
Filled with fibre that’s made from equal parts bamboo and recycled plastic bottles, this do-good design even has an eco-friendlier, eucalyptus silk cover. It’s soft, hypoallergenic and our panel loved curling up with it.
Score: 98/100
Our testers had only good things to say about this premium 4.5 tog duvet, which should see you through warmer nights in comfort. While the filling is made from recycled plastic bottles, it’s breathable, and the duvet comes with a sturdy bag so you can easily store it away over winter.
Score: 97/100
A duvet in two parts (one is 4.5 tog, and the other is 9 tog), they can be joined for maximum warmth when winter hits, making this our top pick for flexibility. Our testers praised its premium feel, with an evenly distributed anti-allergy filling and easy-join design. Everyone said it was comfortable at night – and one tester even described it as a “gamechanger”.
Slumberdown Perfect For Chilly Nights 15 Tog Duvet
Score: 94/100
Warm and not too weighty, this duvet earned an enthusiastic thumbs up from all our testers. Despite its size, it was easy to fit into a duvet cover and it looked invitingly plump on our panellists’ beds. Our experts were impressed with its quality after washing too (although it takes a while to dry). A proper snuggly buy.
Score: 96/100
Treat yourself to a hotel-like set-up at home with this luxe duvet. It washed well (although professional laundering is recommended), the down is sourced from cruelty-free suppliers, and testers found it lightweight and cosy – one even said it felt like a hug. Dreamy!
Score: 91/100
Wool is great for bedding due to its natural temperature regulation and moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic properties. The British wool used here is traceable and has an organic cotton shell. Our panel found it luxurious, comfortable and breathable. It rustled a tad, and you can’t machine wash it but otherwise it's a real box ticker.
Score: 91/100
Slumberdown does affordable bedding well and this duvet is no exception. Made with British wool in the UK, testers were impressed with its quality, temperature regulating qualities and evenly distributed filling that’s between 10 and 13.5 togs. Again, it wasn't quiet, and can’t go in the washing machine – testers said it wasn’t that easy to spot clean either.
The White Company Savoy Bed Linen Collection
Score 95/100
These crisp, 400 thread count percale sheets bring hotel quality to your bedroom. All our testers loved their breathable, soft feel and timeless design. They washed impeccably, and fitted our bedding impeccably. It's five stars from us.
Items available separately - price is for a double duvet
Dunelm Dorma Egyptian Cotton 400 Thread Count Percale
Score: 95/100
You can always rely on Dunelm for a great array of colourways, and these sumptuously soft sheets are no exception – there are 12 different shades so you can easily match them to your decor. They fitted our beds neatly, washed impeccably and are made in OEKO-TEX certified factories, which means they are more environmentally and ethically made.
Items available separately
Score: 95/100
Silky by name, silky on test – our testers were completely enamoured with this luxe bedding, saying they’d recommend it to others. It was easy to make the bed with, and there are 11 colourways to choose from. All the shades we tried washed well, retaining vibrancy and shape.
Items available separately
Score: 90/100
There’s something indulgent about linen sheets, and these became increasingly buttery the more we washed them. They’re made with breathable European flax and are free from harmful substances (and certified by OEKO-TEX for added peace of mind).
Sheet available separately
Score: 90/100
These sheets arrive pre-washed, so they're soft enough for you to dive straight in, even if you normally find linen too scratchy at first. They also washed well in the lab and testers were impressed with how little they creased.
Sheet available separately
Score: 89/100
This soft bedding set is made with organic bamboo that’s naturally temperature regulating and hypoallergenic, and our panel enjoyed snuggling up in it. It washed well (even when they spilt their tea on it!), and it was easy to make the bed. For deep mattresses, double check the fitted sheet measurements before you buy.
Score: 93/100
Popular with celebs (including Jennifer Aniston and Prince Harry!), this has medical-grade sensors that track factors such as your sleep stages, heart rate and activity levels for a clearer picture of your overall health. Testers liked the personalised insights, accurate reporting and chic design, which is more discrete to sleep in than a watch. Read our editor's first-person review.
Score: 89/100
Another one beloved by the stars – Trinny Woodall is a fan – this luxurious eye mask is made with mulberry silk and sits softly against your skin and hair, so there’ll be no marks or kinks come morning. It blocked all light too. Available in a rainbow of colours, it's an investment in quality beauty sleep.
Score: 88/100
For nights when you just can’t drift off, this screen-free gadget is the perfect companion. It has over 200 music and meditation combinations that are designed to still the mind and help you slumber. Testers found it easy to use and said that adding the device to their nighttime routine helped them unwind and fall asleep quicker.
Score: 87/100
If the thought of wearing tech to bed makes you feel claustrophobic, but you still want stats, this clever tracker is a great alternative. It slides underneath your mattress and tracks sleep via movement- and noise-detecting sensors (yes, it will tell you if you snore). Testers found it easy to set up, and liked the intuitively designed app that displays your data.
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Still sleepy?
We've got everything you need for the perfect kip.
- If you're upgrading your mattress, it's probably time to swap in a more supportive bed frame too – these are the GHI's best in test, including ottoman options for precious extra storage
- Many of us know and love a snorer, but to make sure that doesn't change, you may want to treat yourself to a pair or two of our experts' best ear plugs
- Curious about other people's sleep routines? Us too. Discover the bedtime products our editors can't sleep without (spoiler: there's one sleep mask that's on everyone's wish list)
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Hannah is our homes editor, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment. Hannah has written about hundreds of products, from air fryers to smoothie makers to pillows, and is committed to finding the most reliable and best value for money buys.
Hannah is also interested in sustainability in the home and has completed a course with the University of the Arts London in sustainable textiles, so she can help cut through the noise on what’s green and what’s not. Hannah has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously worked as a freelance lifestyle and women’s sports journalist, working for Stylist, Sky Sports and more.
Hannah has also previously worked in a florist and can normally be found caring for her house plants or sewing something new for her home or wardrobe.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
