Available 
SleepSoul Space 4000 Pocket Orthopaedic Gel Mattress
from £489-£579.
£489-£579
Sizes tracked: Double, King Size, Super King
Sleep guide
How to tell if a mattress is too firm or too soft
Spot the comfort clues that suggest a mattress is too firm or too soft, then compare Mattress Online examples by construction, price and fit.
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Last verified: 2026-08-12
Common signs your mattress is too firm
A mattress can feel too firm if you notice shoulder or hip pressure, morning stiffness or a tendency to wake up and shift around during the night. That does not mean the mattress is faulty; it often means the surface feel is not matching your sleep position or body shape. On Mattress Online, firm examples such as the SleepSoul Space 4000 Pocket Orthopaedic Gel Mattress, Bodyshape Vitality Memory Foam Ortho Mattress and Sleepeezee Luxury Ortho 1600 Pocket Mattress show how different constructions can all share the same firmness label while still feeling different.
Common signs your mattress is too soft
A mattress may be too soft if you sink in more than feels comfortable, struggle to feel supported, or wake up feeling as though the mattress has not held you evenly through the night. The key clue is not just softness, but whether that softness leaves you feeling out of alignment or unsettled. In the example shortlist, the Bodyshape memory foam model and the two pocket sprung mattresses are all marked Firm, which is a useful reminder that construction can still change the feel even when the label looks the same.
How firmness should feel in different sleep positions
Sleep position changes how the same firmness label feels, so a mattress that suits one sleeper can feel wrong to another. Side sleepers often notice pressure at the shoulder and hip sooner, while back sleepers usually look for a balance of contouring and support; front sleepers may prefer a steadier surface that does not let the middle sink too far. General guidance from mattress research also points to body weight and sleeping position as key reasons why Firm does not feel identical across memory foam and pocket sprung builds.
How to choose the right replacement firmness
If your current mattress feels too firm, compare construction as well as price: the SleepSoul Space 4000 uses 4000 pocket springs plus soft foam and cool gel foam, while the Bodyshape Vitality combines reflex foam with high density memory foam and the Sleepeezee Luxury Ortho 1600 uses pocket springs with soft white fibres. Also check mattress depth, size availability and bed-frame compatibility, because Mattress Online notes that depth can affect bedding, toppers and bed frames. The 100-night comfort trial on the retailer site makes these examples more useful, since it gives shoppers a chance to confirm whether the feel works at home.
What the retailer examples show
These three Mattress Online examples are useful because they cover two common mattress types, Pocket Sprung and Memory Foam, while all being marked Firm. SleepSoul sits at £489-£579 with a 4.7/5 rating from 32 reviews and a 10-year warranty, Bodyshape is the lowest priced at £158-£305 with a 5.0/5 rating from 1 review and a 3-year guarantee, and Sleepeezee sits at £381-£727 with a 5.0/5 rating from 6 reviews and a 10-year guarantee. The visible trial mention across the retailer pages is a 100-night comfort trial, which is especially helpful when firmness is the main question rather than a fixed specification.
How to narrow the shortlist
Start with the feel you want, then weigh price, construction and reassurance terms. Bodyshape is the budget-friendly memory foam option, SleepSoul adds a higher spring count and gel foam at a mid-to-upper price point, and Sleepeezee gives a pocket sprung build with the widest top-end price range in the shortlist. Before ordering, check the live size list, mattress depth, current price, delivery details and whether the 100-night comfort trial and guarantee wording are exactly as shown on the product page.
Mattresses to use as comparison examples
Available 
Bodyshape Vitality Memory Foam Ortho Mattress
from £158-£305.
£158-£305
Sizes tracked: Single, Small Double, Double, King Size, Super King
Available 
Sleepeezee Luxury Ortho 1600 Pocket Mattress
from £381-£727.
£381-£727
Sizes tracked: Single, Small Double, Double, King Size, Super King
Retailer details used
Last checked 2026-08-12. The source list below is included to help you check the details behind the comparison. Always confirm the latest price, delivery cost, stock status and product details with the retailer before buying.
- SleepSoul Space 4000 Pocket Orthopaedic Gel Mattress | MattressOnlineproduct-page evidence for SleepSoul Space 4000 Pocket Orthopaedic Gel Mattress
- Bodyshape Vitality Memory Foam Ortho Mattress | MattressOnlineproduct-page evidence for Bodyshape Vitality Memory Foam Ortho Mattress
- Sleepeezee Luxury Ortho 1600 Pocket Mattress | MattressOnlineproduct-page evidence for Sleepeezee Luxury Ortho 1600 Pocket Mattress
- Sleep Foundation mattress firmness guidefirmness scale, body-weight and sleep-position guidance
- Sleep Foundation firm vs soft mattress guidesupport versus firmness and sleeper preference context
- Mattress Online 100 Night Comfort Trialretailer trial and exchange terms
Helpful next reads
Use these related mattresses guides and reviews to turn the advice into a practical shortlist.
Firmness questions
How do I know if my mattress is too firm?
If you wake with shoulder or hip pressure, feel stiff in the morning, or keep changing position to get comfortable, the mattress may feel too firm for you. Compare that feeling against the mattress type as well, because a firm memory foam model and a firm pocket sprung model can still feel quite different.
How do I know if my mattress is too soft?
If you sink too deeply, feel that your body is not being held evenly, or wake with a sense of poor support, the mattress may be too soft. That can happen even on a mattress that is labelled Firm, so it is worth checking the construction, depth and size options before you buy.
Does a Firm label feel the same across memory foam and pocket sprung mattresses?
Not usually. In this shortlist, Bodyshape uses reflex foam and high density memory foam, SleepSoul combines 4000 pocket springs with foam and gel foam, and Sleepeezee uses pocket springs with soft white fibres, so the feel can differ even when the firmness label is the same.