Eve Lighter mattress review: An affordable and supportive option

Update: Since writing our original review, Eve has increased the length of its mattress trial period to 365 nights (previously 100 nights). You’ve now got a whole year to test out the Lighter mattress reviewed below, with the option to return it for a full refund if you don’t like it. You can read more about Eve’s year-long trial period on the brand’s website.

Our original review continues below. 

It’s not hard to work out why the bed-in-a-box mattress market has seen such growth in recent years. As well as coming with the temptation of a 100-night money-back guarantee, these vacuum-packed, rolled-up mattresses from the likes of Eve, Simba and Casper cost considerably less than most high-street alternatives.

Or do they? In many cases, prices have crept steadily up to £700 since they were first introduced, or even more for a king-size bed-in-a-box, which is no small investment. The Eve Light combats this problem, offering a “simplified” version of the Eve Original at a more affordable price. So how does it compare with its pricier siblings?

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Eve Light mattress review: What you need to know

Eve is not the only bed-in-a-box company to offer a budget alternative to its flagship mattress, although it was one of the first to do so. Like rival mattresses from Casper and Otty, the Eve Light primarily differs from the Eve Original in terms of how much mattress you get for your money. Where the Eve Original is made from three layers, the Eve Light is made from just two.

On top of its zoned 160mm high-density base foam, the Eve Light has only a single 30mm layer of the same “Evecomfort” foam as you find in the Eve Original. The main difference, then, is that the Light lacks the memory foam you find on the more expensive model. As a result, it measures only 190mm deep; that’s 60mm less thick than the Eve Original.

Otherwise, there’s not much between them. Both have breathable, washable top covers and both come with the same 100-night trial and ten-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Whichever you buy, there’s also no need to flip the mattress, although Eve recommends rotating it every thirty days for the first year. After that, you only need to do it twice a year.

Eve Light mattress review: Price and competition

At £279 for a single, £400 for a double and £500 for a king, the Eve Light represents a significant saving over the Eve Original, which costs £350, £600 and £700 in those sizes, respectively. At the time of writing this review, Eve is offering 20% off all mattresses, which means you can pick up the Light in king size for as little as £400 if you get the timing right.

For comparison, Casper’s Essential mattress costs £275 in a single and rises to £400 and £450 in double and king sizes. That’s up to £50 cheaper than the Light but the Casper Essential is even thinner than the Eve model at just 160mm, and it’s considerably firmer too. Another similarly branded bed-in-a-box is the Otty Essential, which is currently only available in king size for £625.

Eve Light mattress review: Performance and comfort

Aside from the money you save, one of the main benefits of choosing one of these more basic bed-in-a-box mattresses is that they’re lighter than their premium counterparts. The Eve Light is a case in point and removing the sample I was sent from its box to lay it on the bed was much easier than with the Casper Hybrid I’d been testing previously.

As with the Original, the Eve Light only let off a mild chemical smell after unboxing it, which is good news because some memory foam products leave you needing to open the windows for the first couple of days, so strong is the odour. As with all Eve’s products, the Light’s foams are CertiPUR certified, too, which means they’re independently tested to conform with standards that ensure they contain no harmful chemicals.

Perhaps unsurprisingly when you consider its similar construction, the Eve Light feels much like its pricier Original counterpart to lie on. Although you can tell that it’s made up from a more simplistic combination of support and comfort foams with no transition between the two, I didn’t find myself missing the middle memory foam layer when sleeping on it.

As with other Eve mattresses, it’s at the firmer end of the scale, which makes it best suited to those who sleep on their front and back, but I still found it comfortable when sleeping on my side. To my surprise, the Eve Light performed almost as well when used on a sprung, slatted bed as on a solid foundation, too.

Once they’ve warmed up, some thinner foam mattresses don’t offer as much stability and support as you’d like when used on this type of yielding foundation, but that wasn’t a problem for me. There was a little more flexibility than you’d find on a thicker Original model, but I still never woke with my hips dipping uncomfortably low and I certainly was never aware of the individual slats beneath me.

It’s worth pointing out here that weight probably plays a bigger role than anything else when it comes to how much support a mattress delivers. I’m around 75KG, so if you’re lighter than that you’ll likely have no problems, but if you’re heavier you might not find it up to scratch in the stability stakes. Since it comes with a 100-night guarantee, there’s nothing to stop you trying it for yourself and returning it for a full refund if you don’t get on with it.

As for heat, the Eve Light did an excellent job of ensuring I never woke feeling damp and clammy but, as with all foam mattresses, it can feel warmer than a traditional, pocket-sprung alternative. Again, this will be more of a problem for some people than others, but the Eve Light performed just as well as any of its all-foam rivals in this regard.

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Eve Light mattress review: Verdict

If you’re on a strict budget, then, there’s very little not to like about the Eve Light. In fact, when it costs £200 less than the Eve Original in both double and king sizes then, I’d suggest it offers a truly compelling alternative.

For lighter individuals and children, it’s a superb mattress that offers ample support and comfort and, for everyone else, it’s still a brilliant choice providing you use it on a suitably stable foundation.

If you’re looking to spend under £500 on a new foam mattress, look no further.