Dormeo Memory Plus review: Unbeatable value (when it’s discounted)

Dormeo doesn’t exclusively make bed-in-a-box mattresses but its Memory Plus mattress falls into this category, arriving on your doorstep vacuum packed in a remarkably small box.

Like many of the best mattresses, it comes with a money-back guarantee, albeit one that covers you for 60 nights rather than a hundred. And, as with most of its rivals, it’s regularly discounted; if you time it right you can save as much as £470 on a king-size mattress.

Dormeo Memory Plus mattress review: What you need to know

So how does it compare to all-foam rivals from the likes of Emma and Eve in terms of construction? Crucially, it’s made from just two layers of foam rather than three: a 30mm memory foam comfort layer on top of 140mm of more supportive ecocell foam.

This makes for a total depth of just 170mm, which is comparable with the budget models from Eve and Casper and a significant 80mm thinner than the original models from these manufacturers, which also have transition layers.

The mattress is encased in a “Florentine-stitched” cover, which promises anti-bacterial, antimicrobial and anti-dust mite properties thanks to carbon fibres woven directly into it. Sadly, however, this cover isn’t removable or machine washable and it doesn’t have handles to help with carrying the mattress, either.

Dormeo Memory Plus mattress review: Price and competition

The scale of the discount Dormeo offers on the Memory Plus makes it very difficult to place it in the market. At full price, you’ll pay £530, £630 and £780 in single, double and king sizes, respectively. However, when discounted by 60% – as it is at the time of writing – you can pick it up for just £210, £250 and £310. In fact, even if it’s not on offer directly from Dormeo, you can still buy it in king size from the likes of Amazon and Argos for between £290 and £370 (although you’ll forfeit the 60-night trial).

Although it’s more directly comparable with Eve’s Original mattress at full price, then, (which costs £400, £650 and £700), when discounted it undercuts even the budget models from Casper and Eve. The Casper Essential, for instance, will cost you £450 in king size at full price.

Dormeo Memory Plus mattress review: What’s it like to sleep on?

Ignoring the characteristic memory foam chemical smell it emitted for the first few days, I was very impressed with Dormeo’s Memory Plus mattress. Indeed, despite being a mere 170mm thick, I found it delivered ample support when used on both a solid foundation and a sprung slatted base.

It’s definitely a little less stable when used on the latter but that’s to be expected and, importantly, support levels didn’t diminish as it warmed up. Dormeo describes the Memory Plus as offering “medium” firmness and I’d be inclined to agree with that, although it’s at the firmer end of medium.

If you sleep exclusively on your side, you might prefer something slightly softer such as the Sealy Hybrid Fusion, or at least to use it on a yielding base such as a sprung slatted bedstead. However, if you switch regularly between sleeping positions, as I do, then it strikes a nice middle ground between soft and firm.

As far as temperature control is concerned, I never found the Dormeo Memory Plus excessively warm. I should caveat this with the fact that I tested it in early March, when warm nights are not a problem. Regardless, I’d also strongly advise against a foam-based mattress if you’re the type of person who gets very warm in bed. That rules out practically all bed-in-a-box type mattresses but John Lewis sells a number of traditional mattresses with natural fillings.

Dormeo Memory Plus mattress review: Verdict

Many bed-in-a-box mattresses are regularly discounted but the savings that Dormeo sometimes offers on its Dormeo Memory Plus are so ludicrously lofty that it feels impossible to review it in the same way as any other mattress.

At full price, you’re getting less mattress for your money than you might from rivals Eve and Emma. Providing you’re aware that the Dormeo Memory Plus can be had for significantly less than the starting price, however, this quickly becomes a moot point and makes it fully deserving of a Best Buy award.