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- Fantastic pressure relief for aches and pains
- Superb motion isolation
- Ideal for side and back sleepers
- Contouring feel won’t suit everyone
- Handles are awkwardly placed
The REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite Hybrid is one of three mattresses in the brand’s premium ‘Elite’ range. Like many of the best mattresses, its hybrid construction offers a balanced combination of comfort and support, and I’d argue its medium-firm feel will suit a range of sleepers. It’s one of the best mattresses for back pain I’ve tested, quite literally removing aches and pains overnight.
It’s also a fantastic choice if you share your bed with a restless sleeper, with some of the best motion isolation I’ve come across. But it’s not without its niggles: the contouring feel of the mattress is a bit of a marmite sensation and there are other cheaper options available. But is the REM-Fit worth its price tag and who exactly will it suit? Let’s find out more.
REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite Hybrid Mattress review: What you need to know
Delivery was extremely well organised by REM-Fit, with a choice of days for delivery provided shortly after the mattress order had been put through. The night before delivery, I received a three-hour window for delivery the next day, followed by a phone call shortly before arrival. A two-man team took the mattress to our bedroom, which was a godsend because, like all rolled mattresses, the REM-Fit is heavy. I also received emails from REM-Fit with helpful advice on how to unpack the mattress, care for it and activate the guarantee. By the way, REM-Fit also offers a mattress removal service for your old mattress, costing £35.
My REM-Fit mattress arrived rolled up in a durable bright yellow plastic bag, with the mattress vacuum packed inside. You’ll find a small cutting tool included to cut through the plastic packaging, but be aware that the mattress will start expanding quickly once released. There was some off gassing for the first 24 hours, so I’d advise setting up the mattress early in the morning and leaving windows open to help dissipate the smell. You’ll also need to give it a good 3-4 hours to inflate enough for sleeping on.
Like the best hybrid mattresses, the REM-Fit is made from a combination of foams and springs. Starting at the top, the brand’s “Re-Ax” cover is designed to be breathable, hypoallergenic and allergen resistant. Up next is a 5cm layer of open-cell memory foam, again designed for breathability as well as adapting to the body to relieve pressure points. Two more layers of foam follow (a 2.5cm PU foam and a “zoned memory foam” layer), before its pocket sprung layer (2,000 12.5cm springs and 3,000 2.5cm springs) for support, motion isolation and comfort.
High-density foam side support walls are designed to help with edge support, and the mattress is finished off with a base layer of high-density foam for durability. I’d recommend rotating the mattress every three months to prevent dips from forming. The ease of doing this is where the mattress falls down a tiny bit, as the handles are placed on the underside of the mattress rather than the side. This slightly awkward positioning means you can’t really use them to turn the mattress around, although they’re still useful to transport the mattress if you’re, say, moving house.
Price and competition
At full price, a king size REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite Hybrid will set you back £950. But as with many bed-in-a-box brands, there’s often a promotional discount you can take advantage of: for instance, when I was reviewing the 600 Lux Elite Hybrid, it was reduced to £855 and came bundled with two free pillows and pillow protectors, as well as a free Tencel mattress protector. Even at its RRP, the REM-Fit is competitively priced compared to many of its closest rivals. For example, the Simba Hybrid is £899 for a king at full price, while the Hybrid Pro – one of our favourite hybrid mattresses – is a steeper £1,299. Panda’s Hybrid Bamboo mattress is £889 for a king size, and the Otty Pure Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal mattress is slightly cheaper at £800.
Of course, there are cheaper models available. The Emma Hybrid Premium, for instance, is £587 in a king size, while the Eve Wunderflip Hybrid is currently £419. The 600 Lux Elite isn’t the only REM-Fit mattress we’ve reviewed either: we gave the brand’s 400 Hybrid a four-star review, and this will cost you £600 at full price.
Ultimately, the REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite feels of extremely high quality, and I believe this justifies its price tag – particularly when you consider that it’s often discounted and accompanied by free gifts. You’ll also get a 200-night free trial and 15-year guarantee, along with free shipping. I also really like the fact that all returned mattresses are donated to the British Heart Foundation to be sold through their UK stores.
Comfort and performance
REM-Fit describes the 600 Lux Elite as a medium firm mattress, rating it 7.5 out of 10. I’d generally agree with this assessment. The mattress definitely had a firm core and good support for the lumbar region. As a lifelong sufferer of lower back pain, I was absolutely amazed by how well this mattress alleviated it: I woke up after one night’s sleep completely pain free and this continued during the testing period.
However, the sensation of memory foam can be a bit like marmite, and this is true for the 600 Lux Elite. The foam layers have a distinct ‘hug’ to them, with dense, slow-responding foams that allow the body to sink into the mattress and contour around pressure points to relieve them. This is partly why this mattress is so effective at dealing with back pain, but the sensation is a real ‘love it or loathe it’ deal. There is a slight feel of being encased by the mattress, although this is nowhere near as pronounced as it is with some all-foam mattresses. Nevertheless, it’s something to be aware of if you’re considering buying it.
I think the REM-Fit is one of the best mattresses for side sleepers you can buy, with the contouring foams doing a fantastic job of cushioning the shoulders, hips and knees in this position. Back sleepers will also enjoy sleeping on the REM-Fit, thanks to the aforementioned lumbar support that ensures good spinal alignment. However, I do think some lightweight side sleepers may find the mattress too firm and there’s certainly not enough support in the top foam layers for stomach sleepers, whose hips are likely to sink a little too far. I’d suggest they check out the Origin Hybrid mattress instead. It’s also worth noting that the heavier sleepers I asked to try out the mattress did feel it was slightly softer than REM-Fit’s 7.5 out of 10 rating – instead, they rated it nearer to 6.5 or 7. Weight does play a big part in the perceived firmness of a mattress, so this wasn’t surprising. I also carried out sinkage tests, with the mattress sinking by around 12mm with 10kg of weight on top of it: this backs up my view of the mattress being medium firm.
Edge support on a mattress is also important, allowing sleepers to spread out and use the whole width of the bed, as well as sit on the edge comfortably. With the same 10kg of weight, 600 Lux Elite sank in by 27mm. In real life, sitting on the edge of the mattress did lead to a fair amount of sinkage. However, because of the mattress’ contouring foam, I never actually felt as if I was going to fall off.
I also conducted some temperature retention tests (again, see our how we test mattresses guide for more details on this). In fairness to REM-Fit, I do want to stress that I tested the mattress during a particularly hot summer period and that the room temperature was 24°C at the time of testing. During my body temperature test, the temperature of the mattress dropped from 30°C down to 25.2°C, while the heat pad test saw the mattress temperature drop from 50°C to 29.3°C. Both these results were reached after ten minutes.
My husband, the hot sleeper of the pair, unfortunately did find that the mattress retained some heat while sleeping on it. I think this is down to its three upper foam layers and their contouring nature. However, customer reviews consistently praise the REM-Fit for good temperature regulation and the brand’s Re-Ax cover is often highlighted for providing a breathable surface. And, in fairness to REM-Fit, I did find this cover material cooling when I tested it out on the brand’s Deluxe Pocket Sprung pillow recently. I think very hot sleepers would be better off with one of the best cooling mattresses but, particularly warm spells aside, I expect the REM-Fit to provide a comfortable sleeping environment for the majority of sleepers.
REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite Hybrid Mattress review: Verdict
If you’re looking for a mattress with a bit of ‘squish’ along with plenty of inner support, the REM-Fit 600 Lux Elite could be your perfect fit. It’s also an astonishingly good choice for back pain sufferers, helping to ease away aches and pains. Back and side sleepers in particular will get on with this mattress, but I do think stomach sleepers will find it lacking in support.
At a penny under £950 for a king size at full price, the REM-Fit certainly isn’t the cheapest mattress, but regular offers and free gifts mean you’ve got a good chance of getting a very good deal. The mattress also feels very well-made and, provided you look after it, I’d expect it to have good durability.
The main caveat with this mattress, in my opinion, is the feeling of those upper memory foam layers and you should think about whether or not this contouring feeling is right for you. As someone who prefers a firmer sleep surface, I did feel a tiny bit trapped in the bed. But I was definitely in the minority here, as most people I asked to try out the 600 Lux Elite absolutely loved the contouring. I would still describe it as a medium firm mattress, and you still get plenty of underlying support from the sprung layer, but it is a factor to be aware of. If you, like myself, also prefer a firmer feel, consider the Simba Hybrid Pro, the Silentnight Premier Inn 2.0 or any of our favourite firm mattresses.
