I’ve been sleeping on a Tempur pillow (£99, Tempur.com) for the last couple of years and swear by it, so when the chance came up to test out the Tempur sensation mattress, part of Tempur’s firmest range, I jumped at the opportunity.

Designed for those who are used to sleeping on a firm spring mattress, but are looking for the comfort and support that Tempur is famous for, their sensation mattress combines the feel of traditional spring mattresses, with a layer of their famous Tempur comfort material, and all encased in a soft quilted cover. It really does give you the best of both worlds.

With a young family and three rowdy boys, our bed is rarely lonely and we were specifically looking for a mattress that would help us get a restful sleep, despite the comings and goings of multiple little humans and their best efforts to push us out of our own bed. We tested the super king with the 25cm "elite" thickness, but of course it comes in all the sizes you would expect and a few more.

How we tested

We slept on the Tempur mattress for three months (Campbell Price)

Quite simply we slept on it for three months and threw everything at it that you would expect from a rambunctious, young family. During the test we were obviously looking for comfort, but a big part was also how well the mattress absorbed the movements of multiple wriggling occupants and whether it left the testers slumber undisturbed.

Tempur sensation elite mattress

Mattress sizes available: Small single, single, long single, small double, long double, long small double, king, super king, euro king

Thicknesses available: Supreme (21cm deep), elite (25 cm deep) and luxe (30 cm deep)

Mattress type: Memory foam

Rotate or turn: No need

Guarantee: 10 years

Why we love it

Great for families

Excellent motion isolation

Very comfortable

Design and materials

We knew from our existing Tempur pillows, that the materials and design from Tempur are top-notch and designed to last. With Tempur’s 10-year guarantee there was no doubt about this and while it’s only been a few months, you get the feeling that this mattress isn’t going to start sagging or developing body-shaped divots, like we’ve found in some cheaper memory foam mattresses. While we added extra mattress protectors for the sake of the little ones, the washable covers have meant that we’ve kept everything fresh despite some heavy wear.

Comfort

The sensation mattress is specifically designed to deliver more "bounce" than you get with a typical Tempur mattress in a firm feel, which is exactly what I was looking for. I was initially a little worried that it might be too firm for my co-tester, but the layer of "comfort material" on top of the firm support layers adapts to the shape of your body, meaning there is enough give for those who might normally prefer a softer mattress than I do. Overall, this is a very comfortable mattress and suitable for all sleeping positions.

When it came to disturbing other occupants, we didn’t quite go as far as the wine glass test Tempur boasts on their site, but the kids definitely put it through its paces, from the bouncy castle post-bath theatrics to wiggling around throughout the night. While there’s no solution to the duvet snatching and poking of limbs, the Tempur memory foam really did its job in transferring very little of the motion from other occupants.

One thing that my co-tester was a little worried about, as we’ve experienced it with other memory foam mattresses, was the mattress retaining too much heat and making things too warm. We started testing the sensation mattress in the height of the British summer and we found that although things were warm, it was no worse than it would have been on any other mattress.

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The verdict: Tempur sensation elite mattress

Tempur mattresses are quite the investment but the materials and technology they bring is second to none. The Tempur sensation mattress is great for anyone looking for a firm mattress, that has enough give to be comfortable for those who might normally go for softer mattresses. It’s ability to isolate motion and allow each occupant undisrupted sleep is a gamechanger and great for families.

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For more mattress suggestions, read our guide of the best mattresses for every kind of sleeper