Brook and Wilde Elite mattress (medium firmness) review: A superb mattress for side sleepers – now 55% off
Brook and Wilde is a relative newcomer to the bed-in-a-box mattress scene, but it stands out among its rivals for the reason that you can pick your preferred level of firmness when buying any of its mattresses.
Its entry-level Lux mattress performed well when we tested it in a “medium” firmness rating last year, offering plenty of support and comfort at a competitive price, and the pricier Elite continues in that vein, delivering one of the most comfortable night’s sleep we’ve ever had. To find out whether this is the mattress for you, read on.
Brook and Wilde Elite mattress (medium) review: What you need to know
Like its more affordable sibling, the Elite is a hybrid, but here you get six layers of foam and springs as opposed to the five that you find in the Lux.
On top of its supportive foam base, there are 1,000 full-size (135mm) pocket springs, and these are separated from 2,500 smaller mini pocket springs by a “wave technology” foam layer. Brook and Wilde claims the wave layer helps aid spinal alignments by delivering support in the right areas, while the mini springs offer a level of “push back” and bounce.
Above the mini springs, there’s a layer of high-density foam and this is separated from the mattress’ removable top cover by a memory foam protector, which allows the latter to move across the former without any friction.
It's a fairly complex construction as far as bed-in-a-box mattresses go, and thanks to the unique order of the layers and that “wave” layer, the Brook and Wilde Elite never needs to be turned or rotated.
As I’ve already alluded to, you can choose from three different firmness ratings: soft, medium and firm. We opted for the “medium” option to get a sense of what the middle level of firmness is like to sleep on. As such, my observations only relate to that firmness rating.
Whichever you choose, though, the mattress comes with a 200-night comfort guarantee. Providing you use a mattress protector, and try the mattress for a minimum of 30 nights, this means you can exchange the mattress or return it for a full refund. Just be mindful that if you choose the exchange option, you won’t be able to swap a second time or have your initial outlay refunded.
If the mattress should fail, you’re also protected against manufacturing defects for up to 10 years.
Brook and Wilde Elite mattress (medium) review: Price and competition
Brook and Wilde pitches its Elite mattress as a luxury model and it's priced accordingly. Indeed, a single mattress will set you back £900, and this jumps to £1200 and £1300 for double and king size mattresses respectively. That’s up to £400 more than the Lux, and puts the Elite on par with rival models such as the Simba Hybrid Pro and Eve Premium Hybrid.
Simba’s Hybrid Pro costs £1119 and £1279 in double and king sizes respectively, while the Eve Premium Hybrid Pro is a little cheaper at £978 and £1128 in double and king sizes. With any of these mattresses, if you buy at the right time you can expect to save as much as 30% off the original asking price, and perhaps more.
If you’re after something a little more traditional with natural fillings, the Harrison Spinks Velocity 8750 is a similarly priced alternative. Like the Elite, it’ll set you back £1200 in double and £1300 in king size.
The best alternatives and where to buy them:
- Simba Hybrid Pro | Buy now from Simba
- Eve Premium Hybrid | Buy now from Eve
- Harrison Spinks Velocity 8750 | Buy now from Barker and Stonehouse
Brook and Wilde Elite mattress (medium) review: Performance and comfort
As seems to be the case with mattresses these days, the Brook and Wilde Elite arrives rolled, vacuum packed and boxed. Brook and Wilde says the mattress is ready to be slept on after it has had two to three hours to expand, which means that even if it arrives fairly late in the day, you should be able to sleep on it the same night.
The good news is that, unlike some foam-based mattresses that let off a particularly pungent “off-gassing” odour when first unpacked, the Elite only emits the subtlest of smells. I have a very sensitive nose, and sleeping on it the same day it arrived presented no problem.
As for its firmness, Brook and Wilde’s medium rating feels appropriate. It’s notably softer than the Simba Hybrid Pro I tested most recently, (which is in medium-firm territory), but not to the point that support is lacking. On the contrary, the fact that it’s designed to be slept on only one way around means that it provides the perfect balance of firmness and support in all the right places.
Pushing down on the mattress with your hand, you can feel that there’s much more give around the shoulder area than there is around your hips and this translates to a mattress that’s especially well suited to sleeping on your side. Indeed, its yielding nature around the shoulders means that your lower arm never feels trapped underneath you, as can be the case with some firmer mattresses.
Although it’s slightly firmer beneath the hips, the relatively soft nature of the mattress means that it doesn’t deliver quite the same levels of support for back sleepers. As such, if you sleep primarily on your back and only occasionally on your side, you’d probably be better off with something a little firmer - even if that’s the firm-rated Elite.
However, having said that, I mainly sleep on my side and my back and when using the Elite on a solid base, I had some of the best night’s sleep in recent memory. I never felt my hips dropping uncomfortably low, and, for reference, I weigh around 70kg, so if you’re my size or smaller, you should feel well supported in a full range of sleeping positions.
Brook and Wilde says you can use the mattress on any base providing the slats are no more than 10cm apart, and although I had no problems using the Elite on a sprung slatted base, those looking for the highest levels of support and stability should endeavour to use it on a solid foundation if at all possible. That’s something I’d recommend for most mattresses, and it’s no different with the Elite.
Unlike many foam-based mattresses, I found the Elite did a solid job of controlling my temperature too. You’ll likely still find it warmer than a traditional mattress with natural fillings such as the Harrison Spinks Velocity 8750, but during some warmer nights and even when testing a range of weighted blankets, I never woke feeling overly warm.
What’s more, the levels of support don’t change as the mattress warms up. That’s a problem that affects a lot of foam mattresses and can be an annoyance if you find the mattress only feels right for part of the night.
Brook and Wilde Elite mattress (medium) review: Verdict
Overall, then, it’s difficult to ask much more of the Brook and Wilde Elite. It’s not cheap, but it does what it says on the tin and offers a medium “feel” that delivers a supremely comfortable night’s sleep, especially if you’re a side sleeper.
In fact, if you tend to sleep primarily on your side, then I can’t think of a mattress I’d more readily recommend. It really is that comfortable.
Back sleepers might want to think about choosing something a little firmer such as the Simba Hybrid Pro, but with Brook and Wilde’s 200-night money-back guarantee, there’s no reason you can’t try the Elite with confidence.
