I review mattresses for a living and these are the Prime Day deals that are actually worth buying

(Image credit: Emma)

last updated 23 June 2021

Update: These deals are over now. Sorry. For the cheapest current prices, head to our roundup of the best cheap mattress deals.

Amazon Prime Day is here! If you're wondering whether 2021's best Prime Day deals include some big mattress bargains, I am here to help. As Wellness editor on T3, I spend a lot of time testing out mattresses, as well as a lot of time keeping an eye on mattress prices. There are quite a few mattress deals kicking around this Amazon Prime Day – in this article, I'll go through the ones that I'd actually recommend, as well as those that you should buy not from Amazon, and the ones I'd probably avoid.

Not all big mattress brands have an Amazon range. The two that do, that I'd recommend taking notice of, are Simba and Emma – the maker of T3's best mattress and best memory foam mattress respectively. If you're happy to move away from the trendy brands, another range to look out for is Silentnight, which sells a number of mattresses through Amazon, at very competitive price points.

If you want to buy from a brand that doesn't sell through Amazon, head to our best cheap mattress deals page, where you'll find the biggest discounts across a range of mattresses.

A quick reminder before we start: you have to be a Prime subscriber to claim these deals. Sign up below (you can always cancel the trial if it turns out not to be for you):

Emma Prime Day Deals: are they any good?

Emma's mattresses are already cheaper than most other big, trendy names, and represent great value for money even at RRP. The Emma Amazon range includes the Emma Original, the two Emma Hybrids, but also an Emma Essential. You won't find that final model on the Emma website – it's an Amazon-only offering from what I can tell. It's a simpler, and cheaper, version of the Original, with just two layers of foam. There are plenty of Emma mattress deals all year round, so here's what you need to know about the current Amazon ones.

Is it a good deal?

Yes! This is the biggest discount we've ever seen on the Emma Original. You can get 42% when you buy direct from Emma, with the code SuperT3, but this Amazon offer is obviously quite a bit bigger...

Should I buy it?
Yes. By my reckoning, it's the best mattress offer in the Prime Day sales. It's the best memory foam mattress around, and punches above its price tag in terms of quality, even at full price. It traps heat a bit, so if you tend to sleep very hot, perhaps check out one of the Simba deals below, though. Head to our Emma Original review to find out more.

Is it a good deal?

Yes. 45% is the most we've seen knocked off this mattress, and it's rare to see such a big price drop. If you'd rather buy from Emma direct, use the code SuperT3 to knock 42% off.

Should I buy it?

Perhaps. All of Emma's mattresses are good value for money, in terms of quality. I reviewed the Emma Hybrid and found it very comfortable. There are two potential down-sides to be aware of: first, it sleeps on the warm side. Second, I found it slightly lacking in hip support if you typically lie on your back. Because the springs don't bring much bounce, I'd probably recommend the Emma Original instead.

Is it a good deal?

No: if you want to Emma Original Hybrid, you should buy it direct from Emma, where you'll get 43% off with the code SuperT3. A 43% discount is worth taking advantage of – anything over around 41% off is a good price drop. Also, this Amazon deal is only on the King size.

Should I buy it?

Perhaps (but you should go direct to Emma and use the code SuperT3 if you do). I haven't slept on the Emma Original Hybrid – one of our Wellness reviewers is just set to start testing one, so there'll be a review to follow. It would stand to reason that the bigger springs will offer more bounce than I experienced with the Hybrid, and they should promote better airflow too. If it's a hybrid you're after, I think this one looks good, and as with the others, the build quality with Emma mattresses is reliably high.

Browse the Emma Amazon range

Simba Prime Day deals: are they any good?

The Amazon Simba mattress range includes all three of the core range you'll see at Simba direct. It also includes a selection of models you won't see on Simba's own site.

Amazon, unsurprisingly, tends to discount these Amazon-only models more heavily than the core range, and that's true this Prime Day, although really there are very compelling discounts all round. While we see lots of Simba mattress discounts throughout the year, today's offers undercut all the ones we've seen. Read on for a rundown of the ones worth paying attention to.

While you're here, I'd also urge you to check out the discounts on Simba sleep accessories, all of which are pricey at RRP, but excellent quality.

Is it a good deal?

Yes! This is the biggest price drop we've seen on a Simba mattress, surpassing last year's Black Friday offer (35% off). It's also a fair bit cheaper than the saving you'll make if you buy from Simba direct.

Should I buy it?

If you can afford it, absolutely. It's obviously quite an investment, but we absolutely loved this mattress in our Simba Hybrid Pro review. This one has a soft sleep surface above a much firmer lower layer – if you want something with a more consistent feel, try the Hybrid Luxe (although, fair warning, that one is even pricier).

Is it a good deal?

Yes – although the deal is only on King and Super King, so if you want a smaller one you should head to Simba direct where there's 30% off everything. The Hybrid Luxe has only very recently been added to Amazon, and it hasn't been around long enough to have comparison prices from previous shopping events, but Simba hasn't, that I know of, offered a over 35% on its core range, and it's rare to see that big a price drop. It does have a slightly smaller percentage price-drop than the rest of the core range, though.

Should I buy it?

Absolutely, if you can afford it. I tested out the Simba Hybrid Luxe myself, and it's probably my favourite mattress. The reason it's not at the top of our best mattress guide is because it's so expensive at full price, and also because we really, really liked the Pro too. If you're deciding between the two, the main thing to be aware of is that the Luxe has a more consistent sleep surface feel (rather than a soft top layer on a firm lower layer found in the Pro) and that overall it's firmer than the Pro.

Is it a good deal?

Yes. We have seen this offer before, but not frequently, and Simba doesn't, to my knowledge, ever offer discounts more than 35% off. It's also a much better price than you'll see at Simba direct right now, where there's only 26% off for new customers.

Should I buy it?

Maybe. The others in the Simba range are better in terms of both support and cooling, although obviously the prices do reflect that. We liked it a lot when we tried it, although noted that it might be too soft for some. Head to our Simba Hybrid mattress review to find out more.

Is it a good deal?

Pretty good. This one's Amazon only, from what I can see, so you won't find a lower price elsewhere. It does have fairly regular price drops, and it was cheaper last Prime Day, when 49% got knocked off, but typically we don't see such big discounts.

Should I buy it?

Perhaps not. I haven't tested this one out, but in the reviews, it looks like a few customers had issues with the mattress developing troughs over the course of a few months. If you can stretch you budget, I'd stick to the core hybrid range.

Is it a good deal?

I think so. I've seen fairly offers of up to 35% off on these models, but none of 40%. There's no denying it's very cheap.

Should I buy one?

We haven't reviewed any of the memory-foam only Simba models, so I can't say personally. Based on the price and design, I'd say this is a spare room mattress or temporary option rather than a permanent investment for the main bedroom. It's perhaps a good basic option if you're on a tight budget – although you could also check out our best cheap mattress picks if that's your remit.

Is it a good deal?

I think so. I've seen vouchers for 30% or even 35% off this mattress quite frequently, but never a 40% price drop.

Should I buy one?

We haven't tested any of this range, so I can't give a personal recommendation. The difference between this and the cheaper Comfort model seem minimal (I think there might be more 'zones' and a different cover?). The review ratings are decent, but again I'd say this is at best more of a spare room mattress option.

Browse the Simba Amazon range

Silentnight Prime Day mattress deals

Silentnight sells a nice wide selection of mattresses through Amazon: the Eco range, Geltex range, memory range, and rolled range. That encompasses springs, hybrids and memory foam models. Are Silentnight mattresses any good? Well, at T3 we haven't reviewed all of them by any means, but our Silentnight Studio Eco review and Silentnight Studio Original review are both very positive.

You might have to sacrifice things like removable covers and side handles on these mattresses, and you won't get the 'trial period' you'd find when buying direct from newer brands, but the price point might make all that worthwhile. I'd certainly be more than happy to buy one as a spare room mattress.

My pick would be the Silentnight Eco 1200 or 1400, which comes in a few variants, with up to 49% off.

Browse all Silentnight Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day alternative sales – UK

Argos.co.uk – cheap Lego, toys, phones and more
AO.com – huge sale on electrical appliances
Currys.co.uk – Epic deals! Up to 40% off 100s of items
Dell.co.uk – big savings on laptops and desktop PCs
eBay.co.uk – up to 70% off in the eBay Outlet
Very.co.uk – deals on electricals, fashion and home
Lovehoney.co.uk – discounted sex toys and lingerie
Goldsmiths.co.uk – savings on watches and jewellery
John Lewis – great savings plus the John Lewis guarantee
Le Creuset – premium cookware gets tasty discounts
Nike – new sneakers at sneaky low prices
ASOS – big savings on clothes
Schuh – save big on shoes, boots and trainers
The White Company – quality bedding at reduced prices
Simba – save big on mattresses and sleep bundles

Amazon Prime Day alternative sales – US

Best Buy – massive savings across every department
Dell.com – save big on notebooks, desktops, monitors and more
eBay.com – big discounts in the eBay Brand Outlet
Home Depot – save on Fall furniture, smart home devices and more
HP – save up to 30% on select products
Lowes – save up to $500 on select appliances
Lenovo – Semi-Annual Sale brings deep discounts to gaming laptops, student laptops and more
Microsoft – Surface and Xbox deals plus Microsoft Store Exclusives
Newegg – get your computer parts for less this October
Nordstrom – new markdowns, up to 40% off!
Target – Target Deal Days Sales Event takes on Amazon Prime Day
Walmart – Big Save Event from October 11 through October 15

Ruth is a lifestyle journalist specialising in sleep and wellbeing. She has tested more mattresses than her small flat can handle and will talk at length about them to anyone who shows even a passing interest, and has had to implement a one-in-one-out pillow policy for fear of getting smothered in the night. As well as following all the industry trends and advancements in the mattress and bedding world, she regularly speaks to certified experts to delve into the science behind a great night's sleep, and offer you advice to help you get there. She's currently Sleep Editor on Tom's Guide and TechRadar, and prior to that ran the Outdoors and Wellness channels on T3 (now covered by Matt Kollat and Beth Girdler-Maslen respectively).

Emma Prime Day Deals: are they any good?

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Simba Prime Day deals: are they any good?

Silentnight Prime Day mattress deals

Amazon Prime Day alternative sales – UK

Amazon Prime Day alternative sales – US