Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress review

The Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress is a budget mattress that's available to purchase at Amazon in the UK and the US. It's rare to find a hybrid mattress that's priced as low as some of the cheapest memory foam mattresses out there, which is why we were so eager to try it out for ourselves. Can such a low-priced model compete with today's best mattresses? Read on for our in-depth review of the 20cm / 8-inch Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress after three weeks of thorough testing.

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review in brief

Founded in 2003, Linenspa makes a range of cheap mattresses, alongside other bedroom products. It's rare to find a hybrid mattress for such a low price – typically the cheapest mattresses are all-foam. Thus, we were keen to see how the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress holds up, and if it's a good recommendation for shoppers on a tight budget. 

We tested the 20cm / 8-inch Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress, which is available in both the UK and US, and as well as being one of Amazon's best sellers, is featured in our guide to the best cheap mattresses on Amazon. Our expert tester slept on a single Linenspa Hybrid mattress for three weeks, evaluating it on all major areas of performance, such as pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, cooling and ease of setup. We also invited a range of different-sized sleepers (including kids) to try the bed out for size as well. 

Our main tester is of a lightweight build and felt that the mattress was only supportive for stomach sleepers. This is because there is only a small amount of foam above the coils in this simple construction, meaning back and side sleepers will find that they’re lying too close to the springs. But this thinner comfort layer means that lighter stomach sleepers will feel the support of the coils keeping their spine in alignment. 

Average and heavier adult sleepers are likely to find that the 20cm / 8-inch Linenspa simply doesn’t offer enough support for their build, with pressure points being aggravated. It’s also not a great choice for restless sleepers, either, as there’s not enough foam above the springs to absorb movement. The taller versions of this mattress may be better suited for such needs (this mattress is also available with a 10-inch and 12-inch profile.)

However, we do think that this is a great choice for children, who will experience enough support from the mattress because they’re much lighter. As it’s a bargain, the Linenspa could also be a good option for a spare room and occasional guests. If you need to replace your main mattress as soon as possible, the Linenspa could be a solid solution if your current bed has outlasted its usefulness, but it'll be a temporary fix before you can find something longer-lasting. (A 10-year warranty does apply.)

If those down-sides sound like deal-breakers to you, don't despair – our guide to the best cheap mattresses contains plenty of budget-friendly alternatives.

Remember, too, that mattress sales happen all year round, so you might even be able to pick up a usually-pricey model within your budget if you shop at the right time. 

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review: Price & deals

• A budget hybrid mattress starting from £130 / $130
• Vast range of sizes in the US, though stock can be limited in the UK
• includes a 10-year warranty but no formal trial period

The Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid is a budget mattress, with an RRP of £189 for a UK Double or $249.99 for a US Queen. Because the prices for the Linenspa are so low to start with, you won’t see the large discounts that many of the best mattresses in a box tend to enjoy.

However, Amazon do often offer discounts on the Linenspa in either country, and thanks to Black Friday Mattress deals the 8-inch profile currently has 20% off at check out, reducing a US Queen to $199.98. Amazon, the official retail partner for Linenspa in the UK, currently also has reduced prices and Black Friday deals on some sizes.

Below is the typical pricing for the 20cm / 8-inch Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid in the UK and US.

UK prices:

• Single: £129.90
• Double: £189
• King: £212
• Super King: £239.90
• EU Single: £135.70
• EU King: £193.82

Note that as of this writing, stock for the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress is currently available in the UK, but keep in mind that at times, we have seen that many sizes can be unavailable for purchase from Amazon UK, the official retail partner of this mattress.

US prices:

• Twin: $129.99
• Twin XL: $149.99
• Full: $179.99
• Full XL: $126.89
• Short queen: $229.99
• Queen: $249.99
• King: $269.99
• Cal king: $269.99

The US variation of this mattress stands out for its wider range of sizes, which include full XL and short queen. In addition to Amazon, it's also available to purchase from Linenspa direct, where some sizes may be cheaper and/or have more availability compared to Amazon.

No matter where you're buying, a 10-year warranty applies. However, there's no formal trial period, although it'll likely be backed by Amazon's 30-day return policy if you buy from there. Learn how to return a mattress to Amazon ahead of time so you'll know what to expect. Linenspa US also offers a 30-day returns policy.

Hybrid mattresses usually aren't priced as low as Linenspa's. In the US, the Allswell Mattress is the closest contender, with a queen retailing for $449. The tri-layer Allswell comes with 100 nights to trial it at home. Price-wise, it's more aligned with the Siena Memory Foam mattress, which starts at $299 for a twin thanks to a perpetual $200 discount. (The Siena also includes a generous 180-night trial period.)

In the UK, the Linenspa is priced similarly to the Simba Simbatex Essential Foam Mattress, a full-foam model with an emphasis on cooling. A single retails for £399 but regular Simba mattress sales knock as much as 40% off. It comes with a 200-night trial, as well.

You may find better value when it comes to at-home trials, but if you need a new mattress for a main bedroom on short notice or want to spruce up a guest room, it's hard to beat the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress. 

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review: Materials

• A simple three-layer construction of foams and coils
• Open coil system is similar to a traditional innerspring
• Comfort foam has a quick response to pressure

The 20cm / 8-inch Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid is a three-layer mattress. At the top is a cover made from a polyester blend which is soft to the touch. It’s also quilted with a small amount of memory foam (around half an inch) to provide a little immediate pressure relief.

Underneath you’ll find 1.5 inches of polyfoam, which provides some sinkage and a little contouring. This comfort foam layer responds quickly to pressure, stopping you from feeling stuck in the mattress. The base layer is made up of 6.5-inch steel coils, which serve as the main support structure of the mattress and provide some bounce, as well as some airflow from the spaces between the coils. The open coil design is more similar to a traditional innerspring mattress, unlike the pocketed coils you’ll find in a lot of the best hybrid mattresses.

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review: Firmness & comfort

• A medium-firm mattress (6.5 out of 10)
• Open coils yield a softer feel than pocketed coils
• Will suit lightweight sleepers and children best

We rate the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, placing it in medium-firm territory. The thinner design of the mattress means that it doesn’t offer as much support but the open coils do offer some firmness. The taller variations of the Linenspa Hybrid mattress are designed to be softer.

Our two main testers are both primarily back sleepers, although both sometimes sleep on their sides as well. Neither found the mattress supportive enough on their backs or sides, with our lightweight sleeper feeling a little pressure build-up on their hip. However, our lightweight sleeper also tested the mattress lying on their front and felt well supported in this position. The small amount of foam above the coils allowed them to be supported by the coils and their spine felt well aligned.  

Our average weight sleeper could feel the coils in all positions. The heavier sleepers we asked to test the mattress felt that they were sinking into and compressing the coils. The mattress didn’t offer enough support for their builds and their pressure points were likely to be aggravated had they continued to sleep on it for an extended period. 

The Linenspa Hybrid mattress also didn’t smooth out entirely on the cover, leaving it with some ridges on the surface. We didn’t feel these ridges when sleeping on the mattress but from an aesthetic point of view, it looks a bit unkempt. (Nothing a good mattress protector and some bedding can't remedy.) 

However, this mattress is a great choice for children who won't weigh enough to sink through to the coils. Kids will appreciate the softer feel of the foam at the top of the mattress and, being of a lighter weight, should find that the small amount of memory foam contours to their bodies, offering good support. They’ll also get a nice amount of bounce from the slightly softer feel of the open coils (as opposed to pocket springs). 

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review: Performance

• Best for growing children and lightweight stomach sleepers
• Edge support is not great, and there's too much bounce
• Limited off-gassing, but it'll take days to fully expand

We slept on a single Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress for three weeks, looking at all the major areas of performance. We rated it on pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, cooling and ease of set up – all of which should help you to decide if this is the right mattress for your sleeping style.

As the Linenspa is a cheap mattress we wouldn’t expect it to be as durable as some other models on the market, although the company do offer a 10-year warranty. To provide some perspective on this, we've also combed through the thousands of customer reviews for the Linenspa Hybrid mattress. Here's how we got on...

Set-up

Score: 3 out of 5

As our testers were based in the UK, our mattress was delivered by an Amazon driver to the front door. It’s not a heavy mattress and even the largest size could probably be lifted upstairs in its box easily by one person. A UK single, which we tested, is 8.34kg – or roughly 18lbs.

As with all mattresses in a box, the Linenspa is vacuum-packed into plastic. Simply cut this open and leave the mattress to inflate as you remove the packaging. Linenspa say the mattress takes between 24 and 48 hours to fully expand, but we found that it took at least 5 days for the top layer of foam to inflate and puff up. 

This is a big downside, as it means you’ll be sleeping on a bed that’s not fully inflated to begin with. We recommend you plan ahead accordingly.

Off-gassing

Score: 4 out of 5

Off-gassing is the process in which organic chemicals and gases are released from foam as a mattress expands. This is completely normal and generally harmless; however, the smell can be fairly off-putting with some mattresses. 

For a budget model, we were impressed by the lack of noticeable off-gassing with the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress. Fortunately, for us, the smell dissipated quickly, although some outside reviews online suggest it produces a much stronger smell. Note that your mileage may vary, and how well your room is ventilated may play a role in this.

The mattress is made from CertiPUR-approved foams, which are made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals, carcinogenic chemicals and phthalates. We felt that the Linenspa stacks up well compared to far more expensive mattresses in this department.

Pressure relief

Score: 3 out of 5

We tested sinkage on the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress with our largest weight of 20kg (44lbs.) placed in the middle of the bed to simulate a person’s weight sinking into the mattress. Surprisingly the weight only sank in 3.5 inches, which was less than we expected. 

However, for our human testers, the mattress sinkage stops to a certain degree if the body (or weight in this case) sinks through the foam and hits the coils. This is borne up by the lack of pressure relief for average and heavier weight sleepers on this mattress. But lighter weight stomach sleepers and kids should feel supported, with their spines being aligned and some good pressure relief at both the shoulders and hips. 

Other adult sleepers looking for a mattress that offers good pressure relief should look at the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid, which has a plush feel that offers support in all positions for even heavier bodies. It's available in the UK and the US and often features significant discounts and generous freebies.

Motion transfer

Score: 3.5 out of 5

A single bed is designed to support one person comfortably, so we tested the motion transfer on the Linenspa with a simple drop test, using a 6kg (13lb.) weight and a wine glass (empty, of course). Dropping the weight at various distances from the wine glass gives a good indication of how much motion transfer you’ll get from the mattress, as this is meant to mimic a partner switching positions in bed. 

The wine glass was stable when we dropped our weight from 25 inches away and wobbled at 10 inches away, before falling over at 5 inches away. This was with the weight dropped from a height of around 4-5 inches. 

Considering how similar the Linenspa is to a traditional innerspring mattress, we weren’t surprised by these results. In fact, the mattress performed a little better than we expected. The foam top layer of the mattress does absorb some motion, but we think it’s likely that you’ll be disturbed by a restless sleeper on it. 

Temperature regulation

Score: 3.5 out of 5

The Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress is simply constructed with a small amount of memory foam, polyfoam and open coils. Whilst the open coils at the bottom of the mattress do a great job of promoting airflow, the mattress doesn’t have any specific features designed to help keep it cool. The combination of memory foam and polyfoam at the top means that hotter sleepers may find this mattress too warm for their liking at night.

We tested the mattress with a summer duvet (4.5 tog) and a fleece blanket in a bedroom at around 16.5C (62F) overnight. Our hottest sleeper did find the bed a little warm but certainly not oppressively so. However, if you’re a particularly hot sleeper, you'll want to instead consider investing in one of the best cooling mattresses. 

Edge support

Score: 2 out of 5

Edge support is important in a mattress as it allows you to use the entire width of the bed, which is particularly useful if you’re sharing a bed with a partner. Good edge support also makes it easier to get in and out of bed and provides a stable surface to sit on when getting dressed. 

Unfortunately, edge support on the Linenspa is pretty woeful. Although our largest weight only sank into the mattress by 4 inches, we had to keep hold of it or there would have been some broken toes on the horizon. Sitting on the edge of the mattress was also a challenge – there’s not much support at all and we nearly ended up on the floor. 

Because of this lack of edge support, we couldn’t use the full width of the mattress. Again, this isn’t so much of a problem for smaller children who won’t need such a large space to sleep in, but for adults with mobility issues who have to sit on the edge in order to enter/exit bed, this could be problematic. 

Durability

Score: 3 out of 5

It’s obviously difficult to gauge the durability of a mattress after sleeping on it for a short period of time. We wouldn’t expect the Linenspa to last as long as some premium mattresses due to both its lower cost and thinner construction. Because there is only a small amount of foam in the mattress, we would expect to see some sagging over time, but this should be fairly minimal if a small child is sleeping on the mattress or it's placed in a rarely-used guest bedroom. 

Gleaning the thousands of reviews at Amazon US, several customers who have owned a Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress for several months have reported sagging in the middle with regular use. Despite that, Linenspa clearly have confidence in the longevity of its bed, as they offer a 10-year warranty. 

Linenspa Hybrid Mattress review: User reviews

On Amazon US, the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress has nearly 130,000 reviews, with an average score of 4.5 stars out of 5. At Amazon UK, it has a 4.4-star rating out of 5, but fewer than 120 reviews overall. (These figures are as of December 2022.)

The vast majority of positive reviews are from customers who purchased the bed for their children, a guest room or because they were on a tight budget. However, this doesn’t detract from the fact that these customers think the bed is a great buy and extremely comfortable for smaller bodies.  

Negative reviews focus on the mattress sagging quicker than customers would have expected, with some others talking about the lack of padding and support for their frames. This is what we would expect, however, particularly as we’ve already discussed at length how the mattress isn’t supportive enough for heavier sleepers.

One thing to keep in mind: there do appear to be some reviews for the 12-inch and 10-inch Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress mixed up with reviews for the 8-inch version, so do check which model is being reviewed first. (Amazon typically includes this information, even if the customer does not.)

Should you buy the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress?

If you’re looking for a reasonably-priced mattress for your growing children, the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress should be on your shortlist. The mattress is simple and supportive enough for kids as they grow, plus the lower cost means you don’t need to be too precious about it. (We’d still recommend using a mattress protector though.) We also think it's a great fit for a guest bed that sees little use.

Lightweight stomach sleepers should also find this mattress comfortable, with their spine kept aligned and supported. The open coils provide a nice amount of bounce and some airflow, but restless sleepers wouldn’t find this a great choice as motion isn’t particularly well isolated. And if you like to use every inch of your sleeping surface, this isn't the mattress to buy due to a lack of reinforced edges.

Whether you're a larger-framed individual seeking a supportive bed or a hot sleeper who needs something with ample airflow, you'll have to expand your budget beyond the Linenspa Hybrid – but there are affordable beds on either side of the Atlantic that can give you what you need. 

For instance, in the US the Siena Memory Foam Mattress is our pick if you need excellent edge support and low motion transfer – and a queen usually costs $499. Meanwhile, the Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress is among the best cooling mattresses on the market, and is also highly reasonable, with a queen on sale for $799 most of the time. 

UK-based sleepers should take a look at Simba’s Simbatex Foam mattress, which is a supportive all-foam design that offers excellent cooling technology starting from £399 before regular discounts. The Nectar Mattress is another option to consider if you need something firmer and more supportive – not to mention, it's one of the best values out there thanks to consistent discounts, a 1-year trial and a lifetime warranty.

Chances are you won't want to spend a whole lot of money on a child's bed – they're likely to outgrow it in years. Nor do you want to break the bank on a guest bed if you don't have visitors show up often. The Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress will certainly tick those boxes at a just-right price. And if you need a new bed ASAP, it'll definitely fill that need until you can upgrade to something else.