The quick answer#

Both brands are built around foam, but they sit at opposite ends of the market. The Foam People make budget, made-to-order all-foam mattresses from around £109, with custom sizes. Nectar is a hugely popular memory-foam bed-in-a-box with a plush, contouring feel and a long home trial. Choose The Foam People to spend the least or get a custom size; choose Nectar for a refined memory-foam feel and a risk-free trial.

Price and value#

  • The Foam People: roughly £109–£198, the cheapest credible route to a supportive bed, and the only one here that makes non-standard sizes.
  • Nectar: higher prices, though frequently discounted and often bundled with extras. You pay for the branded memory-foam build and a long trial.

Feel and support#

Both use memory-foam comfort layers over firmer support foam, so you get close contouring and strong motion isolation, good for side sleepers and couples. Nectar leans plush and deeply cushioning; The Foam People offers a range of feels and can be specced firmer. For most people a medium feel is the safest target, a systematic review of 39 studies found medium-firm best supports comfort, sleep quality and spinal alignment.1 Heavier sleepers should note that deep all-foam can feel less supportive than a hybrid.

Sleeping cool and foam smell#

Memory foam can sleep warm and have a faint initial odour. Independent testing of memory-foam emissions found volatile organic compounds well below health-based guidance values, decaying within weeks, so a short airing is usually enough.2 If you sleep hot, look at The Foam People's CoolMax options or Nectar's cooling-cover models, and see our cooling guide.

Durability#

Quality foams retain much of their firmness through extended use, though all foam softens over time.3 Both should be rotated regularly to even out wear; denser cores last better.

Which should you choose?#

  • Choose The Foam People if: you want the lowest price, a custom size, or to choose your firmness.
  • Choose Nectar if: you want a plush, proven memory-foam feel with a long home trial.

Read our Foam People review and Nectar review, or take our quiz to match a bed to your sleep style.

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References#

  1. Caggiari G, Talesa GR, Toro G, Jannelli E, Monteleone G, Puddu L. What type of mattress should be chosen to avoid back pain and improve sleep quality? Review of the literature. Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. 2021;22:51. doi:10.1186/s10195-021-00616-5
  2. Beckett EM, Cackovic K, Charles S, et al. Quantification of volatile organic compound emissions from memory foam mattresses and predicted inhalation exposures. Chemosphere. 2022;303:134945. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134945
  3. Vlaović Z, Klarić N, Domljan D. Investigating the Impact of Long-Term Use on Mattress Firmness and Sleep Quality: Preliminary Results. Applied Sciences. 2024;14(21):10016. doi:10.3390/app142110016