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.
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
The Foam People vs Nectar at a glance#
| The Foam People | Nectar | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | All-foam: memory foam or reflex foam over a supportive base foam | Layered memory foam; a hybrid variant adds pocket springs |
| Firmness | Medium across the range; one firm (Comfort Ortho Firm) | Medium-firm marketed, plush contouring feel |
| Double price | £109–£198 | Mid-market, almost always discounted or bundled |
| Custom sizes | Yes – cut to order, non-standard sizes available | No |
| Home trial | None | 365 nights as advertised at the time of writing |
| Warranty | 5 years | Marketed as a lifetime ("forever") warranty |
| Made / delivered | Made to order in the UK | Sold direct online, delivered rolled in a box |
Nectar's trial and warranty terms are the most generous headline figures in the UK market, and they are the reason to consider it. Read the conditions: lifetime warranties typically shift to a pro-rata or repair basis after the first decade, and a trial only helps if you are prepared to organise a return.
The Foam People models we have scored#
| Model | Type | Depth | Feel | Support | Comfort | Price (double) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westwood Memory Foam | Foam | 18cm | Medium | 7.8 | 8.0 | £109 |
| Comfort Ortho Firm | Foam | 20cm | Firm | 8.6 | 7.9 | £157 |
| The Saffron Comfort Deep | Foam | 23cm | Medium | 8.3 | 8.5 | £174 |
| Comfort CoolMax Intelligent | Foam | 20cm | Medium | 8.4 | 8.6 | £192 |
| Superior Cashmere | Foam | 23cm | Medium | 8.5 | 8.8 | £198 |
Nectar's core mattress is a deep, slow-responding memory foam with a soft-touch quilted cover: you sink in and stay put. The nearest Foam People feel is the Superior Cashmere (23cm, memory foam, cashmere-blend cover, 8.8 comfort) at £198, or the softer-surfaced Aerotac Superior Bubble. Neither is as deep as a Nectar, and neither will hug quite as hard, which some sleepers will count as a plus.
Prices are for a double at the time of writing (September 2026), using the sale price where the brand runs a permanent one. Rival brand terms are as published at the time of writing; check the retailer before you buy. Full scores are on each review page. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you; it never affects a score.
Memory foam versus memory foam: what actually differs#
Both brands sell memory foam over a firmer support foam, so the difference is degree rather than kind.
- Depth. Nectar's main mattress is around 25cm; The Foam People range from 15cm to 23cm. Deeper foam takes longer to compress through and holds its firmness better over the years.3
- Contouring. Nectar is built to sink; The Foam People's 20–23cm models are medium and more neutral. If you have ever felt "stuck" in memory foam, the shallower hug is a feature. If you love that enveloping feel, Nectar delivers more of it.
- Heat. Sinking deeper into foam traps more heat. The Foam People's CoolMax-covered models tackle this at the surface; Nectar relies on its cover and, in the hybrid, spring airflow.
- Firmness choice. Nectar sells one feel. The Foam People sell a medium and a genuine firm, so a front sleeper has somewhere to go.
A 365-night trial versus a fixed £109–£198 price#
The trial is Nectar's real product. Comfort is individual and takes weeks to settle into, so a year to decide removes almost all the risk of choosing wrong, and for a nervous buyer that is worth a lot. The Foam People offer no trial and their made-to-order mattresses are exempt from the 14-day online cancellation right. The offset is price: you can buy a Saffron Comfort Deep for £174, sleep on it for a year, and if you were wrong you have lost less than the discount on a Nectar. Which risk you would rather carry is the whole decision.
Verdict by sleeper#
| If you are… | Our pick |
|---|---|
| Loving a deep, sink-in memory foam feel | Nectar |
| Preferring a more neutral medium foam | Saffron Comfort Deep or Superior Cashmere |
| A front sleeper or wanting firm | Comfort Ortho Firm – Nectar has no firm model |
| A hot sleeper | Comfort CoolMax Intelligent; better still, a sprung hybrid from our cooling guide |
| Needing a custom size | The Foam People |
| Anxious about choosing wrong | Nectar – the trial is the point |
| Over 16 stone | Neither all-foam build; see our heavy sleeper guide |
Frequently asked questions#
Is Nectar firmer or softer than The Foam People?#
Nectar is marketed as medium-firm but its deep memory foam gives a plush, sink-in feel. The Foam People's medium models feel more neutral because they are shallower, and their Comfort Ortho Firm is genuinely firm, which Nectar does not offer.
Does Nectar's lifetime warranty make it the better buy?#
It is a real advantage, but read the conditions: lifetime warranties usually cover defects and sagging beyond a set depth, and often move to repair or pro-rata terms after ten years. The Foam People's 5-year warranty is shorter but the mattress costs a fraction of the price.
Which sleeps cooler?#
Neither all-foam mattress is a cool sleeper. The Foam People's CoolMax models wick heat at the surface for under £200; Nectar's hybrid adds airflow through springs. If heat is your main problem, a sprung hybrid beats both.
Can I get a Nectar in a custom size?#
No. Nectar sells standard UK sizes. The Foam People cut every mattress to order, including non-standard dimensions.
Which is better value?#
For a main bed you want to keep for ten years with a long trial, Nectar's headline terms justify its price. For a spare room, a child's room, a tight budget or a non-standard frame, The Foam People's £109–£198 range is far better value.
References#
- 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
- 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
- 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
