The quick answer#

The Foam People make budget, made-to-order all-foam mattresses from around £109, with custom sizes. OTTY is a popular British brand best known for its supportive hybrids that pair pocket springs with cooling foam. Choose The Foam People to spend the least or get a custom size; choose OTTY for a firmer, more supportive hybrid feel that sleeps cooler.

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.
  • OTTY: higher prices, though frequently discounted. You pay for the hybrid construction, cooling layers and a home trial.

Feel and support#

The Foam People build 100% foam, close contouring, strong motion isolation, a medium feel that suits side sleepers and couples. OTTY's hybrids feel firmer and more supportive, with pocket springs that suit back sleepers and heavier frames and make the bed easier to move on. 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

Sleeping cool and foam smell#

All-foam mattresses can sleep warmer, while OTTY builds in cooling foam and spring airflow. New foam can also have a faint initial odour, but 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 on foam, look at The Foam People's CoolMax options or see our cooling guide.

Durability#

Quality foams retain much of their firmness through extended use, though all foam softens over time.3 OTTY's hybrid springs offer a different, often longer-lasting support profile, with the comfort layer softening first. Rotate either regularly.

Which should you choose?#

  • Choose The Foam People if: you want the lowest price, a custom size, or an all-foam contouring feel.
  • Choose OTTY if: you want a firmer, cooler hybrid with better support for a heavier frame.

Read our Foam People review and OTTY 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