iGel Mattress review: I can sleep in summer without an A/C thanks to the iGel Mattress

However, under the surface, it's anything but old-fashioned: it claims to use Nobel Prize-winning technology to keep you cool at night, so we thought we'd do an iGel Mattress review to see if it's worth the stratospheric price tag.

Bensons for Beds, the exclusive stockist of the iGel mattress, says that the iGel is the future of mattresses, and makes some pretty big claims regarding its performance.

Using the Goldilocks-esque tagline "not too hot, not too cold, just right", it says that the mattress is seven times better at transferring heat than standard memory foam, and that its pressure-relieving iGel crystals help to relieve aches and pains.

However, the entry-level 1600i model I tested costs a whopping £1199.99, and if you go for the bells-and-whistles 4400i Plush Top version, you'll have to find a smidge over £2,600 down the back of the sofa.

That means that to be classed as good value for money, the iGel Mattress has to walk the walk.

Overall rating: 4/5

Pros

• Amazing at temperature regulation, meaning no waking up sweaty (we didn't even need A/C in summer)
• Eases pressure on aching joints
• 10-year guarantee
• Deliverers will put the mattress in a room of your choice
• No weird smell upon opening
• No waiting for it to expand — you can hop right on

Cons

• Expensive, especially when compared with modern bed-in-a-box brands (though you can pay on interest-free finance)
• Doesn't come rolled up, which could make delivery a bit of a faff
• Even the "medium" firmness is quite firm
• Heavy and big — you will likely require deep fitted sheets

iGel Advance 1600i Mattress, £1,199.99 from Bensons for Beds

iGel mattress review: first impressions

If you're familiar with our work at Sun Shopping, you'll know that we've reviewed a huge array of so-called "bed in a box" brands, from to and

You might be familiar with the concept; your mattress arrives very tightly rolled up inside a surprisingly compact package, and while the delivery people might put it in a room of your choice, you're left to unpackage it and heave it onto the bed yourself.

The iGel is not that; things are done the old-fashioned way. Two gentlemen turned up in a van, asked which room I'd like the mattress to be put in, huffed and puffed their way up my narrow staircase, and put it on the bed I specified.

Bed in a box brands often market themselves as the convenient solution, but I can't think of anything easier than having the mattress unpackaged and put on the bed for you.

And because it's not rolled up during delivery, you don't even have to wait for the mattress to expand to its full size like you do with bed in a box brands — you can theoretically put your sheets on and go to bed as soon as it arrives.

It's also fairly common to get a bit of a weird smell in the room once you've unpackaged a rolled-up mattress — there's none of that with the iGel.

I was quite taken aback by the size of the mattress. It's a big old slab, at 26cm thick, and it's very heavy to move around (I'm certainly glad the delivery men took it up the stairs). However, Bensons for Beds says that you don't need to turn it as you do with other mattresses, so it's unlikely you'll have to pick it up very often.

The thickness does mean that you'll probably require deep-fitted sheets, though, or else you'll be at risk of the corners pinging off during the night.

I'll also say that, although it's a relatively useless feature as it'll be covered with sheets and duvets, it's also a very nice mattress to look at, with an unusual panelled design.