TechRadar Verdict
Supportive and pressure-relieving, the award-winning REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress helps ease painful joints and gives bad backs a run for their money. With 2,000 orthopaedic pocket springs for top motion isolation, those who share a bed can have a restful night’s sleep. For under £800, this bed-in-a-box delivers.
Pros
- +
Great pressure relief
- +
Brilliant edge support
- +
Excellent motion isolation
- +
Removable washable cover
Cons
- -
Feels more like memory foam
- -
No handles for lifting
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REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress: two-minute review
Opinions will vary from sleeper to sleeper, but I would confidently say that the UK-made REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid is one of the top bed-in-a-box options on the market right now. Thanks to its clever memory layer foam, it offers you orthopaedic support that will help you get a good night’s sleep, night after night. I think this makes it the best mattress for those who live active lifestyles, or anyone who is suffering from joint pain or a bad back as it’s designed to alleviate joint pressure.
It also has second-to-none edge-to-edge side support, as its high density foam walls keep you from rolling off the side. This also means you can sit on the edge of the bed without feeling like you are going to fall off, or you are sinking too deeply into the mattress. But what really surprised me with this mattress and made it stand out from others, were its motion isolation qualities. No matter whether you twist, turn, get up in the middle of the night or drop a weight on the bed (more on this later) the 2,000 orthopaedic pocket springs which measure in at 15cm tall help to cushion the movement so you and/or your sleep partner can have an undisturbed sleep. Plus, when you invest you get a 15-year replacement guarantee along with a 100-night trial.
However, do note: the brand classifies this bed as a firm mattress, rating it as a 9 out of 10 firmness. Although having tested out a range of mattresses, I would rank this bed as a 8. So either way, this firm offering wouldn’t suit those who prefer to sleep on their sides.
I’d also highlight that in terms of sleep feel, this bed has more in common with today's best memory foam mattresses than other hybrid models. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's worth being aware of. (If you're looking for a bouncier feel, our best hybrid mattress guide has lots of excellent options.)
To find out even more information about all the major areas of performance, including motion isolation, edge support, cooling and how easy it was to set up, do keep reading. Here's my full REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review.
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: Price
- At RRP a premium mattress
- Regular sales, so a double is usually £599
- Free pillows and mattress protector
The REM-Fit 500 is the second most expensive mattress in the brand’s range, as a double is usually priced at £999. Compared to other brands on the market, this makes the REM-Fit 500 a premium to luxury mattress (depending on what size you go for) although like many other brands, REM-Fit does tend to have a sale on. This means you can pick up a double mattress for around the £600 mark instead of paying full price. At the time of writing this review, there was an up to 50% off mattress flash sale site-wide. But prices do fluctuate as we’ve seen REM-Fit run a 45% discount this year too.
- Single: RRP £799 (usually £499)
- Double: RRP £999 (usually £599)
- King: RRP £1,049 (usually £629)
- Super king: RRP £1,199 (usually £719)
Shipping is free when you buy a mattress from REM-Fit. However, if you want guaranteed next day delivery, premium 2-person delivery and/or disposal of your old mattress you will have to pay anywhere between £10 to £50 depending on what option you choose.
When you buy the REM-Fit 500, you usually get 2x free memory foam pillows (worth £60) and the brand’s free tencel cool mattress protector (double worth £80) thrown in. So you could save yourself an extra £140 if you were thinking of investing in the full sleep set-up.
If you are interested in this mattress, I’d consider keeping an eye on our mattress sales guide, as we regularly check out which brand is selling its mattresses at knockdown prices, so you don’t have to. You can also check out the latest REM-Fit coupon codes for more ways to save on your next mattress or sleep accessory.
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: Specs
| Price (double size) | RRP £999 (usually sold at £599) |
| Type | Hybrid |
| Materials | Springs and memory foam |
| Firmness | Firm (9/10) |
| Depth | 25cm |
| Delivery | Free standard delivery, £10-50 for guaranteed next day delivery |
| Trial period | 100 nights |
| Guarantee | 15 years |
- Want a pillow to go with your mattress? Check out our REM-Fit Snow Pillow review or REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: materials and design
- Hybrid mattress with foam and springs
- Memory foam comfort layer for breathability
- 2,000 orthopaedic springs
The REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress is 25cm deep in total and is made up of four layers. The first is 5cm of the brand’s open-cell memory foam which helps to make sure you have a cool, breathable and comfortable night’s sleep. Next, is the ‘zoned memory’ foam layer which works towards relieving pressure from your joints. Along with the first layer, it’s a memory foam-feeling feature which you’ll notice as soon as you lie on top of the mattress.
The third layer is the 2000 firm pocket springs, which are 15cm deep. In our humble opinion, this layer is what makes this mattress really stand out as it stops the bed from moving, even if you or your partner is.
The last layer is the sturdy and supportive eco-foam base layer. This lies on top of your bed base.The walls of the bed are then finished off with an eco-foam edge-to-edge support. If you love sleeping on the edge of the bed or sitting on the side of the mattress to get in or out, this feature makes sure you won’t roll off. It also ensures no sagging occurs.
Like many of the top mattresses on the market today, the REM-Fit uses foam that is CertiPUR-US-certified. This means it’s crafted without heavy metals such as lead or mercury, and without dyes that are carcinogenic or allergenic – which is great for those who suffer from allergies.
Design score: 5 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: Comfort
- Medium-firm with a little memory foam sinking feeling
- Most comfortable in a back sleeping position
- Too firm for most side sleepers
We know that comfort is subjective and is different from person to person. However, as a person who is 5ft5 in height, around 60 kg and who tosses from her back, side and front, I found the mattress to give a relatively comfortable night’s sleep – but there were some downsides.
When sleeping on my front and back, I found the mattress to comfortably support my joints and help with correct spinal alignment. Across the three weeks, I woke up most mornings without any back pain and my body felt well rested. However, I did find this firm mattress a little uncomfortable when sleeping on my side. But this comes as no surprise as generally speaking, firm mattresses aren’t the most suitable choice for side sleepers, due to minimal cushioning on your pressure points.
I also found this mattress to feel more like a memory foam mattress, rather than a hybrid. This could be down to the fact that the first two layers are made up of foam. Therefore it felt a little bit softer than I would have liked. Although REM-Fit classes this mattress as a 9 on the firmness scale, because of its double foam layer, I would rate this an 8.
To see how much sinkage this mattress gave, I placed an 8kg kettlebell in the middle of the mattress. It sank around 1 inch which, when compared to other hybrid mattresses, is similar. I also asked my partner to sleep on the mattress with me, to see what he thought. He is 6ft and weighs around 75kg. He prefers to sleep on his back and side. And as was to be expected, he found it a comfortable night’s kip when sleeping on his back.
Comfort score: 4 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: temperature regulation
- Cool to-the-touch cover
- Great temperature regulation
- No issues with trapping body heat during testing
It’s important to note that I tested this mattress during winter in the UK, when temperatures were in single digits (Celsius) during the nights – and in some cases minus temperatures. I used a 10-tog duvet, with a 100% cotton cover and 100% cotton sheets which helped to allow for an breathable night’s sleep.
Temperature is very important when sleeping. Too hot and you’ll wake up and too cold and you’ll be uncomfortable. But during all three weeks of sleeping on this mattress, I found the bed to disperse heat brilliantly. This is down to the brand’s first layer of open cell memory foam. This layer helps to provide second-to-none temperature regulation and fails to heat up like some standard memory foam offerings. Also, even when you touch the top layer it remains cool to the touch. It’s a very big tick from me!
Temperature regulation score: 5 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: motion isolation
- 2,000 firm pocket springs absorb motion really well
- Scored top marks in all our motion transfer tests
- Good choice for those who share a bed
If you toss and turn in bed, or have a partner who does, motion transfer is an area you’ll want to take particular notice of and it’s for good reason. When someone is getting in and out of bed, too much motion can wake you up. So mattresses that have clever features which help to isolate this motion are worth their weight in gold.
To put the REM-Fit’s motion isolation features to the test, we placed a wine glass at 4, 10 and 25 inches away from an 8kg kettlebell. We dropped the weight at these distances to mimic someone moving position or getting in or out of bed. At all these distances the wine glass did not topple. Even at 4 inches the wine glass didn’t budge. Therefore this makes the REM-Fit mattress a top-notch choice for someone with a fidgety partner. Top marks all round.
Motion isolation score: 5 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: edge support
- Good edge support around the full perimeter of the mattress
- Felt fully confident sitting on the side of the bed
Edge support is more important than you might think when it comes to mattresses, as it enables you to make use of the full bed. I’m pleased to say that the REM-Fit 500 lived up to expectations.
The mattress is kitted out with high foam density walls, which make for a sturdy construction. But to really put these sturdy edges to the test, we sat on it and used a kettlebell so we could see how much sinkage there was.
I was able to confidently sit on the edge of the mattress without feeling like I was going to fall off. This means I could easily get in and out of bed when moving from a sleeping position to a seated position. You could also lie right on the edge of the bed without feeling like you might drop off.
When the 8kg kettlebell was placed on the edge, it remained upright and the layer of memory foam worked to gently cradle the weight without tipping off the bed.
Edge support score: 5 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: setup
- Mattress delivered vacuum-packed, rolled and boxed
- Free delivery available, although 8am-6pm time slot given
- No handles to help manoeuvre the mattress
When you invest in the REM-Fit you can choose from five different shipping methods, On one end is the free day of choice delivery (which you can set to the next day if you order before 1pm). This option means your mattress will be delivered between 8am to 6pm on your chosen day. While on the other end of the spectrum is the premium 2-person delivery service where your old mattress will be disposed of, the bed will be delivered to your room of choice and you’ll get a 30 minute pre-arrival phone call and a 7-10 day lead time. The latter will cost you £50.
For those who would struggle to lift this hybrid mattress, they would benefit from that or one of the middle options. Although if you’re happy to wait in for the day to have the mattress delivered and lift the 38kg double mattress to the correct room, the free delivery is spot on. Just bear in mind that it's much, much easier to lift this mattress with two people.
Like many other bed-in-a-boxes, the hybrid mattress is delivered vacuumed, rolled and in a cardboard box. Once you unbox it and place the rolled mattress on your bed, you just have to release it from its vacuumed sealed plastic packaging. Just be careful not to cut the actual mattress. Some brands provide you with a handy cutter, however this mattress doesn’t come with one, so carefully using scissors will work.
As soon as you snip into the plastic packaging, the mattress begins to unfurl. Unlike many other bed-in-a-boxes, though, this mattress doesn’t come with handles to help you manoeuvre the bed.
But on the plus side, within two hours the REM-Fit 500 was inflated to its full size which is pretty quick. Sometimes hybrid mattresses come with a distinct off-gassing smell but not this one. Within two hours the faint ‘new’ smell had dissipated.
Setup score: 4 out of 5
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: customer reviews
- Average 4.1/5 score from over 1,500 reviews (Feb 2023)
- Customers say mattress helps with bad backs
- Delivery and customer service marked down
Firstly, it’s important to note that you can only buy the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid mattress on the brand’s website. Users of the mattress can leave reviews on the brand’s Trustpilot page, but this is mixed in with all the other brand’s versions and models. So this was the only place I could find detailed reviews of the brand and limited reviews of the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress.
As of February 2023, the REM-Fit scored a decent 4.1 stars out of five from 1569 reviews. Many customers said the particular mattress helped ease aches and pains and rid bad backs. Reviews also said that this memory foam mattress helped to keep them cool throughout the night.
However, a few reviewers found this mattress to be softer than expected. Also, a couple of users commented about the wear and tear of the mattress after two and a half years of use. One user found the side foam was split. And another found that the edges sloped inwards. The brand was also ranked down because of its ‘poor customer service’. That said, those who decided to highlight the ‘poor’ customer service were mainly those who chose the free delivery service, which means they didn’t know between what times the mattress would arrive.
Should you buy the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress?
There is a lot to love about the REM-fit 500 mattress. It’s good value for money – especially if you wait for the sales to kick in – and it’s also ideal for those who share a bed as the 2000 springs work to isolate motion in the mattress from transferring. Plus, for those who suffer from achy joints and bad backs, this mattress really is a dream.
If you’re a back or front sleeper, I would say you’ll find this mattress comfy. But remember: side sleepers may find this mattress a little too firm to sleep on. It also doesn’t come with a handle, which makes this mattress a little difficult to set up. And despite the brand classifying this mattress as a 9 on the firmness scale, I would say it’s more of an 8, thanks to its first two layers of memory foam.
REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review: also consider
| Header Cell - Column 0 | REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid | Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid | Nectar Essential Hybrid | Simba GO Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (double) | RRP £2,299 (usually £1,380) | RRP £189 | RRP £969 (usually £485) | RRP £2,299 (sometimes £,1181.95) |
| Type | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Materials | Wool, foams, springs | Polyester, memory foam, polyfoam, steel coils | Open-cell foam, memory foam, polyester, polypropylene, steel coils | Cotton, organic latex, steel coils |
| Firmness | 'Medium-firm' (we rate 8/10) | Medium-firm (6.5/10) | Medium-firm (6.5-7/10) | Medium-firm (6.5/10) |
| Depth | 31cm | 20cm | 25cm | 30cm |
| Delivery | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Trial | 200 nights | 30 days | 365 nights | 200 nights |
| Guarantee | 10 years | 10 years | Forever | 10 years |
How I tested the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress
To test this mattress, I slept on it for three full weeks. I tested the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress during winter in the UK while temperatures were reaching single digits and even minus temperatures during the night. At all times, I had a 10-tog duvet on, with cotton fitted sheets and a cotton duvet cover.
To help get another point of view, my partner slept in the bed with me during the three weeks and at the end of each week I also asked him to give his review on the mattress, noting if he slept hot, if he felt comfortable and if his joints felt supported. I know comfort levels can be subjective, but this was why I ran standardised tests by dropping weights to objectively assess softness, edge support, and motion isolation.
