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'I sleep on a refurbished mattress – and here's why you should too'

Save on a Simba mattress

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Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
Updated: February 23, 2023
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Is a new mattress long overdue? It may surprise you to learn that you should actually invest in a new one every 7-10 years. But don't worry, we are here to help...

With an average of 4.8 stars from over 98,000 reviews, Simba is one of the top rated mattress brands around. The brand regularly has sales but there's a new way to save on your dream mattress… get a refurbished one.

I'll be honest when the email landed in my inbox, I was a little sceptical, what does it really mean?

simba mattress duvet

Simba now sell refurbished mattresses for sale prices

What is a refurbished mattress?

Well after a thorough read about Simba's Hybrid Refurb Collection, I realised it wasn't the same as buying a used mattress from a second-hand shop after all. The eligible mattresses are ones that aren't used for very long and there's a 32-question survey at the inspection centre to catch any parts that need repairing or replacing.

Emma Reid, Simba's Head of Sustainability explains the process. “Foam that doesn't pass the initial inspection goes straight to recycling. Each layer of the mattress then goes through a hospital-grade sanitisation chamber.

RELATED: How to choose a mattress: ultimate buying guide

"Every single part is deep cleaned, washed for 45 minutes using NHS-standard detergent, sanitised and thoroughly dried to the point it’s pristine and squeaky clean.

"Because UV light is proven to kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, the mattress is then passed under a UV-C lamp to destroy any remaining microbes before being rebuilt to Simba’s exacting standards.

simba box

The mattress came vacuum packed for easy storage before you open it 

“After this, it passes through a second round of inspections and quality control before getting the green light."

I was a little concerned that when the mattress arrived it would be full size and we'd have nowhere to store it amid our renovations, but it came rolled up in a box and it's so easy to unpack.

After purchase you'll be sent a handy email about unpacking and caring for it. Don’t worry if your mattress looks a little, er, deflated, when you first release it from the packaging. It slowly plumps back up and will look luxuriously bounce-able by bedtime. You can sleep on it after 3-6 hours, but it'll be fully plumped up after a few days.

simba unpacked

The mattress will take a few hours to plump up - here it is fresh out of the box 

Although the brand is famed for their mattresses, the duvets are genius too. The Hybrid 3-in-1 duvet comes with two detachable duvets - a summer one, a spring/autumn one and together they make a winter one. Seriously game changing!

MORE: 6 best mattresses for back pain that reviewers say are worth every penny

READ: 21 of the best mattresses to buy right now for an amazing night's sleep

It was quite tempting to jump on to test the mattress straight away, but I refrained until bedtime, and it was worth the wait. You know that feeling when you sink into a dreamy hotel bed and already know you'll get the best night's sleep ever? Yeah, that.

simba mattress review

It's like sleeping in a hotel bed every night

The hybrid structure of our particular mattress (the Simba Hybrid) means there is memory foam for that 'floating on a cloud' kind of feeling and also springs deeper down for extra support (ideal for those with back trouble).

It's been two weeks now since we've been sleeping soundly on our new mattress, and although the experts say it can take a month to get used to it, we're already loving our Simba.

The pros of buying a Simba refurbished mattress

- It is cheaper than a brand new one

- It is better for the environment

- You get the same Simba quality

My one line review…

If you're after a hotel-worthy mattress for a fraction of the cost say hello to a Simba refurbished mattress.

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