Silentnight Airmax Topper Review: 500 vs 800 vs 1000

Search for a Silentnight Airmax topper and you’ll meet a small crowd of near-identical names: Airmax 300, 500, 600, 800, 1000, “extra deep”, “dual layer”, “anti-allergy”. Some are different thicknesses of the same hollowfibre design. Some are the same topper wearing a different label at a different shop. Which one are you actually buying, and is it worth what the listing asks?

This is the closer look our complete Silentnight topper comparison promised. We checked Silentnight’s own pages and live listings at B&Q, La Redoute, MattressOnline, Boots and Amazon (via the Trolley price tracker) on 28 October 2026, then read what independent testers and owners say. Where a number couldn’t be confirmed on a live page, it isn’t in here.

Key Takeaways

• The Airmax number is roughly the depth in millimetres: 300 is 3cm, 500 is 5cm, 800 is 8cm and 1000 is 10cm. Always confirm the centimetres on the listing.
• Silentnight’s own page prices the 8cm Airmax at £41 for a king and £45 for a super king. Other retailers we checked asked £48.99 to £59.99 for the same king.
• At B&Q the 5cm king (£44.99) costs only £4 less than the 8cm king (£48.99), so the thinner model is rarely the bargain.
• Owners praise the cushioning and airflow, but several report the fill needing regular fluffing and one tester found motion isolation weaker than foam.
• None we found carries a sleep trial, and none will rescue a mattress that has genuinely sagged.

What do the Airmax 300, 500, 800 and 1000 numbers actually mean?

The model number tracks the depth. Silentnight’s pages describe the 300 as a 3cm dual layer, B&Q’s 500 listing promises an extra 5cm, the 800 is an 8cm dual layer, and the 1000 is the 10cm “extra deep” version. All use hollowfibre filling with air mesh sides and elasticated straps. Source: Silentnight Airmax 300 · B&Q Airmax 500

Source: Silentnight Airmax 8cm page · MattressOnline Airmax 1000 · La Redoute Airmax 800

Why do retailers label the same Airmax topper differently?

Because the product name isn’t standardised. Silentnight’s own page calls the 8cm model simply “Airmax Mattress Topper” in its title while its packaging image reads “Airmax Topper 800”. B&Q, La Redoute and Costco all file it as the 800. Our topper review also found one Amazon listing calling the same 8cm product a 600.

The mix-up matters because the price gap between depths is small. Buy a “600” assuming it sits between the 500 and 800, and you may be paying 800 money for something thinner, or the reverse. Is that a scam? No, it’s sloppy catalogue data. But it’s the main reason Airmax reviews on shopping sites contradict each other.

How much does each Airmax topper cost in October 2026?

Direct from Silentnight, the 8cm Airmax is £41 for a king and £45 for a super king. Elsewhere the same king ranged from £48.99 at B&Q and Amazon to £59.99 at Boots. The 10cm Airmax 1000 starts from £38 (double) on Silentnight’s site, with the king at £42, and from £55 at MattressOnline. Source: Trolley · B&Q

Source: Silentnight · La Redoute · MattressOnline

Is the 8cm Airmax 800 or the 10cm Airmax 1000 the better buy?

For most people the 8cm. It’s cheaper, it’s the version Silentnight describes as medium firm, and it has far more owner reviews behind it. Choose the 10cm only if your mattress is noticeably hard and you accept a softer, deeper feel, since MattressOnline rates the 1000 medium to soft. For a second opinion on 10cm hollowfibre, our read of the deeper Super Snuggly alternative goes through the Argos owner reviews.

Mumsnet’s tester used the 10cm in super king for six weeks on an eight-year-old IKEA mattress and scored it 79 out of 100. That’s a “meaningful upgrade”, in their words, rather than a transformation. Source: Mumsnet Reviews

The extra 2cm also brings practical costs: you may need deep-pocket fitted sheets, the quilting pattern showed through a standard sheet, and the tester found motion isolation less impressive than memory foam. It also took a few hours to fully expand after unpacking.

What do owners and testers say about the Airmax?

Mostly positive, with a pattern. People like the cushioning and the price. The complaints are about thickness, loft and support. La Redoute’s Airmax 800 sits at 4.2 out of 5 from 264 reviews, and reviewers there say it needs fluffing roughly weekly to keep its loft. Source: La Redoute

Expert Reviews tested the standard 5cm Airmax and liked the low cost, the elastic straps and the added cushioning. Its verdict: minimal support, and not for anyone wanting a firmer bed. It also notes the topper has no trial period and a two-year guarantee. Source: Expert Reviews

Does the Airmax topper sleep cool?

Cooler than memory foam, by design, but not cold. The air mesh sides and dual layers are built to let air move through the topper. Owners report mixed results: Expert Reviews’ hot-sleeping tester never felt too warm, Mumsnet’s tester saw fewer overheating nights, while some La Redoute buyers still found it “quite hot”.

That squares with general advice. Which? says memory foam responds to body heat and may feel warmer, while latex is cooler and more breathable. Source: Which? Nobody has lab-tested the Airmax’s temperature, so treat “cooling” as a design aim and owner opinion, not a measured result. If you run seriously hot, the fix is probably a different mattress, not a thicker topper.

How do you wash a Silentnight Airmax topper?

Care instructions differ by source, so follow the label on your own topper first. Expert Reviews washed the 5cm at 40°C and said it can be tumble dried. Mumsnet’s tester washed the 10cm at 40°C twice without losing shape, but advised against warm tumble drying and line-dried it instead.

Silentnight’s own 8cm page lists no care instructions at all, and B&Q simply says machine washable. A king or super king is bulky, so a launderette’s large drum may be easier than a domestic machine. Wash it with your bedding every few weeks if you’re allergy-prone: dust builds up in any bedding, hypoallergenic label or not.

Should you choose the Airmax or the Impress memory foam topper?

Choose Airmax for soft cushioning and a low price. Choose Impress for pressure relief on a firm mattress. Airmax runs from £41 in a king direct; the 5cm Impress king is £119 at MattressNextDay. They solve different problems, so the price gap is less important than the complaint you’re fixing.

Source: MattressNextDay Impress 5cm · Silentnight

We cover foam depth, heat and the inflated RRPs in our Silentnight Impress memory foam topper review. The short version: if your pain is pressure, Impress is the more credible pick; if the bed is merely too hard, Airmax costs far less.

When can’t an Airmax topper save your mattress?

When the mattress itself has failed. Which? advises that if a mattress has sagged or softened a lot, a topper may make little difference and a new mattress is probably the better option. Expert Reviews says the same of the Airmax: its soft filling compresses under weight and won’t correct a dip.

A quick test: strip the bed and lie on it. If you roll toward a hollow, a topper will simply follow the hollow, only more softly. Read our guide to Silentnight mattress sagging, dips and fixes to tell a worn-out mattress from one that’s merely firm, and our ranked Silentnight mattress picks if replacement is the honest answer.

Practicalities: a topper adds height, so check your fitted sheet depth, and check the footprint against our Silentnight mattress size guide. Keep a mattress protector between topper and sleeper if you want to keep the cover clean for longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Airmax 500, 800 and 1000?

Depth. The 500 is about 5cm, the 800 is an 8cm dual layer and the 1000 is a 10cm extra deep version. All use hollowfibre with air mesh sides. Firmness differs slightly: Silentnight calls the 800 medium, while MattressOnline rates the 1000 medium to soft.

Is the Silentnight Airmax 600 the same as the 800?

We couldn’t confirm. Silentnight’s own page labels the 8cm model as the 800, and we found no live manufacturer page for a 600. One Amazon listing in our September review used 600 for the 8cm product, so check the stated centimetres rather than trusting the number.

Will an Airmax topper stop me overheating if I already sleep hot?

It may help a little, but it isn’t a cooling product. The mesh sides improve airflow and owners report fewer hot nights than with foam, yet some still find it warm. If heat is your main complaint, look at the mattress underneath first.

Can you put an Airmax topper in the washing machine?

Yes, the covers are described as machine washable, typically at 40°C. Expert Reviews says tumble drying is fine; Mumsnet’s tester advised against warm tumble drying. Silentnight’s own 8cm page gives no instructions, so check the label on your topper.

Do Silentnight Airmax toppers come with a sleep trial?

None we found do. Expert Reviews confirms there’s no trial period, only a two-year guarantee for faults. Returns are generally limited to faulty or unopened items, so check the retailer’s own policy before opening it.

How long will an Airmax topper keep its loft before going flat?

Nobody has published a long-term test. Mumsnet’s six-week tester saw no loss after two washes, but La Redoute reviewers say the 800 needs fluffing weekly. Expect to refresh it often and replace it within a couple of years.