Abstract: A mattress for supporting the human body, which is especially useful in hospitals or for home nursing of sick persons, comprises a body of open-cell foamed synthetic plastics material, with air passages extending up through a central region of the body. These air passages are open through the base of the central region of the mattress. The body of the mattress may comprise a base layer of foamed synthetic plastics material extending from head to foot of the mattress, and supporting elements in head and foot regions of the mattress located on this base layer. Each of these supporting elements may comprise foamed synthetic plastics material which is denser and less readily compressed than foam material in a central region of the mattress.