One of the most crucial aspects to having a good night’s sleep is selecting the correct mattress.
The reason it’s so difficult is that a great match is really personal.
To find the mattresses that might be worth your money, we’ve spent hundreds of hours speaking with experts, testing mattresses at our testing facility, and sleeping on them in our own homes. This page offers a handy road map to our comprehensive mattress coverage, which will help you locate the right mattress for you and your ideal sleep.
How to choose a mattress
You must separate the true benefits of a mattress from all the marketing hype in order to shop wisely. In our mattress buying guide, we’ll walk you through how to assess if a mattress will provide your body with appropriate support and pressure relief, how big of a mattress to get, when to buy it, and what questions to ask the salesman (or live-chat attendant) to find out how durable a mattress is.
What to know about mattress types
Which is better, an innerspring mattress or a contemporary foam mattress available exclusively online? Perhaps a so-called hybrid would do? How about foam made of latex? We break down the benefits and drawbacks of each type of mattress in this overview so you can select the best bed for your needs.
Best memory-foam mattresses
An all-or mostly-polyurethane foam (also known as polyfoam) memory-foam mattress might be the best option for you if you prefer to sink into your bed rather than just relax on top of it. Memory foam mattresses have a tendency to hug you in and mould to your body as you get comfortable, but they can also make you feel trapped.
The cost of foam mattresses varies. The popular memory-foam Leesa Original mattress is neither very firm nor excessively sinky. Our choice for a less expensive memory-foam mattress is the Nova form Comfort Grande, which offers the finest return policy we’ve ever seen and is surprisingly comfy for the price. More than twice as expensive as the Leesa Original, but made of stronger materials, is our top pick for memory foam: the Loom & Leaf (Relaxed Firm).
Consider a foam mattress if:
It should feel body-conforming. A foam mattress’s direct, comforting hug will touch you squarely in the good spot. Your most sensitive pressure points will feel relieved by the supporting yet flexible texture.
Do not use a foam mattress if
You have a heated night’s sleep. Due to memory foam’s tendency to retain heat, you can wake up feeling sweaty.
Best latex mattress
Although some latex mattresses can feel rigid or unduly stretchy, latex mattresses generally feel springier and are more breathable than memory foam or polyfoam mattresses. Additionally, their cost is usually higher than that of standard foam mattresses. Latex mattresses can be a smart option if you weigh more than 200 pounds or want a bed that lasts longer than the standard 10-year warranty for foam beds because latex is inherently more durable. Over the years, we’ve tested three different all-latex mattresses, and we’ve discovered that the Zenhaven (shown above with a box spring) is the most cushiony and comfy of the bunch.
Take into account a latex mattress if
Longevity is what you desire. Compared to polyfoam or memory foam, latex is more resilient. Latex may be the best option if you weigh more than 200 pounds, spend a lot of time in bed, or just don’t want to make the hassle of purchasing a new mattress anytime soon.
You have a heated night’s sleep. Inherently more permeable than memory foam or polyfoam, latex is probably going to help you sleep colder.
Consider an latex mattress if:
Your budget is limited. Regretfully, less expensive latex mattresses frequently have an uncomfortable feeling of being too hard and too elastic. Investing in a latex mattress is not only essential, but also strongly advised.
A very soft, deep-cradling mattress is what you desire. Generally speaking, latex is not as soft or conforming as memory foam and has a bouncy feel.
Best hybrid mattresses
A hybrid mattress has no set definition that is “official.” We have foam beds with steel coils and sock coverings in our list of the best hybrid mattresses, along with a well-liked innerspring mattress with lots of foam. For the past two years, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid and the Tempur-Adapt (Medium Hybrid), two of our favourite hybrid mattresses, have routinely finished at or near the top of our foam-mattress evaluations. In our guide to the best innerspring mattresses, the hybrid WinkBed (Luxury Firm) with a quilted cover, polyfoam, and a layer of base coils is a top choice.
Consider a hybrid mattress if:
You must come to an agreement with your sleeping partner. A hybrid mattress often has a sensation that falls in between that of an all-foam mattress and a conventional innerspring, without sinking or bouncing too much.
Best innerspring mattresses
The steel coils of innerspring mattresses support the layers of foam and fibre beneath a quilted top, giving the mattress a buoyant feel. If an all-foam mattress makes you feel too heated or sunk in, an innerspring mattress can provide more resilience, stronger edges, and naturally better airflow. However, purchasing innersprings can be famously challenging; often, it involves visiting a mattress store and sifting through hundreds of types with bewildering names, features, and specifications. In our testing, the WinkBed (Luxury Firm) and IKEA Hesstun (Medium Firm) outperformed the other recommendations in our innerspring mattress guide. A few, like the WinkBed, are available for purchase online and frequently come with welcoming trial and return policies.
An innerspring mattress might be useful if:
You’re going for a lively, classic vibe. If an all-foam mattress makes you feel stuffy and overheated, you might benefit from an innerspring that is more resilient and breathable.
You enjoy having choices. Compared to all-foam variants, innerspring mattresses typically provide a greater variety of firmness options.
If: Don’t use an innerspring mattress
Your budget is extremely constrained. We discovered during testing that the innersprings under $500 had so little padding that they felt sparse.
A bed-in-a-box is what you desire. While some good innersprings come packaged in a box, the majority need to be delivered and put up at home.
Best cheap mattresses
Less than $500 for a queen mattress is usually a relatively basic mattress. In comparison to more expensive options, these mattresses are typically all-foam (or foam-forward hybrids) with fewer layers, less dense foams, and fewer bells and whistles (such free trial periods). Both the Novilla Bliss Memory Foam and the Zinus Green Tea Cooling Swirl Memory Foam Hybrid are medium-firm mattresses that performed well in our tests and strike a good balance between comfort and cost.
Best cheap mattresses
You don’t require a sturdy bed. The materials used to make the average mattress under $500 are less strong, and their warranties are shorter than those of more expensive models.
Do not buy a cheap mattress if
You desire choices. It’s uncommon to get an extremely soft or really firm inexpensive mattress; the majority of cheap mattresses are medium-firm. Most don’t have the same range of firmness options as more expensive mattresses.
Best soft mattresses
At times, the ideal mattress for you genuinely depends on your personal preferences. A decent soft- to medium-soft mattress will pleasantly mould the shoulders and hips while still providing strong underlying support for those who know they prefer an incredibly luxurious, mushy feel. Softer mattresses are often better for side sleepers because firmer ones might put strain on the hips and shoulders.
We’ve compared a dozen soft mattresses—including the plusher iterations of several of our top choices—and can suggest a few. Try the Serta Perfect Renewed Night Plush for a more springy, traditional innerspring that can yet provide a gentle surface cradle. Because of its deep, dense cushioning, our testers also adored the Winkbed in Softer, a softer version of our top selection in our innerspring mattress guide. Our upgraded innerspring choice, the Stearns & Foster Estate (Pillow Top Soft), has a quilted and cushioned surface that provides significant support and alleviates pressure points.
ideal mattress for your sleeping posture
People move around during the night more often than they realise. However, selecting a mattress according to how your head rests on the pillow at night could improve comfort and facilitate falling asleep. The main goal is to align your sleeping posture with the mattress’s level of firmness.
Best mattress for your sleep position
Most comfortable mattresses for side sleepers are often medium-soft to medium-hard. These are firm enough to maintain the spine’s alignment, but they are also soft enough to support the hips and shoulders. The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is marginally firmer and more resilient than the all-foam Loom & Leaf (Relaxed Firm), which offers a cradling, not-too-sinky sensation. There are more suggestions in our guide to the top side-sleeper mattresses.
Mattress Leesa Sapira Hybrid
A gentle bounce and comforting foam-on-coil combination
This hybrid blends the comfort of cradling memory foam with the durability of 1,000 coils for side sleepers who prefer a little more firmness. Its cover is solid and strong as well.
$1,399 from the queen Leesa
all sizes 25% off MSRP with code WIRECUTTER25
Best mattresses for back-sleepers
Generally speaking, back sleepers choose medium-firm mattresses. They provide hip, lower back, and shoulder support while also preventing the flexion of the spine. The Novaform ComfortGrande is a good option for people who desire a little plushness with their firm mattress; for those who prefer pressure relief without the “fluff,” the slow-sinking Tempur-Adapt (Medium Hybrid) is a good option. The somewhat springier Charles P. Rogers Estate SE innerspring may be more appealing if you’re looking for a more supple, smoother sensation. We have additional suggestions in our guide to the top mattresses for back sleepers.
The best mattresses to sleep on your stomach
Medium-firm or somewhat firmer mattresses work best for stomach sleepers. This cradles your belly without causing your back to arch. The Tempur-Adapt (Medium Hybrid) provides support and contour-curving pressure relief; the Stearns & Foster Estate (Pillow Top Firm) accomplishes this with a typical innerspring buoyant lift; and the all-latex Zenhaven provides smooth cushioning and adequate back support (for most people, anyway). See our guide to the top mattresses for stomach sleepers for additional suggestions.
Best mattresses for stomach-sleepers
Individuals with back pain should focus especially on maintaining a neutral spine alignment. According to research, those with back discomfort who slept on medium-firm mattresses reported feeling more at ease than people who didn’t. The Tempur-Adapt (Medium Hybrid) foam mattress, with its flat top, is firmer than the fluffier-topped Novaform ComfortGrande foam mattress, which is on the medium-firm end of the spectrum. Try the all-latex Zenhaven or the innerspring Charles P. Rogers Estate SE for a more flexible feel with two firmness options. Both are two-sided, with one side being slightly firmer and the other medium-firm. Here are some further suggestions from our guide to the best mattresses for back discomfort.
Best mattresses for back pain
It doesn’t always follow that a mattress brand you see getting plenty of praise on social media is a good fit for you. Furthermore, objectively speaking, a brand’s priciest model isn’t necessarily its greatest option; occasionally, an entry-level or mid-range design will provide you with a better value for your money. In order to provide you the information you need to make an informed choice, we evaluate a variety of factors on our mattress brand pages, including the materials a firm employs in its mattresses, the responsiveness of its customer service, internet reviews, and our own in-person testing.
Casper
Although Casper mattresses are generally good, they are frequently overpriced for what they offer and include “special” features that are probably not all that useful. Nonetheless, we believe that the Casper Original is likely the most popular.
Popular mattress brands: Our honest assessments
Helix
Compared to most online mattress shops, Helix offers a wider selection of mattresses suitable for various sleep positions and firmness preferences.
Something to think about: Helix Plus
Leesa
From selling a single all-foam mattress for under $1,000, Leesa has grown over time to provide hybrid, affordable, and luxurious mattresses. Since we began testing it back in 2018, the fairly priced, just-springy-enough Leesa Sapira Hybrid has continuously impressed our testers.
Purple Purple uses a proprietary gel foam in the construction of their distinctive mattress range, which draws inspiration from medical-grade cushions. The two employees and their spouses who have owned a Purple for at least a year claim it has held up nicely, despite the majority of our testers dismissing it as unsettlingly jiggly. Compared to the hybrid and the products above it, the Purple Mattress feels less jelly-like.
Something to think about: Purple Mattress
The Saatva Group
The Saatva Company offers a variety of mattress types, including kids’ beds, an adjustable air bed, a “plus-size” hybrid, and innerspring, foam, and latex mattresses. We believe that among the online all-foam mattresses, the Loom & Leaf boasts some of the highest-quality materials.
Comfort-Pedic
All of Tempur-Pedic’s products are available for sampling and comparing at any of its numerous stores or partner merchants. This is fortunate because consumers have strong opinions about the company’s ultra-contouring, pressure-relieving sink. In addition to being well-liked by our testers, even the entry-level Tempur-Adapt series provides a satisfactory sample of the technology.