Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
The Tuft & Needle Original is a firm foam mattress that offers a supportive sleep surface we think most people will like. Read More
The Saatva Classic has three firmness options, great edge support, and feels like a traditional mattress. Read More
The Lucid mattress is a firm bed that doesn't provide great support overnight and is more prone to motion transfer than many other options. Read More
The WinkBed hybrid mattress did well in our motion isolation, edge support, and heat diffusion tests, but offers only average pressure relief. Read More
The Nolah Evolution hybrid is a firm and supportive mattress that can provide pressure relief while keeping you cool. Read More
Choosing a new mattress is a deeply personal choice, one that’s essential to a good night’s sleep. While some people like the sink-in sensation of soft mattresses, firm mattresses provide better spinal support. A firm mattress is perfect for back and stomach sleepers needing extra support.
The best firm mattresses balance great support and softness for comfort. Finding that combination can be difficult when shopping for a new mattress, so we’ve tested and ranked popular firm beds.
The Tuft & Needle (available at Tuft & Needle) is the best firm mattress we’ve tested. It is surprisingly firm for a foam mattress, and the dual layers of dense foam provide sufficient support for front and back sleepers while having the right amount of sink-in sensation for side sleepers. While the Tuft & Needle is available for a fantastic price, people with a tighter budget may want to consider our value pick, the Lucid (available at Amazon). It provides impressive firmness for an unbeatable price. People looking for a more luxurious experience should consider our upgrade pick, the Saatva Classic Luxury Firm (available at Saatva). We loved the mattress’s firm surface and edge support.
The Tuft & Needle Original is the best firm mattress you can buy.
With amazing edge support and a great sleep surface sensation, the Saatva Classic more than warrants its price.
The Lucid is the best-value firm mattress.
Isolates motion
Good edge support
Diffuses heat
Average pressure relief
Good cooling
Excellent pressure relief
Great motion isolation
Too firm for some
We use a barbell in lab tests to assess how well a mattress does (or doesn't) curve up under pressure.
When testing mattresses at Reviewed, we run every mattress through a series of tests in our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. To determine our top picks, we evaluate each bed on several factors, including comfort, support, motion transfer and bounciness, edge support, and heat retention.
To scientifically assess overall mattress support, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell that loosely represents the human form. When we put the barbell on mattresses, we measure pressure at different points like the shoulders and hips. To objectively measure edge support, we see how far off a bed we can roll a punching bag before it falls.
To determine heat retention, we microwave silicone bead-filled bags and place them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature. If a mattress cannot disperse heat quickly enough, you might be in for a warm sleep experience.
Light sleepers benefit from a mattress that minimizes the movement of a tossing-and-turning partner or pet. We use an accelerometer mobile app on one side of the mattress to measure motion transfer. We then drop a punching bag on the opposite side of the bed. The higher the number, the greater amount of motion the mattress allows to pass through.
Additionally, we consider the moving and unboxing process, the odor that comes with mattresses in a box, and the customer experience, among other things.
Mattresses are a big investment. Fortunately, most companies offer a trial period so you can be sure the mattress you buy is the right fit for you.
Given how much we spend in bed, the impact that sleep has on our waking hours, and the lifetime of mattresses, choosing a new bed is a critical decision. Many factors should go into that decision; here are a few things to consider.
Firmness scales used by mattress companies may differ, but in general, mattresses range from soft to firm, with medium or luxury firms somewhere in between.
Choosing a firmer bed has some advantages. Firm mattresses provide better support—which is crucial for back and stomach sleepers who need more support for spinal alignment.
The best mattress for side sleepers likely will need more cushioning. A firm mattress may put too much pressure on their hips and shoulders. However, it’s easy to make a firm mattress softer with the help of a mattress topper. Combination sleepers—people who don’t fall into just one sleep category—may want to choose a medium firm mattress, as that firmness works well for different sleepers.
Your budget is one of the most significant factors in determining your preferred mattress. Mattresses can be pricey, but we recommend investing in a quality mattress, considering the importance of a good night’s sleep.
Even though beds can be expensive, you can still find great value in affordable mattresses. And thanks to the online mattress-in-a-box industry, it’s now easier than ever to find the best mattress for any budget.
Most bed-in-a-box companies offer a trial period so you can sleep on it. When shopping for a new bed, it’s essential to take a company’s return policy into account. Some companies make it super-easy by retrieving the mattress free of cost, but others require you to coordinate the mattress's return, donation, or disposal to receive a full refund.
Aside from covering all things sleep, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend hiker.
Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.
Sara Tabin
Sleep Writer
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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