Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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 / Betsey Goldwasser
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 Nectar Mattress is a good quality mattress that doesn’t hold onto heat and is pleasant to sleep on, but some will find it’s too soft. Read More
Expect good buoyancy, solid edge support, and a cool night's sleep on this all-foam mattress, which presents a good value for its price. Read More
The Lull Original has a firm sleep surface, great edge support, and sleeps cool—all around, it's a great option for most. Read More
The best memory foam mattresses contour to your body while you sleep, promote spinal alignment, and relieve pressure points by providing more cushion than other mattress types.
Memory foam responds to pressure and body heat to mold around the body, but it returns to its original shape after you get out of bed. This is why memory foam mattresses are popular:one will distribute your weight equally while you sleep.
Older memory foam mattresses were known to retain body heat—a nightmare for anyone who sleeps hot—but mattress technology has evolved to accommodate all types of sleepers.
For this guide, we tested a few types of memory foam (traditional, gel-based, and latex) beds from popular mattress brands to find the best foam mattress. Our favorite, the Tuft & Needle (available at Tuft & Needle) , strikes an outstanding balance between being firm and soft. And for hot sleepers, it also does a great job of diffusing heat.
If you’re on a budget and prefer a softer mattress, you may want to consider the Nectar (available at Nectar), our best value pick.
If you tend to run hot at night and need a bed that can regulate temperature and keep you cool, then the Serta Arctic (Available at Serta) is the best choice.
Tuft & Needle's Original is the foam mattress to beat.
The Serta Arctic is the best mattress we have ever tested when it comes to heat diffusion and motion isolation.
The Nectar mattress is the best affordable mattress you can buy.
Good balance of support
Good edge support
Doesn't sleep hot
Took a long time to expand
Some untidy stitching
Firm sleep surface
Good edge support
Sleeps cool
May be too firm for some
Good cooling
Excellent pressure relief
Great motion isolation
Too firm for some
Soft
Uncomfortable
Long off-gassing period
Felt warm at times
We test mattresses for a range of criteria—from heat retention to edge support—at our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
At Reviewed, every foam mattress is lab tested—we evaluate each on several factors, including comfort, overall support, edge support, heat retention, and odor.
Pressure sensors are attached to a weighted barbell that loosely represents the human form to assess mattress support. The barbell is placed on mattresses to measure pressure at different points like the shoulders and hips.
Mattresses in a box lack the wire cage found in traditional innerspring beds, and many rely on foam, which can limit the edge’s ability for load-bearing. Too little support could also make it difficult to put your shoes on or complete other tasks while sitting on the mattress corners or edges.
To test this in our lab, we roll a heavyweight bag to the edge of the mattress until it’s about to fall off and measure how much of the bag is past the periphery of the mattress.
Foam mattresses have a reputation for trapping more body heat than other types of mattresses, which can be a nightmare for hot sleepers. To measure heat retention, we microwave silicone bead-filled bags and place them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature. A mattress that cannot disperse heat quickly enough could lead to a warm sleep experience.
Foam mattresses also aren’t known for smelling like daisies, especially when first sprung from their packaging. The manufacturing and packaging process can trap smelly chemicals; once the plastic is opened, these VOCs are released into the air. Our testing process takes note of the smell when each mattress is opened, and again 24 hours later (the time that companies recommend letting a mattress off-gas before sleeping on it).
Additionally, we consider motion transfer and bounciness, the moving and unboxing process, and the customer experience, among other things.
Some foam mattresses, like the PlushBeds EcoBliss, lack edge support.
There are a handful of foams to understand. For example, if you're environmentally conscious, latex may appeal to you, as it can be sourced directly from rubber trees. But it can feel firmer and more spongy than memory foam, which has that familiar sink-in sensation. Here's what you need to know:
Foams without memory can be cooler because you’re not engulfed in the material each time you lie down. Tuft & Needle is one example of a company that opts for this type of foam. One of the main ingredients in all foams (including memory foam) is polyols, compounds generally derived from petroleum. These mattresses may not be the best for acutely environmentally conscientious consumers.
Memory foam beds provide classic hugging, sink-right-in sensations, and the potential quicksand feeling. Some companies, like Tempur-Pedic, tout that their material's pressure-relieving properties make for a stellar sleep experience, but we think it depends more on your personal preferences.
Back sleepers, for example, don’t always need memory foam for pressure points, whereas side sleepers are more likely to benefit from it. Though this material contours well to your body, it may feel too enveloping to some people.
Its main characteristic can also contribute to its propensity for heat retention because of the large surface area your body is in contact with after you sink in. Memory foam gets its memory from a chemical compound called methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), which makes it pricier.
Also a type of foam, latex is used by a couple of prominent companies that make environmental claims, namely Avocado and Awara. These companies rely on naturally sourced latex, which they claim is better for the environment.
The two main types of latex available are Talalay and Dunlop. Talalay is usually softer than Dunlop. But Dunlop takes less energy to make, as there are fewer steps in the production process.
Foam cell structure isn’t something you can see as a consumer. It refers to the final form of the bubbles created in the foam during manufacturing. However, it can dramatically change your experience when it comes to temperature.
There are two types of foam cell structures: open and closed. Closed-cell foams retain the bubbles in separated chambers and, as a result, have less space for airflow. Open-cell foams, in contrast, look more like webbing as most of the bubbles pop, leaving behind an interconnected network, making it easier for air to move throughout the mattress, which can help dissipate heat. All latex foams fall into the open cell structure, which may be why companies claim they’re less prone to retaining heat.
Cell structure is somewhat technical; it alone won’t make or break a mattress. We’ve tested mattresses that use open-cell foam and still feel warmer—though it’s worth being mindful of if you’re particularly concerned about heat retention overnight.
Most mattresses in a box come from online-only retailers. A few brands have more options for you to check out their beds. Casper, for example, has a handful of brick-and-mortar stores where you can feel its mattresses in person. Other companies partner with specific retailers.
Mattress firmness options range from extra firm, almost like sleeping on a carpeted floor, to soft and squishy, like a cloud, to the oft-dreaded soft-at-first but also-kinda-firm quicksand. Finding the right firmness level for you is essential to getting a good night’s rest.
Many of the foam mattresses we’ve tested (and even a handful of the hybrids) are softer than traditional innerspring mattresses would be. If you’re unsure what you want, stopping by a mattress showroom to understand your preferences before buying online might help.
Sleep position may also be a good place to start. You'll want a firmer mattress if you prefer back or stomach sleeping. By contrast, a good mattress for side sleepers is soft enough to cushion potential pressure points at their hips and shoulders, sparing them from joint pain. Combination sleepers may need something in between
Not necessarily. While there are always going to be exceptions, generally, memory foam mattresses do a better job of isolating motion than their hybrid counterparts. The dense, vibration-absorbing materials used in the construction of memory foam mattresses dampen motion which means that you’re less likely to feel the tossing and turning of a restless sleeper on your side of the bed.
Foam has some somewhat universal drawbacks, like heat retention and lack of edge support.
It may not be your best bet if you run hot at night or live in an area with warmer months and no AC. It also tends to have less inherent structure and support than hybrids (which combine foam and coils).
Hybrid memory foam mattresses are one solid alternative for folks who feel hot-blooded at night, as the airflow through the springs allows for greater heat dissipation and will likely leave you feeling less stifled.
If you’re an active sleeper, or your bed is home to a party of more than one or two, sufficient edge support can help prevent you, a partner, the kids, and even pets from rolling overboard, foam mattresses may not be a good choice. Innerspring and some hybrid mattresses have an encasement around the bed's periphery to provide support around the edges, whereas foam is, well, just foam.
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.
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.
Shoot us an email
