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 Leesa Sapira hybrid mattress offers excellent motion transfer, cooling, and support for all sleeping positions. Read More
The Tuft & Needle Original is a firm foam mattress that offers a supportive sleep surface we think most people will like. Read More
The DreamCloud is a firm mattress that our tester grew to enjoy, but it lacks the polish to be truly phenomenal. Read More
With excellent motion isolation, cooling performance, and edge support, the Zoma Boost hybrid mattress is a luxurious upgrade that’s worth the price. Read More
We named the Stearns and Foster Lux Estate Pillow Top our best upgrade for its comfort, ability to keep you cool, and edge support. Read More
Because everyone has different sleep preferences, shopping for a new mattress is not a one-size fits all scenario. Finding the best mattress for you really comes down to your sleep position, your preferences for firmness, size, temperature, and more.
The more research you can do on this critical decision, the better, especially considering how expensive mattresses can be. You spend a lot of time sleeping, and that sleep affects your waking hours, as well, affecting everything from back pain to mood, memory, and productivity.
Over the years, we’ve tested dozens of mattresses in Cambridge, Massachusetts, lab so you can find the right bed for you. Overall, we’ve found the Leesa Sapira Hybrid (available at Leesa) to be the best mattress you can buy. You may also want to consider our favorite foam mattress, the Tuft & Needle Original (available at Tuft & Needle) and our favorite hybrid, the Dreamcloud (Available at Dreamcloud).
We also tested beds from top-rated mattress brands like Serta, Nectar, Zoma, and more. Our recommendations include different types of mattresses at various price points so you can find the best night’s sleep possible.
We think that pretty much everyone will love sleeping on the Leesa Sapira.
Tuft & Needle's Original is the foam mattress to beat.
The DreamCloud hybrid mattress is a good choice regardless of your preferred sleeping position.
If you’re a light sleeper easily woken by a partner rolling over, then the Zoma Boost might be the mattress of your dreams.
Upgrade your bedroom with the Lux Estate Pillow Top—you won't be disappointed.
The Nectar mattress is the best affordable mattress you can buy.
The Helix Midnight is an ideal option for anyone looking for a medium-firmness mattress.
The Serta Arctic is the best mattress we have ever tested when it comes to heat diffusion and motion isolation.
The Awara Premier is a great option for anyone who values sustainable products.
With amazing firmness and a great sleep surface sensation, the Saatva Classic more than warrants its price.
Knowing what kind of sleeper you are is vital in finding a new bed. Your go-to sleep position affects the type of support you need to avoid waking up sore.
Side sleepers: People who sleep on their sides should look for a mattress that allows their pressure points, namely the hips and shoulders, to sink in a bit without leaving their spine sagging.
Stomach sleepers: People who sleep on their stomachs should generally opt for a firmer mattress to support their spine.
Back sleepers: Back sleepers may not need quite the same firmness as stomach sleepers, but they should still seek a mattress on the firmer side. You want to cushion your shoulders and hips but don’t want them to sink so low that your spine stretches.
Combination sleepers: People who have more than one sleep style should look for a bed that best meets the needs of their dominant sleeping position.
We test mattresses for a range of criteria—from heat retention to edge support—at our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Our product expert team analyzes each bed on several factors when making mattress recommendations. In addition to performing extensive testing in our lab, we also take note of our subjective experience, such as how easy it is to move and unbox a mattress, off-gassing issues, and customer service.
Our data-driven evaluation focuses on mattress qualities such as motion transfer, edge support, overall support, and heat retention, among other factors.
Motion Isolation: To test motion transfer, we place a phone with an accelerometer mobile app on the bed while someone drops a heavy boxing bag on the opposite side. The higher the number, the more motion passes through the mattress. The more motion transfer, the more likely you’ll be disturbed by movement from a partner or a pet in the night.
Edge Support: Some foam mattresses lack edge support, making it hard to sleep near the edge of the bed, sit on the edge, or get in and out of the bed.
We test edge support with a heavy boxing bag. We lay it parallel to the side of the mattress and gently roll it toward the edge. As we move it, we measure how far it can hang over the edge of the bed before reaching the tipping point where it rolls off. The further it goes without the mattress giving in, the higher the score.
Pressure Point Relief: Overall support and pressure point relief are also important when choosing a bed. To measure support, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell to loosely represent the human form. This test helps us objectively measure pressure at different points, like the shoulders and hips, which take more weight and pressure than the legs.
Cooling: Generally speaking, you don’t want a mattress to trap your body heat. We measure heat retention using silicone heat pads, measuring the temperature in two different spots over several hours to see how well the bed diffuses heat.
Buying a mattress online can be challenging, but there are some things to think about before taking the plunge.
Mattresses are expensive, no matter how you slice it. In our experience, the least-expensive beds we’d recommend start around $700 for a queen size on sale. And while you can easily pay thousands of dollars for a luxury mattress, most of our favorite luxury mattresses cost around $4,000.
In general, there are four types of sleep positions. Side sleepers need a softer mattress that allows the body to sink in a little, while stomach sleepers should look for a firmer mattress. Back sleepers also should opt for something firmer, but they don’t need as much support as stomach sleepers.
Then there are combination sleepers with more than one sleep position. These folks should make their choice based on their dominant sleep position.
There are four main mattress types based on their materials and construction: foam, coil (or innerspring), hybrid, and latex. Choosing one with the proper comfort and support for you will go a long way toward a good night of sleep.
Foam mattresses: Whether made of memory foam or other foam, these mattresses generally excel at even weight distribution. They can be a good choice for side sleepers because they provide sufficient support for the spine. They’re also good at minimizing motion transfer.
However, foam tends to absorb heat rather than dissipate it. Some companies address the issue with special construction or materials like perforated or cooling foam. Foam mattresses also usually need to “off-gas” after opening. This is a one-time problem for the first few days, but it can be a rough-smelling few days.
Innerspring mattresses: Spring mattresses provide a buoyancy that some may prefer to the sink-in feeling of foam, and their construction optimizes heat dispersion since air circulates more easily through the springs than through foam.
However, innerspring mattresses generally don’t isolate motion well. Some may also find these mattresses feel too firm. A pillow top can add softness to a mattress that otherwise would be too.
Hybrid mattresses: These mattresses are made of foam layers that rest atop a base of metal (often steel) coils. The idea is that the coils provide structure, supportiveness, bounce, and circulation. Meanwhile, the foam top layer offers enough cushion to cradle sleepers without letting them completely sink.
While the foam part of hybrids does involve some off-gassing, the biggest issue with hybrids tends to be the cost.
Latex: Made from natural or synthetic latex, these mattresses tend to sleep cooler than foam, but they’re not as strong at motion isolation. Latex mattresses are generally among the priciest that you’ll find.
Most mattress companies offer a trial period so that you can literally sleep on your decision, but you should still be aware of a company’s return policy before you commit. Some make it easy by retrieving the mattress free of cost. Others require you to coordinate the bed's return, donation, or disposal to receive a refund.
There are plenty of opportunities to grab a new mattress. Generally speaking, waiting for mattress offers is wise. Big holiday weekends like Presidents Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or Labor Day are great opportunities. So are sales events like Black Friday.
Typically, mattresses are unveiled at the beginning of a new year. That means that you may find deals on older models online in January. Around April, the new mattresses are usually finding their way to showrooms. That makes March-May a good time to look for clearance models in person.
Of course, if your mattress is giving you trouble, the best time to get a new one is immediately. Your health and well-being are more important than waiting a few months to save cash.
The best mattress for avoiding back pain is one that sinks in enough to keep your spine aligned when you’re sleeping in your preferred position. Generally, doctors recommend sleeping on your back as the ideal way to minimize the pressure on your spine. However, you should probably opt for a mattress that provides pressure relief for your normal sleeping position.
Find a sleeping surface that supports you while still having enough give to keep your back aligned. A bed so firm that it doesn’t give at all will likely do more harm than good.
Aside from covering all things sleep, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend hiker.
Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020. An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.
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.
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