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To choose the best mattress, a person needs to consider their unique needs and preferences and research different options.

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Modern mattresses contain a variety of materials, each designed to offer support and comfort. However, a person may find that some materials suit their needs and preferences better than others.

Some mattress types include:

Learn how different mattress types compare here.

Below are a few examples of bestselling mattresses from some popular brands.

Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.

Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.

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Best for different firmness options: Saatva Classic Mattress

  • List price: from $995
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, split king, Cal king, and split Cal king
  • Height: 11.5 inches (in) or 14.5 in
  • Firmness: plush soft, luxury firm, and firm
  • Material: memory foam

This mattress is available in eight sizes and two height settings.

A person can also select the comfort level of this bed when they order. Saatva offers some guidelines on the firmness levels to better suit certain people:

  • Plush Soft: Saatva claims this is suitable for smaller people, those who are underweight, side sleepers, and those who prefer a softer feel mattress.
  • Luxury Firm: This is the company’s most popular firmness level. Saatva states this is ideal for sleepers of any position and couples who cannot agree on a firmness level.
  • Firm: The brand suggests this comfort level is appropriate for sleepers who prefer a firm feel, back and stomach sleepers, people who are overweight or have obesity, and individuals whom a doctor advised to use a firm mattress.

The top layer of the Saatva Classic Mattress consists of breathable, organic, and hypoallergenic cotton that is Global Organic Textile Standard-certified. The company claims that this layer provides support and pressure relief.

In addition, all Saatva bed foams are CertiPUR-US-certified. The company also states this model has approval from the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations.

This mattress comes with a 180-night home trial and a 15-year warranty.

Best for an all-foam or hybrid: Casper Original Mattress

  • List price: from $895
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and Cal king
  • Height: 11 in
  • Firmness: medium-firm
  • Material: all-foam or hybrid

The Casper Original Mattress is available in six sizes. Customers can also buy the mattress as an all-foam or foam-and-springs variant.

The Casper Original Mattress features a three-layer design, each with the following functions:

  • Top layer: This layer comprises a breathable foam that helps circulate air. It allows body heat and humidity to escape, which may make it suitable for hot sleepers.
  • Middle layer: The layer features zoned support, meaning it is soft under the shoulders to provide upper body relief while being firmer around the hips, waist, and lower back for improved spinal alignment.
  • Bottom layer: This differs depending on which material the customer chooses. The all-foam model provides support to the whole body and prevents sinking. In contrast, the hybrid model’s bottom layer features springs that provide support, lift, and airflow.

In addition, all Casper bed foams have CertiPUR-US certification.

The bed also comes with a:

  • 100-night trial
  • free delivery
  • 10-year limited warranty

Best for hot sleepers: Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

  • List price: from $359
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, and split king
  • Height: 12 in
  • Firmness: medium-firm
  • Material: memory foam or hybrid

This mattress is available in six sizes and has a medium-firm feel. The company claims this model is suitable for any bed frame.

In addition, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress features a quilted, cooling cover made from Tencel for enhanced airflow. This means it may suit people who get too warm when they sleep.

The model also features a five-layer foam design. The bottom layer comprises supportive foam, which Nectar claims minimizes motion transfer, making it suitable for couples or people sharing a bed.

The company also says the mattress helps with spinal alignment for all body types. In addition, all the bed foams it uses have CertiPUR-US certification for its environmentally friendly, low-emission design.

The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress also comes with:

  • a 1-year home trial
  • a lifetime warranty
  • free shipping

Best for a gel hybrid: Purple Hybrid Premier Mattress

  • List price: from $2,499
  • Sizes: twin XL, queen, king, Cal king, and split king
  • Height: 12 in
  • Firmness: medium-soft
  • Material: hybrid

This hypoallergenic, nontoxic mattress features a gel foam design, which Purple claims has many benefits:

  • The gel grid flexes under pressure, so when a person readjusts their position, the gel grid reforms.
  • The gel grid contains many air channels for improved temperature regulation.
  • The hyperelastic polymer is durable. Purple states this makes its mattresses more likely to last longer than other mattresses.
  • The grid cradles a person’s pressure points and supports their entire body.

The Hybrid Premier Mattress model is available in five sizes. It has foam borders to provide extra edge support, which can reduce the risk of the edges dipping and sagging over time.

The mattress also comes with:

  • a 100-night trial
  • free shipping and returns
  • a 10-year warranty

Best for side sleepers: Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress

  • List price: from $1,374
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and Cal king
  • Height: 13.5 in
  • Firmness: medium
  • Material: memory foam and gel memory foam

The Helix Midnight Luxe mattress features zoned lumbar support for deeper body contouring. The company states that the medium feel is a good option for couples with different firmness preferences.

Helix states that the memory foam in this mattress is suitable for side sleepers or those who move a lot in their sleep.

Additionally, people can choose between two cooling covers, which may help prevent overheating during sleep. Both options are hypoallergenic.

The company offers:

  • a 100-night sleep trial
  • a 15-year warranty
  • free shipping

Best for back pain: DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress

  • List price: from $749
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, and split King
  • Height: 14 in
  • Firmness: medium-firm
  • Material: hybrid

This mattress comes with several features. These include:

  • Cashmere blend quilted cover: This is a soft cover and breathable cover that the company claims has a durable design.
  • Pressure-relieving memory foam: The mattress has CertiPUR-US certified memory foam that adapts to the individual’s body shape. It also offers pressure relief to the neck, back, and hips.
  • Individually wrapped coils: These types of coils allow air to flow through and provide limited motion transfer. There is also edge support to reduce motion transfer.

DreamCloud states that the mattress may help reduce back pain and improve sleep quality.

DreamCloud’s Premier Hybrid mattress comes with:

  • a 365-night trial
  • a lifetime warranty
  • free shipping

Best for couples: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-LUXEBreeze Mattress

  • List price: from $4,999
  • Sizes: twin long, queen, king, split king, Cal king, and split Cal king
  • Height: 13 in
  • Firmness: soft or firm
  • Material: memory foam

The Tempur-LUXEBreeze mattress has cooling technology that may make the mattress feel up to 8ºF cooler than Tempur-Pedic’s other mattress models. It features four layers of cooling comfort, all of which are breathable and help absorb and cycle out excess heat.

Tempur-Pedic states that this mattress has a motion cancellation design, making it less likely that people wake up during sleep if a partner, child, or pet gets into or out of bed. This may benefit people who sleep with another person, or who share their bed with animals or children.

Tempur-Pedic offers:

  • a 90-night trial
  • a 10-year warranty
  • white glove delivery

Best smart bed: Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed

  • List price: from $3,449
  • Size: twin XL, full, queen, king, split king, Cal king, and split Cal King
  • Height: 12 in
  • Firmness: adjustable
  • Material: memory foam

This smart bed has a temperature-balancing sleep surface that automatically adjusts to each person’s needs. It provides people with their sleep score and can automatically adjust comfort, firmness, and support for either side of the bed, making it suitable for couples with differing firmness preferences.

Additionally, this bed reportedly absorbs excess heat and releases it during sleep to help keep people at optimal temperatures.

The Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed benefits from:

  • a 100-night trial
  • a 15-year limited warranty
  • free shipping

Best flippable: Layla Memory Foam Mattress

  • List price: from $749
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, King, and Cal King
  • Height: 10.5 in
  • Firmness: soft and firm
  • Material: memory foam

The Layla Memory Foam Mattress is flippable, with one side offering soft comfort and the other a firm feel.

THis mattress contains copper-infused memory foam which helps support deep compression while contouring around the body. According to the manufacturer, the copper in this mattress allows for variable support.

Additionally, the copper may help keep the body cool during sleep and offer some protection against odor-causing bacteria.

This mattress comes with:

  • a 120-night trial
  • a lifetime warranty
  • free shipping

Best for back sleepers: Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress

  • List price: from $1,295
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, King, and Cal King
  • Height: 11.5 in
  • Firmness: medium
  • Material: all-foam

Tuft & Needle states that this mattress is suitable for back and side sleepers, as well as those who share a bed.

This mattress has a medium feel with breathable open-cell foam that has heat-confucting graphite. The adaptive foam responds to a person’s body during sleep to provide extra support.

The Mint Mattress features reinforced foam edge support, helping the mattress keep its shape. The cover is removable and machine-washable.

Tuft & Needle offers:

  • a 100-night trial
  • a 10-year limited warranty
  • free shipping

The following table compares the mattresses in this article on price, height, firmness, and more.

List priceSizesHeightFirmnessMaterial
Saatvafrom $995twin–split Cal king• 11.5 in
• 14.5 in
• plush soft
• luxury firm
• firm
memory foam
Casperfrom $895twin–Cal king11 inmedium-firm• all-foam
• hybrid
Nectarfrom $359twin–split king12 inmedium-firm• memory foam
• hybrid
Purplefrom $2,499twin XL–split king12 inmedium-softhybrid
Helixfrom $1,374twin–Cal king13.5 inmediummemory foam
DreamCloudfrom $749twin–split king14 inmedium-firmhybrid
Tempur-Pedicfrom $4,999twin long–split Cal king13 in• soft
• firm
memory foam
Sleep Numberfrom $3,449twin XL–split Cal king12 inadjustablememory foam
Laylafrom $749twin–Cal king10.5 in• soft
• firm
memory foam
Tuft & Needlefrom $1,295twin–Cal king11.5 inmediumall-foam

The quiz below can help people determine what type of mattress may suit their needs and preferences best.

A few factors that a person may wish to consider when choosing a mattress include:

  • Size: A mattress should fit the size of a person’s bed frame. Some sizes include twin, full, king, queen, and super king. Some brands also cater to children by offering toddler-sized and crib mattresses.
  • Firmness: Mattress firmness levels include soft, medium-firm, and firm. Older research shows that medium-firm mattresses promote sleep quality, comfort, and spinal alignment. However, many people may prefer a softer or firmer feel.
  • Materials and styles: Some individuals may find memory foam mattresses comfortable, while others may prefer a spring, latex, or hybrid design that combines these styles.
  • Durability: A person should change their mattress when it begins to show signs of wear. With this in mind, they may wish to purchase a durable model for cost effectiveness.
  • Environmental impact: Some customers may wish to consider an eco-friendly mattress. Some mattresses and foams may feature organic certifications, such as CertiPUR-US or Greenguard Gold.
  • Cost: A person may wish to explore various mattress brands to find a good quality product that meets their needs and budget.
  • Warranty and returns: It is advisable to consider the warranty period and return policy before making a purchase.

Each person will have unique needs and preferences for mattresses. Therefore, it may take some trial and error to find the most suitable one.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), a good night’s sleep is vital for a person’s health, and not getting enough sleep may lead to:

The NSF recommends that people aged 16–64 years get 7–9 hours of sleep per night and that older adults get 7–8 hours of sleep per night.

Learn more about sleep recommendations for adults and children here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer the following tips for a better night’s sleep:

  • going to sleep and waking at consistent times every day, including weekends
  • keeping the bedroom quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature
  • avoiding using electronic devices in the bedroom
  • avoiding large meals and caffeine or alcohol before bedtime
  • engaging in physical activity during the day

Learn more tips for falling asleep here.

Below, we look at some commonly asked questions about choosing a mattress.

How do I know which mattress is best for me?

A person may consider their current mattress and think about the qualities and features they like and what might make it better.

For example, they could require less or more support for a specific area of the body or a better cooling material if they run hot while sleeping.

Choosing a mattress with a trial period may benefit individuals who are looking to try different options.

Which mattress should I buy for my sleeping position?

Side and back sleepers may prefer a soft or medium mattress.

Back and front sleepers may prefer a medium, medium-firm, firm, or very firm mattress, as these firmnesses tend to offer more responsive support.

Combination sleepers often prefer medium-firm or firm mattresses, as these firmnesses offers a good amount of support for all sleeping positions.

Do I need a mattress topper?

Mattress toppers typically provide added levels of comfort to a mattress and are not a requirement.

If a person chooses a mattress topper, it may be to provide a cooling effect, add some firmness or softness, or enhance an existing mattress feature.

A person needs to consider a variety of factors when choosing the right mattress.

It is important that they take into account their personal needs and preferences. They can then research different mattress brands to find the most suitable model.