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Searching for your next mattress can be daunting. Our Reviews Team asked a group of eight recent mattress purchasers around age 65 about their experience, and many participants waited at least a few months—or up to a couple of years—to make their decision. “A bed is like your underwear: It’s yours,” said one of the participants. “It has to feel good to you.” But with so many in-store and online options, how do you know which mattress is the right fit?
We spent more than 1,000 hours researching and evaluating well over 100 models to develop a list of the best mattresses on the market. Each one has been hand-tested to determine overall quality and analyze each feature, including its firmness level, support, and pressure relief. This is detailed under each mattress we review, so you can see why it earned a spot in our list.
Ultimately, picking a mattress is a personal experience. You won’t know what works for you until you try the mattress yourself, which is why all of our picks meet or exceed the industry standard of a 100-night trial period with a clear return process. And if it’s time to upgrade an old mattress because it’s affecting your sleep quality, don’t wait to do something about it. Getting a good night’s sleep is too important to delay because it can affect your overall health.
Sleep is an essential function for everyone. The human body and all of its organs, tissues, nerves, and functions simply are not made to be operating 24/7. Sleep creates a function for the body to rest and recover. Our organs and bodies function better and more healthily if they get enough sleep.
Dhaval Desai, physician at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia
If you’re looking for a new mattress to sleep better because of a condition, like insomnia or pain, talk to your doctor first. There may be other ways to get better sleep.
According to Dhaval Desai, physician at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, your sleep hygiene should be evaluated first. “We should really consider other factors, like bedroom lighting, screen time, room temperature,” he said. There are also treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) [1] Mitchell M, et al. Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Systematic Review. BMC Family Practice. May 25, 2012. , which has been shown to be superior to benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine medications in the long-term. To learn more, read our article on aging and sleep.
The Helix Midnight Luxe is our best overall mattress for its balanced feel. It offers a medium firmness level that supports many body types and sleep positions, zoned lumbar support to better reinforce the lower back, excellent pressure relief through its pillowtop layer, and responsive coils to boost bed mobility for easier repositioning.
| Mattress type | Hybrid | Foam | Innerspring | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Firmness | Medium | Soft | Plush soft, luxury firm, firm | Softer, luxury firm, firmer, plus | Soft, medium, firm | Plush, luxury firm, firm, comfort plus | Firm | Soft, medium, firm |
| Trial period | 100 nights | 365 nights | 365 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights |
| Warranty | 15 years | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime | 10 years | 10 years |
| White-glove delivery* | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
*White-glove delivery: Free shipping and installation of new mattress and free removal of old mattress
The Helix Midnight Luxe is our best overall pick because it’s a well-rounded mattress with medium firmnessⓘ Brands rate firmness on a scale from one to 10. One is the softest, and 10 is the firmest. It’s generally accepted that 6.5 is considered medium on this scale, although we also consider five or 5.5 out of 10 ratings to fall in the medium category. that best accommodates most sleep positions and most sleepers who weigh less than 250 pounds. This hybridⓘ Hybrid mattresses combine the features of both innerspring and foam mattresses, with springs surrounded by a thick comfort layer of foam or latex. mattress features four layers of foam, individually wrapped coils, and a pillow top made with plush, breathable fabric. Together, its composition supports the body and relieves pressure well.
The material looks high quality, and I’m surprised by how much the ‘pillowy’ top can support my body—although it’s more likely the support is coming from the layer underneath. I feel like I’m in sleep mode.
Lying on the Midnight Luxe, you’ll first notice that it has a super comfy pillow top. This adds a plush feel to the top of the mattress, which our team found contributed to its excellent pressure relief score during our pressure mapⓘ A mat with sensors that detects pressure buildup when someone lies across it. testing. When our team tests pressure relief, we use a pressure map to determine where force concentrates on the body. Blue and green results are ideal, as they depict low pressure areas. Red and orange are not ideal, as they depict high pressure areas. The Midnight Luxe showed blue and green back and side positions, which means it offers great pressure relief.
We like how this mattress has zoned lumbar support, which means the coils beneath the shoulders and hips are softer while the coils along the lower back are stronger. This helps maintain a neutral spine and prevent uncomfortable sagging. We also noticed its reinforced coils along the perimeter of the mattress, which provides excellent edge supportⓘ This refers to the bed’s stability along the edges. .
And while the 14-inch Midnight Luxe has contouring memory foam in its construction, its transition layer and coils are responsive, so they adapt quickly to changes in pressure. Together, this mattress’ strong edge support, bouncy coils, and good surface support earned a high functional support score. It’s relatively easy to change positions compared to all-foam mattresses and less responsive hybrids, although testers mentioned the pillow top is forgiving enough to require some effort.
And while the 14-inch Midnight Luxe has contouring memory foam in its construction, its transition layer and coils are responsive, so they adapt quickly to changes in pressure. Together, this mattress’ strong edge support, bouncy coils, and good surface support earned a high functional support scoreⓘ We developed this score to determine how well the mattress supports bed mobility, like repositioning or getting out of bed. The higher the score, the more assistance the mattress provides. . It’s relatively easy to change positions compared to all-foam mattresses and less responsive hybrids, although testers mentioned the pillow top is forgiving enough to require some effort.
Unfortunately, the trade-off is its poor motion isolationⓘ The ability of a mattress to keep movement on one side of the bed from affecting the other side. . When one tester climbed onto the mattress and repositioned themselves on one side of the bed as the second tester lay still on the other side, a significant amount of movement transferred to the second tester’s side. People who share a bed and sleep light probably shouldn’t choose this mattress.
Our team acknowledges that mattress preference is personal, so our picks may not always be what you need. Helix also acknowledges this, so they developed a mattress quiz where you can answer questions about your sleep habits and preferences to find out which Helix model best fits your needs. This brand offers several different options with a range of firmnesses, so you’re bound to find something you (and a sleeping partner) will enjoy.
Helix offers its customers a 100-night trial period (the industry standard) to try your mattress in the comfort of your home before committing to your purchase. If you choose the Luxe, you get a 15-year warranty for manufacturer defects, such as split stitching upon delivery. Unfortunately, Helix does not offer any in-home delivery (also known as white-glove delivery) options, so your bed will be delivered in a box on your doorstep. This is typical for most brands. We recommend recruiting help or hiring a local furniture moving company to carry this mattress into your home.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can contact Helix Sleep customer service by:
Credit card payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Other options include Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay. Helix offers financing through Affirm and Katapult.
Helix currently offers up to 30% off (discount changes frequently) for military members, first responders, teachers, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The Nectar Premier is our best value pick from this brand for its relatively low price, customer perks, and comfortable feel.
The brand exceeds industry standards by offering a one-year trial period, a limited lifetime warranty, and white-glove delivery. Although white-glove delivery costs an extra $199, you can save money by shopping Nectar’s frequent promotions. A queen-size foam Premier can be found for less than $1,000 during sales.
Price and perks are important, but so is comfort. According to our testing, the Nectar Premier is a great choice for side sleepers of all body types due to its excellent pressure relief from the all-foam composition. It offers a decent amount of support, but it may not be strong enough for adults heavier than 250 pounds who enjoy sleeping on their back or stomach. And because this mattress has a forgiving surface, it’s not great for those who need more stability to reposition themselves or get in and out of bed. If you want a bouncier, more responsive surface with better overall support, we recommend trying the hybrid version of this mattress instead ($300 more).
We also recommend this mattress to couples. Our testers noted how impressive the motion isolation felt, stating they could barely feel the other tester move as they changed positions. They were also impressed by the cooling capabilities of this mattress, even with two people lying on the surface.
Foam mattresses are notorious for heat trapping, and our testers noticed that it did feel warmer than other mattresses. But we used a temperature gun to measure the true temperature change after lying on the mattress for five minutes, which revealed only a 4-degree increase. This means the surface did a good job regulating heat, likely due to the phase-change material built into the Premier’s top memory foam layer. If you or your bed partner sleep hot, you may want to consider a mattress specifically made for cooling.
Unfortunately, this mattress is too soft and forgiving to have a good functional support score, which means its surface doesn’t assist bed mobility. If you like the all-foam feel but prefer more assistance moving in bed, consider an adjustable bed frame to hold your new mattress.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Nectar customer service by:
Payment options for Nectar include American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. Nectar offers financing through Affirm and Splitit and offers a lease-to-own option through Acima.
Military members, first responders, and health care professionals take note: you can get a 5% discount on top of any other available Nectar onsite discounts.
Throughout our research and testing, only one mattress brand truly treats the customer like luxury: Saatva. No other company offers a one-year trial period, lifetime warranty, and free white-glove delivery with every mattress. And while Saatva offers an array of mattresses, our Reviews Team believes the Saatva Classic is one of its most well-rounded options for most body types and sleep positions.
We tested the luxury firm option, which is the Saatva Classic’s medium firmness level. Our testers noted that it’s a bit firmer than medium at 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, with 6.5 being the true medium in the industry. Because it runs on the firm side, lighter people who weigh less than 130 pounds may feel uncomfortable pressure buildup at prominent joints, particularly the shoulders. Luckily, Saatva offers a softer version that may be better suited for these side sleepers. This mattress also comes in a firmer version for those who love sleeping on denser mattresses.
Since the Saatva Classic is made almost exclusively of spring layers, its bouncy and responsive surface is ideal for those who want a mobility boost. Our testers noted the reinforced edge support around the perimeter of the mattress, which pushed us back into the center if we got too close to the edge. Very few mattresses we’ve tested offer truly protective edge support, making this our gold standard. Plus, this further bolsters its excellent functional support score, which means this mattress is a great choice for those who need a stable surface to safely get out of bed.
Lastly, our testers appreciated how supportive this mattress felt at our lower back. It offers zoned lumbar support through its reinforced springs and a layer of memory foam along the center of the mattress, which is designed to maintain your spine’s natural curve when lying on your back or reinforce your midsection when lying on your side. Otherwise, your body sags into the mattress. Some people will find strong lumbar support helpful in managing their lower back pain, but talk to your doctor to ensure this type of mattress will help your specific condition.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can contact Saatva customer service by:
Payment options include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Google Pay, and PayPal. Saatva offers financing options through Affirm.
Note that Saatva offers a $225 discount off a purchase of $1,000 or more to adults 65 and older, military members and their families, first responders, health care professionals, government employees, teachers, and college students. This discount cannot be combined with other offers.
If you’re looking for a plush mattress without feeling like you’re sinking into the surface, our team recommends the WinkBed for its Euro pillow topⓘ A kind of pillow top that’s sewn into the cover of the mattress. This style is flush with the edges of the mattress, providing better support than your typical pillow-top mattress while also offering a soft, plushy center. , designed to relieve pressure and maximize comfort. We tested the luxury firm comfort level, which we rated as true medium firmness (6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, according to the industry). This is one of the only mattresses in this roundup with a true medium-firmness rating aside from the Bear Elite Hybrid, and research has shown this firmness level to be the most comfortable for those with general low back pain. [3] Caggiari G, et al. What Type of Mattress Should Be Chosen to Avoid Back Pain and Improve Sleep Quality? Review of The Literature. Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Dec. 8, 2021
Many pillow top mattresses are made with a fiber-like material to give a more plush feel to the surface of the mattress. But a Euro pillow top is made with foam, providing a more durable, sag-resistant surface without sacrificing pressure relief.
Our testers had plenty of good things to say about the WinkBed. They loved how soft yet responsive the surface felt thanks to the denser quality of the Euro pillow top and the bouncy springs underneath, which made it easier to reposition and get out of bed. Our testers also appreciated the zoned lumbar support from the coils, which helped maintain neutral spine alignment while lying on their back and side. And despite having a thick layer of bouncy coils, the WinkBed isolated motion exceedingly well for a hybrid mattress.
While our Reviews Team loved this mattress, we acknowledge it may not be for everyone; and so does WinkBeds. We appreciate how they offer a 120-night trial period, and if you don’t like the firmness level you chose, you can pay $49 to exchange it for another model. Unique to other brands, WinkBeds will send you a different firmness level of your choice and allow you to keep both mattresses for up to 60 days while you decide which one you prefer. Then, the company will arrange to pick up the unwanted mattress for you.
Unfortunately, WinkBeds does not offer white-glove delivery options, so you’ll have to arrange a local moving company or recruit help from someone you know to move this bed-in-a-box into your home.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach WinkBeds customer service by:
Credit card payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay and Google Pay, and Apple Pay. WinkBeds offers financing through Bread Pay and Katapult.
The company currently offers an additional $50 off for military members and their families, first responders, and health care workers. Unlike most brands, this discount can be combined with other onsite discount offers.
Our team tested the medium version of the Bear Elite Hybrid and was impressed by how comfortable it felt for side sleeping. It offers a gentle amount of zoned coil support to help reinforce the midsection and align the spine. According to research, zoned support is most comfortable for side sleepers (and those with generalized lower back pain). It also offers excellent pressure relief at the shoulder and hip to prevent uncomfortable force buildup on the joints.
One tester on our Reviews Team shared their experience with owning the Bear mattress:
“My partner and I are combination sleepers who frequently end up on our side, so we bought the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress in the medium firmness level. We are both average-weight (between 130 and 250 pounds), although he’s much taller than I am. It accommodates us both comfortably, and compared to our former innerspring mattress, I feel his movements much less throughout the night.”
Our tester said the only negative to their Bear Elite Hybrid mattress was the off-gassingⓘ The chemical odor given off from a new mattress. The smell is harmless and is usually gone within the first few days. period when she and her partner first unboxed it, which is a common occurrence with most hybrid or foam mattresses. While the chemical scent from the new foam can be annoying to some people, it is not known to be harmful. It can take about three days for the off-gassing smell to clear out of the bedroom, so take this into account if you purchase a mattress built with foam layers.
The Bear Elite Hybrid comes with a lifetime warranty and a 120-night trial period. White-glove delivery is available, but it will cost an extra $175 at checkout.
If you’re looking for more options, check out our Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers review.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Bear customer service by:
Bear accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Google Pay, Meta Pay, and Venmo. Financing is available through Affirm and ShopPay.
The brand currently offers a 40% discount for military members, first responders, health care workers, and teachers. This discount can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
The luxury firm Nolah Evolution 15″ is a thick mattress with the perfect balance of support and pressure relief for back sleepers. Because of its balanced feel and excellent functional support for easier bed mobility, it also appears in our Best Mattress for Back Pain review as a top-rated mattress for lower back pain.
According to our testing results, the Nolah Evolution 15″ offers a nice amount of contour with obvious support (although it’s not as hefty as the innerspring Saatva Classic). This is because Nolah designed its own foam, called AirFoam, which is perforated less at the lower back to provide more reinforcement, and perforated more at the shoulder and hip area to easily compress and relieve those common pressure points. And like other mattresses in this review, the coils along the center of this mattress are stronger than the other coils to provide extra support.
Although our team recommends the luxury firm Nolah Evolution 15″ for back sleepers, it’s adaptable enough to comfortably accommodate all sleep positions and body types. In fact, it could be a good option for couples who sleep in different positions because it can accommodate both sleep styles. It also has good motion isolation, so light sleepers shouldn’t have trouble staying asleep when their partner repositions, though they may feel when their partner makes bigger movements, like getting in and out of bed.
The Nolah Evolution 15″ comes with a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. White-glove delivery is optional through a third-party called Load Up at a cost of $150–$300, depending on whether you just need old mattress removal, mattress setup, or both. And if you’re confident in your purchase from the start, you can remove the trial period and save up to $150 off your purchase.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Nolah customer service by:
Nolah accepts credit card payments through MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
Titan, a Brooklyn Bedding brand, specializes in mattresses for higher-weight people (or those who weigh more than 250 pounds). Those with higher body weights need a firmer, more responsive mattress to provide adequate support and to prevent the mattress from sagging over time. According to our testing results, the Titan Plus does an excellent job meeting this criteria, while still providing a great amount of pressure relief for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Our testers found this mattress to be an 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale, with a high level of surface support and bounce, making this a responsive mattress. For similar reasons, the Titan Plus also gets a good functional support score, so it should be easier to reposition and get out of bed compared to mattresses without coils.
Despite its springy feel, testers were surprised to reveal above-average motion isolation. This is likely due to the motion-dampening memory foam, but we also noticed how the coils are pocketed, which prevents motion from rippling across the surface. Couples shouldn’t feel their partner tossing and turning, but they may feel larger movements, like getting in or out of bed.
If you have a lighter-weight partner, you may need to consider upgrading to the Titan Plus Luxe version. The Titan Plus mattress will feel more dense to those who weigh less (closer to 130 pounds) and may not relieve enough pressure to be comfortable. The Luxe adds an extra layer of contouring memory foam to disperse pressure, while maintaining the same amount of support in the standard Titan Plus.
If you’re unsure which version to try, consider taking advantage of the 120-night trial period. Whichever mattress you choose gets a 10-year warranty. Unfortunately, there are no white-glove delivery options, so make sure to arrange for help carrying the mattress into your bedroom and setting it up on your bed frame.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
Titan is a Brooklyn Bedding brand. You can reach Brooklyn Bedding customer service by:
Credit card payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Other options include Shop Pay, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Google Pay. Titan offers financing through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30–35% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, educators, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotions.
If you’re looking for a pressure-relieving mattress, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is our top pick for older adults. The medium firmness version scored 5 out of 5 during our pressure map testing, so it offers the maximum amount of pressure relief you can get from a mattress.
Unlike other mattresses we’ve tested with high pressure relief scores, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe doesn’t contour your body as deeply. This is because it’s a firmer hybrid (about a 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, according to testing results) made with responsive foam and coils, which helps maintain a more supportive surface for easier repositioning. Our team loves this mattress for people who have painful joints, like arthritis, because you don’t have to sacrifice support for cloud-like comfort. We also appreciate how the Aurora Luxe sits higher off the floor than other mattresses in this review (the Aurora Luxe is about 13 inches high), so it’s easier to stand from the edge with less effort or pain.
For more on mattresses our Reviews Team has tested for people with joint pain, check our roundup of the Best Mattresses for Arthritis.
This mattress comes in three firmness levels. If you need a softer or a firmer version, you can opt for it at checkout. Your purchase comes with a 120-night trial period and a 10-year warranty, but similar to most mattress brands, white-glove delivery is not available. Our testers found this mattress to be bulky, so make sure to recruit or hire help moving it into your home upon delivery.
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
You can reach Brooklyn Bedding customer service by:
Accepted credit card payments include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Financing through Brooklyn Bedding is available through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30–35% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, teachers, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
| Mattress | Twin* | Full* | Queen* | King* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix Midnight Luxe | $1,373.80 | $1,998.80 | $2,373.80 | $2,873.80 |
| Nectar Premier | $1,049 | $1,349 | $1,499 | $1,799 |
| Saatva Classic | $1,395 | $1,995 | $2,095 | $2,595 |
| The WinkBed | $1,149 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $1,999 |
| Bear Elite Hybrid | $1,893 | $2,108 | $2,305 | $2,762 |
| Nolah Evolution | $1,499 | $2,299 | $2,499 | $2,699 |
| Titan Plus | $699 | $999 | $1,249 | $1,499 |
| Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe | $1,199 | $1,865 | $2,265 | $2,665 |
We have plans to continue to test mattresses throughout 2024 to bring you the best of the best. Here are some mattresses we are testing in the coming months:
Ultimately, weighing factors like cost, firmness levels, trial periods, and the type of sleeper you are will be critical when shopping for a mattress. While the Helix Midnight Luxe is our best overall pick, with the Nectar Premier and Saatva Classic mattresses close behind, all the mattresses on this list have been tested and approved by our Reviews Team. We hope our list helps you make an informed decision about which one is right for you.
Aside from budget, your sleep position and desired firmness level ultimately determines which mattress is best for you. If it’s your first time shopping around, it’s a good idea to visit a showroom and lie on a few mattresses to understand what you prefer. But you’ll never truly know if you’ll like a mattress until you sleep on it at home, which is why it’s also important to choose a mattress with a lengthy trial period and clear terms of return.
Although online reviews aren’t always the best indicator of a good mattress, Saatva has one of the best reputations among online mattress brands. It earns 4.8 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau and 4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. When our team hosted a focus group, two of the eight participants raved about their Saatva mattresses (both the Classic and Zenhaven Natural).
The average mattress lasts between seven and 15 years, depending on wear-and-tear.
The best time to purchase a mattress is around major holiday sales, like Labor Day and Memorial Day, but most brands offer promotions year-round.
You should consider buying a new mattress if your current one is between seven and 15 years old, depending on the wear-and-tear. But if you’re thinking about buying a new mattress to address a condition like back pain, talk to your health care professional first. They may have recommendations based on your symptoms.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
