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Sleep comfort is important for good sleep, and it usually starts with your environment. Being exposed to even a little bit of light while sleeping [1] Blume C., et al. Effects of Light On Human Circadian Rhythms, Sleep and Mood. Somnologie (Berl). Aug. 20, 2019. can affect both your physical and mental health, so making sure your room is as dark as possible can help you to stay asleep and help your body to regulate its natural internal rhythmsⓘ The processes in the body that convert and use energy, for example, digesting food or using your muscles. . Studies have also shown that older adults sleep better in a temperature environment between 68–77 degrees fahrenheit (20–25 degrees celsius), though this can depend on the sleeper’s normal body temperature and how much clothing is worn to bed [2] Baniassadi A., et al. Nighttime Ambient Temperature and Sleep in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Science of The Total Environment. . Hot sleepers will need temperatures in the lower range, while people who wear very little clothing to bed will likely need their bedroom temperature to be on the higher side. [3] Okamoto-Mizuno K., and Mizuno K. Effects of Thermal Environment On Sleep and Circadian Rhythm. Journal of Physiological Anthropology. May 31, 2012
It’s important to remember that each person’s sleeping experience is highly unique, and when it comes to mattresses, there’s really no single mattress that’s best or most comfortable for all sleepers. But, there are some mattresses with measurable markers that make them more comfortable or better than others. For example, some mattresses are specifically designed with hot sleepers in mind, with cooling materials built into the mattress. Sleep comfort is also determined by how well the mattress contours to the body, whether it has a good balance between support and sinking into the material.
It’s also important to note that there are conditions that cannot be remedied with a new mattress. If you’re experiencing poor sleep and it’s affecting your health or ability to get through the day, see your primary caregiver for a health check.
Our Reviews Team has spent more than 2,000 hours researching and testing sleep products. You can see more of our picks for the best mattresses that have been tested and approved by our mattress testing experts. Keep reading for our picks of the most comfortable mattresses on the market, based on our hands-on testing.
We chose the Saatva Classic as the Overall Most Comfortable Mattress because, on average, it outscored all other mattresses in support, pressure relief, and responsiveness. Those are some of the most important factors in determining what makes a mattress comfortable for a variety of sleepers.
| Queen cost before discounts | $2,095 | $1,319 | $1,799 | $2,499 | $925 | $1,873.80 | $1,332 | $1,249 |
| Firmness | Plush-soft, luxury-firm, firm | Medium-firm | Softer, luxury-firm, firmer, plus | Plush, luxury-firm, firm, comfort plus | Firm | Medium | Soft, medium, firm | Firm |
| Mattress type | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Foam | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| White-glove delivery* | Yes, free | Only mattress removal in select areas | No | No | Yes, starting at $100 | Yes, in select locations | No | No |
*Free delivery and installation of new mattress and removal of old mattress.
We chose the Saatva Classic as the “Overall Most Comfortable Mattress” for its pressure relief, responsiveness, cooling, and perimeter support—all features that make a mattress comfortable for a variety of sleepers.
The Saatva Classic has an innerspring construction and three firmness levels to choose from: plush-soft, luxury-firm, and firm; and two different heights: 11.5 inches and 14.5 inches. Saatva gives the luxury-firm version of the mattress a firmness rating of five to seven out of 10. Based on our testers’ experience, we gave the Saatva Classic a seven out of 10 for firmness.
For most sleepers, a mattress that scores between a six and seven out of 10 for firmness is considered a comfortable sleeping experience. This means the Saatva Classic luxury-firm should have enough support to keep the sleeper from feeling stuck in the mattress due to too much sinkage, but not so firm that it keeps the sleeper from being contoured by it.
Another factor that contributes to comfort while you sleep is knowing that if you tend to sleep close to the side of the bed, the mattress should have a reinforced perimeter with enough edge support to keep you from rolling over the side. Tamar Amitay, physical therapist and founder of Thrive Integrated Physical Therapy in New York, explained that edge support is especially helpful for older adults with hip pain or who have had hip surgery. “A stable edge or firm edge allows [patients] to more easily push off [the mattress] and feel more stable. It also offers more support when they are sitting down,” said Amitay.
The Saatva Classic scored a five out of five for its perimeter support, because it actually has an extra-firm layer built in to help rock the sleeper back toward the center of the mattress if they get too close to the edge.
With the Saatva white-glove delivery option, your Saatva mattress will be personally delivered and installed in your preferred room. This is particularly important for anyone who may be living alone, since the queen mattress weighs more than 100 pounds and would be difficult for someone to move by themself.
Unlike mattresses that come compressed in a box and require time to expand, the Saatva Classic arrives decompressed, allowing you to use it the same night it’s delivered.
Learn more about Saatva mattresses in our full review.
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Credit card and payment options include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Google Pay, and PayPal. Saatva offers financing options through Affirm.
Saatva offers a $225 discount off a purchase of $1,000 or more to adults age 65 and older, military members and their families, health care professionals, first responders, government employees, teachers, and college students.
We chose the Helix Midnight Luxe as the “Most Comfortable Mattress for Back Pain” because it’s specially constructed with zoned support to relieve lumbar pain.
The Midnight Luxe is the middle-tier model of the Midnight line of mattresses by Helix. The Midnight Luxe has three layers of memory foam and a plush pillow top above its supportive, zoned steel-coil center, giving sleepers an impressive combination of support and softness.
The zoned lumbar support in the Helix Midnight Luxe has more than 1,000 individually encased coils with varying levels of support to provide extra support where it’s needed for optimal comfort and pain relief.
The Midnight Luxe has reinforced coils around the perimeter for edge support, as well as under the lumbar region for body alignment and lower back support. Softer coils are positioned under high pressure-point areas, like the shoulders and hips, for additional contour and comfort.
Another way to get a more comfortable night of sleep with back pain is to consider pairing the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress with an adjustable bed base. You can take advantage of zero gravity or an elevated upper body setting to help access pressure relief you can’t get with a flat bed frame.
Every Helix mattress is shipped to your home compressed and rolled into a box and will need 30–45 minutes to reach its full height after unpacking. For detailed instructions on unboxing and setting up your mattress, visit this page and select your mattress from the list.
And visit our list of the best mattresses for back pain for more help on finding a mattress that will best suit you.
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Credit card and payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Other options include Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay. Helix also offers financing through Affirm and Katapult.
Helix offers promotions throughout the year, often with discounts of up to 20%. To see if there’s a code applicable to your order, check the promotion banner displayed at the top of the screen. Even if the discount appears when you add items to your cart, you might still need to manually copy and paste the code into the “discount code” field during checkout and then click “apply” to ensure the discount is applied.
The company currently offers 25% off for military members, first responders, teachers and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes. You can also check the Helix sale page for running discounts.
We chose the Emma Hybrid Comfort as the “Most Comfortable for Back Sleepers” because it has an ideal combination of support, firmness, and lumbar pressure for sleepers who spend most of the night on their back.
The Emma Hybrid Comfort is a firm-style mattress; our testers gave it a firmness score of 7.5 out of 10. To counterbalance some of the firmness of this mattress, the core has support separated into seven zones for the ergonomic alignment of the head, shoulders, back, hips, and legs.
The most comfortable mattress for a back sleeper, or a combination sleeper who changes positions but spends most of their sleeping time on their back, is likely to be a firm mattress with zoned support. The Emma Hybrid Comfort uses a combination of firm and zoned support to offer a contouring effect and prevent the sleeper’s spine from becoming misaligned while sleeping.
Some people prefer to sleep on their back with space between their arms and legs to keep cool during the night. If you’re a back sleeper because it helps keep you from overheating, you may appreciate the cooling materials in the Emma Hybrid Comfort, the interior pocketed spring construction that supports airflow, and a top cover to help give additional cooling comfort and moisture wicking.
All Emma mattresses are delivered in a box. Depending on where you live, in-home delivery and setup services may be an option for you. To find out whether your location qualifies for this service, reach out to an Emma representative before finalizing your order. Additionally, if you wish to have your old mattress removed, you can opt for this service before checkout for an extra fee of $125.
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You can reach Emma customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Other options include Shop Pay, Diners Club, Apple Pay, Meta Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, and Zip Pay. Emma also offers financing through Klarna.
Emma offers a discount for first-time customers when you sign up with your email address, as well as seasonal promotions throughout the year, so be on the lookout for a sale banner at the top of the website page prior to making a purchase. To verify whether the mattress you want is currently discounted, you can refer to the Emma sale page, or use the chat function on the website and a representative will provide any current promo codes.
We chose The WinkBed as the “Most Comfortable for Side Sleepers” because it has an exceptionally soft pillow top to contour and relieve pressure in the shoulders and hips.
The WinkBed comes in four different firmness levels—softer, luxury-firm, firmer, and plus—to offer a custom sleep experience and optimize comfort based on individual sleep preferences. No matter which firmness level you choose, The WinkBed includes a pillow top cover made from Tencell, an exceptionally soft and absorbent material that helps keep you cool while you sleep.
Side sleepers may find that a mattress with a lower firmness score (soft or medium) is generally more comfortable than one that’s considered firm. This is because side sleepers put a lot of pressure on their shoulders and hips, which can become painful if a mattress pushes back too much against those points.
Similarly, if a mattress is too firm or supportive in these areas, the shoulder can become crunched for long periods of time, which misaligns the spine and can cause pain in the clavicle and upper back. Our experts gave the luxury-firm model of The WinkBed a firmness score of 6.5 out of 10 (medium-firm), which should give enough support to keep the sleeper from sinking too far into the bed, but still contour the body’s curves.
Depending on how soft you like your mattress and whether you’re considered a lighter-weight or higher-weight sleeper, the softer model of this mattress may be an even more comfortable option for you.
All WinkBed mattresses are compressed and boxed. You’ll need to allow some time for your new mattress to off-gas after unpacking it before it’s ready for use. Unlike companies with white-glove delivery services, WinkBeds doesn’t offer removal of your old mattress when you order a new one. But, if you choose to return or exchange The WinkBed after trying it out, the company will arrange for it to be picked up.
For more of our recommendations for side sleepers, visit our Reviews Team’s picks for the best mattresses for side sleepers.
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You can reach WinkBeds customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. WinkBeds also offers financing through Bread Pay.
The company currently offers an additional $50 off for military members and their families, first responders, and health care workers.
We chose the Nolah Evolution as the “Most Comfortable Soft Mattress” because the luxury-firm style has good sinkageⓘ Good contouring sinkage can give sleepers the feeling of being “hugged” by their mattress, but too much sink can result in misalignment of the spine, especially for stomach and back sleepers. and a thick, cushioning top layer that hugs the body.
The Nolah Evolution comes in four different firmness levels: plush, luxury-firm, firm, and comfort plus. Our experts tested the luxury-firm model. The Evolution features a plush, quilted top layer for maximum softness and contouring of the body, as well as a zoned hybrid design. Each component of the mattress is crafted to help you sleep more comfortably, with integrated air ventilation throughout the mattress and soft memory foam top layers.
For many sleepers, specifically side and back sleepers, a softer mattress like the Nolah Evolution may be considered the most comfortable. On the other hand, a soft mattress probably won’t be ideal for stomach sleepers because it can cause the lumbar spine to dip below the hips, potentially causing lower back pain.
The luxury-firm model of the Nolah Evolution is considered a medium-firm mattress, scoring seven out of 10 based on our testing, so it’s likely that the plush version is closer to a soft to medium-firm mattress (which is generally scored at four or five out of 10).
Another factor to consider is that taller mattresses usually have more layers for added softness and contouring, but they can also be more difficult to get in and out of, especially if your feet don’t reach the floor when sitting on the edge of the bed. The Nolah Evolution is the tallest mattress we’ve tested, coming in at 15 inches high. If you have a low bed base, this might not be an issue, but anything that makes the surface of the mattress higher than 23 inches total might not be considered safe.
Nolah mattresses are typically shipped in a box via FedEx Ground Shipping. Due to the weight of the mattress, we recommend having at least two people for unboxing and setup. If you anticipate needing assistance, Nolah partners with Load Up to provide three white-glove delivery options: mattress removal only, mattress setup only, or a combined removal and setup package. Pricing for this service starts at $125.
Learn more about Nolah mattresses in our full review.
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You can reach Nolah customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Shop Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
We chose the Bear Original as the “Most Comfortable Memory Foam Mattress” because it offers the contouring and sinkage typical of memory foam mattresses, without sacrificing support.
The Bear Original is a 10-inch-high mattress with three layers of gel memory foam that, like traditional memory foam, are slow to respond and bounce back when pressure is applied. Bear categorizes the Original mattress as a medium-firm mattress with a firmness score of 7.1 out of 10, but our testers found it was closer to a firm feel, giving it an eight out of 10.
The Bear Original offers typical memory foam sinkage but does so without sacrificing the support needed to comfort back and stomach sleepers. The sinkage and contouring effect of foam makes an all-memory foam mattress one of the most comfortable mattress constructions.
“Memory foam mattresses have a lot to offer those with hip pain or injury,” said Amitay. “The memory foam material distributes weight evenly no matter what position you are in and is preferable for side sleepers. Additionally, memory foam mattresses tend to keep one’s body more stationary during sleep.”
The Bear Original has a textured top cover constructed to help you cool down and recover while sleeping. It features Celliant, a breathable fiber that converts body heat to infrared energy to promote circulation throughout the body, and thermoregulatory phase change material (PCM) designed to absorb and release body heat to help keep sleepers cool.
Something to consider with a memory foam mattress is that it can take time to break in the material. This will happen after sleeping on the mattress for a few weeks, but it may take a bit longer. It’s for this reason that most mattress companies require a 30 day breaking-in period before a return or exchange can be requested. Consistent pressure on the foam will help it better conform to your body to give additional contouring.
If you don’t opt for white-glove delivery, your Bear mattress will be delivered in a box. According to feedback from our testers, who have unboxed this mattress, we recommend having at least two people for the task, as it is heavy and cumbersome to handle. Additionally, you’ll need to allow the mattress a couple of days to off-gas.
In addition to Bear, our Reviews team has tested a number of affordable mattresses and picked the best ones that met our standards. Read our full review of the best affordable mattresses.
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You can reach Bear customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Google Pay, and Venmo. Financing is available through Affirm and Shop Pay.
Bear offers a 40% discount for verified military members, first responders, health care workers, and teachers. This discount can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
We chose the Birch Natural as the “Most Comfortable Latex Mattress” because it has all of the best qualities of a latex hybrid mattress, offers excellent pressure relief, lumbar support, and edge support, and is easy to move around on.
The Birch Natural is a hybrid mattress made from individually encased steel coils, sustainably sourced wool, Talalay latexⓘ A natural rubber material that offers breathability and temperature regulation. , and cotton. Our testers found it to be a true medium-firm mattress, which should be comfortable for side and back sleepers alike.
Many people choose a mattress made of latex because it offers similar contouring to memory foam but has the bounce and responsiveness that foam typically does not. When our testers were lying on the Birch Natural, they immediately felt the material contouring their body, and when it came time to move around, it was easy to change positions with the material. This is because bounce is a helpful feature for sleepers who change positions throughout the night since it gives an extra spring when moving around. It’s also an important quality for motion isolation.
Like most latex mattresses, the Birch Natural costs more than mattresses that are not constructed of latex. But according to latex mattress manufacturers, latex mattresses have an average lifespan of about 20 years, about double the lifespan of every other material used in the mattress industry. We think the Birch Natural is a good investment for its quality and durability.
Birch mattresses are compressed, rolled, boxed, and shipped via FedEx. When the mattress arrives, you’ll need to unbox it and give it time to expand. One of the advantages of the Birch being free from chemicals is that there’s no off-gassing.
In-home setup availability is based on location. If you’re eligible for in-home setup, you can select from three options: removal only, in-home setup only, or setup and removal, which can include setup of the mattress and any adjustable base, platform, or frame.
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You can reach Birch customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Amazon Pay, and PayPal. Birch financing is available through Affirm.
Birch currently offers 25% off for military members, first responders, teachers, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
We chose the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid as the “Most Comfortable Affordable Mattress” because of all the mattresses we tested and researched, the Signature Hybrid is consistently the most cost-effective choice for high-quality materials and hybrid construction.
The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is made from five layers of material. The first is a top quilted layer, followed by two layers of foam, one layer of individually encased coils, and a flex base for extra support and durability. Its balance of softness and support should make it a comfortable choice for multiple sleeping positions.
We chose the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid as the Most Affordable Comfortable Mattress because it’s the most versatile and best-quality option at one of the lowest prices of all the mattresses we tested—especially other hybrid mattresses.
Hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive than all-foam mattresses because more materials and considerations go into the design and construction. A hybrid mattress also tends to have a longer lifespan than an all-foam mattress since the coils prevent it from sagging and deforming over time.
Our testers also liked the versatility of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid, which offers three distinct firmness options—soft, medium, and firm—to accommodate individual sleep preferences. Both the soft and medium mattresses share the same construction, with materials of equal thickness. The firm level of this mattress varies slightly to provide enhanced support and reduce sinkage in the hip and shoulder areas. Our experts tested the medium firmness level, rating it a six out of 10, indicative of a true medium-firm feel.
Our testers also found the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress has good edge support, which comes from the reinforced coils around the perimeter of the mattress. This helped it score three out of five on edge firmness.
Brooklyn Bedding mattresses are compressed, rolled into a box, and shipped via FedEx Ground. Brooklyn Bedding does not offer white-glove delivery services, mattress setup, or removal.
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You can reach Brooklyn Bedding customer service by:
Credit card and payment options include MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Financing through Brooklyn Bedding is available through Affirm.
Brooklyn Bedding offers 30% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, educators, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
We chose the Titan Plus as the “Most Comfortable Mattress for Higher-Weight Sleepers” because it’s specifically designed and constructed with durable and reinforced materials to meet the needs of higher-weight sleepers and couples.
The Titan Plus is a hybrid mattress made by Brooklyn Bedding as an option for higher-weight sleepers who want a comfortable mattress without sacrificing firmness and durability.
For people who weigh 250 pounds or more, one of the top complaints about their mattress is that it starts to sag too quickly, or coils tend to break earlier or more often. These two things lead to significant discomfort while sleeping. Brooklyn Bedding created the Titan Plus line of mattresses to combat these issues with durable, reinforced steel coils and high-density foam layers between the sleeper and the coils.
The Titan Plus mattress by Brooklyn Bedding comes with an optional GlacioTex cooling cover, which may be appealing if you tend to sleep on the warm side. You can add it to your cart when checking out for an extra $100–$200 (depending on the size of the mattress you buy).
Higher-weight sleepers tend to find a firmer mattress more comfortable for stable sleeping, but also much easier to change positions while sleeping. If you’re higher-weight and you choose a soft or all-foam mattress, you’re more likely to sink too far into the layers, which can make it hard to change positions. Our testers gave the Titan Plus a score of eight out of 10 for firmness, so it should be a comfortable match for those who need the extra support.
While the biggest highlight of this mattress is that it’s specifically made to be comfortable for people and couples who are higher in weight, the other notable takeaway is that it’s probably not the most comfortable option for sleepers who are considered lighter in weight (weighing less than 130 pounds) or of average weight (130–250 pounds) because it may be too firm for pressure relief.
The Titan Plus ships for free through FedEx Ground Shipping. Since the Titan Plus comes compressed and rolled, you’ll need to give it some time to decompress, expand, and off-gas before you can use it. Titan does not provide white-glove delivery or mattress removal services.
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Titan is a Brooklyn Bedding brand. You can reach Brooklyn Bedding customer service by:
Credit cards and 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.
Brooklyn Bedding offers 30% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, teachers, and college students. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
Determining which mattress is most comfortable for you is highly specific to the type of sleeper you are and what level of firmness gives you the best sleep experience. When shopping for mattresses, other factors like cost, warranties, and trial periods are also important considerations. We found the most comfortable mattresses are the ones that score best in their ability to give targeted pressure relief, and those that support the body while giving room for contouring and proper alignment.
All the mattresses on this list were tested by our Reviews Team. We chose the Saatva Classic as the most comfortable mattress overall because it accommodates the widest variety of sleepers and is made by a company with a good reputation. We selected the other mattresses based on how comfortable they would be for specific types of sleepers. For example, we chose the Helix Midnight Luxe as the Best for Sleepers with Back Pain and The WinkBed as the Most Comfortable for Side Sleepers.
Our testing found innerspring, hybrid, and memory foam mattresses were the most comfortable types of mattresses for most sleepers.
The queen-size mattresses that made our list range in price from $998–$2,499. In addition to your budget, how much you pay for a mattress should be based on the length of the warranty, the trial period, durability, and how well the mattress suits your sleeping needs.
When choosing the best mattress for you, always consider what type of sleeper you are (side, back, stomach, or combination), how much you move while sleeping, what firmness level you prefer, and the cost you can afford to invest. Since testing a mattress in person is usually the easiest way to find out whether a mattress is best for you, consider purchasing a mattress with a lengthy trial period (we recommend 100–365 nights) so you can take time to see whether to keep it or exchange it for something different.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
