The best mattresses we tested
Best mattress for back sleepers: Saatva Classic
Best mattress for side sleepers: Helix Sunset Elite
Best mattress for stomach sleepers: Nectar Premier
Choosing a comfortable mattress and mattress topper can improve the quality of your sleep and help prevent you from waking up with aches and pains. But there are so many types of mattresses to choose from that it can be hard to know how to choose a mattress.
To find the best mattresses, we considered numerous models made of memory foam or hybrid foam and coils and tested 11 of the most popular from top brands by personally sleeping on each. Because experts recommend that you choose a mattress based on your favored sleep position — on your side, back or stomach — we evaluated the lot with that in mind to land on three best mattress picks.
The hybrid Saatva Classic Mattress in Plush Soft uses a combination of buoyant coils and a soft foam top to provide solid yet cradling back support. Even in the softest firmness level, it feels closer to a traditional mattress than a memory foam mattress, so you lie on top of rather than sink into it. We also found it doesn’t overheat.
Stomach sleepers who need a firmer mattress will like the Nectar Premier Mattress. Even though it's labeled medium-firm, we found it on the firmer side, which can help with spine alignment in the facedown position. It's also a great value, coming in at under $1,500 for a queen.
With a quilted foam pillow top and layers of foam and microcoils on top of a zoned coil base, the Helix Sunset Elite Mattress allowed our body to sink in, relieving pressure points on the shoulder and hip while still being supportive. We found we could sleep on our side longer, thanks to the soft support.
Best mattress for back sleepers: Saatva Classic
The Saatva Classic Mattress is a hybrid innerspring mattress with a pillow top, a memory foam layer, and a coil base. Some hybrid mattresses feel like you’re sinking into them too much, but with this one it felt more like lying on top, as it has some give. Due to this, we found the Saatva to be especially supportive and comfortable for spinal alignment when lying in the back position. Another advantage of the mattress not molding to your body like memory foam is that it allows for better air circulation to prevent overheating.
It comes in three firmness levels: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm. We tested the Plush Soft option and were surprised at how firm it felt compared with other soft mattresses we’ve slept on. We found ourselves sleeping on our back more because it was on the firmer side, so this may not be the best choice for side sleepers. We also appreciated that the full-service delivery was punctual and the delivery people carried it in and set it up in the bedroom so all we had to do was put on the sheets. One thing to be aware of is that this mattress is made to order, so it may take more time to receive.
Best mattress for side sleepers: Helix Sunset Elite
The Helix Sunset Elite Mattress is a hybrid mattress with a quilted foam pillow top and two layers of small coils sandwiched between two additional layers of foam. The first thing we noticed when lying on this mattress was how we gently sank into it. It felt like a combination of fluffy fiberfill and soft memory foam without completely molding to our body common to all-foam mattresses.
When we slept on this mattress, we found it provided the perfect balance needed for side sleeping — the softness of the memory foam without that mired-in-place sensation felt wonderfully supportive. Also, the use of two layers of smaller coils rather than one layer of traditional ones maintained spinal alignment while also relieving pressure points common among side sleepers.
We were impressed that we could stay on our side longer without our shoulder hurting, especially when compared to other mattresses. This makes it a good choice for side sleepers who need a lot of pressure relief.
Unfortunately, full-service delivery isn’t available, and setup is a little more complicated than with other mattresses we tested: The foam layers arrived separately from the rest and we had to zip these into the bed. This is especially disappointing considering the premium price.
Best mattress for stomach sleepers: Nectar Premier
The Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress offers not only solid support but also a great price at a fraction of our other two picks for a queen, making it a great deal if you’re a stomach sleeper. The all-memory foam version we tested is labeled as medium-firm, but it felt firmer than other mattresses we’ve slept on. We found we didn’t sink into it as we would expect with a memory foam mattress. This is good for stomach sleepers who want to feel like they’re floating on top of the bed to keep their spine aligned.
The basic version of this mattress has a cooling cover, which we initially found cool to the touch; however, similar to most cooling products, that sensation wears off after lying on the mattress for a while. That being said, we didn’t overheat at any point while sleeping. Based on both of these observations, we don’t think it’s necessary to upgrade to the “Copper” version, which claims to offer additional cooling. Even though in-home delivery and setup are not offered, we found the Nectar Premier easier to set up because it’s lighter than other mattresses we tested.
How we tested
To find the best mattresses, we first researched the hundreds of choices available, then narrowed our list down to the 11 most popular mattresses on the market according to firmness level. Then, over the past year, we tested one mattress at a time for about a month each and evaluated each using the following criteria:
Delivery and setup
- Quality of delivery: A fast and flawless delivery experience can really make getting a new mattress a truly wonderful experience, so we noted how good the delivery process was for each mattress.
- Ease of setup: Nobody wants to take a full day to set up a mattress, and not everyone has another set of hands to help with setup. So we kept track of how easy each mattress was to set up, how fast the process was and if we needed another person to help us.
- Useful instructions: Setting up a mattress shouldn’t be rocket science; it should be a fairly straightforward process. Still, we appreciated having clear, step-by-step instructions to guide us through any missteps, so we noted which mattresses came with such an instruction guide.
Comfort
- Sleep quality: Now comes the fun part. We happily slept on each mattress for an entire month, noting how well we slept on each. How comfortable was it to sleep on? Did we need to keep changing positions to get comfortable, or did we sleep like a bear hibernating in winter?
- Firmness levels: Everyone prefers their own level of softness or firmness when it comes to mattresses, so we checked the firmness level each mattress claimed to have. We judged how bouncy each one was, as well as how much we nestled into each one while we slept.
- Thickness options: We checked the thickness of each mattress and compared it against the others we tested, and noted whether the thickness affected our sleep quality or ability to move around on the mattress comfortably.
Availability of mattress sizes
- Twin, full, queen, king: We tested the queen size of all the mattresses since we have a queen-size frame, but we also noted the other sizes each mattress is available in. The more sizes, the better.
Build quality
- Certifications: We checked to see what certifications the mattress had (e.g., whether it was CertiPUR-US certified).
Trial period and return policy
- Length of trial period: There’s almost nothing worse than making a big purchase like a mattress, then not liking how your back feels after a few nights’ sleep on it. So it’s important to have a trial period during which you can test it out for yourself. We noted whether each mattress came with a free trial period and what the return policy was for each.
Warranty
- Length and scope of warranty: We checked each mattress to see if it had a warranty and how long that warranty lasted and what it covered.
Other mattresses we tested
Casper Wave Snow Hybrid Mattress
No longer available
The Casper Wave Snow Hybrid Mattress was one of our favorite mattresses we tested for its comfortable hybrid feel and cooling properties. But unfortunately, it was discontinued on February 29, 2024, though Casper relaunched its entire line of mattresses the same day.
Editor’s Note: A company spokesperson told us the closest comparison to the Wave Snow Hybrid we tested is the newly launched Casper Snow Max Mattress. We will soon be testing this mattress and will add our impressions to this review once our testing is done.
The Casper Mattress
No longer available
The Casper Mattress was a good lower-cost memory foam mattress option we tested, and we found it decent for the price. And unfortunately, this mattress was also discontinued on February 29, 2024 when Casper relaunched its entire line of mattresses the same day.
Editor’s Note: A company spokesperson told us the closest comparison to The Casper we tested is the newly launched Casper One Foam Mattress. We will soon be testing this mattress as well and will add our impressions to this review once we are finished testing.
