How To Choose a Mattress

Innerspring

Innerspring is the most traditional mattress form. These beds feature a coil unit and above it, a thin layer of cushioning. Hybrids, which contain coils and layers of foam on top, are also under the innerspring umbrella, even though they vary from traditional construction. The four types of coils found in innerspring beds are Bonnell, encased, offset, and continuous. Encased coils are usually found in hybrid models.

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A major pro to purchasing a standard innerspring bed is that it is one of the most affordable options on the market. Spring beds are exceedingly durable. Being that the springs are typically made from different types of metals, they tend to keep their shape for many years.

Lastly, the amount of space between the coils circulates air well for a cooler night&#;s sleep.

The biggest downside to innerspring beds is that they don&#;t have as much cushioning, and this could be problematic for those seeking good pressure relief.

I suggest the Helix Midnight for a great innerspring mattress. The coils in the Helix Midnight are individually wrapped, so you get the benefits of springs but reduced motion transfer, which is great for couples. Additionally, the Helix Midnight comes with memory foam for pressure relief and comfort.

I also suggest the Saatva Classic for a great innerspring mattress. This bed features a unique coil-on-coil design. The top unit focuses on conforming to the sleeper&#;s body and minimizing motion transfer, while the bottom unit delivers substantial support to prevent sagging.

Ideal for: People who want strong support, durability, cooling, and bounce.

Read More: Highest-Rated Innerspring Beds

Memory Foam

Memory foam conforms to every inch of the body pressed into it. When you lift your body from the material, it slowly regains its original form, making it perfect for every body type and every sleeper.

Another unique property of memory foam is its motion isolation capabilities. 

Motion isolation refers to the mattress&#;s ability to prevent movement from transferring to other parts of the mattress. This translates to better sleeping for couples because one partner&#;s movements shouldn&#;t impact the other person.

A common issue with memory foam is that this material retains heat. If you sleep hot, memory foam may not be the best choice for you. That being said, many manufacturers have implemented cooling features into their memory foam to curb this issue.

I suggest the Nectar Original for a great memory foam mattress. The Nectar is rated exceptionally well for motion isolation and has a medium-firm feel that should complement most people well. Plus, they infuse gel in their memory foam to help keep the material cool.

I suggest the DreamCloud Memory Foam for a great memory foam mattress. This DreamCloud bed contains luxurious memory foam to help keep sleepers comfortable and sturdy edges so you feel secure when you sleep or sit along the sides.

Read Our Full Guide: Best Memory Foam Mattresses

Hybrid

The hybrid mattress is a combination of innerspring and foam layers. Providing the best of both construction styles, this option offers the comfort of foam coupled with the support of springs.

The amount and types of foam used in hybrids vary among brands. Some companies use memory foam and polyfoam in their hybrid beds, while others utilize latex for the comfort layers. The benefit of hybrids is that there is plenty of variety available to shoppers, and like their traditional innerspring counterparts, they deliver extra airflow.

Hybrids have an enhanced design, which means they typically cost more. However, they can provide a great sleep environment that makes them worth the investment for many people.

I suggest the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for a great hybrid mattress. The DreamCloud blends premium memory foam with high-quality coils to provide an upgraded sleep space.

I also suggest the Nolah Evolution for a great hybrid mattress. The Evolution is a high-quality hybrid that includes lots of helpful cooling features, such as a Cooling ArcticTex&#; cover and Nolah AirFoamICE&#; foam.

Good For: People who want good support, bounce, cooling, and pressure relief.

Check Out Our In-depth Guide: Best Hybrid Mattresses

Latex

Latex mattresses are known for their cooling, sustainability, responsiveness, and comfort. Authentic latex foam is made from the Hevea-Brasilenis tree, specifically from the white liquid extracted from it. Latex is harvested, and when the excess water is removed, you end up with raw materials fantastic for various products, bedding systems being one of them.

Another advantage of latex is that you don&#;t get that new mattress smell that&#;s typically found in memory foam products.

There are two types of Latex:

• Natural &#; This is the healthier and more eco-friendly option. However, natural latex is usually more expensive, so you should expect to pay more for a bed with this material.
• Synthetic &#; This version of latex is made by mixing synthetic polymers with natural tree sap. While it&#;s less expensive, synthetic latex is not as healthy or eco-friendly as the naturally derived form.

There are also two manufacturing methods for Latex:

• Dunlop &#; This manufacturing process creates a dense, firmer form of latex. As such, this method can help produce more supportive latex layers.
• Talalay &#; The Talalay process is meant to create softer latex that is often more used in the comfort layers of a mattress. Talalay latex also tends to have a more uniform feel compared to Dunlop latex.

Learn more: Dunlop vs. Talalay Latex

I suggest The WinkBeds EcoCloud for a great Latex mattress. This mattress features a 4-inch thick Talalay latex layer designed to provide firmer support in the lower back and softer cushioning in the shoulders and hips.

I also suggest the Nolah Natural for a great Latex mattress. This bed comes with Talalay latex, along with a coil unit that has targeted zoned support to ensure you rest as comfortably as possible.

Latex is best for people who want good cooling, responsiveness, and bounce.

Adjustable Mattresses

The term adjustable can refer to either the mattress itself or the base it rests on. Adjustable mattresses offer a unique ability to change the bed&#;s position based on your preference. With an adjustable base, you can elevate the head or feet, giving you more options than traditional products. These foundations can provide extra comfort for people suffering from chronic lumbar pain or just want to be slightly elevated to prevent snoring.

I suggest the Saatva Solaire for a great adjustable mattress. The Solaire has a unique design that includes a 6-inch air chamber made of vulcanized latex.

The sleeper can modify the chamber&#;s setting from 1 to 50 depending on how firm they want the bed to feel. The Solaire is compatible with adjustable bases as well.

Testing the adjustable Saatva Solaire in our mattress facility.

I also suggest the Aurora Luxe for a great adjustable mattress. With the Aurora Luxe, shoppers can purchase this mattress in one of three firmness options: Soft, Medium, and Firm. By allowing this customization option, shoppers have a better chance of finding a bed that meets their needs better. Sleepers can use the Aurora Luxe on an adjustable base to customize their experience further.

Perfect for: People with certain medical conditions like snoring, older sleepers, and people with lower back pain.

Find Out More: Best Mattress for Adjustable Bed

Pillow-Top Mattresses

A pillow-top mattress has a layer of soft material sewn into the cover to make it more comfortable. These are also considered more luxurious and usually cost a bit more than standard options. You can find a pillow-top surface in memory foam, latex, or hybrid beds.

There&#;s also the Euro top variation. Like a traditional pillow top, Euro top mattresses have that extra layer of softness sewn into the mattress. The difference, however, is that Euro tops are flush with the sides of the mattress. Some people prefer Euro tops for a more polished or sleek look, and we often interact with Euro-top beds in our mattress testing.

I also suggest the Bear Star Hybrid for a great pillow top mattress. Bear&#;s pillowtop is unique in that it contains Celliant®, a textile that can reportedly improve oxygen blood flow and reduce inflammation by converting kinetic energy from the body into infrared light.

Good for: People with back pain, arthritis, and allergies and anyone looking for something less conventional.

Get More Info: Best Pillow-Top Mattress

Waterbeds

A waterbed is exactly as it sounds: a vinyl mattress filled with water inside. Waterbeds are a unique option on this list. They were most popular during the s and remain available to consumers today. Some of the most common reasons for choosing this type of bed are back pain and arthritis relief. These beds are also great for people with allergies.

Good for: People with back pain, arthritis, and allergies and anyone looking for something less conventional.

Follow Our Guide: Best Waterbed Mattresses

Firmness

Firmness is important when choosing a new mattress because it can impact how hard or soft a bed feels to you. Some beds are built to be softer or firmer than others, which can affect sinkage, support levels, and pressure-relieving capabilities. 

Generally speaking, side sleepers do well on medium-firm or softer beds that balance pressure relief and support. Back sleepers can also sleep nicely on a medium firmness, although some may prefer an even firmer mattress for extra lumbar lifting. Stomach sleepers typically prefer firmer mattresses that offer more support for the hips so that the lower back doesn&#;t curve too much. 

Need help? Visit our complete mattress firmness guide.

Weight and Body Type

Weight plays a big role in choosing a mattress because it can impact factors like support, feel, sinkage, and even cooling. Furthermore, a particular mattress will feel very different to a lightweight person than it will to an average or heavier sleeper.

Body weight considerations often go hand-in-hand with sleep position, and you&#;ll need to consider both these factors together.

Let&#;s look at the following guidelines for choosing an ideal firmness level based on your weight:

• Light (Less than 130 pounds) &#; Lightweight sleepers usually do best with beds that have a plush to medium-firm feel, depending on their sleep position. Lightweight side sleepers will likely enjoy the plush side, while back and stomach sleepers need more support with a medium-firm mattress. I suggest the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR Cloud as a great mattress for lightweight sleepers. This mattress has a medium-firm feel that should work well for lighter individuals who sleep on their back or stomach. If you&#;re a side sleeper, though, you&#;ll want to go with something softer.
• Average (130-230 pounds) &#; Average-size sleepers usually prefer medium-firm beds, but there is some variance based on their sleep position. If you lie on your side, a mattress with a medium firmness rating may feel best. Back sleepers will likely enjoy a bed rating between 6 and 7. Stomach sleepers will likely need a 6 rating or higher.
• Heavier Person (230+ pounds) &#; Heavier people usually need a firmer bed to compensate for extra sinkage, so a 7 rating or higher is often best. If you are having problems with cooling, consider coil mattresses for added airflow. Lastly, choose a thicker (12 inches or more) bed to avoid sinking through the layers. I suggest the Titan Plus as a great mattress for heavier sleepers. The Titan Plus mattress is specially designed for heavier individuals and includes industrial-strength supportive coils to help prevent the sleeper from sagging into the bed.

Need more details? Follow our guide to the best beds for heavy people.

Sleep Position

Most of us have a unique way of sleeping every night. No matter if you sleep on your side, stomach, or back, or even if you switch throughout the night, you must consider your sleep style when selecting a mattress. The reason for this is that your favorite sleeping position will determine the ideal firmness of your new bed.

Back

The most important factors for back sleepers are support and pressure relief. If your mattress is too soft, your body will sink in and cause back pain, but if it&#;s too firm, you won&#;t get enough pressure relief.

Generally, the best beds for back sleepers have a firmness rating between 5 and 7.

Mattresses that contain memory foam tend to provide the highest level of comfort for people who sleep on their backs. This is because they contour the spine while maintaining proper support and structure.

I suggest the Helix Dusk as a great mattress for back sleepers. The Helix Dusk has a medium firmness that should complement most back sleepers. Additionally, the construction includes great layers for back sleepers, such as DuraDenseFoam, coils, Memory Plus Foam, and Helix Dynamic Foam.

Want to see more? Look into our mattresses for back sleepers guide.

Side

I test every mattress to see if it&#;s good for all sleeping positions, like side sleepers.

People who sleep on their side often experience pressure accumulation because their weight is concentrated in a smaller area. Therefore, these individuals should go with a softer mattress that will provide a more equal distribution of pressure.

If you&#;re a side sleeper, choose a mattress with a firmness rating between 4 and 6.

I suggest the Helix Midnight as a great mattress for side sleepers. The Midnight contains Memory Plus Foam, which should provide sufficient pressure relief for those who lie in this position.

Looking for more info? Read our complete mattress for side sleepers buying guide.

Stomach

The most important thing for stomach sleepers is to provide an equal distribution of weight since the midsection will cause the most pressure. If the mattress is not firm enough, your spine will curve, and this can cause back pain.

Stomach sleepers should look at beds in the medium-firm to firm range, usually a six or higher. If you&#;re heavier, though, you should seek out something firmer than a 7 to ensure quality support.

I suggest the Helix Dawn as a great mattress for stomach sleepers. The Helix Dawn has a firm enough feel that should provide stomach sleepers with good support to keep their midsection from sinking too deep into the bed. 

Learn More: How to Choose Perfect Bed for Stomach Sleepers

Combination

Combination sleepers are those who rotate between several or all three of the aforementioned positions. Therefore, they need a versatile, medium or medium-firm feel that can accommodate more sleep positions. Another important mattress quality for combination sleepers is a responsive (bouncy) mattress that makes it easier for them to reposition themselves. If it&#;s harder to move around, that could cause them to wake up during the night and lead to poor sleep.

Learn more: Visit our list of the best mattresses for combination sleepers.

Support

The other key feature is support, which is how well the mattress keeps your spine in proper alignment. This is vital for preventing back pain. As you assess the bed&#;s supportive layers, you&#;ll want to look for any signs of pressure on your spine or awkward positioning. For example, if you&#;re a stomach sleeper and notice your hips dipping into the bed, you&#;ll probably need to go with something more supportive for your body type.

Pressure Relief and Comfort

Whether you&#;re testing out a mattress in-store or at home during your trial period, you want to get a thorough understanding of how the product performs for comfort and support. As you lie on the bed, evaluate whether you feel comfortable enough to easily sleep on it. Does the mattress relieve your pressure points? Does it provide a deeper hug or a gentle cradle? Comfort is subjective, so as long as it works for you to achieve optimal sleep, that&#;s most important.

Pain or Other Health Concerns

People dealing with different pain and health concerns should be especially careful when buying a new mattress. This is because a mattress may make your pain worse. For example, if you have shoulder pain, a mattress that&#;s too firm can cause pressure buildup in that area, more so if you sleep on the side.

Some mattresses could be helpful for certain pain and health conditions based on their design, such as mattresses for sciatica or beds for sleep apnea. Other mattresses could be particularly good for pregnancy, offering balanced support, pain relief, and even weight distribution. 

Cooling

Constantly waking up during the night because you&#;re too warm can negatively affect your sleep quality. The good news for hot sleepers is that there are numerous mattress options tailored to the needs of those prone to overheating. If this sounds like you, then you&#;ll want to seek out beds with cooling features. The coils in innerspring and hybrid models offer great airflow, while latex beds are inherently temperature-neutral and therefore, don&#;t retain heat.

Read More: Best Cooling Mattresses

Memory foam is a popular choice but because it&#;s known to easily overheat, the material isn&#;t always ideal for hot sleepers. However, many companies have found a way to help with this by infusing cooling gels or using open-cell foam structures to help mitigate heat build-up.

Additionally, if love memory foam but worry about becoming too warm, consider getting a hybrid with memory foam in the comfort layer so you get the extra airflow from the innerspring coils. Additional cooling features and breathable materials in mattresses may include graphite, copper, Tencel, cotton, and moisture-wicking bamboo or wool. Some brands also create proprietary cooling materials for their mattresses.

Bounce and Responsiveness

In most cases, a bit of responsiveness can help you move around, switch positions, and even get in and out of bed. This term means the materials are more quick-responding to your movements. 

On the other hand, some people may want enhanced responsiveness through a lot of bounce. The downside is that too much bounce can make it more difficult for the mattress to keep motion from traveling across the mattress.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation is important for most couples and co-sleepers. We define it as the bed&#;s ability to absorb motion so that you don&#;t feel so much of it from one side of the bed to the other. This is particularly important for partners with different sleeping habits and styles. If your partner is a restless sleeper, for instance, they might wake you up with their tossing and turning, in which case you want a mattress with maximum motion isolation. 

Generally speaking, memory foam is the best for motion isolation as it absorbs movement the best. Mattress firmness also plays a part here. Softer beds tend to be better at isolating movement, but this also depends on the materials.

Edge Support

Edge support is not necessarily important for everyone. Single individuals or kids who rarely sleep near the edge of the bed probably don&#;t care as much as couples and those who prefer to spread out across the mattress. 

Firmer mattresses tend to have better edge support, but this also depends on what they&#;re made from. Hybrid beds usually hold up better around the edges, more so if they have some type of reinforcement in this area. Foam beds can also have higher-density foam in this area to help keep the edges from collapsing. 

Mattress Price

Determining your budget for a new mattress is an important step. Beds come in all sorts of price ranges, so the good news is that you&#;ll probably find something you like that&#;s affordable.

One of the best things to happen to the mattress industry is access to online shopping. Buying online means that customers can purchase directly from the manufacturer rather than a third-party retailer. As a result, this cuts down on costs, and consumers have more access to top-tier mattresses at lower prices. Additionally, many brands offer holiday deals for extra savings on their beds.

Don&#;t get confused here. More money does not mean better quality. If you think that some of these online options are somehow worse than in-store ones, you are badly mistaken. Stores tend to inflate the prices by as much as 1,000 percent.

Here are some guidelines for you:

• Don&#;t always go with the cheapest option you find &#; This is a rule of thumb for most products you buy online. Spending less than $500 for a Queen-size mattress usually means the product is not as durable and won&#;t provide you with better sleep quality.
• A higher price does not mean higher quality &#; On the flip side, you don&#;t need to put down thousands of dollars to get a comfortable bed. There are many great options that don&#;t come with a hefty price tag.
• Go with around $1,000 for a Queen size &#; This is usually where you will find the best bang for your buck.
• A King or California King will cost slightly more &#; You should increase the budget for King and California King to at least $1,500 so you will have more choices in that range.

Need more details? Check out our guide to top online mattresses.

Trial and Warranty

The trial and warranty are also important when buying a new mattress. In most cases, you&#;ll see trials ranging from 90 to 365 nights, whereas the warranty ranges from 10 years to forever (or a lifetime warranty, as it&#;s sometimes called). Although it&#;s not always the case, pricier brands tend to offer longer trials and warranties. 

Apart from the overall duration, you should also look at what the deals involve. What happens if you have to return the mattress? Do you get a full refund or just a portion? Are you required to keep the mattress for at least 30 days or you can return it at any point? Make sure you research these details before you buy.

Durability and Material Quality

Durability and material quality are more difficult to evaluate by browsing the brand website, so it helps to do the research, and read online reviews and customer feedback. However, you can only learn so much from just reading because both durability and material quality are best tested in person. This is where a good trial comes into play, allowing you to try out the mattress before committing. 

The price doesn&#;t always indicate maximum quality and durability, but some mattresses are generally known to last longer. For example, we know that softer, cheaply-made foam beds aren&#;t as durable and will likely sag faster than high-density memory foam mattresses. 

Mattress Size

Once you decide on a specific brand and model, you&#;ll then need to select the mattress size you want. You may already have a size in mind based on what your previous mattress was. However, if you&#;re moving into a new home, the amount of space available could impact whether you can get a bigger size. Mattresses come in standard sizes to help you know how much space they&#;ll take up. I recommend measuring your room to see if that California King you have your eye on will fit comfortably in the space.

You&#;ll also need to factor in whether you sleep with a partner. A Full-size bed might be a cheaper deal, but if you like to spread out, a King or California King may be the better option. Conversely, if the bed is for a child, teen, or single sleeper, they probably won&#;t need a Queen-size or bigger. Instead, they might be better suited for a Twin, Twin XL, or Full model.

Do You Really Need a

New Mattress?

Many people change their beds after just a few years, and that&#;s perfectly fine if you can afford it. Buying a bed is not a small investment, so you&#;ll need to assess if now&#;s the right time to get one.

Generally, after seven years, you&#;ll most likely need a new mattress. Of course, this will depend on the quality of the bed&#;s materials and how you&#;ve maintained it over the years. Good maintenance and high-quality materials could extend the product&#;s lifespan by a few years. That being said, if you feel back or neck pain after waking up, then you should start shopping around.

More Reading:

Mattress TypeAverage LifespanInnerspring5 to 10 yearsMemory Foam7 to 10 yearsHybrid7 to 10 yearsLatex10-15 yearsPillow-Top7 to 10 yearsAdjustable7 to 10 years Waterbed10 to 15 years

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose a mattress for a child?

To choose a mattress for your child, you&#;ll want to take into account their age. Ideally, you&#;ll want something that will work for them throughout the years, from childhood to adolescence. The next step is to consider the size of the bed. Usually, kids can do well on Twin or Twin XL mattresses, even as they grow. However, if you want extra room for growth, you might consider investing in a Full mattress.

Some brands, such as Saatva and Helix, make beds for children, so these could be a great place to start looking. In general, the mattress should provide a good blend of pressure relief and support to help ensure your little one sleeps well.

More: Best Kids Mattress

How do you choose a mattress for back pain?

If you&#;re looking for a mattress to help with back pain, you must prioritize support, as this will help your spine remain neutral and prevent your back pain from worsening. The coils in hybrid and innerspring mattresses are great for enhanced support, and hybrids have the added benefit of additional foam layers to deliver pressure relief simultaneously. If you carry more weight, finding a mattress that&#;s supportive enough to keep your spine lifted is especially important. The good news is that there are high-quality mattresses for heavy sleepers that have durable builds to ensure healthy alignment.

When is the best time to buy a mattress?

The best time to buy a mattress is when your current one no longer gives you adequate comfort and support. However, there are great opportunities throughout the year to take advantage of extra savings on the industry&#;s top beds. Many mattress companies provide exceptional deals on their products during major holidays, such as Black Friday, Labor Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Presidents&#; Day. If you&#;re in the market for a new bed and a holiday is around the corner, this would be the best time to make a purchase.

Where is the best place to buy a mattress?

The best place to buy a mattress will depend on whether you prefer to shop online or in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. Online shopping gives shoppers easy access to hundreds of different mattress brands from the comfort of their homes. Rather than having to make the drive to your nearest mattress store, you can do your research at home, buy the bed, and have it shipped directly to you.

Buying a mattress online also means you can buy a top bed for a fraction of the cost you&#;d pay in-store because the middleman cost is eliminated. However, some people prefer to physically see and touch the mattress before they make a purchase, and in this case, buying from a store would likely be the best option for those shoppers.

Buying a new mattress can feel like a minefield. Do you go for firm or soft? King size or Queen? A latex mattress or a pocket sprung one? 

Mattresses affect how well you sleep, and therefore have a knock-on effect on your energy, health, mood, and productivity. But you often buy one after a brief two-minute test in a brightly lit mattress store. Or worse, you buy one after visiting several websites that are driven by affiliate sales, with mattresses that all seem the same, which you can&#;t try before you buy. 

Add in the fact that mattresses are pricey purchases and it&#;s easy to see why mattress shopping can, ironically, cause some sleepless nights. 

Below, we attempt to make mattress buying easier. We&#;ll share what science has to say about the best mattress and how you can cut through the noise online. Plus, we&#;ll cover how the RISE app can help you get a good night&#;s sleep, no matter which mattress you choose. 

Heads-up: We&#;re not affiliated with any mattress companies. That means we can offer unbiased advice on the best mattress for you. In this article, we&#;ll share what science has to say on the topic to help you make the most informed decision.

For more Mattress Bedinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Additional resources:
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Advice from a sleep doctor:

&#;There&#;s not a lot of conclusive research on mattresses, so it can be confusing when shopping for a new one. Look for a medium-firm mattress. These seem to be best at keeping your head, neck, and spine aligned, which is important for pain-free, comfortable sleep.&#;

Rise Science Medical Reviewer Dr. Chester Wu

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What Should I Think About When Buying a New Mattress?

Buying a new mattress can be overwhelming. Your sleep &#; and therefore your energy, health, and well-being &#; feel like they&#;re on the line, after all. 

In simple terms, here&#;s what you need to consider when buying a mattress: 

• Firmness: For good sleep posture, you want your head, neck, spine, and hips to be aligned. A mattress that&#;s too hard may cause pain in pressure points, the points pressing into the mattress, like your shoulder and hip. A mattress that&#;s too soft, however, will cause you to sink too much into it, leading to spinal misalignment. The right level of firmness will depend on your sleep position (more on that below) and body weight (heavier builds may need more firmness than lighter builds). 
• Material: The right material mattress can keep you cool and reduce allergens, both of which contribute to a good night&#;s sleep. Foam and latex may be cooler than wool and gel, for example. And foam can help with motion isolation, which stops bed partners from feeling each other's movements during the night. 
• Size: In general, if you share a bed with someone, a larger mattress will make it less likely you&#;ll disturb each other at night. But a bigger size mattress isn&#;t always better. You need to think about your bedroom size and budget, too. 
• Price range: The cost of mattresses can vary wildly. And while good sleep is worth the investment, the most expensive mattress isn&#;t always the best one for you. Mid-range priced mattresses work well.
• Comfort: Getting enough sleep is the best thing you can do for your energy levels and overall health. There&#;s not a lot of research into the best mattress types, so go for something you find comfortable. 

When thinking about what&#;s important to you in a new mattress, think about how you wake up each morning. Do you have any neck or shoulder pain? Did your partner wake you up when they rolled over in the night? Or did you feel hot and sweaty? 

Getting the right mattress is important as it plays a huge role in how comfortable you feel in bed. And comfort plays a huge role in how easily you can fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.

Getting and staying comfortable becomes even more important as we age or if we have health conditions or areas of pain. But comfort is subjective. What an online mattress quiz or mattress brand article tells you is the best mattress for you may not be the most comfortable for you. And therefore may not help you maximize your time in bed. 

Think about firmness, material, size, and cost, of course, but remember that comfort should be your number one priority. 

There are some comprehensive guides out there to help you when you&#;re further along in your buying journey. We&#;ll be diving into the science of mattresses and offering unbiased advice so you know what to look for (and what to avoid), but we won&#;t be linking any products specifically. More on those resources soon.

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What is the Best Mattress?

The short answer is: there is no one best mattress. There&#;s not enough scientific evidence to say which mattress is best, and the ideal mattress all depends on your sleep position, body type, and if you have any aches, pains, or health conditions. And that&#;s not even taking into account price, size, and material preference. 

And when we turn to science for answers? There aren&#;t many. There isn&#;t a lot of research into mattresses, and the research we do have has a few problems. Studies are often small and observational, and many look at mattresses for those with health issues (like back pain) and not the general population. Many studies also take place in sleep labs, so results may not carry over to sleeping at home in your own bed. 

Many studies don&#;t take into account how different our body sizes and shapes are, and there are even conflicting results across the research. They often use self-reported sleep quality data, and when measuring comfort, again, this is subjective. Plus, studies on mattresses are short &#; sometimes under a month &#; compared to the years and years you&#;ll be sleeping on one. So, it&#;s hard to say for sure what the best mattress really is. 

One review even states there&#;s not enough evidence to state the ideal spinal alignment or body pressure distribution, making it hard to evaluate mattresses. And some mattresses on the market have never been compared scientifically.  

All this may sound confusing, but it&#;s actually good news! There is no one best mattress, so you&#;re free to pick the one that&#;s the most comfortable for you. 

Here&#;s a roundup of some of the research we do have on mattresses highlighting which features can improve your sleep: 

A systematic review (with a focus on back pain) looked at mattress research and found the most comfortable mattresses that lead to better sleep quality: 

• Maintained a higher body temperature during sleep 
• Supported the &#;column curve,&#; or natural curves of the spine and neck 
• Minimized unnecessary body movements 

A small study found that when sleeping on a &#;comfortable&#; mattress, participants&#; skin temperature, sleep efficiency (the percentage of time you spend in bed actually sleeping), and percentage of deep sleep was higher. Body temperature, time awake during the night, and light sleep were lower. The study also notes that there&#;s no evidence supporting the fact that mattress firmness can make a difference on sleep quality. 

A study found mattresses with poor stability made people move more at night, which wasn&#;t ideal for sleep. But highly compressible mattresses (mattresses that compress a lot when you lay on them) could put pressure on nerves and blood vessels by keeping you too still. 

A study &#; on healthy participants, but only 32 of them &#; compared latex and spring mattresses. Both types of mattresses improved sleep, including sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency (how long it takes to fall asleep), and motor activity (body movement). But despite this, self-reported sleep quality didn&#;t improve. The study concluded: &#;Future studies should investigate if sleep quality improvement is merely due to the introduction of a new mattress or prevalently to the technological features of the mattress.&#; 

Again, this takes the stress off. Your sleep may improve just by getting a new mattress, no matter what mattress that is. 

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What Mattress Do Sleep Doctors Recommend?

We turned to our sleep advisor and medical reviewer, Dr. Chester Wu, to get a sleep doctor&#;s take on the subject. Here&#;s what he had to say: 

&#;There&#;s not a lot of conclusive research on mattresses, so it can be confusing when shopping for a new one. Look for a medium-firm mattress. These seem to be best at keeping your head, neck, and spine aligned, which is important for pain-free, comfortable sleep.&#; RISE Science Medical Reviewer Dr. Chester Wu

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How Do I Know if I Need a New Mattress?

The RISE app can guide you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits each day.

Before you go mattress shopping, make sure you actually need a new one in the first place. There&#;s no set rule, but in general, you should consider replacing your mattress every eight years. But many factors influence how long mattresses last, and while the industry seems to agree on the eight year mark, there&#;s not much evidence behind this number. Some materials, like foam or latex, may last 10 to 15 years.

But if you&#;re regularly waking up with new aches and pains, your mattress shows signs of wear and tear or sagging, or you&#;re uncomfortable, you might be due a new mattress. 

There&#;s not enough evidence to say whether you need a new mattress as you age, but comfort may become harder and will be even more important as sleep gets harder, too. You may need a different mattress if health issues (like back pain) develop.  

If you&#;re looking into a new bed setup because you&#;re struggling to sleep or you&#;re experiencing pain, there are a few (cheaper) things you can try first: 

• Sleep in a different position: Sleeping on your front? You might get neck and shoulder pain. Sleeping on your back? That can make snoring, sleep apnea, and acid reflux worse. Try switching up your sleep style to suit your needs. We&#;ve covered the best side to sleep on here.
• Try different pillow placements: Where you place your pillow can make a difference to pain and comfort, and pillows can keep you in the right sleep position. We&#;ve covered more on proper pillow position for sleeping here and whether you should sleep without a pillow here. You can also try a weighted blanket, which research shows may help those with insomnia.
• Improve your sleep hygiene: Your mattress may not be to blame for your sleep struggles. Poor sleep hygiene will make it hard to sleep, even on the perfect mattress. We&#;ve got advice on what to do below and RISE can guide you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits daily.  

If you&#;re considering a new mattress to deal with a health issue, we&#;ve got advice on: 

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Do I Need a Mattress Topper?

Need a new mattress but can&#;t afford one? Try a mattress topper. There are many different types and, again, the best one for you will be the one you find most comfortable. 

A study found a soft topper that was 30 millimeters (about an inch) thick was best. It helped to reduce body pressure and temperature and keep the spine aligned. 

Another study found high rebound mattress toppers (think firm and supportive, or the opposite of memory foam, which is low rebound) created a larger decline in core body temperature. You need a drop in body temperature to help you fall asleep. This body temperature decline was linked to an increase in deep sleep.   

Mattress toppers can even help those with lower back pain. One study found a low-pressure inflatable mattress topper helped those with chronic pain have fewer sleep disruptions, feel less pain, and get more sleep overall. 

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If you&#;re a side sleeper, you&#;ll be putting pressure on your shoulder and hip. You want your mattress to be soft enough that it doesn&#;t cause any pain on these pressure points. But you don&#;t want a mattress that&#;s so soft you sink too far into it, causing your spine to be out of line with your head and neck. 

Your best bet is probably a mattress that&#;s medium or soft, depending on your personal preference. The softer the mattress, the more it can conform around your hip and shoulder, providing pressure relief. But you want to find the right level of contouring so that your back stays aligned.

Latex, gel, and memory foam mattresses can mold to your pressure points without being too firm.

Pillow tip: Choose a pillow that&#;s thick enough to fill the space between your head and the mattress when your neck is straight. A pillow between your knees can help keep your spine and hips aligned. 

The best mattress for side sleepers: Medium or soft firmness. Memory foam, latex, or gel materials. 

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What is the Best Mattress for Back Sleepers?

Just like in any position, it&#;s crucial back sleepers keep their head, necks, and spines in alignment. As you&#;re laying in a relatively straight line already, a good mattress for you may be one that&#;s medium, firm, or very firm. A soft mattress can cause your back to sag into it too much, creating a bad posture. 

Memory foam, pocket sprung, or innerspring mattresses can provide support. 

Pillow tip: Choose a pillow that&#;s not too thick so you don&#;t push your head forward too much. A pillow under your knees can promote the natural curve of your spine. 

The best mattress for back sleepers: Medium, firm, or very firm. Memory foam, pocket sprung, innerspring.  

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What is the Best Mattress for Front Sleepers?

Most experts recommend you avoid sleeping on your front. It puts a lot of pressure on your neck and spine, and your head is often twisted at an unnatural angle, or pushed back into an uncomfortable position by a pillow. But if you can&#;t sleep in any other position, don&#;t sacrifice shut-eye. 

When choosing a mattress, try medium or firm. This should keep your spine as aligned as possible, stopping you from sinking into the mattress too much and creating an unnatural arch in your back. 

For stomach sleepers, memory foam or pocket sprung mattresses can provide support for pressure points. 

Pillow tip: Choose a thin pillow or skip the pillow altogether to keep your head as low as in line with your spine as possible. A thin pillow under your hips can also help with alignment. 

The best mattress for front sleepers: Medium or firm. Memory foam or pocket sprung. 

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What is the Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers?

Bad news for combination sleepers, you&#;re the hardest to mattress shop for as you move between different positions during the night. But most of us are combination sleepers to some degree. 

It can be tricky to choose a firmness level if you&#;re tossing and turning all night. Your best bet is to go off of feel. For example, if you often wake up with shoulder and hip pain, you might spend more time on your side during the night and need a softer mattress. If you get back pain, a firmer mattress might be better. 

Try medium firmness, which may be a good compromise. Avoid going for either extreme &#; very soft or very firm &#; if you&#;re a true combination sleeper. 

Hybrid mattresses, which contain both springs and foam, latex, or gel, can help provide enough support without being too firm. 

Pillow tip: Keep an extra pillow nearby to grab if you wake up in the night and need to get comfortable in a different position. 

The best mattress for front sleepers: Medium firmness, or go off feel. Hybrid materials can offer support and softness.  

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What is the Best Mattress for Back Pain?

Back pain is not only a problem during the day. It can stop you from falling asleep or wake you up in the night. And as sleep loss can make pain harder to deal with, getting the right mattress for back pain is vital. 

A medium-firm mattress may be best. Too firm and you&#;ll put pressure on sore areas. Too soft and you&#;ll sag into the mattress, creating bad posture and possibly more pain. 

A systematic review on mattresses for back pain concluded: &#;Based on data reported by literature, it can be claimed that medium-firm mattresses offer more advantages to subjects with non-specific low back pain. Studies have demonstrated, indeed, that these mattresses improve sleep quality and reduce risk of developing low back pain.&#; 

Another study found when participants with minor back discomfort slept on a new medium-firm mattress for 28 days, their sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and back discomfort improved. This was compared to their old mattress. 

If you&#;ve got back pain, it&#;s even more important to think about your sleep position and getting a mattress to suit this. One study looked at participants with low back pain. They were prescribed a medium-firm mattress layered with foam and latex to suit their primary sleeping position. After four weeks, participants reported an improvement in pain and stiffness, and the pain got even better after eight to 12 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the number of days when participants experienced poor sleep and discomfort had decreased significantly.  

A customized mattress may also help. A small study looked at those with chronic lower back pain. Participants spent a night on their own mattress, three nights on an experimental mattress designed to reduce spinal curvature in the side sleeping position, then a final night back on their own mattress.

The results showed the experimental mattress reduced pain scores by 18% and improved comfort scores by 25%. But there was no change in pain and stiffness when getting up in the morning and no change in sleep quality. 

The experimental mattress that can help reduce back pain. Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10./s-022--x

If you don&#;t have back pain currently and you&#;re trying to avoid it in the future, there&#;s even less evidence on which mattress is best. The research we shared above states more research on prevention needs to be done as no one answer has been found. But the paper does highlight that a medium-firm mattress, once again, may help those with occasional stiffness, but not necessarily pain. 

Pillow tip: Aim to keep your neck, spine, and hips in line. Try placing a pillow in between your knees on your side, under your knees on your back, or under your hips on your front.

The best mattress for back pain: Medium-firm. 

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What is the Best Mattress for Allergies?

Ever crawled into bed only for your allergies to kick in? You&#;re not imagining it. Allergies do get worse at night and your mattress can be one of the triggers. 

Dust mites thrive in mattresses &#; as well as pillows, bedding, carpets, and soft furnishings. But you can buy hypoallergenic mattresses that stop dust mites from getting in. 

Mattress with layers of foam or latex can resist allergens, including dust mites, mildew, and mold. And in general, man-made materials are best as natural materials can trigger allergies. 

Don&#;t want to buy a whole new mattress? You can buy an anti-allergy mattress cover that can act as a barrier against mites. Beyond the mattress, you can keep dust mite populations under control by washing your bedding once a week in 130-degree Fahrenheit water. 

Pillow tip: Go for hypoallergenic materials and wash your pillowcases once a week in 130-degree Fahrenheit water. 

The best mattress for allergies: Man-made materials like foam or latex.

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What is the Best Mattress for Overheating?

Being too warm at night isn&#;t just uncomfortable, it can stop you from falling asleep as your body temperature needs to drop for you to drift off.

If you&#;re a hot sleeper, spring mattresses can provide more airflow and stay cooler than all-foam mattresses, which can trap heat. Gel mattresses can also conduct heat away from your body. 

You can also buy special cooling mattresses, although there&#;s not a lot of third-party research into how effective these are at improving your sleep. 

The systematic review we mentioned above found some results for body temperature, too. It concluded that a high heat capacity mattress can reduce body temperature increases at night, which can increase deep sleep and reduce nighttime awakenings. Again, this research had a special focus on back pain. 

A small study had similar findings, though. It found high heat capacity mattresses increased deep sleep, subjective sleep quality, and sleep stability (staying asleep) compared to a low heat capacity mattress. High heat capacity mattresses created a greater drop in core body temperature, reduced the increase in skin temperature on the back, and delayed the increase in mattress surface temperature.  

To help counter any warmness from your mattress, be sure to set your thermostat to 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal temperature for sleep. 

We&#;ve got more tips on staying cool for sleep here: 

Pillow tip: Choose a pillowcase made of breathable materials like cotton or latex.

The best mattress for temperature: Spring or gel mattresses. 

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How to Get Better Sleep?

The RISE app can tell you when to do 20+ sleep hygiene habits daily.

Having the right mattress is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting a good night&#;s sleep. And while there&#;s not a lot of research backing up the best mattress, there is plenty of scientific evidence behind other aspects of sleep hygiene.

Sleep hygiene is the name for the set of behaviors you can do to help you fall and stay asleep each night. 

Here&#;s what to do: 

• Get bright light first thing: Aim for at least 10 minutes of light as soon as possible after waking up or 15 to 20 minutes if it's overcast or you&#;re getting light through a window. This resets your body clock, helping you feel sleepy come bedtime. 
• Avoid light close to bedtime: Dim the lights and put on blue-light blocking glasses about 90 minutes before bed (we recommend these). Bright light in the evenings can make it harder to drift off. 
• Avoid caffeine, large meals, intense exercise, and alcohol too late in the day: Check RISE for when to avoid each one daily.
• Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet: Beyond your mattress, perfect your sleep environment by setting your thermostat to 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, using blackout curtains, and wearing earplugs and an eye mask. 

The RISE app can guide you through 20+ sleep hygiene habits each day to make them easier to stick to. 

RISE users on iOS 1.202 and above can click here to set up their 20+ in-app habit notifications.

Don&#;t Let Mattress Shopping Keep You Awake 

The world of mattresses is a confusing one. There are so many features to choose from and styles to consider. But despite being important for our sleep and health, there&#;s not a lot of scientific evidence pointing towards the best mattress. 

Our advice? Focus on finding the most comfortable mattress for you. Take your time when testing in-store mattresses, think about how the mattress feels, and which one can keep your spine in alignment when in your preferred sleep position. Make the most of any trial periods where you can test out a mattress in your own home and overnight. 

To help you fall asleep, no matter which mattress you choose, maintain excellent sleep hygiene each day. The RISE app can help by reminding you when to do 20+ healthy sleep hygiene habits. 

With good sleep hygiene, you&#;ll already be on your way to better sleep and more energy on any mattress. 

Next Steps 

Want to get product recommendations? We read through many online guides that dig into the nitty gritty of mattress buying. Here are some of the most useful.

But be aware, many of the mattress-buying guides you&#;ll find online come with affiliate links to certain mattress companies. That means the advice can be biased. They can be great for gaining an understanding of the products out there and going over your final considerations before buying. 

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