Days are getting shorter, nights are getting colder and all of a sudden that creaky old mattress you call home for hours every night is starting to show its age. But mattresses are notoriously anything but one-type-fits-all. In addition to spending hundreds of hours applying my knowledge as a certified sleep scientist -- and daily sleeper -- to picking out the best overall mattress for most people’s needs, I also work with our eight other mattress experts to choose the top picks for all kinds of sleepers and at a range of prices.
If you’re a side sleeper, choosing for a couple, tend to sleep hot, experience back pain (and more), CNET’s mattress experts have highlighted our favorite mattress for you. Of course, only you can decide which mattress surface you want to spend roughly a third of your life on -- and that’s double for the more than 50 million people in the US who are diagnosed with sleep disorders.
Spend some time with this list to get an idea of the standout mattresses that could cradle your journey to better sleep and health. And while you’re at it, check out our team’s recommendation for pillows and sheets to finish your perfect fall sleep set up.
While testing mattresses for this list, our mattress team found that the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is the best overall mattress you can buy. It has three firmness options -- so it's great for people who prefer a firm mattress or a softer mattress -- and a durable hybrid construction, meaning anyone can sleep on this bed.
This bed is already priced well for the quality you get, but to make it even sweeter, Brooklyn Bedding offers generous sales that can knock a couple of hundred dollars off the retail price.
Our team of sleep experts has spent years researching, testing and deconstructing over 300 mattresses. Most of our testing happens in our 6,000-square-foot mattress warehouse in Reno, Nevada. In addition to the office space where our team tirelessly compiles mattress data, there are also two mock bedrooms we use to test and film reviews in. A back room also serves as an overflow for the hundreds of mattresses the team has tested.
Testing mattresses is a very hands-on process that involves analyzing the construction, feeling and rolling around on the beds from multiple points of view. Our team has a variety of genders, body types and sleeper positions, which allows us to give each bed a well-rounded view that we can compile into recommendations for the average person.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 testing the Helix Midnight Core model.
Dillon Lopez/CNETFirmness and feel: Firmness and feel are some of the most subjective factors when testing mattresses. How firm a mattress feels will depend on how much pressure you put on the bed -- aka your body weight -- and this varies from person to person. We often find that our opinion on a bed’s firmness does not always match a brand’s claim. Our sleep team has recently developed a method to measure a mattress’ true firmness: a machine dubbed the Mattress Smasher 9000. This proprietary device and corresponding software were developed in-house by our lab technicians. It presses into the middle of the mattress and measures its firmness to score each bed on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest and 1 being the softest. While we also test each bed personally for perceived firmness and feel, we use data from the MS9K to complement our conclusions.
Here's the data we learned testing the best mattresses with our Mattress Smasher 9000. Sorted from the softest beds to the firmest, here's how the mattresses scored on our firmness scale.
Durability and construction: We can’t sleep on every mattress we test for years to test the durability (though we have done it for some). While we note the construction of a bed, we use it to inform how durable and supportive a bed will be over time. Saatva, for example, received a 10 support score during testing because of the hefty construction and dual-coil system.
Motion isolation: When I say motion isolation, I’m referring to how well a bed can dampen movement across the surface. We test this by having multiple teammates move around and measure how much motion they can feel. Memory foam tends to perform best in this area. For example, the Nectar Premier mattress scored higher in motion isolation because the memory foam layers are superior at dampening movement compared with innerspring mattresses.
CNET video producer Jon Gomez captures mattress expert Dillon Payne testing the edge support of a mattress.
Aly Lopez/CNETEdge support: This one might not seem like a big deal, but edge support is important if you sleep on the edge of the bed. Think about it like how strong the bed’s perimeter is. If it caves in when we sit or lay on it, it doesn’t have good edge support and receives a score corresponding to where it falls in the data.
Temperature: Many brands claim their mattresses are cooling, although very few are. While adding cooling technology or gel-infused foams can help regulate temperature, it doesn’t mean they are physically cool to the touch. We carefully assess each of the cooling features but differentiate between being temperature-neutral and cooling. For instance, Purple is a naturally breathable bed because of the grid construction, but we don’t consider it an actively cooling bed.
Read more on how we test mattresses.
It’s easy to get lost in the industry terminology like Hyper-Elastic Polymer or zoned support and not know which bed is right for you. These things sound appealing, but not everyone will like or need every feature. The best mattress for you will suit your needs. So before you do anything, you need to consider three main points: your sleeping position, body type and budget.
Sleeping position
How you sleep will help you narrow down your mattress pool by firmness.
- Side sleepers will need softer mattresses to ensure they get enough cushion for their joints.
- Stomach and back sleepers want a firmer mattress to ensure their spine stays neutral to avoid back pain.
- Combo sleepers have more flexibility, although they should make the call based on the position in which they spend the most time.
Your body type
Your body type also will help you determine which mattress you should choose. We always recommend that heavier folks go with hybrid beds for longevity.
How much pressure you put on a mattress will also influence how firm it feels. Heavy people who put the most pressure on mattresses will find mattresses to be softer. The inverse is true for petite body types who will find things feel firmer. We base our firmness rating of 1 through 10 from the perspective of someone weighing 150 to 230 pounds.
Women also have to consider breast comfort when shopping for their mattresses. Stomach sleepers need firm mattresses for spinal support, although many women find extremely firm beds painful across the chest. That’s not to say women can’t sleep on firm mattresses, although it may influence how firm of a bed you choose. Pillow tops, memory foam or padded covers can provide extra cushion to firm mattresses.
Price
Once you know what you need from your mattress, you must establish your budget. The reality is that beds are a big investment. The average online mattress costs around $1,200, although beds under $500 are available for people on a budget. Don't worry, just because they’re cheaper doesn’t mean they’re poor quality.
Here’s another thing about mattresses: there are always mattress deals available. You should never have to buy a mattress for full price. From Memorial Day to Black Friday to every season in between, you’ll almost have access to some sort of discount.
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If you’re new to online mattress shopping, one easy way to narrow down the best mattress for you is by choosing a type of bed.
Foam mattresses are made entirely of layers of foam, whether it be polyfoam or gel foam. Each foam layer has a different density because it serves a distinct purpose in the bed. The foams with the highest density will be on the bottom because it’s the bed's structure.
Latex foam mattresses are divided into two types: natural and synthetic. Natural and organic latex foam is hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and environmentally friendly. Synthetic latex foam is artificially made but cheaper than organic material. Either way, latex foam is durable, breathable and very bouncy. Latex beds are almost always very heavy, so having two people to move them is best.
Memory foam mattresses are one of the most popular types because they are comfortable and excellent at isolating motion and offering pressure relief to the joints. Memory foam is often slower to respond, making it difficult to switch positions at night.
Hybrid mattresses use both foam and metal coils. They’re closest in design to the innerspring mattress most of us grew up with, but the added layers of foam do wonders for pressure relief. We recommend hybrid mattresses for people who weigh over 230 pounds.
Pillow-top mattresses have a padded layer on the top of the bed that’s often tufted to provide extra cushioning. They’re often made of wool, organic cotton or other light and airy materials.
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How much you should spend on your next bed depends on your budget. The average online mattress retails around $800 to $1,200 for a queen-size mattress. There are beds under $500 or luxury mattresses that cost over $2,000 if you're looking for luxury.
The average lifespan of a mattress is about seven to 10 years. How long your mattress lasts depends on how often you sleep on it, if you rotate it and what it’s made of. All-foam mattresses tend to wear out a little fast because the foam can sag.
If you’re not ready to replace your mattress, adding a mattress topper may help you squeeze extra life out of your bed.
There is always some sort of mattress sale going on. The type of sale will vary by the time of year. You’ll see the biggest markdowns around major holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents Day, Black Friday and Christmas.
Your sleeping habits and body type are essential to any mattress recommendation. There is no one mattress recommendation by doctors, but there are certifications to look for. For instance, mattresses like the Avocado Green and Plank Firm Luxe are endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.
Your sleeping position will determine how firm your mattress should be. Side sleepers sleep best on softer mattresses that offer enough pressure relief so they don’t develop pressure points on the shoulders, knees and hips. Stomach and back sleepers need a firmer mattress that keeps their spine in a neutral position throughout the night. If a mattress is too soft, you’ll wake up with back pain. Combination sleepers should choose based on where they spend the most time.
People with allergies benefit most from mattresses made with hypoallergenic materials, like latex foam beds. Latex foam is naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so mold and other allergens can’t grow on it. Alternatively, memory foam beds are a good choice for people with allergies.
Buying your next bed online can seem like a risk. The best online mattresses offer trial periods and free returns to make sure you’re satisfied with your selection. Trials from brands range from around 90 days up to a full year to make your decision. If you’re unhappy, you can return it and get a refund.
The best way to start shopping for your next bed is to consider your preferences, sleeping position and budget. That will help you narrow down the market to your best options.
Nearly all online mattress brands offer a warranty. The warranty duration will vary by brand, though the low side tends to be around ten years. Just because a mattress has a warranty doesn’t mean everything is covered under it. Warranties protect you against defects in the bed, like broken coils or split seams. Warranties do not cover normal wear and tear to your bed.
Some brands, like Nest Bedding, offer unique programs like the lifetime renewal exchange, which allows you to replace old layers of foam.
The average lifespan of the average mattress is between seven and ten years. Although there are things you can do to extend the life of your bed:
- Clean regularly
- Rotate your mattress to avoid uneven wear
- Add a mattress protector
- Use a mattress topper to change the firmness or feel of your bed
No, expensive mattresses aren’t always better. Plenty of really affordable beds rival the quality and comfort of costly beds. More expensive beds often have extra bells and whistles like zoned support and cooling covers that budget choices don’t have.
Edge support is extremely important for people who sleep near the edge of the bed, are in a couple or need stability to get on and off the bed. Some mattresses offer reinforced edges to ensure there is no sagging at night.
Changing your bedding regularly is the first step in keeping your bedroom clean. It won’t stop your bed from collecting stains, dead skin cells and dust mites. Properly cleaning your mattress includes spot cleaning, vacuuming and deep cleanings.