Mattresses: A U.S. News Guide

Buying a new mattress isn't a process you want to rush through. On average, we spend about a third of our day in bed, and you'll want to make sure this time is as relaxing as possible. Plus, getting a good night's sleep impacts our health in many significant ways.

There are many approaches to tackling your search for a new bed. You can pick one based on your favorite sleeping position or the need to stay cool at night, for example. No matter how you want to shop for a new mattress, we're here to help. We have more than a dozen mattress ratings – all of which follow our unbiased methodology – and more than a dozen guides to aid your quest to find the best mattress.

The Best Mattresses of 2021

Below is our list of the Best Mattresses. You can click the links in the companies' names to see our full review of each mattress brand and read more about the Best Mattresses of 2021.

The Best Cheap Mattresses of 2021

You can see our unbiased rating of the Best Budget Mattresses of 2021 below, all of which cost less than $600. To find out how to save money on a new mattress and see more information on the top-rated budget-friendly mattresses below $1,000, check out our Best Cheap Mattresses of 2021 guide.

Mattress Firmness Levels

The firmness level is one of the most important elements to consider when buying a new mattress. This is sometimes described as the comfort level or the "feel" of the mattress. In general, firmness levels are:

However, some mattress brands have their own names for each firmness level or assign a number to indicate feel.

It's important to remember that every person experiences mattress comfort differently. Though you can use firmness levels as a beginning reference point, this isn't a fixed measurement, and it's still vital to try out each mattress for yourself. This is easy to do by visiting a brick-and-mortar mattress store or taking advantage (when available) of a direct-to-consumer mattress company's risk-free trial period and free return policy. You can also adjust the feel of some mattresses by upgrading to a pillow-top or adding a plush mattress topper.

Firm mattresses are comfortable for many different sleepers, which is one reason they're among the most popular. You can learn more about them and see our rating of the Best Firm Mattresses.

Mattress Coupons

Mattress Types

The four main types of mattresses are foam, hybrid, latex, and innerspring, each of which has a different structure. A few additional categories are based on the materials or features. Every mattress type comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, though these may not apply to every product in a given category as companies come up with new or unique solutions.

Many of the best mattresses also come with different certifications. One of the most common is the CertiPUR-US certification that many foam materials have. This label applies to foams that don’t contain ozone-depleting materials, phthalates, formaldehyde, or heavy metals, and that are low in emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. A GreenGuard Gold certification indicates that the bed contains materials that have low chemical emissions.

What Is a Mattress-in-a-Box?

A mattress-in-a-box is rolled tightly and shipped in a cardboard box. These can also be called a bed-in-a-box. When they are still compressed in the box, this type of bed is much easier to haul home and bring inside than a traditional mattress. The boxes are typically around 4 feet high, 1.5 feet wide, and 1.5 deep.

Foam, latex, and even many hybrid mattresses can come as a mattress-in-a-box. In our comparison of about 70 mattresses, foam tends to weigh less, with an average weight of 80 pounds for a queen. Latex is in the middle with an average weight of 89 pounds. Hybrid mattresses are the heaviest because of the coil springs, weighing an average of 103 pounds.

We rate the top mattresses and discuss what you need to know about this type in our guide to the Best Mattresses in a Box.

What Is a Memory Foam Mattress?

A memory foam mattress has one or more layers of viscoelastic foam, the technical name for memory foam. This polyurethane material actively works with your body heat to conform around your body. As you sink into the mattress, the memory foam molds itself around your hips, shoulders, and other protruding areas. These same areas can otherwise suffer from too much pressure when you lay down. This same process also helps your spine align properly, readjusting when you turn from sleeping on your back to sleeping on your side. Memory foam isn't a perfect material, however. The main complaint is that it gets too hot at night, though this doesn't bother everyone.

Learn more and check out the top-rated mattresses in our guide to the Best Memory Foam Mattresses of 2021.

What Is a Foam Mattress?

All-foam mattresses share many similarities with memory foam mattresses. First, this type of mattress typically contains several different layers of foam. The top comfort layer also contours around you, offering optimal pressure relief and absorbing the tossing and turning of a restless bedmate. Additionally, the foam is often made of polyurethane, the same material in memory foam.

Many of the differences between foam and memory foam stem from mattress manufacturers wanting to make the bed cooler at night. Examples include adding small holes or grids in the foam, mixing in cooling gels, or infusing the foam with a material such as graphite. For some, these extra cooling features help keep body heat from building up, but others still find that foam mattresses get too hot at night.

For more information on foam mattresses, see our rating of the Best Foam Mattresses of 2021.

What Is a Hybrid Mattress?

A hybrid mattress is a combination of mattress types. The top portion of the mattress typically includes foam or latex, and the lower base layer features at least one set of coil springs. Many types of sleepers find this blending of materials to be appealing: A hybrid mattress tends to be cooler than one made entirely of foam, and it absorbs motion better than an innerspring mattress. There's a lot of variety within this category, which means that these broad descriptions don't always apply. Expect a wide range of capabilities when it comes to elements such as motion absorption.

For more information on this mattress type, see our ratings of the Best Hybrid Mattresses of 2021.

What Is a Latex Mattress?

A latex mattress is similar to a foam mattress in that it uses one main type of material – in this case, latex – for every mattress layer. Eco-conscious individuals, those with dust allergies, and sleepers with sensitive noses will find the properties of natural latex appealing. This is a sustainable product that's low in odors and allergen-free. You generally don't sink into a latex mattress as you do with memory foam, and these beds also tend to stay cooler than a foam mattress.

We don't have any all-latex beds in our current rating, but some of the top-rated products in our Best Mattress rating contain latex. These include hybrid mattresses such as the Casper Wave Hybrid and Avocado Green Mattress and foam mattresses such as the GhostBed.

What Is a Spring Mattress?

A spring mattress, also called an innerspring mattress, uses a layer of steel coils for its main support. Similar to a hybrid mattress, there are one or more layers of other materials on top of the coils for comfort and pressure relief.

Mattress support is generally measured by the number of coils, with a higher number indicating greater support and contouring capabilities. These springs promote good airflow so you'll feel cooler at night, but they aren't as capable of absorbing motion or relieving pressure when you lay on your shoulders, hips, or back.

For more information on spring mattresses, see our ratings of the Best Spring Mattresses of 2021.

What Is a Cooling Mattress?

A cooling mattress is one that helps you stay cooler by preventing body heat from building up. Not only is this more comfortable for some, but a number of studies report that you sleep deeper and are better restored if you aren't overheating at night.

There are several ways mattress makers address the problem of excess body heat. One is to increase airflow by using materials such as perforated or hole-punched foams. By adding more pockets of air throughout the mattress, air can flow more easily, removing body heat in the process. Another technique is to infuse foams with materials such as titanium or cooling gel beads.

For more information on spring mattresses, see our ratings of the Best Cooling Mattresses of 2021.

What Is an Organic Mattress?

An organic mattress typically contains organic materials such as cotton, wool, and latex. But this category requires a bold asterisk: just because a company calls its mattress "natural" or "organic" doesn't mean that it is. Instead, shoppers need to look for a few key certifications to make sure they understand exactly what is under that mattress cover. Out of all the available certifications, the most important are Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

We explain these and other certifications and also list the top-rated mattresses in our guide to the Best Organic Mattresses of 2021.

Mattresses for Back Pain

People suffering from back pain used to be told to look for an ultra-firm bed. However, a Harvard Medical School study reported that "people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality." Instead, look for a mattress with a medium-firm or firm feel. Comfort is also key, so you may want to consider a bed closer to the medium-firm range if you sleep on your side, and gravitate toward the firmer end of the spectrum if you sleep on your back.

When you suffer from back pain, you need to make sure your mattress offers adequate support so it doesn't make your problem worse. "Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which contribute to low back pain," says Dr. J. Talbot Sellers with Spine-health.com. Many mattresses have zoned levels of support, putting softer materials under your shoulders and firmer support under your lower back.

Our Best Mattresses for Back Pain guide includes our unbiased rating and goes into more detail to help you select the right mattress when you have back pain.

Mattresses for Different Sleeping Positions

Rest more comfortably – and lower your chances of waking up feeling stiff and sore – by matching the mattress firmness level with your preferred sleeping position.

Side sleepers: Select a soft to medium-firm mattress. The benefit of picking a softer bed is that it yields more when you lay on it, letting your shoulders and hips sink lower. This helps your spine stay in proper alignment and prevents your pressure points from becoming sore.

For information on mattresses for this sleeping position, see our rating of the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers.

Back sleepers: Select a medium-firm to firm mattress. Back sleepers don't need comfort layers that are as plush as what side sleepers need, and a firmer mattress is best for your neck and spine when sleeping in this position.

Stomach sleepers: Select a medium-firm to firm mattress. Stomach sleepers need a supportive mattress that doesn't cause your spine to curve unnaturally toward your stomach.

Reviewed Mattresses

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Other Guides from 360 Reviews

Our 360 Methodology for Evaluating Mattresses

We make recommendations based on an assessment of what matters to consumers, experts, and the community of professional reviewers. We convey what’s most important about a mattress based on an unbiased evaluation of products commonly in the consideration set. Our overarching goal is to empower consumers with the information and tools needed to make their own informed decisions. You can find more information about our 360 Reviews model for evaluating mattresses in our Best Mattresses methodology.