How We Picked And Tested Memory
Choosing a mattress is a highly personal endeavorand that makes reviewing them tricky. Youll find plenty of online reviews that may say a particular mattress offered just the right amount of support or that another mattress gave me back pain, but thats just a reflection of what the mattress did for that reviewer. Unless youre that writers clone, those impressions may have little bearing on what the mattress will do for you.
So in making our picks, we focused on objective criteriafactors that should remain consistent for anyone considering a mattress. These included:
Our reviews of foam mattresses began about five years ago. We set up models from some of the most popular brands at the time in our Los Angeles office, where we invited staffers to try the mattresses informally and to provide feedback. Kevin Purdy, Wirecutters mattress writer at the time, spent a week sleeping on the mattresses, and the best of the bunch appeared in our first guide, which we published in 2016. Kevin then slept on additional models at home and updated the guide with each new review, based on his experience and online surveys.
In fall 2020, associate staff writer Justin Redman assessed a range of under-$400 mattresses for our guide to the best cheap mattresses, testing them on his own in Wirecutters New York City office . He then slept on the best of the bunch at home for about a week each.
Criterion #2 Type Of Mattress
Each type of mattress has its benefits and shortcomings. Let us take a look at the most important of them. TypeProsConsAirbedNo sagging, low price, portability, motion isolation. Good for people with back issues.Punctures, noise, and low durability.InnerspringRelatively low price, great support, and breathability.Might be noisy, not too durable, and have not that great movement isolation.FutonsThey are super thin, easy to roll up, compact, and quite cheapSagging, and have a pretty low comfort level.Gel-infused foamCool, resilient, and supportive.Pretty pricey and synthetic.LatexSome of the most comfortable mattresses that also promote pain relief, are pretty lasting and environmentally friendly.Not so good for those who are looking for some cooling and real softness.Pillow-topNon-chemical, relatively cheap and very plush. Not so durable, sagging is a common problem, and not the best option for heavier people.WaterbedComfortable, relaxing, and heatable.Not as good when it comes to support, leaks and odor.HybridsGreat airflow, good support, motion control, pressure point relief, and versatility.Sag pretty fast, and are quite pricey and heavy.
We all are looking for the best mattress in the world, and as you can see, we have options to choose from. If you want to learn more about a particular type or all of them, check out this guide.
Comfort Meets Analytics Top 10 Most Comfortable Mattresses
In performing the analysis for the awarding of the Best Mattress Award, Awesome Night Sleep thoroughly examined which mattress is the most comfortable. We took into consideration millions of data points, including complaints, complements, questions, opinions, and reviews in order to determine which mattress could best give sleepers the most comfortable night sleep.
It was a very close competition. Many mattresses are amazingly comfortable!
Even so, it was very important to make sure the most comfortable mattress was determined objectively. We did not want one persons positive or negative opinion to carry too much weight. Thus, we meticulously utilized our extensive modeling, employed our complex methodology, and performed our heavy analytics in order to come up with which mattress is the most comfortable.
So with no further hullabaloo the awarding of the Most Comfortable Mattress goes to the Nest Bedding Alexander Signature Hybrid Mattress. Please see information on this mattress and the other winners below.
The Alexander Signature Hybrid is the most comfortable mattress in the United States. Its Memory Foam Quilted Breathable Cover, TitanChil Endurance Foam layer, three firmness options, and comfort layer exchange program are the reasons why.
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Make Sure Your Mattress Fits Your Bed Base
Manufacturers may encourage you to buy a mattress and bed base together, and this is a good idea if youve had your old base for many years.
If you buy the mattress and base separately, or are going to keep your old base, measure carefully to make sure theyre a good fit. Dimensions can vary, so dont rely on a new double mattress being exactly the same size as your old one.
For more information, read our guide: What bed size do you need?
A Luxe Option With Additional Lumbar Support
Helix Sleep / Instagram
Use code FORBES100 to receive$100 off + 2 free Dream Pillows when you spend $600 or more
Use code FORBES150 to receive $150 off + 2 free Dream Pillows when you spend $1,250 or more
Use code FORBES200 to receive $200 off + 2 free Dream Pillows when you spend $1,750 or more
- Materials: Memory foam, wrapped coils
- Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
- Trial period: 100 nights
The highly praised Midnight LUXE mattress is one of Helixs most popular and highly rated models. Its medium-firm, making it comfortable for pretty much everyone, but its features are especially great for side sleepers. This 14-inch mattress offers up six layers, creating more than a foot of cushion under your body while you sleep. The memory foam maximizes pressure point relief on your hips and shoulders, while a zoned wrapped coil unit offers added support and helps reinforce the edges so you never feel like youre sinking, even if you inch toward the edge of the bed at night.
Plus, all of the LUXE models have added lumbar support for enhanced contouring for your back and a premium quilted pillow top with a soft, breathable cover. Theyre also two inches taller than the standard mattresses.
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Can You Return A Mattress
Making a warranty claim on your mattress
This can be tricky, because arguments regarding comfort, faults and so on can be considered subjective, or part of ‘normal wear and tear’.
And while most mattresses have a 10-year warranty period, the small print is often overflowing with restrictions and conditions.
Take SleepMaker for example. While their warranty covers manufacturing faults, they won’t protect against a reasonable level of dipping , comfort concern as a result of product selection and heat issues. These are just some of the terms, but they illustrate the grey areas consumers can find themselves in
As our investigation into spring mattresses found, advertised and tested firmness rarely match up, and it’s likely that your purchase may not be as comfortable as you expect. However, this wouldn’t fall under a warranty claim in SleepMaker’s case. These terms aren’t exclusive to SleepMaker. In fact, they’re one of the more upfront brands when it comes to outlining their claims procedure.
Most mattresses have a 10-year warranty period, but the small print is often overflowing with restrictions and conditions
Returning a mattress
The onus largely falls on you, the buyer, to make the right purchase if you’re buying from a retailer, even when the industry practices are questionable. Because mattresses are used in the same manner as clothes, headphones etc., getting a refund under general consumer protections can be difficult.
Returning a mattress-in-a-box
How Do You Try Before You Buy
All of the brands on this list allow you to try these mattresses out risk-free. In order to do this, you’ll need to purchase the mattress first. Once it’s delivered, you have a trial period to test it out in, which is typically 100 days. If at any point during that time you’re unhappy with your mattress, you can contact the company to return it.
The company will then arrange for someone to come pick up the mattress, either to be donated or disposed of. Once the company confirms the pickup has happened, you’ll get your refund.
Many companies will encourage you to try out your mattress for at least three to four weeks before you try to return it, as your body can take time to adjust to a new bed. But if you really don’t want to wait, you don’t have to.
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The Connection Between Body Weight And The Comfort Level Of The Mattress
Some users overlook the fact that their weight can significantly affect their comfort. And if the mattress firmness does not suit the sleepers weight, even the best mattress can turn out to be extremely uncomfortable.
The thing is, this aspect is going to impact how the weight of the body affects the mattress materials. For example, heavier users tend to sink through the comfort layers, which means they need sturdier support. This is why larger folks are typically advised to pick slightly firmer mattresses for every sleeping style.
Lightweight individuals, on the other hand, often cant compress the comfort layers. Their weight simply isn’t enough for that. Thats why many comfortable mattresses can seem too stiff for them. Therefore, petite sleepers should stick to slightly softer models for each sleep position .
Mattress Construction And Materials Used
The most popular mattress construction is called hybrids. And almost all of the mattresses on our top 10 list are hybrids.
A hybrid essentially means that its combining at least two key materials in its construction, one of which is innerspring coils or encased coils. The other key material is usually some form of memory foam or latex.
Memory foam is used in the majority of comfortable mattresses. Memory foam provides that sinking and hugging feeling that many sleepers associate with a great mattress.
Latex, in contrast, provides more bounce and responsiveness. Its really a matter of personal preference more than anything else. As a general rule, latex sleeps cooler than memory foam, but there are all kinds of cooling gel foam used in the above mattresses that provide the same cooling benefits.
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Best Hybrid Mattress: Amerisleep As5 Hybrid
Another comfortable bed by Amerisleep, the AS5 Hybrid, is our favorite mattress from Amerisleeps hybrid line-up because it contains a number of sleep-enhancing foam layers and a zoned pocketed coil system. Its materials offer the best blend of bounce and cushion.
The AS5 Hybrid has a super plush feel, so its a great choice for somebody wanting a luxuriously soft bed, and even though its soft, its still responsive enough to support sleepers of all body types. We recommend the AS5 for side, back, and combo sleepers, but stomach sleepers might want to look for something firmer.
Amerisleeps AS5 Hybrid contains a lot of the same materials as the AS3: three inches of eco-friendly Bio-Pur® and a layer of Affinity foam. But its still different in many ways, for starters, the Affinity layer in the AS5 Hybrid doesnt contain cutouts, and the AS5 has an additional transition layer, Active Flex, between the Bio-Pur® and Affinity layers. And of course, the AS5 Hybrid has a support layer of zoned pocketed coils instead of Bio-Core®.
The Active Flex in the AS5 Hybrid sits right beneath the Bio-Pur® above to enhance the comfort layers responsiveness. It feels a lot like latex and gives the AS5 a bit of liftits the reason the AS5 can work for sleepers of all body types.
AMERISLEEP AS5 HYBRID
Which Is The Best Type Of Mattress
The short answer is that there isn’t a single best type of mattress. Why? Because everyone is different, so the right type for you depends on your body, your health and your sleep style. Secondly, it’s because the differences between each type of mattress are increasingly negligible. Materials have advanced so much over the last five years alone that it can be difficult to notice any perceptible difference when you’re sleeping on them.
That’s good news for you: it means you should be able to pick any of the options in our best mattress guide and be extremely happy with your choice – regardless of whether it’s made from copper-infused memory foam, coils, cooling latex, or a cutting edge combination of all-natural materials.
However, it can be helpful to know what each mattress type is before you make your final choice. With that in mind, here we walk you though the main options, highlighting the key differences between each…
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What Are The Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers
The best mattresses for side sleepers are those that fall on the middle of the firmness scale — medium-soft to medium. You need a mattress that has enough give to alleviate pressure on your shoulders and hips, but not so much that you sink into it. It’s important to keep your spine aligned when you’re sleeping on your side, since that’s what ensures that you’ll sleep comfortably and wake up pain-free.
How To Make Your New Mattress More Comfortable
Add a Topper
In some cases, your new mattress feels great but just needs to be a little more comfortable.
Mattress toppers are an excellent way to adjust the feel of your mattress with making a huge financial investment.
A mattress topper can provide different adjustments to your bed. For example, there are firm mattress toppers for folks who want a firmer feel or softer ones for when you need more plushness. Additionally, you can purchase a cooling topper if you are an extra hot sleeper who needs more cooling to rest comfortably.
Learn More:How to Break in a New Mattress
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Dreamcloud Gel Memory Foam Mattress
The DreamCloud Mattress is a luxury hybrid model that gives you the feeling that youre floating on a cloud . It sleeps cool and is exceptionally breathable from its use of inner coils and a gel-infused foam top layer.
The DreamCloud also excels with relieving any achy pressure points you may have to help you improve your sleep. The gel memory foam is on top, while the heavier regular memory foam is in the middle. Once unpacked, you have to leave it for up to two days for the full shape to come out.
What Is The Most Comfortable Mattress
By McKenzie HydeCertified Sleep Coach
If your current mattress is sagging or lumpy, you may want your next mattress purchase to feel perfectly comfortable. However, its tricky because the answer to Whats comfortable? varies from
If your current mattress is sagging or lumpy, you may want your next mattress purchase to feel perfectly comfortable. However, its tricky because the answer to Whats comfortable? varies from person to person. Shopping for the most comfortable mattress is complicated, but not impossible.
We believe theres no such thing as one-mattress-fits-all. Each of our five mattress models suits different types of people, which we note in their descriptions. We also walk you through choosing a:
Plus, we list what features you should look for as you shop.
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When Is The Best Month To Buy A Mattress
There are mattress sales all year long, but as a general rule: The best times to buy a mattress are early spring , late winter and any holiday weekends. Mattresses are one of the most heavily discounted items during sales events like Memorial Day and Labor Day, so while you can find great deals all year, you may be able to save some additional cash and/or score freebies during these times.
Buying A Mattress Online
If youre looking for a bargain mattress, one option is to try a few in a shop, before going home to search for the best price online.
Thats what 6% of Which? members did when they bought their last mattress, according to our recent October 2020 quick poll.
Unsurprisingly, given the events of 2020, around 76% responded to say they’d bought online .
Meanwhile, 16% tried a mattress in store before having it delivered to their house.
If you can’t get to the shops at the moment, here are our top tips for buying online:
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What Is The Most Comfortable Mattress For People With Back Pain
People with back pain often think a firm mattress or a soft bed is the solution, but science suggests the best option is a medium-firm mattress. The feel conforms to the back and lowers pressure, while maintaining a neutral spine alignment. Side sleepers experiencing a sore back may want to try a medium mattress instead, though.
How To Find A Comfortable Mattress For Couples
Motion Isolation
A mattress that is good at isolating motion helps prevent the transfer of movement from one side of the bed to the other. Motion isolation is a great feature for couples who want to avoid disturbing their partner in the middle of the night if they move around or get up. Even if you feel as though your movements are subtle, you could still disrupt your partners sleep if a mattress doesnt provide adequate motion isolation.
Foam beds, particularly memory foam mattresses, tend to be the best option when it comes to this feature, thanks to their ability to absorb movement. Latex, which is slightly bouncier than memory foam, will typically absorb movement less but, overall, still performs well.
However, hybrids are going to take last place for motion isolation due to having the most bounce. Some hybrids with memory foam on top may still do fairly well to isolate motion, though.
Edge Support
Edge support refers to a mattress ability to still provide quality support along the perimeter as well. For example, you may notice that when you sit down on the edge of certain beds, the dip is significantly deeper. If the bed dips too much on the sides, this can limit your access to the beds surface space when it comes time to sleep.
Mattress manufacturers incorporate edge support in different ways. For example, some may use denser foams along the edges to keep the perimeter strong, while others, such as hybrids, can incorporate more durable coils around the border.
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