The Best Mattresses for Every Budget and Type of Sleeper

Have you ever wondered why your significant other’s mattress is so comfortable, despite having all of the covers stolen in the night and being relegated to the very edge of the bed, forced to sleep in a constant state of myoclonic jerks and falling sensations? Well, while you were busy ripping apart the couch in search of enough coins to buy another tallboy of Tecate at 1 a.m., they were investing their hard-earned dough in a good mattress—nay, the best mattress for their specific needs.

The best mattresses are ones that you miss when you’re not sleeping on them. Are you a person who always sleeps better at hotels? If so, you’re not sleeping on your perfect mattress. I, a simple rube, slept on a 3-inch foam roll from IKEA for eight years before my girlfriend finally convinced me to get a new mattress. (I already had a sweet bed frame, for the record.) And, let me be the first to say, it really makes a difference. A firmer mattress with more support can help to align the spine, which in turn, can alleviate back pain. Others may love to sink inches-deep into memory foam for their preferred sleeping position, but it all comes down to what you like and what your body needs.

There’s a great mattress out there for everyone—you just need to know where to look. Fortunately, that’s where we come in. We’ve put together this comprehensive list of the best mattresses on the market, from affordable dark horses and memory foam classics to environmentally friendly game-changers, big-and-tall specials, and much more. Peruse at your leisure, break out the glass of red wine, and get ready to hit snooze.

The Best Affordable Mattresses

Tuft & Needle Original Mattress

Though the name “Tuft & Needle” might sound like the new beer bar that opened around the corner from your loft, this mattress company doesn’t mess around. The T&N Original Mattress—which comes in at under $700—is constructed with two layers of a patented foam blend that’s infused with heat-conducting graphite and cooling gel, and designed to contour to your body and relieve pressure points. Its open-cell cooling technology also allows for more air circulation within the mattress, helping make sure you don’t sweat the bed.

Wayfair’s Sleep 10″ Firm Memory Foam Mattress

Oh Wayfair, you’ve done it again. Our ride-or-die retailer for affordable home goods comes in clutch with this top-rated (from over 18,000 happy customers), super-affordable—but still high-quality—memory foam mattress. The high-performance memory foam provides proper support for your back, while its breathable construction keeps you cool and comfortable all through the night. For under $350 for a queen-size, the price is nearly unbeatable, and according to reviewers, it expands quickly, sleeps well, and is “very good quality.”

Zinus’s Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

Don’t be fooled by the unusual brand name; this incredible mattress from Zinus won’t break the bank—or your back. The “plush-as-a-cotton-ball” memory foam is precisely layered to create a supportive feel that cradles your joints and aligns your spine. Plus, “a premium infusion of all-natural green tea helps keep your mattress feeling fresh so you can sleep even better.” Very cool.

The Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers

Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress

As you move back and forth, this model by Leesa provides contouring ventilated and body-soothing foams to relieve pressure, and over 1,000 pocket springs that respond to movement.  It has medium to medium-firm feel and also features a high density foam base to support all body types. Expect two free pillows with your purchase while supplies last.

Helix Midnight Luxe

This specific model was designed with side sleeper pressure point relief for those who toss and turn at night. Luxurious memory foam cradles your hips and shoulders, in addition to zoned lumbar support to contour you as you sleep. Maybe your partner will finally stop resorting to sleeping on the couch…

The Best Mattresses for Tall People

Purple Mattress

Don’t worry: The mattresses aren’t actually bright purple. (If that’s your thing, we’re sorry.) Purple’s flagship mattress features two inches of a breathable gel grid that—according to the product description—“cradles pressure points like hips and shoulders while keeping the rest of your body fully aligned.” Its 31,000 reviews applaud the mattresses’ grid system and supportive feel, saying “[the grid] moves with you, creating comfortable places for those pressure points that are needed to align the places that you need, [it] feels comfortable and cozy where needed yet is easy to get turned, and easy to get up out of bed. You can sit on the side of the bed as well and not slide off.”

Big Fig Mattress

While you might not have heard of the brand, you should give it a look—the mattress Big Fig makes is designed “​​specifically for the underserved community of plus size and big & tall sleepers.” The Big Fig’s hybrid construction of both springs and foam “provides the ultimate mix of support and comfort,” while the ThermoGel-treated fabric helps lower your body temp for a snooze that feels like the cool side of the pillow the whole time.

Casper Original Mattress

You may have first heard about Casper from the brand’s fun and witty subway ads in NYC. But besides the great marketing, the meteoric mattress company also makes killer mattresses that routinely get top marks among their customers. The brand’s Twin XL, Queen, and King mattresses all have a length of 80”, while their California King comes in at a whopping 84”. Casper’s original mattress features Zoned Support, which helps align your spine, and AirScape tech, which increases airflow to help keep you cool at night. There’s a reason Casper has become a household name, and why their models are top-sellers in the market.

Saatva Loom & Leaf Mattress

If you haven’t heard about Saatva, let us be the ones to introduce you. The Swedish-sounding brand—which is actually based in Austin, Texas—is sure to be a household name in the coming years, and for good reason. Saatva’s Loom and Leaf mattress is designed to give you supportive comfort and durability, and is made with certified organic cotton, high-density memory foam, and a proprietary gel cooling layer. The company also works with the nonprofit group Austin Pathways to provide mattresses and bedding to the newly housed. Nice. Read our complete review of the Saatva Classic mattress here.

The Best Memory Foam Mattresses

Nectar Premier Copper Memory Foam Mattress

Thankfully, no bees are included with this Nectar mattress—just nights of amazing, memory-foamed sleep. The Premier Copper Memory Foam Mattress promises to keep you “cool as a cucumber” with its heat-conductive copper fibers woven into the cover. Nectar also throws in an extra inch of comfort layer, along with two extra inches of base support for  your back and the muscles that support it.

DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress

DreamCloud’s memory foam mattresses are made with individually wrapped coils that adapt to your body to provide custom support. While it’s technically a blended mattress, the gel memory foam the brand uses relieves stress on your pressure points insanely well, helping you wake up refreshed and pain-free. There’s also a 100-day free trial if you end up wanting to go back to the twin XL mattress you stole from your dorm room.

The Best Mattresses for People With Back Pain

Saatva Classic Mattress

Everyone’s back is different, which means you’ll need to pick a mattress that’s perfect for your pain management situation. The biggest factor? Firmness. If your mattress is too hard or soft, that can contribute to the joint aches and muscles pains that accompany one’s general morning bleh-ness. With the Saatva Classic, you can choose between plush, medium, or firm—on an easy-to-use scale from 1-10. Luxury Firm (5-7) is the brand’s best-seller, and is designed to replicate the comfort level used in luxury hotels. (Mmm.)

Avocado Green Mattress

And c’mon—who doesn’t love avocados? The mattress variety. With its laundry list of environmentally friendly measures and certifications, the Avocado Green Organic Mattress is easy on both the planet and your back, and features up to 1,414 individually tuned, tempered steel coils that float independently to reduce motion transfer, keep your back aligned, relieve back pain, and distribute your weight more evenly. Best of all, you get to wake up knowing you’re in Mother Earth’s good graces.

Helix Twilight

Side sleepers, rejoice: You don’t have to accept a life full of back pain just because you don’t snooze like a soldier. (Or vampire.) The middle layers of the Helix Twilight—ah, there it is—are designed to support your body contours, and the mattress utilizes a design specifically constructed to cushion the pressure points of your shoulders and hips as you sleep.

Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress

The Wave Hybrid mattress from Casper is the brand’s best offering for sleepers with back pain, and features continuous ergonomic zones with gel pods that help give you “perfect spinal alignment,” as well as resilient springs that prevent sinking. Oh, and, “9/10 Casper sleepers say they have less back pain after sleeping on our mattresses,” according to the folks at Casper.

Best Overall Mattresses

Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

The sturdy, seven-inch layer of standard foam—as well as a three-inch layer of gel-infused memory foam with phase-change material that auto-adjusts to your temperature as you sleep—makes Nectar’s flagship mattress one of our top overall picks. Plus, it only runs you $800, which is pretty minimal for something you’ll spend a third of your life on. (PS: You can sleep on it for an entire year and return it for a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied.)

Leesa Hybrid Mattress

Leesa’s award-winning hybrid mattress smashes together the benefits of memory foam and more than 1,000 active response pocket springs, providing serious comfort, long-lasting durability, and advanced support. The hole-punched top layer stays cool, but continues to give the hug and bounce most people look for in their mattress. (Plus, it’s on sale right now.)

Saatva Solaire Adjustable Mattress

Well, look no further. The Solaire by Saatva is a customizable mattress with 50 precise firmness options, so you don’t have to create a neck and upper back support system out of pillows when you’re trying to watch TV or click-clack on your laptop when you should be snoozing. The Solaire also has virtually no motion transfer, making it great for couples. (No safeguards against blanket-stealing, unfortunately.)

Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Firm Memory Foam Mattress

Tempur-Pedic is the OG memory foam slinger. I mean, the brand’s name is practically synonymous with the product—think: Kleenex, BAND-AID, and Taylor Ham. (North Jersey, stand up!) This TEMPUR-ProAdapt Firm Memory Foam Firm Mattress is pretty much as good as it gets, featuring a firm yet comfortable sleep surface to cushion and conform to your body, excellent support to help people with back pain, and a construction designed reduced pressure on joints and proper body and spinal alignment.

Sleep tight.

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The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.