The Best Mattress of 2026

UPDATED

There’s no such thing as a perfect mattress, but some models perform better than others when it comes to things like durability, pressure relief, temperature control, and overall support. To select our top mattress picks of the year, we reached out to sleepers like you to find out what worked best for them while personally testing hundreds of mattresses in our test lab with those criteria in mind.

Our Top Picks

Best Mattress Overall

Helix Midnight Luxe

9.6/10
Helix Midnight Luxe

20% off sitewide

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The Helix Midnight Luxe may be intended for side sleepers between 130 and 230 pounds, but its medium firm hybrid construction makes the mattress suitable for a wide range of sleeper types. Consistent cooling and sturdy edge support add to the appealing design, and an approachable sticker price makes it a solid choice for shoppers with tight budgets.

Ideal for Combination Sleepers
Firmness Medium Firm (6)
Feel Close-Conforming Foam
Value Good Value

Most Comfortable Mattress

Luxury Firm WinkBed

8.9/10

30% off mattresses

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Of the WinkBed’s four firmness levels, our testing team has determined the Luxury Firm design offers the broadest appeal across different body types and sleep positions. Adaptive foam layers and zoned coils deliver a comfortable balance of cushioning, support, and responsiveness.

Ideal for Couples
Firmness Medium Firm (6)
Feel Plush, Supportive Surface
Value Good Value

Best Value Mattress

DreamCloud Classic Hybrid

8.2/10
DreamCloud Classic Hybrid

Up to 60% off mattresses + up to 66% off bundles

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The DreamCloud Classic Hybrid combines adaptive foam comfort layers with supportive coils, resulting in a balanced mattress that feels comfortable across different sleep positions. A yearlong sleep trial sweetens the deal.

Ideal for Combination Sleepers
Firmness Medium Firm (6)
Feel Cushioned, Supportive Surface
Value Great Value

Best Foam Mattress

Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Memory Foam

8.6/10
Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Memory Foam

25% off sitewide

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The Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex offers stronger midsection support and better cooling than the average all-foam model, with the excellent motion isolation and pressure relief we’ve come to expect from this type of mattress. Accessible pricing should sweeten the deal for shoppers with limited budgets.

Ideal for Side and Back Sleepers
Firmness Medium Firm (6)
Feel Plush, Supportive Surface
Value Great Value

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid

9.0/10
Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid

25% off sitewide

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With more than 5 inches of foam cushioning, the Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid offers contours closely to promote spinal alignment for side sleepers. You can choose from three firmness levels based on your body type and personal preferences.

Ideal for Couples
Firmness Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (7)
Feel Cool, Plush Support
Value Good Value

Best Luxury Mattress

Saatva Classic

9.4/10

$300 off orders of $1,000 or more

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The Saatva Classic’s innovative coil-on-coil design delivers zoned support, reinforcing the midsection while gently cradling lighter areas of the body. The mattress is available in three firmness levels, and all customers receive free White Glove delivery and a 365-night trial.

Ideal for Back Sleepers
Firmness Soft (3), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
Feel Bouncy, Supportive Surface
Value Fair Value

Best Mattress for Couples

Ziwi ZiPP Contour

8.1/10
Ziwi ZiPP Contour

Save up to $300 on Ziwi mattresses

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We selected the ZiPP Contour for its innovative approach to support. While many memory foam models can leave sleepers feeling trapped or overly warm, the mattress uses a patented interior pillar system to maintain a flat sleep plane and encourage breathability.

Ideal for Side and Back Sleepers
Firmness Medium (5)
Feel Plush and Adaptive
Value Fair Value

Best Mattress for Back Pain

Bear Elite Hybrid

8.4/10
Bear Elite Hybrid

40% sitewide with code: SD40

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The Bear Elite Hybrid’s balanced design offers robust support and even cushioning to alleviate pressure-induced pain in the hips. Cooling materials in the cover and top layers also make the mattress resistant to heat retention.

Ideal for People With Back Pain
Firmness Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
Feel Plush, Supportive Surface
Value Good Value

Best Mattress for Motion Isolation

Nolah Evolution 15

9.1/10

30% off sitewide + extra $50 off with code: SD50

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The Nolah Evolution 15 offers excellent cushioning thanks to thick foam layers on the surface, while the sturdy coils ensure plenty of pushback. It’s a perfect design for side sleepers seeking a balance of cradling and support, as well as couples who need motion isolation from their mattress.

Ideal for Most Sleepers
Firmness Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
Feel Plush, Supportive
Value Good Value

Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers

Nest Bedding Sparrow

8.5/10
Nest Bedding Sparrow

Available in three firmness levels and dual-firmness settings for king and California king sizes, the Nest Bedding Sparrow isolates motion, feels supportive along the perimeter, and sleeps cool. All of these qualities make the mattress particularly well-suited to couples.

Ideal for Couples
Firmness Soft (3), Medium (5), Firm (7)
Feel Close-Conforming Foam
Value Good Value

Best Eco-Friendly Mattress

Avocado Eco Organic Mattress

8.3/10
Avocado Eco Organic Mattress

Up to 20% off mattresses

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The Avocado Eco Organic Mattress is firm, responsive, and highly supportive. Our tests show these qualities are particularly helpful if you primarily sleep on your stomach. The mattress’ sticker price is also well below-average for a latex hybrid.

Ideal for Hot Sleepers
Firmness Medium Firm (6)
Feel Responsive Latex
Value Great Value

Compare Our Top Picks

Mattress Mattress Type Ideal For Value Sleep Trial
Helix Midnight Luxe Hybrid Combination Sleepers Good Value 120 nights (30-night requirement)
Luxury Firm WinkBed Innerspring Couples Good Value 120 nights (30 night requirement)
DreamCloud Classic Hybrid Hybrid Combination Sleepers Great Value 365 nights (30-night requirement)
Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Memory Foam Foam Side and Back Sleepers Great Value 120 nights (30-night requirement)
Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid Hybrid Couples Good Value 120 nights (30-night requirement)
Saatva Classic Innerspring Back Sleepers Fair Value 365 Nights ($99 Return Fee)
Ziwi ZiPP Contour Foam Side and Back Sleepers Fair Value 100 nights
Bear Elite Hybrid Hybrid People With Back Pain Good Value 120 nights (30-night break-in period)
Nolah Evolution 15 Hybrid Most Sleepers Good Value 120 nights (30-night requirement)
Nest Bedding Sparrow Hybrid Couples Good Value 365 nights
Avocado Eco Organic Mattress Hybrid Hot Sleepers Great Value 100 nights

Why You Should Trust Us

Getting a good night’s sleep is hard enough without having to worry about things like foam density and coil tension. With that in mind, renowned sleep doctor Dr. Michael J. Breus has worked with our product testing team to toil over 4,000+ sleep products (including 1,934 mattresses) in our Seattle-based Test Lab over the past eight years so sleepers like you can rest easier. 

What we’ve learned has dictated how and why we test what we do, what we look for in a bed and a bed company, and which tools and products can ultimately lead to better sleep.

Product testing visual

As sleep science and product experts, we find joy in taking products home to sleep on, monitoring real-time sleep data, and staying current on the science of sleep health and sleep-tech trends to provide data-backed recommendations you can trust.

In our Test Lab we monitor things like heat retention, motion isolation, and pressure maps, and you’ll also see sleep-health experts like Dr. Breus drop by to adjust a firmness rating or offer tips on syncing the sleep environment with sleep hygiene. 

Our goal at the Test Lab is to take the guesswork out of your sleep journey to lull you into your best-slept self, because better days ahead start with better sleep.

Testing Criteria

What Type of Bed Is Best For You?

Every sleeper’s needs are different and a sleep system can take many forms. A combination of variables, from sleep position to the loft of your pillow and what type of sheets you use can contribute to the quality of your sleep.

Use the categories and watch the video below to narrow down your mattress search according to your specific needs. Want to dive deeper into mattress materials, care, and shopping?

Explore our collection of mattress guides.

Foam Mattresses

All-foam beds are made from one of more layers of foam that conform closely to your body, letting you sink in. They’re great for taking the pressure off sore spots and absorbing movement, and they also tend to trap heat more than other mattress types.

Who It's Best For

  • Side sleepers
  • People with painful pressure points or sore spots
  • Sleepers who are easily disturbed when their partner moves

Who It's Not For

  • Hot sleepers
  • Sleepers who don't like the hugging feel of foam
  • Sleepers looking for a mattress with a longer lifespan (foam can sag or degrade more quickly than other mattress types)

Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrids combine the cushioning of an all-foam or all-latex mattress with the added support and breathability of innersprings. Most hybrid mattresses contain thick foam or latex comfort layers, followed by a pocketed coil support core. A well-rounded design allows these mattresses to rate well across different performance categories, including pressure relief, motion isolation, temperature control, and edge support.

Who It's Best For

  • Side sleepers, back sleepers, and some stomach sleepers
  • Hot sleepers
  • Couples
  • People who like beds with a bit of bounce

Who It's Not For

  • Sleepers who are really sensitive to their partner’s movements
  • People who need extra deep cushioning
  • People looking for a cheap bed (generally more materials mean more money)

Latex Mattresses

Traditional all-latex mattresses contain latex layers that become progressively firmer and denser from top to bottom, resulting in a well-cushioned surface and supportive base. Latex contours to the body but also feels somewhat responsive and sleeps fairly cool. Anyone who dislikes the deep body hug or hotter feel of memory foam should consider latex instead.

Who It's Best For

  • Hot sleepers
  • Back sleepers
  • Stomach sleepers
  • Eco-conscious shoppers

Who It's Not For

  • Side sleepers with sensitive shoulders and hips
  • People with a latex allergy
  • People looking for a range of firmness options
  • Shoppers on a strict budget

Airbed Mattresses

Airbeds feature support cores with air chambers, which you can inflate or deflate to adjust the firmness level in certain areas of the bed. Most airbeds also contain thin comfort layers of foam or latex. Airbeds offer unmatched customization options for single sleepers and couples, but on average they’re the most expensive mattress type by a landslide.

Who It's Best For

  • Couples who want a different firmness on each half of the bed
  • Sleepers who want to be able to change up their bed's firmness
  • Sleepers who aren't sure what they need from a bed and want to try multiple feels

Who It's Not For

  • Shoppers on a strict budget
  • People seeking a low maintenance bed with no potential for broken components
  • Eco-conscious sleepers who don't want added materials in their bed

Innerspring Mattresses

Traditional innerspring mattresses are constructed with thin comfort layers and thick coil systems, resulting in sturdy support and exceptional responsiveness but usually underperform in areas like pressure relief and motion isolation. Hybrids have thicker comfort layers and less disruptive coils than traditional innersprings, resulting in a more balanced performance, but some manufacturers use the terms “hybrid” and “innerspring” interchangeably.

Who It's Best For

  • Sleepers who enjoy firm, bouncy beds
  • People with back pain
  • Hot sleepers
  • Shoppers on a budget

Who It's Not For

  • People who need more cushioning and pressure relief
  • Light sleepers who wake up when their partner moves

More Mattress Options

During sleep, most body functions remain active. Sleep restores cellular damage, repairs tissues, fights infections, and promotes brain function – but it doesn’t happen all at once. Your body tackles this important work in stages.

Mattress Firmness: What Level Is Best for Me?

Some mattresses are designed to feel soft and conform closely to your body, while others are made to be firmer and more supportive. There is no universal “best firmness” because the most comfortable mattress for any given person depends on factors like body weight and primary sleep position.

After personally testing hundreds of mattresses, we found that side sleepers generally prefer softer mattresses than back and stomach sleepers. Likewise, people who weigh less than 130 pounds often need a softer mattress to feel comfortable, whereas sleepers who weigh more may need additional support.

Firmness Scale

We judge mattress firmness using a 10-point scale, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the most firm. The numbers break down like this:

  • Extra Soft (1-2): The mattress sinks very deeply and lacks the support to withstand much weight over 130 pounds.
  • Soft (3): Deep contouring occurs, but the base layers offer a noticeable measure of support.
  • Medium Soft (4): Thick comfort layers over a substantive support system create a semi-balanced feel with an emphasis on cushioning.
  • Medium (5): An even ratio of comfort and support materials results in moderate contouring and limited sinkage.
  • Medium Firm (6): The mattress offers light yet noticeable contouring and fairly sturdy support. In our experience, this is the most popular firmness level.
  • Firm (7-8): The mattress shouldn’t sink much for people who weigh 130 pounds or more, but cushioning materials may provide slight plushness on the surface.
  • Extra Firm (9-10): Little to no contouring occurs and the surface feels completely even.

Most mattresses made today fall between 3 and 7 on our scale.
The table below represents a summary of our findings regarding the best mattress for side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers in different weight categories.

Sleep Position Under 130 lbs 130 to 230 lbs Over 230 lbs
Side Sleepers Soft (3) to medium (5) Medium soft (4) to medium firm (6) Medium (5) to firm (7)
Back Sleepers Medium soft (4) to medium firm (6) Medium (5) to firm (7) Medium firm (6) to firm (8)
Stomach Sleepers Medium soft (4) to medium firm (6) Medium firm (6) to firm (7) Medium firm (6) to extra firm (9)

The best way to pinpoint your ideal firmness level is to test out as many mattresses as possible. Many mattresses are sold in different firmness levels to accommodate different types of sleepers. Certain mattress models also give you the opportunity to evaluate multiple firmness levels in one design. These include:

  • Flippable Mattresses: These models have a sleep surface on the top and bottom sides. In most cases, the sides have different firmness levels.
    Dual-Firmness Mattresses: These mattresses are geared toward couples with contrasting firmness preferences. They feature different firmness levels on the left and right sides.
  • Mattresses With Adjustable Layers: While somewhat rare, these mattresses have modular designs that allow you change the firmness by swapping out layers or rearranging their top-to-bottom order. Most of the beds we’ve found with this design are all-latex models.

How Do I Shop for a New Mattress?

If you’re buying a mattress for the first time, you may be unsure about where to shop, what to look for, and how much you should expect to spend. We’ll cover the nuts and bolts of buying a mattress below.

Buying Online vs. In-Store

Shopping for a new mattress in a brick-and-mortar store has its advantages, including being able to feel a mattress and speak to an expert in-person. Buying a mattress online, however, allows you to purchase from the comfort of your own home. Mattress stores also carry higher overhead costs and typically charge more for mattresses, so you'll probably save money by buying online.

Do Your Research and Wait for a Mattress Sale

Mattress sales are common throughout the calendar year. If you’re shopping on a budget, sales are the best times to buy a mattress. The biggest sales coincide with federal holidays like Presidents Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. In recent years, many mattress brands have also embraced shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Additionally, some sellers offer year-round discounts and promotions. We recommend taking time to nail down your ideal mattress based on construction and firmness, then waiting until a sale to make your purchase.

Sleep Trials, Warranties, and Free Shipping

Free ground shipping is standard for online mattress orders. The mattress is compressed into a box and delivered directly to your door. If you would like or need assistance setting up a new mattress, many brands offer full-service White Glove delivery for an added charge.

The vast majority of online mattresses come with sleep trials of at least 90 nights, and some last up to a year. Return shipping is usually included. These trials are a great way to test out a mattress for a lengthy period without committing to it.

Most new mattresses come with warranties against manufacturing defects and usually cover the mattress for 10 to 25 years. If you notice a defect in your mattress during the warranty period, contact the manufacturer – you may be entitled to free repairs or a new replacement mattress.

Make sure you read the fine print on your warranty when you're setting up a new mattress. Some warranties are very specific about details around storage and use of the bed, so it's possible to void your warranty on accident by storing a mattress on its side or using the wrong kind of bed base.

About the Author

David Rubin

David Rubin

Director of Product Testing for Sleep Doctor

Position: Side Sleeper

Temperature: Hot Sleeper

Chronotype: Lion

David is a Certified Sleep Science Coach with a lifelong passion for well-being and health optimization. His interest in sleep developed with the arrival of his son, when sleep suddenly became a precious commodity. Since then, David has researched everything from bedtime routines to mattress toppers in his quest for a great night’s sleep.

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