Best mattress: 9 luxe mattresses for respite and relaxation

Finding the best mattress to meet your sleeping needs is vitally important for your overall wellbeing. It's no secret that when we wake up from a decent night's sleep we feel rested and refreshed and, if you have the right mattress, you could even feel relieved from any aches and pains.

The essential first steps for preventing disturbed nights, aching joints, and general irritability are to invest in a quality mattress. But with current estimates showing there are hundreds of brands and thousands of different mattresses in this burgeoning market, how do you pick the one that’s going to be your ‘Goldilocks’ bed – not too hard and not too soft but just right – especially a place where you'll spend at least a third of your time, given you get the recommended eight hours of shut-eye each night. 

Happily, our research has tackled all of these issues so you can sleep better and we highlight who this pick of the best mattresses will suit most in each mini-review. We've even been fortunate enough to try out the majority of these mattresses for ourselves so you can take it from us that we are confident you'll rest easy after buying one of the mattresses in this guide.

You deserve the luxury of a fabulous night's sleep, whether that be a specialty or an organic mattress, but it's imperative that you don't forget to add one of the best mattress protectors as a preventative measure against stains, spills, and accidents for the longevity of your new mattress.

While you're at it, if you find yourself in need of a pillow (or two) to go with your new mattress, our guide to the best pillows is filled with our favorite buys. 

Best mattresses of 2022

You'll experience nothing but sweet dreams and a restful wake-up with the Saatva Classic mattress. This hybrid combines traditional pocket spring coils with a memory foam layer for comfort and all-around sturdiness, and it's designed to remind you of your favorite hotel bed. 

If you're between an all-foam or coiled design, the Saatva mattress provides the best of both worlds with quality features such as an organic cotton cover, recycled steel coils, and CertiPUR-US foam. The coil construction creates good airflow, perfect for those who get hot at night, and it also offers excellent side support, so the mattress doesn’t tend to sag at the edges. While the steel spring layer adds support for aching limbs, the cozy pillow top layer is soft and comfortable.  

As the mattress comes in three options of firmness — Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm— and two thicknesses, further customizing the options available to you. Most opt for the Luxury Firm, which is actually rated as a medium-firm, and it suits side, front and back sleepers alike. There is no difference in feel between the 11" and 14" depths, rather, it's a matter of your preferred height, as some prefer to be lower to the ground, while others like thicker mattresses.

Homes & Gardens rated 4.5 out of 5 stars |Read the full Saatva Classic Mattress review.

A luxurious mattress doesn't have to necessarily mean expensive, and the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress is the perfect example of quality and value. Not to be too cliche, but the DreamCloud is just like sleeping on a cloud, and we think every sleep position will find comfort. 

At a stately 14-inches, the sumptuous hybrid offers five layers of bliss. The cashmere topped cover stays both cozy and cool, while the quilted memory foam offers just the right amount of comfort with a layer of gel foam just beneath for pressure relief and a cooling effect. The individually wrapped coils offer necessary and customized support as it yields to the shape of your body and promotes better airflow throughout the mattress. The mattress is equipped with various features including low motion transfer foam and enhanced edge support.

It's the perfect blend of firmness and softness, with a tinge of plush. You also have an entire mattress to trial whether the mattress is for you, and it's backed by a lifetime warranty, making it quite a safe investment. 

Homes & Gardens rated 4.7 out of 5 stars

Handmade in LA, the Avocado is the mattress of choice for those searching for one with top-notch eco-credentials. 

Made with a combination of GOTS-certified cotton and wool, plus latex that has been responsibly and sustainably harvested, it is certainly a quality choice. 

It is made without fire retardants, chemical adhesives — that’s achieved using wool a natural fire-retardant — or petroleum-based foam layers, so it’s a good choice for those with allergies or sensitivities to certain chemicals. 

The top latex layer is gently yielding and sits on top of a layer of tempered steel coils, while five zones support different areas of the body to give overall comfort and prevent motion transfer. 

As far as sleeping goes, it’s on the firm side of medium, the company puts it at 7 out of 10 on the scale, so a good option for back and lighter side snoozers as well as front sleepers.  We noticed it offers great support on your back and stomach and when you flip to the side, the mattress molds to you without that sinking feeling that makes it hard to get back out.  If you're a side sleeper, who requires a softer surface, you'll want to consider adding the soft cotton pillow top. This attached feature does add to the price, or you can see how you like the design first and add a mattress topper later. 

It's also ace at sleeping cool and offers relief from aches and pains.

Homes & Gardens rated 5 out of 5 stars

Anyone who suffers from hot flashes, night sweats, or generally runs warm when they sleep will want to indulge in a mattress that will keep you cool all night long. The Casper Wave Hybrid Snow uses Casper's newest cooling upgrades, dubbed Snow technology, with big claims (that have been rigorously tested) that it'll keep you cool for at least 12 hours and lower your body's sleep temperature. It's an extension of its pre-existing Wave Hybrid Mattress, which offers the most support of any Casper mattress. Support plus cooling sounds like the ultimate sleep combination. 

Now, back to the real star of the show. The Snow tech features details like a QuickCool Cover infused with Phase Change that delivers a 24% cooler to the touch feeling upon climbing in bed. Or new HeatDelete Bands featuring graphite that work to remove more heat away from the body for sustained temperature regulation for 12+ hours.  The Wave also includes three layers of Casper's AirScape layers that help ventilate heat with tiny holes in the foam that let body heat and humidity flow out and away from the mattress.

For support, Casper's Zoned Support Max utilizes 3 different zones to keep your spine aligned, with slightly softer foam toward the top to gently sinks shoulders and a denser foam in the middle cradles your waist and lower back.  It also uses gel pods under the waist and lowers back that add further support. To finish off the design, individually wrapped coils add the right amount of lift, airflow, and support for the ultimate in sleep. 

Homes & Gardens rated 4.7 out of 5 stars| Read the full Casper Wave Hybrid Snow review. 

There's a lot to love about the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt mattress:  advanced pressure relief, superior contouring, and motion isolation. It's available in soft, medium, firm, and medium-hybrid designs according to your sleep needs. The addition of coils in the hybrid has introduced Tempur-Pedic to a whole new audience as the responsive nature of the coils adds increased mobility to change positions in bed and get out of bed, plus increased breathability. Our tester, with a preference for hybrid-style beds, loved the benefits of getting to experience both the contouring nature of the foam, with the extra support from the individually wrapped coils. 

In terms of pressure relief, the ProAdapt cradles your body in a way that it is floating, for a zero-gravity weightless feeling, with minimal pressure on the points that previously bothered you most. As your body temperature adapts to the foam, you will experience a slight sinking feeling as the foam adjusts to the contours of your body, but in no way will you ever feel stuck. We like to think of the Tempur-Pedic as a firm where you need it, and soft where you want it.

The bed is well suited to all, those with different sleep types can find comfortable alignment; couples who don't want to be bothered by others' movements, or those who are prone to overheating, thanks to a washable cooling cover. Perhaps our only gripe is it a higher price point and heavy construction makes it hard to move. To counter, Tempur-Pedic offers an in-room setup, and the mattress does not need to be rotated or flipped. 

Homes & Gardens rated 4.5 out of 5 stars| Read the full Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Medium Hybrid mattress review. 

Nectar is so confident about the quality of its mattress, that you have a full year to trial its product. Dare we say, it gets more comfortable as you break it in?

The five-layer foam construction utilizes gel memory foam for comfort, pressure-relieving dynamic foam, and a seven-inch base layer for support— all wrapped below the outer cooling cover which is breathable and moisture-wicking ensuring that even the most feverish sleepers will stay cool all night. 

It’s slightly on the firmer side of medium-firm – with the website ranking as a 6.5 on a firmness scale of 1-10, making it a top choice for front and back sleepers but probably not best for heavy side sleepers or those that prefer a mattress you can really sink into. 

The medium-firm design also had no pesky motion transfer to speak of. As with some other memory foam mattresses, there was a faint, lingering odor. However, it wasn’t at all noticeable by day two and certainly didn’t trouble our sleep.

Homes & Gardens rated 5 out of 5 stars

Not all memory foam is created equal and Leesa's all-foam model gets high marks. The top Avena foam provides airflow to keep you cool, the pressure-relieving memory foam contours gently to your body and the dense 6” core adds support and durability for joints. Initially, it feels quite firm but becomes more giving as it warms to your body temperature. Some have even found it too soft, while others note the edge support could be better. 

There’s free delivery, a 100-day sleep test, and free returns if you’re not 100% thrilled.

Also worth noting Leesa has a One-10 program, which promises that for every 10 mattresses sold, it donates one to charities that serve the homeless and those at at-risk. They also have a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree for every mattress they sell, with a goal to plant one million trees globally by 2025. 

Homes & Gardens rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you're looking for the pressure relief of memory foam, but with an environmentally friendly touch that is naturally cooling and has a bouncy, responsive feel, you'll want to consider a latex mattress. The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss offers one of the most customizable options in terms of depth and firmness, and even size, to find the best mattress for your sleep needs — and it's completely organic. 

The mattress is hand-crafted with a GOTS certified organic cotton cover, over 10 pounds of temperature-regulating GOTs certified wool, and three layers of latex, including a Talalay latex layer for comfort, followed by two Dunlop latex layers for pressure support. The depth of each layer depends on the mattress thickness you choose, with the thickest 12" mattress also featuring a layer of latex. While the mattress is available in both medium and firm comfort levels, you can also unzip the cover to further customize the layers of latex. 

Now, that we've covered all the amazing non-toxic materials featured in the Botanical Bliss, how should the mattress feel? Latex offers a buoyant feeling that gently cradles the pressure points of your body for a responsive feel that won't leave you feeling like you're sinking.  However, you may experience some motion transfer. The interchangeable layers make it a top pick for all sleep styles, and those unsure about which mattress firmness to choose. And if you have a partner who prefers a completely different mattress feeling, the availability of split queen, king, and California king models ensures that everyone can sleep happy. 

Stearns & Foster brings the most immaculate attention to the comfort and support of its mattresses featuring Intelli Coil HD, densely packed stainless steel coils that provide adaptive support for every type of sleeper, Indulge HD Memory foam engineered by Tempur-Pedic scientists for comfort and pressure relief, and a stretch-knit cover made with Tencel to wick away moisture and keep you comfortable. 

The 15" Reserve Hepburn is available in extra-plush or extra-firm, depending on your personal preference, with the plush version featuring an additional layer of Indulge HD Memory Foam for maximum cushion. 

The exclusive Stearns & Foster Intelli Coli system features a dual-stage design nestled in a honeycomb pattern where the outer coil extends above the inner coil, with the outer coil providing softness to your curves, and the inner coil gives you the support you need.  A ventilated coil system works with external air vents to increase breathability and promote cool, comfortable, deep slumber throughout the night.

How we test and review our best mattresses

The Homes and Gardens' mattress review process is editorially independent and not influenced by any third parties. Our expert mattress testers sleep on each featured mattress for at least two weeks. All our reviews are based on the real-life experience of using these products at home. The products are given to us free of charge. Often times we are able to keep our mattress, which gives us the opportunity to return to our reviews for updating, so you can keep up-to-date with how it's fared over a period of time.

All of the mattresses on this best list with rankings have been personally reviewed by members of our team, who take into account value for the money, construction, comfort, and support, with various tests in place to consider factors like edge support, and motion transfer, and spinal alignment.   Now we understand that mattress firmness is subjective, so we also ask each reviewer to be transparent about their sleep habits, as well as invite others to lie on it and share their impressions.

If the mattress is unranked, we're still working to get our hands on a sample, or may even be in the midst of testing it out. For these instances, we've researched and, perused through hundreds of reviews, and deep dive into their construction, special qualities, and who they may suit best. 

For more insight into our hands-on review process, refer to our Homes & Gardens review guidelines. 

How to choose the best mattress for you

What is the best type of mattress? 

Mattresses are generally split into four main types:

• Traditional innerspring mattresses use a steel coil support system with natural or man-made fillings and covers. The greater the number of coils, the more points of support and the better the bed can contour and support the sleeper, usually described as springy
• Foam mattresses, including polyurethane, memory, or gel foam, usually contour to the body, isolate motion and offer different comfort, feel and heat dissipation features. 
• Latex Mattresses: offer similar qualities to foam, but are usually described as bouncier and more breathable, all-natural latex is considered to be more environmentally friendly too
• Hybrid mattresses are a combination of foam or latex with coils and offer the best of both qualities with the right amount of firmness and support, and a slight bounce. They're typically described as responsive and can sleep cooler than standard memory foam. 

Hot sleepers tend to prefer traditional coil or hybrids while those with specific aches and pains appreciate the levels of support that zoned memory foam can provide. Light sleepers with restless partners will enjoy memory foam which is more efficient at combating motion transfer. 

What mattress firmness do I need?

To find the right level of comfort, you first need to consider your primary sleep position, as that’s key to making the right choice. 

While comfort level is subjective, an industry-wide scale between 1 and 10 is used to determine firmness level, with a 1 being extremely soft and a 10 being extremely firm. We've found that most mattresses tend to fall between a 4 and an 8 on the scale. 

As a general rule, back sleepers and those carrying more weight will find a better level of support with a mattress that errs on the side of the firm – around 7-7.5 on the scale. 

Side and stomach sleepers need some support but of a slightly softer kind, so should opt for a medium or medium-firm 5-7 out of 10. Sleep Advisor estimates that 80 percent of adults prefer mattresses categorized as medium. 

Lighter and some stomach sleepers will be best suited to something a little more cloud-like. However, there are very few mattresses out there with a 1-2 rating simply because they are so soft and don't offer enough in the way of support. 

That said if you have particular issues with muscle aches and joint pains, a mattress that is zoned with varying levels of firmness to help different areas of the body may be the better choice. 

The good thing is that many brands recognize that sleep styles vary and so many offer 100-night plus trials with free returns to make sure you get the one for you.

What's the difference between a mattresses' firmness and support?

A mattresses' firmness is referring to the immediate feeling you get when climbing into a bed, while support refers to a mattresses' ability to offer an even surface and provide proper spinal alignment. A soft bed will feel soft to the touch and respond to your body as you move, while a firmer one will offer less give and feel harder.  

Meanwhile, depending on your sleep preferences, a soft mattress can offer the same amount of support as a firmer one. For instance, side sleepers will want a softer mattress that can cradle and cushion their side, whereas back sleepers will seek out a mattress that wouldn't sag as they sleep to keep their bodies in a neutral position that minimizes any tension. 

How to care for a mattress

First things first, you'll need a good mattress protector as added insurance against spills, stains, and dreaded dust mites. Most offer easy care instructions, and the best designs should not disrupt any special cooling features your mattress may have or even be noticeable. 

For when you do need to clean your mattress, and from time to time you will, even with a protector you'll want to spot clean any visible stains or odors and leave plenty of time for it to air dry. A good vacuuming with an upholstery attachment is also beneficial for pulling out inevitably embedded dust mites, dead skin, and other allergens.  

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