There are few things like the slow-sinking, pressure-relieving feeling that comes with sleeping on a memory foam mattress. Made with body-cushioning material designed to cradle your back and joints, they're perfect for those who suffer from aches and pains, or simply need a soft sleep surface to rest on after a long day.
Offering ultimate comfort, at an affordable price, they have become one of the most popular mattress types on the market. Big-name brands like Casper, Emma, and Nectar have all created award-winning memory foam mattresses. But with so many models cramping the market, finding the right one for you can be hard.
We've deep-dived into our many best mattress reviews to build this list of the best memory foam mattresses – including the best memory foam mattress for back pain, side sleepers, cooling, and more.
Memory foam mattresses - Quick Menu
Best memory foam mattress 2023
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Best memory foam mattress overall
Why you should buy it
An excellent memory foam mattress for a great price.
Why we love it
Our mattress tester was instantly impressed with this box mattress option. Thanks to its ability to bounce back to form, the medium-firm surface cradled her joints without feeling as though she was sinking entirely into the bed. Often suffering from joint pain, our reviewer Chiana felt the Emma mattress eliminated all issues after a few weeks. For a fair price of $1399 (though it's almost always on sale for around $699), and with a 100-night sleep trial, this excellent value mattress wins our top spot.
Good to know
Memory foam mattresses are known to 1) give off odors, and 2) radiate heat. While this mattress smelt fine, Chiana tested the Emma over February and March, and noted how it slept much hotter than her previous bed. Come summer or for hot sleepers, this may become an issue. We'll update this review when the warmer weather comes around.
H&G team member Chiana's full Emma Original Mattress review has all the detail.
Best cooling memory foam mattress
Why you should buy it
This Zinus Cooling Gel Memory foam mattress is a game-changer for hot sleepers.
Why we love it
We're currently reviewing this mattress and will have more detail after our tester is done with her thorough process. When it comes to cooling, however, the hundreds of customer reviews can count this one as the best for those who suffer from night sweats. Foam is generally not recommended for those who overheat at night as it's known to dissipate heat. Featuring a temperature-regulating gel inside plush memory foam, and a cool-to-the-touch cover, this mattress with soothe your body for a sweat-and-pain-free sleep.
Good to know
This cooling mattress is available on Amazon, making the buying process even easier as you can order online and have it delivered to your door.
Best memory foam mattress for side sleepers
Why you should buy it
If you sleep on your side, Leesa's Original Memory Foam mattress offers the perfect surface for spinal alignment.
Why we love it
With high sink-in-ability and excellent cushioning, this memory foam mattress contours to your body with the perfect balance between comfort and support. Our reviewer, a side sleeper, felt her ankles, knees, and hips stay aligned in the ultimate sleep position all night long. The Leesa has a top layer of breathable comfort foam that provides extra airflow, and there's a soft-knit cover that our reviewer found to not only look good but helped her sleep cool, even on hot nights. We also love Leesa’s charitable contribution of donating one mattress per ten sold.
Good to know
Initially, this mattress may feel firm (especially if you're used to a softer surface), but it will adjust as it warms to your body temperature. Some have also noted that edge support and motion isolation could be better.
Our Leesa Original Memory Foam Mattress review goes into more detail.
Best memory foam mattress for back pain
Why you should buy it
Suffer from regular aches and pains? The Nectar memory foam mattress is responsive and supportive to help with back problems.
Why we love it
Made with a five-layer construction of gel memory foam, this mattress offers comfort, pressure relief, and a six-inch base layer for support. Thanks to this dynamic design that keeps your body in a neutral position, our tester Casey found that this mattress was great for her back pain as it got more comfortable as she slept. Wrapped in a breathable cover that wicks away moisture, she slept cool all night.
Good to know
It's important to remember a mattress can be great to help with back pain, but it won't solve it. It's also key to consider weight when it comes to memory foam. if you suffer from aches and pains and are on the heavier side, you may want a firmer mattress, with better edge support to fully cradle you where you need it. The edge support could also be better.
Contributing Editor Casey's Nectar Memory foam mattress review goes into more detail.
Best budget memory foam mattress
Why you should buy it
Super affordable, at only $499 for a queen, the Siena mattress is ideal if you know you want memory foam but you're on a tight budget.
Why we love it
We're currently reviewing this mattress and will have more details to come, but for now, this mattress stands out in terms of value. It's new to the market and is already highly rated by customers in terms of comfort and cost. With five layers including three foam types, motion isolation is also commented on. At half the price of sister brand Nectar's memory foam mattress above, if you're moving home, to college, or need a quick replacement bed you won't have to overspend on a good night's sleep with the Siena.
Good to know
The medium-firm mattress is rated a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but users describe it as being much softer, with one customer saying it's 'like you're sleeping in the mattress as opposed to on top.' This also means edge support isn't great.
How we test memory foam mattresses
Homes & Gardens' mattress review process is editorially independent and uninfluenced by manufacturers or retailers. Our mattress testers sleep on each featured mattress for at least a month, and our reviews are based on the real-life experience of using these products at home. We are often able to 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 are 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.
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-dived into their construction, special qualities, and who they may suit best.
For more insight into our hands-on review process, refer to our how we test review guidelines.
Our experts
Alex is a mom, wife, and journalist in Cincinnati with four sons under 7, an old, achy, back, and a passion for product reviewing. She tested this product for more than a month as part of her test and still uses it to this day.
Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her five years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more. Camryn does her product testing from her small homestead in beautiful Rhode Island.
Casey Clark is a freelance writer who covers beauty and lifestyle – and has reviewed the Nectar mattress for Homes & Gardens. She has been a writer for nearly three years and has been featured in Tom's Guide, Real Simple, Taste of Home, Forbes, and Insider. She graduated from Hofstra University magna cum laude with a journalism degree and minors in public relations and creative writing.
Chiana is our Junior Writer, and spends most of her time producing content for the Solved section of the website. She helps readers get the most out of their homes through clever decluttering, cleaning, and tidying tips. She reviewed the Emma Original mattress for this guide.
How to choose the best memory foam mattress
When it comes to choosing a mattress, memory foam is best for those who need cushioning support, pressure relief, and an comfier sleep surface.
With so many memory foam mattresses on the market it's easy to get lost in jargon. The best way to choose a memory foam mattress is to hone in on what keeps you up at night. Use our awards to guide your decision.
If you're a hot sleeper, go for the best cooling memory foam mattress, the Zinus. Suffer from back pain? There's the Nectar mattress for that. Are you a side sleeper? Then the Leesa mattress may be for you. If money is a concern, then the Siena is a smart choice.
FAQs
Is sleeping on memory foam better than spring?
Memory foam mattresses are known to be better to sleep on as they contour to your body as you sleep. This creates a personalised sleep experience that adjusts to your temperature and sleep position for the ultimate support. Best for side and back sleepers who need a little more cushioning, if you're a front sleeper, you may prefer a spring mattress. They tend to be firmer, and won't have the sink-in feeling that most stomach sleepers don't like. However, they tend to sleep hotter than spring mattresses.
How many years does memory foam last?
A memory foam mattress is a great investment. Unlike spring mattresses that run the risk of sagging, coils poking, or breaking, foam mattresses are much more durable. Memory foam mattresses will generally last eight to ten years. Of course, this will depend on how well they're cared for – which includes cleaning your mattress properly.
These are the best memory foam mattresses around, but you either love memory foam, or you don't. If you're yet to try memory foam for yourself and are unsure if it'll work for you and your night-time needs, then we'd recommend buying a memory foam mattress topper first. Remember, most mattress brands offer lengthy sleep trials and free returns. It's better sleep or your money back.