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The 13 Best Mattress Brands, Based on The Sleep Doctor’s Expert Input

December 16, 2020

In recent years, the online and bed-in-a-box mattress space has exploded—good news for those who need a quick solution to poor sleep (studies show a new bed can improve your quality of rest and even lower stress levels). But because a mattress is such a critical investment in your health, you need to make sure you’re shopping from the best mattress brands. 

Michael Breus, Ph.D., board-certified sleep specialist also known as The Sleep Doctor has joined forces with the expert reviewers at Mattress Advisor to find the 13 best mattress brands. The team has tested hundreds of mattresses using a 14-point test to see which brands offer the best sleep experience.

Best Overall:

Honorable Mentions:

The Sleep Doctor’s Top Picks for the Best Mattress Brands

1. Expert Pick: Saatva

The Saatva brand has honed its reputation for high-end materials, durable products, and a luxurious shopping experience––right down to free mattress set-up in your bedroom. For these and other reasons, like Saatva’s free white glove delivery and complimentary mattress removal, the company wins The Sleep Doctor’s distinction for expert pick. The Saatva Classic is Saatva’s most popular model, and for good reason. This hybrid mattress combines a dual coil system with a layer of memory foam to provide an ideal balance of comfort and support. The coil system is also encased in foam, which helps the Saatva provide top-notch edge support (it earned an 8.5/10 in testing!). A quilted euro top covers the mattress, and allows you to sink in just enough for cushy comfort, while the individually-wrapped coils keep you elevated in near-perfect spine alignment––the Saatva’s 9.5/10 spine alignment score speaks for itself. 

Saatva also received high marks in both customer service and shipping, 9/10 and 9.5/10, respectively, so you can rest assured that your new bed is in good hands. Because each Saatva is made to order, it can take up to 15 days to receive your new bed. You can count on Saatva to deliver hotel-quality and five-star service, which is why this brand tops the list for best mattress brand.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
  • Firmness: Plush; Luxury Firm; Firm
  • Warranty: 15-year Limited

Buy it, Saatva Classic, $1,399 (Queen), saatva.com

2. Best Cooling Mattress: Helix Midnight Luxe

Helix is known for customization above all else as they offer multiple mattress models designed for specific sleep styles. Among the many top-rated hybrid mattresses you might come across on their site, the Helix Midnight Luxe is a winner. It’s Helix’s most popular model, and it’s ultra-cooling pillow top has earned it a spot on The Sleep Doctor’s favorite cooling mattresses. The pillow top uses an airy Tencel material that helps it stay cool to the touch, noted by the Helix’s near-perfect 9.5/10 cooling score. Combined with the layer of individually-wrapped coils, the Helix Luxe excels at keeping sleepers cool, comfortable, and supported. 

Plus, Helix boasts an incredible customer service team––they earned a 9/10 in customer service from the Mattress Advisor team for their quick response time and helpful answers. Helix also earned a 10 out of 10 for shipping, so you can expect to receive your new bed in just 3-7 business days.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium
  • Warranty: 15-year Limited

Buy it, Helix Midnight Luxe, $1,799 (Queen), helixsleep.com

3. Best Affordable Mattress: Nectar

Nectar is famous for its commitment to low price points and high-quality materials. Nectar’s signature mattress represents a real bargain, and the value is further amplified by a lifetime warranty and year-long sleep trial. Besides offering incredible value, the Nectar mattress’s simple three-layer memory foam design helps it appeal to memory foam fans and average sleepers alike. It uses a medium-firm feel to provide a balanced feel, and its 8.5/10 pressure relief score makes this bed good for side sleepers, too. Nectar scored an impressive 8.5/10 for their great customer service, as well as a 9/10 in shipping for their quick delivery time: your Nectar mattress will arrive in just 2-5 business days after placing your order! For a durable memory foam bed, its low price point (just $799 for a queen-size) makes it an absolute steal.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, Nectar, $799 (Queen), nectarsleep.com

4. Best Memory Foam Mattress: Leesa

The Leesa company has a strong track record for memory foam mattresses, but its namesake mattress tops The Sleep Doctor’s list for best memory foam. The medium-firm, memory foam comfort of the Leesa mattress is a good pick for sleepers of all kinds, but especially for those who love that nurturing feel that all-foam beds are known for. You get three distinct layers of memory foam here, including a plush top layer, a responsive middle layer, and a durable base layer that ensures your Leesa holds up over the long haul. Thanks to its impressive foam construction, the Leesa scored high marks in spine alignment (9/10), cooling (8.5/10), and responsiveness (9.5/10). Plus, shoppers can feel good knowing Leesa earned high marks in both shipping and customer service, earning a 10/10 and 9/10, respectively. Your Leesa mattress should arrive within 2 weeks after placing your order.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, Leesa, $999 (Queen), leesa.com

5. Best for Back Sleepers: Purple Hybrid Premier

Purple is a popular brand that you’ve probably already heard of, and is famous for its unique hyper-elastic polymer grid design. The Purple Hybrid Premier combines this grid layer with individually-wrapped coils to provide lasting support to back sleepers. Back sleepers need a mattress that supports their frame by maintaining spine alignment, which limits the amount of pressure placed on your lower back. The Purple Premier earned a near-perfect 9.5/10 pressure relief score, ensuring back sleepers are able to rest in a healthy posture and won’t wake up with an aching back. Purple also earned high marks in shipping (8/10) and customer service (9/10), so customers can expect their new bed to be delivered in 1-2 weeks. Plus, the Purple Hybrid Premier comes with free white glove delivery, which means their team will carry and set up your new mattress at no cost to you.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.3 out of 5
  • Firmness: Soft
  • Warranty: 10-year

Buy it, Purple, $2,299 (Queen), purple.com

6. Best Innerspring Mattress: DreamCloud Premier

DreamCloud has pioneered the art of luxury mattress construction and is well-regarded for its commitment to premium materials. Those looking for mattresses that contain coils may want to take a close look at the DreamCloud Premier, which offers layer upon layer of excellence. It uses a pocket coil support system encased in foam, which ensures the mattress’s sides won’t falter or sag, noted by its 8.5/10 edge support score. When coils are covered in a thick layer of foam like you see with the DreamCloud Premier, it makes the structure more sturdy, reinforcing its support. Two high-density memory foam layers rest on top of the coils, and a cashmere blended euro top makes up the surface of the bed. This construction keeps you feeling ‘on’ the mattress rather than ‘in’, as the coils push back against your movements for effortless responsiveness (it earned a 9/10!). The DreamCloud Premier’s supportive coil structure makes it perfect for back and stomach sleepers, but it’s pressure-relieving foam layers also make it attractive to side sleepers. 

And with a 10/10 score in shipping, your Premier mattress should arrive in just 5 to 7 business days. Should you have any issues with your delivery, DreamCloud’s 8/10 customer service score ensures you’ll be well taken care of.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, DreamCloud Premier, $1,399 (Queen), dreamcloudsleep.com

7. Best for Side Sleepers: Puffy Lux

Puffy Lux mattress

Puffy has long emphasized innovative foam constructions, designed to thread the needle between optimal comfort and maximum support. The Puffy Lux is their top-of-the-line model, and also one of The Sleep Doctor’s top picks for side sleepers. With four layers of high-density memory foam, the Puffy Lux contours and conforms to your hips and shoulders, providing near-perfect pressure relief (it earned a 9.5/10 in testing!). The Puffy Lux’s supportive base layer also offers enough pushback to maintain spine alignment (scoring a 9/10 in testing), which helps side sleepers wake with a healthy posture. Puffy earned a 9/10 in both shipping and customer service, so shoppers should only have to wait 2-5 business days to receive their new Puffy Lux mattress.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, Puffy Lux, $1,795 (Queen), puffy.com

8. Best for Back Pain: Casper

Casper is a brand that’s staked its reputation on the comfort of memory foam. Consider its classic model, the Casper Original, which offers four memory foam layers designed to maximize support while still offering that cushioning feel that memory foam fans crave. It’s made an appearance in the Sleep Doctor’s top picks for relieving back pain, thanks to its expertly designed support layer that offers firmer support where you need it most (by the hips and lower back) and softer support under your pressure points. 

This design––backed by it’s 9.5/10 spine alignment score––helps it alleviate those specific parts of your back that tend to bear the brunt of your body weight when you lay down. Spine alignment keeps excess pressure off your lower back, so you can rest supported and wake up pain-free. The Casper also earned a perfect 10 out of 10 in responsiveness, so you don’t have to strain your back as you change positions. 

Another pro to shopping from the Casper brand? Casper scored a 10/10 for their excellent shipping, just 2-7 business days after placing your order, and a 9/10 in customer service.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: 10-year Limited

Buy it, Casper, $1,095 (Queen), casper.com

9. Best for Athletes: Bear Hybrid

Athletes need deep, restorative rest in order to relieve sore muscles and maintain game-time focus and stamina. Bear is a brand that’s uniquely focused on the needs of athletes. The Bear Hybrid mattress in particular tops the Sleep Doctor’s list for athletes, and it’s supportive design makes it easy to understand why. Made from memory foam and individually-wrapped coils, the Bear Hybrid excels at keeping your spine in a healthy posture (it earned a 9.5/10 in spine alignment!). Bear earned an 8/10 for shipping, as you can expect to receive your new bed within 7-10 days after placing your order, but anyone located outside of the continental U.S. will have to pay a shipping fee. Bear’s 9/10 customer service score ensures you’re in good hands, though.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: 10-year

Buy it, Bear Hybrid, $890 (Queen), bearmattress.com

10. Best for Heavy Sleepers: Big Fig

Big Fig’s claim to fame is that they design mattresses for heavyweight sleepers. The Big Fig’s signature mattress comes with a custom foundation, made to support up to 1,000 pounds total. Inside the mattress lies an ultra-supportive coil layer––made up of 1,600 coils, the Big Fig uses 50% more coils than the industry standard for innerspring mattresses. These coils also boast phenomenal pushback, responding to sleepers movements with ease and earning a near-perfect 9.5/10 responsiveness score. Four layers of foam sit on top of the coils for reinforced support and comfort, and a stretchy mattress cover infused with gel helps this bed sleep cool (it earned a 9/10 in cooling!). For heavyweight sleepers who want their next new bed to be comfortable and fully supportive, this quality mattress is a great one to consider.

Although Big Fig ships in just 3-5 days after placing your order, they don’t deliver to Alaska and Hawaii, which lowered their shipping score to a 6/10. Big Fig’s customer service is rock solid though, noted by its 9/10 score.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Warranty: 20-year

Buy it, Big Fig, $1,699 (Queen), bigfigmattress.com

11. Best Flippable Mattress: Layla

Layla mattress

Some shoppers aren’t quite sure whether they want a plush mattress or something on the firmer side. Mattress brand Layla exists with these sleepers in mind, and provides them with an elegant solution: A two-sided mattress that can be flipped back and forth in order to determine the best firmness level. Not only does the classic Layla memory foam mattress offer one of the best ways to get a softer and a firmer feel in the same package, but it also excels at limiting motion transfer (it scored a 8.5/10 in motion isolation), making it good for those who want to sleep undisturbed by their partner’s movements. Plus, the Layla mattress earned a high 9/10 pressure relief score, which helps relieve sore joints and pressure points. A lifetime warranty is included as well, and Layla’s 10/10 shipping score and 9/10 customer service score just provides yet another reason to shop Layla. Customers typically receive their Layla bed in just 3-7 days after placing their order.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-soft; medium-firm
  • Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, Layla, $1,049 (Queen), laylasleep.com

12. Best Firm Mattress: Cocoon

Cocoon Chill mattress

Most online mattress brands tend to focus on medium-firm mattress products. But if you’re craving something firmer, Cocoon is your best option. The Cocoon Chill mattress by Sealy offers its memory foam design in two firmness levels: medium soft (a 6/10 on the firmness scale) and extra firm (8/10). The extra firm model provides a more supportive feel without sacrificing comfort––made of three dense layers of foam, the Cocoon earned equally high marks in pressure relief (8.5/10) and spine alignment (9/10). This is a great bed for back and stomach sleepers or heavyweight sleepers who require a firmer structure.

Cocoon earned an 8/10 in shipping and 9/10 in customer service, as customers typically receive their new bed within 2-5 days after placing their order. 

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
  • Firmness: Medium-soft; Extra-firm
  • Warranty: 10-year

Buy it, Cocoon, $1,080 (Queen), cocoonbysealy.com

13. Best Pressure Relief: Brooklyn Signature

Brooklyn Bedding is a brand that offers a variety of mattress types, but its Brooklyn Signature hybrid model is one of the best when it comes to pressure relief. Its combination of individually-wrapped coils and memory foam helped it earn a strong 9.5/10 in pressure relief. Plus, it features a quilted pillow top that’s perfect for sinking into for a cozy feel. Available in plush, medium, and firm, the Brooklyn Signature tests well among sleepers of all body types and comfort preferences. It’s affordably priced, and is a great place to start for anyone who’s new to the online mattress world and wants something that’s high-quality but still budget-friendly.

Brooklyn Bedding also offers reliable shipping and customer service, earning a 10/10 and 9/10, respectively. Your Brooklyn Signature mattress will arrive within 4-8 days after placing your order.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5
  • Firmness: Plush; Medium; Firm
  • Warranty: 10-year

Buy it, Brooklyn Signature, $999 (Queen), brooklynbedding.com

What to Consider When Comparing the Best Mattress Brands

When you’re browsing mattress brands, keep in mind that the best choice for you will depend on a number of factors that pertain to your unique sleep style. There’s not one clear-cut answer for those who simply want to know the best brand. It’s important to think about individual sleep preferences and needs, and the brand that’s best for one sleeper may not be the best match for someone else.

Sleep Position

Sleep position can have a significant impact on comfort, pain relief, and on the quality of sleep. Each sleep position has its own pros and cons, and thus benefits from different kinds of fits and feels. 

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers have the benefit of experiencing less back pain than those who sleep in other positions, but this posture does have a tendency to place more pressure on your hips and shoulders. These pressure points dig into the mattress when laying on your side, so it’s key for side sleepers to rest on a softer surface with more give that allows them to sink into the bed just enough to relieve pressure. Memory foam mattress brands work well for side sleepers because of their contouring feel.

Back Sleepers

When you sleep on your back, you’re supporting your spine, which is why it’s crucial back sleepers use a mattress that maintains neutral spine alignment. Spine alignment keeps excess pressure off your lower back, and promotes a healthy sleeping posture so you can wake up rested and pain-free. Back sleepers rest better on a medium-firm to firm bed that offers lasting support and keeps the hips elevated, so that they don’t sink too far into the bed and throw their spine out of whack. Look for mattress brands that incorporate coils into their designs, which provide more durable support than any other material.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers are similar to back sleepers in the sense that their biggest priority is support. Even more so than back sleepers, those who rest face down run the greatest risk of spine misalignment, which can cause an achy back in the morning. Stomach sleepers fare well on firmer mattresses that provide enough pushback to keep their spine aligned and hips supported. 

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers toss and turn between multiple positions throughout the night. These sleepers need a responsive bed with a springy feel that can bounce back against their movements and provide support in every position. Like back sleepers, those who switch positions should shop mattress brands with coil constructions. Coils spring back against movement quickly, unlike memory foam, who’s sinking nature creates a slow response time.

Mattress Type and Materials

When considering different mattress brands, it’s also important to think about different mattress materials. Some mattress brands are popular for focusing on certain types of materials, such as latex or memory foam. Other brands offer a more varied selection fit for a variety of sleepers.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is a popular option for its cushy feel and ability to contour along areas of pressure. This type of mattress is ideal for those who like to be “hugged” to sleep at night. Memory foam also does well at limiting motion transfer, which is a pro for couples or those who sleep with a pet and want to rest undisturbed by their bedmate’s movements. Brands like Casper and Leesa offer a variety of memory foam models, but memory foam can sometimes run a bit hot as this material tends to trap heat. Forward-thinking mattress brands try to counteract this by infusing beds with gel beads, graphite, copper, or other temperature-regulating materials.

Innerspring

Some mattress brands, like Saatva and DreamCloud, offer beds that are made with supportive coil systems. Innerspring mattresses provide sturdy support, and may also run cooler than other types like memory foam. This type isn’t the best choice when it comes to pressure relief though, as its firmer structure doesn’t have the give side sleepers need to get that deeper compression.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress is simply any bed that’s made from a combination of materials, and designed to offer the best of each. The most frequent combination seen is coils and foam, which marries the support of innerspring beds with the pressure relief of all-foam designs. These mattresses last longer than other types , though they can also be fairly expensive. You can find a number of mattress brands that sell hybrids, as this type is quickly becoming increasingly popular in the bed-in-a-box family.

Latex

Latex mattresses aren’t common among most mattress brands, but their pressure-relieving and temperature-regulating nature are encouraging manufacturers to up their game. This type is unique because it contours along your sides like memory foam, but springs back against your movements like coils do. Latex is also extremely supportive and durable, but these beds typically cost more (though it may be worth the extra cash in the long run). 

Eco-Friendly Options

For folks who like to shop green, there are a number of suitable organic mattress options on the market. Look for beds that have certifications like CertiPUR-US, GreenGuard, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and Oeko Tex standard. These certifications guarantee the materials were made without harmful chemicals or metals and that VOC’s, or volatile organic compound emissions, are low. 

Mattress brands like Avocado, Nest Bedding, and Brentwood offer models that use organic materials and have passed rigorous testing to certify their all-natural designs.

Mattress Firmness

The firmness level of a mattress is another key consideration for mattress shoppers, as it can have a big impact on overall comfort and support. Medium-firm mattresses provide a middle-of-the-road feel, which is why it’s the most popular firmness level seen among most mattress brands. Your body type and weight will also determine the firmness level best for you; heavyweight sleepers sink into the mattress more, and need a firmer bed that provides more support, while lightweight sleepers tend to stay on top of the mattress more, and may need a slightly softer bed with some give.

As you consider different mattress brands, also pay attention to those that offer customizable firmness options, plus brands that favor “flippable” designs. These are often the best beds for those who want some control over the firmness of their sleep surface because they allow you to flip the bed whenever you want to change the feel.

Mattress Sleep Trial & Warranty

Mattresses aren’t cheap, so you want to be sure you’re well-protected before buying. When shopping online especially, it’s helpful to examine a brand’s sleep trial and warranty policy to help give you confidence in your purchase. Sleep trials allow you to test the mattress before fully committing: a 100-night sleep trial is the industry standard, but some brands will give you up to a full year to try out the mattress. 

A bed’s warranty guarantees its quality over a long period of time. Some mattress brands offer a 10-year warranty for each product, while others go as far as to offer a lifetime warranty. These are important factors to assess as you think about your comfort level when purchasing from a particular brand, plus the overall value of the mattress you’re looking at.

Shipping and Delivery

When you’re buying your bed online, a key consideration should be the shipping and delivery process––you’ll want to know when you can finally get your hands on the mattress! Luckily, most online brands ship their mattresses within 3-7 business days, while other online brands like Saatva may take up to 2 weeks to deliver since each Saatva mattress is made to order. Most online mattress brands ship for free, and some even include complimentary white glove delivery in your purchase, which means you can sit back and relax while their team sets up the bed for you.

Company Reputation

When you’re buying from an online mattress brand, you want to buy from a reputable company that you know you can count on. Most of the bed-in-a-box brands mentioned have been around for at least 5-10 years (like Purple, which was founded in 2013), but brands you’ll find in a brick and mortar store, like Stearns and Foster, have been around for much longer.

But by examining different brands’ customer service scores and user reviews, you can determine if the brand is reputable enough to purchase from. It’s worthwhile to perform some research of whichever brand or brands you’re eyeing to ensure the brand is credible. All of the brands mentioned in this round-up earned high customer service scores from the Mattress Advisor team.

Final Thoughts on the Best Mattress Brands

There’s a lot to think about when you’re browsing mattress brands, including not only the components of the mattress itself, but also factors like price, sleep trial period, and overall customer service. These top picks appeal to a variety of sleep types, and are some of the most highly-regarded brands in the industry. Shoppers can buy with confidence knowing these brands are vetted by The Sleep Doctor.

Sources:

Hungs, Marcel. 2010. University of California Center for Sleep Medicine. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0661/5815/files/Pilot-Sleep-Study-Dr.-Marcel-Hungs-2009-2010.pdf?3161

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2017. “Effects of Mattress Material on Body Pressure Profiles.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5310954/ 

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2009. “Changes in back pain, sleep quality, and perceived stress after introduction of new bedding systems.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (Vol. 8, Issue 1), March 8, 2009. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697581/#:~:text=Jacobson%20et%20al%2C29%20in,efficiency%20with%20medium%2Dfirm%20bedding

Leggett & Platt. 2020. “Open Coil” Kansas State University Institute of Environmental Research. https://beddingcomponents.com/open-coil#:~:text=Much%20of%20their%20success%20is,University%20Institute%20of%20Environmental%20Research.

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