The 14 Best Mattresses of 2024—We Tested All of Them

The runaway favorite for our testers and among critics, the DreamCloud provides cushioning and support for most average-sized sleepers. Our testers found this mattress to feel medium firm to firm; DreamCloud says this mattress is a medium firm. With a cashmere-blend top layer followed by four layers of foam and a layer of springs, our testers described it as soft on top with a strong base underneath. It’s our best overall because it did a good job of serving most body types and sleeping positions.

More than half of the consumers we surveyed about their DreamClouds who have slept on the mattress for at least 6 months say they felt very supported regardless of their sleeping position. Meaning that average-sized back, side, and stomach sleepers will all likely find this mattress comfortable.

Both our testers and our surveyed consumers found the cooling to be so-so with the DreamCloud, so if you tend to sleep hot this might not be the best fit (our overall score was a 6 out of a possible 10 for our editor’s score, so it’s better than average, but not the best). Some of our panelists also thought this mattress was a little on the firm side – if you prefer a softer mattress, the DreamCloud Premier is a better choice since its foam layers are slightly thicker, giving the mattress a more plush feel. If you’re nervous about choosing a mattress online, the DreamCloud is as safe a bet as it gets.

Do you tend to toss and turn at night? Hybrid mattresses are sought-after beds because they provide both cushioning and support – or as one of our panelists put it, “firm with a kiss of softness.” The Bear Elite Hybrid does this very well, and it’s the reason why it’s our best hybrid mattress – we noticed a cradling effect from the top few layers of foam followed by encased coils reinforced at the perimeter. Our testers gave this mattress a 9 out of a possible 10, with 10 being the easiest mattress to change positions on, something a hybrid should excel at.“

Of our 37 survey respondents who’ve owned a Bear Elite Hybrid for more than 6 months, two-thirds said they felt somewhat to very supported on this bed. This Bear didn’t relieve them from hip or shoulder pain, but overall they liked this mattress for back and side sleeping.

That being said, the motion transfer (or how much bounce you’ll feel from another person getting on and off the bed or changing positions) was disappointing. If you flip from back to side sleep positions throughout the night and aren’t worried about disturbing a partner, the Bear Elite Hybrid is the top contender.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 40% of Americans experience back pain regularly. The best mattress for back pain can alleviate some spine pressure and bring relief (or at least not make back problems worse.) The WinkBed gets our pick as the best mattress for back pain as our survey respondents and testers found the supportive base and a cushioning Euro top to alleviate some of the stress at pressure points at the hips and shoulders.

We’ve tested and reviewed the WinkBed over the past few years and found it has decent edge support, which is very important for back pain – you need to be able to get in and out of bed easily without straining your back further on a mattress that’s too soft at the edges. Because of the layer of springs, it does have a little bounce, but that’s good for when you need to switch positions when you’re starting to get sore in one spot. (If you need to, you can supplement with a pillow designed specifically to help with back pain.)

When it comes to cooling, though, it retains a bit of body heat. “It feels like a warm hug and could even feel a bit claustrophobic for some,” Yeaman notes for us. Our survey respondents were more mixed on whether it was cooling, with about half saying they thought the mattress slept cool. If you tend to sleep warm, you can augment your sleeping experience with cooling bed sheets or cooling comforters that have special materials to wick away heat when the mattress can’t. If you have regular back pain, the WinkBed is a good tool in the arsenal for back pain relief, but talk to your doctor if you have serious concerns.

The Bear Original is a “dense and heavy” mattress, or as tester Catalina Arndt put it: “She's a brick, house!” It doesn’t have the springs or the cushioning topper that the Bear Hybrid Elite has, but it gets our pick for best memory foam because it felt supportive to our testers when they tried it for back and side sleeping. We found the same to be true in our survey of Americans who own the Bear Original – of the 86 respondents who have slept on this mattress for months, more than 60% said it was awesome for side sleeping.

Two-thirds of our survey respondents said this mattress was great at limiting any movement, and our tester Huston Evans confirmed, noting that it “absorbed pretty much any impact” when partner testers got into the bed.

Many memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat within them, the Bear Original is no exception. If you sleep hot, you may need a hybrid bed that allows for more airflow. For memory foam fans, the Bear Original is the Goldilocks mattress pick: just right.

Raise your hand if you sleep on your side. Of our 42 survey respondents who’ve owned the Loom & Leaf for more than 6 months, roughly two-thirds of the self-identified side sleepers found this mattress to be supportive for them, and our testers had similar thoughts. Our bigger/heavier side sleeping tester, Craig Hanks noted that his “hips and shoulders were able to sink just enough,” despite this being a fairly firm mattress. It gets our pick for best for side sleeping for having a very cushioning top but also the support to keep the body from sinking too far.

The mattress features a quilted topper, a layer of cooling gel memory foam, a high-density foam core, and then two base layers of foam. All of these layers translate to the body-hugging and cradling you need for hip and shoulder support.

One drawback was that the mattress’s quilted topper for this mattress was hard to move around on. “I had to either engage my core more than usual and/or use my foot as leverage to move around on it,” says Arndt.

Neither our testers nor survey respondents found this mattress particularly warming, likely thanks to the gel-infused memory foam layer just under the cotton topper.

Mattresses made with less toxic materials have become trendy, but that doesn’t mean it’s all marketing hype. The Birch Natural is made of natural materials: a cotton cover, two layers of wool, latex, and encased coils. The entire mattress is certified organic through the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which means the layers of wool and cotton cover don’t harbor any harmful chemicals, nor was the mattress made with polyurethane foams. It gets our designation as best organic mattress because along with all its certs, it also had some give to allow side sleepers and petite sleepers to feel cushioned.

Natural materials tend to allow air to pass through the mattress, making it more breathable, but the Birch tends to remain temperature-neutral when you lay on it, which can be a plus for those who tend to sleep cold. One of our testers called it a “cozy sweater” because of the materials and sensation.

To our testers, this mattress was a little bouncy, which made the bed easier to move across, but they could feel their partner when testing for motion transfer. However, our survey respondents with this bed said they somewhat or hardly felt their partner at all. If you don’t mind the bounce and you’re intent on buying something organic, this bed is supportive for back and side sleepers who want to sleep easier knowing their bed is non-toxic. If you want an organic mattress that delivers a good night’s sleep, go with the Birch.

Curious about mattresses in a box? They’re easy to deliver and set up. The Nectar Premier Memory Foam gets our nod as the best mattress-in-a-box for its year-long sleep trial, one of the least expensive white glove delivery fees ($149), and a lifetime warranty. It also has one of the fastest estimated shipping times, at 2 to 4 business days (it’s only beaten by The DreamCloud at 1 to 3 business days). We didn’t think you could beat that deal.

Both our testers and our survey respondents said the Nectar was comfortable to lie on no matter their sleeping position. Our tester Catalina noted that it’s not as much of a brick as the Bear Original, and contours more to the body. Many of our survey respondents who own the mattress said it’s also helped to relieve some hip or back pain – something Huston notes as well: “This mattress is a perfect mattress for any athlete, the elderly, or anyone with constant joint pain.”

Because it’s made of foam, some of our panelists had trouble moving on the Nectar Premier. Most of them found it above average at motion transfer – meaning they couldn’t feel someone jump into bed when they lay on it.

Larger and taller bodies are heavier – so they need a firmer mattress that keeps most of the body supported with allowance for the hips and shoulders to sink in slightly, and it’s something the Helix Plus excels at. The Plus features two top layers of foam that readily cushion and contour the body while a bottom layer of encased coils holds the weight and keeps the mattress stable. At the perimeter, the coils are reinforced for a supportive edge, which is useful if you’re bigger as you’re less likely to roll off the side.

The mattress is definitely firm, but Yeaman praised it, saying it, “felt supportive to my hips, which is typically a big area of focus for me.” Three out of five of our testers gave this mattress top ratings for feeling supportive in all positions, which is something of a rarity.

The Helix Plus is indeed good for larger and taller people, but also for couples where one partner really wants memory foam, and the other isn't totally sold on it, as this gives you both the foam feel and the innerspring support.

It may not have tufting or a Euro topper to it, but the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam does deliver as a budget mattress. Our panel of testers tried the 6-inch version out and found it to be very firm. This made the mattress easy to move around on and get in and out of bed, and feels good for back sleepers. It wasn’t very comfortable for sleepers who needed more cushion. Still, the price for anyone needing an affordable mattress is about a tenth of the cost of The DreamCloud, which is why we thought it worthy of best budget.“

Our survey respondents were more mixed in their responses to how comfortable it was, but stomach sleepers stood out as most of them responded that this felt very comfortable to them – which is typical because stomach sleepers need a firmer mattress to keep their spine propped up and not sink too far.

Like many all-foam mattresses, this bed is so-so at cooling because foam tends to absorb heat. But the price and quick shipping for Amazon Prime members simply can’t be beat. This could be awesome as the first mattress for a growing kid because it’s not so expensive to replace if it gets soiled (though you may also want to top it with a mattress protector).