Saatva Mattress Review 2024: Expert Tested and Reviewed

Firmness 

The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness levels: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. We tried the Luxury Firm (or medium-firm) model and give it a 7 to 8 out of 10 in terms of firmness, though Saatva describes it as a 5 to 7. The firmness may be due to the extra set of coils in the mattress, but it’s also worth noting that it may feel softer to heavier people.

Height

There are two heights to choose from: 11.5 inches and 14.5 inches. With both, a 3-inch Euro top sits on top of a high-density memory foam lumbar support layer. Next, there’s a layer of pocketed coils and a base layer of tempered steel coils to reduce sagging.

According to the brand, both heights deliver the same performance, which means that the right height choice for you comes down to personal preference.

Motion Transfer

Innerspring mattresses like the Saatva Classic typically transfer more motion than memory foam mattresses, which absorb movement more effectively. Motion transfer can be an issue if you sleep with a partner or are easily awakened by any movement in the bed – if a bed doesn’t isolate motion well, you may feel some “bounce” when a co-sleeper is changing positions.

As expected, our crew described the Saatva Classic as bouncy, with one average-weight tester comparing it to gelatin because it wobbles and shifts only on the top while the bottom feels like it’s staying in place. Our large-and-tall tester said he felt like he was moving too much on the surface of the mattress when changing positions.

Edge Support 

While spring mattresses tend to fall short in terms of motion isolation, they have exceptional edge support due to reinforcement from the coils. This helps you get into and out of the bed more easily.

Our lightweight and average-weight testers described the edge support as “very good,” while our heavyweight tester said it was “okay.” All in all, the Saatva Classic performed well in edge support testing.

Temperature 

The Saatva Classic isn’t marketed as a cooling mattress per se, but spring-based mattresses tend to promote better airflow than all-foam models, meaning they don’t trap as much heat. Our in-person testing also confirmed this.

We noticed the mattress felt cool to the touch when first lying down and started to feel slightly warm after five to 10 minutes of lying on it. Your bedding also plays a role in how hot (or cooling) a mattress is, so while the Saatva Classic doesn’t trap heat, you can make your bed more breathable with percale or cotton sheets.

The Saatva Classic features a coil-on-coil design, featuring two separate layers of coils stacked on top of one another. The coils in the lower layer are made from tempered steel to prevent sagging and extend durability, and they are foam-encased around the perimeter to give the edges of the mattress a supportive feel.

Above this base layer is another layer of coils made from recycled steel. Each coil in this layer is individually wrapped to help the coils respond independently to your body weight and movements for contouring and support.

There is a thin layer of memory foam between the top layer of coils and the top of the mattress, which is a quilted Euro pillow top measuring 3 inches tall. It’s made from cotton to add breathability and cushioning.

Both the Saatva Classic and the Saatva Zenhaven Latex mattresses are luxury models that are made with premium materials, but they’re vastly different in many other respects.

The Classic is a true innerspring with a coil-on-coil design and a thin layer of memory foam. The Zenhaven is an all-natural mattress with four latex layers, two wool layers, and an organic cotton cover.

They’re both similar in terms of motion transfer – neither latex nor springs are especially good at isolating motion – but during our testing, we found that the Zenhaven sleeps slightly cooler. The Saatva Classic doesn’t trap heat like memory foam can, but it did heat up during testing, while the Zenhaven stayed cool.

The Saatva Classic is available in three firmness levels, while the Zenhaven is flippable with a Luxury Plush and Gentle Firm side.

Overall, the Saatva Classic is a better fit for shoppers on a tighter budget who don’t get too hot at night. The Zenhaven is better for those who like the body-contouring (but responsive) feel of latex and don’t mind the higher price.

The Saatva Classic is an innerspring mattress, while the WinkBed is a hybrid model. Both mattresses have a coil base, but the WinkBed has more foam layers.

Like the Classic, the WinkBed comes in three firmness levels – Softer, Luxury Firm, and Firmer – but it also has a “Plus” option that’s the firmest of them all and specifically designed for heavier sleepers.

Our lightweight tester said the Winkbed in Luxury Firm doesn’t feel as bouncy as the Classic, and it’s very easy to change positions and move around. It’s also comfortable when back sleeping but felt too firm for side sleeping and wasn’t supportive enough for stomach sleeping.

Our lightweight sleeper thought the medium-firm WinkBed was a little too firm for her liking. She had similar thoughts about the Classic for side sleeping. Overall, the WinkBed may be a better option for couples and those looking for more motion isolation, while the Classic is a fit for anyone who wants a bouncier mattress.

Learn more in our full WinkBeds mattress review.

Firmness

The Zenhaven is a flippable mattress, so the firmness depends on which side you’re sleeping on. Saatva rates one side a 4 to 5 out of 10, or Luxury Plush (medium-soft), and the other side a 7 to 8 out of 10, or Gentle Firm.

We think the Gentle Firm side of the mattress feels like a firm mattress. (We estimated it as around an 8 out of 10.)

Height

Unlike the Saatva Classic, there’s only one height option available for this mattress: 10 inches, which is within standard dimensions but on the thinner side. There are six main layers: two layers of temperature-regulating wool and four layers of natural latex.

Motion Transfer

Motion transfer describes movement from one side of the bed to the other. It’s especially important for those who sleep with a partner – if a mattress doesn’t isolate motion well, you’re more likely to get jostled awake if your partner moves throughout the night.

In general, latex is more responsive than memory foam, so latex mattresses tend to be bouncier than traditional foam models. In our tests, we noticed the Zenhaven was distinctively bouncy and we could feel movement but the motion transfer wasn't too bad. It was most noticeable when a partner was getting into and out of the bed.

Edge Support

Edge support is the amount of support a mattress has around its perimeter. Better edge support makes it easier to get into and out of bed and can prevent the mattress from sinking too much if you sleep near the edge.

Because the Zenhaven doesn’t have a coil support system, it likely won’t have as much edge support as an innerspring mattress, like the Saatva Classic.

Temperature 

One of the downsides of memory foam is that it tends to trap heat, but latex is more temperature-neutral. The latex in this mattress specifically also has vented airflow channels that contribute to this mattress’s cooling capabilities. These channels allow for better air circulation and breathability.

In our tests, the Saatva Zenhaven regulated temperature well and stayed cool without any heat-trapping or overheating.

The Saatva Zenhaven Latex Mattress and the Layla Memory Foam mattress are both flippable models with a softer and firmer side. But aside from that, these mattresses are worlds apart. The Saatva Zenhaven is made from GOLS- and GOTS-certified organic wool and latex respectively, while the Layla has four layers of traditional foams.

The Layla is marketed as a cooling mattress because of its gel-infused memory foam, but we thought the firmer side trapped heat with little to no cooling sensation. Conversely, the Zenhaven’s firmer side stayed cool during testing.

If you like the sink-in feeling of memory foam and don’t sleep hot, opting for the Layla Memory Foam mattress could save you some money – it’s about three times less expensive than the Zenhaven. But if you want a cooling, responsive mattress and don’t mind paying more, the Zenhaven is more luxurious. It’s worth noting that the Zenhaven is also covered by a more generous sleep trial: 365 nights compared to Layla’s 120 nights.

Learn more in our full Layla mattress review.

The Cocoon by Sealy Chill Memory Foam Mattress is heavily marketed as a cooling mattress, but we don’t think it quite lives up to the hype. While we noticed an initial cooling sensation, the mattress warmed up the longer we were on it.

This makes sense given that the mattress is all memory foam – it has three layers of foam wrapped in a cooling cover. On the other hand, the Zenhaven didn’t trap heat, likely thanks to its natural latex and wool construction.

Unlike the Saatva Zenhaven, which has different firmness levels on each side, the Chill Memory Foam mattress isn’t flippable. Sealy rates it a 6 out of 10, or a medium. We think it feels more like a 4, so if you like a soft mattress with a sink-in, body-conforming feel, it may work for you.

The Chill is also the more budget-friendly of the two, retailing for just more than $1,000 for a queen compared to more than $3,000 for the Zenhaven.

Learn more in our full Sealy mattress review.