But that’s the thing about mattress shopping, it’s such a subjective thing. How can one person tell you that this is the best memory foam mattress ever?
It may be to that one reviewer, but is that the consensus? That’s why it’s important to understand how memory foam beds should feel, what your sleep style is, and how all that works together, so you can find the mattress meant for you. Checking out the best memory foam bed reviews helps, too, especially when they’re assessed altogether and distilled so you get an overall view.
What is the Best Memory Foam Bed Supposed to Feel Like?
The point of a memory foam mattress is to get the support your body needs while you sleep along with the comfort you want to help lull you into a deep sleep. The support base should be dense for longevity, and it should be strong, which helps prevent you from sinking down and getting your spine out of alignment – otherwise, you could wake up, shift positions, and lose sleep.
One issue with memory foam, at least traditionally, is that it sleeps hot. A lot of mattress companies have responded by topping their beds with perforated foam that promotes airflow. This can help keep you cool while you sleep. Gel-infused foams are also popular for helping beat the heat.
A great memory foam bed should be firm enough to hold you up on the mattress, as if you’re floating on top, rather than letting you sink, or bottom out, to the support layer. There should be some contouring, though, as no one’s body is straight and rigid, so it should cradle you in a way that’s comfortable as soon as you lay down. This is also known as pressure relief. Some memory foam bed companies do it better than others.
Best Memory Foam Bed: The Reviews
1. The Casper
Firm mattress lovers rejoice: The Casper mattress is likely made for you. The mattress-in-a-box pioneer offers a few choices, but its signature model, also its most popular, is a good midway point between firm and soft, leaning a little closer to the firm side. Although memory foam mattresses are notorious for sleeping hot, the open-cell design on the top layer of this mattress is meant to provide more airflow to help keep you cool as you sleep.
As many great reviews there are out there for The Casper mattress, this bed seems to be polarizing – you either love it or hate it. The in-betweeners enjoyed the mattress at first, but eventually the foam broke down and the sleepers ended up sinking into the base layer. Those who are lighter in weight may find this mattress is too firm, and those who are a bit heavier might experience bottoming out into the support layer. It also has a pervasive odor to it, though it passes rigorous Certi-PUR tests.
Pros
Comfortable
Supportive
Pressure relief
Sleeps cool
Cons
Expensive
Some off-gassing
May be too firm, soft
Specs
Material: Four different types of foam
Feel: Medium-firm
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
If you and your sleeping partner can’t agree on firm or soft, the Casper’s flagship mattress could be a good compromise.
The Purple mattress advertisements that are floating around may make you hungry for a breakfast of bacon and eggs, or it might convince you to buy this memory foam mattress because if that purple grid layer can protect eggs from breaking, surely it’ll be comfortable for you to sleep on. The original Purple mattress was popular among many sleepers, except perhaps heavier users. There simply wasn’t enough support for plus-sized customers, but Purple responded by releasing this new hybrid foam and coil mattress. The pocketed coils offer more support, and you get your choice of 2, 3, or 4 inches of that grid polymer layer. The higher you go, the more softness and comfort you get, but you’ll pay a lot more for it, too.
The Purple mattress company also added some much-needed edge support to its new mattress. All these extra materials show in the overall weight of the mattress, though. So, plan on having help setting this bed up, or for when you move it because it’s not a one-person job. Between the coils, the thicker grid layer, and the extra foam on the sides for added edge support, you’re getting a whole lot of mattress here that’ll help cradle you in comfort as you drift off to sleep.
Pros
Hybrid
Pocketed coils
More supportive
Durable
Comfortable
Pressure point relief
Cons
Expensive
Heavy
Specs
Material: Polymer foam, springs, patented materials
Feel: Medium-firm to Soft
Sizes: Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
The added coils and thicker grid layer of the new Purple mattress could make for a comfortable sleep for those who are a bit heavier and need the extra support and cushion.
The signature memory foam bed from Leesa is, well, the Leesa. It’s the mattress that started it all for this company, and it could be your favorite mattress ever, if it fits all your needs, and you fit its requirements. First, let’s talk about that price – it’s not exorbitantly expensive, nor is it so cheap you wonder how it’s possible. The reasonable cost is just one plus for this bed. Lay down on it and you’ll immediately notice that it doesn’t feel like other memory foam mattresses. It has a loft to it that memory foam doesn’t, thanks to its latex-like top layer that’s supposed to be more breathable and sleep cooler. It also has a nice springiness to it.
However, the Leesa mattress was made with small- to average-sized people in mind. If you weigh a bit more, you may find that your mattress starts sagging way before you would think it would start to give. And that loft you read about earlier is more of a hugging feeling, and you could end up sleeping hot on this mattress.
Pros
Reasonably priced
Comfortable
Supportive
Pressure relieving
Good bounce-back
Cons
Sleep a bit hot
Sags over time
Specs
Material: Three different types of foam
Feel: Medium
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
As long as you’re not heavier, the Leesa mattress could be a good choice for pressure relief and comfort throughout the night.
The Tuft & Needle mattress is one of those no-frills mattresses that makes you question whether anyone would enjoy sleeping on it. After all, it’s only two layers of foam, and there’s no plushness to this bed at all. With all that said, it is surprisingly comfortable, and those who buy this bed seem to love it. The top layer is all about your comfort. No, it isn’t squishy comfort, but it is soft enough even for side sleepers. You don’t sink into this foam like you would with memory foam, so it’s a bit cooler to sleep on, even if some say they slept hot on this mattress.
There’s a bit of a bounce to this bed, which means you can easily move around on the bed. And perhaps the best part about this mattress, other than its durability, is its price. This is one of the most affordable beds-in-a-box out there. So affordable that you might justify picking the King size instead of the Queen.
Pros
Affordable
Motion isolation
Little to no off-gassing
Good bounce
Durable
Comfortable
Cons
Sleeps a bit hot
No plushness
Specs
Material: Two different types of foam
Feel: Medium-firm
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
If you want a memory foam bed that works well for whatever position you sleep in and won’t cost you your savings, the Tuft & Needle could be ideal for you.
5. Fleep Bed
Rather than panic about choosing the right level of firmness for your new memory foam bed, you could look into the Fleep Bed. This unique bed lets you choose – every night, if you want – your level of firmness. All you have to do is flip the bed over for a softer or firmer surface for your slumber. The four layers of foam work together to give you the support you need and the comfort you want, even if you change your mind.
The top layer (on both sides) is made with a perforated gel-infused memory foam that’s meant to breathe a bit better, giving you a cool sleep. The edge support is nearly non-existent, though, so you might want to sleep closer to the middle of the bed. Off-gassing is a bit strong with this mattress, so airing out may be necessary.
Pros
Firm, soft options
Flippable mattress
Longer trial period
Reasonably priced
Cons
No California King size
No edge support
Strong off-gassing
Specs
Material: Four different types of foam
Feel: Firm to soft
Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King
Trial: 111 nights
Warranty: 10 years
If you can’t decide between firm or soft, the Fleep Bed could be your best solution, so you can choose a different firmness level every night.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the best memory foam bed comes down to the most important factors: price, longevity, universal comfort, and warranty. It also helps if a mattress is well-made for almost any body type. It’s a tough pick because all the mattresses above almost fit the criteria for “best,” but the winner is clear: Tuft & Needle. It’s affordable, comfortable for most body types, and it includes a 100-night trial and 10-year warranty.
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