(Image credit: Nectar)
The best mattress for you is the one that improves your sleep, and doesn’t break the bank when you come to buy. This expert mattress buying guide and reviews are here to help you narrow down your options until you find the perfect. We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing mattresses from the top sleep brands, focusing on a range of key areas including comfort, support, pressure relief, motion isolation and temperature regulation.
In this guide we talk you through the very top performers, explaining why they’re the best mattresses of 2022, but also sharing any potential drawbacks that might mean a different model is the right choice for you and your sleep style.
HOW WE TEST MATTRESSES
Our mattress testing process is editorially independent. We chose which mattresses to test and which ones appear in our Best Mattress guide. We sleep on each mattress for three weeks to rate how it performs in all key areas. At the end of testing, we take our data and rate the mattress out of 10. Read our mattress methodology.
The best mattress for most people is the Saatva Classic. In our tests this mattress scored very highly on comfort and back support, as well as delivering hotel-level luxury for a relatively affordable price (from $912). But it might not be the best mattress for you, so you’ll find plenty of alternatives as you read on. For instance, if you like the hug of memory foam, the Nectar would be an excellent choice – and it has the benefit of being very budget friendly too (from $399).
The other thing to note is that although we’re not quite there yet, the Black Friday mattress deals are on the horizon. Most brands match or better the best prices of the year during these sales. We’re expecting most deals to go live around mid-November, so if you can hold off until then, you’re likely to score a better price. We’re not making any promises though, as inflation means mattress sales in general aren’t quite as good as usual, so if you spot the mattress you want at a good price before then, go for it.
Our guide features all mattress types including innerspring, memory foam and hybrid, and each comes on a trial to enable you to test it out thoroughly and make sure its right for you.Now let’s take a look at the best mattresses of 2022.
The best mattress in 2022 – chosen by our experts
1. Saatva Classic mattress
The best mattress overall offers superb comfort, support and durability for less than its luxury rivals
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: traditional
Material: hybrid innerspring
Firmness: soft (3), luxury firm (5.5), firm (8)
Height: 11.5 or 14.5 inches
Trial length: 365 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: $99
Warranty: Lifetime
Price range: $912 – $2,396
Best for: all sleepers, hot sleepers, back pain
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Excellent back support+
Customizable firmness and height+
Superb temperature regulation+
Free white glove delivery
REASONS TO AVOID
–
$99 fee to refund or exchange
The Saatva Classic is the flagship mattress from premium sleep brand Saatva, and we think it’s the best mattress you can buy. This luxury hybrid innerspring combines the superior support of traditional springs with the comfort and advanced features of the latest mattresses. In our Saatva Classic mattress review, our testers found it offered an excellent balance of pressure relief and support in all sleeping positions, as well as staying nice and cool at night. It’s competitively priced for a luxury hybrid too, starting from under $900 for a twin.
The mattress comes in three different comfort levels (plush soft, luxury firm and firm) and two different heights (11.5 or 14.5 inches), so you can customize it to your preferences. We tested a queen size in the luxury firm feel. Whichever version you choose, you’ll benefit from Saatva’s patented spinal zone technology. This has been approved by the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, and makes the Saatva Classic a particularly good choice for anyone with a bad back or achy joints.
It’s also a great option for hot sleepers. Our reviewers found it to be one of the most cooling mattresses they’ve tried, partially due to the breathable pillow top and dual layer of coils, which boost airflow. But also because you sleep on top of the Saatva Classic, rather than sinking into it, which gives you less skin contact than an all-foam mattress. Edge support is very good as well – you can sleep right up the sides without them sagging. This makes the Saatva Classic feel wider, which may be a bonus for some couples.
Be aware that if you prefer the full ‘hug’ of memory foam while you sleep, you may find the Saatva Classic too buoyant – try the Nectar Memory Foam at number two instead. There’s a $99 return fee, too. Still, the Saatva Classic is great value for a luxury mattress: it uses high-quality materials, comes with free white glove delivery, and is extremely durable – so it should last longer than your average mattress. If you’re looking for hotel-quality luxury without the premium price tag, we think the Saatva Classic is the best mattress you can buy.
Saatva Classic Mattress: $200-$225 off at Saatva
Right now, there’s at least $200 off the Saatva Classic (that goes up to $225 if you opt for a split mattress). That means, thanks to another MSRP rise, a queen will now set you back $1,595. It’s not the best price we’ve seen on this model recently, so if you aren’t in a hurry it might be best to hang on and wait for a better Saatva mattress sale before you buy. If you do need to buy now, it’s still great value for a luxury mattress handcrafted in the US, and one that comes on a year’s trial and lifetime warranty.
2. Nectar Memory Foam mattress
A good value mattress with free bedding and a year-long trial
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: mattress in a box
Material: foam
Firmness: medium firm (6.5)
Height: 12 inches
Trial length: 365 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: free
Warranty: forever
Price range: $599 – $1,338
Best for: all sleepers, couples, tight budgets
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Great motion isolation+
Good pressure relief+
365-night sleep trial +
Forever warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Some find it too warm-
Heavier bodies might need more support
The Nectar Memory Foam is a mid-range, all-foam mattress and for our money, the best memory foam mattress for most people. It’s the most popular and affordable option in Nectar’s range, offering strong performance in key areas including support, pressure relief and motion isolation, while significantly undercutting many of its competitors on price. It’s officially a mid-range mattress, but you can basically ignore those MSRPs as this mattress is always sold with a major discount, and a bundle of free sleep accessories too. There’s also a year-long mattress trial and a forever warranty. You get a lot for your money here.
But what’s it like to sleep on? As we discovered during testing for our Nectar Mattress review, this is a mattress you sink into rather than lying on top of. There are five layers, including a new cooling cover made from polyethylene, a three-inch gel memory foam comfort layer and deep support layers at the base. These result in a hugging sensation as the mattress contours to your body, relieving tension at pressure points.
Motion isolation is better than the Saatva Classic, as you might expect from an all-foam mattress. This makes the Nectar a great choice for anyone with a restless partner – you won’t be disturbed by them tossing and turning, or getting in and out of bed. However, the slow-moving memory foam can make changing position a little harder. If you’re heavier, or prefer a more responsive mattress, you’ll do better with a spring-based option like the Saatva.
Also, while our reviewers found it cool to sleep on, some users have reported finding it warm at night. We’d recommend the Saatva, Helix Midnight or DreamCloud options in our best mattress guide instead to anyone who tends to overheat while they sleep. If you love the cushioning feel of memory foam, though, and want superb value for money, the Nectar Memory Foam mattress is an excellent choice.
Nectar Memory Foam mattress: $200 off and up to $499 of free gifts at Nectar
The current Nectar sale is one we see regularly. It knocks $200 off the official MSRP and throws in $499 of free bedding (specifically, two cooling pillows, a sheet set and mattress protector). It’s not an unusual offer when it comes to Nectar’s mattress sales, but you’re still getting a lot for your money. You’ll have free shipping and 365 nights to trial the mattress at home, plus it comes with a forever warranty.
3. Helix Midnight mattress
The best mattress for side sleepers
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: mattress in a box
Material: hybrid pocket coils
Firmness: medium firm (5.5)
Height: 12 inches
Trial length: 100 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: free
Warranty: 10-15 years
Price range: $699 – $1,549
Best for: side sleepers, couples
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Good pressure relief +
Sleeps cool+
Great edge support
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Front sleepers may need more support
The Helix Midnight is a popular medium hybrid that we think is the best mattress for side sleepers, as well as being a great choice for those who toss and turn at night. That’s thanks to a quite soft-yet-supportive sleep surface that minimizes motion transfer. In our Helix Midnight mattress review, we were also impressed with the temperature regulation on offer here (there’s the option of upgrading to a specialist cooling cover, too, although we didn’t test that).
On top, a memory foam layer relieves pressure at your hips and shoulders, while under this a supportive polyfoam layer helps prevent you from sinking in too deeply. The foam layers are followed by hundreds of eight-inch steel pocket coils, which provide extra support and improved airflow, as well as a little bounce, making the Helix Midnight easier to move around on than all-foam options like the Nectar Memory Foam.
As a result, the Helix Midnight doesn’t feel completely like a memory foam mattress or like a traditional innerspring – it falls somewhere in between, making it a good option for couples with different comfort preferences. In our tests, we judged that the softer sleep surface might not provide enough support for those who lie on their front, or for heavier people (over 250lb). If that’s you, check out the firm Saatva Classic at #1 in our list.
Price-wise, the Helix Midnight is competitive, with a queen at just over $1,000. That’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than its closest hybrid rivals, and a great price for a solidly performing mattress that should suit most people.
Helix Midnight mattress: $100-$150 off all sizes, plus 2 free pillows at Helix Sleep
In the current Helix sale, there’s at least $100 off the Midnight (rising to $150 on larger sizes), and you’ll get two free Dream pillows thrown in for good measure. This offer has been running for a few months now, but it’s still a good deal. The price of a queen size drops to $1,099.
4. Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress
The best budget cooling mattress – there’s plenty of foam comfort here too
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: mattress in a box
Material: memory foam
Firmness: 6 (out of 10)
Height: 10 inches
Trial length: 100 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: free
Warranty: 10 years
Price range: MSRP $769-$1,539
Best for: hot sleepers; couples
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Good temperature regulation+
Body contouring comfort+
Supports all sleep positions
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Perhaps too soft for heavier bodies
Cooling mattresses are normally very expensive because they use a larger array of materials and tech to regulate temperature. The Cocoon by Sealy Chill Mattress bucks that trend by offering a decent cooling performance at a fraction of the price. The action centers around a stretch-knit cooling cover infused with phase-change material. This absorbs then dissipates body heat. The cover is also good at wicking away sweat, making this the best mattress in our guide for anyone dealing with night sweats.
The Cocoon Chill Mattress is as supportive as it is cooling and comfy, with two layers of foam and a thick support layer. Underneath the cooling cover sits a slab of Perfect Fit Memory Foam, which molds itself around your body’s curves, weight and sleeping position, giving you that famous cradling effect of memory foam. How long does a memory foam mattress last and provide contouring comfort? On average six to ten years, but the Cocoon should last towards the upper end of that scale.
Beneath that lies a layer of Responsive Comfort Foam. Its job is to prevent you from sinking into the mattress too much and also to reduce motion transfer. This is vital for anyone who shares a bed, especially restless sleepers who move between positions. The Essential Support Layer at the base provides bounce and durability, and keeps the entire mattress stable. While the phase change material technology is a massive draw here, the main star of the show is the price – the Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress is a real bargain, especially when it’s on sale (usually 35% off).
Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress: 35% off Chill mattress rom $769 $499 at Cocoon by Sealy
The latest Cocoon by Sealy mattress sale is offering 35% off the Chill Mattress, taking the price of the queen size down to $799 (was $1,239), plus you’ll get free pillows and bed sheets (together worth up to $199) added to your order. This deal has been running for a few months, but still offers excellent value for money on a popular cooling mattress.
5. The DreamCloud Mattress
The best luxury hybrid mattress for back support – it also comes with a free bedding set
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: mattress in a box
Material: hybrid innerspring
Firmness: medium firm (6.5)
Height: 14 inches
Trial length: 365 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: free
Warranty: lifetime
Price range: $799 – $1,499
Best for: all sleepers, hot sleepers
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Great comfort and support +
Sleeps cool+
Excellent value
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Might be a bit firm for lighter bodies
The DreamCloud mattress is an excellent choice for anyone who likes the sound of a pressure-relieving memory foam, but wants something more responsive. Billed as a luxury hybrid, The DreamCloud has five layers, including gel-infused memory foam and a breathable innerspring layer that’s designed to aid airflow and keep you cool at night. There’s also a quilted foam and cashmere top layer, which some users have reported helps to wick away moisture.
The coils make it more responsive, bouncier and easier to move about on than something like the Nectar Memory Foam mattress. In our DreamCloud mattress review, we also found the DreamCloud was better at isolating motion than the other hybrids in this guide (the Saatva Classic and Helix Midnight) thanks to its thicker foam layers. We were also impressed by this mattress’ temperature regulation and pressure relief. We rated it a 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, and flagged up that it might be on the firm side for lighter bodies or front/side sleepers.
This mattress is a generous 14 inches deep, and while that’s a benefit – giving you more luxury cushioning and supportive contouring than thinner mattresses – you may need deeper sheets. Luckily, it comes with a free luxury sheet set as part of the deal. It also comes with a free mattress protector to prolong the life of your investment, and two cooling pillows. Plus, like the Nectar, you get a whole year to decide whether you like it, and there’s a forever warranty too.
DreamCloud mattress: $200 off + $599 free accessories at DreamCloud
In the current sale, DreamCloud has knocked $200 off mattresses and is throwing in $599 of sleep accessories too. That includes two contour pillows, a cooling mattress protector and set of sheets, which means you’re pretty much sorted for bedding. It’s a common deal we see from DreamCloud, but still a great price for this top-rated hybrid. A queen size costs $999, there’s a 365-night trial, as well as a forever warranty.
6. GhostBed Luxe mattress
The best cooling mattress for hot sleepers
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: mattress in a box
Material: memory foam, Ghost Bounce
Firmness: 5.5 (out of 10)
Height: 13 inches
Trial length: 101 nights
Shipping: free
Returns: free
Warranty: 25 years
Price range: MSRP $1,895-$4,090
Best for: hot sleepers; all sleeping positions
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
REASONS TO BUY
+
Patent-pending cooling tech+
Cool-touch quilted cover+
Memory foam with a spring-like feel
REASONS TO AVOID
–
Heavy bodies may need more support
A ‘hot sleeper’ is someone who tends to run warm at night, and may find themselves waking up because they’re feeling too hot. If that sounds familiar, the best mattress for you could be the GhostBed Luxe, which is geared specifically towards preventing overheating at night. It’s reasonably priced compared to other cooling mattresses too, especially when it’s on sale.
The GhostBed Luxe has earned its cooling credentials via a range of patented technologies unique to the brand. These start at the very top of the mattress in the form of a 0.5″ layer of Ghost Ice Fabric. This cover is made with phase-change material that reacts to your body heat to regulate temperature and to ensure the mattress always feels cool to the touch. The other big cooling feature is the Ghost Ice Layer, there to transfer away heat to keep the core cool.
There’s more to the GhostBed Luxe than cooling power though – it’s comfortable and supportive for most sleeping positions, but especially side and combination sleepers. That’s because it has a plush feel (rated at 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale), with a softer sleep surface that contours around pressure points such as the shoulders, back, hips and knees. While heavier bodies may sink in a little too much, lighter to average bodies should experience plenty of sleep comfort.
That all comes via a 1″ layer of contouring gel memory foam for a body-hugging feel, with an xtra 2″ layer of the same foam further down in the mattress to boost pressure relief. These are complimented by a 2″ layer of Ghost Bounce, a material that delivers a spring-like feel for a little bounce. At the bottom sits a thick and durable 7.5″ high density support to provide a stable base.