The best mattresses you can buy online

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The best mattresses you can buy online

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

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the best mattress

Leesa

  • A great mattress can be the difference between a good night's sleep that results in a productive day or a horrible night that makes you feel like you didn't sleep at all.
  • We've tested and researched dozens of mattresses and the Sapira Mattress by Leesa and the Leesa Memory Foam Mattress are the best ones you can buy because they suit all sleeping styles.
  • Many of our favorite mattresses are on sale for Presidents' Day, so check out the discounts in this guide and in our mattress deals roundup.

Buying a new mattress is a pretty serious investment that you shouldn't have to make more than once a decade. If you're in the market for a new mattress, you've likely spent plenty of time researching, trying out different mattresses in stores, and thinking about how much you're willing to pay.

To make it a little easier to decide on the mattress you'll ultimately want to buy, we've put together a buying guide for the best mattresses you can buy online. We've tested several mattresses from direct-to-consumer, bed-in-a-box mattress startups over the past few years to see how they stack up in comparison with big-name mattress brands.

Many of our favorite mattresses are on sale for Presidents' Day, so we've listed the discounts below:

  • Leesa: Get 15% off mattresses and two free pillows
  • Bear: Use codes "PRES150" and "PRES300" to save $150 to $300 on your new mattress based on how much you spend
  • Casper: Get 10% off mattresses with the code "PRES"
  • Helix: Use codes "PREZ200," "PREZ150," and "PREZ100" to save $100 to $200 based on how much you spend on your new mattress
  • Purple: Get a free pillow, seat cushion, mattress protector, blanket, or sheets when you buy a mattress

Leesa

Leesa

Here are our top picks for the best mattress you can buy

How to pick the right mattress for you

There are a ton of things to consider when buying a mattress, including firmness, materials, warranties, return policies, and whether to go with a direct-to-consumer mattress startup or a big-name brand. We break it down for you below:

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Finding the right level of firmness

Before you buy, you'll want to know what level of firmness is best for you. Side sleepers tend to like medium-to-soft mattresses, while back and stomach sleepers prefer firmer mattresses.

While your first reaction might be to get the plushest mattress out there, the fact is that sometimes ultra-soft mattresses can be bad for your back. On top of that, if you're half of a couple, you'll need to take into consideration what your partner wants, too. If you've got a big budget, you can go with a high-end mattress that allows for adjustments to be made on each side of the mattress.

Look for a good return policy or a long trial period in case the mattress you thought you wanted doesn't work out for you. Mattress choice is deeply personal and varies widely from person to person.

What kind of mattress do you want?

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There are a lot of different mattress types, but Sleepopolis breaks them down extremely well. We've summarized each type of mattress below based on the site's expert mattress buying guide:

  • Hybrid mattresses combine memory foam and latex with spring coils and other materials to appeal to a wide range of sleepers. These mattresses are great all-around options for couples.
  • Latex foam mattresses are best known for being cooling, bouncy, and responsive.
  • Memory Foam mattresses conform to your body's needs and offer excellent support. They're huggier than other mattresses, so they may not appeal to hot sleepers.
  • Coil mattresses are more old-fashioned and traditional, but they're great for strong support and a long life. If you sleep on the edge, coil mattresses are good for you.
  • Pillow-top mattresses are ideal for people who like soft, cushy mattresses. Pillow-top mattresses can have springs underneath or not, but they always have a fluffy, pillowy top for extra softness.
  • Adjustable mattresses let you choose and alter the position and firmness of your bed and some even vibrate or massage you while you sleep. These are pricey but can be great for people with back problems.

Don't fall for big-name brands or add-ons

Casper_B1

Casper

Anyone who's ever shopped for a new mattress has probably wondered why on Earth these things are so expensive. As The Wirecutter and Slate explain, it's all about marketing costs, brand recognition, crazy profit margins, and monopolies in the mattress market. In the US, you have four major brands owned by two companies: Simmons and Serta vs. Tempur-Pedic and Sealy.

Often, these companies seem to be your only choices, so you end up paying a premium and the big brands end up reaping a killer profit. However, now there are dozens of mattress startups out there that are direct to consumer, offer great warranties, have long return windows, and low prices. We recommend you stay away from the big names and buy from one of these great startups.

You'll also want to consider if you want any add-ons like a mattress cover, mattress pad, sheets, and so on. In the process of buying a mattress, you'll likely be pitched all kinds of different accessories to get, and if you don't go in with a clear idea of what you want, it's easy to fall victim to those pitches and spend way more money than you thought you would. It's best to buy everything else separately, so go to the last slide in this guide to learn about our other great buying guides for bedding.

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Updated on 02/14/2019 by Malarie Gokey: Added Presidents' day sales.

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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The best mattress overall

The best mattress overall
Why you'll love it: The Sapira by Leesa has a cooling hybrid memory foam and coil mattress design, while the more affordable Leesa mattress is all comfortable foam.

While a little pricier than some of the others on this list, Sapira by Leesa has been very well-received, and for good reason. It's a hybrid memory foam and coil mattress that suits every type of sleeper and offers great value for your money. If the Sapira is a bit pricey for you, Leesa's memory foam mattresses are also excellent.

Plus, Leesa is having a Presidents' Day sale so you can get 15% off your mattress purchase and two free pillows.

The Sapira mattress is made up of six layers, including 1.5-inches of performance foam for comfort and cooling, 1.5-inches of memory foam for contour and cooling, 1-inch of transition foam to cushion the coils, 6-inches of pocketed coils, and 1-inch of foam for the base of the mattress. The result? It’s a great all-around mattress for people who sleep in different positions and those who move a lot.

The Sapira mattress also has a specially designed cover, which is cut from a single piece of fabric and surrounds the entire mattress. It’s very breathable, so it should remain relatively cool while you sleep.

Of course, Sapira's mattress isn't terribly cheap. It starts at $995 for the twin version, while the king will set you back $1,795. Luckily, you can try it for 100 days and return it if you don't love it. The company also donates one mattress for every 10 it sells, which is a nice way of paying it forward.

If money is an issue, you can check out the highly rated Leesa mattress line-up, which is made by the same company that makes the Sapira. Leesa's memory foam mattresses are also a bit cheaper than the hybrid Sapira model, starting at $525 and going up to $1,195.

We love the Leesa memory foam mattress for its great support and cooling. As our reviewer Lulu Chang writes, "As a side sleeper, it’s sometimes tough to find mattresses that don’t leave me feeling achy, but the Leesa is certainly doing the trick."

Both the Sapira and the Leesa mattress get great reviews from expert reviewers and buyers alike. According to a review from Sleepopolis, the Sapira mattress is perfect for couples who have totally different sleeping positions, those who don’t have a single preferred position, and anyone who moves a lot in bed. Sleepopolis ultimately gave the Sapira mattress an excellent 4.9 stars, while Mattress Clarity gave it 4.5 stars.

Leesa's more affordable memory foam mattresses are also considered the best you can buy by The Wirecutter and they're highly rated by our own testers at Insider Picks. Our full review of the Sapira mattress by Leesa was very positive, and former commerce reporter Kelsey Mulvey still loves it after an entire year of testing. Customer reviews on Sapira's website are mostly positive.

Pros: Great for different sleeping positions, breathable cover, hybrid design offers great support, 100-day test period

Cons: A little pricey

The best mattress for hot sleepers

The best mattress for hot sleepers
Why you'll love it: The Bear mattress isn’t just comfortable — It’s cool, too, thanks to its high-tech cover.

Looking for something to keep you a little cooler at night? The Bear mattress could be the right mattress for you. Plus, Bear is having a Presidents' Day sale, so you can save $150 on orders over $500 with promo code "PRES150" or save $300 on orders over $1,200 with promo code "PRES300" at checkout. The offer includes a free Bear Pillow, too.

Bear is another mattress-in-a-box company, but its mattress comes very highly recommended by experts and buyers across the board. The mattress combines 1-inch of graphite gel memory foam with 2.5-inches of response memory foam and 6.5-inches of high-density support foam to offer not just an extremely comfortable experience, but one that keeps you cool at night, too.

On top of those layers, the mattress also comes with a special polyester/Celliant blend cover that converts your body heat into infrared light. It's proven to be helpful when you sleep and decrease the temperature of the mattress.

The mattress is medium-firm, so it should be good for back and stomach sleepers. Some side sleepers may find it too firm, though.

Bear as a brand is pretty new, but it already has a loyal following, including our senior director of commerce, Breton Fischetti. Sleepopolis gives it a solid 4.6-star rating and praises how well it manages to keep you cool while you sleep. Mattress Clarity also rates Bear's mattress highly, especially for athletes and active types.

The Bear mattress starts at $500 for a twin size and ranges up to $950 for a king, which is pretty decent for a mattress of this caliber. You can also try it for 100 days to be sure that it's the one for you. If you dislike it, you can return it, no questions asked.

Pros: Keeps sleepers cool, relatively inexpensive, highly rated, good for active lifestyles

Cons: Not the best motion isolation or edge support

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The best mattress for those who want neutral firmness

The best mattress for those who want neutral firmness
Why you'll love it: The Casper Wave uses new tech to add support where you need it, while Casper's standard mattress offers a neutral feel for less.

Don’t necessarily want something too hard or too soft? Casper's standard mattress might be the right mattress for you. Casper is both self-described and reviewed as being extremely close to neutral, so if you just want an all-around solid mattress, Casper is a great option.

Plus, Casper is having a Presidents' Day sale, so you can get 10% off mattresses with the code "PRES" at checkout.

Casper has gone through a few changes over the years, but its standard mattress is very well regarded. The mattress is made from a top layer of 1.5-inch poly foam, 1.5-inches of memory foam, another 1.5-inches of poly foam, and 5-inches of base foam. That’s a lot of foam, and there are no springs involved at all.

We reviewed the improved Casper mattress in 2018, and we loved it. Insider Picks Brandt Ranj writes, "After two months of sleeping on the new Casper mattress, I found that the Zoned Support layer made a subtle but important difference in my personal comfort at night."

On the price scale, the standard Casper mattress is more affordable than the company's latest mattress, the Wave. Casper's standard mattress will set you back $595 for a twin, while a king will cost $1,195. You can try it for 100 days and return it for free if you dislike it for any reason.

The new Casper Wave, on the other hand, is a pricier mattress that's designed to give you extra support with its innovative technology. The Wave uses five layers of varied density foam, including the open cell foam that's used in the upper layers of the Wave to regulate your body temperature. It's also built to minimize motion transfer.

We tried the Casper Wave and loved it. Our reviewer, Steven John, couldn't say enough about how it's helped his wife (and him) get sleep post-pregnancy with a newborn at home.

Casper's mattresses have been very well-reviewed, too. Sleepopolis gave the standard Casper 4.2 stars, and it currently has an average rating of 4.3 stars on Amazon. The Wirecutter also gives the standard Casper mattress high marks. The Wave also has positive reviews from Sleepopolis and The Sleep Advisor.

Pros: Neutral feel, great foam feel, relatively inexpensive (standard), new support tech (Wave)

Cons: Not the best for those that like springs

The best mattress for customization

The best mattress for customization
Why you'll love it: Helix offers excellent customization options straight from its website, so you can get the mattress that’s perfect for you.

Mattress startup Helix ships its beds in a box, too. What’s special about Helix’s mattress, however, is that you can get it customized to suit your needs. Plus, Helix is having a Presidents' Day sale, so you can save $200 when you spend $1750+, $150 when you spend $1250+, and $100 on any mattress purchase with the codes "PREZ200", "PREZ150", and "PREZ100".

If you decide you’re interested in buying a Helix mattress, you can head to the Helix Sleep website, where you’ll complete a short survey. After that, the service will take your results to determine the exact right mattress for your needs.

There are even great options for couples. You can either opt for different customizations on each side, or Helix can take the results for you and your partner to find a happy medium of the two.

Insider Picks' Amir Ismael wrote a full review of the Helix mattress and the customization process. He found it very easy to design his ideal mattress using Helix's personalized sleep quiz, and the end result was a mattress designed for his needs.

The Helix is a hybrid mattress of sorts with its 10-inch foam design that uses three layers of polyfoam and a layer of microcoils to give you great support, no matter which configuration you choose.

We're not the only ones who love this mattress. Helix has been getting great reviews from experts and buyers alike. According to Sleep Like The Dead, the Helix mattress is extremely comfortable, but on top of that it’s ultra-quiet and the company offers a 100-day no-fee return policy. Sleepopolis highly recommends it as well with a 4.8-star rating.

The Helix mattress isn’t too expensive, either. Prices range from $600 for a twin to $1,195 for a king, and for a queen, you’ll pay $995. The mattress also offers a 10-year warranty non-prorated warranty.

Pros: Customizable, not overly expensive, 100-night trial, good for couples with different sleeping styles

Cons: Edge support is so-so

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The best mattress for less than $500

The best mattress for less than $500
Why you'll love it: Lucid may not be as well known as some of the others on the list, but it offers a memory foam mattress with 25 years of warranty for less than $500.

Looking to get a great mattress but need to stay on a tighter budget? Lucid offers a number of mattresses in the $500 range, and its 12-inch Memory Foam mattress starts at about $200 for a twin-sized mattress, ranging up to about $400 for a California king. That’s not a bad price at all, especially considering the fact that the mattress is pretty highly reviewed, sitting in at a 4-star average on Amazon.

The Lucid, mattress offers excellent conforming support for any sleeping position, as well as great air circulation for improved airflow and a soft cover for the mattress. The mattress itself is built out of 3-inches of ventilated gel memory foam, which sits atop 9-inches of high-density base foam.

Of course, don’t expect the mattress to be as comfortable or as fancy as some of the others on the list. You can expect a little more sinkage than other mattresses, and Sleepopolis gives it a 3.6-star review, which is a little lower than the others on this list.

Lucid doesn’t offer a trial period, either, so you’ll need to be pretty sure that this is the mattress you want before you buy it. Thankfully, Lucid’s mattresses offer 25 years of warranty in case something goes wrong.

Pros: Inexpensive, relatively comfortable, simple design, 25-year warranty

Cons: No trial period, more sinkage

Buy the Lucid 12-inch Memory Foam Mattress on Amazon for $219 (Twin), $248 (Twin XL), $254.25 (Full), $449.99 (Queen), $450 (King/California King)

The best mattress for the techie

The best mattress for the techie
Why you'll love it: If you want to track your sleeping habits, the Eight Smart Mattress has all the sensors to help you do it, and you can heat up your mattress on cold nights.

Mattress companies are increasingly acting like tech startups, and perhaps the most interesting implementation of this is a company called Eight, which has built a “smart mattress.” The company actually ships a pretty standard mattress with its smart cover, and you can buy the cover separately, but if you’re in the market for a new mattress anyway, you may just want to buy the two together.

The mattress itself is built with four layers of different foam — 2-inches of poly foam, 2-inches of memory foam, another 2-inches of poly foam, and then 4-inches of base foam. It’s rated as medium-firm by Sleepoplis and is considered “well-rounded” and very supportive.

Then there’s the smart cover, which is where all the tech lives. Through the sensors in the cover, you can see things like your sleep quality, heart rate, respiratory rate, and more, all on your smartphone. You can use the app to adjust the temperature to your liking, so if it’s a particularly cold night, you could warm the bed up a little before you even get in.

The cover also supports two people, so you don’t have to worry about your preferences and your partner’s preferences clashing and causing issues. The cover does make the mattress feel firmer, reviewers report.

There are some downsides to the mattress, and perhaps you’ll want to fix those by getting a third-party mattress and only using the smart cover. For example, the mattress isn’t the best when it comes to motion transfer, which means your movement may disturb your partner’s sleep and vice versa.

If you do decide to pull the trigger on Eight’s mattresses, you’ll be happy to know that they aren’t overly expensive. The mattress starts at $699 and ranges up from there.

Pros: Relatively inexpensive, uses tech to offer excellent sleep tracking, supportive

Cons: Not the best with motion transfer, cover makes the mattress slightly firmer

Buy the Eight Smart Mattress for $999+
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The best soft mattress with good support

The best soft mattress with good support
Why you'll love it: The Purple Mattress is both high-tech and extremely comfortable with plenty of support for those who need it.

Purple is another relatively new mattress company, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a lot to offer. We’ve been testing Purple’s mattress over the past year, and we’ve been extremely impressed with it. Purple is also having a Presidents' Day sale, so you can get a free pillow, seat cushion, mattress protector, blanket, or sheets when you buy a mattress.

The mattress is built with three different layers – including 2-inches of hyperelastic polymer on the top, followed by a 3.5-inch layer of polyurethane foam, then a base of 4-inches of more polyurethane foam. It’s an interesting and totally unique combination, but one that Purple claims makes the best mattress out there. You may notice a lack of memory foam in the design, but you probably won’t miss it once you’ve been using the Purple mattress for a few days.

The Purple mattress is technically medium-firm, but that really has more to do with its level of support than how it actually feels. The top layer really gives it a nice soft feel, while the rest of the mattress ensures a high level of support. That support is one of the big selling points here. While it’s a great mattress for those who sleep in different positions, it’s also an excellent choice for those who want pressure point relief.

We’re not the only ones who love Purple’s offering – Sleepopolis gave the mattress a hefty 4.8 stars, while Mattress Clarity awarded it 4.4 stars. The downsides to the mattress? Well, it uses a somewhat new technology, and there is a slight latex smell to it when you’ll first get it.

Pros: Relatively inexpensive, comfortable, supportive

Cons: New technology you may not understand, slight smell initially

Buy the Purple Mattress for $649 (Twin), $699 (Twin XL), $899 (Full), $999.00 (Queen) or $1,299.00 (King)

Check out our other mattress buying guides

Check out our other mattress buying guides
The best mattresses for side sleepers

Finding the perfect mattress is tough for side sleepers. We've done the research and some testing to find the best mattresses for side sleepers.

Regardless of which one you choose from our favorites, though, we’re confident that you’ll get a good night’s sleep. And if you find that these mattresses don’t work for you, rest assured that they come with a sleep trial so you can take these beds for a test run before making a long-term commitment.

Here are the best mattresses for side sleepers:

The best mattresses for back pain

If you've suffered long enough with back pain, it's time to wake up to the advantages of a supportive, quality mattress.

Choosing a new mattress can be a chore, however, there's no doubt about it. There are a lot of brands on the market, and a good mattress can be quite expensive. Luckily, we're here to help. We've done the research for you and rounded up the best mattresses to help relieve back pain.

Here are the best mattresses for back pain:

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Check out our other great guides for bedding

Check out our other great guides for bedding
The best sheets you can buy

After reviewing dozens of contenders, our top pick for bed sheets are the 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets from L.L. Bean. Crisp, cool, and comfortable against your skin, these sheets make bedtime a treat. Here are all of our favorite sheets:

The best mattress toppers

Although a mattress topper isn't a must-have for your bed, it's one of the easiest ways to up your sleep quality and comfort. We researched dozens of mattress toppers and determined that these are our favorites:

The best pillows

A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you'll love best. Here are our top picks:

The best duvet covers you can buy

Your cozy down-filled duvet needs a stylish cover to keep it clean and add some spice to your bedroom's décor. Here are our favorites:

The best bed frames you can buy

Your bed is not only the highlight of your bedroom, it's the only furniture you spend 33% of your life on. Here are the Insider Picks:

Here are our top picks for the best bed frame:

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