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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
- Best overall: Sapira Mattress by Leesa and Leesa Mattress
- Best for hot sleepers: Bear Mattress
- Best for neutral firmness: Casper Mattress or the Casper Wave
- Best customizable mattress: Helix Mattress
- Best affordable mattress: Lucid Memory Foam Mattress
- Best smart mattress: Eight Smart Mattress
- Best soft mattress with good support: Purple Mattress
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:
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?
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
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.
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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