The best foam mattresses

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The best foam mattresses
  • With the variety of high-quality foam mattresses available online, you no longer have to visit a local showroom, lounge on a mattress for half an hour, and hope that it'll remain comfortable for the next decade or so.
  • The Ultimate Dreams 12-inch Supreme Gel Memory Foam Mattress is our top pick because it has a firmness that suits most sleepers and you can try it out in your home risk-free for 120 nights.
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When the economy is doing well and we have a little padding in our bank accounts, our thoughts turn to replacing old worn-out mattresses. In recent years, dozens of new companies have sprung up with the goal of delivering comfortable foam mattresses to your door. When ordering from the right company, this can be a pleasant experience.

However, you need to know what to look for and determine whether foam mattresses are right for you. Before making our recommendations for the best foam mattresses you can order online, we will explore what to look for as you shop.

What to look for in a foam mattress

There is no single mattress that will work well for all types of sleepers. Fortunately, most mattress brands offer a risk-free return policy. The best companies let you try out the foam mattresses for around 100 nights, and if you are not satisfied, you get a full refund. Therefore, we strongly recommend selecting a mattress that comes with a trial period.

The mattresses we researched have between two and five foam layers. There is typically a thick bottom support layer meant for long-term stability and thinner upper layer(s) designed for support, comfort, and airflow for a cooler sleep.

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The density of each layer is generally listed in pounds, but it's really a measurement of how heavy a cubic foot of the material is (abbreviated PCF). Basically, the denser the foam is, the more durable, high-quality, supportive, and expensive it will be. The Sleep Judge provides a more thorough explanation of how to assess quality based on foam density.

A queen-sized foam mattress typically weighs about 70 pounds when it arrives. Unless you regularly spend time hitting the weights, this is a bit much for an individual to carry on their own. We recommend getting help to carry the box, remove the mattress, and set it up.

You should also keep in mind that you will not be able to use your mattress right away. Most companies recommend that you allow 72 hours for your new arrival to expand to its natural size and to release any odors, or "off-gas."

We combed through countless buyer and expert reviews and ratings for dozens of different mattress brands while preparing this guide. The five mattresses we chose to showcase in the following slides have a strong track record for durability, comfort, support, and customer service.

Here are the best foam mattresses you can buy:

Updated by Caitlin Petreycik on 10/31/2019: Updated prices, links, and formatting. Added related guides.

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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 foam mattress overall

The best foam mattress overall
The Ultimate Dreams 12-inch Supreme Gel Memory Foam Mattress offers a medium firmness and competes with the luxury brands when it comes to comfort and support.

Dreamfoam Bedding is not a household name because the company doesn't spend a ton marketing the brand. With the lower overhead, Dearfoam Bedding can produce top-quality mattresses like this Ultimate Dreams mattress at an affordable price. This mattress tops our list because of its long trial period, iron-clad warranty, and a "Goldilocks" firmness level.

The 12 inches of the Ultimate Dreams Supreme Gel Memory Foam Mattress are made up of three layers: 8 inches of premium base foam, 2.5 inches of 4-pound memory foam, and a 1.5-inch top layer of 4-pound gel memory foam. You can count on memory foam with 4-pound density to be durable and supportive. Dreamfoam Bedding positions this mattress as a more cost-effective alternative to Tempurpedic's Cloud Supreme.

Per Dreamfoam Bedding's website, there is a 120-night trial, which requires you to try out your mattress for at least 30 days. Plus, the 10-year warranty covers sagging, extreme body indentation, and tears from normal use. The Supreme Memory Foam Mattress comes in eight different sizes ranging from twin to California king.

Expert reviewers at Sleepopolis, The Sleep Advisor, and Oh! Mattress all recommend the Ultimate Dreams Supreme Memory Foam Mattress due to its impressive value and middle of the spectrum firmness. Oh! Mattress did note that after several months of use, there was a loss of support and firmness.

Pros: Medium firmness, excellent 120-night return policy, 10-year warranty, made in the US

Cons: May lose firmness and support if not rotated regularly

The best foam mattress for firm support

The best foam mattress for firm support
If you like your mattress to offer comfortable yet firm support, the Tuft & Needle Mattress should help you sleep soundly.

The Tuft & Needle Mattress is 10 inches thick and consists of two layers: a 3-inch 2.8-pound density top comfort foam layer infused with gel and graphite to keep you cool and a 7-inch 1.8-pound poly-foam layer for support. The foam is covered with a fire sock that meets federal regulation for flame retardants. And, the cover complements the mattress's heat wicking and breathability properties using a blend of polyester and nylon.

This mattress comes in six sizes ranging from twin to California king, and there is a mattress and pillow bundle option. As with most foam mattresses, the company recommends that you allow three days for this product to expand and release any odors before using it. Tuft & Needle offers a 100-night trial along with a 10-year warranty, which allows you to minimize risk with your purchase.

The Mattress Nerd recommends the Tuft & Needle Mattress because it provides proper alignment for both stomach and back sleepers. However, the reviewers found it was too firm, which may bother side sleepers with wide hips or broad shoulders. Mattress Clarity gave this mattress a score of 4.4 out of 5. Sleepopolis also had positive comments about this mattress.

Pros: Provides firm support, terrific customer support, 100-night trial, 10-year warranty

Cons: May be too firm for some

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The best foam mattress on a budget

The best foam mattress on a budget
The Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress is a cost-effective and firm mattress for short-term use or sporadically-used beds.

The Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress has four thickness options: 6 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches, and 12 inches. For the purposes of this review, we're going to focus on the 12-inch option, but if you like firmer mattresses, consider one of the thinner alternatives. The mattress has four layers: 3.5-inch airflow high-density base support foam, 3.5-inch airflow high-density foam, 2-inch comfort foam, and 3-inch memory foam.

The mattress is covered with a soft-knitted jacquard fabric, which is breathable and provides a stylish look. There are eight different sizes ranging from narrow twin to California King. We could not find any sort of trial offer beyond Amazon's standard 30-day return policy, but there is a 10-year limited warranty.

The Wirecutter lists the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress as its top budget memory foam mattress pick, but the reviewer mentioned that the top layer is quite squishy, the core is stiff, and that it tends to run warm. The reviewers recommend it for guest rooms. The Sleep Sherpa rated this mattress 9.5 out of 10. And, The Sleep Advisor found this mattress worked best for people who are not hot sleepers.

Pros: Inexpensive, 10-year limited warranty, good for guest rooms

Cons: Tends to trap heat, questionable durability, no trial period

The best high-end foam mattress

The best high-end foam mattress
If you are willing to spend a little extra for quality materials and a nice long warranty, then the Nest Bedding Alexander Signature Series Mattress is your best bet.

The Alexander Signature Series Mattress from Nest Bedding is the thickest option on our list at 12.5 inches. In general, thicker mattresses are softer, but this mattress comes in two firmness levels: medium and "luxury firm." On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 as the firmest and 10 as the softest, medium is about 4.5 to 5. Luxury firm is 1.5 to 2 according to the company.

The mattress has five layers: 6-inch 1.8-pound solid edge support base foam, 2-inch 1.8-pound "SmartFlow" foam, 1-inch 4-pound Visco memory foam, 2.5-inch 4-pound gel memory foam, and 1-inch quilted cover cools stretch fabric. There are eight sizes from twin to California king. Nest Bedding offers several payment plans, including lease-to-own.

Ted & Stacey's Mattress Guides gave the Alexander Signature Series Mattress 4.8 out of 5 stars but found that the edge support could have been better and that it needed a firm foundation. The Sleep Judge handed down an 8.7 out of 10 verdict. However, the reviewers noted that there was some heat retention. And, Sleepopolis recommended this mattress for pressure relief.

Pros: Strong memory foam support without sinking, great customer service, lifetime limited warranty

Cons: Some complaints of quality control issues

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The best foam mattress for stomach-sleepers

The best foam mattress for stomach-sleepers
Though people who sleep in a variety of position have positive things to say about it, the Leesa Mattress provides an exceptional balance of comfort and support for stomach-sleepers.

If you listen to podcasts, you have likely heard advertisements for the Leesa Mattress. One of the big selling points is that the company donates a mattress to a homeless shelter for every ten mattresses sold.

The 10-inch thick Leesa Mattress features three foam layers: a 6-inch core support foam layer, a 2-inch memory foam middle layer designed for pressure relief and body contouring, and a 2-inch perforated Avena foam top layer, which is meant to provide support and comfort while keeping you cool.

The foam is covered with a fire sock and Leesa's seamless iconic four-stripe cover. The mattress is made in the USA. You can try this model for 100 nights and return it for a full refund if you're not satisfied. There's also a 10-year warranty.

We reviewed the Leesa mattress and we loved it. "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," our reviewer Lulu wrote. She also found that she didn't overheat while sleeping on the mattress.

The Wirecutter ranked the Leesa Mattress as the best foam mattress you can buy online. The reviewer found it had a nicer cover, better edge support, and better cooling than the competition while balancing support and softness. The biggest flaw they saw was that the company has only been around for four years. Mattress Clarity gave this model 4.5 out of 5. And, Sleepopolis recommends this mattress for people who change positions a lot while sleeping.

However, some online customer reviews caution that mattress runs hot.

Pros: Balances support and comfort, great for stomach sleepers, 100-night trial, 10-year warranty

Cons: Sleeps hot

Check out our other guides to great bedding

Check out our other guides to great bedding
The best pillows you can buy

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. The Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow from Coop Home Goods is our top pick. You'll enjoy sweet dreams on this supremely comfortable pillow.

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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.

We've rounded up the duvet covers likeliest to suit your style, your budget, and your needs. Here are the best duvet covers you can buy:

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