- 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.
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.
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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