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We’ve tested over a hundred mattresses for our main mattress guide, which has also spawned several other guides like the best cheap mattresses and the best mattresses for side sleepers. Along the way, a few have stood out as the best of the best, making it into several of our buying guides. We’ve recommended dozens of excellent mattresses, but sometimes we come across something special — and sometimes, these mattresses even earn a coveted spot in our own bedrooms.
From the near-perfect Leesa Sapira Hybrid to the all-natural Avocado Green, we’re sharing the absolute best mattresses — all-star options featured time and time again across our buying guides. If you only have the time to consider five mattresses, these are the options we recommend most often, based on performance in our objective tests and the subjective thoughts of our experienced testers.
Learn more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and reviews home products.
Our picks for the top mattresses
The all-around crowdpleaser: Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress
It’s a top pick in seven of our guides. The Leesa Sapira earned the top spot in our main mattress guide, as well as our guides on mattresses for back pain, couples, back sleepers, and side sleepers. It’s also a pick in our guides to the best hybrids and beds-in-a-box. Needless to say, we highly recommend this mattress.
This is the best mattress for almost everyone. The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is the top pick in our mattress guide for good reason — it’s a medium-firm mattress suitable for every sleep style, whether you sleep starfish-style on your stomach or curled up on your side. Generally, side sleepers need a mattress that contours to the body, whereas back and stomach sleepers require a firmer mattress to keep the spine flat at night. The Leesa Sapira is like the Goldilocks of mattresses: It’s firm but not too firm, and soft but not too soft, making it the best mattress regardless of sleeping style.
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Its design relieves pressure and back pain. The Leesa Sapira is comprised of layers of contouring, breathable memory foam, and individually wrapped coils that respond to your body’s movements throughout the night. The combination of contouring and support eases back pain at night, meaning you’re less likely to wake up sore in the morning.
“During the year I slept on it, I had the least back pain since my initial injury, despite exercising heavily,” former senior reporter James Brains writes. Similarly, deals fellow Jenn Gonick reported pain relief from scoliosis when sleeping on the Leesa Sapira.
It excelled in every one of our tests. We perform a series of rigorous tests to best assess and compare mattresses beyond our subjective experiences. These tests include taking the temperature of the mattress before and after lying down to assess heat dissipation, dropping a bowling ball on the mattress and observing vibrometer readings across the bed to test motion isolation, and measuring how far a mattress sinks when sitting on the edge to determine edge support.
The Leesa Sapira passed all of our tests with flying colors. It remained cool after a night’s sleep, and none of our testers ever woke up sweating. The vibrometer picked up minimal readings, so motion from a pet or partner is unlikely to disturb you as you sleep. Plus, thanks to the coil system around the edges, the mattress is supportive, even when lying right on the edge.
The excellent motion isolation and edge support, combined with the middle-of-the-road feel, mean the Leesa Sapira is one of the best mattresses for couples.
It’s worth every penny. A queen-size Leesa Sapira is just under $2,000, but it’s not uncommon to find it for 25% off. During Black Friday, for example, a queen only costs $1,399. A true bed-in-a-box, you can only test out the Leesa Sapira at certain stores, but it comes with a 120-night trial and a limited lifetime warranty.
Read our Leesa Sapira Hybrid review for more details.
A comfy budget hybrid: The Allswell Mattress
It’s a top pick in five of our guides. As a sub-$500 mattress, the Allswell consistently appears as our best budget pick across guides. It’s our top pick in our guide on mattresses under $1,000 and under $500, and it’s also in our bed-in-a-box guide and our guide for back sleepers.
Don’t let the price fool you — its comfort rivals much more expensive mattresses. A queen-size Allswell mattress costs just over $350 — unless you’re shopping during Black Friday, when it’s $282 — yet we’re consistently impressed with the quality for the price. It’s rare to find a hybrid mattress at such an affordable price point.
Erin Brains
The Allswell has a firm feel that’s best suited for stomach and back sleepers, since side sleepers usually need a soft feel for optimal comfort. When testing the mattress for our guide, Brains found that he felt well rested and pain-free. “While testing the Allswell, my sleep quality was above my average and better than any other cheap mattress I tested,” he said. “Objectively, the mattress facilitated better sleep.”
It has good edge support and motion isolation. Despite the affordable price, the Allswell had exactly average edge support and above-average motion isolation. Its performance in these tests makes it an excellent pick for couples, since you’re unlikely to feel the movements of a restless partner at night and will feel comfortable even when lying toward the edge of the mattress.
There are a few downsides, of course. The Allswell struggled with heat dissipation, and our tester occasionally experienced night sweats throughout the testing period. Hot sleepers should proceed with caution, but if you sleep cold, you might appreciate the heat retention. And if you prefer a soft mattress or sleep on your side, you should look elsewhere.
Read our Allswell Mattress review.
A contouring foam mattress for easing back pain: Tempur-Pedic Cloud Mattress
It’s a top pick in six of our guides. The Tempur-Cloud is the best memory foam mattress we’ve tested, also earning spots in our guides for back pain, cooling mattresses, side sleepers, back sleepers, and bed-in-a-box models.
It’s made of three layers of contouring, breathable memory foam. The top foam layer is designed for comfort, contouring to your body with a soft, plush feel. The second layer is made for support, providing relief on pressure points like the back and hips to ease aches and pains. The final layer is the base, made of strong foam intended to enhance durability and support.
James Brains/Business Insider
The Tempur-Cloud is one of the most comfortable mattresses we’ve ever tried — without skimping on support . Our tester was impressed with the hug-like feeling when lying on the Tempur-Cloud, and deemed it one of the most comfortable mattresses he’d ever slept on. In general, memory foam mattresses are lighter and softer than hybrid mattresses. While many foam mattresses lack support since they don’t have a coil system, we found that the Tempur-Cloud was perfectly supportive, cradling all pressure points for pain relief.
We recommend it for hot sleepers. It remained cool throughout the testing period, never causing our tester to wake up sweating. It also performed well in the motion isolation tests, but had subpar edge support, meaning it might not be comfortable if you tend to sleep near the edge of the mattress.
It’s pricier than other foam mattresses, but well worth it. The $1,999 price tag is more expensive than similar models, but it’s easily the most comfortable and supportive memory foam mattress we’ve tested. You’ll also find it on sale on rare occasions. It’s currently 30% off for Black Friday, so a queen costs only $1,399.
Read our Tempur-Pedic Cloud Mattress review.
An organic, breathable latex hybrid: Avocado Green Mattress
It’s a top pick in three of our guides. The Avocado Green Mattress is our favorite hybrid cooling mattress, featured in both the cooling mattress and hybrid mattress guides. It’s also our pick for the best organic mattress for combination sleepers.
It’s crafted with organic materials. The Avocado Green mattress boasts a plethora of certifications, from Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certified latex to Global Organic Trade Standard (GOTS) certified cotton and wool. It’s a mattress you can feel good sleeping on, knowing that it’s been validated by a number of third-party organizations.
Avocado
We recommend the Avocado Green for every sleep style. Unlike the other memory foam options on our list, the Avocado Green is a latex hybrid mattress. Latex is naturally breathable and bouncy, keeping hot sleepers cool and providing support without sinking. The Avocado Green is a true medium-firm mattress, so it’s suitable for side, stomach, and back sleepers alike. Our tester was comfortable regardless of what position he slept in, so we recommend it for combination sleepers as well.
With impressive trial and warranty policies, it’s a good value. The Avocado Green has a one-year trial, so you’ll be able to test out the mattress to determine if it’s a good fit for you. Plus, the 25-year warranty covers manufacturing defects or flaws. These trials are important, given that you’ll be paying around $2,099 for a queen-size mattress. You can also find steep discounts on the Avocado Green during major deal days. For Black Friday, the Avocado Green is 20% off, so a queen costs $1,679.
A fully adjustable bed that tracks your sleep: Sleep Number i8 Smart Bed
It’s a top pick in four of our guides. The Sleep Number i8 is an adjustable bed, and the top adjustable pick in our main mattress guide and back pain guide. Its adjustability also lends itself well to couples, so it’s also featured in our guide to mattresses for couples and as a pick for couples in the side sleepers mattress guide.
There are 20 automatically adjusting firmnesses. Your “sleep number” refers to your preferred level of firmness, ranging from 5 to 100. The i8 is unique because the level of firmness adjusts automatically as you shift during the night. For example, if you fall asleep on your side but wake up on your stomach, the bed would feel softer as you fall asleep, then firm up when you shift to your stomach for optimal support and spinal alignment.
James Brains/Business Insider
It tracks your sleep quality. The i8 connects to the Sleep Number app, where you can find information on your sleep quality, along with tips on how to get a better night’s sleep.
It’s best for couples. The queen- and king-size i8 beds track sleep statistics and adjust firmnesses on both sides, so it’s ideal for couples. If you prefer a firm bed but your partner enjoys a plush feel, you’ll both be able to get the feel you want without needing to compromise.
The i8 isn’t without its flaws. In testing, we weren’t impressed with the bed’s motion isolation and heat dissipation. Plus, the divider between the air chambers makes sprawling across the bed uncomfortable. The biggest downside, though, is the cost — a queen-size mattress costs almost $4,000. It’s not rare to find it on sale, though, such as the current Black Friday $1,200 discount.
For more information, read our Sleep Number i8 Smart Bed review.