The 6 Best Memory Foam Mattresses Of 2024, Tested And Reviewed

Tempurdeic; Vicky Leta/Insider

• Best for: All sleeping styles
• Construction: Three layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 6
• Available sizes: Twin, twin long, full, queen, king, Cal king
• Trial period and warranty: 90 nights, 10 years
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping, $175 return fee
• White glove delivery: No

Pros: Provides support and comfort for all sleeping positions, impressive heat dissipation, great motion isolation, lightweight

Cons: You pay shipping charges for returns, no white-glove delivery, poor edge support

In addition to being the overall best memory foam mattress, the Tempur-Pedic Cloud Mattress is the memory foam pick in our best cooling mattress and best mattress for side sleepers guides. It's also one of the most comfortable beds I've tested. Each night, I was asleep within minutes and awoke refreshed.

The $2,000 Tempur-Cloud features three layers of CertiPUR-US-certified foam topped with a breathable, moisture-wicking cover. The top two layers are made of Tempur-Pedic's proprietary foam, popular for its ability to contour to your body for support. The base layer of foam is designed for durability and support.

The Cloud does an outstanding job of dissipating heat. I stayed cool while testing it. I also appreciated the motion-dampening properties. I barely noticed my son jumping on the bed while lying on it, and it passed our bowling ball test. The only negative is the mattress's poor edge support. I felt like I would fall off when lying on the edge, which sank significantly when I sat on the side.

Read our full Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Mattress review.

Zinus; Vicky Leta/Business Insider

• Best for: All sleeping styles, hot sleepers
• Construction: 3 layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 5.5
• Available sizes: Twin, full, queen, king
• Trial period/warranty: 100 nights, 10 years
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping and returns
• White-glove delivery and mattress removal: No

Pros: Four thickness options, medium firmness will appeal to most sleeping styles, above-average motion isolation, very good edge support, gel memory foam construction remained cool in our tests

Cons: Unresponsive foam construction isn't ideal for optimal spinal alignment, little bounce, not available in twin XL or California king

If you have flexible comfort preferences, the Zinus Green Tea Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress is a budget-friendly solution. The sub-$400 bed doesn't have the comfort of mattresses that cost three times as much, but it still features excellent cooling properties, thanks to the inclusion of gel memory foam. The Zinus was one of the top performers in our cooling tests.

The foam did an okay job adjusting to my body's contours, but it didn't feel as supportive or dynamic as pricier beds. I'd recommend skipping the Zinus mattress if you are prone to joint pain or muscle soreness. While lying on it, I had difficulty keeping my spine aligned. I had to shift positions between my back, stomach, and side throughout the night to ward off stiffness. 

I tested the 12-inch-thick mattress, but it comes in 6-, 8-, and 10-inch thicknesses. I've found that beds thinner than 10 inches don't provide enough support, so I'd caution against buying the thinner models. If you share a bed with someone, you will appreciate the good motion isolation and edge support.

If the Zinus Green Tea isn't available, or you're looking for more budget-friendly alternatives, we recommend the Novilla Bliss 10 Inch Memory Foam Mattress as the best under $350 option in our best cheap mattress guide. It costs $90 less and has a plush feel that will appeal to side sleepers. 

Nectar

• Best for: All sleeping styles
• Construction: 3 layers of CertiPUR-US certified memory foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 6
• Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Trial period/warranty: 365 nights; lifetime
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping; return shipping deducted from refund
• White-glove delivery and mattress removal: Yes, $199

Pros: 365-night home trial, lightweight, great heat dissipation, lifetime warranty, outstanding motion isolation, medium firmness caters to most sleep positions

Cons: Subpar edge support

Due to its medium firmness, side sleepers will benefit most from the Nectar mattress. Some back and stomach sleepers may find it's firm enough too. My back remained pain-free during testing, and I primarily slept on my side.

The Nectar's cooling cover is made of a Tencel-poly blend. CertiPUR-US-certified foams make up the bed's three layers: gel memory foam on top; a pressure-relieving, adaptive-response transition layer; and a supportive foam base layer. While I often overheat at night, I stayed cool on the Nectar, even when the room was hot. The heat quickly dissipated when I got up.

The motion isolation is impressive, a plus for couples. However, the subpar edge support is a downside. Whether I was lying down or sitting on the edge, it sank significantly. However, at about $700, this is about as cheap as a good mattress for back pain gets.

Read our guide to the best mattresses for back pain.

Casper

• Best for: All sleeping styles, hot sleepers
• Construction: 3 layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 6
• Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king
• Trial period/warranty: 100 nights; 10 years
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping and returns
• White-glove delivery and mattress removal: Yes, $199

Pros: Impressive heat dissipation, great for all sleeping styles, good motion isolation, made of eco-friendly materials

Cons: Poor edge support

I've tested all of Casper's top mattresses, and I think the $1,300 Original is the best for the broadest range of sleepers. The bed-in-a-box pioneer's flagship bed is made up of three layers and utilizes a cover made of recycled bottles, though you wouldn't know it from the plush, cool-to-the-touch feel. The top comfort foam layer uses perforated foam to help with breathability, which stayed cool during testing. 

The middle layer is where the pressure-relieving properties come through. It's made of zoned-support memory foam. This means it's softer in the areas where you want it to be, like under the shoulders, and firmer around the lower back, waist, and hips. Zoned support also keeps your spine aligned for optimal comfort. Finally, the bottom base layer is comprised of a durable foam to provide support. Thanks to the average firmness, the mattress was comfortable while sleeping on my side and stomach. 

The Casper Original has outstanding motion isolation, passing our bowling ball test. However, the edge support wasn't good. It sagged significantly while I sat on the edge, and I felt like I would fall off when lying on the edge.

Read our Casper Original Mattress review.

Bear

• Best for: Back and stomach sleepers
• Construction: 3 layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 7
• Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Trial period and warranty: 120 nights, lifetime
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping and returns
• White glove delivery: Yes, $175

Pros: Firm feel will appeal to back and stomach sleepers, Greenguard Gold certified, uses Celliant fibers in the cover, decent edge support, fast heat dissipation, easy to move, long home trial and warranty

Cons: Poor motion isolation, may be uncomfortable for side sleepers

I usually recommend one of the best hybrid mattresses to people who sleep on their back (Tempur-Pedic PRObreeze) or stomach (Awara) because the coils add the firm support needed to keep your spine aligned in that position. Memory foam tends to sink in too much. However, the firmness of the Bear Original Mattress is ideal for stomach and back sleeping. I tested it while sleeping on my stomach, and my Garmin smartwatch sleep numbers (REM, deep, overall sleep) were terrific. I awoke feeling great.

The $700 Bear Original is Greenguard Gold and CertiPUR-US certified. The three foam layers are covered by a breathable material called Celliant, known for dissipating heat. The top foam layer is graphite-gel memory foam designed to help you stay cool. Next is a responsive foam layer balancing support and pressure point relief. And the base is high-density foam for durability.

The cooling materials performed well during my testing. While the mattress got hotter than most others I tested, it also dissipated the heat quickly, showing one of the largest temperature drops in my tests.

The edge support was also pretty good. I didn't sink much when sitting on the side, but it did exhibit significant give when I lay on the edge. The motion isolation was among the worst I've tested, and the bed failed the bowling ball test and had high vibration meter readings.

GhostBed

• Best for: All sleeping styles
• Construction: 4 CertiPUR-US certified foam layers plus 2 proprietary cooling fabric layers
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 6
• Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Trial period/warranty: 101 nights; 25 years 
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping and returns
• White-glove delivery and mattress removal: Yes, $279

Pros: Great motion isolation, outstanding edge support, great for all sleeping styles, 25-year warranty

Cons: Petite side sleepers might find this bed too firm

When assessing whether a mattress is right for couples, I look at the edge support (how supportive a bed is at its peripheries) and motion isolation (how well it keeps you undisturbed as your partner moves in the night). The GhostBed Luxe has excellent edge support and motion isolation.

From top to bottom, it features a quilted cover, gel memory foam, and a cooling fabric, all designed to reduce overheating. Next is another fabric layer meant to pull heat away from the body. Another gel memory foam layer follows that, then a foam comfort layer that lends bounce, and finally, a thick base foam layer for durability and support. While GhostBed markets the Luxe as a great cooling bed, it was just in the middle of the pack in our tests.

The mattress failed our bowling ball motion isolation test. However, I also put it through a more realistic test using a vibrometer to measure the vibrations on one side of the mattress while I dropped the bowling ball on the other. The GhostBed Luxe had the lowest median score of the 40 mattresses I've put through this test. While lying on the bed, I wasn't jostled as my partner moved around. The mattress was great in other areas as well. I felt comfortable on my stomach, side, and back, suggesting it would appeal to a broad range of sleepers.

Check out our best mattress for couples guide.

Airweave; Vicky Leta/Insider

• Best for: Stomach and back sleepers
• Construction: Polyethylene foam
• Firmness (1 softest to 10 firmest): 10 (9 with insert)
• Available sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king
• Trial period/warranty: 100 nights; 10 years
• Shipping and returns: Free shipping and returns
• White-glove delivery and mattress removal: $40 for white-glove delivery, $125 for all non-California mattress removals, $0 for California-based removals

Pros: Decent motion isolation, impressive bounce, soft insert transforms bed from ultra-firm to just firm, machine-washable cover, excellent edge support, very good heat dissipation

Cons: Side sleepers will find this uncomfortable, difficult to move around, assembly required, expensive $4,500 price tag

The Airweave Mattress doesn't use traditional memory foam. Instead, it's a modular system of ultra-firm polyethylene foam with an open structure that allows for airflow, providing outstanding cooling in our tests.

As a predominantly side sleeper, I don't like firm mattresses, but I found the Airweave surprisingly tolerable, especially when I added the removable soft insert. It's only 8 inches thick, thinner than the 10 inches I've found is generally needed for a supportive mattress. However, I didn't find the Airweave lacking in support. 

The bed performed well in motion isolation tests, and the edge support is outstanding. The polyethylene was quite bouncy, which couples tend to like during sex. Whereas you just unbox and unwrap most mattresses, the Airweave requires assembly. The three core blocks are tough to move around as you set it up. 

James Brains/Business Insider

A mattress may be ideal for 99% of sleepers but awful for you. That's why one of your top considerations should be a long home trial. This allows you to try the mattress at home for several nights without committing to it.

Mark Goetting, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, suggests lying on the mattress as long as you can in a showroom before buying it. 

If you don't know where to start shopping for a bed or feel uncomfortable in a showroom, here are a few tips for choosing a mattress based on how you sleep.

Side sleepers: Most people sleep on their side, and fortunately, "side sleepers find memory foam to be great because of the way it contours to the spine and creates neutral alignment," said Derek Hales, founder of the mattress review site NapLab. A softer-than-average mattress will let side sleepers sink in, helping them achieve spinal alignment. Zoned support is also helpful for side sleepers who need increased pressure-point relief to keep their spine aligned.

Back sleepers: Back sleepers don't want to sink in as much as side sleepers, so a medium-firm mattress is better. When you're lying flat, it will keep your back closer to neutral.

Stomach sleepers: Goetting said a firm mattress is important because stomach sleepers must rotate their head to breathe, leaving the spine out of alignment. When you couple this with a pillow that causes your head to flex backward, you're more prone to restless sleep and neck pain. A firm mattress reduces the degree to which your head flexes backward. In general, the experts I've talked to recommend avoiding sleeping on your stomach if you can.

James Brains/Business Insider

I slept on all the mattresses in this guide for at least 14 nights and put them all through a series of objective tests. All models were queen-size.

I'm a 6-foot-tall, 205-pound side sleeper, but I also spend time on my back and stomach. I experience occasional lower back pain flare-ups and overheating at night.

In addition to Goetting and Hales, I talked to Marilyn Li, MD, an allergist at the University of Southern California, and Tamara Huff, MD, a Georgia-based board-certified orthopedic surgeon and health disparities advocate.

The most important factors to consider when shopping for a memory foam mattress are comfort, motion transfer, and return policy.

Test results for the main attributes we tested:

Here are the main attributes we look for and how we test them:

Comfort: Each morning, I note how comfortable I was on the mattress the night before, what sleep position I gravitated toward, and if and where I felt any pain. I also used the Garmin Forerunner 945 watch to track how much REM, deep, and overall sleep I had. 

Motion transfer: Also called motion isolation, motion transfer is measured using the bowling ball test. I drop a 15-pound bowling ball from 4 feet above the mattress so that it lands 12 inches from a soda can. If the can falls over, the motion isolation is poor. If it stays upright, the bed does a good job of dampening motion. I also take a vibration meter reading from the opposite side of the bed from the bowling ball drop. Lastly, I note my subjective experience as others move around on the mattress while I'm lying on it.

Trial and warranty: All of the top mattresses in this guide have a trial period of at least 90 nights. That should be long enough to tell if a bed is right for you. I read the fine print of the return policy to see if any fees are associated with returning the bed. I also note the length of the warranty. Our picks have warranties of at least 10 years, about how long you should expect your mattress to last.

Heat dissipation: The first thing I do each morning is use a laser thermometer to measure the surface temperature of the mattress. The second thing I do is measure the surface temp again two minutes later. The first measurement tells me how cool the mattress stays. When I compare it to the second measurement, I see how well the heat dissipates. 

Edge support: Good edge support is helpful whether you are lying or sitting on the side of your bed. You want to feel supported. To test edge support, I lie on the edge of the bed and slowly roll off. I note the approximate angle of my body at the moment I fall. The closer I get to the perpendicular, the better the edge support. I also sit on the side of the bed and measure how much the edge sinks. On average, mattresses sink about 3.5 inches. 

Setup: I set up all the mattresses myself (unless there's free white-glove delivery). I note how long it takes me, any unusual steps, if there's an initial odor and if it dissipates by bedtime, and if the mattress comes with directions or tools. Most mattresses take 5 to 10 minutes to set up but do require a period to expand before being suitable for sleeping. I strongly recommend getting help setting up your mattress. I give the costs and details for white-glove delivery in my reviews.

Portability: I have to move the mattresses around more than the average person as I switch them out in my testing area. Portability is important if you move a lot or just want to regularly rotate your bed, an important step to prolong the life of your mattress. When moving the mattresses, I note how heavy they feel, if they flop around, and if there are handles.

James Brains/Business Insider

Do memory foam mattresses get hot?

"Early memory foam would absorb heat and get warmer over time," said Hales. "But as memory foam has developed over the years, heat has become less of an issue." Hales noted that even the best all-foam mattresses will run hotter than hybrid mattresses, which are designed for airflow and breathability. I've found that hybrid mattresses are generally cooler than all-foam mattresses, but some outliers tend to stay cool, including our top pick, the Tempur-Cloud.

How much does a memory foam mattress cost?

Our picks range in price from $400 to $4,600. You should expect to spend at least $1,000 for a high-quality, all-foam mattress but can get away with spending less if you don't mind a bed that sleeps hot or has poor pressure relief or support. Foam beds tend to cost less than other mattress styles, but they lack the durability and support provided by the coils found in hybrid mattresses.

Are memory foam mattresses more likely to cause allergic reactions?

According to Li, dust mites are the main source of allergic reactions to bedding. She pointed to a study that found 5% to 30% of the general population is reactive to dust mites. Li suggested covering your mattress with the best mattress protector to ward off dust mites.  Formaldehyde is another source of allergic reactions to bedding that Li sees. Formaldehyde is used as a preservative in some mattresses. Look for beds with CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certifications if you are sensitive to formaldehyde.

Do I need to use a box spring or foundation with a memory foam mattress?

No. Memory foam mattresses require a solid or slatted foundation. If you choose a slatted foundation, ensure the slats are no more than 2.5 inches apart. If they are, add a bunkie board or extra slats. Placing your mattress directly on the floor is also an option.