6Not to add more pressure, but buying a new mattress is one of the most important purchases you’ll make for your home. It needs to be comfortable and supportive to give you the best possible sleep, and durable so you won’t have to replace it within a few years. And because mattresses can get pricey, you want to make sure you’re investing in one that’s actually worth the cost.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab reviews mattresses of all kinds, from traditional innerspring mattress that you buy in stores to foam mattress-in-a-box styles that you buy online. On top of researching the brands, materials, and features, we have product experts and consumer testers try them out, and we survey our tester panel to get in-depth reviews from real users. Our latest survey had responses from 5,500 mattress owners, and we reviewed over 126,000 data points before making these recommendations. Here are the best mattresses to buy in 2021:
Our evaluations show that a good mattress typically costs around $1,000 for Queen-size (which we reference in the pricing throughout this article as it’s the most popular mattress size on the market). That being said, you can still find a good mattress for under $500, and there are plenty of picks over $2,000 that are certainly worth the splurge.
Read on for more details about the best mattresses, plus feedback from consumer testers and the experts in our Textiles Lab. And while you’re shopping for a new mattress, check out our top-tested bedding picks for sheets, pillows, and comforters, along with mattress toppers and mattress protectors to help extend the life of your new bed.
Buying an affordable mattress doesn’t mean it has to be cheap. This one from Allswell is a fraction of the cost of others, but it still has excellent features and high ratings from our panel to make it stand out. The hybrid style has both memory foam and coils inside for a mix of comfort and support. The feedback from our survey respondents and testers was that it was absolutely worth the price, and some even said it got rid of neck and back pain.
If you’re looking to spend even less, the brand has a lower-priced mattress that isn’t as tall and doesn’t have as much edge support, but was still rated as comfortable in our review. There’s also a more expensive version (still under $1,000!) that has even more features like an extra layer at the top, more edge support, and a layer of temperature-regulating foam.
Ideal for hot sleepers, this mattress helps keep you cooler when you fall asleep and throughout the night. Most cooling mattresses have materials that feel cool to the touch or marginal temperature-regulating properties, but this one uses unique phase change technology that’s been tested to keep you feeling up to eight degrees cooler all night long.
Testers have told us the cooling factor is noticeable, it has held up well over time, and the motion control is a gamechanger. That’s not surprising, since Tempur-Pedic is famous for its high quality foam. We also love that this mattress has a removable, washable cover and offers a 90-night trial. Plus, there’s a less expensive ProBreeze version that gets up to three degrees cooler (instead of eight) and comes in a medium firmness level.
If you prefer to skip foam and synthetic fabrics, this mattress is made of natural and organic materials like wool, cotton and latex (a natural foam from the rubber tree). It’s also certified by the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) so you know the entire manufacturing process follows strict guidelines on the materials and ingredients used. It also has coils for support that are ergonomically laid out for proper alignment and added edge support so it won’t sink at the sides. And if you prefer an option without wool, the brand also sells a vegan version.
The best part is that you don’t have to sacrifice performance for an organic mattress. Users love sleeping on it and told us it keeps their body weight evenly distributed. They also told us the brand’s customer service is stellar and they had no issues to report. It’s on the firmer side, but you can opt for a pillow-top for an extra cost that’ll make it feel more plush.
It’s one of the most popular mattresses among our panel and in the bedding industry, and the name Casper is practically synonymous with «mattress-in-a-box.» Most people told us they love this all-foam bed and especially highlighted the price, ease of ordering, and overall comfort. It’s more well-liked by a younger crowd and there were some who didn’t find it comfortable, but the brand lets you get a refund during the 100-night trial if it’s not a good fit.
This style is the original and most popular mattress from the brand and it’s the one we think has the most value, but they’ve since launched several variations at different price points, including all foam and hybrid models.