For more, watch our interactive video. You can skip to chapters on the different types of mattresses, tips for test driving a mattress, and more. Common claims that haven’t held up in our tests: Foam Layers Make a Better Bed More innerspring mattresses now include foam on top. But the foam is often too thin to make a difference on some of the hybrid models. Hybrid innerspring models that scored well in our tests had a foam layer several inches thick, though performance still varied. More Coils, the Better The better innerspring models we tested had 600 to 1,000 coils. But even if one mattress has more coils than another, the coils could be made of thinner-gauge metal. You’ll also hear about coil variations such as Bonnell (hourglass type), continuous wire, and individually pocketed springs. None of those is inherently superior. Gel Provides a Cooler Sleep Some mattresses (noted in our Ratings) have a layer of gel-infused foam that’s supposed to provide a cooling effect.
But that layer is buried beneath other layers. While our tests have shown that innerspring mattresses containing gel did tend to sleep slightly cooler, the reverse was true with gel-infused foam beds. Extra Lumbar Support Helps Back Sleepers A special lumbar-support zone is one of many ways manufacturers try to differentiate their product lines. But there’s no guarantee that it makes any real difference, and it hasn’t shown significant benefits in our tests. Forget About Comparison Shopping If you like a mattress at one store and ask elsewhere for something similar, you're likely to be steered toward a same-brand mattress claimed to have the same construction, components, and firmness. But they’re probably not the same. Mattress makers offer some lines nationally, but when those brands are sold through major chains such as Macy's, Sears, and Sleepy’s, they're for lines exclusive to those chains. And manufacturers don't publish a directory of comparable mattresses.
When we went to three bedding chains and asked for mattresses similar to those we’d bought at three department stores, five of the six were way off the mark. So use our Ratings as a guide, and insist on the precise make and model that scored well in our tests. Also check our Ratings of mattress brands and stores, based on subscriber surveys. If possible, lie on any mattress that you’re considering. Wear loose clothes and shoes you can slip off. Make yourself comfortable, and shoo away the salesperson if you’re feeling pressured. Salespeople should expect you to take your time. Spend at least five or ten minutes on each side and on your back (your stomach, too, if that's a preferred sleeping position). Panelists who took beds home for a month-long trial rarely changed the opinion they formed after the first night. Shopping online or at a warehouse club? Tryouts aren’t usually an option, so checking return policies before you buy is extra important. Make sure the store offers a full refund or credit toward another mattress.
Return periods, often called “comfort guarantees,” range from a couple of weeks to 120 days. Some retailers, including Macy’s and Sears, charge a 15-percent restocking fee. Costco and some online sellers provide free pickup if you want a refund or exchange, but otherwise, you’ll have to pay for it—or cart the mattress to the store. And you’ll be responsible for any damage. Once you’ve settled on a model, try to bring the price down. Many businesses, such as warehouse clubs, have fixed prices and won’t budge. But for retailers that do negotiate—particularly specialty chains—huge markups allow them to lower prices by 50 percent or more during their frequent sales. Our recommendation: Any time of year, insist on a sale price you’ve seen for the mattress you know you want, and don’t be afraid to walk out if you feel you’re getting a raw deal. Don’t Be Bullied Into Buying a Box Spring You might not need it. For an innerspring mattress, the box spring (also called a “foundation”) is a wood frame enclosing stiff wire and covered with fabric to match the mattress.
For foam or adjustable-air mattresses, it’s a box several inches high. If you're switching to a foam or adjustable-air bed from an innerspring, you'll need a boxy foundation that lacks springs and wire. Otherwise, if your box spring isn't broken and is still structurally sound, consider keeping it and saving money (roughly $150 to $300 for a queen-size). One caveat: Some brands require you to buy their box spring to receive full warranty coverage. It can range from 10 to 25 years and covers only manufacturing defects such as sagging and loose or broken coil wires. Coverage is frequently prorated, meaning that it decreases over time. Never accept delivery without inspecting the mattress (and the box spring, if you buy one) for stains and other damage. Also be sure that the mattress has a label that states “all-new material” before you send the driver on his way. If it’s not there, refuse delivery. And keep it on afterward in case you do have to file a warranty claim in the future.
ContentsBest 100% Natural Latex MattressTop 3 Latex HybridsBest Latex Hybrid Mattresses ComparedGhostBedCasperHelixTop 3 All Latex MattressBest All Latex Mattresses ComparedBrooklyn BeddingPlushBeds Botanical BlissSpindleWhat to look for in a latex mattressNatural vs Synthetic/BlendDunlop vs TalalayLatex mattress warrantyLatex Density/ILDFinal Recommendation Latex is a great sleeping surface because it offers a lot of the benefits of without some of the drawbacks. You can get great comfort and support, but latex generally and has , which some people really appreciate. Though latex mattresses are generally less popular in terms of number of bed sold, people are starting to realize the benefits of latex with a lot of new bed-in-a-box models making their mattresses at least part latex (think Casper or GhostBed). As time progresses, I fully expect latex to become more and more popular. The other potential benefit of latex is that it can be all-natural. Most companies opt to make their latex mattresses at least part synthetic due to cost, but there are some – which can never be the case for memory foam.
As people start to move towards more natural products, I think latex will become more popular. I’ve slept on a lot of latex mattresses at this point (with more on the way), so I’ll highlight a few of my favorites by category: all latex, latex hybrids, and all-natural latex options. Unfortunately a “natural” mattress doesn’t necessarily mean 100% natural in this industry. Sometimes companies will use 10% natural latex and 90% synthetic latex and still call it a natural mattress. The reason is that natural materials are significantly more expensive, and at the end of the day people frequently choose their wallet over fear of chemicals or desire for an eco-friendly product. That being said, my absolute #1 in the all-natural category is PlushBeds. They make a very comfortable mattress (classic latex feel), and because of their manufacturing process they are able to bring the cost down significantly. They have a number of options, but my favorite is the 10″ Botanical Bliss.
Other mattress brands of note in this category are SavvyRest and Habitat Furnishings, though they end up being significantly more expensive. The latex hybrids are right now the most popular type of mattress (of any kind), aiming to offer the (namely pressure-relieving yet responsive at the same time). Hybrid simply means there are other types of foam, most often memory foam, in the mattress. My favorite three are: These are overall high quality mattresses, rating well in my general mattress reviews page. These three happen to be similarly priced as well, making it easy for you to choose the mattress just based on the brand and slightly different feels. GhostBed is a relatively new brand, but is made by long time mattress veterans Nature’s Sleep. As I said this latex-over-memory-foam construction is very popular right now, but GhostBed used their mattress experience to do it better than most. Compared to similar models, GhostBed rates #1 for two reasons: durability and price.
The mattress foam specs are better than nearly all of the similarly constructed competitors, which gives me confidence that the mattress will retain its feel for much longer (note: most of these brands are relatively new, so this is my assessment based on the specs, not personal experience). The price is also incredibly competitive, and only possible because it is manufactured by a company that is already doing such large scale mattress manufacturing. The company clearly leveraged their industry connections to get a very competitively priced product to market (use a coupon for even more savings). Learn more in my full GhostBed review. Casper is certainly one of the most well-known mattresses today, with their launch really bringing attention to the online-mattress category. Buy Casper on Amazon Here Casper claims that it has the “one perfect mattress,” which I don’t believe to be true (there is no mattress that suits everyone). However if you have average sleep preferences, particularly in terms of firmness, I think that Casper is a really good option.
If you’re interested in Casper, look at my Casper review or Casper coupon pages for more information. Helix is a latex hybrid, though the construction of the mattress changes based on your personalized preferences. The company actually makes you take a quiz and then changes the mattress construction based on your responses. I’m a pretty average person when it comes to sleeping preferences, but I thought that Helix did a great job of using the quiz information to suit my preferences. The comfort is definitely there, and they use quality materials as well (no matter the construction details of your custom mattress). You can read more about the customization options and company in my Helix Sleep review and Helix coupon page. Though the hybrids are popular, some people will prefer an all-latex mattress (by all-latex we mean all comfort layers, though some of these options will still use core foam as the base layer). These tend to have a lot of bounce (for a foam mattress) and can potentially be all-natural/organic as well.
My top 3 latex mattresses are: The Brooklyn Bedding (also named #bestmattressever) is very similar to the Love Bed in feel, and actually is made in the same factory. The mattress has a lot of spring to it as well, making it very easy to move around or get out of the bed. A big perk with the Brooklyn Bedding mattress as well is that it comes from a very well-known mattress manufacturer, so I actually trust in the quality and durability of this mattress as much as any I have reviewed. To learn more about this mattress visit my Brooklyn Bedding review and Brooklyn Bedding coupon pages. The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss is one of my top overall picks. The mattress is one of the few all-natural mattress (yes, 100% organic) mattresses available on the market. On top of that, I think it’s very comfortable and offers great support. The mattress is definitely not cheap, and is by far the most expensive on this best latex mattress page, but compared to other 100% natural latex mattresses, this is actually priced incredibly low.
The company is fully vertically integrated (they even import their own latex from Sri Lanka), so they pass on a lot of value to the consumer. Learn more about this company in my PlushBeds review. Spindle is a really unique mattress, providing natural latex at an incredibly affordable price. You do need to assemble the mattress yourself, but once assembled, I daresay you have one of the best mattress values on the market. An advantage to the mattress is that the layers can be re-organized as well to give you different firmness options. This mattress company is less-known, but after learning more about their manufacturing and methodology, they are one I really like to recommend because they are really the only natural latex mattress available at an affordable price point. Learn more about this mattress in my Spindle Mattress Review. When you look at a latex mattress, you will be exposed to an entirely new terminology compared to other types of mattresses. Key decisions will be natural vs synthetic/blend, Dunlop vs Talalay processing, unique warranty considerations, and density/ILD.
The latex in a mattress can be all natural latex, synthetic latex, or a blend of natural and synthetic. Natural latex (from rubber trees) and synthetic latex (made through chemical process) actually feel quite similar, though in general natural latex mattresses are preferred. Generally the decision here comes down to price. People prefer the feel and eco-friendliness of natural latex, but even the most reasonably priced all-natural mattresses (think PlushBeds) start at around $2000. If you can afford it, go natural, but otherwise synthetic/blend will offer a pretty similar sleeping experience. Dunlop and Talalay are two different types of latex processing. In general the two types of processing result in different feels, with Dunlop leading to a firmer feel and Talalay leading to a softer feel. I don’t think that one type of processing is better than another, although it is true that talalay produces a more consistent latex. I recommend that you think about the feel of the mattress, rather than the processing method, to make your final decision.
Related: see common latex mattress complaints You’ll want to look at the warranty carefully (as with any mattress), but the thing to be concerned about with latex is compression/body impressions. This is the most likely issue that will come up with a latex mattress, so just be aware of the terms and how you expect your mattress to behave over time. With latex you will commonly hear two measures of the foam, density and ILD. The density will be communicated in lbs, and is a measure of weight per square foot. To generalize, the higher the density the higher the durability of the foam. The ILD (Indentation Load Deflection) is a measure of firmness, ranging generally from 14-38. The higher the number, the firmer the mattress. Latex mattresses are definitely a great option if you’re looking for some of the benefits of memory foam without some of the drawbacks. As a result, many of the mattresses mentioned on this page do well in my general mattress reviews.