Firm, plush, or soft feel? �Firm,� I said to the 1-800-Mattress guide as I lay on a Simmons Beautyrest. �Thought so,� he said. �New Yorkers like firm. Soft only sells in the suburbs.� That was the simplest thing I had to consider in my journey through modern bed-land. A lot has changed since the days when a bed was just some springs buttressing iridescent quilted polyester. Mattresses of the moment are made of foam, latex, and sometimes coils in a mind-numbing array of combinations. The original foam is Tempur-pedic, the solid-memory foam developed by nasa and made famous by its infomercial; now there are legions. Tempur-pedic is one of the firmest beds you can buy and a best seller in New York. (Note to shoppers: This time of year, as white sales abound, Macy’s lists a California King Rhapsody mattress set at $3,799.) Converts like that unshakable feeling�one person can get up without the other inhabitant feeling the weight shift (it’s called �motion separation� in the mattress business).
Memory foam is also hypoallergenic, since dust mites can’t live in it. But most of the foam beds I tested felt like warm quicksand, and the way they slowly rose up after I rolled off was slightly creepy. My favorite of the lot was from the Italian company Magniflex, whose �geoethic� line of beds have layers of plant-based memory foam ($1,399 to $5,399 for a queen). Magniflex cuts channels into their foam so air circulates. As I reclined my way through the Soho showroom (59 Crosby St., nr. 646-330-5483), I felt supported but not swallowed. And the delivery is smart; the mattress arrives rolled up a like a rug and vacuum-packed, which makes it a lot easier to lug up to a sixth-floor walk-up. Then there’s latex, which can be natural (made from rubber) or synthetic. It has bounce, so it feels closer to a traditional coil mattress, and manufacturers often layer various densities to �build� a bed�firm on the bottom, soft on top, and so forth. The rule of thumb here is the more natural latex involved, the higher the price.
A mid-priced queen like the Stearns and Foster Julep, which has a puffy �Euro� pillow top, costs $1,799 (Sleepy’s, 157 E. 57th St., nr. 212-421-3090). I found Ikea’s $899 queen-size natural latex quite satisfactory and�in this time of gargantuan, 21-inch-deep pillow-top giants�appealingly slim. (Ikea Brooklyn, 1 Beard St., nr. Otsego St., Red Hook; Hybrid beds made up the majority of the mattresses I tried. By and large, they felt exactly the same�an inch more latex here, a firm pillow top on a soft mattress or vice versa. Some even had a core of inner springs, each nestled into their own fabric pockets. I sunk happily into the Empress Exceptionale by Simmons at 1-800-Mattress ($3,499 for a queen, 369 W. 34th St., nr. 212-239-0127), made with springs covered in latex plus memory foam and a pillow top. But it is so enormous, I can’t imagine getting it into my New York apartment. Which is one of the problems with beds today. Some salespeople I spoke with reported a supersize backlash.
1-800-Mattress just introduced a house brand of shallower, cheaper mattresses with old-fashioned coils ($599 for a queen Classic Gem). They’re also two-sided, which many mattresses aren’t anymore, meaning they can be flipped periodically, thus lengthening their life span. I admired the thriftiness, but after trying all the pillow tops, the throwbacks felt too springy. If I were going to replace my ten-year-old embodiment of old technology, I’d buy the David from OrganicPedic by OMI at ABC Carpet & Home’s organic emporium ($3,395 for a queen, 888 Broadway, at 19th St.; 212-473-3000). Three layers of pure organic latex, customizable to your preference: firm, soft, medium. And the cotton cover is removable, so if the top latex layer seems saggy after a couple of years, you can just replace it for $850 instead of buying an entirely new mattress. Today I’m tackling the million-dollar question, what is the best mattress for sex? For this guide, we’re going to look at the major criteria that make a mattress better or worse for sex.
Some factors may not be that important to you, while others may be absolutely critical. We’ll be breaking down each mattress based on these criteria so you can find the best mattress for sex. Bear in mind, we’re not going to talk much about sleep in this analysis. You should definitely consider how a mattress feels and sleeps in addition to how it performs for sex. Check out our full mattress review series for more on that. If you’d rather skip the intro section and just get into the top mattress choices, feel free to jump down to the bottom. With that brief intro out of the way, let’s dive in! A mattress response time means how fast it adjusts to your body as you move around. Mattresses with slower response times can feel like having sex in quick sand. An ideal mattress for sex will rapidly adjust to your change in movement and positions so you are well supported on a stable surface. The bounce of a mattress relates to the feel when it’s being compressed.
A mattress with good bounce will rebound, as opposed to simply absorbing your impact. During sex, this can help to create a consistent rhythm that works with you and not against. Let’s face it, sometimes you need a certain degree of discretion. Some mattresses can be extremely loud during sex, drawing unwanted attention. An ideal mattress for sex will help to keep the noise to a minimum. The overall durability of the mattress will surely be put to the test during sex. A good mattress for sex should be able to standup to years of consistent amorous activities. Many sex positions require, or are significantly improved, by a stable and strong edge. Mattress edges that collapse under pressure can make for a less than ideal experience. The best sexy-times mattress will be one that supports pressure and weight directly on the edge of the mattress. And lastly, we have comfort. If the mattress creates pressure points on your body during sex it can limit your desire and amount of time you actually want to be there.
The ideal mattress for sex will be one that doesn’t create pressure points in any position. Below I have listed my favorite and best mattresses for sex. I’ll continue to update this list as I test and review new mattresses. Have a mattress you think should be added or tested? Drop me a note here. Down at the bottom we have all of our favorite mattresses for sex compared to each other in a table. The Leesa is one of my favorite mattresses when it comes to both sleep and sex. This mattress has a nice balanced touch in almost every area. Both the responsiveness and bounce are quite good, making for an enjoyable experience. The only area of weakness is the edge support, which is tough on most any foam mattress.However, it does a great job everywhere else. Read our full Leesa Mattress review here. Brooklyn Bedding uses 4″ of latex foam to deliver great bounce and push back. This push back helps improve sex enjoyment on the mattress, as it behaves similar to how an innerspring would in this regard (however, not quite at the same level as an innerspring).
Slightly better than average edge support makes the Brooklyn Bedding a good all around option for both sex and sleep alike. Read our full Brooklyn Bedding mattress review here. The Alexander Hybrid mattress is one of Nest Bedding’s most luxury level mattresses. Build from a high-end zoned coil system and topped with layers of memory foam and a thick quilted cover, the Alexander Hybrid creates a beautiful combination of great bounce, edge support, and comfort. The Alexander Hybrid has a quality and performance level that would put it in the $3-4K range in-stores, making it a steal at $999 for a Queen. Read our full Nest Bedding Alexander Hybrid mattress review here. The Purple mattress is built from 3 layers of foam and gel polymer. The gel polymer is really what makes the Purple unique. This patented hyper elastic polymer creates impressive cooling, bounce, and instantaneous response. A leaner 9.5″ profile gives it a clean and modern aesthetic in any room. This mattress is a great choice for sleepers who want the added bounce / response, but don’t want coils.
Read our full Purple mattress review here. The Saatva stands among a small group of online mattresses that are still constructed from traditional innersprings. That said, the Saatva isn’t just your ordinary innerspring mattress. Its coil-on-coil construction results in great support, durability, and impressive bounce. Additionally, Saatva’s euro-style pillow top has a delightful feel that adds softness and comfort without sacrificing aesthetic appeal or bounce factor. Read our full Saatva Mattress review here. The WinkBed mattress is a hybrid mattress built with coil-on-coil innerspring construction and high-quality foam. The innerspring core results in exceptional bounce and strong edges, both important factors for bedroom activities. Truly a luxury mattress build, the WinkBed is on par with other high-quality innerspring mattresses. You could expect to pay $3,000+ for this mattress in a retail store. Read our full WinkBed mattress review here. The Loom & Leaf is a luxury foam mattress designed for maximum comfort and cooling.