12 Best Mattresses of 2023: SELF Editors Tested and Reviewed

By Malia Griggs

All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

When it comes to setting the tone for your day, great sleep is essential, as is the right bed. Having the right mattress (and pillow) can lead to better sleep health and, in turn, quality of life. Of course, finding the mattress of your dreams can often prove a nightmarish task. Like a house, car, or any other major investment, there are seemingly thousands of options, opinions, and prices to think about.

That's where we come in. Whether you’re shopping for your first big mattress purchase, looking to replace your old one, or searching for a mattress that could lead to better sleep, we’ve done the testing for you. Let's answer some common questions about mattress shopping and then we’ll share some of the best mattresses we’ve personally vetted and given our SELF Certified seal of approval.

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There are a few main types of mattresses to choose from: innerspring (contains internal coils), foam (made of polyurethane foam or memory foam), hybrid (a mix of innerspring and foam), and latex (made completely of latex rubber).

Innerspring mattresses have long been the mattress type in production and may very well be the type you grew up sleeping on. They’re often cheaper and, owing to their coils (which come in a variety of types, sizes, heights, and quantities), generally bouncier. They also provide strong edge support and don't retain much heat.

Foam mattresses have risen in popularity, especially in the age of mattress-in-a-box brands, as they’re easier to roll up and ship. True to their name, the coil-free mattresses are made of layers of foam, fabric, or latex. They’re known for being soft and supportive, with excellent motion isolation. Heat, however, is more easily retained, so hot sleepers be aware that some foam mattresses are made with layers of gel or gel-infused foam which is intended to reduce warmth.

Memory foam mattresses are made of a popular type of viscoelastic foam (a combination of polyfoam and different chemicals) and they’re known for their elasticity and viscosity, meaning they contour to the body's shape but return to their original shape when no weight is placed on them. Originally developed by NASA in the 1960s for use in space travel, Tempur-Pedic began selling memory foam mattress toppers in the 1990s.

Hybrid mattresses combine pocketed coils with the comfort of foam or latex. These mattresses are known for being very supportive, durable, and highly breathable thanks to the airflow that can pass through the innerspring core. Hybrid, as well as all-foam mattresses, are considered smart choices for side sleepers.

Latex mattresses are made from materials derived from rubber trees and plants. The best latex mattresses range from medium-firm to extremely firm. They contain layers of latex which give them a responsive, contouring feel with a unique bounce, and they’re considered longer-lasting. Experts say they’re excellent for anyone who deals with back pain. Nicely, latex mattresses are also more eco-conscious, as they come from a natural source.

When it comes to shopping for a mattress, sleep experts offer a list of criteria to consider before you purchase, all of which we use to evaluate mattresses as part of our SELF Certified reviews. These criteria include the following: sleep quality (how easily you fall and stay asleep and how rested you feel), support (how well the mattress surface pushes back against your body), comfort (factoring in what position you usually sleep in), coolness and temperature, adjustability, motion transfer, and materials.

It's also important to look for a risk-free trial period, so you can try your new mattress for several nights before making your final decision. Check out our mattress buying guide for more detail.

Following the criteria provided by sleep experts, SELF editors reviewed mattresses from some of the biggest brands, including DreamCloud, Casper, Helix, Purple Mattress, and Avocado. Below, find our top picks for the best mattresses on the market now.

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: A medium-firm hybrid mattress, the DreamCloud Premier combines coil springs with foam layers—a combination that our SELF reviewer praised for its responsiveness, slight springiness, and excellent breathability. She was especially impressed with how high-quality and expensive the mattress felt, owing to its 14 inches of height and plush European cashmere pillow top, with two inches of contouring memory foam, low-motion support foam, individually wrapped coils, and more below it.

Review: "This might be my favorite thing about my DreamCloud: I’ve been so much cooler at night. Even when I would set my thermostat to the recommended 67 degrees, I still sometimes woke up in the middle of the night feeling steamy on my all-foam mattress. But since I’ve started sleeping on the Premier, I’ve noticed way fewer sweaty nights—including during the record-breaking heat wave we recently had in the Northeast (feeling cranky just thinking about it)." —Cathryne Keller, SELF associate wellness director

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, and split king sizes

Price: Ranges from $999 for a twin to $2,598 for a split king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 365-night trial period

Warranty: Lifetime warranty

Courtesy of brand

Why It's Worth It: The Nectar Premier is made of three core layers: There's a three-inch gel-infused memory foam layer designed to contour to your body and react to changes in your body temperature; followed by a three-inch layer of responsive foam to help with spinal alignment; and finished with a seven-inch base layer foam to structure and support the upper layers. (And yes, that's 13 inches, if you’re counting.) Our SELF reviewer found it perfect for a combination sleeper (meaning she switches sleeping positions throughout the night) like herself.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Malia Griggs

Review: "The Nectar Premier mattress is an excellent, high-quality combination of support, comfort, and temperature regulation, and it's the closest to perfect I’ve found. When I went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving, I left two days early so I could sleep on this mattress. And let's be clear—they weren't upset. They actually went and bought the mattress, too." —Sarah Madaus, SELF commerce writer

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, and split king sizes

Price: Ranges from $699 for a twin to $1,598 for a split king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 365-night trial period

Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: The Helix Midnight Luxe is another excellent hybrid mattress that is especially great for side sleepers. The Luxe series has six different types of mattresses to choose from for every type of sleeper. The choices are broken down into three different feels (soft, medium, or firm), and within each of these levels, you can choose between a side sleeper, or a back and stomach sleeper. Our SELF reviewer tested the medium feel for side sleepers (Midnight Luxe), but said that if you’re sleeping with a partner you might like a firmer feel to avoid sinkage (like the Twilight Luxe).

Review: "The Helix Midnight Luxe is plush, supportive, and contouring to my body, especially as a side and stomach sleeper. It's kept me comfortable and well-rested for the last half of this year. If you want a hybrid mattress with the responsive feel of memory foam layers and the firmness of coil layers, then I highly recommend this bed. Now that I’ve experienced the high-quality Helix Midnight Luxe mattress, it's hard to sleep on anything else." —Jenifer Calle, SELF senior commerce editor

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $1,374 for a twin to $2,874 for a California king; free US shipping included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 days)

Warranty: Limited 15-year warranty

Courtesy of the brands / Amanda K. Bailey

Why It's Worth It: The Casper Element Pro is a favorite of our commerce editor, Malia Griggs. The all-foam mattress is wrapped in a cozy breathable knit and manages to be both soft and supportive, giving the sensation of being cradled by a glove that supports your body part by part. One of the other pros of this Casper mattress is that its layers of foam are certified by a nonprofit group to prove that they’re produced without damaging chemicals—a real plus if you’re worried about the negative impact a mattress’ materials can have on your health and the environment.

Review: "If you’re a side sleeper who struggles to stay still during the night, the Casper Element Pro is an excellent, dependable option. I loved how it simultaneously embraced and supported me in a way I haven't experienced before, even with other all-foam mattresses. The queen size costs less than $1,000, and you can get it for cheaper during one of the brand's sales throughout the year." —Malia Griggs, SELF commerce editor

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Malia Griggs

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin, full, queen, and king sizes

Price: Ranges from $595 for a twin to $1,395 for a king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 nights)

Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Courtesy of brand/Amanda Bailey

Why It's Worth It: The Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress is made of adaptive foam, which is a top layer of foam that's designed to shape around your body but that's durable enough to not leave a mark when you stand (unlike memory foam, according to the company). The layer contains graphite, ceramic, and gel that absorb heat, leaving you cool. Our SELF reviewer tested the Mint mattress during the summer and found the top layer to be super breathable. She noted that she switches from side to stomach mostly, and felt herself really relaxing into the mattress. She also noticed that her back pain from her old mattress went away.

Review: "The Mint Mattress by Tuft & Needle has smoothed out many of my sleeping woes. The soft, textured top limits motion transfer and allows for better air circulation, meaning when I’m fidgeting and shifting around, I’m less likely to break into a sweat or wake up my husband. The different layers allow for springy support whether I’m on my side, back, or stomach. Unboxing and setup were a bit of a pain due to the size and weight of the mattress, but collapsing on it afterward makes it all worth it." —Amanda Bailey, SELF associate art director

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $1,295 for a twin to $2,295 for a California king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period

Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Courtesy of the bran

Why It's Worth It: For a comfortable, cooling mattress with ample support, meet the Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress (previously named the Nova Snow Hybrid). You might know the mattress-in-a-box brand for its all-foam mattresses, but this hybrid version tops small springs with a parfait of perforated foam, gel bands, and foam with zones designed to lift your waist and lower your back for better alignment while you sleep—all finished off with a cozy knit top layer. Our reviewer raved about its "perfect mix of firmness and cushiness," whisper-quiet structure, and game-changing "cool-to-the-touch" features.

Review: "Casper's Nova Hybrid Snow is the most comfortable bed I’ve slept on to date. Since making the swap, I feel more comfortable laying in bed, and I definitely fall asleep a lot faster than I used to. My sleep is deeper too, since I wake up less frequently, and, best of all, I can officially kiss night sweats goodbye." —Tiffany Dodson, former SELF commerce writer

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $1,795 for a twin XL to $2,895 for a California king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 days)

Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: All of Purple's products, from its mattresses to its ergonomic seat cushions, contain the brand's signature Purple GelFlex Grid, a unique squishy purple polymer that some sleepers really enjoy—including our reviewer, who said the three inches of cradling, pressure-relieving gel and responsive coil core of the Purple Hybrid Premier Mattress "completely transformed" her sleep quality and satisfied both her and her partner, despite preferring different firmnesses of mattresses and sleeping positions.

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Malia Griggs

Review: "I absolutely love the Purple Hybrid Premier mattress. I’m more comfortable, I sleep deeper, I wake up less frequently, and I don't feel any pain or stiffness the morning after. Even better, my husband loves it too, which I didn't think was even possible in our household." —Carolyn Kylstra, former SELF editor in chief

Rating: 9/10

Sizes: Available in twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, and split king sizes

Price: Ranges from $2,499 for a twin XL to $4,998 for a split king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period

Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling Mattress (previously the Aurora Luxe Hybrid) surpassed our reviewer's expectations for creating cool, comfy sleep. Each mattress contains an eight-inch core of over 1,000 individually wrapped and zoned coils, as well as top layers of cooling CopperFlex foam and memory foam swirled with gel. Buyers can choose from three firmness levels for their mattress (soft, medium, and firm). As a bonus, the Aurora comes in the widest range of sizes of our tested mattresses (including sizes for beds in RVs).

Review: "There is no need for my old four-inch memory foam topper thanks to this new mattress. My sleep quality has improved and I have noticed that I don't wake up as frequently in the middle of the night. If you’re also a side-sleeping, overheating, back-pain-complaining kind of person, then it's definitely for you." —Cheryl Carlin, SELF senior manager of analytics

Rating: 8/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split California king, split California queen, short queen, RV king, and RV bunk sizes, with three options for firmness

Price: Ranges from $999 for a twin to $2,249 for an RV king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 120-night trial period

Warranty: 10-year warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: The Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress contains ergonomic zones filled with up to 78 cooling gel pods placed under the waist and lower back that offer additional support on top of the foam—a win for anyone with back pain or muscle aches. Our reviewer praised how comfy the bed-in-a-box is and how supported their ankles, knees, hips, and lower back felt: "I was able to lay down on my back and feel perfectly satisfied—I didn't have to shift around to find the perfect position."

Review: "In my mind, the best kind of mattress melds into the background of your life, so much so that you never have to think about it: You just sleep deeply, refreshingly, and well. That's what this Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress does. My partner and I just sleep better with it, so much so that we never even talk about mattresses anymore—the aches and pains that come with sleep just aren't there." —Christa Sgobba, SELF fitness and food director

Rating: 8/10

Sizes: Available in twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $2,395 for a twin XL to $3,495 for a California king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 days)

By Kayla Blanton

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Malia Griggs

Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: Helix's sister brand, Birch by Helix, manufactures mattresses that are tested by industry-independent organizations that ensure they’re the least harmful on the environment as possible. are the least harmful on the environment as possible. Made of sustainably-sourced organic birch wool and designed for all sleep positions, the medium-firm hybrid Birch Luxe Natural Mattress boasts a cushy organic cotton top, breathable layers of organic cashmere and wool, zoned lumbar support for contouring, and full edge support for structure.

Review: "I was worried that my body wouldn't respond well to the firmness of the Birch. I was pleasantly surprised, however; while it's true that the Birch doesn't give me a cloud-like sensation, I really enjoyed sleeping on this firmer-feeling bed. Plus the Birch has a soft plush cover, which gives it a luxurious feel. Birch's selling point seems to be its higher-end, organic materials that are certified by various eco-conscious institutes, and as someone who looks to make more deliberate choices when it comes to what goes into my home, I appreciated knowing more about where the materials come from and how they’ve been tested." —Leta Shy, former SELF editor in chief

Rating: 7/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $1,812 for a twin to $3624 for a California king; free shipping and a $99 return fee

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 days)

Warranty: 25-year warranty

Awara

Why It's Worth It: "The medium-firm Awara Natural Hybrid Mattress gets points for being a supportive organic mattress option that feels plush while still giving you support," our reviewer previously wrote about their mattress, which features individually-wrapped spring coils topped with layers of latex and luxurious organic New Zealand wool that she says "may be ideal for side sleepers who require both support and cushioning to help avoid the dreaded dead arm or various aches." Awara has received several third-party environmental certifications, including Greenguard Gold certification and a OEKO-Tex Standard 100 label (meaning they’ve been tested for harmful substances by independent textile institute OEKO-TEX).

Review: "I was surprised by the comfort of this mattress—even though it's rated by many reviewers as having a medium-firm feel, I found it pretty bouncy, and at first was worried it would be too soft for me. But the bounce is great if you like a bed that's easy to move on top. And I never had any hip or lower back pain during testing." —Leta Shy, former SELF editor in chief

Rating: 7/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $1,398 for a twin to $2,198 for a king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 365-night trial period (after 30 days)

Warranty: Lifetime warranty

Courtesy of the brand

Why It's Worth It: Designed with larger bodies in mind (whether plus-size, tall, or both), the Helix Plus mattress is a medium-firm hybrid bed that's constructed with an extra layer of dense foam and a sturdily-enforced perimeter for support and motion transfer stability (in case you sleep with a partner). Hot sleepers can opt for a breathable Tencel cover, which maximizes airflow, or a cooling cover, which pulls heat from the body.

Review: "I’ve noticed a vast improvement in my sleep quality over the last few weeks. The Helix Plus was supportive and did not cause noticeable aches or joint pains. The size allowed for position changes throughout the night, enough space to avoid jostling my cat, and I haven't overheated in my sleep." —Hannah Cohen, former SELF SEO manager

Rating: 8/10

Sizes: Available in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and California king sizes

Price: Ranges from $811 for a twin to $1,811 for a California king; free shipping and returns included

Trial Period: 100-night trial period (after 30 days)

Warranty: 15-year limited warranty

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