The Ultimate Mattress Buying Guide 2023

1. Do you need a new mattress?

2. Which mattress types are available?

Once you know you need a new mattress, its time to explore your options. Understanding the mattress types available to you and how they differ is going to help narrow down your search in a big way, and is a huge step towards buying a new mattress.

We’ve condensed the research here for you to make it both comprehensive and easy to understand.

Innerspring Mattress

Quick facts

• Made of: Metal springs lined with foam
• Average Price: $300-$700
• Satisfaction rating: 6/10

An innerspring mattress is what most people think of when they think of a mattress. It has been the standard for sleep for decades, and is only very recently losing its tight grip on the world of sleep.

With that said, it is still by far the most common type of mattress, as it provides relatively good customer satisfaction at a great price.

The core of the mattress is a series of sturdy, intertwined steel springs, supported from the outside by more steel for strong edge support.

Foam is packed all around these springs to provide the cushion to the mattress. The overall mattress weight is generally high due to the steel springs, and they have to be shipped full size.

Innerspring mattresses are cooler because they do not hug the body. However this also means they do not contour to the body much and may be less comfortable. Overall they still provide stronger support at a good cost. However, they do break down faster than other options.

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All Foam “Memory Foam“ Mattress

Quick facts

• Made of: Layers of foam with varying densities
• Average Price: $600-$5,400
• Satisfaction rating: 4/10

All foam or Memory foam mattresses are more popular than ever, especially with people who look to move away from innerspring mattresses.

The entire structure of a memory foam mattress is made from specific low-resistance foam. This foam has a good response to pressure, and helps contour the body much better than spring mattresses, thus reducing pressure points.

The mattresses tend to be medium-firm to firm, and may provide the ideal comfort and support for people with aches and pains during sleep.

As the now-famous commercials show us, memory foam mattresses do not transfer motion from one part of the bed to another. This is great for partners who work different hours or those who move throughout the night. Movements on a foam mattress are much less likely to disturb someone sleeping next to you.

However, foam mattresses have a reputation for being much hotter than other options. Luckily, technology has also helped the mattress world evolve. Now there are a number of cooler foam options to choose from, including specific cooling gel foams or foams which allow more air to circulate to the body. They can be packed and shipped much easier than innerspring models. Also, keep in mind these All foam or “Memory Foam” Mattresses do tend to

develop soft spots where a person lays over a period of a couple of years.

The type of foam is important to note here, as most models are not made of 100% memory foam. Some may contain other harmful ingredients, such as formaldehyde or flame retardants. There are a bunch of lesser expensive All Foam or Memory Foam mattresses that are being sold on Amazon, Wal-mart, and Wayfair that are imported from China and these mattresses have lots of complaints about strong chemical smells. Look for CertiPUR-US certified mattress foams to avoid these issues.

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Latex Mattresses

Quick facts

• Made of: Natural or synthetic latex
• Average Price: $1,800-$5,500
• Satisfaction rating: 7/10

Latex mattresses are often marketed as an alternative to memory foam. They provide sturdy support, but do not give as much as you lay on them. This means you are less likely to feel swallowed up by a latex mattress compared to a memory foam mattress.

Additionally, latex mattresses are cooler than memory foam – even with the advanced cooling foams on the market. Latex mattresses are much more responsive to motion than memory foam. The more you push on them, the more they push back.

They also have a much higher lifespan than other mattress options, as they are extremely durable.

However, latex mattresses are very expensive compared to other options. They are also very heavy.

They can also give off a chemical smell for the first few days that can make it difficult or impossible to sleep on, though this goes away with time.

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Pocketed Coil Mattresses

Quick facts

• Made of: Individual pocketed springs topped foam for added comfort
• Average Price: $550-$2,700
• Satisfaction rating: 8.9/10

Individual pocketed coil mattresses make a good choice for many people. They take the strong support of a spring mattress and add new levels of comfort to it.

They can have a lower price than many more “luxurious” options such as latex and foam, but may offer comparable features.

In many areas, pocketed coil mattresses are taking over the “industry standard” slot from innerspring mattresses.

The main reason for this is that the mattress is made up of hundreds of individual springs. These individual springs allow for new levels of comfort and responsiveness in the mattress that the design of an innerspring could never achieve.

Because these springs move independently, they can also contour to the body better than intertwined springs. The added foam on top of these mattresses helps provide more comfortable support as well. Together, these features mean these mattresses also have less motion transfer than innerspring mattresses.

At the same time, pocketed coils are more sturdy than foam mattresses, and provide stronger support for those who need it. The spring strength also means they tend to last much longer than a foam core.

However, these mattresses can also be very heavy, and they have to be shipped full size. Additionally, foam quality can really make or break these mattresses. Low quality foam can make for a very uncomfortable sleeping experience down the road.

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Hybrid Mattresses

Quick facts

• Made of: Individual pocketed springs with specialty foam non-quilted top
• Average Price: $1,100-$2,600
• Satisfaction rating: 9.2/10

A hybrid mattress may refer to a blend of one or more mattress types, though it initially meant a blend between a pocketed coil mattress and a memory foam mattress. Plus hybrid mattresses have a smooth top fabric without the traditional tack and jump quilting that an innerspring or pocketed coil mattress may have.

Hybrids aim to make up for the ways mattress types are lacking by combining them with other supportive mattress types. For instance, the individual pocked coils in a hybrid mattress provide strong support, but the memory foam top provides the needed comfort the pocket springs may lack.

Because of this, hybrids tend to be good for many sleepers, and provide a nice mix of comfort and support. They also tend to be cooler than memory foam or all foam mattresses, but not as pricey as latex.

The memory foam or gel memory foam on these mattresses will make for better motion transfer, while the pocketed springs will help keep you from feeling swallowed by the foam.

However, hybrids are very heavy, which makes shipping and delivery a chore. They can also be much more expensive than simple spring or foam options. With that said, people who are willing to spend the money may be much more satisfied with their purchase. Hybrids are a great choice for someone that wants to dial in their comfort and maximize support.

3. Which mattress type is best for your sleeping style?

Now that you understand the different beds on the market and have an idea for your price range, it’s time to understand which mattresses will work for you in particular. This has a lot to do with how you sleep.

In general, people either sleep on their side, back, or stomach. The way you sleep will determine the kind of support you need. Finding your match is a huge part of buying a new mattress.

Mattresses for side sleepers

Most people are side sleepers. Side sleepers have to consider a few things when buying a mattress. Most importantly, side sleepers do not distribute their weight evenly on the bed. This can create pressure points. The best mattresses for them will be mattresses that relieve these pressure points to reduce pain and discomfort.

Aim for a mattress on the softer side, usually including a blend of :

• Latex
• Memory Foam
• Gel Foam
• Serene Gel Foam
• Graphite Memory Foam

Serene Gel Memory foam is the go-to here, as it is very contouring and relieves pressure points very well. Some people may also benefit from the support of hybrid mattresses or innerspring mattresses topped with memory foam. A hybrid is generally the best all around option for a side sleeper because of the added support and ability to sleep cooler.

Mattresses for Back Sleepers

Back sleepers are not as common as side sleepers. They distribute their weight better while sleeping, but laying on the back does not support the spine’s natural position.

Back sleepers need both strong support and contouring. The mix of these two helps keep the spine in a neutral position without putting too much pressure on the back and neck.

Back sleepers need medium-firm to firm mattresses, which come in a variety of options. Many brands also offer targeted lumbar support, which is an added benefit for a back sleeper

Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers are the rarest form of sleeper, and for good reason. Stomach sleeping can be very bad for your body.

Stomach sleeping puts pressure on the spine, neck, and chest, and can lead to:

• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Trouble breathing
• Nerve issues such as tingling arms or legs
• Pressure points

Most sleep experts will recommend you simply find a new sleep position.

With that said, some people cannot sleep without being on their stomach, or use the position for pain relief or support.

Stomach sleepers need to reduce pressure however possible, and need a strong, firm mattress. They should look for a firm memory foam mattress or individual pocketed coil mattress with a thick memory foam top.

Mattresses for people with lower back pain

While this is not a type of sleeper, people with lower back pain have different sleep needs than others. In general, they need the right kind of support and alignment for their spine to help keep them from waking up with an aggravated back.

Some state that the best mattress for a person with back pain is the floor – that is to say, a strong, unforgiving mattress. It sounds uncomfortable because it is..it is also generally untrue. You need comfort to ease back pain. While support is going to help this, too much support is just as harmful.

With that said, the best mattresses for back pain sufferers tend to be:

• Memory foam mattresses – providing unparalleled comfort and pressure-point relief
• Latex mattresses – similar comfort and spinal support without the added head
• Hybrid mattresses – hybrid mattresses may offer both support and comfort for people with “finicky” backs along with extra “zoned” lower back and hip support

Again, buying a mattress is an individual process. If someone tells you a firmer mattress will help, but your back feels better with a medium or softer mattress – go with what your body is telling you.

No matter what type of sleeper you are, you will still have a unique experience when it comes to sleep and the type of mattress you need. With that said, you should aim to look for a few important mattress features, and match them to your individual needs.

Keep in mind that you won’t really know how well a mattress performs in some ways unless you try it out for a while. Whenever possible, look for a mattress that has a trial period, allowing you to return the mattress if it does not meet your needs.

Size

Understanding the size of the mattress you need is simple. It is a matter of who is sleeping on the mattress and how much space they need.

This is intuitive enough. For instance, a 6 year old child probably doesn’t need a California king mattress.

Most adults are comfortable on a Twin XL, but most opt for at least a full size mattress, which can fit either one or two people. Queen mattresses are also more common for partners, as they add extra space for both people to move comfortably.

King or California king mattresses are more a matter of extravagance than comfort most of the time. And there is nothing wrong with that! If you want to feel luxurious every time you settle in for bed, a king mattress will literally have you feeling like royalty.

Here is a simple reference for mattress sizes:

Mattress dimensions per size:

Cal King: 72 inches wide x 84 inches long
King: 76 inches wide x 80 inches long
Split King: 76 inches x 80 inches long(2 - Twin XL mattresses make up this dimension)
Queen: 60 inches wide x 80 inches long
Full: 54 inches wide x 74 inches long
Twin: 38 inches wide x 74 inches long
Twin XL: 38 inches wide x 80 inches long

These are industry standard dimensions and will vary depending on how tight the person sewing the mattress up sewed it. We like to tell customers that mattress dimensions are give or take an inch or so.

Firmness

Firmness is another straightforward term, referring to how soft or firm a mattress feels. Firmness is measured on a 1 to 10 scale.

A 1 would be like sleeping on a pile of feathers, and a 10 would be like sleeping on the floor. Most people are somewhere in the middle, and 1 and 10 are more reference points than actual firmness levels.

Firmness Guide

Firmness tends to vary by the type of sleeper:

• Side sleepers: Firmness 3 to 6. Side sleepers need softer support to prevent pressure points and contour the body.
• Back sleepers: Firmness 5 to 8. Back sleepers need good support for their spine and neck, especially their lower back, to prevent back pain.
• Stomach sleepers: Firmness 7 to 9. Stomach sleepers need more rigid mattresses to counteract the stress this position puts on their spine and chest.

Support

While support and firmness are related, they are not the same thing. Firmness is how dense a mattress feels when you push on it, where support is how much weight it can hold and still keep its shape to support your body.

Couples or people who are overweight should look for high support mattresses that can still maintain their properties with extra weight on them.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness is another term people tend to get confused about. It simply means how well a mattress responds to your body and motion as you sleep.

Everyone moves when they sleep. From people who make small adjustments to get more comfortable to those who flail their arms and roll across the bed.

A responsive mattress will adjust to these motions automatically and make it much less likely for a person to wake up. Responsive mattresses may be more important for light sleepers.

Durability

Durability is a straightforward term that indicates how resilient a mattress is and how long it will last. Stronger materials will last a longer time and be less likely to sag or wear thin. High durability mattresses such as latex can last much longer than non-durable alternatives.

Edge Support

Edge support is the strength of the very edges of a mattress. It is what keeps you from rolling off the mattress when sleeping near the edge.

Innerspring mattresses are the best example of high edge support, as they have an outer steel frame that keeps you on top of the mattress and towards the center. Edge support is most important for restless sleepers who move a lot as they sleep.

Pressure Relief

Pressure relief is a term that means how well a mattress helps relieve tension in the body to allow it to relax – without creating additional pressure points.

Pressure relief is determined by a mixture of other factors such as support and firmness, but is also a matter of weight distribution. A mattress that allows you to evenly distribute your weight may relieve pressure with ease.

Spine alignment

Here again is an industry term that is determined by other mattress factors, but is still very important. A mattress with good spine alignment will allow the spine to rest in the most neutral position possible. The type of mattress this is will vary based on what kind of sleeper you are.

Spine neutral positions for each sleeper:

• Side sleepers: Continuous alignment from the tailbone all the way to the neck, which comes from a softer mattress to avoid pressure points.
• Back sleepers: the back keeps its natural curve, thanks to a supportive mattress.
• Stomach sleepers: Very hard to maintain neutral spine, if possible at all. Some can use pillows to adjust their hips and keep their spine neutral.

Heat transfer

Heat transfer or temperature control is how well the mattress can pull heat away from the body to keep you from overheating. This is important for everyone, and a good mattress will help pull heat away from the body and keep it insulated in the mattress itself.

With that said, heat transfer is most important for warm sleepers who tend to wake up hot or sweaty.

Return policy

It may seem like an afterthought, but a good mattress should have some sort of trial period or return policy. You are never guaranteed to like a mattress, even if it looks great on paper.

Make sure to pay attention to the trial period a company is offering, as well as any warranty info and their overall return policy.

Shipping

While it may seem like an added expense, having a delivery service drop your mattress off and take away your old mattress is worth every penny.

Shipping is especially important with internet purchases, though many brick-and-mortar stores include the service and take the mattress to your house.

Factor in this cost as a necessary expense. Otherwise you’ll be stuck with a very heavy mattress and a difficult time getting in your bedroom or even worse upstairs bedroom.

5. How important is a good mattress foundation?

By now we understand the basics of what we need in a mattress, but what many people forget to consider is the importance of a good Foundation or Box Spring(without the springs)!

No, they are not simple “boxes” retailers use to make an extra buck – that is a common myth in the mattress world. A good mattress foundation can actually amplify the benefits of your new mattress in a few ways.

Benefits of a good mattress foundation:

• Creates additional support for your mattress
• Provides even, structured distribution to avoid wear in specific areas
• Absorbs shock
• Helps keep dust and dirt from getting into the mattress
• Increases the height of the mattress to reduce stress on the body when getting in or out of bed
• Increases air circulation around the mattress

All of these factors lead to one simple fact – a good foundation helps your mattress last longer. A longer lifespan saves you money, and ensures you are happy with your bed for years to come.

Mattress foundations also come in many forms, such as the basic box spring, foundation, slats, or metal platform frames.

There is one thing to keep in mind, however. A foundation can wear in just like a mattress does over time. Putting a brand new mattress on an old foundation may cause the mattress to wear down faster into the same position the foundation has. This can affect the lifespan of your mattress.

The general rule is to buy a new foundation every time you buy a new mattress.

6. What should you avoid when buying a mattress?

Now that we know the basics of what to look for in a mattress, there is another very important factor to consider – namely, what you don’t want in a mattress.

Here are some common issues we see that people should avoid when buying a mattress:

Firmness issues

Many people think of a very firm mattress, but anyone who has felt a mattress with a firmness of 10 can tell you there is such a thing as too firm. The same goes for too soft. Most people need a mattress somewhere in the middle, and the ends of the spectrum are more there for reference.

Cost extremes

Another extreme to avoid is the cost. While it is true that you pay for quality, it is also true that some companies will take advantage of this fact.

A mattress that is much more expensive than similar brands of its type is not necessarily better – it may simply be expensive.

Likewise a discount mattress that is far too cheap is likely just that: cheap. What you save now you are guaranteed to spend later when you need to buy a new mattress much faster than if you were to buy a quality mattress.

Realistically, you should be ready to spend anywhere from $700 to $2,000 and up, depending on what your specific needs are and how long the mattress will last.

Very thin

A typical mattress is about 10 to 16 inches thick, with some pillow-top mattresses being a bit thicker. With this said, this range is pretty standard, and anything smaller than this may be suspect. A very thin mattress may not be able to provide the comfort a normal bed can – no matter what it is made of.

Thin mattresses are also severely lacking in areas such as circulation, responsiveness, and support. So if those 4 inch mattresses seem too good to be true – it’s because they are.

Poor return policy

A poor return policy is a big red flag. Good mattress sellers and manufacturers understand how individual the sleep process is. No matter how good a mattress looks on paper, it may simply be the wrong one for you.

This is why quality retailers include a free trial period and have a very graceful return policy. Your satisfaction keeps mattress sellers in business – and the good ones know it.

This is especially important if you buy online. If an online seller does not offer a free trial or return period – move on, plain and simple.

No warranty

This falls in line with a poor return policy. A mattress that does not have protection under warranty may be a sign of a poorly-made mattress. The company may know this and avoid warranties to keep them from losing money. Always look for a non-prorated warranty, meaning the company backs the product fully and also meaning the mattress is well built. A prorated warranty is another sign of a poorly-made mattress and the warranty value quickly diminishes in value.

The truth is, there is always the chance of a manufacturer defect or design flaw in a mattress. A good warranty protects you from these issues, and a good manufacturer offers a warranty as a sign of trust in their quality.

Consistent poor customer reviews

Customer reviews can be a bit hit or miss. Firstly because mattresses are so individual, and everyone’s needs are different. With that said, consistently poor reviews are a sign the mattress is no good.

Also look at why the reviews are poor. Do people complain the mattress is too soft, even though the seller says it is a very firm mattress? Inconsistencies such as this may be a sign of poor quality.

The same goes for mattress retailers. Everyone can have a bad day, and a one-off poor experience from a customer shouldn’t sway your opinion on a seller. With that said, any seller that gets consistently poor reviews should be avoided.

Buying without experience

While customer reviews can help guide your purchase, buying without understanding your personal needs is a big issue to avoid. No matter how highly another person recommends a mattress, you shouldn’t make purchases for yourself based on their experience. Try out the mattress however possible, and get to know what you like and don’t like.