Marilyn Peryer
The abundance of mattress options on Amazon can quickly lead to choice overload, i.e., anxiety or inability to click “Add to Cart” on any given bed. Our This Old House Reviews Team is here to end your deliberation despair. We worked with Mattress Advisor to come up with nine of the best mattresses on Amazon and kept a wide range of sleep needs in mind.
Amazon began as a humble book seller, and has grown into a behemoth purveyor of any and all household items, including the defining furniture of the bedroom — the mattress. If you’re on a tight budget or deadline, it’s worth giving Amazon-sold mattresses your consideration.
That’s even more true if you’re an Amazon Prime member since many mattresses can be delivered for free in two days, as per the perks of Prime membership. We looked at an array of beds, including mattresses with innovative builds, like foams infused with green tea; Amazon-exclusive offerings from well-known bed in a box brands; and some of the most affordable beds under-$500 you can find online. Here are our picks for the best mattresses on Amazon:
The 9 Best Mattresses on Amazon – Our Top Picks
Best Overall Mattress on Amazon – Leesa Original Hybrid
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Sleepers – DreamCloud Original
Best Memory Foam Mattress on Amazon – Nectar Original
Best Hybrid Mattress on Amazon – Linenspa Hybrid
Best Mattress on Amazon Under $500 – Zinus Green Tea
Best Mattress on Amazon for Combination Sleepers – Tuft & Needle Nod
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Pain – Casper Original
Best Mattress on Amazon for Side Sleepers – Lucid Gel Memory Foam
Best Mattress on Amazon for Hot Sleepers – Zoma Start
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Best Overall Mattress on Amazon – Leesa Original Hybrid
Courtesy Leesa
Material: Hybrid (foam and coils)
Firmness: Medium (5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.3/5
Delivery: Ships free within 3-5 business days
Trial Period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Numbers don’t lie, and the Leesa Original Hybrid boasts some impressive figures, from its high scores in the Mattress Advisor sleep lab, to the brand’s promise to donate one mattress for every 10 sold. Sleep testers gave the bed perfect scores for edge support and responsiveness, near-perfect scores for cooling (9.5/10) and pressure relief (9/10), and a respectable spine alignment score (8.5/10). Those scores reflect the testers’ belief that the bed cradles and lifts the body so as to almost feel weightless. Reviewers on Amazon likewise had rave reviews, which ranged from citing cured insomnia, never wanting to sleep on a mattress without coils again, and easier breathing when side sleeping on the Leesa. One customer even said Leesa had turned them into a “full believer in bed in a box products.” If a new mattress can change your entire consumer outlook, we’d say it’s definitely a worthy bedroom addition.
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Sleepers – DreamCloud Original
Marilyn Peryer
Material: Hybrid (foam and coils)
Firmness: Medium-firm (6.5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.6/5
Delivery: Within 18-21 business days
Trial Period: 365 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
DreamCloud is kind of like that highschool prodigy who amassed all the yearbook superlatives: This hybrid mattress has topped lists for Most Comfortable, Best Hybrid, and Best for Couples. You can see why the bed is an overachiever when you dive into the DreamCloud Original’s construction, starting at the bed’s top of tufted foam and cashmere. Gel memory foam and supportive polyfoam transition the bed to its base of pocketed coils. DreamCloud also proved the bed deserved its accolades in the sleep lab, with some of the best marks across the board for any type of mattress.
Standout scores included 8.5 out of 10 in the cooling category; 9 out of 10 in pressure relief, spine alignment, and responsiveness; and a perfect 10 out of 10 for edge support. Those scores, and the bed’s medium-firm firmness, are all good news for back sleepers. Back sleepers need a supported lower back, and are advised to seek beds with slightly higher firmness levels. And perhaps most comforting of all, DreamCloud comes with a year-long sleep trial and lifetime warranty.
Sleepers who want a similar but more plush experience can also opt to try the DreamCloud Premier, which has a similar build to the DreamCloud Original mattress, but with the addition of a thick pillow top layer.
Best Memory Foam Mattress on Amazon – Nectar Original
Courtesy of Nectar
Material: Gel memory foam
Firmness: Medium (6/10)
Customer Rating: 4.8/5
Delivery: 2-5 business days
Trial Period: 365 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Close to 3,000 reviewers on Amazon gave the Nectar 5-stars for its impressive combination of quality and affordability. Mattress Advisor’s testers agreed, giving the Nectar mattress an average score greater than 8 out of 10 across the key sleep performance categories. Nectar’s highest mark was awarded for its robust edge support (9/10), followed by 8.5 out of 10 for motion transfer, pressure relief, and responsiveness. The Nectar is also CertiPUR-US certified, meaning the mattress foams meet safety standards that include being free of mercury, lead, and formaldehyde, and emitting low levels of volatile organic compounds.
Adding to its value, shoppers will receive alongside their mattress a sleep bundle redemption code that can be cashed in with Nectar. That means shoppers get the type of value typically reserved for those who shop directly from the brand, rather than a third-party like Amazon. The sleep bundle is valued at $499, and includes two pillows (with a queen), sheets, and a mattress protector.
Best Hybrid Mattress on Amazon – Linenspa Hybrid
Material: Hybrid (foam and coils)
Firmness: Medium-firm (6.5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.6/5
Delivery: Free 2-day Amazon Prime delivery; 2-7 business days without Prime
Trial Period: 30 nights
Warranty: 10 year
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, short queen, king, California king
The Linenspa Hybrid is an impressive bed for its price tag, which hovers at just over $200. The 10-year warranty is also solid coverage for the price. You get the traditional innerspring feel for far less than is typical, and that support lends itself to a few excellent testing scores in the sleep lab, including 9 out of 10 points for spine alignment and responsiveness. Having said that, this mattress is still more suitable for a child, teen, or college adult who will likely discard their mattress after three to four years. Still, Linenspa Hybrid also offers a great way to dip your toes into the hybrid bed experience if you’re a memory foam mattress lover who’s unsure whether coil support will feel right to you.
Best Mattress on Amazon Under $500 – Zinus Green Tea
Material: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium-soft (4.5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.3/5
Delivery: Free 2-day Amazon Prime delivery; 2-5 business days without Prime
Trial Period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Available Sizes: Twin, full, queen, king, California king
The Zinus Green Tea memory foam mattress is one of the most inexpensive beds on this list at under $500 for a queen-size. Despite its low price, the bed can help sleepers with joint pain: Mattress Advisor testers scored the Zinus well in pressure relief (8/10), and spine alignment (9/10). Those aspects must perform well if you want to maintain good posture at night, and wake up free of soreness on the heaviest points of contact with the mattress. We recommend the 12-inch model of the Zinus for optimal durability and support, although models as thin as 6-inches are available for half the price.
Zinus adds a proprietary purified charcoal and green tea extract to the bed’s foam layers, which the brand says absorbs moisture and neutralizes odors stemming from night sweats. Despite the incorporation of the materials, Mattress Advisor testers said the bed sleeps fairly hot, so we’d suggest buying a cooling mattress protector constructed from cooling materials, like Tencel, a fiber derived from Eucalyptus trees that’s breathable and wicks moisture.
Best Mattress on Amazon for Combination Sleepers – Tuft & Needle Nod
Material: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium (5.5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.5/5
Delivery: 2-5 business days
Trial Period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10-year
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Tuft & Needle seemingly understands that finding the right mattress on Amazon can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack since the brand created its own abbreviated, Amazon-exclusive “Nod” bedding brand. Your options: a hybrid Nod or an all-foam Nod. Testers like the memory foam Nod Tuft & Needle mattress for combination sleepers as an affordable counterpart to the brand’s thicker, more luxury beds. The more humble Nod still uses “T&N Adaptive Foam,” a proprietary blend that gives the foam extra bounce, excellent for when you need to switch positions. Responsiveness was where the Nod scored the highest, with a perfect score, followed by spine alignment (9/10), making the bed a solid option for those who want excellent overnight posture. Just note that with a mere 8-inches of thickness, Nod may not be with you for the long haul compared to its more robust beds, like the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress.
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Pain – Casper Original
Courtesy Casper
Material: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium (6/10)
Customer Rating: 4.5/5
Delivery: Within 2-7 business days
Trial Period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10-year limited
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Generally speaking, sleepers with back pain should steer toward one of the higher quality mattresses out there, especially if they prefer memory foam mattresses. The Casper Original is an all-foam mattress that combines luxe memory foam with zoned support to support the lumbar region. A zoned support layer is a memory foam layer, usually between the top comfort layers and base layer, that is firmer toward the center.
The Casper has a knit cover that’s soft and breathable but on the whole, it is less cooling (7/10) than some of our other recommendations. However, if you have back pain, the most important is the bed’s supportive core which does an excellent job of keeping the spine in alignment (9.5/10).
Best Mattress on Amazon for Side Sleepers – Lucid Gel Memory Foam
Material: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium-firm (6.5/10)
Customer Rating: 4.5/5
Delivery: 2-5 business days
Trial Period: 30 days
Warranty: 10 year
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
The Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress excels at cushioning pressure points in the hips and shoulders (scoring 9 out of 10 in pressure relief). Further, the overall plushness of the memory foam makes it ideal for side sleepers who experience hip pain. Plus, your comfort won’t come at the expense of your sleeping partner: Testers gave the bed 9 out of 10 for its ability to isolate motion across the surface. And for shoppers looking for savings when reviving a bedroom, Lucid is another of our picks on the budget end — a queen size sells for just under $500 on Amazon.
Best Mattress on Amazon for Hot Sleepers – Zoma Start
Material: Memory foam
Firmness: Medium (6/10)
Customer Rating: 4.7/5
Delivery: 2-5 business days
Trial Period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Available Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Mattress Advisor testers typically recommend that hot sleepers lie on mattresses with a breathable base of pocketed coils. The convention wisdom is that memory foam mattresses tend to be stuffier, since they trap heat. However, there are notable exceptions, like the Zoma Start. This cooling gel memory foam mattress combines a few notable technologies including a breathable cover, and a proprietary “Triangulex” layer, which has an open-cell design that to prompt superior airflow. Testers gave the bed 9 out of 10 in the cooling category, and said the bed’s surface felt cool to the touch. Testers said that an all-foam mattress construction also means you get the benefit of top-tier motion transfer (9.5/10).
What Makes an Amazon Mattress a Good Pick?
The answer when seeking the best Amazon mattress will depend on your physicality and your plans for the new mattress. Will your bed be seldom used in a detached mother-in-law suite? Or will two heavier sleepers hit the hay atop the new mattress nightly? How much (or little) a bed is being used should be an important factor in considering an Amazon mattress. Why? Because surely, you don’t have to deal with mattress disposal after only a few short years, and Amazon mattresses run the gamut of durability, which is reflected in the broad tiers of pricing.
How To Pick The Best Mattress on Amazon
Once you know whether the bed will be for a suite that’s slept in monthly, or a main bedroom that’s slept in nightly, you’ll be better equipped to find a good mattress. So, with that in mind, mattress type will largely determine how you experience your mattress. This is what Mattress Advisor testers think you should know about each:
Type of Mattress
Memory foam: All-foam beds kicked off the bed in a box mattress craze, and continue to be the most populous mattress type online, including on Amazon. The durability of an all-foam mattress most directly correlates to its thickness, although density of foams are also a factor. Beds at least 10 inches or thicker typically mean business for the long haul, while thinner memory foam builds may be best suited for an RV or children’s room since thinner beds are subject to sinkage sooner.
Innerspring: Coils lend an innerspring mattress its main support layer, but the specific way those coils are configured will greatly change the experience atop an innerspring bed. Older innersprings used what is called a “continuous wire” build, where a single spring is woven and weaved through the frame. Modern innerspring mattresses use lots of individual coils, called “pocketed” coils, referring to the fabric encasements that keep the springs separated from one another. A continuous coil innerspring will sag far sooner than a pocketed coil build.
Latex: Latex mattress is a term that can be used broadly to describe any mattress that incorporates latex foam into the build, be it 100 percent latex, or a layer or two. Latex is highly durable, and can be sustainably sourced from rubber trees. Synthetic latex is also manufactured for cheaper. Latex is an attractive option if you’re looking for a naturally cool, bouncy, and pressure-relieving bed.
Hybrid: Hybrids are the creme of the crop of mattresses. The beds combine in their build layers of memory foam with pocketed coils to create a well-rounded sleep platform that gives comfort and support. When searching for a mattress online, hybrids offer a safe and secure bet, particularly for heavier sleepers and sleepers with back pain.
Performance Factors We Tested For
Set-up: Setting up a bed, even one that arrives in a box, isn’t necessarily a cakewalk. Testers largely assign a score based on the feasibility of setting up the beds solo.
Pressure relief: Pressure relief, which is mapped and displayed on a computer screen in the Mattress Advisor sleep lab, is a key factor to consider if you have aches and pains. No matter your sleep position, certain parts of your body, like your hips contact the mattress before others, which can cause pain. It’s important to have a mattress that has a balance of give and take. When weight is evenly distributed, i.e., has good pressure relief, hips and other areas won’t take the brunt of your body weight.
Spine alignment: Back pain sufferers should note a bed’s spine alignment score, and seek at least an 8.5 out of 10. Sleeping all night with a slumping spine that throws your back out of its natural S-shape can exacerbate back pain.
Durability: Durability is especially important for mattresses since unlike a sagging fence gate, a sagging mattress can’t be shored up to last another 10 years. Once a mattress is at the end of its life, it won’t even be in condition to give away for free, instead making its next destination the dumpster. Consider how much wear and tear the mattress will be subjected to before you click “Buy.”
Motion transfer: When sharing a mattress, if one or both sleepers are easily rustled awake, you’ll appreciate that your bed has good motion transfer. Keep in mind that adding a mattress topper can also affect motion isolation, for better or worse.
Temperature regulation: For many, sleeping isn’t comfortable unless it’s refreshingly cool. Some of the best-selling beds use proprietary cooling fibers that promote airflow and can help prevent heat from becoming trapped. The most exceptionally cooling beds often feel cool to the touch on the surface.
Responsiveness: A responsive mattress typically falls in the medium-firm level to firm level, since softer foams may be slower to reform. Look for good responsiveness if you hate feeling “hugged” or stuck in slow-moving memory foams.
Edge support: The edge of a bed can be a place of high activity in the morning and evenings, if it’s where you put and remove your bedroom slippers, for example. If that’s the case, or if you co-sleep in a smaller-sized bed, make sure the edge support is well-rated (at least 8.5 out of 10). You don’t want to constantly feel unstable where you sit, or lie if tight on space.
Additional Considerations to Make
Price: A rave mattress review will mean little to you if the bed is far beyond your budget. Our list attempts to hit every budget tier. Just keep in mind to note the expected durability of the lesser-priced mattresses, since lack of durability can hinder value, ultimately.
Shipping and Delivery: Mattresses partnered with Amazon Prime membership benefits get two day shipping, free of charge. Otherwise, you can still expect fairly fast shipping, within the three to five business day range.
Shipping and Delivery: Like a car or other big-box purchase, mattresses come with warranties. The length of the warranty can vary hugely though, from 30 days to life. A lifetime warranty though is only as good as the company is still around, so keep that in mind.
FAQ
Is buying a mattress on Amazon a good idea?
The best mattress to buy on Amazon will depend on your sleep style and sleep needs. You’ll also want to consider the bed frame you own when making a new mattress purchase. Typically, side sleepers do better on softer mattresses, often favoring all-foam builds, while back and stomach sleepers prefer firmer mattresses, and may need a support core of coils to keep the spine in check.
Are Amazon mattresses worth it?
Again, we’d reiterate it depends on what you’re looking to use the mattress for. Plus, an Amazon mattress can mean many different things. For many people though, the mattresses are worth it alone for the convenience, since they show up at your door, and depending on your preferences, can even be scheduled for your pre-specific Amazon delivery day, ensuring you’re home to receive your bed in a box.
How does buying a mattress on Amazon work?
Unlike buying directly from a mattress brand, you’ll be buying through Amazon, a third-party retailer. That has benefits and drawbacks. For example, you may be excluded from brand bundles (although Nectar found a workaround, by including a bundle redemption certificate with an Amazon-purchased mattress). On the other hand, you’ll get the benefit of free two day shipping with Amazon with some mattresses and a Prime membership.
How can I return a mattress to Amazon?
Even though Amazon is where you’d buy any of these mattresses listed, its return policy isn’t one-size-fits-all. For example, the Nectar Mattress has a 365-night sleep trial, but if you’re returning the mattress after 100 days, you’d need to contact Nectar directly to arrange the return and refund. Amazon itself offers either a 100-day return window for mattresses. You can read more about Amazon’s return policy on their website, but the gist is that if the mattress is unboxed, you can get a refund, but you’ll have to dispose of the mattress yourself. If the mattress is boxed and within the return period, Amazon will accept the return.
Summary of Our Top Picks for the Best Mattress on Amazon
Best Overall Mattress on Amazon – Leesa Original Hybrid
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Sleepers – DreamCloud Original
Best Memory Foam Mattress on Amazon – Nectar Original
Best Hybrid Mattress on Amazon – Linenspa Hybrid
Best Mattress on Amazon Under $500 – Zinus Green Tea
Best Mattress on Amazon for Combination Sleepers – Tuft & Needle Nod
Best Mattress on Amazon for Back Pain – Casper Original
Best Mattress on Amazon for Side Sleepers – Lucid Gel Memory Foam
Best Mattress on Amazon for Hot Sleepers – Zoma Start