Updated June 20, 2023
A good mattress is essential for a comfortable night’s sleep. The textiles lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute tests many types of mattresses for comfort, durability, and price. The institute rates the best mattresses on a variety of factors, including price and durability.
The testing also takes into account the needs of specific consumers. For instance, a vegan mattress will be made of wool and natural materials, while an organic mattress is made of cotton, kapok, and flaxseed.
Best Mattress Good Housekeeping
Finding the best mattress good housekeeping is no easy task, especially online. So I did it for you.
Shopping for a new mattress can bring the pressure. It’s a big purchase and having the right one is key to getting a good night’s sleep, which is essential to our health and wellbeing. But it doesn’t have to be stressful. There are more options than ever for buying mattresses in 2023, and those options are convenient. Mattress shopping can happen entirely online now — no trip to the store and no awkwardly testing a mattress hundreds of others have laid on. Even better, nearly every mattress brand offers at-home sleep trials and easy returns.
That said, it’s always better to find the right mattress on your first try. With the right mattress, you’ll notice an improvement in your comfort level and the quality of your sleep — something you won’t experience with the wrong one.
No matter what kind of sleeper you are — back sleeper, side sleeper, stomach sleeper, or one of those fabled combination sleepers — or which kind of mattress you prefer, whether you need pressure relief, spine alignment, motion isolation, a softer or firmer mattress, a foam mattress, an adjustable mattress or you’re simply looking for more comfort, you’re sure to find what you need on this list. I’ve scoured mattress brand reviews, considered different mattress material options and tested top brands to help guide you to your selection. Here are the 10 best mattresses you can buy online right now.
BEST MATTRESSES FOR 2023 COMPARED
| Mattress | Buying info | Mattress type | Price (queen) | Sleep trial period | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layla Hybrid | See at Layla | Hybrid | $1,499 | 120 nights | 10-year limited |
| Casper Original | See at Casper | Foam | $985 | 100 nights | 10-year limited |
| Saatva Classic | See at Saatva | Hybrid | $1,595 | 180 nights | 15-year limited |
| Avocado Green | See at Avocado | Hybrid | $1,599 | 365 nights | 25-year limited |
| Amerisleep AS2 | See at Amerisleep | Hybrid | $999 | 100 nights | 20-year prorated |
| Leesa Legend | See at Leesa | Hybrid | $2,039 | 100 nights | 10-year limited |
| Helix Midnight Luxe | See at Helix | Hybrid | $1,749 | 100 nights | 15-year limited |
| Helix Plus | See at Helix | Hybrid | $1,499 | 100 nights | 15-year limited |
| Ghostbed Flex Hybrid | See at Ghostbed | Hybrid | $1,544 | 101 nights | 25-year limited |
| Purple Hybrid Premier 4 | See at Purple | Hybrid | $2,299 | 100 nights | 10-year limited |
| Puffy Lux | See at Puffy | Hybrid | $949 | 101 nights | Lifetime |
| Allswell | See at Allswell | Hybrid | $389 | 100 nights | 10-year limited |
Pricing is shown below for a queen mattress, but I list the full range of available sizes and prices within each entry. I update this list periodically.
Best overall mattress
Layla Hybrid
Type: Flippable hybrid mattress
Firmness: Firm: 5 or medium | Soft: 3 or medium-soft
Trial: 120 nights
Warranty: 10-year limited warranty
Price (queen): $1,499
Mattresses require an adjustment period to get used to, and that’s true of the Layla Hybrid, too, but as soon as I plopped down on this mattress, I knew it was going to be my favorite. It’s made of a layered combination of gel memory foam, airflow support foam and individually wrapped pocketed coils that provide plenty of firmness level support for side sleepers, back sleepers, stomach sleepers or combination sleepers. They also allow enough give to make the mattress feel plush and comfortable right away.
The middle layer is made from copper-infused foam, which is great for a hot sleeper because it is designed to pull heat away from your body so you stay cool while you sleep, and the technology worked impressively well. I stayed cool throughout the night, even in the middle of summer, in a house without central AC. The copper is also antimicrobial, so it helps prevent a buildup of bacteria that can cause breakdown and odors over time. I haven’t had the mattress long enough to speak to that, but the thought of sleeping on a cleaner mattress, especially since the goal is to keep them for a decade or so, adds another layer of appeal.
The Layla Hybrid had the least motion transfer out of any other on the list, so I didn’t wake up at all when my boyfriend tossed and turned — this hybrid mattress motion isolation feature is a huge comfort level perk to someone who’s been seriously considering getting a sleep divorce. The Layla is also the only mattress on this list that you can flip. And not only can you flip this foam bed mattress, one side is soft and one is firm, so you can customize your hybrid mattress sleeping experience based on how your body feels at any given time.
The Layla Hybrid comes in twin to California king sizes and prices range from $1,099 to $1,699.
Best foam mattress
Casper Original
Type: Poly foam mattress
Firmness: 6 out of 10 or medium
Trial: 100 nights
Warranty: 10-year limited warranty
Price (queen): $986
If you’re looking for a quality foam mattress, the Casper Original is a popular, well-received mattress that I am a big fan of. While I’m more of a soft mattress kind of gal, firmer mattresses like the Casper mattress are designed to align your spine and offer pressure relief in all of the right places so you can have a pain-free night and a stiffness-free morning. And this Casper mattress did just that.
When I first got into bed, I didn’t have that “ahhh” moment that comes from a plush, softer mattress, but as I settled in, the mattress started to slowly form to my body. The longer I lay there, the more comfortable I felt. When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t have any throbbing neck or back pain, something that I have been struggling with since my last spring mattress started caving in. I attribute that to the Zoned Support technology of the Casper.
The mattress is separated into three zones that are designed to provide the ideal spinal alignment. The foam near the shoulders and upper body is softer to give you relief in those areas, while the firmer foam under the hips, waist and lower back keeps your spine properly aligned. Because of this zoned system, you may have to experiment to find the right sleeping position on the mattress, but once you do, you’ll likely notice a reduction in pain over time. And as an added bonus, the mattress cover is made from recycled bottles — 57 of them, to be exact — so you can help save your back and the planet at the same time.
The Casper Original comes in twin to California king, and prices range from $695 to $1,495.
Read our Casper Original review.
Best firm mattress
Saatva Classic
Type: Hybrid mattress
Firmness: 3 firmness levels | Plush Soft: Medium or 5 | Luxury Firm: Medium-firm or 7 | Firm: 9/10 or firm
Trial: 180 nights
Warranty: 15-year limited warranty
Price (queen): $1,595
The Saatva Classic is everything a firm mattress lover could want: The hybrid mattress is thick and supportive and provides just the right amount of contouring. While this innerspring mattress hybrid doesn’t have that cloud-like feeling of traditional pillow-top mattresses, it has enough give to alleviate pressure on your hips and shoulders, but not so much that your spine gets thrown out of alignment.
The first few nights with this Saatva mattress, I actually thought it was too firm for me — as a true hybrid, it’s a little firmer than memory foam-only models — but as my body got used to it, I started to sleep soundly through the night and wake up without pain (or an arm that had fallen asleep during the night).
As for construction, the Saatva Classic mattress combines two layers of coils, one innerspring layer and one pocketed coil layer, with memory foam and a pillow top. It’s one of the only mattresses I’ve tested with this kind of innerspring mattress hybrid construction, and a primary reason why this bed is so supportive.
The mattress also has special lumbar technology and additional support in the center of the mattress, specifically designed to keep your spine aligned while also allowing your shoulders and hips to sink in just a little bit. It almost felt like there was a slight elevation in the center of the mattress that filled in the curves of my body.
There are three firmness levels: plush soft, luxury firm, and firm. Its luxury firm and firm mattresses both lean towards the firm side of the spectrum, with firm being a 9-10 on the firmness scale (10 being the firmest). There are also two different mattress heights — 11.5 inches and 14.5 inches. I went with a 14.5-inch plush soft, and while it was the perfect firmness level for me, I wish I had gone with the shorter Saatva mattress. Just a heads up if you do go for the 14.5-inch model: You’ll need sheets specifically designed for thicker mattresses or they’ll pop off in the corners. Check out our full Saatva mattress review or the best firm mattresses to see more options.
The Saatva Classic comes in sizes twin XL to split California king and prices range from $887 to $2,196.
Best organic mattress
Avocado Green
Type: Latex Hybrid
Firmness: 7 or medium-firm with the pillow top (9 or firm without)
Trial: 365 nights
Warranty: 25-year limited warranty
Price (queen): $2,099 (with the pillow top) $1,599 without
Many mattresses are sprayed with chemicals and flame retardants and made from potentially toxic foams that have been linked to some health problems. Because of this, the Environmental Working Group recommends choosing a mattress that’s made from at least 95% cotton, wool or natural latex. And that’s where the Avocado Green mattress comes in.
The brand’s original mattress, which is the one I tested, is made from a combination of all three materials — or you can go for the vegan mattress, which is the same sans wool. Neither version contains any polyester, polyurethane foam or fire retardants. But while that’s all great, ultimately it has to be comfortable or it won’t do you much good in the long run. The good news is it is.
When I first lay down on this latex mattress, it felt a little too firm for my personal taste, but as soon as I settled in, it started to form to my body, hugging me in all the right places. I felt comfortable sleeping on my back and on my side and the bed adjusted quickly as I transitioned from each sleep position, unlike other memory foam mattress styles that can lag when you move. Mine came with the optional (and $300 to $600 extra depending on the size) permanently affixed pillow top, so I can’t judge the mattress without it, but I think it definitely adds a comfort layer of plushness that’s worth the additional cost. Check out our list of the best organic mattresses to see more options.
The Avocado Green comes in sizes twin to California king and prices range from $1,099 to $2,099, without the added pillow top. If you want the pillow top attached, prices go up to $1,499 to $2,799.