Mattress Recommendations for 2021

We did the research for you, applying our unbiased methodology to find the top mattresses from our comparison of more than 280 different products. The result is the 26 Best Mattresses of 2021, a list that includes a selection of top-rated mattresses with retail prices starting as low as $499. Our 2021 Best Hybrid Mattress ratings and mattress reviews are based on data and research we conducted in 2020.

Compare the Best Mattresses of 2021

Best Mattresses in Detail

Casper – Wave Hybrid: After launching in 2014, Casper has become one of the leading online mattress brands. It places first in our Best Mattress ratings with its top-of-the-line Wave Hybrid. This is Casper’s most expensive mattress, though it also boasts more layers, has more cooling features, and is thicker than the company’s other mattresses. The Wave Hybrid has different levels of support, with softer foam under your shoulders and firmer gel pods in the middle of the bed that provides extra support for your lower back. This targeted support is partly why the Wave Hybrid also places No. 1 in our rating of the Best Mattresses for Back Pain. Read more in our Casper mattress review.

Tuft & Needle – Mint Mattress: The Mint Mattress from Tuft & Needle, a new entry in our ratings, ties for first place. This all-foam mattress is comfortable for any sleeping position, according to professional reviews, and is a good match for a wide range of body sizes. It features graphite-infused foam, cooling gel beads, and an adaptive foam that purportedly draws away heat better than memory foam. These effectively keep body heat from building up overnight, so you’ll sleep cooler. They also help the Mint Mattress earn the top spot in our ratings of the Best Foam Mattresses and the Best Cooling Mattresses. Read more in our Tuft & Needle mattress review.

Casper – Element: The Casper Element proves that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great mattress. The No. 3 mattress in our ratings is Casper’s least expensive mattress, with prices starting around $600 for a queen-size mattress. It has the lowest price of the top 10 best beds in our Best Mattresses of 2021 rating, and it earns first place in our Best Budget Mattress of 2021 rating. The Element’s structure is simple, consisting of a layer of breathable foam for pressure relief on top of a layer of denser foam for support. Read more in our Casper mattress review.

Avocado – Green Mattress: The Avocado Green Mattress ties for No. 3 in our Best Mattresses of 2021 rating and is our highest-rated Organic Mattress. It has layers of latex, wool, and cotton, all of which have organic certifications. There are five different zones of pocketed coils, each with a different firmness to provide the right level of support for your shoulders, back, and hips. It comes standard as a medium-firm mattress or you can upgrade it with a pillow-top for a softer bed. With a weight that’s below average among hybrid mattresses in our comparison and a set of four sturdy handles, the Avocado Green Mattress earns the No. 1 place in our rating of the Best Mattresses in a Box. Read more in our Avocado mattress review.

Casper – Original: Earning the No. 5 spot in our rating is the Casper Original. Previously called The Casper, the Original comes standard as an all-foam mattress, though you can order it as a hybrid. Side-by-side next to Casper’s other all-foam mattress, the Element, the Original is an inch thicker and has an additional layer of memory foam with zoned support. It places No. 1 in both our ratings of the Best Memory Foam Mattresses and the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers. Read more in our Casper mattress review.

Saatva – Loom & Leaf Mattress: The Loom & Leaf Mattress is an all-foam mattress from Saatva that ties for fifth place in our rating. The 12-inch thick mattress has a layer of gel-infused foam, a section of memory foam, and a foam base. This is one of the few mattress brands to offer free white glove delivery, so you don’t have to break a sweat to remove your old mattress and set up your new one. The Loom & Leaf Mattress is the No. 1 Best Firm Mattress, though it’s also available in a medium-firm feel. Read more in our Saatva mattress review.

Brooklyn Bedding – Brooklyn Aurora Hybrid: Brooklyn Bedding focuses on cooling with its Brooklyn Aurora Hybrid. Tying for No. 5 in our Best Mattress rating, the Aurora hybrid consists of three layers of proprietary foam on top of a layer of coil springs. These foams contain titanium, copper, and cooling gel beads to keep body heat at bay. Even the fabric cover contains materials to help you sleep cooler at night. These features help the Brooklyn Aurora Hybrid earn the No. 2 spot in our rating of the Best Cooling Mattresses. Read more in our Brooklyn Bedding mattress review.

GhostBed – The GhostBed: The GhostBed places No. 8 in our rating. Technically classified as a foam mattress, this 11-inch bed starts with a 1.5-inch layer of latex, which is unusual for this type of mattress. In addition to its inherent capacity to draw heat away from the body better than foam, GhostBed’s latex is perforated with small holes, increasing its cooling abilities. Its middle layer consists of 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam. This combination of materials appeals to those that like the motion control and body-conforming support of memory foam but don’t want the buildup of body heat, one of foam’s key drawbacks. Read more in our GhostBed mattress review.

Birch – Natural Mattress: Also placing at No. 8 is the Birch Natural Mattress. This hybrid includes organic and sustainable materials and is No. 2 in our Best Organic Mattress ratings. The Natural Mattress has a pressure relief layer made with Talalay latex, a sustainable material known for being bouncier and cooler than foam. Organic cotton and natural wool make up the top cover and comfort layers, and underneath the latex is a section of individually wrapped steel coils. Read more in our Birch mattress review.

Awara – Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress: Rounding out the top 10 Best Mattresses and also tying for eighth place is Awara’s Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress. This is one of the few online mattress brands that offers a 365-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty. Standing at 13 inches, Awara’s mattress is one of the thickest in our comparison. Its two main layers include 4 inches of natural Dunlop latex on top of a 9-inch set of pocket coils. However, even though Awara calls this an organic mattress, it’s important to note that the company doesn’t have any third-party organic certifications for its mattresses. Read more in our Awara mattress review or check out the top Awara discount codes here.

How to Find the Right Mattress for You

You can search for the best mattress for you in several different ways. Where you start is up to you, but there are a few topics every shopper should consider before making a final decision.

Mattress Firmness Levels

Comfort is the most important factor in picking out a new mattress, according to the J.D. Power 2020 Mattress Satisfaction Report. While advanced materials such as copper-infused gels or coil-on-coil construction may attract your attention, nothing is more important to getting a comfortable mattress than selecting the right firmness level for you.

The firmness level, also known as the comfort level or “feel” of the mattress, refers to how much give it has under your body weight. A firm mattress doesn’t yield much when you lie on top, creating a “sleep on top” sensation. You’ll sink further into a softer mattress with its plush layers enveloping your body to a greater extent.

Firmness levels range from soft to firm and can include in-between levels such as medium-firm. A scale between 1 and 10 can also be used to indicate firmness, with higher numbers signifying a firmer mattress. Some manufacturers provide their own descriptions for comfort level, using “plush” instead of “soft,” for example. When possible, we’ve tried to lessen the confusion by translating these terms into standard firmness levels.

When looking at firmness levels, keep in mind that comfort is subjective. While one person may say a bed is too stiff, another may find the same bed to have the right level of support for their body type. This is an important caveat to keep in mind when looking at mattress reviews from other consumers, and a reminder of why it’s best to try a mattress out for yourself when possible.

Not every mattress is available in the full range of comfort feels, and many come in only one choice. Occasionally, you can add a pillow-top layer or other support layers to adjust the firmness level. If your bedmate prefers a different firmness level, look for a split bed, which has different feels on either side.

In general, firmer mattresses are more popular, in part because they can often help alleviate back pain. We list the top choices in our rating below and talk more about what makes a good firm mattress in our guide to the Best Firm Mattresses of 2021.

Mattress Types

Mattresses are separated into different types based on the structure underneath the cover or the specific materials. The four main types are foam, hybrid, latex, and innerspring. Some additional categories, such as organic mattresses, can include more than one different type of mattress in the same category.

Each mattress type has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The advantage of shopping by type is that you can first learn which ones may work best for you, and then use this information to narrow down your list of possible mattress choices significantly. For example, if you have a restless bedmate that wakes you when they’re tossing and turning, you’ll want to look for a foam or memory foam mattress and avoid an innerspring mattress.

We explain each mattress type below and, when available, include information on the top mattresses from our ratings for that category.

Mattresses in a Box

Mattresses no longer need to be strapped to the roof of your car to get them home. Foam, latex, and even some hybrid mattresses now can be compressed and squeezed into surprisingly small cardboard boxes. The boxes typically are about 4 feet high, 1.5 feet wide, and 1.5 deep. That’s compact enough to fit through a doorway without back-and-forth maneuvering, or to travel home in the backseat of a car or the cargo area of an SUV. You’ll want an extra person or two to help move a bed-in-a-box, which can weigh between 65 and 145 pounds for a queen.

Setting up a mattress in a box is quick and easy. Start in the room where the mattress will stay, remove the mattress from the box, and follow the instructions to remove the plastic packaging. The mattress immediately begins to expand_, and most are ready for use within an hour or less. A slight odor is normal and should be gone in a few days.

We analyzed our Best Mattresses of 2021 rating to find ones that are compressed in a box and are easiest to move. Mattresses that contain foam are certified to not include chemicals that can irritate those with sensitive noses. See our rating below, and get more information on the Best Mattresses in a Box of 2021.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Many mattresses have one or more layers of foam, but that foam isn’t necessarily memory foam. True memory foam is made of polyurethane and may also be called viscoelastic foam. One of the hallmark qualities of memory foam is that when it comes into contact with your body heat, the material warms and molds itself to your body.

“Memory foam mattresses offer spinal support by forming the shape of the person’s body and distributing the weight evenly,” reported Medical News Today. “This can reduce stress on the body and relieve back pain.”

One of the biggest disadvantages of memory foam is that this dense material traps body heat, which can leave you feeling overheated and sweaty and may even negatively affect your sleep.

Below is a list of mattresses from our Best Mattresses of 2021 rating that have memory foam. For more information, see our guide to the Best Memory Foam Mattresses of 2021.

Foam Mattresses

Foam mattresses are very similar to memory foam mattresses. In fact, there is some overlap between our Best Foam Mattress and Best Memory Foam Mattress ratings. That’s because many foam mattresses use memory foam as the top comfort layer. Other mattresses substitute this for a foam that conforms to your body while also encouraging better airflow so you’ll sleep cooler at night. If you tend to sleep hot, look for memory foam infused with cooling gel, or try other supportive materials, such as latex.

For more information, see our rating of the Best Foam Mattresses of 2021.

Hybrid Mattresses

If you like the sensation of a spring mattress but want a cushier top that you can sink into, a hybrid mattress is a good choice. This type of mattress combines layers of foam or latex with at least one layer of spring coils. Hybrids are growing in popularity because they blend many of the advantages of a spring mattress (a bouncy feel and good airflow) with those of a foam mattress (relief for pressure points and good motion isolation).

There is no strict definition of what is or isn’t a hybrid mattress. As a result, you’ll see a wide variety when it comes to the mattress materials, the number and thickness of the layers, and the ratio between the different types of materials. For our comparison, we classify any mattress that uses a secondary material to make up more than a third of its height as a hybrid. For example, a qualifying mattress using this formula is 12 inches high overall, consisting of a 5-inch layer of foam (the secondary layer) and a 7-inch layer of springs (the primary layer).

For more information, see our rating of the Best Hybrid Mattresses of 2021.

Latex Mattresses

While all-latex mattresses can be made of synthetic or natural latex, most use only natural latex. Similar to a foam mattress, a latex mattress typically has several different layers of latex. The two types of latex – Dunlop latex and Talalay latex – refer to how the material is made, not its ingredients. You don’t sink into a latex mattress quite as much as if it were memory foam, though latex does a better job of helping you stay cool at night. A latex mattress also has more bounce than a foam mattress.

Only a few mattresses made entirely of latex are on the market, and none made our latest rating. That said, several Best Mattresses contain one or more layers of latex. Shoppers seeking the benefits of sleeping on latex may want to consider one of these instead:

Spring Mattresses

There’s a lot of overlap between spring mattresses – also known as innerspring mattresses – and hybrid mattresses. Both use steel coils as the main source of support and have one or more layers of other materials on top of the coils. The thickness of these other layers in relation to the overall height determines if a bed is categorized as a hybrid mattress (when other layers make up to at least a third of the overall height) or a spring mattress (when most of the bed’s height comes from its coils).

A modern, well-made spring mattress has little in common with older models, which were often lumpy, squeaky, and prone to jostling every time your partner rolled over. One of the newest technologies – and biggest differences – are the pocketed coils. These do a better job of minimizing motion transfer while still providing the bouncy feel that many individuals prefer over the somewhat firm feel of a foam mattress. Spring mattresses also sleep cooler than foam mattresses.

One common complaint is that spring mattresses don’t conform to your body as well as other mattress types, causing discomfort at pressure points. Another drawback is that you’ll feel more movement from a bedmate than with a foam mattress.

For more information, see our rating of the Best Spring Mattresses of 2021.

Cooling Mattresses

Waking up in a hot sweat is not only unpleasant, but it may also be a sign that your sleep quality is suffering. One study reported that when you are too hot at night, you don’t get as much deep sleep (slow wave sleep) or as much rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and that you wake up more often. Adjusting the temperature in your bedroom is one of the top ways you can improve your sleep, according to Harvard Medical School. “Keep the temperature comfortably cool—between 60 and 75°F—and the room well ventilated,” it recommends.

You may also want to look for a mattress that’s made to stay cooler at night. Not all mattress materials handle body heat the same. Dense foam, especially memory foam, tends to trap more heat at night. Swapping out a mattress topper made of something like memory foam for one made of less dense materials leads to more “restorative sleep” when you first fall asleep, reported a separate study.

We analyzed our Best Mattress of 2021 rating to find the ones that keep you cooler at night. See our rating below, and get more information on the Best Cooling Mattresses of 2021.

Organic Mattresses

Organic mattresses are becoming more common, but there isn’t a standard definition of what constitutes an organic mattress. Adding to the murkiness is a lack of regulation, which means manufacturers can label mattresses as organic or natural without any proof. “Just because you hear the word ‘organic’ doesn’t mean that you won’t find fire retardants, toxic adhesives or polyurethane foam,” says Leah Segedie, author and founder of natural living website Mamavation.

What’s the best way to find out if a mattress is truly organic? Look for the certifications, advises Segedie. Make sure that these apply to the largest mattress layers and not just the top cover.

A flood of certifications and labels are out there, but the most important ones to look for are:

All of the mattresses in our rating of the Best Organic Mattress have a GOTS certification and one (Avocado’s Green Mattress) also has a GOLS certification. Take a look at our rating below and learn more about the Best Organic Mattresses of 2021.

How Much Does a Mattress Cost?

On average, you’ll pay $1,000 for a spring mattress, according to our analysis of around 70 mattresses. Other types are more expensive, with prices averaging around $1,500 to $1,600 for a hybrid or foam mattress, and north of $1,800 for a new latex mattress. Our estimates are similar to a report from Statista on mattress sales in the U.S.

You don’t have to pay full price when you buy a new bed. Mattress sales happen throughout the year, with the biggest discounts offered on Black Friday, Prime Day, and holidays such as President’s Day and the Fourth of July. Even when there isn’t a sale, you shouldn’t pay full price. You can negotiate the price of a mattress, similar to haggling over a new car.

Paying more doesn’t necessarily mean you get more, either. Consider Tuft & Needle’s Original Mattress and Purple’s signature Purple Mattress. Both are all-foam mattresses made with CertiPUR-US-certified foam, are about the same thickness, and come with 100-night sleep trials and 10-year warranties. They also have identical scores in our rating of the Best Mattresses. However, you’ll spend around $600 for the Tuft & Needle and nearly twice that for the Purple ($1,149).

You can also spend $1,000 or less on one of the best online mattresses. Below are the least expensive mattresses in our ratings. You can learn more about these and other affordable mattresses in our guide of the Best Cheap Mattresses of 2021.

Mattresses and Back Pain

Those suffering from back pain need a mattress that eases aches and pains at night, not one that makes their discomfort worse. Similar to anyone shopping for a new mattress, those with back pain need to seek out one that helps them rest easy at night. “Know that there’s no ‘perfect’ type of mattress for back and neck pain,” says Dr. Joshua M. Ammerman. “The best type of mattress is the one you find most comfortable.”

Still, there are a few additional qualities back pain sufferers should look for in a new mattress. The first is the right firmness level. For most, firm or medium-firm is the optimal feel. When a mattress is too soft, you might “sink in so deeply that your joints twist and become painful during the night,” reported Harvard Medical School. Experts at Harvard also note that a very firm mattress isn’t a good fit either, reporting that “one survey of 268 people with low back pain found that those who slept on very hard mattresses had the poorest sleep quality.”

You may also want to look for a mattress that has zoned levels of support. This means that one or more layers has softer areas for your head and shoulders and increased support under your lower back.

Learn more about how to find a mattress if you have back pain and see our unbiased rating in our guide to the Best Mattresses for Back Pain of 2021.

Finding a Mattress by Sleeping Position

One way to determine the right mattress for you is to consider what position you typically sleep in. This directly relates to the firmness level that’s most comfortable for you, though it’s also helpful to consider the thickness of the comfort layers (the cushy layers on top of the supportive lower layer) and the mattress type.

Side sleepers: Sleeping on your side is the most common sleeping position, according to a survey from the Better Sleep Council. It can also be good for your health, with doctors recommending it to some who have back pain or sleep apnea, and studies showing that side sleeping can reduce your chances of getting diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. When you lay on your side, your hips and shoulders press into the mattress, which can cause pain if your mattress is too firm. You can alleviate this pressure by selecting a firmness level of medium or softer, and by looking for a mattress that has plush top layers that you sink into. We list top-rated mattresses for this sleeping position below, and you can learn more with our Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers guide.

Back sleepers: If you sleep like a starfish or a soldier, you’ll need to watch out for back pain, as resting on your back can cause or aggravate back pain. When sleeping on your back, you can give your spine extra support by placing a pillow or a towel underneath your knees, recommends WebMD. It’s also better to pick a firmer mattress that’s rated seven or higher on the firmness scale. This helps keep your spine properly aligned in this position.

Stomach sleepers: The Better Sleep Council reports that 17% of its survey respondents prefer the free-fall position, sleeping on your stomach with your head turned to the side. However, many experts say stomach sleepers may want to try and find a different sleeping position. “Sleep professionals don’t recommend sleeping on your stomach as it causes strain on your lower back and possible neck pain,” the council states. Prevent undue pressure on your neck and back by selecting a firm mattress – which keeps your hips from dipping too low into the bed – and pick a small pillow or no pillow at all.

Reviewed Mattresses

Learn More With Our Mattress Guides

Our 360 Methodology for Evaluating Mattresses

The following describes our 360 approach to researching and analyzing mattresses to provide guidance to prospective buyers.

1. We researched the brands and products people care most about.

U.S. News analyzed and compared publicly available internet search data to determine which brands of mattresses consumers are most interested in. We found 62 mattress companies that stand out in terms of volume of searches and research among consumers. Once we identified these brands, we reviewed manufacturer data to determine every make and model of mattresses made by the brand at the time of publication.

For mattresses, we evaluated each company’s product lines, which is a step deeper than brands but a step above individual products. The mattress market is fragmented, with several products considered a part of each product line. Often, the difference between products varies slightly, whether it’s in size or with ancillary features. We felt that products within the same product line had enough in common that aggregating the collection was the most useful way to evaluate mattresses. Further, featuring product lines allowed us to aggregate more data points with a focus on consumer reviews than if we were to investigate individual products.

Because product lines tend to launch or discontinue often, U.S. News made the best effort to review active and available product lines as of the date of publication.

2. We created objective 360 Overall Ratings based on our analysis of third-party reviews.

Our scoring methodology is based on a composite analysis of the ratings and reviews published by credible third-party professional and consumer review sources. The ratings are not based on the personal opinions, tests, or experiences of U.S. News. To calculate the ratings:

(a) We compiled two types of third-party reviews and ratings:

· Professional Ratings and Reviews. Many independent mattress industry sources have published their assessments of mattresses on the web. We consider several of these third-party reviews to be reputable and well-researched. However, professional reviewers often make recommendations that contradict one another. Rather than relying on a single source, U.S. News believes consumers benefit most when these opinions and recommendations are all considered and analyzed with an objective, consensus-based methodology.

· Consumer Ratings and Reviews. U.S. News also reviewed published consumer ratings and reviews of mattresses. Sources with a sufficient number of quality consumer reviews ratings were included in our scoring model.

***Please note that not all professional and consumer rating sources met our criteria for objectivity. Therefore, some sources were excluded from our model.

(b) We standardized the inputs to create a common scale.

The third-party review source data was collected in a variety of forms, including ratings, recommendations, and accolades. Before including each third-party data point into our scoring equation, we had to standardize it so that it could be compared on an apples-to-apples basis with data points from other review sources. We used the scoring methodology described below to convert these systems to a comparable scale.

The 360 scoring process first converted each third-party rating into a common 0 to 5 scale. To balance the distribution of scores within each source’s scale, we used a standard deviation (or Z-Score) calculation to determine how each mattress that a source rated was scored in comparison to the source’s mean score. We then used the Z-Score to create a standardized U.S. News score using the method outlined below:

(c) We calculated the 360 Overall Score based on a weighted-average model.

We assigned “source weights” to each source used in the consensus scoring model based on our assessment of how much the source is trusted and recognized by consumers and how much its published review process indicates that it is both comprehensive and editorially independent. The source weights are assigned on a 1-5 scale. Any source with an assigned weight less than 2 was excluded from the consensus scoring model.

Finally, we combined the converted third-party data points using a weighted average formula based on source weight. This formula calculated the consensus score for each mattress product line, which we call the 360 Overall Rating.

Firmness is an important factor for many consumers, but unfortunately, there is no objective standard for what is considered “firm,” “soft,” or anything in between. Where possible, we used manufacturers’ assessments for firmness ratings and standardized it to a five-point scale. Where such information was unavailable, we omitted any mention of firmness relative to a mattress and excluded that product from certain sub-categories that depend upon firmness.

Mattress type is another important factor for many consumers. We considered four options for mattress type: innerspring, foam, latex, and hybrid. “Hybrid” mattresses are growing in popularity, but there is no objective standard for what they consist of. In some cases, manufacturers will label a mattress as a hybrid when it is actually a standard innerspring mattress with a thin layer of extra material added to the top. Our standard for what counts as a hybrid is a mattress with more than 33% of its height composed of a non-primary material. For instance, if a mattress is 12 inches deep and consists of 7 inches of innerspring and 5 inches of foam, we would consider the foam to be a non-primary material. We then would calculate that 41.7% of the mattress depth consists of a non-primary material, which would meet our standard of a hybrid mattress.

Another important factor for some consumers is whether a mattress is cooling or not. A cooling mattress has one or more layers manufactured from a material designed to lower body temperature or wick away moisture and/or heat. The best cooling mattresses will contain a cooling top layer along with secondary layers that contain a gel or are infused with an element such as copper or graphite which have high thermal conductivity.

An organic mattress is made of natural and organic raw materials. To be considered organic the material must be grown or farmed in accordance with specific guidelines and must not contain petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides, nor synthetic products. The raw materials may not be explicitly certified to be organic certified however, the processed raw materials may have a certification

A mattress is to be considered as a memory foam mattress when use of conforming viscoelastic foam is made. Memory foam softens and conforms to the body in response to temperature and weight.

A mattress-in-a-box is a mattress that is delivered compressed in a box and then expands to its full size.

A mattress for people with back pain should provide medium-firm support or firmness score between 6.5 – 7.5. Additionally, the mattress should have zoned support or other targeted features that support the back

A mattress for side sleepers is one with a firmness rating of soft or medium, or between 0 – 6, and uses material that conforms to the body shape, such as memory foam.

All of the data used in our mattress ratings were accurate as of August 15, 2020.