The Best Mattresses on Amazon That Are Approved by AD Editors

Here at AD, we’re well-established sleep enthusiasts and had no problem identifying the best mattresses on Amazon. The Nectar Classic memory foam is our favorite. We chose it because not only was it tested (and loved) by multiple writers, but the combination of the perfect medium-firm support and affordable price point make it a clear winner. The rest of our choices are categorized with a focus on organic materials and hybrid styles that score high in pressure relief, edge support, and cooling benefits. As a team, we have researched and tested dozens of beds from the best mattress brands in the industry.

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Best Budget Mattress

ZINUS Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

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Best Silky-Soft Mattress

Cariloha Resort Mattress

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Hunting for a new mattress online can feel risky—that’s why you want to identify a few key non-negotiables. Do you want a soft, pressure-relieving mattress that conforms to your body like a marshmallow or are you looking for something that falls higher on the firmness scale? Is a gel memory foam mattress at the top of your wishlist or are you looking for a hybrid design that takes edge support seriously? Those sharing a bed need to consider the importance of motion isolation.

Amazon can help you find a perfect bed, and an affordable mattress at that. Whether you’re brand-agnostic or eyeing something from one of the main players in shippable beds, like Zinus or Tuft & Needle, we’ve rounded up the best Amazon mattresses that start around $300. And with Amazon Labor Day sales on the radar, you’ll likely score a great deal on quality brands that use couture cover fabrics like Tencel, organic cotton, and even a cashmere blend.

Here, nine of the best mattresses on Amazon, many with stellar customer reviews to back us up. Should you need more tips before making this important purchase, jump down to read more about how we chose the mattresses below.

Prices listed are for a queen mattress unless otherwise indicated.

Best Overall Mattress on Amazon

Reviewer: Yelena Moroz Alpert, contributor, and Katie Henwood, contributor

The Nectar Classic has quite a few fans at the AD office. Their original mattress is the blueprint for the rest of their line and one that we can personally vouch for. “I’ve had this mattress for almost eight years and it feels as good as new night after night,” says Alpert. “The memory foam has a knack for letting your body melt into the bed, but retains its medium-firm touch. I especially appreciate it after a long vacation that involves sleeping on random, not so comfy beds.”

Henwood echoes Nectar’s merits based on her experience. “After a few nights sleeping on the new Nectar mattress, my lower back pain magically disappeared,” she says. “It’s definitely one of the best mattress brands I’ve tried!” And with three layers of support to ease weight off your pressure points—whether you prefer to snooze on your stomach, back, or side—it’s easy to see why.

Best Budget Mattress

ZINUS Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

Reviewer: Jacorey Moon, contributor

The Zinus memory foam mattress stands out from the rest, as it is infused with all-natural green tea and purified charcoal to help it stay fresh longer. The best seller also boasts over 31,000 five-star reviews—the most on our list—for these very reasons. But that’s just the start, Moon adds that the mattress uses zone pressure-relieving memory foam that conforms to his body and helps with circulation. “I’m a person who deals with neck pain on occasion, and the first night after I slept on this mattress, my pain got a little less intense—honestly, it felt like I was cradled in clouds (even if the mattress has a firm feel to it),” he says.

After a month-plus of testing, he found himself looking forward to drifting off to sleep, especially on stressful days. “I love memory foam mattresses because they are suitable for helping your body completely ease itself while in slumber, and this one didn’t stray from this reputation,” Moon adds. “My last mattress had springs, and over time, it became severely uncomfortable. This Zinus mattress solves many of my problems. I want to feel relaxed without melting into the mattress (I’m on the heavier side), and it’s easy to get in and out of the bed.” Other benefits include good motion retention, even if your partner gets in and out of bed throughout the night. Plus, the unboxing and decompression was easy enough for Moon to set it up alone.

Best Silky-Soft Mattress

Reviewer: Lisa Aiken, senior vice president of commerce at Condé Nast

For Aiken, the best features about this mattress are the side wedge supports that are unique to Cariloha and contribute to a feeling of a wider sleep surface (Cariloha claims a 25% increase). They also provide excellent structure and reinforcement along the edges and even in the center of the mattress. She also approves of the five-layer bamboo memory foam construction that adapts and molds to the body, “resulting in a sleep experience that is both very supportive and pleasantly soft,” Aiken says in her cooling mattress review. She also notes that the mattress has a moisture-wicking feature in its Flex-Flow Base Foam that promises to improve airflow and keep you three degrees Fahrenheit cooler.

In terms of support, the Resort model offers medium support, striking a balance between luxurious yet substantial. “I would rate this mattress highly, a nine out of 10, when compared to other mattresses I’ve slept on,” she adds. Bonus: the bamboo cover is removable and washable, something we appreciate when it comes to cooling bed sheets.

Best Cooling Mattress

Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress

Reviewer: Anna Fixsen, contributor

If you prefer blissful, plush comfort with a hint of firmness, the Tuft & Needle Mint mattress does the trick—without crossing into “overly squishy” territory. The Adaptive foam is twice as responsive and has 15% more airflow as the original style. “The invisible support layer is made of cushy gel beads that are distributed evenly,” says Fixsen in her review. “It has just enough give, however, to (dare I quote Goldilocks?) feel just right.” Hot sleepers will also appreciate that the mattress has T&N’s unique foam, which is made with 30% extra heat-wicking graphite and the cooling gel beads Fixsen highlights.

Best Memory Foam Mattress

Reviewer: Audrey Lee, commerce editor

The Leesa Studio mattress has three layers of memory foam, all encased within a comfortable knit cover: a responsive memory foam top layer that contours to your body, a middle comfort cooling layer with micro air capsules, and a bottom stability layer. Lee found the all-foam mattress ultra-supportive, noting that it has a nice amount of give without being too soft (you can read her full Leesa Studio Mattress review here). It complements just about any sleep style—stomach sleepers, back sleepers who like to spread-eagle, or side sleepers who switch sides throughout the night. “The setup was easy and I slept incredibly well the first night on my Leesa and pretty much every night since. If you’re looking for a safe bet, go with a Leesa mattress,” Lee adds.

Best Mattress for Back Pain

Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress

Reviewer: Gabriela Ulloa, contributor

This hybrid mattress gets high marks for expanding easily post-unboxing and preventing motion transfer from your bedmate. Plus, it’s loaded with 1,000 individually wrapped coils to strike that perfect balance of comfy-yet-supportive sleep. “Normally whenever I sleep on a new mattress (or even my mattress back at my mom’s house, which I am very familiar with), I usually wake up with some sort of back pain,” Ulloa shares. “That never happened with the Midnight Luxe. I wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested each day.” This style has five layers, including copper gel memory foam. Ulloa mentions you should recruit a helper to set it up, especially because it’s thicker than the average mattress.

Best Hybrid Mattress

DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress

Reviewer: Michael Shome, global visuals director

Our editors have tried out near countless mattresses over the years, and this one checks all of the boxes. It is reasonably priced at just under $1,000 and the construction boasts an impressive number of layers (eight in total), including a luxurious cashmere blend cushion top and contouring memory foam. “I would certainly recommend this to a friend and have already suggested it to my parents,” says Shome. “They often complain about the annoyance of disturbed sleep from transfer movement. The DreamCloud truly minimizes sleep disturbance from your neighbor.” Shome adds that delivery and setup was simple, but because this mattress is just under 90 pounds you may need an extra set of hands to unbox your mattress when it arrives. Best of all, you can test it for a full calendar year before committing.

Best Customizable Mattress

Reviewer: Cheryl Dearborne, contributor

Perhaps the most interesting mattress on the list, the Layla Hybrid is flippable, meaning you can choose between the firm or soft side (not unlike a standard crib mattress). “Even though I’m a side sleeper, I’ve accidentally fallen asleep on my back since receiving the mattress and still manage to wake up after a full night’s sleep with no problems,” Dearborne says in her review. The hybrid design with pocketed coils supports and matches the curves of your body, while the copper-infused memory foam provides the temperature regulation sweaty sleepers need for a peaceful snooze.

Best Organic Mattress

Reviewer: Kristi Kellogg, contributor

For sleepers who are extra conscious about the beds that they sleep on and the materials they’re made from, Happsy is a name to know. Their flagship mattress consists of eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton, wool batting, and latex are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) certified. Kellogg tried out the Happsy, and claims the medium-firm feel of this mattress makes it ideal for most kinds of sleepers, especially those who like padding when snoozing on their stomach and support for hugging their pillows on their side. Keep in mind that Kellogg detected a “faint alfalfa smell” upon unboxing, but the off-gassing smell is pretty common among beds-in-a-box and didn’t linger for long.

How We Chose These Mattresses

We selected a range of beds, primarily bed-in-a-box options that are easy to haul up to your apartment and tend to be quite durable, since they have to survive the shipping process. Usually the only setup they need is to unfurl themselves post-unboxing.

Rest assured that nearly every single mattress on this list has been tested and given the AD seal of approval by one of our staffers. In each assessment, we looked for how each bed measured up for basic support stats, how it affected reviewers’ sleep, and how the delivery process was.

Across the board, we also made sure that all mattresses came in a range of sizes and were from reputable brands that are known for their mattresses, such as Helix, Nectar, and Tuft & Needle. We also considered factors like each bed’s trial period and warranty when ranking these.

How We Tested

When selecting mattresses from Amazon, we scour their catalog for brands we know and have tested extensively over the years, like Nectar, Helix, Casper, Tuft & Needle, and others. We’re looking to see what caliber of mattresses Amazon provides to ensure they’re on top of the market, and we want to try out reported top sellers to see if they’re really worth the investment. We also keep an eye out for specialty mattresses those that pique our interest: For hot sleepers, this means picks with cooling gel, breathable fabrics like Tencel or bamboo, and for sleepers who need ample support, we’re looking for layers of foam or cushioning that could provide pain relief (a writer’s back is never in its best shape). We evaluate each mattress for its durability, breathability, ease of delivery and installation, as well as longevity. And we compare price points along the way.

• Firmness: A mattress that stands a chance against the thousands of market options is one that impresses us with its firmness, especially over time. High-density foam or spring mattresses can achieve a firmer mattress feel, and great edge support so you’re not sliding off your bed while you try putting on socks.
• Longevity: We try sleeping on our mattresses for months and, in many cases, years before giving our review. And we keep this story updated if our opinions change over time. We want to make sure that a mattress retains its firmness, springiness, and comfort for the long haul.
• Return Policy and Warranty: These are big ones. A mattress is a pricey purchase—even at the lowest end of the spectrum—and you can never know for certain how you’re going to respond to a new mattress. We do our best to choose mattress options that make it easy for you to return your purchase and provide ample warranty.
• Sizes available: We’re looking to make sure the options cater to twin sizes for kids rooms, dorms, or guest beds, as well as everything up to a California king. A good mattress brand should appeal to a wide market.

FAQs

When shopping for mattresses on Amazon, we’ve really narrowed it down for you. You’ll want to consider the brand itself, as well as the following factors:

• Mattress types: You’ll want to know generally what you’re looking for when it comes to mattress types. Memory foam mattresses are great for contouring to the body, providing pressure relief, while innerspring mattresses offer bounce and ventilation. Hybrid models combine both of these for a Goldilocks take. Some mattresses include cooling features like gel-infused mattresses, or pillow tops for maximum comfort.
• Sleep position: Your preferred sleep position—that is, the one you have, not the one you want to have—plays a big role in the firmness you need for your mattress. Side sleepers should consider medium-firm to medium-soft—you want some give for your spinal alignment—while back sleepers should consider firm or medium-firm, and stomach sleepers should consider firm or medium-firm. The ultimate goal is always to create a supportive environment so that no matter how you’re sleeping, your spine and neck are in safe positions for your (ideally) eight-hour journey.
• Brand: There’s a reason a certain mattress brand name might be floating in your head, if there is one. It’s because they’ve been in the game a long time. While we love our old standbys—Nectar, Leesa, and Helix—we’re always scouting the market to locate new leaders in the game, like Happsy and Cariloha.
• Mattress Height: A mattress’s height has a big impact on your bedroom’s style: A multi-inch mattress gives a deluxe hotel look, whereas a thinner mattress can look best on a platform frame, or if you’re more closely pursuing a Japandi vibe. Note that a thicker mattress may also need a deep pocket sheet set.

Most mattresses on Amazon offer at least a 100-night trial, with some up to 365 days (thank you, Nectar). It’s important to read the fine print with each mattress purchase on Amazon, just to make sure you know what you’re getting into with your purchase, though Amazon does typically have great return policies.

Can You Return a Mattress Bought From Amazon?

Yes, most brands allow you to return the mattress, but always check the return policy before you purchase. Amazon even has a tab that identifies whether an item has low or high returns. We cross-check to ensure the mattresses on this list are identified as low returns.

How Much Do Mattresses on Amazon Cost?

The range for Amazon mattresses is around $300 to $3,000. The price depends on the brand and the materials. Expect to pay less for a mattress with a polyester cover, but a bit more for a model with organic cotton that is Oeko-Tex certified. A low price, however, does not mean that you have a low-quality mattress, it simply means that you’re prioritizing different factors. Note that hybrid mattresses with encased steel coils will likely cost more than medium-firm memory foam mattresses like the Nectar Classic.

Build the Ultimate Bed-Scape With AD

Pillow, comforters, duvet covers, sheets, and more—we’ve put all the best bedding to the test so you don’t have to:

• Best Mattresses, Tested and Reviewed: Our favorite beds across all categories from brands like Purple, Helix, Saatva, and beyond.
• Best Pillows, Tested and Reviewed: Upgrade your sleep setup with our top picks from Casper, Brooklinen, Purple, Brooklyn Bedding, and more.
• Best Duvet Inserts and Comforters, Tested and Reviewed: Here to give you the lowdown (and down alternative).
• Best Duvet Covers, Tested and Reviewed: Upgrade your sleep setup with one of these editor-approved picks.
• Best Quilts and Coverlets, Tested and Reviewed: From channeled and reversible cotton to easy, breezy linen, here are some of the best light layers to keep you cozy regardless of the season.
• Best Bed Sheets, Tested and Reviewed: From percale to sateen, and silk, these are all the finest linens we’ve ever laid ourselves upon.
• Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers, Tested and Reviewed: Offering pressure relief, temperature regulation, and more, we tested the best offerings for side and combination sleepers.