Best Memory Foam Mattresses for 2024 (2024)

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Best memory foam mattress overall

Nectar Premier

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Best flippable memory foam mattress

Layla

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Best affordable memory foam mattress

Bear Original

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Best memory foam mattress for back or stomach sleepers

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt

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Best luxury memory foam mattress

Saatva Loom & Leaf

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<del class="c-shortcodeListiclePrecapItem_msrpPrice">$2,799</del> $2,239 at Leesa

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$3,214 at Nectar

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<del class="c-shortcodeListiclePrecapItem_msrpPrice">$1,483</del> $665 at DreamCloud

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Best Memory Foam Mattresses for 2024

What's the best memory foam mattress overall?

Video: Best memory foam mattress of 2024

Best memory foam mattresses of 2024

Other memory foam mattresses we've tested

How we test memory foam mattresses

How to choose the best memory foam mattress

Types of memory foam

Who should buy a memory foam mattress?

Who shouldn't buy a memory foam mattress?

Our take-The Nectar Premier reminds me of a foam Tempur-Pedic mattress; it has that signature memory foam feel, but you won't have to fork out nearly as much cash for it. It has a dense, slow, sink-in memory foam feel that takes a few seconds to activate. Once it does, the gel-infused memory foam starts to hug your body and offers a relieving feel around pressure points like your hips and shoulders.

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Our take-It seems the mattress company paid a lot of attention to detail when it came to designing the flippable mattress. If one side doesn't fit your sleeping style, all you have to do is flip it around to get a softer or firmer mattress feel. The soft side is plush and pressure-relieving, so it's great if you're a side sleeper. The flip side doesn't have a true firm profile, but it does keep my back and spine supported when I sleep on my stomach and back. I'd say it's a hair firmer than a medium.

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Our take-When I first tested the Bear Original mattress, I was surprised to find out how affordable it was. It reminded me of the more popular bed-in-a-box mattresses like the Puffy mattress, but it retails for several hundred dollars less. It works great on my back and stomach, and it's pretty comfy on my side. It may be a little too firm if you're a strict side sleeper under 150 pounds.

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Our take-Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Adapt mattress is the best memory foam mattress for most back and stomach sleepers because the bed’s firmness, support and comfort complement these sleeping positions. It has a classic, dense memory foam feel that relieves pressure off your hips, shoulders and lower back.

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Our take-Some people just want the best memory foam mattress to stay comfy throughout the night. Others want the same mattress they tried that one time on vacation at the Four Seasons. If you're the latter, the Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress looks like those in a five-star hotel. It doesn't just look the part; it's also really comfortable and won't cost you an arm and a leg.

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Our take-If you're a hot sleeper, you know the struggle of trying to stay cool or at least temperature-neutral at night. The Leesa Legend Chill is the best memory foam mattress for those who need a truly cool-to-the-touch mattress that utilizes cooling fibers in the cover. Under the cover are five other layers, including a quilt foam gel layer, a layer of micro-springs, a comfort foam layer, a zoned support layer of up to 1,032 individually wrapped coils and a final layer of high-density foam.

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With the Lessa Legend Chill, you get the comfort of foam and increased airflow due to its structure and materials. We find this mattress to be around a medium or a five on the firmness scale. This firmness is ideal for combination and side sleepers. Back and stomach sleepers who don't need extra support should also find this mattress comfortable. Heavier sleepers may want to look into thePlus Hybrid mattress.
The price of the Leesa Legend Chill mattress ranges from $1,574 for a twin to $3,299 for a California King.

Our take-The majority of individuals who sleep on their side are coziest on a soft, plush mattress. One of the best mattresses for side sleepers is the 14-inch Nectar Luxe mattress. This bed has a white marshmallow-like cover that looks comfy at first sight. The cover is even noticeably cool to the touch, which is great for sleepers who heat up on memory foam.

Our take-DreamCloud is known for its high-end beds you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for. The DreamCloud Hybrid mattress is its entry-level model, but the bed doesn't skip out on luxurious features. This mattress is a thick hybrid bed made with pocketed coils over eight inches tall and reinforced sides for stronger edge support. Stacked on top are comfortable foam layers, including gel memory foam for temperature regulation.

There are hundreds of mattresses to choose from, but luckily, our CNET sleep editors have been around the bedding block. They have collectively tested over 100 beds, from the most popular to lesser-known models, and have the knowledge to help you pick the best fit for you. The mattresses above are great options, but there are a few more beds we've tested that could have easily made this list.

Lucid 10-Inch Gel Memory Foam mattress: Budget shoppers can look into the Lucid Gel Memory Foam mattress, a bed sold through Amazon with thousands of positive ratings from users. It's one of the most affordable bed-in-a-box beds I've ever tested, and it's still comfy enough to give you a good night's sleep. You have three firmness options to choose from and six heights.

Tempur-Cloud mattress: You've likely heard about this brand before, as Tempur-Pedic made its name in the mattress industry long before beds ever came to the internet. They offer several mattresses, from entry-level to luxury. They also have many cooling memory foam options. They're expensive beds, but you're paying for the trusted brand name and traditional memory foam feel that the brand is known for.

CNET editors choose the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Our team of bed experts tests each mattress that comes into our mattress warehouse and sleep lab. We test all sleeping positions: side, back, stomach and combination on each bed. We also test for motion isolation, edge support, temperature, comfort and more. As for firmness, our team has two ways of testing how firm a bed feels. First, we rate the perceived firmness and feel, converse with other teammates and compare the bed’s firmness to the other 300 we have tested. Then, we objectively measure a bed’s firmness with a proprietary machine dubbed the Mattress Smasher 9000. This device and corresponding software were developed in-house by our lab technicians. It presses into the middle of the mattress and scores each bed on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest and 1 being the softest.

Here's the data we learned testing the best memory foam mattresses with our Mattress Smasher 9000. Sorted from the softest beds to the firmest, here's how the mattresses scored on our firmness scale.

When testing, we sleep on beds, trying out all three different sleeping positions: side, back, stomach and combination. We also test for motion isolation, edge support, temperature, comfort and more. We have even cut open a few mattresses to see what the construction is like on the inside.

The best memory foam mattresses are comfortable to switch positions in, offer a pressure-relieving feel, isolate motion and are very accommodating for different sleeping positions. We also take durability into account, considering whether it will be long-lasting for every body type.

Find out more onhow we test mattresses.

• Firmness:This should be a main consideration, regardless of the kind of mattress you're buying. Different firmness levels accommodate different sleeping positions. If you're a side sleeper, the best memory foam mattress will feel soft and plush. For stomach and back sleepers, the best memory foam bed is a more firm memory foam mattress.
• Feel: As I mentioned earlier in this roundup, not every memory foam mattress is built alike. Some memory foam beds feel light and airy, while others feel dense and slow to respond. If you're a combination sleeper, I recommend you go with a light memory foam so it's easy to switch positions. If you like to get really nestled and cozy while you sleep, you may like a dense memory foam mattress better.
• Temperature regulation: One complaint against memory foam is that it retains heat, making sleepers feel hot and uncomfortable while they sleep. Part of it is because of memory foam's dense cell structure and warm air getting trapped inside, as well as the fact that you sleep within the memory foam rather than on top. Look for memory foam with different temperature regulating techniques, such as infused gel, gel beads, infused copper, infused graphite, phase change materials and proprietary technology.
• Price: Memory foam ranges in price, from very cheap (there are cheap memory foam mattress options out there that cost as little as $200) to premium and top-tier (Tempur-Pedic mattresses can cost more than $2,000). That means almost anyone can find a memory foam mattress within their budget.

Not all memory foam materials are alike. Some are more airy while others are very dense. Some are infused with gel or copper for temperature regulation while others are more traditional.

Traditional: Traditional memory foam is found in older beds like the OG Tempur-Pedic mattresses from the 90s or very cheap memory foam. While it's great and provides pressure relief, it also gets hot because the dense foam traps your body heat inside. If you're a hot sleeper, this is something to consider.

Gel-infused: Don't worry, it's not literal gel you're sleeping on. Gel-infused memory foam often has little blue or green dots infiltrated throughout the foam to help regulate temperature. The gel draws heat away from you and more evenly disperses it throughout the bed for a cooling memory foam feel.

Copper-infused: Beds like the Layla mattress are infused with copper gel to work the same way regular gel-infused mattresses do. Copper is a conductor that can absorb heat from your body and distribute it away from your body.

Plant-based: There aren't many plant-based memory foam mattresses on the market. People like Amerisleep use plant-based materials as a substitute for petroleum and manufacture it using a zero-emissions process. This way, the memory foam is more environmentally friendly than most other memory or poly foams.

Proprietary: You will find a ton of different brands using a specific name for their memory foam, such as Puffy's Cloud-Air foam for example. This means the brand put a specific twist on the memory foam to make it more comfortable or more accommodating. The most common types of proprietary memory foams are open-celled for more airflow or gel-infused for cooling abilities.

Learn about why the type of foam in your mattress matters.

What is the best memory foam mattress?

There are many different memory foam mattresses on the market, but some of the best include Layla, Puffy, Loom & Leaf, Bear, Amerisleep, DreamCloud and Nectar.

How long do memory foam mattresses last?

If your memory foam mattress is only made out of foam, it will probably last you around seven years. If it's made with inner springs or coils in the bottom layer, it will last you around 10 years or more. Just make sure you're taking proper care of your mattress, such as rotating it every six months and keeping your bedding clean.

What is the best thickness for a memory foam mattress?

Nine to 10 inches is an ideal thickness for a memory foam mattress that offers ample support, but you can also go even thicker if you're looking for maximum durability and support. Thin memory foam mattresses are OK for the short-term, but may not last as long as you would hope. They tend to be more susceptible to wear and tear, sags and imprints.

Are memory foam mattresses good?

Memory foam mattresses are great at providing pressure relief to your joints because the material gently hugs your curves, but some memory foam beds can give you a sinking feeling that causes resistance when you try to switch positions. If you're a combination sleeper in the market for a memory foam bed, try to find one that's more light and airy so it responds to pressure more quickly.

What are the disadvantages of memory foam mattresses?

Memory foam mattresses trap heat, making hot sleepers even hotter. They also sometimes provide resistance to combination sleepers when they switch positions.