Firmness can impact how hard or soft a bed feels to you. Some beds are built to be softer or firmer than others, which can affect sinkage, support levels, and pressure-relieving capabilities.
Generally speaking, side sleepers do well on medium-firm or softer beds that balance pressure relief and support. Back sleepers can also sleep nicely on a medium firmness, although some may prefer an even firmer mattress for extra lumbar lifting. Stomach sleepers typically prefer firmer mattresses that offer more support for the hips so that the lower back doesn’t curve too much.
Need help? Visit our complete mattress firmness guide.
Weight plays a big role in choosing a mattress because it can impact factors like support, feel, sinkage, and even cooling. Furthermore, a particular mattress will feel very different to a lightweight person than it will to an average or heavier sleeper.
Body weight considerations often go hand-in-hand with sleep position, and you’ll need to consider both these factors together.
Let’s look at the following guidelines for choosing an ideal firmness level based on your weight:
Need more details? Follow our guide to the best beds for heavy people.
Most of us have a unique way of sleeping every night. No matter if you sleep on your side, stomach, or back, or even if you switch throughout the night, you must consider your sleep style when selecting a mattress. The reason for this is that your favorite sleeping position will determine the ideal firmness of your new bed.
Back Sleeper
The most important factors for back sleepers are support and pressure relief. If your mattress is too soft, your body will sink in and cause back pain, but if it’s too firm, you won’t get enough pressure relief.
Generally, the best beds for back sleepers have a firmness rating between 5 and 7.
Mattresses that contain memory foam tend to provide the highest level of comfort for people who sleep on their backs. This is because they contour the spine while maintaining proper support and structure.
I suggest the Helix Dusk as a great mattress for back sleepers. The Helix Dusk has a medium firmness that should complement most back sleepers. Additionally, the construction includes great layers for back sleepers, such as DuraDenseFoam, coils, Memory Plus Foam, and Helix Dynamic Foam.
Want to see more? Look into our mattresses for back sleepers guide.
Side Sleeper
People who sleep on their side often experience pressure accumulation because their weight is concentrated in a smaller area. Therefore, these individuals should go with a softer mattress that will provide a more equal distribution of pressure.
If you’re a side sleeper, choose a mattress with a firmness rating between 4 and 6.
I suggest the Helix Midnight as a great mattress for side sleepers. The Midnight contains Memory Plus Foam, which should provide sufficient pressure relief for those who lie in this position.
Looking for more info? Read our complete mattress for side sleepers buying guide.
Stomach Sleeper
The most important thing for stomach sleepers is support for the hips and midsection. If the mattress is not firm enough, your spine will curve, and this can cause back pain.
Stomach sleepers should look at beds in the medium-firm to firm range, usually a 6 or higher. If you’re heavier, though, you should seek out something firmer than a 7 to ensure quality support.
I suggest the Helix Dawn as a great mattress for stomach sleepers. The Helix Dawn has a firm enough feel that should provide stomach sleepers with good support to keep their midsection from sinking too deep into the bed.
Learn More: How to Choose Perfect Bed for Stomach Sleepers
Combination Sleeper
Combination sleepers rotate between several or all three of the aforementioned positions. These folks need a versatile, medium or medium-firm feel that can accommodate more sleep positions. Another important mattress quality for combination sleepers is a responsive (bouncy) mattress that makes it easier for them to reposition themselves. If it’s harder to move around, that could cause them to wake up during the night and lead to poor sleep.
Learn more: Visit our list of the best mattresses for combination sleepers.
The other key feature is support, which is how well the mattress keeps your spine in proper alignment. This is vital for preventing back pain. As you evaluate the bed’s supportive layers, you’ll want to look for any signs of pressure on your spine or awkward positioning. For example, if you’re a stomach sleeper and notice your hips dipping into the bed, you’ll probably need to go with something more supportive for your body type.
Whether you’re testing out a mattress in-store or at home during your trial period, you want to get a thorough understanding of how the product performs for comfort and support. As you lie on the bed, evaluate whether you feel comfortable enough to easily sleep on it. Does the mattress relieve your pressure points? Does it provide a deeper hug or a gentle cradle? Comfort is subjective, so as long as it works for you to achieve optimal sleep, that’s most important.
People dealing with different pain and health concerns should be especially careful when buying a new mattress. This is because a mattress may make your pain worse. For example, if you have shoulder pain, a mattress that’s too firm can cause pressure buildup in that area, more so if you sleep on the side.
Some mattresses could be helpful for certain pain and health conditions based on their design, such as mattresses for sciatica or beds for sleep apnea. Other mattresses could be particularly good for pregnancy, offering balanced support, pain relief, and even weight distribution.
Constantly waking up during the night because you’re too warm can negatively affect your sleep quality. The good news for hot sleepers is that there are numerous mattress options tailored to the needs of those prone to overheating. If this sounds like you, then you’ll want to seek out beds with cooling features. The coils in innerspring and hybrid models offer great airflow, while latex beds are inherently temperature-neutral and therefore, don’t retain heat.
Read More: Best Cooling Mattresses
Memory foam is a popular choice but because it’s known to easily overheat, the material isn’t always ideal for hot sleepers. However, many companies have found a way to help with this by infusing cooling gels or using open-cell foam structures to help mitigate heat build-up.
Additionally, if love memory foam but worry about becoming too warm, consider getting a hybrid with memory foam in the comfort layer so you get the extra airflow from the innerspring coils. Additional cooling features and breathable materials in mattresses may include graphite, copper, Tencel, cotton, and moisture-wicking bamboo or wool. Some brands also create proprietary cooling materials for their mattresses.
In most cases, a bit of responsiveness can help you move around, switch positions, and even get in and out of bed. This term means the materials are more quick-responding to your movements.
On the other hand, some people may want enhanced responsiveness through a lot of bounce. The downside is that too much bounce can make it more difficult for the mattress to keep motion from traveling across the mattress.
Motion isolation is important for most couples and co-sleepers. We define it as the bed’s ability to absorb motion so that you don’t feel so much of it from one side of the bed to the other. This is particularly important for partners with different sleeping habits and styles. If your partner is a restless sleeper, for instance, they might wake you up with their tossing and turning, in which case you want a mattress with maximum motion isolation.
Generally speaking, memory foam is the best for motion isolation as it absorbs movement the best. Mattress firmness also plays a part here. Softer beds tend to be better at isolating movement, but this also depends on the materials.
Edge support is not necessarily important for everyone. Solo sleepers or kids who rarely sleep near the edge of the bed probably don’t care as much as couples and those who prefer to spread out across the mattress.
Firmer mattresses tend to have better edge support, but this also depends on what they’re made from. Hybrid beds usually hold up better around the edges, more so if they have some type of reinforcement in this area. Foam beds can also have higher-density foam in this area to help keep the edges from collapsing.
In most cases, you’ll see trials ranging from 90 to 365 nights, whereas the warranty ranges from 10 years to forever (or a lifetime warranty, as it’s sometimes called). Although it’s not always the case, pricier brands tend to offer longer trials and warranties.
Apart from the overall duration, you should also look at what the deals involve. What happens if you have to return the mattress? Do you get a full refund or just a portion? Are you required to keep the mattress for at least 30 days or you can return it at any point? Make sure you research these details before you buy.
Durability and material quality are more difficult to evaluate by browsing the brand website, so it helps to do the research, and read online reviews and customer feedback. However, you can only learn so much from just reading because both durability and material quality are best tested in person. This is where a good trial comes into play, allowing you to try out the mattress before committing.
The price doesn’t always indicate maximum quality and durability, but some mattresses are generally known to last longer. For example, we know that softer, cheaply-made foam beds aren’t as durable and will likely sag faster than high-density memory foam mattresses.
Once you decide on a specific brand and model, you’ll then need to select the mattress size you want. You may already have a size in mind based on what your previous mattress was. However, if you’re moving into a new home, the amount of space available could impact whether you can get a bigger size.
Mattresses come in standard sizes to help you know how much space they’ll take up. I recommend measuring your room to see if that California King you have your eye on will fit comfortably in the space. Additionally, if you’re planning on utilizing smaller spaces for a guest room, a Murphy bed mattress may be what you should consider.
You’ll also need to factor in whether you sleep with a partner. A Full-size bed might be a cheaper deal, but if you like to spread out, a King or California King may be the better option. Conversely, if the bed is for a child, teen, or single sleeper, they probably won’t need a Queen-size or bigger. Instead, they might be better suited for a Twin, Twin XL, or Full model.
Many people change their beds after just a few years, and that’s perfectly fine if you can afford it. Buying a bed is not a small investment, so you’ll need to assess if now’s the right time to get one.
Generally speaking, you’ll probably need a new mattress after seven years. Of course, this will depend on the quality of the bed’s materials and how you’ve maintained it over the years. Good maintenance and high-quality materials could extend the product’s lifespan by a few years. That being said, if you feel back or neck pain after waking up, then you should start shopping around.
More Reading:
Mattress TypeAverage LifespanInnerspring5 to 10 yearsMemory Foam7 to 10 yearsHybrid7 to 10 yearsLatex10-15 yearsPillow-Top7 to 10 yearsAdjustable7 to 10 years Waterbed10 to 15 years
How do you choose a mattress for a child?
To choose a mattress for your child, you’ll want to take into account their age. Ideally, you’ll want something that will work for them throughout the years, from childhood to adolescence. The next step is to consider the size of the bed. Usually, kids can do well on Twin or Twin XL mattresses, even as they grow. However, if you want extra room for when they get older, you might consider investing in a Full mattress.
Some brands, such as Saatva and Helix, make beds for children, so these could be a great place to start looking. In general, the mattress should provide a good blend of pressure relief and support to help ensure your little one sleeps well.
More: Best Kids Mattress
How do you choose a mattress for back pain?
If you’re looking for a mattress to help with back pain, you must prioritize support, as this will help your spine remain neutral and prevent your back pain from worsening. The coils in hybrid and innerspring mattresses are great for enhanced support, and hybrids have the added benefit of additional foam layers to deliver pressure relief simultaneously. If you carry more weight, finding a mattress that’s supportive enough to keep your spine lifted is especially important. The good news is that there are high-quality mattresses for heavy sleepers that have durable builds to ensure healthy alignment.
When is the best time to buy a mattress?
The best time to buy a mattress is when your current one no longer gives you adequate comfort and support. However, there are great opportunities throughout the year to take advantage of extra savings on the industry’s top beds. Many mattress companies provide exceptional deals on their products during major holidays, such as Black Friday, Labor Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Presidents’ Day. If you’re in the market for a new bed and a holiday is around the corner, this would be the best time to make a purchase.
Where is the best place to buy a mattress?
The best place to buy a mattress will depend on whether you prefer to shop online or in a traditional brick-and-mortar store. Online shopping gives shoppers easy access to hundreds of different mattress brands from the comfort of their homes. Rather than having to make the drive to your nearest mattress store, you can do your research at home, buy the bed, and have it shipped directly to you.
Buying a mattress online also means you can buy a top bed for a fraction of the cost you’d pay in-store because the middleman cost is eliminated. However, some people prefer to physically see and touch the mattress before they make a purchase, and in this case, buying from a store would likely be the best option for those shoppers.
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