Amerisleep AS3 Ranked #1 in Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress 2026

The Amerisleep AS3 ranked #1 in Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress 2026. For anyone comparing mattresses online, that recognition is worth paying attention to — but it also raises a fair set of questions. How does this kind of award actually work? What does it tell you about a mattress, and what does it leave out? And if the AS3 is the right call for many sleepers, when does a different mattress make more sense?

This article works through all of it, starting with how the Newsweek program runs and ending with a practical guide to deciding whether the AS3, or another mattress entirely, fits your sleep.

What Is the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Award?

The Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards are a consumer recognition program. Each category begins with an editorial nomination process: Newsweek editors and contributors identify up to 20 businesses, services, or products in a given category based on editorial research and industry knowledge. Nominees cannot pay to be included.

Once the category list is published, public voting opens for 28 days. Readers vote once per category per day. At the end of the voting period, the business or product with the most votes is named the Readers’ Choice winner.

For the Best Mattress of 2026 category, voting opened April 22, 2026, and closed May 20. Winners were announced June 3, 2026. The Amerisleep AS3 received the most votes among the nominees in that period.

One thing worth knowing: Newsweek does not publicly disclose the total number of votes cast in each category. The vote count is kept closed. What is confirmed is the outcome — which product received the most votes — not the margin or the total participation figure.

That is standard practice for this type of consumer recognition program, but it is worth keeping in mind when weighing the result alongside other signals.

That process matters because it shapes what the recognition actually means. A Readers’ Choice result is a measure of consumer confidence. The winner is the product that most resonated with a large reading public during a defined window.

It is not the result of controlled lab testing, clinical evaluation, or a head-to-head materials analysis. It reflects real people choosing a mattress they trust or want to endorse.

That is a useful signal. It is not the only signal you need.

How Did the AS3 Emerge as the Winner?

The Amerisleep AS3 is a 12-inch all-foam mattress with a medium feel, designed to sit in the middle of the firmness spectrum. It uses two proprietary technologies: Bio-Pur foam in the comfort layer and HIVE support in the transition layer.

Bio-Pur foam is Amerisleep’s plant-based memory foam. Its open-cell structure allows more airflow than traditional closed-cell memory foam, which helps regulate temperature during sleep. It also responds faster than conventional memory foam, meaning it bounces back more quickly when you shift positions rather than leaving you feeling stuck.

HIVE support is a zoned layer built with hexagonal cutouts that vary in firmness across different regions of the mattress. The result is softer give at the shoulders and hips — areas that typically carry the most pressure — and firmer resistance under the head, back, and legs to support alignment.

The medium feel makes the AS3 broadly compatible. It provides enough cushioning for side sleepers who need pressure relief at the shoulders and hips, and enough support for back sleepers who need lumbar stability.

Combination sleepers, who shift positions through the night, often find a medium feel accommodating because it does not push back aggressively or sink too deeply in any one position.

That breadth is likely a significant part of why it performed well in a consumer vote. A medium-feel mattress appeals to a wider cross-section of sleepers than a firm or soft model does, which means more people have experience with it and more are likely to recommend it.

In our own evaluation of the AS3, we assessed it across comfort, support, cooling performance, motion isolation, edge support, and overall value. See our full EachNight AS3 review for detailed findings.

What Does This Recognition Mean for Mattress Shoppers?

A consumer vote award is most useful as a shortlisting tool. When you are comparing five or six mattresses and are not sure where to start, a recognition like this tells you that a large number of people found this product worth endorsing. It narrows the field.

What it cannot do is tell you whether the AS3 will feel right for your body, your sleep position, your temperature sensitivity, or your firmness preference. Mattress comfort is highly individual. Two people can sleep on the same mattress and have completely different experiences based on body weight, sleep position, pain history, and personal pressure tolerance.

This is where the trial period matters. Amerisleep offers a 100-night trial on the AS3, which gives you time to test the mattress in your own bedroom under your actual sleep conditions — not a showroom floor or a five-minute lie-down.

If the mattress does not work within the first 30 nights, Amerisleep’s customer support will process a full refund. That risk reduction is especially relevant when you are buying based partly on a recognition signal rather than in-person feel.

The Newsweek ranking is also not a medical endorsement. If you have a diagnosed condition that affects your sleep — back pain, sleep apnea, hip or shoulder injury, acid reflux, or pregnancy-related discomfort — a mattress award is not a substitute for guidance from a clinician who knows your history. Use it as a starting point, not a prescription.

Mattresses Included in Newsweek’s Best Mattress 2026 Rankings

According to Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress 2026, the Amerisleep AS3 ranked #1 among a field of recognized mattress brands and models. The 2026 nominees and finalists included:

1. Amerisleep AS3 (#1 Ranked Best Mattress of 2026)
2. Nest Bedding Sparrow Signature Hybrid
3. Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe
4. Helix Midnight Luxe
5. Casper Snow Max
6. Casper Dream
7. Beautyrest Mattress
8. Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid
9. Stearns & Foster Lux Estate
10. Avocado Green Mattress
11. Bear Elite Hybrid
12. DreamCloud Premier
13. Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid
14. Nectar Premier Memory Foam
15. Nolah Evolution 15
16. Saatva Classic
17. Saatva Rx
18. Serta iComfort Pro
19. Sleep Number p6
20. WinkBed Original

While rankings are only one factor to consider, the Newsweek result gives shoppers an additional third-party signal when comparing today’s most recognized mattress brands and models.

For example, our mattress reviews look at a number of the nominees. We can look at how their scores compare in the table below.

But Is the AS3 Truly the Right Fit for Everyone?

The Newsweek win belongs to the AS3, but Amerisleep builds mattresses for different sleepers across different firmness levels. If the AS3 is not the right feel for you, something else in the lineup may be.

AS2 — Firm Feel

The AS2 shares the same Bio-Pur foam and HIVE technology as the AS3 but has a firmer feel. It pushes back more firmly against the body, which works well for back sleepers and stomach sleepers who need resistance to keep their hips from sinking.

Sleepers who have always preferred a firm surface and find medium mattresses too soft are the natural fit here.

AS3 — Medium Feel (Newsweek #1 Best Mattress 2026)

The award winner. The AS3 is the broadest starting point in the Amerisleep lineup — suited to combination sleepers, couples who need a compromise feel, and anyone who wants balanced comfort rather than an extreme in either direction.

AS3 Hybrid — Medium Feel with Coil Base

The AS3 Hybrid uses the same medium feel and Bio-Pur comfort layer as the AS3, but adds a pocketed coil support core. The coil base improves airflow, increases edge support, and gives the mattress a more responsive, traditional feel underfoot.

Hot sleepers often prefer the Hybrid for this reason. Sleepers who want the feel of a foam mattress but miss the bounce and breathability of springs are good candidates.

AS5 — Soft Feel

The AS5 is Amerisleep’s softest model. It adds an Active Flex layer beneath the Bio-Pur comfort foam, which creates deeper contouring and more pressure relief than the AS3.

Side sleepers who feel pressure at the shoulders or hips on a medium mattress, and lightweight sleepers who do not sink deeply enough into firmer foam to get pressure relief, often do better on the AS5.

AS6 Black Series — Luxury Feel, Triple Cooling

The AS6 Black Series is Amerisleep’s premium model, available in Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm.

Where the rest of the lineup uses Bio-Pur foam and HIVE support, the AS6 adds a triple-cooling system: the CryoCool™ cover for immediate cool-to-touch feel, a TitanAir™ titanium-infused foam layer for heat dispersion, and ArcticWave™ mineral-infused cooling bands for sustained temperature regulation across the night.

It also carries GREENGUARD® Gold and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certifications in addition to CertiPUR-US®.

It is built for sleepers who want a luxury-tier experience and are willing to invest in premium materials and construction — and for hot sleepers who need more aggressive cooling than the AS3 or AS3 Hybrid provide.

Organica — Natural Latex over Coils

The Organica steps outside the foam lineup entirely. It uses a natural latex comfort layer over a pocketed coil base, with organic wool and cotton in the cover. It is built for shoppers who want certified organic and natural materials rather than engineered foam.

The feel is buoyant and responsive — different from memory foam in a way that some sleepers strongly prefer and others find takes adjustment. It is also the right choice for anyone avoiding synthetic foam for health or environmental reasons.

Not sure which model fits your sleep style? Take the Amerisleep mattress quiz for a guided recommendation based on your sleep position, feel preference, and temperature needs.

FAQs

What is the best mattress of 2026?

According to Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress 2026, the Amerisleep AS3 ranked #1 and was named the Best Mattress of 2026. The AS3 is Amerisleep’s medium-feel mattress, designed to balance comfort, support, cooling, and responsiveness for a wide range of sleepers.

It features Bio-Pur® memory foam, HIVE® zoned support technology, a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping and returns, and a 20-year warranty.

Why was the Amerisleep AS3 ranked the best mattress of 2026?

The Amerisleep AS3 ranked #1 in Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress 2026 after editorial review and public voting. Its balanced medium feel, Bio-Pur® memory foam, HIVE® zoned support technology, and broad appeal among side sleepers, back sleepers, and combination sleepers helped make it one of the most recognized mattresses in the 2026 rankings.

How does the Newsweek Readers’ Choice voting process work?

Newsweek editors nominate up to 20 products per category through an editorial review process. Public voting then runs for 28 days, with readers allowed one vote per category per day. The product with the most votes at the end of the period is named the winner.

Newsweek does not publicly disclose the total number of votes cast. That figure is kept closed. What is confirmed is which product received the most votes, not the margin or the total participation count.

How are nominees selected for Newsweek Readers’ Choice?

Nominees are chosen by Newsweek editors and contributors based on editorial research and industry knowledge. Businesses cannot pay to be included.

Is the Newsweek Readers’ Choice ranking a medical endorsement?

No. It is a consumer recognition signal based on public voting. It does not reflect clinical testing, medical validation, or a recommendation for any specific health condition.

How should I use a consumer award when choosing a mattress?

Use it as a shortlisting tool. A consumer vote award tells you that a large number of people found the product worth endorsing. It does not tell you whether it will feel right for your body, sleep position, or firmness preference. Pair it with hands-on reviews, a trial period, and your own sleep needs before deciding.

What is the difference between a reader vote award and an independent lab test?

A reader vote reflects the collective endorsement of a large consumer audience. An independent lab test measures specific performance metrics under controlled conditions. Both are useful. A reader vote is a broad confidence signal; a lab or tester review gives you more granular information about how the mattress performs across specific categories.

What is Bio-Pur foam and how does it differ from traditional memory foam?

Bio-Pur is Amerisleep’s plant-based memory foam. Its open-cell structure allows more airflow than traditional memory foam, which tends to trap heat. It also responds more quickly when you shift positions, reducing the stuck-in-the-mattress feeling some sleepers experience with conventional foam.

What is HIVE support and what does it do?

HIVE is a zoned support layer with hexagonal cutouts that vary in firmness across different regions of the mattress. It provides softer give at the shoulders and hips and firmer resistance under the head, back, and legs, helping the mattress adapt to the body’s shape rather than applying uniform pressure.

What sleep positions is the AS3 best suited for?

The AS3 works well for combination sleepers, side sleepers who want moderate rather than deep contouring, and back sleepers who want cushioning without excessive sink. It is not optimized for stomach sleepers, who typically need a firmer surface to keep hips from dropping.

Who should consider the AS3 Hybrid instead of the AS3?

Sleepers who run hot, want more bounce and edge support, or prefer the feel of a coil-based mattress over an all-foam model. The AS3 Hybrid uses the same medium feel and Bio-Pur comfort layer but adds a pocketed coil base for improved airflow and responsiveness.

Does the AS3 come with a trial period and warranty?

Amerisleep offers a 100-night trial and a 20-year warranty on the AS3. Confirm current terms on the product page before purchase.

How do I know what firmness level is right for me?

Sleep position is the most reliable starting point. Side sleepers generally do well with medium to soft mattresses for pressure relief. Back sleepers often prefer medium-firm. Stomach sleepers typically need firm support to keep the spine aligned.

Body weight also matters: heavier sleepers tend to sink more deeply and may need a firmer mattress to get adequate support.

How does sleep position affect which mattress I should buy?

Different positions put pressure on different parts of the body. Side sleeping loads the shoulders and hips, so those sleepers typically need more cushioning. Back sleeping loads the lumbar spine, so firmer support under the lower back matters.

Stomach sleeping loads the hips and neck, making firm resistance important to avoid hyperextension.

What mattress materials should I consider and how do they feel differently?

Memory foam contours closely and isolates motion well but can retain heat. Latex is buoyant and responsive with natural temperature regulation. Innerspring coils provide strong airflow and bounce but less contouring.

Hybrids combine a foam or latex comfort layer with a coil base, balancing contouring with breathability and response.

How long should I sleep on a new mattress before deciding if it works?

Most manufacturers and sleep professionals suggest at least 30 nights before making a final judgment. Your body needs time to adjust from your previous sleep surface, and the mattress itself may soften slightly as it breaks in.

When should I talk to a clinician before choosing a mattress?

If you have chronic back, hip, or shoulder pain; a diagnosed sleep disorder; acid reflux or GERD that affects sleep position; a recent surgery or injury; or pregnancy-related sleep discomfort, it is worth discussing mattress choice with a doctor or physical therapist before deciding.

Is buying a mattress online without testing it in person a good idea?

It can be, provided the mattress comes with a meaningful trial period and a clear return policy. A 100-night trial gives you far more useful information about fit than a showroom test, because you are sleeping in your actual environment, with your actual pillow and bedding, in your actual sleep positions.

How do I evaluate a mattress review to know if it applies to my situation?

Look for the reviewer’s sleep position, body weight, and firmness preference, ideally disclosed in the review. Check whether the reviewer tested the mattress for an extended period rather than a brief showroom evaluation.

Note whether the site discloses affiliate relationships or brand connections. A good review is specific about what was tested, how, and by whom.

What should I look for in a mattress tester’s credentials and methodology?

Relevant credentials include sleep coach certification, physical therapy or chiropractic training, or a background in product testing methodology.

Look for reviews that specify what categories were evaluated, how long the tester slept on the mattress, and what their personal sleep profile is. A reviewer who sleeps on their back at 130 pounds will give you different information than one who sleeps on their side at 220 pounds.

How much weight should I give to a consumer vote award versus an expert review?

They answer different questions. A consumer vote tells you that many people found this product worth endorsing. An expert review tells you how the mattress performs across specific, defined categories. Both are useful. The award is a useful trust signal; the expert review gives you the detail you need to evaluate fit.

What questions should I ask before trusting a mattress recommendation?

Who is making the recommendation and what is their sleep profile? Is the site disclosing affiliate or ownership relationships? Did the reviewer sleep on the mattress, or is the review based on specs alone?

How long ago was the review written, and has the mattress been updated since? Does the recommendation match your sleep position and firmness preference?

How do I compare mattresses across different review sites without getting overwhelmed?

Pick two or three credible review sources, identify the categories that matter most to you — cooling, pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, value — and compare how each site rates your shortlisted mattresses on those specific criteria. Look for consistency across sources rather than treating any single score as definitive.

How to Decide If the AS3 Is Right for You

The AS3 is a strong starting point if you want a medium-feel foam mattress, sleep in multiple positions, share a bed with a partner who has different comfort preferences, or are looking for a mattress with a clear third-party proof point behind it.

It is less likely to be the right fit if you already know you need a firm mattress, prefer the feel of latex or coils over foam, or have a clinician’s recommendation that points toward a specific firmness or material type.

The 100-night trial means you can test it without long-term commitment. If the feel is off after a few weeks, Amerisleep’s team will work with you on a return. That policy makes the AS3 a low-risk first choice for shoppers who are uncertain.