Best Mattress for Couples (2021): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

While struggling to find a bed that suits the needs of both you and your partner is common, solutions to this problem are not as readily available. Many couples feel as though they need to test dozens of beds before finding one that fits two different preferences, which takes up precious time and resources.

Thankfully, many of the best mattress companies cater to different preferences and create beds that work for both individuals. If you and your partner are looking for the most comfortable, supportive bed, this guide will help. In it, we’ll review our top mattress recommendations for couples and discuss mattress types, sleep trials, and more.

Our Top Mattress Recommendation

View on Amerisleep

AS3 Highlights

• 100-night sleep trial
• 20-Year Warranty
• Designed to reduce pain points
• Heat reducing mattress cover
• Comes in King, Queen, Twin, Full, and Splits

Our Runner-Up

View on Zoma

Zoma Highlights

• 100-night sleep trial
• 10-Year Warranty
• Designed for faster recovery
• Triangulex™ technology promotes healthy posture
• Comes in King, Queen, Twin, Full, and Splits

Best Mattresses for Couples

Mattress	Brand	Highlight	Price (Queen)
	Amerisleep AS3	Responsive Bio-Pur® layer minimizes pressure points and motion transfer.	$1049
	Zoma Mattress	Reactiv™ layer auto-adjusts as you change positions, minimizing motion transfer	$699
	Avocado Green	All-natural latex and pocketed coils offer bounce and cushioning.	$1189
	Original Purple®	Purple Grid™ eliminates pressure points and supports hips and back.	$1099
	Nest Bedding Alexander Hybrid	Gel-infused foam and pocketed support coils promote airflow.	$1599
	PlushBeds Organic Latex	100% natural latex provides perfect pressure relief and temperature regulation.	$1499
	Novosbed	Next-generation memory foam is cooler and more responsive than other memory foams.	$1099

The Amerisleep AS3 is no ordinary foam mattress— it contains three layers of breathable, responsive material to support and cushion both you and your partner. Couples love the AS3 for its excellent breathability and motion isolation. With good motion isolation, you won’t notice your partner moving in bed and vice versa.

The AS3 is one of nine mattresses made by Amerisleep, and it’s marketed as their “medium” model—especially suited for side and combo sleepers. However, the bed’s balanced feel is what makes it perfect for couples with different body types and mattress preferences. The AS3 also comes in a hybrid variation, the AS3 Hybrid, for couples who prefer a bouncier bed.

The top of the bed is covered with a soft, breathable fabric, designed to encourage airflow and keep you cool throughout the night.

The bed’s comfort layer is 2 inches of Bio-Pur®, a breathable, open-cell foam that responds well to any movements during the night so you and your partner won’t feel stuck or trapped in the bed.

Below the comfort foam lies a transition layer with HIVE® technology. HIVE® responds to your body weight as you shift positions, simultaneously providing support and comfort wherever you need it; the inclusion of this technology makes the AS3 one of the best mattresses for back pain relief. Ultimately, this layer acts as a “buffer” between the bottom core support foam and the upper, softer layers.

Finally, the foundation of the bed contains 7 inches of Bio-Core foam®, a high-density poly-foam that deters sagging and extends your bed’s lifespan.

All of Amerisleep’s beds come with a 20-year prorated warranty and a 100-night sleep trial. If you decide not to keep the bed during the 100 nights, Amerisleep will arrange for it to be picked up and recycled or donated.

The Zoma Mattress was created for athletes, but it’s exceptional for anyone who needs a little more back support or pain relief. It’s also the least expensive mattress on our list— so even if you have budget constraints, you can sleep on a high-quality mattress.

The Zoma Mattress is wrapped in a stretchy, breathable cover. The first layer is two inches of gel-infused memory foam, a pain-relieving layer with Triangulex™ technology. Customers love the breathability of the Zoma Mattress’s gel memory foam, especially if they tend to sleep hot.

The second layer is a 2-inch active recovery layer with Reactiv™, a responsive transition layer that auto-adjusts to accommodate your changing positions and minimizes motion transfer.

Finally, the Support+ core layer ensures both you and your partner sleep comfortably on the mattress for years to come. For sleepers looking for some bounce and breathability, Zoma also offers the Zoma Hybrid, which features gel memory foam and Reactiv™ foam, but has pocketed coils instead of Support+ foam.

The Zoma Mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

The Avocado Green Mattress is a hybrid mattress made with GOLS certified cotton, latex, wool, and supportive pocketed coils in the base. Because it’s made using natural latex, it’s incredibly eco-friendly and should last for quite a while.

The standard Avocado mattress is 11 inches thick, but customers have the option to add a 2-inch pillow top for an additional cost. Without the pillow top, the mattress has a medium-firm feel, best suited for back and stomach sleepers. The pillow top version of the mattress is 13 inches thick and has a medium feel, which is best for side and combination sleepers. When it comes to deciding between the standard or pillow top versions, determine what sleeping positions you and your partner primarily sleep in.

The organic wool cover is naturally fire retardant and it wicks away moisture, so your mattress surface stays clean. If you prefer a mattress free from wool, Avocado also offers the Avocado Vegan Mattress. It’s exactly the same as the Avocado Green Mattress, only it features cotton in place of the wool.

Moving on, Avocado uses GOLS-certified Dunlop latex in the comfort layer of their mattress. Latex is naturally antimicrobial, much cooler than memory foam, requires no adhesives or glue, and no fire retardants or other toxic chemicals. It’s a perfect green option for couples who might have allergies or respiratory health issues.

The wrapped coils in the base are separated into five ergonomic zones for back and hip support. The entire bed is reinforced with a steel perimeter edge to deter sag and keep you on the bed, not rolling off of it.

The Avocado Mattress comes with a 25-year warranty, a generous 1-year sleep trial, and free shipping.

The Purple brand takes a scientific approach to their mattress— the comfort layer is made of their patented Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ Purple Grid™ foam. Purple features this in all of their three beds: the Purple Mattress, Hybrid, and Hybrid Premier. But, it all started with their flagship model, the Purple Mattress.

The Purple Mattress has three layers: two inches of the soft, Purple Grid™, which is made of CertiPUR-US® certified polyurethane foam; 3.5 inches of mid-density foam, and then four inches of high-density poly-foam in the base.

The top of the mattress is covered with a stretchy viscose-polyester-Lycra blend fabric. According to reviews, this mattress has a medium feel and adapts well to many sleeping positions and body types. If you feel like you need extra support, consider the Purple Hybrid or Hybrid Premier, which is reinforced with wrapped coils in the base.

All Purple mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty, and free shipping.

Nest Bedding makes a wide variety of beds, but one of our favorites for couples is the Alexander Signature Hybrid. When it comes to finding a mattress, lots of couples worry that the bed will only work for one of them, not both.

With the Alexander Signature Hybrid, couples can choose from six different firmnesses—three of those are “split,” meaning you and your partner can choose a specific firmness for your side of the bed. The primary firmnesses are plush (soft), medium, and firm, but you can pair plush and medium, plush and firm, or medium and firm.

Alexander Signature Hybrid owners mention how well the bed works for both them and their partners, whether they struggle with pain, motion transfer, or hot sleeping. And with 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 2,600 reviews, it’s hard to overlook this bed.

The Alexander Hybrid’s top layer consists of an inch of gel-infused memory foam, quilted in a thermic phase-changing fabric to dissipate heat. Below that layer is 3 inches of medium-feel Energex™ foam and 1 inch of SmartFlow Support Foam—both layers add extra comfort where you need it and sturdy support.

The core support layer is made up of 8-inch thick quantum edge coils and 1 inch of high-density support foam. All the foams in the Alexander Hybrid are CertiPUR-US® certified.

Nest gives customers a lifetime warranty, free shipping, and a 100-night sleep trial.

The PlushBeds Botanical Bliss® organic latex mattress is made of 100% natural latex, so it’s antimicrobial, naturally fire-retardant, and long-lasting. Next to its 4.9 out of 5-star rating from over 4,000 reviews, the mattress is even recommended by orthopedic specialists and chiropractors.

The breathable organic cotton cover and organic New Zealand wool layer sit atop the latex bed, all combining to help you sleep cool, relieve pressure on your achy joints, and support you for years to come. Under that, the mattress features layers of Talalay and Arpico latex.

Although the Botanical Bliss® comes in medium and firm forms, there’s more that goes into it. With the medium option, the mattress features a medium, medium-soft, and soft latex layer, so you can soften or firm up the bed as needed. The firm variation includes medium, medium-firm, and extra-firm layers.

PlushBeds ships all their mattresses for free and they offer free returns within the 100-night sleep trial. PlushBeds’ warranty guarantees your bed will last up to 25 years.

The Novosbed is designed with fifth-generation memory foam. Although Novosbed only offers one type of mattress, it’s available in three different firmness levels, so you can choose the best one for your sleeping style and needs. Regardless of if you and your partner choose the soft, medium, or firm option, the bed is 11 inches thick and has the same structure.

The soft, machine-washable Tencel® cover draws moisture and heat away from the body while you sleep. The ultra-soft fabric is removable and machine-washable, helping it last longer. The layers of foam beneath the cover are split into three different zones—a comfort zone, a transition zone, and a support zone.

The comfort zone is made of memory foam with advanced circulation, which disperses heat. The transition foam layer provides pressure-point relief and motion isolation, a plus for couples sharing the bed. Finally, the support zone supports your body weight evenly and reinforces the longevity of the bed. Many customers note how switching to the Novosbed has help both their and their partner’s sleep issues and physical pain.

Novosbed offers a 120-night sleep trial, a 15-year warranty, and a Perfect Firmness Guarantee with all their mattresses.

What Should Couples Consider When Looking For a Mattress?

No matter the mattress you choose, it should be supportive and comfortable for both partners and promote healthy spinal alignment. Most importantly, your mattress should last for as long as possible, supporting you and your partner for years to come. Of course, there are a few other things to consider as you’re searching for that perfect mattress.

Motion Isolation

One of the most familiar issues facing couples who share a bed is motion transfer— if you sleep with a restless partner, you probably know what it’s like to wake up every time they move. Lots of mattress types make motion transfer worse simply because the materials aren’t meant to absorb movement.

A mattress with quick responsiveness will isolate motion much better— memory foam and latex beds are the best at isolating motion because they sink down just enough without sagging and “trapping” the user in the dips.

Noise

Movement isn’t the only thing you need to worry about if you’re sharing a bed— the constant shifting of your partner can be noisy, too, waking you up and depriving you of much-needed REM sleep.

When it comes to noise, innerspring beds are the worst culprits because of the squeaky steel springs in the base. Many brands have begun to use pocketed coils to solve this problem– each coil is individually wrapped in fabric, limiting noise and motion transfer. However, keep in mind that beds made with pocketed coils are often more expensive.

Latex and foam beds are virtually noiseless because of their dense construction and lack of coils. Hybrids are a good option too, as long as they use pocketed coils in the base.

Sleeping Position

The way you sleep every night impacts your comfort level in more ways than you may realize. For instance, if you sleep on your side and you’re constantly waking up with shoulder or back pain, your current mattress could be too firm.

Of course, it’s trickier to pick out a complimentary mattress when you’re sharing it with someone who sleeps differently than you do— but there are some ways around that.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers are best-suited to a mattress with substantial shoulder and hip support since these areas are taking on all the weight and strain during the night. Sleepers who prefer resting on their sides usually find medium or medium-soft mattresses to be the most supportive and cushioning.

Additionally, side sleepers will most likely prefer memory foam because it relieves pressure points and provides just enough cushioning without sinking down too far. Just make sure to choose a medium-firm foam mattress, as it will have thicker layers of higher-density foam.

If you’re unsure about memory foam, try latex— it has the same pressure-relieving qualities of memory foam, but it’s a bit more responsive and doesn’t sink down as much.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers are in the best position for spinal alignment and support— but only if they choose the right mattress. If you sleep on your back, you’ll need a mattress that doesn’t sink down, pulling your hips and pelvis out of alignment. Most back-sleepers prefer a medium to medium-firm mattress because this firmness allows them to feel “on top” of the mattress instead of “in” it.

A mattress that evenly distributes the user’s weight across the bed is crucial for back sleepers.

Stomach Sleepers

We do not recommend sleeping on the stomach because it comes with more health risks than the other two sleeping positions. Sleeping stomach and face down can cause spinal, neck, and pelvic pain, especially if you are sleeping on an unsupportive mattress.

If you’re in the habit of sleeping on your stomach, we recommend a medium-firm or firm mattress with little give and even support. Because your neck is at a higher risk of misalignment in this position, you should also consider a thin pillow that won’t lift your head up too high.

What if you and your partner have different sleep positions? Luckily, many companies on our list offer different firmness options, so you can choose one that fits both of your needs— most couples find they like a medium mattress with excellent contouring and minimal sinkage. No matter the mattress type you choose, make sure it has a system for limiting motion isolation, keeping you from waking in the middle of the night.

Heat Retention

Not all mattress types retain heat— in fact, some are excellent at circulating air. The problem is that some naturally cooling mattresses are noisy and do not isolate motion very well, like innerspring beds. Memory foam beds are the best at isolating motion and creating little to no noise, but they also retain heat thanks to their dense structure.

Luckily, thanks to modern-day innovation, you can have your cake and eat it too. Many brands infuse their memory foams with cooling materials such as gel, charcoal, copper, or graphite to prevent heat retention.

Maybe you prefer the bounce and responsiveness of innersprings, but you still want the pressure-relief from memory foam. Hybrid mattresses offer the best of both worlds— the coils in the base promote airflow, keeping the bed (and you) cool, but their top comfort layers respond well to any sleeping position and keep you sleeping pain-free.

Weight

The combined weight of you and your partner will affect the feel of your mattress— that’s why it’s impossible to tell how comfortable a mattress will be for both of you if only one of you tries it out before buying.

If you can’t try out the bed before buying, don’t worry— most online mattress brands offer sleep trials with the purchase of a bed, so you can try it out for anywhere from 30-100 days in your own home (some offer even longer sleep trials).

Your weight can make a mattress marketed as “medium” feel too soft or too firm. Consider all the different mattress layers, their firmness, and density as you choose a mattress to support your and your partner’s weight.

If you’re average weight, you shouldn’t have any problems finding a bed that supports both you and your partner.  If you’re heavier, you should shoot for a mattress at least 12 inches thick to ensure you won’t sink down to the core layer, which can be painful— not to mention your mattress is more likely to deteriorate faster.

Most mattresses come with a weight limit, so you can easily find out if a mattress will adequately support you and your partner’s weight.

Bed Size

Couples need a bed big enough for both of them, especially if one (or both) moves around a lot at night. The most popular option for couples is the queen size— a standard queen measures 60 inches wide by 80 inches long. Small couples may opt for a full size, which is 54 inches wide by 75 inches long.

For comparison, a twin-size bed is 39 inches wide by 75 inches long— a queen is not quite double the size of a twin. Maybe you or your partner are combo sleepers and need more space to move around at night; if that describes your situation, opt for a king-size, which is essentially two twin size beds side by side and 16 inches wider than a queen mattress (76 inches wide by 80 inches long).

A California king is another option, but it’s typically suited for taller folks who need more length, but not necessarily more width. California king beds measure 84 inches long and 72 inches wide.

Best and Worst Mattress Types for Couples

Sharing a bed can be a big adjustment— in fact, some couples never find a mattress that suits both of them, and their sleep quality drops. In addition to weight, sleeping position, and bed size, the type of mattress couples choose can largely affect their sleep quality.

Innerspring

In the early days of mattresses, innersprings were the only option, and they worked just fine. In fact, innersprings are still one of the best-selling mattress types, but they have one of the shortest lifespans, coming second only to futons.

Customer reviews report innersprings sagging after only 5-6 years, and cheaper models are prone to burst, bent, or broken coils as well. To avoid this issue, higher-end innersprings today are made with pocketed coils reinforced by layers of polyfoam or another high-density material.

The individually-wrapped coils limit motion transfer, but unless the top layers are reinforced with transition foam or poly-foam, the bed still may develop sags. Couples commonly struggle with dips or sags in the bed where they end up “stuck,” so an innerspring may not be the best option for them.

Memory Foam

Memory foam beds are becoming increasingly popular because they offer excellent pressure relief, are virtually noiseless, and they last much longer than innersprings (7-10 years). Thanks to online bed in a box companies, memory foam is quite affordable now and couples can get a high-quality bed for a decent price.

The most common concern associated with memory foam is that it sleeps too hot. Because of its construction, it contours and conforms closely to the body, but this also causes heat to get trapped in the bed and underneath the sleeper.

If you and your partner are worried about waking up all night due to heat retention, consider foam beds made with cooling technologies or materials, such as gel-infused foams, plant-based foams, or cooling fabrics like bamboo, organic cotton, or Tencel.

Hybrids are another good option if you like the feel of memory foam but want the extra cooling of a coil base.

Hybrid

Hybrids were practically made for couples because they combine two different bed types into one, offering the best of each type without the downsides. Hybrids must have at least 2 inches of foam (either latex or memory foam) and a coil base to be considered “hybrids.”

The foam in a hybrid is almost always in the top layers, and sometimes they sit under a quilted pillow top or Euro-top as well. Most hybrids contain pocketed coils in the base for amplified motion isolation, eliminating that concern previously associated with regular innersprings.

A layer of high-density foam between the springs and the comfort layers keeps the user from ever feeling the springs. Some hybrids are even reinforced with extra high-density foam along the edges so you’re never in danger of rolling off.

Hybrids are usually thicker than memory foam beds, so if you and your partner are heavier, a hybrid could be the perfect mattress type for you.

Latex

Latex feels similar to foam, but it has a little bit more bounce to it. It’s also eco-friendly as long as it’s 100% natural and not synthetic. Natural latex is harvested from the sap of the rubber tree and then processed using either the Dunlop or Talalay method. Dunlop latex is denser and often used in the base layers of latex mattresses; Talalay is softer and used for the top comfort layers. The top layers are usually aerated with small holes to promote airflow.

Like memory foam, latex is naturally dust-mite resistant and hypoallergenic. Unlike memory foam, latex is naturally fire-resistant, so manufacturers don’t need to coat it with potentially harmful retardants. Additionally, natural latex contains no toxins, so the risk of off-gassing is minimal to non-existent.

Couples looking for an eco-friendly, durable bed should look into latex. Latex mattresses are the longest-lasting, with an average lifespan of nearly 15 years. They are also the most expensive type, so they won’t always fit everyone’s budget constraints. However, some consider the investment to be worth the cost because latex resists sagging better than memory foam, innersprings, or hybrids.

Sleep Trials and Warranties

If you buy your mattress online, chances are it will come with a sleep trial. Sleep trials replace the brief time customers used to spend in a showroom trying on the bed before making their purchase. The truth is, it’s impossible to tell how comfortable a bed will be for you and your partner until you both get to sleep on it for a while! And you can’t do that in a showroom. In fact, one study found that people who choose a mattress from a showroom usually don’t pick the most comfortable option because they don’t get to try it out overnight.

Sleep trials should last at least 30 days, but most companies offer 90-100 days to try out your mattress. It takes at least 30 days to break in the bed anyway, so if a sleep trial lasts less than that, look elsewhere. Sleep trials are crucial for couples, so this is definitely something you’ll want to prioritize as you look for the right bed.

Warranties vary across brands, but most cover the following:

• Sagging or indentations in the mattress (usually more than 1 inch)
• Manufacturing defects like bunched foam, burst coils, or broken zippers
• Undone seams or stitches

The standard warranty length for mattresses is 10 years— a good-quality mattress should last about that long, so look for brands offering at least a 10-year warranty. If the warranty is longer than 10 years, it’s often prorated, meaning the customer will pay a percentage of the cost for repairs or replacements after the first 10 years.

Longer warranties, while they seem ideal, can bump up the cost of the bed, so consider if a lifetime warranty is worth the extra cost for you— most people end up replacing their mattress after 10 years anyway.

Returns usually coincide with the sleep trial; if the bed doesn’t suit you, you can initiate a return and the company will arrange for the mattress to be picked up. Exchanges are possible too if the company sells more than one model. The beauty of sleep trials is they allow you to test out the mattress that really works with your lifestyle.

If there is no sleep trial, companies usually enact some kind of customer satisfaction return policy wherein you can return your bed within 30 days. We recommend staying away from mattresses without a sleep trial because of the inherent risk you take on when you buy one— if you decide after the 30 days that the bed is uncomfortable, you cannot return it for a refund and then you’re stuck with an uncomfortable bed.

Budget

Above everything else, your budget probably has the final say in the mattress you pick. Three things will almost always hike up the cost of a bed: the mattress thickness/firmness (softer beds use more material and are therefore more expensive), brand name and/or brand longevity, and the size.

Additionally, certain mattress types simply cost more than others because of the materials and manufacturing processes attached to them. For example, a hybrid usually costs more than an all-foam bed because it incorporates steel coils in the base; a gel-foam bed costs more than a poly-foam bed because of the added gel infusion.

Cheaper beds do exist, and some couples find they are satisfied with a less expensive model without all the bells and whistles. If you don’t have any health concerns, aren’t worried about getting a “green” mattress, and you’re fine getting a less durable mattress, go for a cheaper bed.

Be aware that queen size beds that cost $300 or less probably will not last very long and they may cause back pain or other health issues to emerge. You spend ⅓ of your life in your mattress— sometimes it’s worth the extra investment!

FAQs

What is the best mattress for a larger person?

If you weigh over 250 pounds, you should invest in a mattress at least 12 inches thick that offers good motion isolation and is on the firmer side. Heavier-set people most often choose latex, hybrids, or memory foam mattresses. Keep in mind that latex is more bouncy than memory foam, but it’s also firmer, so it might feel just right if you’re heavy.

Which mattress type is least likely to sag?

Based on studies and customer reviews, the longest-lasting mattress type is latex. However, a mattress’s durability depends on its layers of foam, the support core base materials, and its thickness. Each mattress type has an average lifespan (which we mentioned above)— you can take this into account when shopping, as well as the construction of each layer and the warranty length.

What about flippable mattresses?

Flippable mattresses, also called dual-sided mattresses, usually have a soft side and a firmer side. They allow the customer to switch up their sleeping surface whenever they need to without buying a new mattress. Despite their convenience, flippable beds are not really the best solution if you and your partner have different firmness preferences. After all, you can only sleep on one surface at a time.

How should a couple choose a mattress?

Choosing a mattress for two people may seem challenging, but we promise, it’s not any more difficult than finding a mattress for one person. Talk about your respective sleep styles and preferences for firmness, and consider your body types. More often than not, couples find medium mattresses comfortable because they accommodate a wide variety of body types and sleeping positions.

What’s the best mattress for motion transfer?

Memory foam mattresses are the best at isolating motion because they absorb movement and adapt to individual sleepers. Apart from memory foam, latex mattresses can also isolate motion, as can hybrids with pocketed coils. Hybrids with pocketed coils also adapt to individual movement, so they prevent motion transfer.

Conclusion

Getting a good night’s rest is hard enough, but add in another person with differing sleep styles and you may as well tell your restful nights goodbye, right? Thankfully, there are plenty of mattress options in different sizes and price ranges to fit your needs. You don’t need to worry about losing precious sleep even if you share your bed.