Best Online Mattress (2023): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

We spend over a third of our lives sleeping, which is why it’s so crucial when shopping for a mattress to not settle for the cheapest one. Mattresses are available both in stores and online, but for those looking for the best value, an online mattress is the way to go.

Online mattress companies sell directly to consumers rather than through other retailers. As a result, these mattress companies offer high-quality beds at affordable prices— plus, with extended sleep trials, customers can try out a new mattress within the comfort of their own home without pressure to buy from eager salesmen.

In our article, we offer the best online mattress choices on the market today, and provide a comprehensive guide on what to look for in the right mattress.

Our Top Mattress Recommendation

View on Amerisleep
Read AS3 customer reviews

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
Read Zoma customer reviews

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 Online Mattresses

The Amerisleep AS3 is our favorite online mattress. As Amerisleep’s most popular mattress, the AS3 is the perfect medium, making it great for side and combination sleepers. Some back sleepers can also appreciate its touch of gentle cushion, while also enjoying the targeted back support from its transition layer.

The Amerisleep AS3 mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty— one of the best in the mattress industry. The warranty covers manufacturing defects that could damage the foam and sagging greater than an inch.

How Lying Down Feels

The AS3 goes beyond just the standard medium feel, as its surface feels soft and firm as needed under different areas of the body. Under the shoulders and hips, the mattress gives way more readily, creating more cushion for pressure relief. Yet under the head, back, and feet it’s less conforming, buoying the body for extra support.

Inside the Mattress

The Amerisleep AS3 mattress is 12 inches thick and contains 3 inches of Bio-Pur®, 2 inches of Affinity with HIVE® technology, and 7 inches of Bio-Core®. The mattress cover incorporates a lightweight, breathable fabric that helps to keep air flowing throughout the mattress so you never overheat.

Bio-Pur® is plant-based memory foam. To make it, manufacturers partially replace petroleum with castor oil during the production process. This material is more breathable and responsive than traditional memory foam.

The Affinity layer contains HIVE® technology, which forms hundreds of hexagonal-shaped segments to create firmer support for the head, back, and legs, and softer support to the shoulders and hips. HIVE® evenly supports the body and encourages spinal alignment.

Bio-Core® forms the support base layer of the AS3. This durable foam evenly distributes body weight across the sleep surface without the risk of sagging.

The Zoma Mattress is another excellent online mattress option. Zoma designs their beds to improve your sleep, muscle recovery, and physical performance, making it an excellent option if you struggle with back pain or any other muscle or joint issues.

When you stack up the Zoma Mattress next to Zoma’s other beds, the Zoma Start and Zoma Hybrid, the Zoma Mattress has the best balance of support and cushioning, so it works for a majority of sleepers.

The Zoma Mattress comes with a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty, protecting against sagging greater than an inch.

How Lying Down Feels

The cooling features and zoned support of the Zoma Mattress prevent overheating and maintain healthy spinal alignment. Whether you have a physical job or have chronic health conditions, reviews say how the Zoma Mattress helped them get their first full night’s sleep in a long time. It also bounces back into shape, making it easy to get in and out of for those with limited mobility.

Inside the Mattress

The Zoma Mattress is 11 inches tall and contains 2 inches of Triangulex™, 2 inches of Reactiv™, and 7 inches of Support+. The polyester knit cover wicks away moisture to regulate temperature.

Hundreds of triangular-shaped segments form the 3-zone support layer of Triangulex™, providing soft support to the shoulders, head, and legs and firm support for the hips and back. Triangulex™ is also topped with cooling gel to absorb and evenly disperse body heat.

The Reactiv™ layer has a responsive, latex-like feel, making it easier to switch sleep positions and preventing deep sinking.

Support+ is Zoma’s base foam that reinforces the top layers and prevents sagging.

Many online mattresses are budget-friendly because companies can sell directly to the customer, rather than to a middleman store that will inflate the prices for profit. However, Vaya strives to be more affordable than most beds without sacrificing plush comfort or responsive support. With their Vaya Mattress and Vaya Hybrid, they offer breathable, eco-friendly, and high-quality beds for an unbeatable price.

The Vaya Mattress made it onto our list for its balanced feel and affordable price. While the Vaya Hybrid is equally great, it’s more expensive. Being Vaya’s flagship model, the Vaya Mattress is more popular, as well.

When you buy a Vaya Mattress, you have 100 days to try the bed out once it reaches your home. Vaya also includes a 10-year warranty with every mattress.

How Lying Down Feels

Based on customer feedback, the Vaya Mattress is comparable to mattresses costing thousands of dollars, providing excellent cushioning without being saggy. It’s also bouncy and responsive without containing any steel springs.

Inside the Mattress

The Vaya Mattress is 12 inches thick and contains two light foam layers, all wrapped in a soft, breathable cover.

The top layer is 3 inches of Vaya Comfort Foam, a breathable and conforming material. Vaya Comfort Foam is airy enough to disperse heat even as it molds to your body, preventing heat build-up that could lead to an early awakening.

The bottom layer is 9 inches of dense Vaya Base Foam. This supportive material maintains a stable structure, promoting durability for a longer lasting mattress.

The Nolah Evolution 15 is one of the most luxurious mattresses available, with a concentration of high-quality materials that create a surface that stays cool and conforms to the body. It’s available in three distinct firmnesses, so you can choose something that suits you whether you favor your side, back, or stomach.

The Nolah Evolution 15 is backed by a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty. Online shoppers who want to save more can take off the trial period for an extra discount when checking out.

How Lying Down Feels

The Nolah Evolution 15 feels cool to the touch as you stretch out on its surface. Its been described as “a big hug” by one reviewer, while another credited the Evolution 15 as the reason they woke up feeling refreshed in the morning.

Inside the Mattress

The surface of the Nolah Evolution 15 is an ArcticTex™ cover fabric, woven for a plush, cool feel. The underlying HTC™  (High Thermal Conductivity) Euro topper foam draws heat away, and the surrounding border gusset further improves breathability.

While all of these top layers promote comfortable sleep, the true comfort layer is the AirFoamICE™ foam underneath the quilted top. Created to improve upon Nolah’s original comfort foam, the AirFoamICE™ moves heat away while delivering top-shelf pressure relief.

The next layer is high-resilience foam, followed by a dense transition foam. These layers increase the bed’s responsiveness to eliminate any stuck feeling.

The core of the Nolah Evolution 15 is hundreds of pocketed coils zoned for support and pressure relief. Surrounding these coils are foam rails for edge support and added stability. The coils rest on an eco-friendly foundation of recycled plant fibers, and the mattress is completed by an extra-strong border fabric with carrying handles.

Many online mattresses offer something special to set them apart from shopper’s dozens of options. What sets the Spindle apart from your average mattress is its all-latex construction, with organic wool and cotton serving as its covering.

However, the Spindle is unique even among latex mattresses, for it lets owners reach inside and change up the latex layers to create a different surface feel. Sleepers can personalize their mattress to suit their preferences.

How Lying Down Feels

Due to its special gimmick of a customizable firmness, we can’t say how lying down on your Spindle. You can set it up to feel soft or firm, creating a feel that contours swiftly or resists compression.

What is consistent is the gently plush surface provided by the cotton cover and underlying wool. These two materials work with the latex core layers to create a cool, dry sleep area with ample pressure relief.

Inside the Mattress

The Spindle has a simple construction, ultimately consisting of three materials.

The surface of the Spindle is a GOTS-certified organic cotton cover, a strudy and breathable material. The cotton fibers wick away heat and moisture that can build up and create discomfort, disturbing peaceful rest. A zipper along the cotton cover lets sleepers easily open up their mattress.

Underneath the cotton cover is organic wool, certified by both Oeko-Tex and GOTS. The wool not only adds a touch of soft, breathable cushion, but also serves as the mattress’s flame barrier. Wool is one of the more popular materials to establish a mattress without fiberglass.

Inside the Spindle are three latex layers, one with a soft feel, one with a medium, and one with a firm. These layers have individual covers to protect them from damage as owners rearrange them.  The latex foam is certified by GOTS, Oeko-Tex, and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS).

The Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid is one of our favorite luxurious online mattresses. Compared to the AS3, which also made our list, the AS5 Hybrid is much softer and has a hybrid design.

The AS3 has a medium feel while the AS5 Hybrid is a true soft, which is great for side sleepers who want endless cushioning, petite sleepers, and even plus-sized people. The AS5 Hybrid also has coils with extra edge support, which is useful if you sit on the side of your bed or struggle with getting out of bed.

All of Amerisleep’s mattresses include a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty. For the second half of the warranty you have prorated coverage, which means you will bear a portion of financial responsibility for any repairs or replacements.

How Lying Down Feels

The bed has a plush foam top supported by responsive foam and bouncy coils, keeping you from sinking in too deep and waking up with a bad back. It’s one of the rare soft mattresses that can be suitable for a heavy sleeper.

Inside the Mattress

This 14-inch hybrid contains four layers. The top layer is 3 inches of Bio-Pur® foam, which we mentioned is more breathable and responsive than traditional memory foam.

Underneath the Bio-Pur® foam is 2 inches of Active Flex material. This springy foam is designed to limit sinkage, balancing softness with responsiveness. You’ll never feel stuck in an AS5 Hybrid, thanks to Active Flex.

The bed’s support comes from 8 inches of pocketed coils designed to stay quiet, supportive, and breathable. Either side of the coils are reinforced, making it easier to get in and out of bed. An inch of stiff foam forms the bed’s base, keeping the mattress structured.

The Saatva Classic is a welcome twist on the traditional innerspring mattress design. The bed relies on an open coil base like the standard innerspring mattress, and the Classic also has a Euro pillow top like many upscale spring mattresses.

However, unlike the typical innerspring mattress, the Saatva Classic has an extra layer of pocketed coils, a strengthened middle for lumbar support, and reinforced sides for edge support. It’s also backed by a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

With three firmnesses available, the mattress can feel quite hard and supportive or plush like a cloud. The pillow top cushions the body regardless of the bed’s firmness, with sleepers gently sinking into the surface.

The middle of the Saatva Classic also feels quite supportive in every firmness, thanks to the brand’s reinforced back support.

Inside the Mattress

The top of the mattress is a 3-inch thick pillow top with Lumbar Zone® Quilting. The cover fabric is organic cotton fabric, a material that keeps moisture and heat moving away from the body. Saatva has treated this fabric with a botanical compound designed to keep microbes from settling inside the mattress.

Underneath the thick pillow top is a memory foam layer with Lumbar Zone® Active Spinal Wire, designed to keep the spine in neutral alignment. The memory foam is also certified by CertiPUR-US®, meaning a third-party organization has reviewed the production and found the foam free of potentially harmful materials.

The middle layer is pocketed coils, zoned to boost back support under the torso. The responsiveness of these individually wrapped coils let the bed contour to the body and lower tension.

The base of the Saatva Classic is hundreds of tempered steel coils, with plenty of room for air to circulate between these coils. Ringing these coils are dense foam rails that increase the side’s stability, providing reinforced edge support.

Saatva also notes that the two-coil design is meant to deter sagging, which can create discomfort and cause morning aches.

Whether you buy a mattress online or in-store, it’s important to choose one with cooling features. The GhostBed Luxe is one of the top cooling mattresses on the market today, with just about every layer contributing to its cool-to-the-core design.

How Lying Down Feels

The GhostBed Luxe is a bit softer than a true medium, while not being quite as plush as the typical soft mattress. Its in-between feel is quick to hug the shoulders and hips of side sleepers, spots that tend to be problem areas when it comes to pressure build-up.

Inside the Mattress

The top of the GhostBed Luxe is Ghost Ice fabric, woven for a cool, supple feeling. It contains phase-change materials to promote a temperature-neutral surface. The underlying fibers that are sewn into the cover increase airflow for added comfort.

The first foam layer is an inch of gel memory foam. This layer cushions the body and its sensitive areas to ease tension, while the added gels keep heat moving away from the body.

Next is a Ghost Ice layer, designed to pull heat away swiftly for a core-deep coolness. Then another, thicker layer of gel memory foam deepens the bed’s pressure-relieving cushion.

The bed’s two supportive layers are its transition foam, Ghost Bounce, and a dense base foam. Ghost Bounce is notable for the way it’s designed to mix memory foam conformability with latex’s responsiveness.

SEE ALSO: Best Casper Mattress Alternatives

The Original Purple® mattress has a unique feel thanks to the Purple Grid™ (formerly known as the Smart Comfort Grid™). This gel-like material automatically adjusts to each sleep position and offers cooling through its open air channels.

When you compare the Original Purple® to other Purple mattresses, it’s the simplest bed, but also the most affordable and suit a wide range of sleepers. The Purple® Hybrid and Purple® Hybrid Premier are more luxurious and feature coil support layers.

The Original Purple® mattress includes a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty, which covers  sagging greater than 1 inch.

How Lying Down Feels

Original Purple® mattress users have noticed that, upon switching from their old bed to the Original Purple® mattress, they sleep better and any chronic pain they’ve dealt with improved significantly. While a mattress cannot guarantee perfect sleep or cure everyone’s pain, it can still help.

With its medium feel, the Original Purple® mattress is great for side and back sleepers.

Inside the Mattress

The Original Purple® mattress is 9.25 inches thick and contains 2 inches of the Purple Grid™, 3.5 inches of poly-foam, and 4 inches of high-density poly-foam. The Lycra® blend mattress cover offers sleepers a soft, plush sleep surface.

The Purple Grid™ is made of hyper-elastic polymer, a gel-like material that compresses slightly under any weight, relieving pressure points without the risk of sagging.

The poly-foam transitional layer encourages healthy spinal alignment and keeps the body resting on the surface of the mattress.

The high-density poly-foam base evenly supports the body without risk of sagging.

The Zinus Green Tea mattress is a great option for those on a tight budget. We focus on the 8-inch option, but the Zinus Green Tea mattress is also available in 6-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch heights.

The variety of heights work well for different homes and bed frames. The 6 and 8-inch models are better suited for bunk beds, children, trundle beds, while the 10 and 12-inch mattresses work well on standard bed frames and larger adults.

The Zinus Green Tea mattress includes a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty, protecting against sagging greater than 1.5 inches.

How Lying Down Feels

The medium feel of the mattress makes it ideal for side and back sleepers. Even then, the Zinus Green Tea has such a balance of support and cushioning that any sleeper can make it work.

Inside the Mattress

The Zinus Green Tea mattress is 8 inches tall and contains 2 inches of green tea-infused memory foam, 2 inches of high-density foam, and 4 inches of high-density base foam. The knit jacquard mattress cover is soft and breathable.

The top memory foam layer is infused with green tea extract and ActivCharcoal— the antibacterial properties keep dust mites and odors from penetrating the mattress so the bed smells fresh. Plus, the comforting feel of memory foam contours to the body to relieve pressure points.

The high-density foam base contains ventilation holes to improve airflow. The convoluted shape of the high-density base foam provides channels for air to pass through. The base foam reinforces the shape of the bed and supports the body with little risk of sagging.

The Bear mattress is another option designed for athletes. The responsive layers of foam contour to the body to relieve pressure points. With a medium-firm feel, the Bear mattress is a great option for all types of sleepers.

At the moment, Bear offers three mattresses: the Bear Original, Bear Pro, and Bear Hybrid. The Bear Original is the most popular model and made entirely of foam. It’s similar to the Bear Pro, only the Pro has a more advanced design and higher price tag.

The Bear mattress comes with a 120-night trial and a lifetime warranty, protecting against sagging greater than 1 inch.

How Lying Down Feels

The gel memory foam contours to the body’s natural curves to relieve pressure points and reduce aches and pains. With the technological cover fabric and the underlying gel foam, the Bear Original works to stay cool all night long, minimizing sleep interruptions from heat buildup.

Bear customer reviews mention how much better they’ve slept and how pain-free they felt upon switching to the Bear Original from their old beds. Especially after their bodies have properly adapted to the new mattress.

Inside the Mattress

The Bear mattress is 10 inches tall and contains 2 inches of graphite-gel memory foam, 3 inches of responsive foam, and 5 inches of high-density support foam. The mattress cover incorporates FDA-determined Celliant® technology, transforming body heat into energy.

By adding graphite to their gel memory foam layer, Bear enhances the mattress’s ability to regulate temperature by effectively pulling heat away from the body, reducing inflammation, and improving muscle recovery.

The responsive foam acts as a transitional layer between the comfort and support layers— the foam keeps the body resting on top of the bed and prevents heavy sinking. And the high-density foam reinforces the top layers, prevents noise, and is built to last.

An all-latex mattress can be quite costly for sleepers who just want an eco-friendly, responsive mattress. Others may prefer the bounce that a spring mattress offers, compared to a bed with a foam base. For these shoppers, we suggest the Avocado Green, a latex hybrid mattress with targeted support features and an optional pillow top.

The Avocado Green includes a year-long sleep trial and a 25-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The Avocado Green’s feel will vary depending on whether or not a pillow top is added on. The pillow top can soften the feel, though it will not turn it into a truly soft mattress.

Many would consider the Avocado Green with a pillow top as a medium to medium-firm mattress, feeling supportive with a touch of give under the body. Without a pillow top, the Avocado Green feels far firmer.

Inside the Mattress

The Avocado Green’s exact construction depends on whether a shopper chooses a pillow top or not. The pillow top adds on 2 inches of GOLS-certified latex and bringing the bed’s total cushioning layers to 5 inches.

Despite this thick amount of comfort material, the Avocado Green doesn’t feel overly squishy with a pillowtop, maintaining a comfortable supportive feel.

Next is 3 inches of latex foam, which serves as the first layer in a mattress without a pillow top. The support core consists of pocketed coils, arranged to create five zones of support under the body.

Encasing the mattress is a cover of organic cotton fabric, with underlying organic wool acting as the flame barrier. The mattress’s layers are held together by needle tufted rosettes, bypassing the need for chemical or water-based adhesives.

Even with the wide range of mattresses available through online shopping, shoppers can find it difficult to track down a mattress for an RV or camper. To simplify that search, we had to spotlight the Aurora Hybrid from Brooklyn Bedding, available in a wide range of sizes that fall outside the standard run.

The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Hybrid comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The Aurora Hybrid can feel soft and quick to yield to the body, or firm for an on-top-of-the-mattress feel. There’s also the option of a balanced medium feel, which suits the widest range of sleep styles and is typically the best choice for sleepers who want a versatile mattress in their RV.

Inside the Mattress

The Aurora Hybrid’s construction subtly varies depending on the chosen firmness.

The surface of the Aurora Hybrid is infused with TitanCool™, a phase change material that enables the mattress to maintain 88 degrees Fahrenheit. The first foam layer is CopperFlex™ foam, containing copper particles that conduct heat away and repel microbes that can stink up the bed.

The second and third layers are where the differences between firmnesses show themselves. The soft and medium options have TitanFlex™ foam with gel swirl memory foam. The combination of these two materials create elastic yet compressive comfort. The firm option has a thinner layer of TitanFlex™ with VariFlex™ foam for extra support.

The support core of the Aurora Hybrid is more than a thousand individually wrapped coils. These coils rest on a foam base that ensures durable, lasting stability and structure.

Many side sleepers enjoy a mattress that balances support with cushion to meet their needs. Their spine must be kept in a neutral position, but the hips and shoulders need a touch of cradling to limit pressure build-up.

The Helix Midnight Luxe meets these needs with a medium feel specifically for side sleepers—a separate medium mattress is offered for back and stomach sleepers. It features zoned support for hip support and shoulder pain relief, providing the comfort side sleepers need.

How Lying Down Feels

The Helix Midnight possesses a buoyant medium feel with a persistent coolness, thanks to its cover fabric. One consumer reviewer noted that despite how cushioning the surface could feel, they were able to detect the shift to more supportive materials underneath, and they considered it all the more comfortable for that.

Inside the Mattress

The Helix Midnight Luxe has five layers, encased in a shopper’s choice of mattress cover fabric. The basic option is Tencel® fabric, made with plant fibers. For an extra cost, the bed can be upgraded to a GlacioTex fabric cover.

Underneath the cooling cover is Memory Plus Foam. With a density that helps it stand up to use and a medium feel, this memory foam layer provides durable, versatile comfort. Next is supportive foam for ergonomic comfort, then a layer of transition foam.

The core of the mattress is carefully arranged pocketed coils on a foam base. The coils provide different support under the shoulders and hips, providing the pressure relief and support that these sensitive areas need.

The Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress comes in three firmness options— plush, medium, and luxury firm. For this article, we focused on the medium. The luxury feel of ventilated memory foam and the edge support of pocketed coils provides sleepers with an excellent blend of comfort and support.

The Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress comes with a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty— the warranty lasts as long as the original purchaser owns the mattress.

How Lying Down Feels

Concerning the medium feel specifically, the Sparrow feels supportive and plush to the touch, keeping sleepers comfortable in most positions throughout the night. The pillow top gives it a touch of squishy cushion that conforms quickly to the body and ease pressure while staying cool.

Inside the Mattress

The Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress is 12 inches thick and contains 3 inches of Energex™ Foam, 1 inch of SmartFlow support foam, 6 inches of pocketed coils, and 1 inch of base support foam. The quilted thermal phase change fabric keeps body temperature even and consistent, with an additional inch of gel memory foam for a pillow top.

Energex™ is an infused memory foam that pulls heat away from the body, improving blood flow and offering better muscle recovery.

SmartFlow support foam is a transitional layer between the comfort layer and the support layer. The foam has ventilation holes for better air flow inside the mattress.

Individually-wrapped steel coils restrict motion transfer and reduce noise potential. Pocketed steel coils line the perimeter of the mattress, providing excellent edge support for those who prefer sleeping on the edge of the bed. The base foam layer reinforces the shape of the bed.

SEE ALSO: Mattress Size and Dimensions Guide

Benefits of an Online Mattress

Purchasing an online mattress from a mattress-in-a-box brand is in many ways better than buying a mattress in the store. Customers don’t have to worry about pressure to buy from salesmen and can try a new mattress with a risk-free trial at home.

Because online mattress companies cut out the middleman (salesmen, commissions, retail), they can offer beds made from high-quality materials at a lower cost. For a high-quality queen size mattress with a standard 10-year warranty, expect to pay between $1,000 to $2,000.

When it comes to the best places to buy a mattress, it’s difficult to top the benefits of online stores. For example, see if a mattress company offers a white glove delivery service. This service includes removal of your old mattress and installation of a new one.

Thanks to online mattress brands’ always low prices, shoppers don’t need to wait for the best times of the year to buy a mattress. Still, waiting for a mattress sale can help shoppers save even more money.

The big mattress sales throughout the year include:

• Best Presidents Day Mattress Sales
• Best Memorial Day Mattress Sales
• Best 4th of July Mattress Sales
• Best Labor Day Mattress Sales
• Best Columbus Day Mattress Sales
• Best Black Friday Mattress Sales
• Best Cyber Monday Mattress Sales

Most online brands have ongoing promotions and coupon codes as well, untied to big mattress sales events.

What to Consider While Shopping for the Best Online Mattress

Before committing to a new bed, consider the mattress type, your weight, favored sleep position, and available sleep trials, warranties, and return policies. Doing so will help you choose the best mattress.

Mattress Type

Each type of mattress is different with its own unique feel. Some sleepers may prefer a mattress with more bounce, while others like to slightly sink into the surface.

Memory Foam

Known for its contouring abilities, memory foam conforms to the natural curves of the body to relieve pressure points. It has excellent motion isolation, stopping any surface movement from disrupting sleep. Thanks to its construction, memory foam sleeps silently.

A drawback to a memory foam mattress is its heat retention. Because of its dense construction, memory foam traps heat, however, potential shoppers can avoid this problem by looking for a memory foam mattress with cooling properties, like plant-based or gel memory foam, or memory foam infused with copper or graphite.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses have a bouncy surface and great edge support because of the steel coil base. The open structure of the coil layer allows for continuous air circulation inside the mattress.

While an innerspring mattress is more responsive than other types of mattresses, it also provides less pressure relief because the comfort layer is so thin— usually it’s less than 2 inches thick. Innerspring mattresses also have more noise potential than other mattress types.

Latex

Latex has a similar feel to memory foam— it conforms to the body, but not as closely to relieve pressure points. It also sleeps cooler than traditional memory foam and has a responsive bounce.

Latex is either natural or synthetic: natural latex is created from rubber tree sap which is whipped into a froth, while synthetic latex is created through a chemical process. Dunlop latex is 100% natural, and while Talalay latex does contain natural latex, manufacturers add polyurethane fillers to give it its soft, sponge-like feel.

Latex mattresses are more expensive, especially if the mattress contains natural latex, and can be heavy to move.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress combines the pressure relief of memory foam with the responsive bounce of an innerspring— essentially two mattresses in one perfect bed. Plus, hybrid mattresses produce less noise and limit motion transfer because the innerspring coils are individually-wrapped in fabric.

While hybrid mattresses offer sleepers the benefits of both memory foam and innerspring, they also have drawbacks, including less pressure relief and noise potential from steel coils and heat retention from memory foam. Hybrid mattresses are also more expensive and heavy due to the amount of materials they contain.

Body Weight

Another factor when deciding which mattress to buy is your current body weight. Different body types need different levels of comfort and support to keep the spine aligned.

Lightweight Sleepers

Lightweight sleepers weigh less than 130 pounds. They need a softer surface to allow their bodies to slightly sink into the mattress for pressure relief and to encourage spinal alignment. A firm mattress will create pressure points and throw the spine out of alignment.

Average Weight Sleepers

Average weight sleepers weigh between 130 to 230 pounds. A medium sleep surface would be best to provide a balance of comfort and support without risk of heavy sinking.

Heavyweight Sleepers

Heavyweight sleepers weigh more than 230 pounds. The best mattresses for heavy people are typically firmer to offer needed support without sagging. Softer mattresses lack the support heavyweight sleepers need.

Sleeping Position

Your preferred sleep position is a major factor in finding the best mattress. Each sleep position needs the right amount of comfort and support to conform to the body and to keep the spine in alignment.

Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is one of the healthiest sleep positions. Side sleeping opens up airways, reduces acid reflux, and keeps the pressure off of vital organs. The best mattresses for side sleepers are medium to soft in firmness to fill in the large gaps between the body and the sleep surface— a soft to medium mattress provides enhanced pressure relief in the shoulders and hips.

Back Sleeping

Back sleeping is another healthy sleep position because of the natural alignment of the spine through the back’s direct contact with the sleep surface. Back sleeping does come with a higher risk of developing sleep apnea— gravity causes the collapse of soft tissue at the back of the throat, blocking airways.

If you’re a back sleeper or transitioning to sleeping on your back, you should look for a mattress with a medium to firm feel to give your back just enough cushion and align the spine.

Stomach Sleeping

Stomach sleeping is the least recommended sleep position because of the health risks associated with excessive pressure placed on the spine, including neck strain and back pain. It’s better to switch to side sleeping to reduce these risks.

For those committed to sleeping on their stomachs, look for a medium-firm to firm mattress. A firmer feel keeps the body on top of the mattress and prevents heavy sinking. Stomach sleepers may also benefit by placing a thin pillow under their hips to better align the spine.

Combination Sleeping

Also known as restless sleepers, combination sleepers toss and turn most of the night, switching between 2 to 3 sleep positions. Combination sleepers experience the same benefits of each sleep position, including better breathing and natural alignment, but also face the same drawbacks (back pain, neck strain, and risk of developing sleep apnea).

Combination sleepers need a medium to medium-firm mattress to maintain a balance of comfort and support.

Mattress Thickness

Most mattresses are between 10 and 14 inches thick. 10-inch mattresses are usually firmer while thicker mattresses are usually softer. We suggest avoiding mattresses less than 8 inches thick, as they lack comfort and support and will likely break down rather quickly.

Sleep Trials, Warranties, and Return Policies

Sleep trials, warranties, and return policies reassure the customer of a sound purpose and shows the confidence a mattress manufacturer has in its product. Always read the fine print and beware of a mattress that doesn’t include a sleep trial and warranty.

Sleep Trial

A sleep trial is the period of time a customer has to try out a new mattress in the comfort of their own home. Sleep trials are particularly great for online mattresses since customers typically cannot try out the bed before they buy it like they would in a showroom.

That said, some online mattress brands do have showrooms, but they’re usually scattered around the country, so it may be hard to find one in your local area. If you’re interested in a particular mattress, check out the brand’s website to see if they have a showroom near you.

Most mattresses with sleep trials last between 90 to 120 nights, depending on the brand. If the mattress doesn’t meet the customer’s expectations, most mattress companies will offer a full refund.

Warranty

A warranty protects the mattress against manufacturing defects that could damage the mattress, and sagging greater than 1 inch— this measurement varies, depending on the brand. Most mattresses come with a standard 10-year warranty and only apply to the original purchaser.

Return Policy

Should a new mattress not include a sleep trial, check out the return policy. Return policies last about 30 days— about the same amount of time it takes to adjust to a new bed. If the customer isn’t happy with the mattress, they can return it for a full refund.

Other Things to Consider

Is buying an online mattress right for me?

While we can’t say with 100 percent certainty that buying a mattress online is right for everyone, there’s very little to lose by shopping online. Online mattress brands tend to offer lower prices overall, and when it comes to material quality, it’s very easy to double-check company transparency and mattress reviews by using a search browser.

Some feel that in-store shopping offers the advantage of seeing and touching a mattress. However, almost every quality online mattress includes a sleep trial that lasts a few months. Shoppers tend to be far better served by the ability to try a mattress at home than they are by lying on a store model for a few minutes.

What type of online mattress should I buy?

Foam and spring mattresses each have their advantages and disadvantages, so there’s no real one type of online mattress that’s best for everyone. Some people will simply find one material type more comfortable than another.

If you want affordable comfort, though, it’s difficult to beat what a high-quality memory foam mattress offers. Latex and hybrid mattresses are good choices, but tend to cost more even with the lower prices of online shopping.

Is it better to buy a mattress online or in store?

Overall, online mattresses just tend to offer more benefits than in-store mattresses. There’s the convenience of quickly switching between store websites to compare mattresses, instead of driving around to different stores, along with the convenience of home delivery.

Plus, online mattresses tend to have lower price tags than in-store mattresses, since online brands have fewer overhead costs to bear. And the main drawback of online shopping, the inability to test a bed before you buy it, is handily negated by the included trial period.

How much should I pay for a mattress online?

How much you can expect to pay for an online mattress varies greatly, depending on the mattress type, mattress thickness, and mattress size you’re interested in.

Memory foam and traditional innerspring mattresses are highly affordable, with thicker models around 12 inches still costing under $1000 for a queen size. Latex and hybrid mattresses tend to cost over $1000, though many excellent options can be found for under $1500 to $2000.

When is the best time to buy a mattress online?

To maximize your budget it’s often best to shop during one of the big mattress sale days, such as Labor Day or Black Friday. However, many online mattress brands offer exclusive deals throughout the year, so you can save big even if you missed a mattress sale.

If it’s time to replace your mattress, it’s best to avoid compromising on your comfort by waiting weeks or even months until the next sale.

Conclusion

We hope after reading this article, you have a better understanding of all the mattress features available to you as you search for the best online mattress. Our favorite is the Amerisleep AS3— a perfect medium ideal for side and combo sleepers, and priced at $1399 for a queen size.