Our rigorous tests of innerspring, foam, and adjustable air beds reveal top models from brands including Casper, Essentia, and Sleep Number
CR mattress ratings include beds from Casper (top right) and Sleep Number (bottom).
By Tanya A. Christian
A mattress company may claim to have the “best” or “most comfortable” beds on the market, but the key to finding the right mattress for your specific needs is focusing on what works best for your sleep position and body type.
That’s because comfort differs greatly from individual to individual. Instead of getting bogged down in marketing-speak during your mattress search, allow our lab testing and surveys of actual mattress owners to show you the way.
We evaluate the three most common types of mattresses—innerspring (including hybrid mattresses, which combine foam with coils), all-foam, and adjustable air—for features and specifications so you have the information you need to choose the right one.
Whether they’re from established brands like Beautyrest or popular mattress-in-a-box companies like Casper and Lull, we rigorously test each mattress to ensure its quality and determine its suitability for sleepers of all sizes and positions.
Of the 22 mattresses we recently evaluated, seven scored high enough to join Consumer Reports’ list of recommended mattresses, which currently includes just over 100 models out of hundreds tested. The latest batch included models from popular brands like Ghostbed and Sealy Posturepedic, as well as one of Avocado’s newest models, the Avocado Extra Firm mattress, which launched late 2025. All of these newly tested mattresses can be found in our comprehensive mattress ratings, and some even performed well enough to be included in our roundup of best mattresses below.
For detailed results of the other mattresses we tested, refer to our comprehensive mattress ratings, which feature hundreds of models. To learn more about how to shop for a mattress, check out our mattress buying guide and mattress selector.
Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers
The best mattresses for side sleepers should keep the spine aligned while offering pressure relief for the shoulders and hips, a combination for waking up pain-free. The three mattresses below, viewable to logged-in members, fit the bill, offering optimal support for all shapes and sizes.
GhostBed Massage Hybrid
With a firmness rating of 2 out of 10, the GhostBed Massage Hybrid Mattress is a soft mattress that offers first-rate support for side sleepers. It has a thin inflatable layer that uses air to provide “massaging.” But if you’re expecting a kneading sensation to lull you to sleep, you won’t find it in this model. Most who tried the remote-controlled massage function weren’t impressed because it provides less of a rolling massage and more of a gentle stretch across the body. Still, this mattress performed very well in our tests. The one place it doesn’t wow our testers is its motion isolation—it received a middling mark in that evaluation. CR members who own a GhostBed innerspring mattress are generally very happy with it.
Leesa Reserve
The Leesa Reserve is a standout for those who sleep on their side, earning perfect support scores for petite, average, and large/tall sleepers. Motion isolation is adequate, but not great, so couples may notice movement transfer. And if your partner is a large or tall back sleeper, you’d be better served by the GhostBed (above). At a 2 on the firmness scale, this innerspring model is for sleepers who prefer a softer mattress. Consumer Reports members who own a Leesa mattress were quite satisfied with their purchase.
Nectar Nectar Ultra Hybrid
Like the Ghostbed and Leesa models, testers found that the Nectar Ultra Hybrid provides top-tier support for side sleepers of all sizes. Coupled with its excellent durability and ability to resist bounce and ease movement, this very soft mattress (it’s a 1 on the firmness scale) is expected to help solo sleepers get a good night’s rest. Couples, however, may not find it as pleasing. The Nectar only receives a middling score for stabilization, so your partner is bound to feel your movement and vice versa. And if one of you is a back sleeper, it likely won’t offer enough support.
Best Firm Mattresses
A mattress’s firmness level can be one of its most important qualities in helping you fall asleep. But like so many other mattress features, firmness is a bit subjective. Because we use a consistent scale, you can compare the firmness levels of all the mattresses in our ratings. Our three favorite firm mattresses, viewable below for members, all have a firmness level of 7 and above.
Earthfoam Organic Medium
Foam mattress lovers have many firm foam mattresses to choose from, including the 8-inch-thick Earthfoam Organic Medium. It gets a firmness rating of 7, making it one of the firmer options we’ve tested. This mattress-in-a-box offers great support for back sleepers of any size. It also has decent side-sleeper support. Like most foam mattresses, it’s also great at motion isolation. According to our tests, this mattress doesn’t retain heat—a plus if you tend to sleep hot. The Earthfoam Organic Medium is also listed among the Best Foam Mattresses.
Avocado Extra Firm Mattress
This newcomer to Avocado’s slate of offerings is about as firm as they come. While the brand’s flagship Avocado Green mattress now sits at a 5 on our firmness scale after a 2023 revamp, the Avocado Extra Firm scores a 9. Given its extreme density, it’s no surprise that this mattress isn’t well-suited for side sleepers. It receives middling marks for side support, regardless of size, but it excels at offering back support for sleepers of all sizes. This hybrid model, composed of comforting latex foam, allows for easy movement while resisting bounce and provides very good stabilization. CR members give Avocado innerspring mattresses strong marks for comfort and owner satisfaction.
GhostBed The GhostBed
With a 7 out of 10 firmness rating, the all-foam 11-inch The GhostBed offers very good support for back and side sleepers of all sizes. Petite back sleepers will find even better support, according to our tests. This mattress—constructed from both latex and gel memory foam—also isolates motion pretty well and doesn’t retain heat. GhostBed mattresses earn impressive comfort and owner satisfaction scores from our member surveys.
Best Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses consist entirely of foam layers. Latex foam mattresses have a somewhat springy feel; synthetic foam mattresses (memory foam in particular) tend to lack resilience. The three top options below should make you feel as if you’re sleeping “in” the mattress as opposed to on top of it.
Casper The One
The Casper The One mattress wowed testers, earning top marks for its support of average and petite back sleepers. It also provided strong support for large and tall back sleepers and side sleepers of all sizes. This highly durable mattress receives a 6 on our 10-point firmness scale, so you can expect a medium-soft feel. You can also expect a pretty sound sleep, regardless of your partner’s movements, because it receives a very good score for stabilization. Casper foam mattresses tend to please their owners in terms of both comfort and owner satisfaction in our member surveys.
Essentia Grateful Eight Organic
Back sleepers of all sizes will appreciate the strong, balanced feel of the Essentia Grateful Eight Organic mattress, while side sleepers should find ample cushioning and stability. All sleepers can expect steady, consistent support across the surface. At 111 pounds, however, this medium-to-medium-firm mattress is quite heavy and lacks handles, so moving it will likely require two people. In Consumer Reports’ member surveys, Essentia’s foam models earn top-tier satisfaction scores for comfort and owner satisfaction.
Earthfoam Organic Medium
The latex Earthfoam Organic Medium is a dream for back sleepers. The mattress-in-a-box offers the best support available for this position, regardless of your size. Side-sleeper support isn’t shabby, either. If you enjoy the sinking sensation of foam but still prefer a firmer feel, this mattress offers both. It gets a 7 for firmness on our scale of 1 to 10, making it one of the firmer options in our ratings. It’s also one of the most stable.
Best Soft Mattresses
The best soft mattresses combine deep pressure relief with sturdy support and long-lasting durability. Our three top performers (which members can view below) are innerspring mattresses that score 3 or lower on our firmness scale, while still offering strong support for optimal spine alignment.
Casper Snow Max
The Casper Snow Max is the highest-rated innerspring mattress we’ve tested. With a layer of latex on top of a layer of springs, it offers a soft and supple surface, landing a 3 on our firmness scale (1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest). It offers excellent support for back sleepers and very good support for side sleepers. This mattress also resists bounciness, earning a very good score for stabilization. Casper innerspring mattresses perform well in our member surveys, earning strong marks for both comfort and owner satisfaction. The Casper Snow Max is also featured as one of the Best Innerspring Mattresses and one of the Best Mattresses for Hot Sleepers.
Casper Dream Max
Petite sleepers seeking a supremely soft mattress can find good-quality rest with the Casper Dream Max. With a firmness rating of 2 out of 10, expect a very plush feel. Those on the smaller side will find exceptional support, but the Dream Max still offers solid support for side and back sleepers of all sizes. Testers also found it to be durable and adequate at isolating motion. According to our member surveys, this Casper model is expected to provide very good comfort and owner satisfaction.
Denver Mattress Doctor’s Choice Plush
The Denver Mattress Doctor’s Choice Plush lives up to its name with a firmness level of 3. While it offers optimal support for back sleepers, side sleepers should do fine, too, thanks to the bed’s near-top-level support rating in that category. Evaluators observed that it’s not too bouncy, but it’s only decent for stabilization. (So if your partner moves while sleeping, you’ll probably feel it.) As a brand, Denver innerspring mattresses earn very good scores for owner satisfaction and an average score for comfort in CR’s member surveys.
Best Mattresses for Hot Sleepers
A mattress’s material and construction are key in determining how cool it will keep you. Because foam tends to retain more heat, innerspring or hybrid models are most often recommended for hot sleepers. The three innerspring mattresses below are standouts, earning high marks for support and durability, and—based on our lab testing—trapping less heat than nearly 80 percent of the other mattresses we rate.
Casper Snow Max
The Casper Snow Max is not only our top-rated mattress but also lives up to its name by keeping its cool. This model is one of the coolest sleeping mattresses we’ve tested, thanks to a layered system that combines a cool-to-the-touch cover, a heat-absorbing phase-change material, proprietary cooling strips that pull warmth away from the body, and a breathable hybrid construction that promotes steady airflow throughout the mattress. Per our lab evaluation, the Snow Max offers impressive support for sleepers of all sizes and positions, and it does a great job at absorbing motion. It’s also a top choice for Best Innerspring Mattress and Best Soft Mattress.
Casper Snow
The Casper Snow may not be as plush and premium as the Snow Max (hence the $1,000 price difference), but it’s still up there as one of the least heat-retaining mattresses we’ve tested. Beyond being a great comfort pick for those who sleep hot, it’s also an all-around high-performing mattress. Combining pocketed coils with layers of foam, this hybrid is particularly supportive for back sleepers of all sizes and well-suited for petite to large side sleepers. With a firmness rating of 4 out of 10, it’s on the softer side. Still, this model has excellent stabilization, so sleepers are less likely to feel vibrations from a partner’s movements. This mattress also earned a spot among our Best Innerspring Mattresses.
Parachute Eco
The Parachute Eco excels as a back sleeper’s mattress, earning an excellent support rating across all sizes. It also earns solid ratings for supporting side sleepers. With a firmness level of 5 out of 10, it has a medium feel. It earns only a middling mark for stabilization but an excellent score for durability. That’s likely in part because of the model’s no-foam construction—an outlier in this roundup of innersprings.
Best Mattresses for Couples
Sleeping with a partner often means balancing different comfort preferences while minimizing disruptions from each other’s movements. The best mattresses for couples excel at motion isolation, while still providing the support and comfort both sleepers need. The three models that follow earn top marks in CR’s stability tests and include options across a range of mattress types and firmness levels—making it easier for members to find a perfect match.
Bob-O-Pedic Treasure Dual
This 12-inch hybrid Bob-O-Pedic mattress performed very well in our motion-isolation test. It also offers excellent support for back sleepers of all sizes, and side sleepers of all sizes should sleep well on it, too. This mattress lands around a 6 (medium firm) on our firmness scale (1 being the softest; 10 being the firmest) overall, but one side is slightly softer than the other, so couples with differing firmness preferences don’t have to compromise. Bob-O-Pedic innerspring mattresses earn a middling score for comfort but an above-average rating for owner satisfaction, according to our member surveys.
Essentia Stratami
The top-rated Essentia latex mattress lands a stellar stability score, so one partner’s tossing and turning shouldn’t jostle the other. It also provides excellent support for all positions and sizes, though average-sized or smaller back sleepers should be particularly pleased. At only 8 inches thick and medium-firm in feel (it receives a 6 on our firmness scale), it’s hardly plush. Nevertheless, the Essentia earns high marks from CR members for both comfort and owner satisfaction.
Saatva Solaire
Designed with couples in mind, the 14-inch Saatva Solaire combines customizable comfort with impressive motion isolation. The mattress earns an above-average score in our stability test, so tossing and turning on one side of the bed shouldn’t disrupt the other. The Solaire is also an adjustable air mattress, so each sleeper can adjust the firmness on their side of the bed with a remote. The latex-foam top also provides excellent support for sleepers of all sizes and sleep positions. Saatva receives very good scores in our CR member survey for comfort and owner satisfaction. The Solaire is also among our favorites for Best Adjustable Air Mattresses.
Best Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are composed of steel coils topped with layers of cushioning made with fiber-filled padding, foam, or both. Our three top-scoring models, viewable below for members, are usually better than foam mattresses if you prefer a bit of bounce.
Casper Snow Max
Back sleepers seeking a soft mattress can find high-quality rest with the Casper Snow Max. It receives exceptional scores for those who prefer the supine position, whether petite, of average height, or on the taller side, but it’s also a very good pick for those who sleep on their side. Testers also found that this cool-sleeping mattress (yes, it lives up to its name) is also quite durable and adequate at isolating motion. With a firmness rating of 3 out of 10, expect a plush feel. Casper innerspring mattresses earn very good comfort and owner satisfaction ratings in our member surveys. The Snow Max is also a favorite for Best Soft Mattress and Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers.
Casper Snow
The high-performing Casper Snow combines pocketed coils with layers of foam in a hybrid design that is particularly supportive for back sleepers of all sizes and well suited for side sleepers from petite to large. With a firmness rating of 4 out of 10, the Casper Snow is on the softer end of the spectrum. Its excellent stability rating (an improvement from its previous iteration) means you shouldn’t feel vibrations from your partner’s movements. It’s also one of the least heat-retaining mattresses we’ve tested, making it an excellent choice for those who sleep hot—it’s one of our Best Mattresses for Hot Sleepers. CR members are quite impressed with Casper innerspring mattresses, earning them high marks for comfort and owner satisfaction.
Casper Dream
If you’re looking for a soft mattress, the Casper Dream is a solid pick. This top performer receives a 3 out of 10 on our firmness scale, meaning it can provide pressure relief and comfort to those who need it. In our lab evaluation, we found the model to be a standout for petite back sleepers, and it performs well for all other sizes and positions, too. Like nearly all the mattresses in this roundup, the Dream earns a perfect durability score, which means you can expect to get sound sleep on it for 8 to 10 years. It performs quite well at stabilizing, so if you sleep with a partner, you should feel very little vibration from their movements. CR members give Casper mattresses high marks for comfort and owner satisfaction.
Best Adjustable Air Mattresses
Adjustable air mattresses can be inflated to your desired firmness level using a remote control or a smartphone app. In some cases, you can opt for separate chambers on each side—so if you’re sleeping with a partner, each of you can select a preferred firmness. The three standouts below all come at a high price, but the least expensive is a full $1,000 less than our priciest pick.
Sleep Number ClimateCool
Back sleepers of all sizes will find superior support with this Sleep Number mattress. Side sleeper support isn’t shabby either. In addition to being solid, stable, and sturdy, it’s also an adjustable mattress in multiple ways. You can customize the firmness of this top performer, adjust its positioning if you opt for an adjustable frame, and modify its temperature settings. Say goodbye to night sweats and restless sleep, and hello to a breathable surface with top-tier comfort, according to CR members.
Saatva Solaire
The Solaire mattress by Saatva is made with certified organic materials and is an all-around crowd-pleaser, delivering above-average results in nearly every test category. It receives high scores for support of all sleep positions and sizes, and has impressive stabilization. It also excels in durability. Saatva earns high praise from CR members for both comfort and owner satisfaction. The Solaire is also one of the Best Mattresses for Couples.
Airpedic 800 Series
The Airpedic 800 Series earns a stellar rating for support for petite and average side and back sleepers, and for large and tall back sleepers. Though its support score for large and tall side sleepers isn’t as high, it’s still well above average. Those sleeping with a partner may feel movement from the other side of the bed throughout the night as this adjustable air mattress only receives a middling score for stabilization. CR members who own an Airpedic mattress find it comfortable, and most owners are quite satisfied with their purchase.
Do You Need a Box Spring or Bed Frame for Your Mattress?
The support underneath your mattress matters almost as much as the mattress itself. That’s because a quality mattress needs a sturdy base to offer optimal support. For the beds and mattresses of yesteryear, that almost always meant a box spring was required. These fabric-covered wooden boxes, containing coils and springs, helped absorb motion and provide stability. But modern mattresses are more commonly used with a platform foundation, a slat base, or an adjustable bed frame. All of these are considered types of bed frames. CR only tests the adjustable bases.
While a box spring may still be used with an innerspring mattress on a metal or steel bed frame, our advice is to place your mattress directly on your platform or slatted frame, if that meets the conditions of your mattress’s warranty. Brands typically specify whether the mattress can be used on a platform bed, a slatted base, an adjustable base, or a box spring foundation. Many also provide the minimum support requirements, such as maximum slat spacing. Following those requirements can be important for maintaining warranty coverage.
How CR Tests Mattresses
There are hundreds of mattresses in our ratings, each with an Overall Score that’s determined, in large part, by the model’s performance on a range of tests: sleeper support, firmness level, stabilization level, and durability.
To test stability (aka motion isolation), we drop a 38.5-pound weight onto the mattress and measure the vibrations at the point of impact and across the mattress. This tells us how easily sleepers should be able to shift their weight without disturbing a partner. We also test how well the mattress keeps its shape over time by using a machine that moves a 300-plus-pound wood roller across the surface 30,000 times.
The ratings for mattress comfort and owner satisfaction included in the Overall Score are based on data from survey results on almost 67,000 mattresses. To learn more about how we test and rate mattresses, and how to choose the right one for you, check our mattress buying guide.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2026, Consumer Reports, Inc.