A third of your life will be spent in your bed. The only place that sees as much use is your office chair or your desk. Even though you’re going to be unconscious during most of the time spent splayed across your bed, the benefits of having a quality mattress will be felt during every waking activity. Many people have discovered that taking their repose on a memory foam mattress makes their body feel better, enhances their restfulness, and improves their function. Whether you suffer from chronic pain, are seeking a solution to poor nights of sleep, or just want to make your baby mama more comfortable while she carries your child, one of these mattresses cure what ails you.
There are a few things to know before you begin shopping one though. The first is mmHg, which is a measurement of how well the surface responds to pressure. At lower levels, you receive more blood circulation, which improves heart function and eases muscles. This is measured in part by the ILD (Indentation Load Deflection) of a mattress. It tells you how hard or soft the memory will be. Considering these factors, we found the 11 best memory foam mattresses for any kind of sleeper.
Memory Foam Solutions Topper
Pro: Ecologically friendly manufacturing process
Con: Firmness is partly reliant on temperature and partly on existing mattress
Revitalizer: We did want to take a moment to acknowledge that not everyone needs to buy a new bed right now. Perhaps you’d rather just add a memory foam upper to your current sleeping apparatus. For that, you have a lot of options, most of them ranging from abysmal to pretty poor. We found that this topper was actually a good addendum to go along with your current sleeping arrangement. At 3-inches thick, you get a solid layer of soft foam that works perfectly with almost any mattress, regardless of previous thickness. It exceeds PURGreen certification standards so even the manufacture of it isn’t wasteful. It has a high sensitivity to heat and changes resiliency as it gets warmer. Depending on how firm you want it, you may wish to find a bed cover that allows it to stay firmer or become softer, per your sleeping habits. [Purchase: $82+]
Sleep Master Smooth Top
Pro: Provides supreme support with a feathery feel
Con: Very stiff for a memory foam mattress
Hard Bitten: Sleepers who want a memory mattress to help keep their back and body on the straight and narrow will enjoy the Smooth Top from Sleep Master. At just 6-inches thick, there isn’t the space to make it fluffy soft, though it still has enough give to permit your parts to indent sufficiently. Inside the mattress is a slender 1.5-inches of memory foam backed up by 4.5 full inches of high density foam that supports you like a rich parent. There’s also a fire barrier to keep high temperatures or nearby space heaters from melting it down or burning it up. ActivCharcoal has been added along with green tea extracts to absorb sweat and other body materials and cut down on odors over the entire life of your mattress. Just be aware that the lighter you are, the less this will flex beneath you. [Purchase: $118+]
DynastyMattress Therapeutic Deluxe
Pro: Allows for easy back and stomach sleeping
Con: Takes a while to break in and adapt to your body
Pain Reducer: Any one of these mattress is likely to reduce your aches and pains, but we discovered a real diamond in the inexpensive rough with the Therapeutic Deluxe. It’s made to work with most sleeping styles and avoid those nighttime twinges of pain that can be caused by shifting position. It’s constructed with 3-inches of hypoallergenic HD 100 percent Visco-Elastic foam that runs a little on the stiff side for more support, which increases the response to misaligned body parts. Beneath the foam is a pair of 2-inch air flow pads that keep the entire mattress very cool for hot climates or people who are natural furnaces in the sack. It’s not truly top shelf, but for soothing soreness in both muscles and joints without throwing too much money at the problem, this is a must have. [Purchase: $190+]
Signature Sleep Memory Foam Mattress
Pro: Allows an easy transition from traditional mattresses
Con: Runs hot with limited airflow incorporated
In Transition: For an introduction to memory foam mattresses, Signature Sleep has managed to crack the code. This is firm enough at first that it won’t throw off your sleeping patterns if you’re acclimated to spring mattresses. It also doesn’t provide the sinking sensation that you’ll get from more plush offerings, at least at first. As time goes on, this will begin to create a less firm environment as the foam learns your body type. Sadly, this can lead to it become too deeply pocketed – especially if you are heavier or live in a hot, humid environment – and cease to be supportive. We preferred the 12-inch size, but it can be had in 6 or 8 inches should you want something that will stay firmer over time. The interior of the mattress has 4-inches of memory foam with a high out-of-the-box ILD ranking of 9 (meaning firmer). After a while, that will become a 10-14, which is more standard for these mattresses. [Purchase: $199+]
Brentwood Home Gel Infused HD
Pro: Advanced cooling and cushioning
Con: Not extremely supportive
Soft and Supple: This is probably the bed that most beckons to you to just lay around all day. It has a full 5-inches of memory foam on the top split into two layers. The first layer has a gel infusion that helps it keep temperatures low and give you a more giving surface. The second pad is the more standard Visco-Elastic style without the addition of gel which cradles a bit more than it really supports. While certainly not as soft and scooped as a camping hammock, it is meant more for luxury than for stopping aches and pains. On the top is a soft wool sleeping surface that wicks away moisture and is easy to clean while adding to the sumptuous overall feel of the mattress. If you crave more resiliency from your mattress, choosing a thinner option or adding a box spring can help toughen this up a bit, but stick with the thicker varieties if you’d rather be ensconced. [Purchase: $278+]
Sleep Innovations SureTemp
Pro: Excellent balance of support, longevity, and comfort
Con: Should be used directly on the floor, not a base or frame
Heat Sink: Every one of these mattresses bears the curse of holding on to heat. It’s their cross to bear. While most of them manage it via including airflow pads that allow for circulation, a few, like the SureTemp and the Gel Infused mattress from Brentwood choose to try an approach included in the memory foam itself. Sleep Innovations uses a unique open-cell manufacturing process that helps reinforce the cell walls of their foam so it can bounce back again and again, but also distributes heat better, moving it away from your body. The result is a slightly firmer than medium mattress which has more backup padding to keep it in shape but also won’t overheat. You get 2.5 inches of the SureTemp foam, 3 more inches of standard foam, and then a big 9+ inches of premium support foam with no space wasted on airflow padding. [Purchase: $368+]
Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams
Pro: 5lb density foam is strong and long-lasting
Con: Tends to absorb moisture
Most for the Money: You’re going to spend a little bit more on the 13-inch Ultimate Dreams, but it comes in well under the 1K mark and yet can go toe to toe with many mattresses we saw at that price point. The very top layer is 3 inches of gel-infused memory foam that keeps heat to a minimum while still providing a sense of comfort. Beneath the gel foam is 2-inches of standard foam, meaning this offers more of the sweet gel stuff than the regular, a rarity in the market. During manufacture, the Ultimate Dreams mattress undergoes the least compression, meaning it takes less time to be ready for use, will smell better from the beginning, and can hold its shape for many years without the foam packing down and losing support. [Purchase: $489+]
DynastyMattress Luxury Grand
Pro: 50% memory foam construction
Con: Very thick
Size Matters: A big, burly 15-inch thickness, this doesn’t pretend to be compact. Though we expected it to be soft, thanks to the generous memory foam allotment, it actually ran toward the medium/soft with just enough pep and bounce to keep us from being swallowed. Digging in we found the reason that it didn’t feel like quicksand was the smart layering. The first 1.5 inches are a quilted upper with some memory foam followed by 2 separate 1-inch pads of 5-lb. density soft foam backed by 4 inches of stiffer standard foam. The end result is luxurious and begs to be lain upon, but won’t suck you in. 2-inches worth of airflow are perfectly sandwiched in to help keep your body temperature at a reasonable level, though the sheer plushness tends to run a little hotter than most, so don’t wear your ski jacket to bed. [Purchase: $499+]
Amerisleep Liberty Bed
Pro: Adept at preventing motion transfer across mattress
Con: Does carry a slight organic smell
Natural Alignment: When you want to get away from the synthetic materials that comprise most of the other mattresses out there, you will want to choose an all natural, plant-based foam. The problem here is that the biodegradable nature of these mattresses makes them break down more quickly, cost more, and often lose some of their supportive verve as time passes. To get one that won’t need to be replaced in a few years, we suggest starting with the Liberty Bed. It has a nice medium support structure that avoids a sinking sensation and helps keep your shoulders, hips, and spine in a straight line. You’ll get a machine-washable bamboo cover that is eco-friendly and protects the mattress from heat and liquid that can cause it to lose its shape more quickly. The 4.5 lbs. density is good for durability and they even back their product for 20-years – which is nearly unheard of it in this sector of the market. [Purchase: $749+]
Keetsa Tea Leaf Supreme
Pro: Respectable heat balance
Con: Dips a little much for back and stomach sleepers
Natural Selection: The Tea Leaf Supreme is the vegan choice – if there is such a thing – of the group. It has 4 inches of plant memory foam backed with bio foam and then covered with a blended wool and bamboo cover. It lacks the noticeable scent that comes with most plant-based foam since it doesn’t use as many VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). It reduces the amount of breakdown without the use of extreme synthetics. The deep layer of plant foam provides a comfortable pocket that will please those who prefer to sleep softly, but lacks a bit in firmness, putting it smack in the medium firmness category. If you can get around the slight enveloping sensation, you’ll find the airflow allows for a good balance between retaining enough heat for comfort and causing you to sweat bullets throughout the night. [Purchase: $1,164+]
TEMPUR-PEDIC GrandBed
Pro: Practically perfect in every way
Con: Only comes in Queen, King, and California King
Endgame: It comes down to this: If you have the money to buy a true Tempur-Pedic bed, you can’t go wrong. You also can’t find one for less than a grand. Rather than bore you with all the options they have, we just chose the Odin / All-Father bed that practically knocks you out the second you look at it too long. It has two exquisite layers that put it ever so slightly on the soft side of the scale, but even our firm mattress lover found it supportive enough to doze off. The cover is made of silk-cashmere fabric, it’s antimicrobial, it disperses heat and distributes weight evenly across the surface. The only downside is it makes getting out of bed impossible. If nothing else has worked to alleviate chronic pain in your back, shoulders, and hips, or you suffer from agonizing arthritis, this is money well spent. [Purchase: $7,500]
