It’s easy to understand why the most popular mattress material available these days is memory foam. The best memory foam mattress feature, or at least the most famous, is its ability to isolate movement, limiting the transfer of motion to your partner (or wine glass, if you feel like making your own commercial). But since every company seems to have its own version, it can be hard to know which one makes the best memory foam mattress.
In my experience as a mattress tester, I’ve spent time on many memory foam mattresses. In that tireless research, I have discovered that not all memory foam beds are alike. Some feel firm, dense and heavy, while others are plush, cloud-like and light. I tend to compare foam density to the difference between freezer-stored Cool Whip and the light sort of whipped cream that you spray from an aerosol can: One, you’ll find, is softer and more airy than the other, but both are tasty.
When it comes to the best memory foam beds are, I test for quality, price, comfort, accommodation, and performance using a series of mattress tests. The memory foam beds listed below were chosen based on my experience with testing and their ability to stand out in a sea of mattress options.
What’s the best memory foam mattress overall?
A look at the Nectar Premier in our test facility.
Jonathan Gomez/CNET
While all the memory foam beds on our list are good picks, the Nectar Premier mattress wins the best overall title. It’s a comfortable memory foam mattress that feels similar to the popular Tempur-Pedic mattress, but it’s a lot more affordable. It has a slow-rising feel that gives your curves and joints a little hug, and extra features that help it regulate temperature better than regular memory foam beds.
Video: Best memory foam mattress
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the best memory foam mattresses.
Best memory foam mattresses of 2023
On this list, you’ll find the memory foam mattresses that stood out to me as the most comfortable, most supportive, most accommodating or the most affordable. Here are my picks for the best memory foam mattress options the internet has to offer.
Mattress price scale:
$ = Budget: $799 and below
$$ = Average: $800 to $1,699
$$$ = Premium: $1,700 and up
These reflect MSRP or list prices. Sales might make a mattress less expensive, but are always changing.
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Type Memory foam mattressFirmness 5 or mediumTrial 365 nightsWarranty Forever warranty Price $$
The Nectar Premier made my list for the best memory foam mattress because it reminds me of a foam TempurPedic mattress; it has that signature memory foam feel, but you won’t have to fork out nearly as much cash for it. It has a dense, slow, sink-in memory foam feel that takes a few seconds to activate. But once it does, the gel infused memory foam starts to hug your body, and offers a relieving feel around pressure points like your hips and shoulders.
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Type Flippable memory foam mattressFirmness Firm: Medium to medium-firm or 6 | Soft: 3 or medium-softTrial 120 nightsWarranty Lifetime warranty Price $$
The hexagonal, honeycomb-like design and split colors of the flippable memory foam Layla mattress caught my attention right away — it seems the mattress company paid a lot of attention to detail when it came to designing the cover. You also won’t have to play a guessing game to figure out which side is which; the soft side is labeled and colored light gray, while the firm side is charcoal and black. If you find you don’t think one side fits your sleeping style, all you have to do is flip this bad boy around to get a softer or firmer mattress feel.
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Type Memory foam hybridFirmness 7 or Medium-firmTrial 100 nightsWarranty 20-year prorated warranty Price $$
The AS2 Hybrid memory foam mattress has three ideal characteristics most back and stomach sleepers look for: firmness, support and comfort. As an added plus, the brand’s plant-based Bio-Pur foam makes it more breathable and eco-friendly than other memory foam mattresses.
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Type Memory foam mattressFirmness 6 or medium to medium-firmTrial 100 nightsWarranty 10-year limited warranty Price $
I was surprised to find out how affordable the Bear Original Mattress was when I first tested it out. It reminded me of the more popular bed-in-a-box mattresses like the Casper mattress or Puffy mattress, but retails for several hundred dollars less.
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Type Memory foam hybrid mattressFirmness 5 or mediumTrial 101 nightsWarranty 25-year limited warranty Price $$
Aside from the fact the GhostBed Luxe mattress features an adorable ghost in the brand’s logo, I liked this memory foam bed for a number of reasons. For one, it has a comfortable memory foam feel similar to the Nectar and the Amerisleep in that it takes a few moments to respond to pressure being applied. Once it gives, however, it slowly hugs your body.
Type Memory foam mattressFirmness 2 firmness levels — Relaxed firm: 7 or medium-firm; Firm: 9-10 or firmTrial 360 nightsWarranty Lifetime warranty Price $$$
Some people just want a memory foam mattress that’ll keep them feeling comfy throughout the night. Others want the same mattress they tried that one time on vacation at the Four Seasons. If you’re the latter, the Saatva Loom & Leaf literally looks like a five-star hotel mattress. But it doesn’t just look the part. It’s also really comfortable and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
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Type Memory foam hybridFirmness 4 or medium to medium-softTrial 101 nightsWarranty Lifetime warranty Price $$$
The majority of individuals who sleep on their side are coziest on a soft, plush mattress. One of my favorite soft memory foam mattresses is the 12-inch Puffy Lux, which gives off a light and fluffy vibe just by looking at it. Not only is it big and white like a cloud, but there are quite literally little clouds printed along the cover; a great added touch.
Puffy Lux
$750 off every mattress + free Luxury Bundle ($600 value)
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DreamCloud is known for its high-end beds you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for. The DreamCloud Hybrid mattress is its entry-level model, but the bed doesn’t skip out on luxurious features. This mattress is a thick hybrid bed made with pocketed coils over eight inches tall and reinforced sides for stronger edge support. Stacked on top are layers of comfortable foam, including gel memory foam for temperature regulation.
There are hundreds of mattresses to choose from, but luckily our CNET Sleep editors have been around the bedding block. They have collectively tested over 100 beds, from the most popular to lesser-known models, and have the knowledge to help you pick the best fit for you. The mattresses above are great options, but there are a few more beds we’ve tested that could have easily made this list.
Lucid 10-inch Memory Foam mattress: Budget shoppers can look into the Lucid Gel Memory foam mattress, a bed sold through Amazon with thousands of positive ratings from users. It’s one of the most affordable bed-in-a-box beds I’ve ever tested, and it’s still comfy enough to give you a good night’s sleep. You have three firmness options to choose from and six heights.
TempurPedic mattress: You’ve likely heard about this brand before, as TempurPedic made its name in the mattress industry long before beds ever came to the internet. They offer several mattresses from entry-level to luxury. They also have many cooling memory foam options. They’re expensive beds, but you’re paying for the trusted brand name and traditional memory foam feel that the brand is known for.
How we test memory foam mattresses
CNET editors choose the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
During testing, we sleep on the beds and try out all three different sleeping positions: side, back, stomach, and combination. We also test for motion isolation, edge support, temperature, comfort and more. We have even cut open a few mattresses to see what the construction is like on the inside.
The best memory foam mattresses are comfortable to switch positions in, offer a pressure-relieving feel, isolate motion and/or are very accommodating for different sleeping positions. We also take durability into account, and whether or not it will be long-lasting enough for every body type.
The best qualities of memory foam are that it’s pressure-relieving, stops movement across a mattress and offers a comforting hugging feel. People who will like memory foam beds the most include: those who suffer from joint pain, back, side, and combination sleepers, couples who share a bed and people who generally like a nestling mattress feel. Side sleepers may also love soft memory foam because of how well it cradles the shoulder and hip joints.
Who shouldn’t buy a memory foam mattress?
Memory foam mattresses can sometimes turn people off for several reasons. You shouldn’t get a memory foam mattress if you change positions often as the foam can provide some resistance as it’s slow to bounce back to shape. It’s also not most ideal for hot sleepers. Memory foam is a dense material that traps heat more than other foams. Gel memory foam and other tech helps it sleep cooler, but people who sleep warm may want to consider a latex mattress because they’re so breathable.
Types of memory foam
Not all memory foam materials are alike. Some are more airy while others are very dense. Some are infused with gel or copper for temperature regulation while others are more traditional.
Traditional: Traditional memory foam is found in older beds like the OG TempurPedic mattresses from the 90’s or very cheap memory foam. While it’s great and providing pressure relief, it also gets hot because the dense foam traps your body heat inside. If you’re a hot sleeper, this is something to consider.
Gel-infused: Don’t worry, it’s not literal gel you’re sleeping on. Gel infused memory foam often has little blue or green dots infiltrated throughout the foam to help regulate temperature. The gel works to draw heat away from you and more evenly disperse it throughout the bed for a cooling memory foam feel.
Copper-infused: Beds like the Layla mattress are infused with copper gel to work the same way regular gel-infused mattresses do. Copper is a conductor that can absorb heat from your body and distribute it away from your body.
Plant-based: There aren’t many plant-based memory foam mattresses on the market. However, people like Amerisleep use plant-based materials as a substitute for petroleum and manufactures it using a zero-emissions process. This way, the memory foam is more environmentally-friendly than most other memory or poly foams.
Proprietary: You will find a ton of different brands using a specific name for their memory foam, such as Puffy’s Cloud-Air foam for example. This means the brand put a specific twist on the memory foam to make it more comfortable or more accommodating. The most common types of proprietary memory foams are open-celled for more airflow or gel-infused for cooling abilities.
Memory foam mattress FAQs
What is the best memory foam mattress?
There are many different memory foam mattresses on the market, but some of the best include Layla, Puffy, Loom & Leaf, Bear, Amerisleep, GhostBed and Nectar.
How long do memory foam mattresses last?
If your memory foam mattress is only made out of foam, it will probably last you around seven years. However, if it’s made with innersprings or coils in the bottom layer, it will last you around 10 years or more. Just make sure you’re taking proper care of your mattress, such as rotating it every six months and keeping your bedding clean.
What is the best thickness for a memory foam mattress?
Nine to 10 inches is an ideal thickness for a memory foam mattress that offers ample support, but you can also go even thicker if you’re looking for maximum durability and support. Thin memory foam mattresses are OK for the short-term, but may not last as long as you would hope. They tend to be more susceptible to wear and tear, sags and imprints.
Are memory foam mattresses good?
Memory foam mattresses are great at providing pressure relief to your joints because the material gently hugs your curves, but some memory foam beds can give you a sinking feeling that causes resistance when you try to switch positions. If you’re a combination sleeper in the market for a memory foam bed, try to find one that’s more light and airy so it responds to pressure more quickly.
