Written by Bridget Chapman, Mattress Reviewer
Are you a hot sleeper? You’re not alone! This is one of the most common complaints we hear about at Sleepopolis. Many factors can impact how hot you sleep, including the temperature of your home, the climate you live in, whether you share a bed with a partner or pet, or your sleeping preference. Fortunately, finding the best cooling mattress — combined with other cooling bedding accessories — can help you stay fresh and comfortable all night long.
At Sleepopolis, we put each of our reviewed mattresses through a series of rigorous tests to see how well they perform in a number of categories: motion isolation, responsiveness, pain relief, and more. Of course, for the best cooling mattresses, we wanted to pay special attention to the quality of each product’s cooling properties. All of the below mattress have either an added cooling feature or a construction that promotes airflow.
Our Top Pick for Hot Sleepers
The Helix Midnight Luxe ranks first on this list because it’s a hybrid mattress with one layer of breathable springs that promote airflow and a cool-to-the-touch foam technology.
Best Cooling Mattresses of 2024
- Helix Midnight Luxe – Best Overall Cooling Mattress
- Nectar Premier Copper Hybrid – Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress
- DreamCloud Original – Best Firm Cooling Mattress
- WinkBed Plus – Best Cooling Mattress for Heavy People
- Nolah Evolution – Best Cooling Mattress for Back Pain
- Saatva – Best Cooling Mattress for Stomach Sleepers
- Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe – Best Cooling Gel Mattress
- Bear Elite Hybrid – Best Soft Cooling Mattress
- Leesa Sapira Chill – Best Cooling Mattress for Back Sleepers
Best Cooling Mattress Video
Compare the Best Cooling Mattresses
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| Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress | Nectar Premier Copper Hybrid | DreamCloud Original Mattress | WinkBed Plus Mattress | Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress | Saatva Mattress | Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Mattress | Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress | Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid | |
| Rating | |||||||||
| Firmness | Medium-soft: 6/10 | Medium-soft: 6/10 | Firm: 7/10 | Firm: 7.5/10 | Multiple firmness options | Multiple firmness options | Multiple firmness options | Multiple firmness options | Multiple firmness options |
| Material | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Innerspring | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Cooling | — | — | — | — | |||||
| Best For |
Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Side Sleepers, Hip Pain, Seniors
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Back Sleepers, Side Sleepers, Back Pain, Seniors, Hip Pain
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Back Sleepers,
Hot Sleepers, Seniors |
Back Sleepers,
Stomach Sleepers, Hot Sleepers |
Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Hip Pain, Seniors,
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Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Back Pain, Hot Sleepers, Seniors
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Hot Sleepers,
Back Pain, Side Sleepers |
Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Hot Sleepers, Hip Pain, Seniors
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Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Hip Pain,
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What We Look For In The Best Cooling Mattresses
Breathable Materials
When searching for the best cooling mattresses, we paid special attention to construction to make sure the materials promote ultimate airflow. We looked for mattresses that contain coils, which help prevent hot air from getting trapped, and foams that designed to sleep cool.
Cooling Technologies
Many mattress brands have incorporated cooling technology in their beds specifically for folk who tend to sleep hot. Our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches put these mattresses through rigorous testing to ensure these technologies are legit and can keep you cool all night long.
Motion Isolation
Motion isolation refers to how well a bed masks movement from one side of the bed to the other. We put each mattress through various tests to get an accurate picture of how likely you are to be disturbed by any tossing and turning from your partner, pet, or child. Through our human, red wine, and seismometer tests, we know which mattresses absorb motion and which don’t hide movement. We also made sure to use a pressure map to test how well each mattress performed at pressure relief while still isolating motion across the bed.
Helix Midnight Luxe – Best Overall Cooling Mattress
Helix has a line of six hybrid mattresses, each with a different level of firmness. The Midnight is one of their medium models. It has enough contouring for side sleepers, but should still be supportive enough for back sleepers, as long as they don’t mind a softer bed. Learn more in our video review.
What our tester says:
“I like the Helix Midnight Luxe for back sleepers and side sleepers. The medium-soft to medium-firm feel should give these folks the right balance of comfort and support.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and mattress tester
Expert Opinion
Our top pick for cooling mattresses for hot sleepers is the Helix Midnight Luxe. This hybrid mattress combines memory foam with pocketed coils to offer a supportive combination of bounce and pressure relief. When we lie down on it, we can tell that the coils have excellent airflow, and like all of Helix’s Luxe models, the Midnight Luxe comes outfitted with some additional luxurious touches. It even includes a special Tencel cover that’s ultra-breathable.
During testing, we liked the Midnight Luxe’s added pillow top (a feature of every mattress in the upgraded Luxe line). This provides more contouring and softness at the shoulders and hips, which is excellent for a lot of sleepers. We also noticed how cooling the mattress feels and stays during our temperature test. Overall, this is an excellent mattress for temperature regulation, support, and comfort.
How the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress Performed In Our Cooling Test
While materials are important in determining a mattress’s cooling capabilities, we also test each bed with a thermal gun, which measures its temperature when no one’s lying on it and after one of our testers has laid on it for five minutes. This tells us how quickly a bed heats up. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.
As you can see above, the Helix Midnight Luxe only heated up 3.3 degrees, indicating excellent cooling.
What our tester says: “I think that the Helix Midnight sleeps cool enough on its own (the bed’s springs leave plenty of room for airflow), but the Midnight Luxe sleeps even cooler due to its Tencel cover.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
What Customers Say
The plush pillow top and comfort layer are positively commented on by many shoppers. Some report that the mattress helped a lot with joint pain. We think the most affordable and most convenient way to purchase a Helix is online, but if you want to test out the company’s mattresses for yourself, you can do so in the showrooms of many of their brand partners.
Highlights of the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
- The coils in the bottom layer of the mattress promote consistent airflow throughout the night, which should help keep you cool for the entire night. They also help provide additional support and durability.
- The foam layer on top has an infusion of copper, which should also help with cooling.
- The mattress performed well in motion isolation, edge support, and even responsiveness, so it’s a fantastic option for partners who share a bed.
What to Keep in Mind about the Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
- Heavier sleepers (those over 250 pounds) may get the support they need on the Helix Midnight Luxe, but the materials might feel too soft. Luckily, Helix also has a mattress specifically designed for larger body types — the Helix Plus mattress — that’s worth looking into, or customers can take a look at our roundup of the best mattresses for heavy sleepers.
Sound like a winner? Shop here to get a great deal, and learn more in our full Helix Luxe Midnight mattress review. Still looking for the perfect bed? Check out the other best mattresses of 2024.
Nectar Luxe Hybrid – Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress
The Nectar Luxe Hybrid is a supportive and comfortable bed with a medium-soft feel that works well for back sleepers. Some side sleepers or back/side combo sleepers could also do well on this bed. It also provides a cool sleep experience, thanks to breathable coils and effective cooling tech.
What our tester says:
“I like how this mattress can work for a wide variety of sleepers. It’s pressure relieving, supportive, and durable — which is great for back sleepers, side sleepers, and couples.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
Expert Opinion
We’ve chosen the Nectar Luxe Hybrid (formerly known as the Nectar Premier Copper Hybrid) for this list because of its high-tech, high-quality features. Yes, its hybrid construction does allow for cooling, thanks to a layer of coils for airflow. But there’s more than the eye can see. When we lie down on its surface, we feel incredibly cool, thanks to its cool-to-the-touch, breathable cover.
DreamCloud Original – Best Firm Cooling Mattress
With soft foam and a sturdy layer of innerspring coils, the DreamCloud strikes a balance between comfort and support — a little bit of contouring up top and on-top-of-the-bed feel that comes from the bottom. It’s a fairly firm mattress that we think is most comfortable for back sleepers. It also has some luxury touches such as a cashmere-blend cover that are reminiscent of a high-end hotel. Learn more in our DreamCloud video review.
What our tester says:
“I really like how luxurious this mattress feels and how it could work for a variety of sleepers. Along with that, I found that the breathable cashmere cover helps the DreamCloud sleep cool throughout the night. Thanks to its medium-firm to firm support, I think the DreamCloud is a durable mattress. It balances support with plenty of pressure relief for back sleepers.” – Bridget Chapman, former Sleepopolis senior product editor
Expert Opinion
The DreamCloud Original is an excellent bed, both for lovers of a firmer feel, and those looking for a cooling mattress. The hybrid construction helps keep it breathable, as air can flow all night through the pocketed coils on the bottom layer. The top layer of foam provides cushioning and contouring while still retaining some firmness. When we scored the DreamCloud Original on our mattress firmness scale — where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest — we gave it a 7.
WinkBed Plus – Best Cooling Mattress for Heavy People
The WinkBed Plus is a firm, hybrid mattress designed specifically to accommodate heavyweight sleepers. Through our testing, we found it works best for back sleepers, particularly those over 250 pounds. It also does a good job of isolating motion, which will likely appeal to you if you sleep with a partner. If you want to learn more about the WinkBed Plus, check out our video review.
What our tester says:
“This mattress was designed for heavier people and it really is a fantastic bed for these individuals. Heavy people fed up with unsupportive mattresses will find a lot to love about this luxury mattress.” – Bridget Chapman, former Sleepopolis senior product editor
A Note On Weight and Body Type
We recognize that people come in all shapes and sizes, and people of every size deserve a mattress that works for their body type. We use the weight categories light, average, and heavy to more easily categorize sleepers based on how mattresses will perform for their body type, as most mattresses are designed for the group we call “average” (130 to 250 pounds). We consider heavy sleepers to be anyone over 250 pounds, and they tend to need more support to prevent them from sinking too far into the layers.
Expert Opinion
The WinkBed comes in several different firmness levels, and to be honest, we’d be comfortable recommending several of them to heavy sleepers, as they each have a supportive innerspring feel. But we have to steer these folks toward the WinkBed Plus, the brand’s mattress designed specifically for heavy people over 250 pounds. In addition to being made with extra-durable materials, it has a breathable Tencel cover and coils that create a lot of space in the construction, both of which make it a truly cooling mattress.
Nolah Evolution – Best Cooling Mattress for Back Pain
The Nolah Evolution’s hybrid construction offers the cushioning of memory foam with the responsiveness of coils. The Luxury Firm model is a good option for side and back sleepers due to its medium-firm feel, though there are Plush and Firm versions as well. Those who share a bed may also appreciate its low motion transfer, so you won’t be disturbed by a partner’s movements and its solid edge support to allow you to maximize surface area. For more information, check out our video review.
What our tester says:
“I laid down to rest on this mattress on my back — my primary sleep position. I felt comfortable, but also appreciated the cozy, plush top of the bed. After some time lying on my back, I switched over to my side. I didn’t find this position quite as comfortable, as I did feel some slight pressure buildup in my shoulder.” – Amelia Jerden, senior staff writer
Expert Opinion
It goes without saying that a mattress, no matter how cooling or luxurious, is completely ineffective if it promotes or worsens your back pain. And if you’re rightfully concerned about spinal alignment, then we absolutely have to suggest the Nolah Evolution. It comes in three different firmnesses and even a model for heavy sleepers (the Nolah Evolution Comfort+), so regardless of your preferred sleeping position or body type, you should find pressure relief at your back throughout the night. The Nolah Evolution achieves this with its hybrid construction, which uses pressure-relieving foams and sturdy coils for proper support and lift. On the Luxury Firm model, we felt especially well-supported in both the back- and side-sleeping positions.
Saatva – Best Cooling Mattress for Stomach Sleepers
The Saatva’s coil-on-coil construction provides a classic innerspring feel. It’s a good option for combo sleepers, who will want to feel free to switch positions and avoid feeling “stuck” in the mattress. It comes in three firmness levels, so you should be able to find one that suits your needs. The white glove delivery Saatva provides is an added perk and will save you the headache of getting rid of your old mattress (they take it away for free!). For more information, watch our video review.
What our tester says:
“I think the Saatva is a great option for back sleepers, as the Luxury Firm model provides enough cushioning for their lumbar region, but also lots of support to keep their spine in a neutral alignment.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
Expert Opinion
If you sleep on your stomach, firm mattresses are the name of the game. If your bed is too soft, your hips can sink too for into the layers and cause your spine to be thrown out of alignment. If this continues, it’s likely to lead to lower back pain over time. The Saatva Classis is an innerspring mattress with a tall internal coil system that provides structure and support. It contains quality materials, boasts a luxury feel, and comes in three different firmness levels. We recommend the Firm model for stomach sleepers, as it can promote proper spinal alignment while providing pressure relief and comfort.
Innerspring mattresses like the Saatva are some of the best options for cooling. Unlike foam, innerspring coils leave a ton of room for airflow, helping dissipate body heat and imbue the structure with breathability. So when deciding on the best mattresses for cooling, we knew we had to include an innerspring mattress like the Saatva. In addition to considering the Saatva’s construction, we ran it through our thermal gun test. After we laid on the bed for 15 minutes, its temperature increased by 11.9 degrees. This indicates decent cooling. We think that, when coupled with the construction, this metric makes the Saatva a truly cooling mattress.
How the Saatva Mattress Performed In Our Cooling Test
In addition to looking at a mattress’s materials, we also test each bed with a thermal gun. This device reads the temperature of a mattress when no one’s lying on it and after one of our testers has laid on it for five minutes or so. That way, we can tell how quickly a bed heats up. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.
As you can see above, the Saatva heated up about 6.7 degrees, which indicates good cooling. When combined with the bed’s airy innerspring construction, we can confidently say that this is an effectively cooling mattress.
What our tester says: “Considering its airy innerspring construction, I feel that the Saatva is an excellent choice for a cooling mattress.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
What Customers Say
We definitely weren’t surprised to see good reviews regarding Saatva’s customer service. Saatva has free White Glove Delivery, where the company will set up your new mattress and dispose of your old one. There are many positive comments about this process, and many others about friendly and helpful customer service interactions. However, if you feel the need to try out the Saatva mattress in-store, the brand has several showrooms in major cities across the country.
Highlights of the Saatva Mattress
- The Saatva is great for sleepers wanting to feel more “on” the bed than “in” the bed, as it does an excellent job of keeping the sleeper lifted up and out of the mattress.
- The two layers of coils in this mattress promote excellent airflow, meaning that the Saatva will regulate your temperature throughout the night.
- The quality of the materials and the construction help to make the mattress feel luxurious and comfortable, while still being durable and supportive.
What to Keep in Mind about the Saatva Mattress
- Some sleepers found the Saatva has high motion transfer, so if you’re easily woken up and sleep with a partner, you might feel their movements at night. We’d recommend a mattress with a plusher comfort layer.
Sound like a winner? Shop here to get a great deal, and learn more in our full Saatva mattress review. Interested in other innerspring mattresses? Check out our picks for the best innerspring mattresses.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe – Best Cooling Gel Mattress
The Brookyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress is one of Brooklyn Bedding’s more high-end mattresses. It’s got a ton of cooling features in it that can help hot sleepers sleep cool all night. It’s also available in three different firmnesses, so it can accommodate all of the sleeping positions. For more information, check out our video review.
What our tester says:
“First and foremost, I’d recommend this mattress to hot sleepers. This bed sleeps nice and cool thanks to special phase change technology and gel infusions. The Aurora Luxe is also a nice pick for back sleepers. This mattress in the Medium model is medium-soft, so it should contour the hips while also lifting them into alignment.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
Expert Opinion
One of our favorite cooling features in a mattress is a gel infusion in the foam. These tiny beads of liquid are designed to absorb your body heat, then release it, as opposed to trapping it in the mattress. And when it comes to the best cooling gel mattress, one of our top picks is the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe, a hybrid bed with coils and a few different types of foam in its top layers.
A proprietary foam called CopperFlex has a copper infusion and is treated with Phase Change Material (PCM). There’s also a transition layer of viscoelastic gel memory foam to promote cooling, and the coils allow for plenty of airflow.
How the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Mattress Performed In Our Cooling Test
Like all of the other mattresses on this lest, we tested the temperature of the Aurora Luxe with a thermal gun. It clocks the temperature of a bed when no one’s lying on it, as well as after one of our testers has laid on it for five minutes. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.
From these results, we can tell that the Aurora Luxe heated up a little more than 5 degrees. This indicates good cooling, which is further bolstered by the mattress’s construction.
What our tester says: “The Aurora Luxe is one of those mattresses that you know is cooling just by touching the cover. Seriously, it’s cool to the touch. I found the Medium model to be really comfy for both back and side sleeping.” – Bridget Chapman, former senior product editor
What Customers Say
Aside from cooling capabilities, customers tend to show strong support for the level of comfort they feel on the Aurora Luxe. Many customers speak highly of the cushioning that comes from the optional Cloud Pillow Top, available for an additional fee. Also, Brooklyn Bedding stands out from many other brands on this list in that it has many of its own showrooms across the country, from California to New York and the company’s headquarter state of Arizona.
Highlights of the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Mattress
- The mattress is available in three different firmness levels: Soft, Medium, and Firm. That means there’s a model for back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers alike.
- The mattress has impressive motion isolation, while still being responsive enough for sex. It also has strong edge support, so you can use the full surface of the bed.
- The Aurora Luxe came in at a 6.5 out of 10 on our mattress firmness scale, meaning it has a medium-firm feel.
What to Keep in Mind about the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Mattress
- The Firm model probably isn’t going to be supportive enough for larger sleepers over 250 pounds.
Sound like a winner? Shop here to get a great deal, and learn more in our full Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress review.
Bear Elite Hybrid – Best Soft Cooling Mattress
The Bear Elite Hybrid uses foam and coils for a mix of support, cushioning, and cooling. While designed for athletes prioritizing wellness and recovery, sleepers of all activity levels can enjoy the many luxurious features. Enjoy zoned support for targeted relief, an “on top of” feel allowing for ease of movement, and cooling features throughout. For more information, watch our video review.
What our tester says:
“I’d recommend the Bear Elite Hybrid for most back and stomach sleepers.I think these sleepers will get the needed pressure relief and contouring around the lower back and hips. This mattress does a wonderful job at offering body contouring while still helping the sleeper stay elevated and lifted as well. The layers of foam should provide comfort while the coil system should offer lots of support.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and mattress tester
Expert Opinion
If you’re a hot sleeper who also wants a super cushioning mattress, then look no further than the Bear Elite Hybrid’s Soft model. The gentle top layers of memory foam provide soothing sinkage and pressure relief. It also sleeps nice and cool, thanks to a cover made of a material called Celliant, which is optional and available for a fee. If you decide not to add on the cover, individually wrapped coils and copper-infused foam assist with cooling as well.
To determine if this was indeed a soft mattress, we of course had to put it to the test. While testing the Bear Elite Hybrid, we saw little to no pressure in our lower back, which is likely thanks to the bed’s memory foam comfort layer. Still, the bottom layer of high-density base foam should provide plenty of support.
How the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress Performed In Our Cooling Test
In addition to examining a mattress’s materials and their relationship to cooling, we read each bed’s temperature with our thermal gun. This tells us how warm a mattress is with no one lying on it and after one of our testers has laid on it for five minutes. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.
As you can tell from the graphic above, the Bear Elite Hybrid heated up exactly 10 degrees. While this just indicates decent cooling, we still think it’s an exceptionally cooling mattress when considering its airflow-promoting springs.
What our tester says: “When considering the mattress’s construction and thermal gun results, I’d say that the Bear Elite does an impressive job at sleeping cool. Its cooling cover and copper-infused foam help dissipate body heat, and the bed didn’t heat up too much when I laid down on it.” – Nichole Mondshein, lead reviewer and staff writer
What Customers Say
Multiple customer reviews talk about how the Bear Elite Hybrid has helped with their joint pain and back pain recovery. We believe this to be because of this mattress’s pressure-relieving cover, thick memory foam, and its two supportive coil layers. If you want to test out these materials yourself, you can do so at select showrooms from Bear’s brand partners, including Brooklyn Bedding.
Highlights of the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress
- As a material, Celliant is naturally cooling. Plus, some small studies suggest that it may help improve blood flow, making Bear mattresses popular among athletes.
- The Soft model should contour well to side sleepers’ hip and shoulder joints for maximum pressure relief.
- The Bear Elite Hybrid is good at isolating motion, so couples should be able to move around without disturbing one another.
What to Keep in Mind about the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress
- The Bear Elite Hybrid is a bit too soft for stomach sleepers, and may not offer them enough pressure relief. They should try the Firm model of this mattress.
- The cooling Celliant cover must be purchased separately four around $130.
Sound like a winner? Shop here to get a great deal, and learn more in our full Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review. Still looking for the perfect bed? Check out the other best soft mattresses.
Leesa Sapira Chill – Best Cooling Mattress for Back Sleepers
The Leesa Sapira Chill is a hybrid mattress, available in three firmness levels. We tested the Medium-Firm model and felt it was just softer than average, but could still work for all three sleeping positions — a rare find among mattresses. It also has some effective cooling technology built into it, which helps to keep sleepers cool throughout the night. Learn more in our video review.
What our tester says:
“I really think the medium-firm model is a great fit for all sleeping positions. Yep, the Leesa Sapira Chill is one of those unicorn mattresses that provides a great balance of comfort and support for a wide range of sleepers.” – Bridget Chapman, senior product editor
Expert Opinion
Back sleepers need a mattress that’s sturdy enough to keep their spine neutrally aligned, while also giving them some contouring and pressure relief at the lumbar region. They may find this blend of comfort and support in the Leesa Sapira Chill. It has a cooling cover that works with the gel-infused foam comfort layer to keep folks cool and cushion the lumbar region. Sturdy zoned coils provide additional airflow and lift the hips into a comfortable alignment. We were also able to measure the Leesa Sapira Chill’s temperature with our thermal gun. After lying down on it for 15 minutes, it only heated up 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which indicates good cooling. When combined with the mattress’s construction and cover, we think it will have no problem helping you keep a low temperature.
What Makes A Mattress Cooling?
A cooling mattress wicks heat away to keep you cool at night. It’s important to allow airflow throughout the mattress, which brands accomplish through a number of different materials.
While it’s important to understand how a mattress’s construction can impact cooling and heat performance, it’s critical to understand how these materials work together within the larger design of the mattress itself. For example, you will rarely see a mattress that’s 100 percent traditional viscoelastic memory foam from top to bottom. Instead, you’ll have a layer or two of memory foam and a layer or two of poly foam. These materials work together to create airflow and a comfortable cooling surface on the mattress.
Breathable Materials
A traditional spring coil can easily breathe, given that the coils are very thin and, at most, will be wrapped in a thin layer of foam or fabric. A material like memory foam may not breathe as well as a coil, as there’s more material preventing air from circulating in and out of the mattress.
Similar to breathability, a material’s heat conductivity and heat retention are important. A steel coil shouldn’t absorb your body heat or trap that heat. However, a traditional memory foam soaks up body heat and retains it, usually causing that memory foam to feel a bit softer and warmer.
Airflow
One way many companies keep their mattresses cool is by taking the material design to the next level by improving their airflow capabilities. These companies use special machines to mold, compress, or cut the foam into a design that allows greater air movement.
The most basic level of this technique is to punch holes within the top of the foam. These small holes allow hot air to flow through the mattress rather than be absorbed by it. More advanced techniques create deeper and more pronounced channels within the foam, dramatically improving airflow.
Gel-infused foam
When a mattress is specifically made to cool, many brands include a gel-infused foam layer in its construction to help disperse your body heat. This tends to increase the price of the mattress so keep that in mind, however if you are a hot sleeper this will be a huge help in keeping you cool.
Phase Change Materials (PCM)
Many cooling mattresses offer phase changing materials that are meant to absorb your body heat and spread it across the mattress so heat doesn’t build up anywhere. Typically we see a lot of heat build up in traditional foams which don’t have PCM materials.
What’s The Best Type Of Mattress For Cooling?
Coils and Springs
A traditional mattress uses one or more layers of coils/springs. This kind of construction not only provides comfort and balance, but also allows for airflow because there’s so much space inside the bed. Bear in mind, many coil mattresses contain some foams (usually poly foam or memory foam), which are often quilted within the covers of the mattress. Sometimes, these materials are not explicitly disclosed.
Latex Foam
Latex foam doesn’t change its feel based on how hot or cold the room is because it doesn’t retain much heat. Regardless of room or body temperature, a latex mattress will almost always feel the same. Most latex foam layers are also aerated, thus allowing for greater airflow, making latex a great option for cooling in a mattress. Note that this is only true of 100 percent natural latex and does not always apply to blended or synthetic latex.
Memory Foam
Memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam with viscoelastic properties, meaning they are slow to respond when pressure is applied and released (hence the name “memory”). This effect creates great hug and contour, but for some sleepers can lead to a trapped feeling that can diminish cooling. Note that “memory foam” is not one type of material but is simply a classification of viscoelastic polyfoam. There are many different types of memory foam with different cooling qualities and attributes. The same can be said about standard non-viscoelastic poly foams.
How We Test For The Best Cooling Mattress
Thermal Gun Test
In our Sleepopolis mattress lab, we recently started testing our mattresses with a thermal gun — a device that tells us how much a mattress heats up after we lie down on it. Once we’ve laid on the bed for 15 minutes, a color-coded graphic uses thermal imaging to show the temperature increase. If there’s an increase of more than 15 degrees Fahrenheit, we consider the bed to have poor cooling capabilities. 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.
Below is a thermal image of the Helix Plus — a mattress designed specifically for heavy sleepers over 250 pounds — before anyone has rested on it.
As you can see, the mattress has a temperature of 66.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Now let’s take a look at the graphic from after we’ve laid on it for 15 minutes. The number at the top of the image tells us that its temperature has increased by 10.2 degrees. This indicates decent cooling.
It’s important to note that this is a test we’ve only recently introduced. So only a handful of our mattresses currently have data from our thermal gun. But we’re gradually rolling it out across the rest of our reviews. Keep an eye out here for more results in the future.
Pressure Relief
How well a mattress relieves pain is also an important factor to consider. To measure how well these mattresses relieve pain, our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches test their pressure relieving abilities. Pressure relief refers to how evenly a bed distributes your weight. Evenly distributed weight relieves pressure (and pain) at sensitive areas like the hips, shoulders, and lower back.
To get an objective idea of how well a mattress relieves pressure, we roll a specialized mat onto the mattress’s surface and lay down on top of it. The mat records how much pressure builds up and then translates the results into an easy-to-read graphic via thermal imaging. Areas of blue and green on the map indicate low pressure while areas of orange and red indicate high pressure. We focus on three areas that sleepers struggle with, back pain, shoulder pain, and hip pain.
Pressure map results for each mattress can be found within its full review article.
Body Type
| Lightweight Sleepers | Average-Weight Sleepers | Heavyweight Sleepers |
| < 160 pounds | 160 – 230 pounds | > 230 pounds |
We recognize that people come in all shapes and sizes, and people of every size deserve a mattress that works for their body type. We use the weight categories light, average, and heavy to more easily categorize sleepers based on how mattresses will perform for their body type, as most mattresses are designed for the group we call “average” (130 to 250 pounds).
As a general rule, lighter sleepers don’t require as much support as average weight sleepers, and mattresses will tend to feel firmer to them. On the other hand, heavy sleepers tend to need more support than average weight sleepers and tend to sink into the mattress more.
Sleeping Position
The perfect mattress for you is largely dependent on your preferred sleeping position. For example, a mattress that is perfect for a stomach sleeper might be a disaster for a side sleeper.
As a general rule, we recommend that side sleepers choose mattresses on the softer side. A mattress with lots of cushioning foams and body contouring will allow the sensitive pressure points at the shoulders and hips to be cradled nicely.
We recommend firmer mattresses for strict stomach sleepers. If a stomach sleeper’s mattress is too soft, their hips may sink too far into the mattress. This can cause the lower back to form a U shape, which can lead to pain over time. A firm mattress will keep the hips propped up and leave the spine in neutral alignment.
Back sleepers usually sleep best on medium-firm mattresses that provide an equal amount of comfort and support. Combination sleepers are people who switch between sleeping positions throughout the night. When searching for a mattress, these sleepers should pick one with a decent amount of bounce and responsiveness, as this will help them easily switch positions without feeling stuck in the bed.
Firmness
As a general rule, softer mattresses mean more sinkage and more hug, which in turn means more material coming into contact with your body. As a result, softer mattresses are usually going to be warmer than medium or firm mattresses. This isn’t to say that you can’t find a soft mattress that’s also cooling. However, you may want to invest in a higher-priced mattress to get the right combination of softness with impactful cooling features.
On the other hand, firmer mattresses are usually a little cooler for the same reason. With a firmer mattress, you’ll likely have a little more of a floating “on-top-of-the-bed” feel. The mattress isn’t likely to wrap around your body or envelop you in the same way that a soft mattress will. This means you have less material in contact with your body and more opportunity for air to easily flow into contact with your skin. This results in a cooler feel.
We score a mattress’s firmness by having several Certified Sleep Science Coaches lay on the mattress and give it a rating between 1 to 10 and then averaging the scores. 1 represents the softest mattress and 10 represents the firmest. A score of 6.5 is our standard for a true medium-firm mattress. Remember that firmness is subjective and is largely dependent on your body type and preferred sleeping position. For example, what feels firm to a lightweight sleeper may feel softer to an average or heavy weight sleeper.
Each mattress in this roundup has its own full in-depth review where we discuss each sleeping position for each body type and how it may feel for different sleepers.
Edge Support
Edge support is the strength and supportiveness of the edges of your mattress. The more supportive the edges of your mattress the more durable it is, as it will not be as likely to sag prematurely or deteriorate. It also helps keep your mattress usable for longer, and may be especially important for older sleepers who need more help getting in and out of bed.
We measure edge support by sitting or laying on the edge of a mattress and using a yard stick to measure the sinkage. Anything deeper than a 5 inch sink is considered bad edge support. Look out for words like “reinforced edges” or “strong edge support” on their site.
