Best Cooling Mattress for Hot Sleepers

If you share the bed with a partner, you may be familiar with sleep disturbance due to their tossing and turning. A bed with low motion transfer is able to isolate movement at the source and prevent it from traveling across the bed. Here at Sleepopolis, we evaluate motion transfer in every mattress we review using a seismometer. This test involves dropping a 10-pound steel ball onto one side of the mattress from three different heights. A seismometer on the other side of the bed measures the disturbance and displays the results in a graph. The larger the lines on the graph, the higher the motion transfer, and the more likely you are to feel a restless partner’s tossing and turning.

I found pretty average results when I performed the seismometer test on the Helix Midnight Luxe. The lines on the graph weren’t too large, and they were compacted close together, indicating the motion doesn’t ripple too much. However, I was a bit skeptical of the results, so I tried a more visual test– the red wine test. I placed a glass of red wine on one side of the bed and then tossed and turned on the other side. If the wine glass stands strong and the liquid doesn’t move, then we know the bed can isolate motion well. However, the wine glass tipped over and spilled wine onto the mattress.

These results combined with the seismometer results tell me the Helix Midnight Luxe isn’t the best at isolating motion. If you’re a light sleeper, you may feel your partner moving at night.

I was extremely impressed by how supportive the Helix Midnight Luxe felt. Every layer of this bed was designed to be comfortable while still promoting proper spinal alignment. The support layer is constructed from 1,000 individually wrapped coils that are zoned for support. This means the coils fluctuate in firmness depending on where the sleeper needs the most support. Under the coils is the base layer made from DuraDense foam, which keeps the mattress sturdy and prevents the sleeper from sinking in too far. When I laid down on the Helix Midnight Luxe, I felt super supported on my back and side. I could see sleepers with back pain finding great lumbar support, which can help provide some relief. I even think this mattress is supportive enough for back and side sleepers weighing over 250 pounds.

When I evaluate a mattress for cooling, I first take a look at its materials and construction. This hybrid mattress includes individually wrapped coils, which allow for plenty of air to flow through the bed without getting trapped. The gel foam in the pillow top and Copper Gel Memory Foam in the comfort layer are two more materials that help dissipate body heat and keep the sleeper cool. The mattress comes with a breathable Tencel cover, which is a material known for temperature regulation. For an additional cost, you can purchase the GlacioTex cover for even more cooling.

Next, I test mattress cooling using a thermal gun. I use the thermal gun to record the mattress’s initial temperature and then it’s temperature after I’ve laid on it for five minutes. If the temperature increases by more than 15 degrees, then it has very poor cooling capabilities. An increase of 10 to 15 degrees indicates decent cooling, 5 to 10 degrees indicates good cooling, and less than 5 degrees indicates excellent cooling.

When I used the thermal gun on the Helix Midnight Luxe, I found a temperature increase of 3.3 degrees, which indicates excellent cooling. Considering all the cooling technology inside this bed, I’m not surprised by how cool it sleeps.

When I talk about edge support, I simply mean how strong the sides of the bed are compared to the center. If a bed has strong edge support, the edges will feel sturdy and supportive with minimal sinkage. Couples or people who like to spread out may want to pay attention to edge support, as strong edges allow sleepers to use the entire surface of the bed, which can make it feel larger. Strong edges can also reduce the chances of premature mattress sagging.

All four sides of the Helix Midnight Luxe have reinforced edges to prevent them from sagging. When I sat and slept directly on the edges, I felt very lifted and supported. At no point did I feel at risk of slipping off the bed. I think this mattress could work for anyone that wants to spread out, or for people with mobility issues who use the sides to get into bed.

We test pressure relief by rolling a specialized mat onto the mattress and laying on it in different sleeping positions. The mat is able to sense pressure and display the results in a graph using thermal imaging. Areas displaying blue and green indicate low pressure buildup, and areas displaying yellow and red indicate high pressure buildup.

When I performed this test on the Helix Midnight, I was pleased to see only blue and green on the pressure map when side and back sleeping. This means the mattress did a great job of cradling my most sensitive joints and preventing pain. I enjoyed the initial contouring and softness of the pillow top. These results are excellent, which is why I gave this bed 5 out of 5 stars for pressure relief. 

• Phone: Available 11am – 6pm ET, Monday to Friday at 831-777-5976
• Email: help@helixsleep.com or use their contact form
• Live chat: Available 10am – 10pm ET, Monday to Sunday
• Visit in person: View partner showrooms

Helix offers several forms of payment on their website through Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express as well as Google Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay, and Amazon Pay. You can also finance their mattresses through the Affirm financing program.

Helix also offers a 30% off site wide + 2 free pillows discount to military members, first responders, students and teachers.

As I mentioned before, I test motion isolation by dropping a 10-pound steel ball onto the mattress from different heights. A seismometer measures the disturbance and displays the results in a graph where the smaller the lines, the better the motion isolation.

When taking a look at the Nectar Luxe Hybrid’s seismograph, we can see some large spikes. Since this is a hybrid mattress with bouncy coils, this isn’t too surprising. I would say these are pretty average results. You may feel a partner getting in and out of bed, but I don’t think you’ll feel smaller movements, like typical tossing and turning.

When I tested the Nectar Luxe Hybrid, I was very impressed with its support system. The bed’s support system is an 8-inch layer of individually wrapped coils. These coils give the bed a bit of bounce while keeping the sleeper lifted out of the structure. The top layers of foam also work together to create a soft yet supportive surface that helps promote proper spinal alignment. This bed leans softer, yet the foams are supportive enough to prevent the sleeper from feeling the coils below.

The Nectar Luxe Hybrid contains cooling technology designed to keep hot sleepers cool. When I laid down on the bed, I immediately noticed the cool-to-the-touch quilted cooling cover. As a hybrid mattress containing coils, this bed has plenty of space for air to flow through, keeping it breathable. I used a thermal gun to measure the temperature increase after five minutes of laying on the bed and found it only heated up by 3 degrees. These are great results, and I think this mattress could be an excellent choice for anyone prone to overheating at night.

I was overall really pleased with the edge support on the Nectar Luxe Hybrid. When sitting directly on the edge, I noticed some slight sinkage, but not enough to be concerning. I felt even more supported when laying directly on the edge, and I thought the edges had the same level of support as the center. When I used a tape measure to see how much the layers collapsed beneath my weight, there was only 1 inch of sinkage.

When I performed the pressure map test on the Nectar Luxe Hybrid, I felt a lot of immediate cushioning around my lumbar region and shoulders from the soft foams. The pressure map displayed only blue and green, which means there wasn’t a lot of pressure building at the hips, shoulder, or back. I think most back and side sleepers experiencing pain in these areas should find relief on the Nectar Luxe Hybrid.

• Phone: (888) 863-2827 Available 7 days a week
• Email: support@nectarsleep.com
• Live chat: Chat available 8am to 4pm PST, 7 days a week
• View showrooms: Store Locations

Nectar offers fast and secure payments through Visa, Discover, Master Card, American Express, PayPal, AmazonPay with financing options through Affirm financing program and Split It program.

Nectar also offers an extra 5% off of their best onsite offer for military members, healthcare professionals and first responders.

I think the Nolah Evolution is a great choice for couples due to its ability to isolate motion. Looking at the seismograph, there are very small lines with no abrupt spiking. This bed does contain bouncy coils, but the top layers of foam effectively absorb motion and stop it from traveling to the other side of the bed. You might feel your partner getting in and out of bed, but you shouldn’t be awoken when they switch sleeping positions.

When it comes to support, the Nolah Evolution performs outstandingly. The mattress’s main support system is the patented HDMax EcoSupport Coils. These coils help prevent the sleeper from sinking too far into the bed’s layers and help put the spine in neutral alignment. I found pressure relief from the two comfort layers and the transition layer, but I also thought they supported my joints quite well. An inch of high-density support foam under the coils adds an extra supportive boost and gives the coils something to bounce off of.

As a hybrid mattress, the Nolah Evolution contains individually wrapped coils that leave room for air to flow in and out of the bed, which helps with cooling. The two comfort layers make the bed sleep even cooler. The first comfort layer is made with Nolah’s ArticTex fibers, which are supposed to cool the foam down. The second comfort layer is made from Nolah’s AirFoamICE, which is infused with graphite to help with temperature regulation. I have not tested this bed with my thermal gun yet, so stay tuned for those results. Overall, I am very impressed with this bed’s cooling abilities and would recommend it to hot sleepers.

The Nolah Evolution has great edge support due to the 8-inch layer of HDMax EcoSupport Coils. Edge-Tech support foam is wrapped around the coils to help reinforce them and keep the edges solid. When I sat near the edge, I noticed a bit of sinkage, but I still felt supported and stable. I felt even more stable when laying directly on the edge, and I didn’t feel at risk of falling off the bed.

The Nolah Evolution is a true medium-firm mattress, which we typically recommend to sleepers with back pain due to the balance between pressure relief and support. When we take a look at the pressure map, we see all blue and green when back and side sleeping. The coils do a great job at keeping the spine aligned and reducing back pain. There’s also enough foam up top to cushion the hips and shoulder, so I’d recommend this bed to both side and back sleepers.

• Phone: 866-403-6615, 9am – 4pm CST, Monday to Friday
• Email: support@nolahmattress.com, 8-5 CST Monday-Friday
• Live chat: Available 8am – 5pm CST, Monday to Friday
• View showrooms: Store Locator

Nolah accepts payments from Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, and Shop Pay. They also offer financing through Affirm’s financing program.

Nolah does not offer any additional discounts for groups of people.

The results from our seismometer test left something to be desired. Looking at the graph, I see a lot of large spikes that don’t quickly dissipate, especially from the 8-inch and 12-inch drops. These aren’t the worst results I’ve ever seen, but they definitely aren’t the best. I think you’re likely to feel larger movement from a partner, such as getting in and out of bed.

The main support system in the DreamCloud Original mattress is a tall layer of individually wrapped coils. These coils add firm support to the bed and are tall enough to lift the sleeper up and out of the mattress. The top layer of gel memory foam has a slow response to pressure, so it’s more supportive than typical poly foam. When I laid on the bed, I felt most supported on my back. The foams were able to fill in and support my lumbar region, and the coils helped prop my spine into neutral alignment.

As I’ve mentioned before, hybrid mattresses are typically cooler than all-foam mattresses due to the inclusion of coils. This remains true for the DreamCloud, as it has an airy construction. Memory foam tends to trap heat, but the memory foam in this bed is infused with gel, which helps dissipate heat and keep the sleeper cool. When I tested the mattress with my thermal gun, I found a 7-degree temperature increase after laying on it for 5 minutes. This indicates great cooling abilities, so I think hot sleepers will be able to sleep nice and cool.

When I tested the edge support on the DreamCloud mattress, I felt both lifted and supported. When I laid on the sides of the bed, I didn’t feel like I was about to slip and fall off the bed. I was able to sit directly on the edge without too much sinkage. Overall, I’d say the DreamCloud’s edge support is super solid.

Despite being a firm mattress, I still thought the DreamCloud did a great job at cushioning the joints and relieving pressure. The mattress cover is quilted with foam, which adds some initial plushness. A layer of gel memory foam allows for a bit of sinkage and pressure relief at the shoulders and hips. When we take a look at the pressure map, we see pretty much all blue when back sleeping, so I think back sleepers with back, shoulder, or hip pain could find great relief. I do see a bit of yellow forming at the hips when side sleeping, so I’d recommend a softer mattress to side sleepers.

• Phone: (833) 237-3269
• Email: support@dreamcloudsleep.com
• Live chat: Chat available on the website 7 days a week.
• Visit showrooms: Store locator

DreamCloud accepts payments from Visa, Discover, American Express, Master Card, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. They also offer financing through Affirm and Split its financing programs.

DreamCloud also offers an extra 5% off their best onsite offer for military members, healthcare professionals, and first responders.

As I’ve mentioned before, the inclusion of coils in a mattress makes the bed bouncy and can sometimes allow for motion to transfer across the bed, thus disturbing the sleeper on the other side. When it comes to the Saatva, there’s not just one layer of coils but two. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised by the lack of motion isolation in this bed. The seismograph shows some harsh lines, so I think you’re very likely to experience sleep disturbance from a restless partner.

What the Saatva lacks in motion isolation, it makes up for in support. I gave this bed 5 stars for support because its coil-on-coil construction keeps the sleeper lifted up and out of the structure. The layer of memory foam in the middle of the mattress is zoned for support, so its firmness fluctuates depending on where the sleeper needs the most support. This layer also contains Saatva’s Spinal Wire which offers even more spinal support. Stomach sleepers typically need a lot of support to keep their hips propped up and prevent the spine from bending. I definitely think this mattress is supportive enough for stomach sleepers.

Because this innerspring mattress doesn’t contain a ton of foam, the chance of heat trapping is reduced. With two layers of coils, the Saatva has a ton of space inside for air to flow in and out, making the bed very airy and breathable. I tested this bed using my thermal gun, and I found a temperature increase of 9.3 degrees after laying on it for five minutes. This indicates good cooling, and I did feel pretty cool when lying on it.

The Saatva should be the standard when it comes to solid edge support. These edges were extremely sturdy and felt exactly the same as the center of the bed. I used a yardstick to measure how much the layers collapsed under my weight and found less than a half inch of sinkage.

For the pressure relief test, I tested the Luxury Firm model of the Saatva mattress. When we take a look at the pressure map, we see mostly blue and green, indicating low pressure buildup. This model could be great for back and side sleepers, but I would recommend the Firm model to stomach sleepers to prevent pressure building at the lower back.

• Phone: 877-672-2882
• Email: info@saatvamattress.com
• Chat: Available on their website 24/7
• Visit in person: Viewing Rooms

Saatva accepts various payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal and Google Pay. You can also pay in installments through Affirm’s financing program.

Saatva also offers a $225 off of $1000 discount for different groups of people like military members, 65 and above, healthcare professionals, students, teachers, first responders and government employees.

When I performed the seismometer test on the WinkBed Plus, I found good results. This bed does contain coils, which can sometimes limit a bed’s ability to isolate motion. However, this bed was still able to isolate motion at the source. Looking at the graph, there are some large spikes, but they calm down pretty quickly. I think you’re likely to feel large movements from your partner, but I don’t foresee normal tossing and turning causing an issue.

The WinkBed Plus was designed to support sleepers who weigh over 250 pounds, so it’s naturally a very supportive bed. The mattress has a Euro pillow top that’s quilted with HD “anti-sag” gel foam, which provides initial support upon laying down. There’s also a layer of latex foam that’s zoned for support, meaning its firmness fluctuates depending on which parts of the body need extra support. If the bed wasn’t already supportive enough, it also contains a layer of individually wrapped coils for extra support and lift.

When we take a look at this bed’s construction, we find tons of space for airflow due to the pocketed coil layer. The mattress also has a Tencel cover, which is naturally cooling and breathable. There’s also a bit of gel foam in the Euro top, which helps dissipate heat in hot sleepers. The layer of latex foam also helps with cooling, as latex is a naturally breathable material. I haven’t tested this bed with my thermal gun yet, so stay tuned for those results. Overall, I’d say this mattress is a great pick for heavy hot sleepers.

I gave the WinkBed Plus 5 stars for edge support because it meets all my expectations for sturdy edges. The coil layer contains an Extra-Edge Support System that keeps the mattress perimeter super solid. Whether I sat or lay near the edge, I felt incredibly supported and stable. I don’t think the sides will sag prematurely, and you should be able to sleep right up to the edge without falling off. 

Since this bed was designed for heavy sleepers, I brought in a guest tester, Paulie, to help me out with the pressure map test. Paulie falls in the heavy weight sleeper category, so I thought he would be a better representation of what it’s like for heavy folk to sleep on this bed. When we take a look at his pressure map, we see mostly blue and green at the lumbar region when back and side sleeping, indicating good pressure relief. There is a bit more pressure building at the shoulders and hips when side sleeping, so those with preexisting shoulder or hip pain may want a softer mattress. Paulie carries most of his weight in his stomach, so stomach sleeping wasn’t the most comfortable for him. However, I think many heavy stomach sleepers will find relief on this mattress.

• Phone: 855-946-5233 Available 8am – 7pm EST
• Email: info@winkbeds.com
• Live chat: Chat available on their website
• View showrooms: Store Locations

WinkBeds allows payments through different methods like Visa, Discover, American Express, Master Card, GooglePay, and ShopPay. They also offer financing options through Bread Pay and Katapult.

If you’re a military member or first responder, WinkBeds also offers an additional $50 discount on mattresses.