Best Online Mattress

The internet has made life easier in so many ways — and that’s even true when it comes to mattress shopping. Goodbye, haggling with salespeople! So long, schlepping a hefty bed from the store to your home! When you buy a mattress online, you have tons of options at your fingertips, and the bed you choose will be delivered straight to your door.

The downside of online mattresses? All those choices can be a wee bit overwhelming. We’ve put together this roundup to help you choose the best online mattress for your needs, like your feel preference, sleeping style, and more. So, before you venture out into the wild wild west of online mattress shopping, check out our top picks below!

Best Online Mattresses of 2023

• Best Overall – DreamCloud
• Best Memory Foam Mattress – Nectar
• Best for Side Sleepers – Nolah
• Best Hybrid Mattress – Helix Midnight
• Best Firm Mattress – Bear
• Best Pillow-Top Mattress – WinkBed
• Best Cooling Mattress – Brooklyn Aurora Luxe
• Best Mattress for Heavy Sleepers – Titan Plus
• Best Innerspring Mattress – Saatva
• Best Organic Mattress – Birch Luxe

Best Online Mattress Video 

 

How I Chose These Mattresses

Each mattress in this roundup has been through a series of our specialized sleep tests and has been tested by sleep experts like myself and my colleagues. As I discuss each of my picks, I’ll make sure to explain why I selected them for this list and will share my expert tips for getting amazing sleep on your side. Learn more about why each of these beds made the list by reading our Methodology section below! Or, skip down to my handy table to compare these beds side by side. If you’re still not sure of the right mattress at the end of this article, you can take our mattress quiz to be shown a selection of mattresses curated to your sleep preferences.

Best Overall – DreamCloud

If you’re looking for a hybrid mattress to buy online, I’d really consider giving the DreamCloud a try. Its combination of memory foam layers and pocketed coils offer a balanced feel of pressure relief and support. This luxury, medium-firm mattress is also equipped with cooling gel within the memory foam, so hot sleepers shouldn’t trap body heat. All of these reasons and more make the DreamCloud a natural choice for our Best Overall pick.

Because the standard DreamCloud mattress is a bit on the firmer side, it’s a solid choice for back and combination sleepers. Its cooling technology and bouncy construction make this mattress a good option for couples as well. With the DreamCloud’s fantastic edge support, you and your partner can take advantage of the mattress’s full surface area.

The DreamCloud has a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty.

Learn more in our full DreamCloud mattress review.

You can also click here to get our best deal, or check out our best mattresses page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Memory Foam Mattress – Nectar

Do you count yourself among the large group of people who love to sink into bed and feel a ton of contouring? Take a look at the Nectar. This all-foam mattress utilizes a thick layer of gel memory foam, so side sleepers and back sleepers opting for a softer mattress should find the comfort they need. The Nectar’s foam construction allows for proper cushioning at sensitive pressure points, which means that sleepers with shoulder pain and hip pain will likely find this mattress to be a great fit.

What separates the Nectar from some other memory foam mattresses out there is that it comes at a really affordable price. So, budget-savvy online shoppers, the Nectar could be right for you!

The Nectar has a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty.

Learn more in our full Nectar mattress review.

You can also click here to get the best deal, or check out our memory foam mattresses page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers – Nolah

While back sleepers worry about getting enough support, side sleepers are usually concerned with pressure relief. The Nolah delivers for the latter: It’s a soft mattress that lets you sink deeply into its layers and cushions pesky pressure points at the shoulders and hips. This makes it a great option for strict side sleepers looking for a cuddly feel.

Sometimes, sinking deeply into a bed can lead to overheating. But the Nolah helps defend against trapped heat with its proprietary AirFoam™, a memory foam substitute that’s a bit more breathable than conventional foam. Meanwhile, a firmer poly foam base layer keeps you from feeling too “stuck” in bed. The Nolah also has a breathable cover made from a mixture of polyester and viscose. So if you’re a side sleeper who wants plenty of body-contouring and pressure relief without overheating, definitely check out the Nolah.

The Nolah has a 120-night trial and lifetime warranty.

Learn more in our full Nolah mattress review.

Click here to get the best deal, or check out our best mattresses for side sleepers page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Hybrid Mattress – Helix Midnight

While many of the biggest names in the online mattress world are all-foam, Helix specializes in hybrid bed-in-a-box mattresses that combine foam and coils. A hybrid might be the way to go if you like your mattress to have a fair amount of bouncy support.

While all Helix mattresses offer that classic hybrid bounce, they still range widely in terms of feel. The brand offers several models, so you can find the right feel for your sleep style. One of our favorite online mattresses is the Helix Midnight, which has a medium-firm feel that should appeal to a wide variety of sleepers. It also isolates motion well, which means it could be a great choice for couples. You won’t feel overly disturbed by a restless partner on this high-quality mattress, but you won’t have trouble moving around either.

The Helix Midnight has a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

Learn more in our full Helix Midnight mattress review.

You can also click here to get the best deal, or check out our best hybrid mattress page for more options.

Best Firm Mattress – Bear

In search of a firm, supportive mattress? The Bear Original might be just right for you. Our reviewers gave it a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it’s firmer than average. This mattress is made up of three different layers of foam, including a bottom layer of support foam, which is where the bulk of the mattress’s sturdy, structured feeling comes from, and two additional layers of poly foam. Those top two layers not only provide an “on-top-of-the-bed” feeling, but also may help to keep your spine aligned (a possible perk for back sleepers who experience back pain). 

Bonus: The cover on the Bear is made up of Celliant fiber, which some research suggests may promote increased blood flow, better regulate body temperature, and possibly relieve pain — all of which may make the Bear a good choice for athletes or fitness junkies. 

The Bear has a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. 

Learn more in our full Bear mattress review.

Think this mattress could be right for you? Check our full Bear Original review here. You can also peruse other options for the Best Firm Mattress!

Best Pillow-Top Mattress – WinkBed

If you love the feeling of sinking into your bed but still want plenty of support, then you might enjoy the cozy pillow-top layer on the original WinkBeds mattress. This bed-in-a-box hybrid was built with soft foams on top to offer pressure relief and pocketed coils below to provide strong support. It’s offered in three different firmness levels, so most sleepers should be able to find a model that works for them. I’d recommend the Luxury Firm model to combination sleepers looking for a universally comfortable firmness option.

The mattress also distinguishes itself from other hybrids because it has more of a sturdy innerspring mattress feel than a lot of online mattresses. The firm support of the coils helps prevent premature sagging or wear. This bed also does a good job of sleeping cool, thanks to a breathable Tencel cover and cooling gel-infused foams in its pillow-top.

The WinkBed has a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty.

Learn more in our full WinkBed mattress review.

Could the WinkBed whisk you off to dreamland? Find out in my full WinkBeds mattress review or check out our Pillow-Top Mattresses page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Cooling Mattress – Brooklyn Aurora Luxe

Tired of waking up in a puddle of sweat? Try Brooklyn Bedding’s Aurora Mattress, which was designed specifically for temperature regulation. It’s made with a Phase Change Material cover that stays cool to the touch, a comfort foam layer that features a copper infusion to dissipate body heat, and a latex-like alternative foam (dubbed TitanFlex foam) with natural cooling properties. These foams all sit on breathable pocketed coil support layer that creates additional airflow.

A cool night’s sleep isn’t the only thing to celebrate about the Aurora. It also has a soft feel and pressure-relieving design that could ensure side sleepers don’t feel jammed up at the shoulders or hips. At the same time, you shouldn’t feel stuck in this bed, as it has a fairly bouncy feel. I’d recommend this bed to any hot sleepers looking for a soft mattress.

The Brooklyn Aurora has a 120-night trial and 10-year warranty.

Learn more in our full Brooklyn Aurora Luxe mattress review.

Could the Aurora keep you sleeping cool? Learn more in my full Brooklyn Aurora mattress review or check out our Cooling Mattresses page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Mattress for Heavy Sleepers – Titan Plus

Heavy sleepers over 250 lb often have a difficult time finding the best online mattress, as not every bed has enough support for their body type and weight. But they may find just what they’re looking for in the Titan Plus.

Built specifically with larger sleepers in mind, the Titan Plus is a hybrid mattress that comes in at a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale. There’s enough support here for heavy back sleepers and stomach sleepers, as well as heavier couples. They’ll find a sturdy foundation in the mattress’ extra-tall layer of coils, while at the same time getting some pressure relief from a stretch of quilted memory foam on top. And a comfort layer of responsive TitanFlex foam makes it easy for heavy combination sleepers to move around and change positions.

The one sleeping position we probably wouldn’t recommend the Titan Plus for is side sleepers, who will likely need a softer bed with more contouring.

The Titan Plus has a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

Learn more in our full Titan Plus mattress review.

You can also click here to get our best deal, or check out our best mattresses for heavy people page for more options.

Best Innerspring Mattress – Saatva

If you’re looking for an online mattress but don’t like the idea of buying a bed-in-a-box, the Saatva Classic could be a great option for you. This innerspring mattress is hand-delivered to your door and will be set up for free in your room of choice.

The Saatva — though technically a hybrid — has the firm, bouncy feel typical of classic innerspring mattresses. That makes it a great fit for combination sleepers who like to switch positions at night. This mattress comes in three different firmness levels, so most sleepers should be able to find a model that works for them. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a classic innerspring feel, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of buying a mattress in person.

The Saatva has a 180-night trial and 15-year warranty.

Learn more in our full Saatva mattress review.

You can also click here to get the best deal or check out our best innerspring mattresses page to find the perfect mattress for you!

Best Organic Mattress – Birch Luxe

If you want a mattress that keeps the environment in mind, then you’ll love the Birch Luxe. This organic mattress uses a variety of quality materials in its construction, such as organic cotton and wool, all-natural Talalay latex, and sturdy coils for support. Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and combination sleepers are bound to appreciate the firmer feel of this mattress.

Hot sleepers should appreciate how cooling this mattress is. The Talalay latex in the relief layer is naturally cooling, the cotton cover is breathable, and the coils provide airflow.

The Birch Luxe comes with a 100-night trial and a 25-year warranty. 

Learn more in our full Birch Luxe mattress review.

Click here to get our best deal, or if you’re still on the hunt, check out our roundup of the best organic mattresses!

Casper

If your back is aching every morning, your mattress might not be offering enough support, or it could be throwing your spine out of alignment. You’ll want to look for a mattress that offers a blend of comfort and support to remedy these issues, and the Casper might be the solution you’re looking for. The Original Casper uses a Zoned Support system that’s firmer around the hips and softer around the shoulders to help keep your spine in a straight line. That means this firm mattress will help you avoid and relieve back pain caused by poor sleep posture.

The Casper’s balanced feel might appeal to combination sleepers, who need to feel comfortable and supported in multiple positions. The Casper is also fairly responsive, so it’s easy to change positions. If you’re intrigued but want something with even more bounce, Casper’s original mattress is also offered as a hybrid, which feels even springier.

The Casper has a 100-night trial and 10-year warranty.

Learn more in our full Casper mattress review.

You can also click here to get the best deal.

Pros & Cons of Buying a Mattress Online

Though we’re partial to buying mattresses online here at Sleepopolis, there are also some drawbacks you may want to be aware of. Here are some of the various pros and cons.

Pros of Buying an Online Mattress

• You can spend as much time as you want comparing brands. While shopping in a store, you might find yourself rushed by a salesperson. When shopping online, you can take your time comparing brands and reading customer reviews. 
• You can often find some great discounts online that you can’t find in stores. Online mattress brands run promotions year round, and review sites like Sleepopolis have coupon pages that can help you save even more. Pro tip: you can find some great beds around major holidays when brands run their biggest sales. 
• Most online mattress brands offer sleep trials that allow you to test their mattresses for a period of time. Most sleep trials range from about 100 to 180 nights, though you can find brands that offer trial periods of up to a year.
• Online mattress brands tend to offer great warranties. I’d recommend going with a bed that comes with at least a 10-year warranty. Lots of brands these days offer lifetime warranties.
• You can’t beat the convenience of having a bed shipped straight to your door. These days, lots of online mattress brands offer bed-in-a-box mattresses, which ship compressed in a box to your door. Learn more about unboxing below. 

Cons of Buying an Online Mattress

• There’s no try before you buy. If you’re buying a mattress online, you can read all the reviews you want, but you won’t know what the bed is like until you test it yourself. This can be a drawback for some, though brands these days try to mitigate this concern with extended trial periods.
• If you want a full-service set up, you might prefer to buy in store. Though you can purchase white glove delivery (full set-up) for an additional price online, most in-store brands will offer to set up your mattress in your home.
• Most online retailers don’t offer to remove your old mattress, which is a service commonly performed by brick-and-mortar retailers. 

How to Choose an Online Mattress

Alright, now you’ve got a sense of our top picks for the best online mattresses around. Curious about how to choose the best mattress for your needs? Below, you’ll find some of the most important factors to keep in mind while shopping for an online mattress. You can also check out our How to Choose a Mattress guide for more in-depth tips.

Support

No matter your sleep position, proper support is key. It helps keep your spine in healthy alignment and ensures you don’t plummet through the mattress. As a general rule, mattresses that contain coils (e.g. hybrids and innersprings) tend to offer more support than all-foam options. If you’re on the heavier side, support is the most important factor to consider when choosing a mattress. You’ll want a highly supportive mattress to avoid premature sagging. If that sounds like you, I’d recommend taking a second look at the WinkBed above!

Your sleep style will also influence how much support you need. Back and stomach sleepers need a more supportive mattress to keep their hips elevated and aligned with their spine. Side sleepers need some support, but not so much that their shoulder can’t sink into the mattress.

Firmness

Your ideal firmness level is going to depend both on your personal preference and how you sleep. Some people like a firm feel that keeps them feeling more “on top” of the mattress, while others prefer some sinkage and a more “in” the bed feel. It’s also important to look for a firmness level that will suit your preferred sleeping position. If you sleep on your side, you should opt for a soft to medium-soft mattress that will allow your hips and shoulders to sink into it. Back sleepers do best on a medium-firm mattress that offers them a mix of pressure relief and support, which helps keep their spines supported in a straight line. Finally, stomach sleepers need a firm bed to keep their hips from sinking too far into the mattress, which can throw their spines out of alignment, causing pain.

Motion Transfer

Motion transfer refers to how much movement is detectable from one side of a mattress on the other. Most mattresses these days are designed with motion transfer in mind, but their materials make the greatest contribution to how much movement they can absorb. Memory foam mattresses, for example, are really great at absorbing motion because they have a slow response to pressure. Conversely, innerspring mattresses, which are composed mainly of bouncy coils, tend to have high motion transfer. Hybrid mattresses, which are made of both foams and coils, tend to fall somewhere in the middle.

Pressure Relief

Unless you enjoy sleeping on a board, you’ll want to look for a mattress that offers pressure relief in the right places. This is crucial for side sleepers, who can feel sore around the shoulders or hips if they’re on a mattress without enough “give.” If you’re someone who prioritizes pressure relief, I’d recommend a memory foam mattress on the softer side. If you’re a stomach or back sleeper, you might want a little pressure relief around the lower back and hips, but make sure to prioritize support when choosing your mattress. Check out our top memory foam mattress reviews.

Value

Online mattresses often cost less than in-store options, because their retailers cut out the middlemen and sell directly to consumers. That said, the price of online mattresses can vary widely. Consider your budget when making a purchase, but also consider the durability of the mattress. A longer-lasting mattress is the best way to ensure you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Unboxing

Almost all mattresses you’ll find online are going to be bed-in-a-box mattresses, which means they’ll ship compressed in a box. You’ll need to unbox them at home, but there are a few things I’d keep in mind before doing so:

• Make sure to unbox the mattress in the room you’re going to use it in. Once the bed is unboxed it is much harder to move.
• Unbox your bed with another person. The boxes tend to be quite heavy, and once you start unboxing, mattresses can expand very quickly. Unbox slowly and carefully to avoid injury. 
• Keep in mind that your mattress was compressed for a period of days or weeks. It will need time to fully expand before you can use it. Most beds take between 24 and 72 hours to fully decompress, though others can take more or less time depending on their constructions.

Off-Gassing

Off-gassing refers to the period of time in which a previously compressed mattress will release trapped gasses. Off-gassing tends to release an odor, and the smell may linger for up to a week, though it tends to dissipate in a couple of days. Depending on your mattress’s materials, it can have a more intense off-gassing odor or longer off-gassing period. I’d recommend checking out some customer reviews to see if others experienced any unusual off-gassing.

Types of Mattresses You Can Buy Online

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses are one of the most popular varieties of mattress you can buy online. They tend to have a soft, pressure-relieving feel, but there are firm memory foam mattress options as well. Memory foam mattresses are known for offering sinkage and good motion isolation. This makes them a nice option for anyone who suffers from pain, as they’ll be cradled by this soft foam, and couples, who are unlikely to feel their partner’s movements on these beds.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are the most traditional mattress type. Though they’re very common in brick and mortar mattress stores, you can also find plenty online. Online mattress brand Saatva makes one of our favorite innerspring beds on the market. These mattresses tend to be great for seniors who prefer a traditional feel, or anyone looking for a firm, bouncy bed. They’re also one of the most durable mattress varieties, since their steel coils tend to stand the test of time.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are made from a combination of foams and coils. In my opinion, these mattresses have the best of both worlds: the support you get from innerspring coils, and the soft pressure relief you experience on foam. Hybrid mattresses can be found in a range of firmnesses, so most sleepers should be able to find one that suits their needs.  

Air Mattress

Air mattresses are adjustable beds that use one or two chambers that fill with air. You can adjust these chambers manually or with a remote to give your mattress your desired firmness. Lots of air mattresses have a top layer of memory foam or latex foam to add some pressure relief. The benefit of these beds is that their firmness level can be tailored to your specific sleep needs. Sleep Number mattresses are examples of adjustable air mattresses.

How to Vet an Online Mattress Company

When buying an online mattress, you’ll want to make sure you buy from a reputable company. The easy way to do that is to choose a well-known brand (or any of the brands we’ve reviewed). But if you’re buying from a newer company, you’ll want to consider the following.

Customer Service

If you’re vetting a mattress company, a responsive, transparent customer service team is a good sign they’ll deliver a high-quality product. Whether you want to return your mattress or run into delivery issues, quality customer service is key to your experience. It’s a good idea to connect with a customer service rep prior to purchasing to make sure they’re responsive and to clarify the mattress’ trial period, return policy, and warranty.

Delivery

Online mattresses are delivered straight to your home, but not always in the same way. Some are compressed into a small(ish) box. Some include the cost of delivery in their purchase price; others charge a delivery fee. Some offer White Glove Delivery (in which they set up the new mattress and dispose of your old mattress), and some don’t. Clarify delivery terms before purchasing so you don’t encounter any surprises. Clear delivery timeframes and terms are another sign that you’re buying from a reputable company.

Sleep Trial and Returns

Almost any reputable online mattress company will offer a 100–365 night sleep trial. This allows you to return a mattress hassle-free if you decide it’s not for you. You should receive a full refund for your bed, though certain companies may need to charge a shipping fee for returns. If you live outside of the contiguous United States, it’s very likely you’ll need to pay a freight shipping fee to return an online mattress. If a mattress company you’re considering does not offer a sleep trial or returns, I’d recommend buying from somewhere else.

Mattress Warranty

Finally, any online mattress company you buy from should include a mattress warranty with your purchase. Most reputable companies offer at least a 10-year warranty that covers mattress sagging or breakdown. But, you’ll need to ensure you have your mattress on a bed frame or foundation that offers the right support to avoid voiding your warranty. Online mattress brands will offer this information on their websites, and Sleepopolis includes box spring and frame information in our full mattress reviews.

Is it Better to Buy a Mattress Online?

This really depends on your preferences. For a full comparison, check out my In Store vs. Online Mattress buying guide. As a general rule, I tend to recommend buying online because (as I mentioned above) you’re likely to save more money. Mattresses are quite an investment, so getting the best deal possible is usually a priority for shoppers. If you do decide to buy online, check out our mattress coupons and promo codes to get an even better deal!

If you’re a fan of convenience and are looking for a budget-friendly mattress option, I’d recommend checking out one of our best Amazon mattresses.

Summary: The Best Online Mattresses of 2023

Our Methodology

We’ve reviewed more than 220 products in our mattress lab, running each one through tests such as pressure-mapping and measuring motion transfer with a seismometer. From there, we give every bed an overall score based on materials, comfort, support, cooling, and edge support. We also factor in brand performance with categories such as value and warranty.

When it comes to purchasing a mattress online, some of the most important factors are the company’s trial and warranty. Since it can be difficult to judge online whether or not a mattress is right for you, it’s important to have a generous trial period so that you can properly test out your mattress. After collecting information on all of the mattress’s trial period, we were able to score at least a 3.5 out of 5 for all of the mattresses. And nine of them scored at least a 4 out of 5.

Additionally, a company with a good warranty promotes the reliability of the mattress. All of our mattresses scored at least a 3.5 out of 5 for their warranties. You can click here to learn more about our methodology or jump back to our mattress picks.

Carley Prendergast

Carley is a former Staff Writer at Sleepopolis. She is a Certified Sleep Science Coach who wrote news, sleep health content, and managed our newsletter.