The 9 Best Twin Mattresses: Tested by Certified Sleep Science Coaches

The all-foam Nectar Classic is our best twin mattress overall because it scored high on all of our performance tests, uses high-quality materials, and is affordable. It flexed its versatility muscles by earning 4 out of 5 in pressure relief, edge support, and responsiveness; 4.5 in cooling; and 4.7 in motion isolation.

These scores are made even better by the fact that you can bring a Nectar twin-size mattress home for less than $400. Considering this bed-in-a-box is made with high-quality materials and has a lifetime warranty, it becomes easier and easier to see why it sits atop Mt. Twin Mattress. I also want to point out how well this all-foam mattress performed for heavyweight sleepers during our pressure-relief test; I was admittedly surprised by the results. 

My colleague Caine Wilkes represented folks who weigh over 230 pounds in our testing. After lying on the bed, he said, “The Nectar Classic feels more supportive than I was expecting. Everything feels aligned when I am on my side. And, although I feel some pressure points on my lower back when I switched to that position, it was not uncomfortable.” 

That said, we’d like to see it provide better pressure relief for lightweight side sleepers. Our petite tester, Asha Birjah, felt considerable pressure on her hips and shoulders, and she didn’t think that many lightweight side sleepers would like this bed. 

Although its pressure-relieving capabilities for lightweight sleepers showed a small chink in its armor, the Nectar bounced right back to championship form during the cooling test. Kenny Timper, staff writer and certified sleep science coach, used a thermal temperature gun to see how cool the mattress might keep sleepers. Kenny’s initial reading showed a score of 67.8 degrees. He then lay on the bed for five minutes before taking a second reading that showed 73.2 degrees. We consider a mattress that heats up by fewer than 5 degrees to have excellent temperature regulation. 

Given that twin beds offer a limited surface area, it should be noted that this mattress doesn’t have the best edge support. This means that the edge of the bed may collapse more under your weight than the center, which could leave you feeling less secure. Kenny said, “I felt the most sinkage while sitting on the edge of the bed. People with mobility issues may find that they have to put even more effort to get out of the bed.”  

Interested in this bed? Check out our full Nectar mattress review to learn more. You can also click here to get the best deal or check out our best overall mattress page for more options.

Few sleeping experiences are as miserable as getting overly sweaty at night, and this can be particularly frustrating if your mattress is what’s heating you up. If you’re looking for a twin mattress to keep your body temperature down, you’ll want to check out the Helix Dusk Luxe. Not only did this mattress get a perfect 5 out of 5 on our cooling test — it also scored a 4 or higher in every other performance category. These consistently high scores earned our best cooling twin mattress title. 

To keep temperatures from rising, Helix Dusk Luxe comes standard with a breathable TENCEL™ cover over its plush pillow top. If you’re a particularly hot sleeper, you can upgrade to either the GlacioTex cover or the GlacioTexCooling Cover + CoolForce Layer for an additional fee. However, we tested the TENCEL cover and think that only those who desire to sleep in a walk-in freezer should need more than it brings to the table… err, bed. 

Product tester Erin Chiles conducted our cooling test using a thermal temperature gun. The initial surface temperature of the Helix Dusk Luxe was 69.6 degrees and it was fewer than 3 degrees warmer after Erin had lounged around on the bed for 5 minutes. This is one of the lowest temperature increases we’ve recorded, which easily earned the Dusk Luxe our top score of 5. “This mattress did a great job of keeping cool,” Erin said. “There was no significant rise in temperature that would cause discomfort. The topper feels cool to the touch, and I don’t see it heating up through the night.”

I also found excellent pressure relief capabilities when I tested it for sleepers between 130 and 230 pounds. I was particularly fond of it on my back because it hit the pressure relief trifecta of providing excellent plushness, contouring, and support. 

Since twin beds are designed for solo sleepers, we don’t feel that motion isolation will be a big concern. However, if you decide to upgrade to a bigger version of the Dusk Luxe and share it with a partner, you should know that Erin could feel the motion of her fellow tester getting in and out of bed and changing positions. She doesn’t think it would be a huge issue for most couples, but if you sleep exceptionally light or have an incredibly restless partner, you may want to consider this. Also, while this bed should keep your body cool, it may heat up your budget, as it is a pricier model. However, if you can afford it, this should make an excellent mattress for you, a child, or a guest room. 

We are working on a full review of this bed. However, if you need a more affordable option, you can check out the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex. 

Twin mattresses are typically the cheapest mattresses you can buy. However, if you want a twin bed that is incredibly affordable but also made with high-quality materials, check out our choice for the best cheap twin mattress, the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex. Arizona-based Brooklyn Bedding owns and operates its own mattress facility, which cuts out the middleman and allows it to pass savings on to its customers. Although the company frequently offers discounts, even without any, you can get a twin-size CopperFlex for under $500. 

However, a low price alone won’t land you on our best-of list. For that honor, a bed has to also have high performance scores.  Thanks to a flawless 5 in responsiveness and a 4 or higher in back pressure relief, cooling, edge support, and motion isolation, the CopperFlex proves that a bed doesn’t have to cost a king’s ransom to be worthwhile. 

When I tested this firmer-than-average, budget-friendly mattress, I didn’t expect it to have many of the bells and whistles of a higher-end bed. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the copper infusion in one of the foam layers. Memory foam can get toasty, but I think infusing one of the comfort layers with copper prevented the CopperFlex from heating up while I was lying on it. When I took an initial temperature reading of the mattress, the thermal gun showed 66.5 degrees. After 5 minutes of lying on the mattress, the temperature only rose up to 72.1, which we consider good cooling.  

My colleague Riley Otis, performed the pressure relief test for lightweight sleepers and exclaimed, “The alignment is really, really good! There is no sinkage around the hips because the bed is doing such a great job propping them up.” Our specialized pressure-measuring mat, which displays pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI), corroborated Riley’s feelings by showing that her back PSI was 11.53 — almost a whole point below the average mattress’s pressure score of 12.4 for this position.  

However, this bed didn’t perform as well in pressure relief for side sleepers, with our lightweight, average-weight, and heavy-weight tester giving the mattress a 3 out of 5 in this category. Given the tester’s feedback, we don’t recommend this bed for side sleepers. We also suggest that fans of slow-moving, contouring memory foam avoid the CopperFlex.

Check out the full Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex review for more information on this bed. If you want a bed better suited for side sleepers, try the Nolah Evolution. 

Bear is a unique brand in the world of twin mattresses since it caters to athletes and sleepers with active lifestyles, and Dr. Raj Dasgupta reminds us that moving your body when you’re awake can help you rest better at night. “Exercise can deepen your sleep, improve your overall sleep quality, and is proven to help with insomnia,” he says. “At least 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a day can help you fall asleep faster in the evening and reduce daytime fatigue so you feel more energized during the day.”

The flagship Original mattress is sturdy and supportive enough to support folks whose musculature needs rest after a long workout, making it our pick for best twin mattress for athletes. Like a team’s MVP, the Bear Original shines on several performance fronts. It received a 4 out of 5 or higher in cooling, edge support, motion isolation, and responsiveness.

The Bear is also surprisingly cooling for an all-foam bed, thanks to a gel infusion in its comfort layer. This can come in handy if you’re lying down after a day of exerting physical energy. When Riley Otis, a certified sleep science coach, tested the cooling of this mattress, she said, “I thought this mattress had a really nice cool-to-the-touch feel. The Bear Original felt cool the entire time I was on it, which is impressive for an all-foam bed.”

Riley’s observations were backed up by the cooling test she performed with a thermal temperature gun. To see how much body heat the mattress held onto, she took an initial surface temperature and then another one after she rested on the bed for five minutes. The Bear only went from 66.6 degrees to 71.9, meaning that it dissipates heat quickly.

Although this bed was designed with athletes in mind, mattress tester and Olympian Caine Wilkes tested it for people weighing over 230 pounds and didn’t find that it provided adequate pressure relief on his back or side. When Caine was on his side, he said, “I’m mostly feeling pressure in my shoulders,” but when he flipped to his back, he noted that his hips sank in more than his shoulders, causing some spinal misalignment. 

Also, sleepers who like a softer all-foam bed that wraps them in a deep hug likely won’t find it in the Bear. Our testers rated this bed a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale and stated that it didn’t have much contouring. 

Learn more in our full Bear Original mattress review. For a softer option for athletes, take a look at the Helix Midnight, or check out our best mattresses for athletes page for more options.

If you are looking for a firm twin mattress with luxury materials to provide top-notch support, check out the WinkBed. It is offered in four firmnesses — Softer, Luxury Firm, Firmer, and Plus — allowing you to pinpoint the comfort level that works best for you. I tested the Luxury Firm, which WinkBed states is its most popular model, and found that its firmness level made it a versatile mattress for various sleepers. 

However, I recommend that those wanting more firmness select the Firm options, and sleepers over 230 pounds may find that the Plus model works best for them. During testing, the WinkBed shined in pressure relief for back sleepers, edge support, and motion isolation, scoring a 4 or higher in those categories.

How well a bed supports you around the edges is essential for all bed sizes, but it is absolutely crucial for twins because of their relatively small surface area. When my colleague, Riley Otis, tested the bed’s edge support by lying close to the perimeter on her back and side, she said, “I felt very well supported when lying on the edge of the bed, and I thought the edges felt just as strong as the edge of the bed.”    

For those snoozing on a twin mattress, this means that even if you are on the edge of the bed, you won’t have much to worry about as far as the mattress sagging under you. Even if you are a restless sleeper who tosses and turns throughout the night, you should feel secure across the entire surface of the WinkBed.

This mattress also stood out for pressure relief for average and heavyweight back sleepers. I was the average-weight tester and noted that although I never sleep on my back, this bed could convert me. I enjoy this position on the WinkBed Luxury Firm. It’s firm yet still provides contouring at my lower back, which sometimes causes issues for me. Also, my pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI), which was calculated using a specialized mat that measures the amount of pressure being put on the body, was 11.35 when I was on my back. This is more than a full point lower than the average.

Considering that the WinkBed is a luxury model, it is one of the pricer twin mattresses on our lists. Before discounts, this bed will set you back more than $1,300. Also, the Luxury Firm model didn’t offer a lot of contouring, and I expect that the Firm model has even less. So, if you like sinking slowly into your bed’s layers, be warned that you won’t find that sensation there. 

Find out more in our full WinkBed mattress review. For a cheaper twin bed check out the DreamCloud Memory Foam. 

If allergies keep you up at night, your bed may be part of the problem. A mattress can worsen your allergies “if it attracts dust mites, promotes mold growth, or is made of allergenic materials,” and “your symptoms may be more pronounced when you sleep,” according to Dr. Raj Dasgupta. “However, a mattress made of hypoallergenic materials is easy to clean, has good ventilation, and can help you sleep better if you struggle with allergies,” he says. 

If this applies to you, check out the organic and hypoallergenic Nolah Natural. Not only can this mattress prevent sneezing and itchiness brought on by allergies, but it also snagged a 4 or higher in pressure relief, edge support, and responsiveness. 

The Nolah Natural is an incredibly responsive bed, meaning it quickly bounces back to its original shape after weight has been applied to it. This allows combination sleepers to move from one position to another with little resistance from the mattress. As certified sleep science coach Riley Otis said, “It was very easy to move around on this bed. The Nolah Natural is highly bouncy, which aided my mobility. I felt like I could simply bounce around.” 

Riley’s evaluations were backed up when I performed our responsiveness test. This test involves leaving a 54-pound kettlebell on the mattress for 7 seconds, lifting it off, and recording how long it takes for the mattress to revert back to its original shape. The Nolah Natural was back to its original shape in 0.19 seconds, which is incredibly fast. 

Just be warned: Given that this mattress is made with eco-friendly materials, including organic latex and recycled steel coils, it’s probably not surprising that it isn’t the most budget-friendly option. Also, for $1,500 (before discounts), we would like to see a longer sleep trial than the 120 nights offered by Nolah. 

Learn more in our full Nolah Natural mattress review. If you want to spend a full year with your bed before you make your final decision, try out the Nectar Classic. 

Since twin mattresses are often a good fit for children, I wanted to make sure to include a bed made specifically with them in mind. With the Saatva Youth, the luxury mattress brand has created a flippable bed with two sides: a firm one for little ones ages 3 to 7, and a softer one for kids 8 to 12. This mattress earned gold stars in edge support, cooling, and responsiveness by getting a 4 or higher across all three categories.

As your child gets older, simply flip the bed over. The Saatva Youth’s unique construction has a unit of dual-sided coils at its center, meaning both sides have the proper support to help kids through their growing pains. I also found from positive pressure map results that the surrounding foams will relieve pressure. 

Madison Schaper, a lighter-weight product writer, evaluated this mattress. She said, “The Saatva Youth is a high-quality mattress for growing children. If you’re looking for a new mattress for your child, I’d recommend checking it out. Its flippable build and high-quality construction ensure that it should last until your child outgrows it. Until then, most kids should feel comfortable on this firm, bouncy mattress.”

One way this mattress will keep them comfortable is through its cooling capabilities. Madison found that using coils in the hybrid construction leaves plenty of room for air to flow through the mattress. It also has a soft, breathable organic cotton cover to help regulate your little one’s body temperature. 

However, since the mattress is designed specifically for younger kids, you should be aware that they will likely outgrow it as they reach their teenage years. Therefore, to get your money’s worth, you should consider buying it when they are preschoolers. Also, this bed is only offered in twin, twin XL, and full sizes.

Interested in the Saatva Youth? Check out our full Saatva Youth mattress review to learn more. If you would like a kid’s bed that is also available in queen size, I suggest looking at the 5 Little Monkeys Bed.

The best twin mattress for heavy people is durable and provides plenty of support. That way, sleepers won’t sink into the layers too far, and their spines should stay aligned. The Titan Plus certainly has those qualities. In fact, the company designed this mattress specifically for larger-bodied people who weigh over 230 pounds. The Titan Plus earned a perfect 5 out of 5 in motion isolation and responsiveness and a 4 or better in back pressure relief, cooling, and edge support.

When I tested this firm bed’s edge support, I felt very secure on my back, side, and stomach when I scooted close to the perimeter. It was easy to switch positions. I always think that you feel more secure on your back or stomach, but I didn’t have any fear that I would topple off the Titan Plus when I was on my side. 

Although motion isolation mainly affects those who sleep with a partner, and not many people share a twin bed, the Titan Plus’s motion isolation is so impressive that I’d be remiss not to mention it. I set up a large container of water and monitored how much it splashed when I got in and out of bed and flopped about like a spouse or pet. I am fairly certain that I could have cannonballed onto the bed from a diving board, and the water would remain undisturbed. 

However, the Titan Plus is also incredibly responsive. Responsiveness and motion isolation are usually a trade-off; if one is good, the other struggles — but this wasn’t the case with this mattress. I thought moving from one position to another was very easy and felt on top of the bed rather than it. 

Given that this bed is designed for larger people, it isn’t surprising that our lightweight tester, Asha Birjah, wasn’t a big fan of it, especially when she was on her side. She said, “I feel a ton of strain on my neck and shoulders.” I also recommend that sleepers who like to sleep more in the bed skip the firm Titan Plus. 

Find out more about this bed in our full Titan Plus mattress review. Lightweight sleepers should check out the Bear Original for deeper contouring and pressure relief. 

Those looking for a twin mattress that’s all-natural and made from organic materials should look at the Birch, created by Helix Sleep. It features an organic cotton cover, high-quality Talalay latex, and wool as a natural fire barrier. This eco-friendly construction has earned it many certifications regarding ethical manufacturing and non-toxic materials: GOTS, GREENGUARD Gold, eco-INSTITUT, and Fair Trade. However, this bed’s accolades don’t stop there. It earned a score of 4 or higher in back pressure relief, cooling, edge support, motion isolation, and responsiveness. 

If you don’t like to be held to one sleeping position throughout the night, you will enjoy the Natural’s easy bounce, which allows you to turn easily. My colleague and sleep science coach, Dan Caffrey, tested the responsiveness of this bed and said, “It’s super-easy to switch positions. There isn’t a ton of sinkage when I roll over. It’s no problem going from back to side to stomach.” 

Dan also served as our pressure relief tester and was a fan of the Natural’s capabilities. He said, “I’m getting great pressure relief in my lumbar region. Also, my shoulders are getting a nice lift and keeping my spine neutrally aligned.” Our lightweight tester, Kate Gorman, echoed these sentiments and said she liked this mattress on her back because it allowed her body to settle nicely, providing a balanced feel and great overall alignment. 

However, the Birch Natural didn’t fare as well for sleepers over 230 pounds. Caine Wilkes, an Olympic weightlifting champion who served as our plus-sized tester, said that he felt too much pressure on his shoulder when he was on this bed. Also, since this mattress is so well-made, it’s a more expensive twin bed than many other models on the market. It’s not ideal for anyone searching for a budget-friendly option.

Learn more in our full Birch Natural mattress review. For a more budget-friendly organic mattress, check out the Silk & Snow Organic.