In need of mattress recommendations

June 28, 2024 6:08 AM

I'm in need of a new mattress. In order of priority: cooling > plush-to-medium > for heavy body > under $1000.

I'm in need of a new mattress and hoping to take advantage of some July 4th sales that seem to be happening all over. I'd like recommendations for actual mattresses, not general 'look into a gel mattress' kind of answers. I have a full, so it needs to come in that size.

Hierarchy of needs:

Cooling - I sleep very hot. I need as cool as it gets. This is the most important thing.

Plush-to-medium firmness - I'm a side sleeper mostly (some back) and I've found when sleeping on plusher hotel or guest mattresses that I wake up feeling less sore.

For heavier bodies - I'm around 190 so I need something that isn't going to sag for a long long time.

Under $1000 - all the online quizzes and shopping websites keep serving me $2-3k options for cooling/plush mattresses. I can't spend that much. I would maybe go up to $1200 for the absolute perfect mattress.

If you have similar needs and have found the perfect mattress, I'd be grateful if you could share your knowledge!

posted by greta simone to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

Response by poster: I would love mattress reco's that have a decent trial/return period also (6+ months), but not as much of a priority as the above.
posted by greta simone at 6:28 AM on June 28

I don’t have personal experience with the brand, but a friend of mine bought a Purple mattress and said it was extremely cooling—borderline too cooling for her. So maybe if folks who actually have had direct experience with Purple can vouch for its other qualities, that would be worth looking into.
posted by Suedeltica at 8:59 AM on June 28

I am also a side sleeper who gets sore on a bed that is too firm. My solution with my most recent mattress was to purchase a firm mattress and then a latex topper. I have had bad experience with foam toppers (and actually returned an Ikea mattress) because I also sleep hot, and I have found the latex to be much cooler. Admittedly the price for the topper has increased somewhat since I bought it but this is the one I have used for about 7 years. I have the 2" thick one. Link is to Amazon Canada but I am sure it's available in the US if that's your location, am on mobile so just pasting it here:

Pure Green 100% Natural Latex Mattress Topper - Soft - 1 Inch - Twin Size https://a.co/d/0jksi2MC
posted by dazedandconfused at 9:29 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]

I'm heavy and a side sleeper and have been really happy with my Tuft and Needle Mint mattress (in the full size). I also prefer to sleep chilly and find it comfortably cool (though I also have cool-feeling sheets to further help with that).
posted by TwoStride at 9:38 AM on June 28

Response by poster: Purple or Saatva are the mattresses I would want if I had all the money in the world, but they are definitely out of my budget.
posted by greta simone at 9:39 AM on June 28

I'm very happy with my Zinus mattress. Looks like they don't sell the one I have anymore, but this one looks similar. It's advertised as ultra-cooling, pretty soft, great for my [larger] size, and currently $500 for a full.
posted by little king trashmouth at 9:50 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]

I recommend a firm Sleep on Latex mattress with a 3 inch soft topper from the same place.

I'm a plus size side sleeper who also sleeps hot, and I've found this setup to be AMAZING - feels so nice to sleep on, helps me sleep through the night, and helps a lot with general aches etc.

I use a full size, and for that mattress plus topper is within your budget. If you need a queen it may be a tiny bit over. But so worth it, in my opinion!
posted by invincible summer at 1:09 PM on June 28

I would put in a plug for a traditional inner spring mattress*. It’s intrinsically cooler than a slab of “memory” foam. A non pillow top inner spring mattress will be flippable… so you may get a 20 year warranty instead of a 10 year one.

*My specific mattress isn’t available in your area, but the advice to check out the offerings in a quality brick and mortar store still hold.
posted by oceano at 2:12 PM on June 28

HAUGSVÄR hybrid mattress from Ikea.
Looks like it's only $600 for a king on their US website.

I went through all of the usual reviews (Wirecutter & Consumer Reports) and despaired of finding anything good below $1000.

On a mattress subreddit someone suggested Ikea, which I hadn't even known sold mattresses. Very inexpensive for a good mattress with a 10 year warranty, and you can sit on one in an Ikea instead of guessing from an online company (which I was not interested in doing due to the nightmare stories I read about trying to return one of those newer mattresses that expand after unpacking from the box).

I read somewhere that it's all marketing, and this, the cheapest mattress I ever bought, has been wonderful x1 year in the way I need: supportive but not too firm.

Good luck!
posted by honey badger at 2:52 PM on June 28

A relatively inexpensive pocket coil (not innerspring/Bonnell where all the coils are connected) spring mattress (mine is from Ikea) plus a latex topper from Sleep On Latex for plushness and comfort. Latex doesn't seem hot like memory foam is.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:19 PM on June 28

Places like purple and Casper just ask folks to donate their mattresses if they want to return it, so I bet the very lightly used market you can get one free or very cheap. I might be tempted to look around for that.
posted by sandmanwv at 4:30 AM on June 29