The Best Firm Mattresses of 2024 (2024)

Choosing a new mattress is a deeply personal choice, one that’s essential to a good night’s sleep. While some people like the sink-in sensation of soft mattresses, firm mattresses provide better spinal support. That makes them perfect for back and stomach sleepers who need extra support.

The best firm mattresses balance great support with enough softness for comfort. Finding that combination can be difficult when shopping for a new mattress, so we’ve tested and ranked popular firm beds.

The Tuft & Needle () is the best firm mattress we’ve tested. Its dual layers of dense foam provide sufficient support for front and back sleepers while having the right amount of sink-in sensation for side sleepers. While the Tuft & Needle is a great, surprisingly firm mattress for a fantastic price, we’ve found plenty of other great firm mattress picks.

People with a tighter budget may want to consider our value pick, the Lucid (available at Amazon). It provides impressive firmness for an unbeatable price.

For a more luxurious experience, our upgrade pick is the Saatva Classic Luxury Firm (available at Saatva). We loved the mattress’s firm surface and edge support.

Other Firm Mattresses We Tested

How We Test Firm Mattresses

When testing mattresses at Reviewed, we run every mattress through a series of tests in our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. To determine our top picks, we evaluate each bed on several factors, including comfort, support, motion transfer and bounciness, edge support, and heat retention.

To scientifically assess overall mattress support, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell that loosely represents the human form. When we put the barbell on mattresses, we measure pressure at different points like the shoulders and hips. To objectively measure edge support, we see how far off a bed we can roll a punching bag before it falls.

To determine heat retention, we microwave silicone bead-filled bags and place them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature. If a mattress cannot disperse heat quickly enough, you might be in for a warm sleep experience.

Light sleepers benefit from a mattress that minimizes the movement of a tossing-and-turning partner or pet. We use an accelerometer mobile app on one side of the mattress to measure motion transfer. We then drop a punching bag on the opposite side of the bed. The higher the number the accelerometer measures, the greater amount of motion the mattress allows to pass through.

Additionally, we consider the moving and unboxing process, the odor that comes with mattresses in a box, and the customer experience, and other factors.

What You Should Know About Buying Firm Mattresses

Given how much we spend in bed, the impact that sleep has on our waking hours, and the lifetime of mattresses, choosing a new bed is a critical decision. Many factors should go into that decision; here are a few things to consider.

Firmness and type of sleeper

Firmness scales used by mattress companies may differ, but in general, mattresses range from soft to firm, with medium or “luxury firm” options somewhere in between.

Choosing a firmer bed has some advantages. Firm mattresses provide better support, which is crucial for back and stomach sleepers who need more support for spinal alignment.

On the other hand, side sleepers tend to need more cushioning. A firm mattress may put too much pressure on their hips and shoulders. However, it’s easy to make a firm mattress softer with the help of a mattress topper.

Combination sleepers—people who don’t fall into just one sleep category—may want to choose a medium firm mattress, as that firmness is versatile enough for different sleeping styles.

It’s worth noting that ideal firmness is relative, and that a person's body weight and composition may play a factor in finding their perfect mattress.

Types of mattresses

Mattresses vary by materials and construction. The most common three types are innerspring, foam, and hybrid mattresses.

Innerspring mattresses, also called coil mattresses, have springs inside and often have a thin layer of cushioning on the top and bottom. They provide buoyancy and great heat dispersion since air circulates around the springs. However, they aren’t great at motion isolation. There are plenty of great firm mattress options in the innerspring world, but they may be too firm for side sleepers who need the extra cushioning of a pillow top.

Foam mattresses vary greatly in firmness. Denser foams offer more resistance and support, while memory foam conforms to the body’s shape, cradling you as you sleep. Latex foam is particularly great at cooling, but tends to be the most expensive option in the foam mattress world. Fortunately, there are now a plethora of cooling foam mattresses available.

Hybrid mattresses combine the cushiony, sink-in feeling of foam with the buoyant support of an innerspring. These versatile mattresses offer great structure, bounce, and heat dispersion. However, they tend to skew more expensive than just innersprings or foam.

Budget

Your budget is one of the most significant factors in determining your preferred mattress. Mattresses can be pricey, but we recommend investing in a quality mattress, considering the importance of a good night’s sleep.

Even though beds can be expensive, you can still find great value in affordable mattresses. And thanks to the online mattress-in-a-box industry, it’s now easier than ever to find the best mattress for any budget.

Warranty and Exchange Policy

Most bed-in-a-box companies offer a trial period so you can sleep on your decision (literally). When shopping for a new bed, it’s essential to take a company’s return policy into account. Some companies make it super-easy by retrieving the mattress free of cost, but others require you to coordinate the mattress's return, donation, or disposal to receive a full refund.

More Articles You Might Enjoy

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• The Best Memory Foam Mattresses
• 7 things to know before buying a mattress online
• Tips to make unboxing a new mattress easier

James Aitchison

Editor

@revieweddotcom

Aside from covering all things sleep, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend hiker.

Lindsey Vickers

Senior Staff Writer, Sleep

@lindseyvix

Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.

Sara Tabin

Sleep Writer

Sara Tabin is a sleep writer at Reviewed.