The Best Firm Mattresses We’ve Tested (2025)

Brooklyn Bedding created the “Plank” line to satisfy shoppers wanting a truly firm mattress. The Plank Firm Luxe is the higher-end version of its original Plank Firm mattress and provides two firm sleep experiences in one bed, thanks to its flippable construction.

We rated the “traditional” firm side at 8/10 on our firmness scale, and the extra-firm side at 9/10. You’d be hard pressed to find a firmer mattress—let alone one that gives you multiple firmness options—which is just one of the reasons we’ve given it top billing. Our expert tester Marten Carlson recommended this bed “for stomach sleepers, most back sleepers, and those who love the feel of an ultra-firm mattress.”

The Plank Firm Luxe is a hybrid mattress, so the bulk of its support comes from a layer of individually wrapped innerspring coils, sandwiched between layers of open-celled memory foam on each side. This combination not only earns it its 4.5/5 support score, but also gives the bed good breathability. Marten also noted that  “the addition of coils helps the Plank Firm Luxe sleep cooler than the Plank Firm” and “the [optional] cooling panel is a nice luxury addition for a cool-to-the-touch feel.” Given this, he rated it a 4/5 for overall cooling.

Now that I’ve spent some time expounding upon the Plank Firm Luxe’s virtues, there are some possible downsides you may want to keep in mind. This is meant to be a firm bed, so while you can expect support and comfort, sleepers who want that plush feeling associated with memory foam may want to look elsewhere. Similarly, most lightweight and average-weight side sleepers will not get the pressure relief they need on the Plank Firm Luxe.

Looking for a similar bed at a more reasonable price? Check out the original Plank Firm mattress. You can also read our full Plank Firm Luxe mattress review, or check out our list of Best Mattresses for more great options.

If you and your partner are looking for a firm mattress, you should look no further than the DreamCloud as one of the best mattresses for couples. I recommend it for couples who like an especially bouncy mattress (it earns a perfect 5/5 in this category). As a bonus, that responsiveness makes it well-suited to sex because it’s quicker and easier to move around and change positions. We gave the DreamCloud a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale, so it’s definitely firmer than average.

Its cooling (4/5) and edge support (4.4/5) ranked pretty well with our testers, too, so people who share a bed shouldn’t overheat or find themselves in danger of slipping off. You can comfortably spread out all the way to the edges of this mattress without feeling like you’re missing out on structure or support. The DreamCloud is also priced lower than many comparable hybrids (costing $665 with coupons for a queen mattress), making it a great option for couples trying to stick to a budget. This came as a surprise to our testers, who expected the bed to come with a much higher price tag,  given its high-quality build and luxurious touches like a quilted cashmere-blend cooling cover.

When testing the DreamCloud, mattress tester Kayla Godfrey felt most comfortable sleeping on her back: “I felt very supported in this position. It did a great job supporting my hips and keeping the tension off of my upper and lower back.”

However, the DreamCloud might not be the best option for stomach sleepers. During testing, Kayla noted that its firmness made it uncomfortable because of the way it pushed up against her chest.

“I wasn’t a huge fan of this mattress for stomach sleeping,” Kayla said. “Because of its firmness, I was experiencing some pressure around my chest. I think a softer mattress would be better for this position for sleepers like myself.”

It also lacks some support for heavier sleepers, so we wouldn’t recommend this bed for folks over 300 lbs, especially if they sleep on their stomach. These sleepers might want to take a look at the Titan Plus, which is designed specifically for bigger bodies.

Read our full DreamCloud mattress review for more information. 

If you’re a side sleeper, finding a comfortable firm mattress can be quite the challenge. That’s because this sleeping position usually requires a good deal of cushioning at the shoulders and hips — the areas of the body where side sleepers put the most pressure. That said, the Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid could be a good match due to its soft foams at the top, balanced by supportive coils below.

Before going any further, we should note that this bed comes in three different firmness levels. For purposes of this article, we naturally recommend the Firm model. For context, our testers scored the Medium model a 6 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale, so the Firm model will likely be closer to a 7 or 7.5.

“Even as a bigger guy, I still got enough pressure relief on the Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid,” said our tester Marten Carlson. “The mattress is softer under the shoulder area, and I felt almost no pressure there.” He also found it to be comfortable while back sleeping and, true to the bed’s name, it kept him nice and cool with its airy springs and cooling cover.

One sleeping position that Marten didn’t find the Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid to feel especially comfortable in was stomach sleeping, especially for sleepers over 230 pounds. They’ll probably need something even firmer and more supportive.

Looking for a firm bed that’s a better fit for sleepers over 230 pounds? Check out the Titan Plus. You can also read our full Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid mattress review for more information on this mattress, as well as our other best mattresses for side sleepers.

Hybrid beds are a great option for a firm mattress as they combine the best of coil and spring mattresses. The Dawn is the firmest hybrid we’ve tested from Helix. . This bed came in at a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale, and its hybrid construction provides a nice mix of cushioning, support, and response. The Dawn’s well-spaced coils also promote airflow, which helps sleepers stay cool during the night.

The Helix Dawn is marketed as a firm mattress built for stomach and back sleepers, and our testers found that it delivers. It kept our spines aligned and in a comfortable neutral position in both of these sleep positions. As a hybrid, it also has some sturdiness and bounce that are likely to appeal to most shoppers.

It’s worth noting that this bed’s firmer surface doesn’t offer much pressure relief. When our expert tester Marten lay down on his side, his “hip and shoulder felt jammed up,” and he “wasn’t too comfortable in this position.” We wouldn’t recommend a firm mattress to side sleepers anyway, but some back sleepers looking for a certain level of pressure relief might also be disappointed by the Dawn.

Looking for a firm bed with more pressure relief? Check out the Nolah Evolution. You can also read our full Helix Dawn mattress review for more information on this mattress as well as our best firm hybrid mattresses.

Stomach sleepers are often most comfortable on a firm bed because it provides the necessary lift to keep hips elevated. The WinkBed should do just this, thanks to its “zoned” support that feels firmer in the center of the mattress, which helps to keep your spine aligned in the stomach-sleeping position. You also get multiple firmness options here: We found the “Luxury Firm” model of the WinkBed feels medium-firm at 6.5/10 on our scale, which means the “Firmer” model should be, well, firmer.

When I briefly tested the WinkBed, I found its edges quite sturdy (4.4/5) thanks to its well-designed hybrid construction. The bed also did well on our heat gun test: The WinkBed’s surface temperature rose by a mere 6.7 degrees Fahrenheit after a tester’s nap, which we consider good cooling (we gave it a 4/5 here). It’s clear that is has a sturdy, high-quality build that maintains its support and structure from corner to corner.

One area where the WinkBed could improve is in motion transfer. During our motion isolation test, we found movements reverberated from one side of the bed to the other—enough to disturb a light sleeper. If you sleep with a partner, you might want to consider a better mattress for couples.

Read our full WinkBeds mattress review for more information. The Helix Dawn is an alternative on this list with better responsiveness.

If you’re struggling with back pain, a too-soft mattress might be a possible culprit. The Saatva Classic mattress not only comes in two firmer-than-average models — the Luxury Firm (which we tested) and Firm — but it’s also outfitted with tons of nifty features geared toward lumbar support. Underneath the cushy Euro pillow top is the bed’s zoned construction featuring cushioning foams, supportive coils, and other inserts, like a pressure-relieving memory foam lumbar “crown” and a spinal wire — each designed to coax your spine into its proper alignment and alleviate pain.

As a heavyweight tester, Marten found the Luxury Firm to be a bit too soft for his liking. Elisa, however, felt differently, saying that it “felt a little firm whenever I rested on my side, but I felt really comfortable on my back and stomach.” Either way, if you’re worried about the bed being too soft, opt for the Firm model.

I myself sleep on a Saatva mattress, and my only complaint is its ability (or lack thereof) to isolate motion. In fact, the bed’s perfect (5/5) response score is also what leads to its poor motion transfer. If you sleep with a partner and waking up every time they move is a concern of yours, I suggest that you check out the Nolah Evolution, another firm bed on this list.

Read our full Saatva mattress review for more information..

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is an affordable mattress with a balanced feel that should appeal to most back sleepers. As fellow reviewer Elisa put it, “The hybrid design of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid provides the ideal balance of comfort and support, making the bed an especially good fit for side and back sleeping.” It comes in three models, and the Firm should offer ample lumbar support for back sleepers. We also gave it high marks for durability, too, as it’s made with strong coils and memory foam that should last at least a decade. 

As an added bonus, this hybrid mattress is made at Brooklyn Bedding’s owned-and-operated Arizona factory, allowing the brand to pass manufacturing savings onto the customer. That being said, this bed doesn’t have many bells and whistles—it’s just a solid mattress that gets the job done. It earned 4s and above in all performance categories, notably in cooling, edge support, and response.

But there are some downsides to this gem of a bed. Its motion transfer score, while still quite high (4/5), could be a concern for couples, especially if one person is easily awakened by their partner’s tossing and turning. If you want a firm mattress that’s better at isolating motion, you might want to consider the Bear Original, also on this list.

Read our full Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses for Back Sleepers for more great options.

Medium-firm beds are the most numerous and versatile beds on the market—popular for their ability to accommodate a wide range of sleepers. This can make it difficult to find the best one for you. Let me help narrow your search to the Bear Original, a memory foam mattress that punches above its weight across all of our sleep categories. We landed on a 7/10 firmness score for this bed, on the firmer side of the medium-firm realm. 

For an all-foam mattress, the Bear boasts some unique features. For one, it’s more supportive than your typical memory foam bed due to the density of its foam base layers. It also has a little bit of bounce to it (4/5), which we don’t often associate with (often slow-moving) memory foam.

Our tester Elisa really enjoyed sleeping on her back on this mattress, noting that “the Bear mattress offers a great balance of comfort and support,” and that she “got plenty of lumbar support in this sleeping position.”

Our colleague, Kate Meier, who has owned the Bear for three years, also praised it for helping with her back pain. “I absolutely felt relief in my back,” Kate said. “I’m a combination back and side sleeper, and I used to have a lot of issues with lower back pain. I don’t know if I can completely credit this to the Bear, but after sleeping on this mattress, I noticed I felt better waking up.”

Stomach sleepers might want to look elsewhere, though — I think the Bear will likely feel too soft for them, especially those of a heavier weight.

Looking for a bed that’s firm enough for stomach sleepers? Check out the Plank Firm Luxe as well as our highest rated mattresses for stomach sleepers. You can also learn more in our full Bear mattress review. 

Hot sleepers, are you wanting a firm mattress that won’t cause you to wake up in a sweaty tangle of sheets? The Nolah Evolution, which comes in three different firmness levels, including Luxury Firm and Firm, is a standout when it comes to cooling. When we conducted a heat gun test, the temperature of the bed only rose by about 7 degrees Fahrenheit after we lay on it, which makes it a desirable cooling mattresses. Based on this performance, we gave it a 4/5 cooling score. 

Our reviewer Elisa commented on the Evolution’s balanced feel: “The foam cushions my joints, but I never feel like I’m ‘sinking inside’ the mattress.” She noticed “a great balance of comfort and support” when sleeping on her back, which kept her spine in a neutral position.  This is because of the mattress’s zoned support system in the coils and foam, which makes the bed feel firmer in the center, where you need more support.

The bed also excelled in a number of other sleep test categories, and earned a 4.6/5 in edge support, a 4/5 in response, and a perfect 5/5 in motion transfer. We also noted its durable, high-quality construction, which suggests it will hold up over the long haul. The only potential downside to this mattress is its price. Though we think this bed is worth every penny for its above-average quality, it’s probably not the best choice if you’re looking for more affordable mattresses.

Looking for an affordable firm bed with a luxury feel? Check out DreamCloud. Otherwise, read our full Nolah Evolution mattress review for more information. 

Heavier folks can benefit from a firmer mattress, as these beds keep them from sinking in too far, a common complaint on standard mattresses. The Titan Plus is an ultra-firm bed that’s been intentionally designed for heavy people, with features such as industrial-strength coils and responsive TitanFlex foam. This makes it one of the most supportive beds around, clocking in at a 7/10 on our mattress firmness scale.

Our tester Marten is 6’7” and weighs about 270 lbs, a perfect candidate for the Titan Plus. During testing, he “got plenty of spinal support on the Titan Plus.” But he made a note that “if you’re not a fan of firm mattresses, I think the Titan may not be the best choice, since this one is fairly firm for me as a heavier sleeper, and would probably feel even firmer for someone lighter than me.”

Where the Titan Plus may cause problems is for couples. For one, it didn’t cool our testers down by much. But it also might be too firm for sleepers of a lighter weight, so if you share the bed with a different-sized partner, you may want to look for something better-suited for a range of body types, like the Saatva Classic.

Learn more in our full Titan Plus mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses for Heavy People for more great options.

The DLX Classic mattress has a fairly firm feel and a flippable design (say that five times fast!). Its interior consists of a sturdy spring unit sandwiched between outer layers of comfort foam. When you flip the bed over, you should still experience the same feel—springy and supportive, with a 7/10 firmness level. This flipping is meant to maximize the bed’s longevity.

Despite its above-average firmness, the DLX Classic performed well in the pressure-relief department. Our average-weight tester, Sosha Lewis, was especially taken with how it felt when she rested on her back, and shared a rare highlight: “My butt feels great, and I don’t know if I have ever said that about a mattress.” She went on to say there was no strain on her neck or shoulders, either. She awarded it a 5/5 for back sleeping and a 4/5 for side sleeping.

With a 5/5 response score, this bed might be best suited for combination sleepers and sexually active couples because it’s so easy to move around on it. The latter group should also appreciate the bed’s solid edge support (4.6/5), which makes it easy to spread out and use all the available surface space without feeling like you’re going to tumble off. But the super-bouncy coils also dampen the bed’s ability to absorb motion, so couples that include a restless or light sleeper may want to look at a bed with thicker comfort foams.

If you’re looking for a foam bed in a similar price range, check out the Bear Original. Otherwise, consult our full DLX Classic mattress review for more information.