Best Firm Mattresses

The Plank Firm Luxe stands at 13″ tall with a .75″ quilted cover top on the firm side and a 1.5″ quilted top on the extra-firm side. Our testers found both sides to offer a cool (4/5) and breathable sleeping surface that hot sleepers can enjoy. Under the less firm side is a 2″ high-density support foam; beneath the firmer side is a 1″ comfort foam and another 2″ layer of high-density support foam. While the bed obviously lacks the plush feeling of less firm mattresses, testers felt very supported and comfortable on the bed’s exterior cover layers. At the bed’s core is a 6″ layer of at least 961 individually encased coils to further support throughout the bed, promote airflow, and isolate disruptive motion.

What We Love About the Plank Firm Luxe

• The bed is great for all types of stomach sleepers. Furthermore, the bed’s multiple firmness options allow stomach sleepers of all shapes and sizes to get that precise firmness level they need.
• The bed’s hybrid design of a coiled core and breathable quilted cover top work together to preserve a cool sleeping experience on its surface, making it a great mattress for hot sleepers who want a firmer bed.
• The firm structure of the Plank Firm Luxe gives it near-perfect edge support (4.5/5). This quality level of edge support means you can expect consistent support across the entirety of the bed’s surface. Furthermore, the Luxe’s exceptional edge support makes it an excellent option for people who struggle to get in and out of bed. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Plank Firm Luxe

• 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.
• Except for some heavier side sleepers, most side sleepers will not get the pressure relief they need on the Plank Firm Luxe.

Other user reviews

The Plank Firm Luxe’s website had around 1,963 customer reviews, with an average score of 4.7/5. One verified customer described the Luxe’s appeal succinctly: “It’s a very comfortable firm mattress that doesn’t hurt our backs.”

Plank Firm Luxe Specs

Read our full Plank Firm Luxe mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses for more great options.

The Helix Dawn mattress gives you a choice between two covers: Breathe Knit or GlacioTex™ Cooling Pillow Top. The regular polyester and lycra cover felt cool to our testers, but GlacioTex™ (which uses higher thermal conductivity fibers to dissipate heat) is ideal if you tend to sleep hot. The comfort layers, including the Helix Dynamic Foam, are like a firm and responsive alternative to latex, and an additional firm foam layer underneath kept testers from sinking in too deep. The support layer has individually wrapped coils to reduce motion transfer (rated 4/5 by testers), with reinforced edges for extra stability (4/5 edge support score), and a solid foam base to hold everything together. It stands 12″ tall, providing a solid foundation for your sleep.

What We Love About the Helix Dawn

• We love that Helix mattresses are upgradeable. The Helix Dawn, for example, can be upgraded to the Helix Dawn Luxe or Helix Dawn Elite, which provide more robust cooling features and zoned support (great for heavy people). That said, the standard model of the Helix Dawn is great in its own right and is more affordable than the Luxe and Elite versions.
• The Helix Dawn scored a 4/5 on all our seven performance tests, which measure such factors as edge support, motion transfer, and cooling. This indicates a well-rounded mattress that didn’t blow us away on any metric but performs very well across the board. 
• Its hybrid construction gives the mattress a balanced feel. The coils also promote airflow, which helps sleepers stay cool during the night.

What to Keep in Mind About the Helix Dawn

• While most would consider the Helix Dawn to be a very firm mattress, we understand that there are some people out there who would consider it too soft. It comes in at a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale—if you want something a little bit stiffer than that (which might especially be true for heavyweight stomach sleepers) we suggest you check out the Plank Firm instead.

Other user reviews

This mattress has an average score of 4.4/5 based on 1,232 reviews from the Helix website. Users respond well to the support the mattress provides, stating that the construction allows them to sink in all the right places. Negative reviews point out that the Helix Dawn begins to lose its structural integrity, and even fall apart, soon after unboxing.

Helix Dawn Specs

Read our full Helix Dawn mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Hybrid Mattresses for more great options.

The Saatva mattress has an organic cotton cover that breathes like a fresh breeze, helping you stay cool at night: Our testers gave the bed 4/5 stars for the bed’s cooling prowess. The Saatva Classic is also highly hypoallergenic, with a natural antimicrobial treatment to keep allergens and dirt at bay. Beneath the cover, there’s a natural flame barrier, avoiding the use of fiberglass. The top layer is like a hotel pillow top, with cushy foam quilted in for comfort, and it’s firmer in the middle to give your lower back extra support. Underneath, you’ve got two layers of steel coils: one to contour your body and another, tough as nails, to keep the mattress from sagging over time, earning the bed overall support and edge support scores of 4.5/5.

What We Love About the Saatva

• The Saatva’s hybrid construction gives it a nice bounciness that makes it quite easy to move around on. This is an essential factor for combination sleepers, who switch sleeping positions throughout the night. Rather than making it difficult to get from your back to your side to your stomach, the Saatva almost makes it feel like it’s propelling you from one position to the next. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Saatva

• Like the Titan Plus, the Saatva mattress didn’t impress us with its ability to isolate motion. In fact, what makes the Saatva so good for combination sleepers is also what leads to the prevalence of motion transfer in the mattress. If you sleep with a partner and this is a concern of yours, we again suggest that you check out the Bear mattress.

Other user reviews

Based on 2,983 customer reviews on the Saatva website, this mattress has an average score of 4.8/5. While not every review focuses on the firm version of the Saatva, there seems to be consensus among the positive reviews that the customer service and overall quality of the mattress are fantastic. That said, some people have had problems with the mattress sagging after a short period of time.

Saatva Specs

Read our full Saatva mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Innerspring Mattresses for more great options.

Let’s dive more into the WinkBed mattress construction, which strikes us as akin to a luxurious layer cake, with an extra, fluffy, cloud-like top. The top is swaddled in a breathable Tencel cover that keeps things cool and dry, and the WinkBed did well on our heat gun test: the bed’s surface temperature rose by 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit after a tester’s nap, earning the bed’s 4/5 cooling score. Beneath that, there’s a Euro-style pillow top made of foam with a bit of gel to keep the heat away, giving you that plush, cozy feeling. Testers said they loved the “floaty” feeling they have on the surface of the WinkBed. The foundation is a layer of individually wrapped coils, zoned to provide extra support where you need it most, especially in the middle. Testers give the bed a perfect 5/5 edge support and overall support score. Even though it’s not the cheapest mattress on the market, you should find that it’s worth the investment.

What We Love About the WinkBed

• The WinkBed provides wonderful, zoned support across its entire surface, which is great news for people with back pain. Basically, the mattress is constructed in a way that accounts for the shape of the human body, providing different levels of support to different areas. The result is phenomenal spinal alignment, which is necessary in mitigating, or even preventing, back pain.
• This is a very durable mattress that will likely maintain its structural integrity for many years, if properly cared for. So, while it may be a bit pricey you can feel good knowing that your money will go a long way with the WinkBed.
• The “Firmer” model offers plenty of hip support for stomach sleepers. If you rest in this position, you shouldn’t feel your back craning out of alignment. And if you’re a combination sleeper, the bed’s bouncy responsiveness (4.5/5) will suit your ability to switch to and from your stomach nicely.
• We talk and talk about the support the WinkBed offers, so much so that it’s worth reiterating just how cozy this mattress is as well. The quilted foam sleep surface oozes luxury like that of a 5-star hotel.

What to Keep in Mind About the WinkBed

• The WinkBed’s motion isolation is nothing to write home about. During our test, we found movements reverberated from one side of the bed to the other—enough to disturb a light sleeper. Consider the Bear mattress if you’re after a mattress that excels in this field, or check out our best mattresses for couples.
• The WinkBed has a bouncy, responsive feel that might be unappealing if you’re after something with a memory-foam feel.

Other user reviews

Based on 8,419 reviews on the company website, the WinkBed earned an average score of 4.8/5. Positive reviews mention the pain relief that the WinkBed provides, as well as the luxurious sleep that the mattress offers. Negative reviews point out that the firmness they selected ended up being either too firm or too soft for them. 

Winkbed Specs

Read our full WinkBeds mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers for more great options.

Under the Bear’s cover, gel-infused memory foam cradles you while staying cool. A dynamic foam layer supports your spine and keeps you from sinking too much. We gave the Bear an overall support score of 4/5. The base is made of thick, high-density foam for a solid foundation that supports and cushions all the layers atop, ensuring durability over time.

What We Love About the Bear

• Like most other all-foam beds, the Bear mattress is very good at isolating motion. Its all-foam construction absorbs bounce with each movement, so when you toss and turn on your side of the bed your partner likely won’t feel it on theirs. Testers gave the bed a score of 4.5/5 for its ability to stop disruptive motion.
• The Bear is quite affordable, coming in at under $1,000 for a queen. For a mattress of this quality, it’s hard to beat that price point. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Bear

• This mattress is on the softer side of firm. For this reason, we can’t recommend it for stomach sleepers, especially heavyweight stomach sleepers. Instead, you’ll want to seek out a mattress that will do a better job of propping your hips up, thereby keeping your spine properly aligned. If this sounds like you, consider the Plank Firm.
• Because of its all-foam construction, the Bear isn’t all that bouncy. This might make it difficult for you to change sleeping positions, and also means it isn’t the best mattress for sex.

Other user reviews

The Bear mattress has an average rating of 4.4/5 based on 10,132 customer reviews from the company website. Some positive reviews point out that the mattress’s medium firmness provides the perfect balance of comfort and support. Negative reviews point out that the mattress sleeps hotter than they would like. 

Bear Plus Specs

Learn more in our full Bear mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Medium-Firm Mattresses for more great options.

The bed starts with a polyester cover quilted with gel memory foam for added cooling and plushness. You can also opt for an even cooler GlacioTex cover, for a little over $100. Beneath that, there’s 2″ of TitanFlex foam that gives you a nice mix of contouring and pressure relief. The main support comes from 8″ of heavy-duty TitanCore coils, built to last and prevent sagging, all supported by a thin layer of high-density foam. We rate the overall support and edge support of the mattress at a 4.5/5.

What We Love About the Titan Plus

• Because the Titan Plus was designed specifically for heavyweight people it offers plenty of support across the mattress surface (including the perimeter). The level of support, in addition to the 9/10 firmness rating, helps ensure that larger sleepers won’t sink uncomfortably into the mattress surface.
• We were impressed with this mattress’s cooling ability. It boasts a breathable coil layer and gel infusions to help promote thermoregulation and airflow. If you sleep hot, the Titan Plus should relieve this problem to some extent, hence the bed’s 4.5/5 cooling score.

What to Keep in Mind About the Titan Plus

• The Titan Plus, like many hybrid mattresses, doesn’t do a good job of isolating motion. What this means for you is that if you share your bed with a partner or pet, you’re likely to feel their movements as they toss and turn throughout the night. This is bad news for light sleepers. If good motion isolation is important to you, we suggest you check out the Bear.

Other user reviews

The Titan Plus has an average rating of 4.7/5 based on 2,475 reviews on the company website. Some users appreciate how truly firm the mattress is, while those who were unhappy with the product point out that it didn’t help as much with their back pain as they expected it to.

Titan Plus Specs

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 mattress is exceptionally well performing in the sleep lab, with cooling being a standout feature. Based on our heat gun test, the temperature of the sleep surface only rose 5 degrees Fahrenheit after a nap test, making the bed one of the most cooling to emerge from our mattress lab, and earning a 5/5 cooling score. And again, the bed performs well overall, earning 4/5 scores in every major sleep performance-related category, including motion transfer edge support, overall support and responsiveness.

What We Love About the Nolah Evolution

• Again, we’ll note that the Nolah Evolution earned a rare perfect score on our cooling test. All the usual suspects are present here—graphite-infused foam to help dissipate heat, an innerspring system that promotes airflow, and a breathable cover. What the Nolah Evolution has that sets it apart from other cooling mattresses is a gusset that provides a channel specifically for heat to escape. This addition takes it over the top and earns it a place amongst the best cooling mattresses we’ve ever tested.
• This mattress is impressively constructed, as reflected by the perfect score it earned on our durability test. If properly cared for, you can expect it to last for upwards of ten years.

What to Keep in Mind About the Nolah Evolution

• The Nolah Evolution is quite expensive. While we think the quality of the product justifies the high price, we also think there are plenty of other great mattresses out there that can be purchased for cheaper. For some of our favorite options, check out the best affordable mattress page.

Other user reviews

The Nolah Evolution has an average rating of 4.9/5, based on 810 user reviews from the company website. Positive reviews reflect the cooling capabilities that we also highlighted in our review of the mattress, while some negative reviews point out that the mattress is quite high, making it difficult to get in and out of bed.

Nolah Evolution Specs

Read our full Nolah Evolution mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Cooling Mattresses for more great options.

The Emma Hybrid Comfort starts with a soft, moisture-wicking cover that helps prevent night sweats by keeping things cool. Beneath that, there are three layers of foam: Breezy Airgocell foam to pull heat away, a memory foam layer for added pressure relief, and a responsive foam for a bit of bounce and to keep you from sinking too deep. The support comes from seven-zone individually wrapped coils designed to keep your spine aligned, all resting on a sturdy base foam layer. Altogether, the mattress stands 13″ tall, and earned an overall support score of 4.5/5 from testers. Another good feature for couples is the bed’s near-perfect edge support (4.5/5), especially if your partner tends to usurp the center of the bed.

What We Love About the Emma Hybrid Comfort

• The Emma Hybrid Comfort has some great, sturdy edges. That might sound like a strange thing to care about but think about how often you find yourself either sitting or lying along the perimeter of the bed. Good edge support ensures that the mattress will remain composed under your weight rather than sagging.
• This mattress offers great support, which is important for all types of sleepers, but especially those who weigh 230 lbs or more. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Emma Hybrid Comfort

• The Emma Hybrid Comfort is designed with supporting heavier weights in mind, which makes it a good fit for some couples (as its high scores in support and motion transfer indicate) but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a good fit for couples. Remember, you need to keep both parties’ sleep preferences in mind while shopping. The perfect firmness level for you might be too firm for your partner. In instances where your needs differ drastically, we recommend a customizable, split mattress like the Saatva Solaire so that you can both have your needs met.

Other user reviews

The Emma mattress has an average score of 4.7/5 based on 262 customer reviews from the company website. The positive reviews praise the balance of comfort and support that the mattress provides, while the negative reviews largely focus on what they describe as very bad customer service.

Emma Hybrid Comfort Specs

Read our full Emma Hybrid Comfort mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses for Couples for more great options.

The firm model offers ample lumbar support for back sleepers, and it’s made with durable coils and memory foam that should last at least a decade. Plus, this hybrid mattress is made at Brooklyn Bedding’s owned-and-operated Arizona factory, allowing the brand to pass manufacturing savings onto the customer.

Layers of bouncy foam give you that firm give-and-take, and coils add support and airflow. Testers gave the bed an overall 4/5 score for its firm support. 

What We Love About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid’s construction includes temperature-regulating materials, such as an optional cooling cover, and individually-wrapped coils. As a result, the hybrid bed does a good job of temperature regulation and dissipating heat, earning a high score from testers in the cooling category (4/5).
• Although some hybrid beds have more of a slow-moving memory foam feel, sleepers who love the feel of a bouncy innerspring mattress should enjoy the responsiveness of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid. 
• The firm model of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature offers plenty of lumbar support, which makes it a great option for most back sleepers.

What to Keep in Mind About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• The 10-year warranty on the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is not as generous as most comparable beds.
• The bed’s mediocre motion transfer score (3/5) could be a concern for couples, especially if one or both people is easily awoken by their partner’s night moves.

Other user reviews

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid has an average score of 4.6/5 based on nearly 11,000 user reviews on the company website. Verified buyer Stephan G. wrote that after breaking in the firm model of the mattress, the feel was “perfect”: “It was a little too hard at first, but it has broken in very nicely and feels perfect now,” he wrote, adding “For this level of quality, I would say that this mattress is very affordable.” Some of the less glowing reviews ultimately found the firm model to be overly rigid. 

Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Specs

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.

All the materials are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certified, i.e., third-party verified to be sustainably produced and free from synthetic foams. The quality and breathability of the construction helped the bed earn perfect scores from testers for overall support and cooling. 

What We Love About the Birch Natural

• The Birch impressed testers with its edge support, earning 4.5/5 for its well-reinforced perimeter. This is a great trait for couples who share the bed and therefore can’t hog the middle to themselves.
• The hybrid bed is overall one of the top performers in the mattress lab, thanks in large part to its Talalay latex layer, which adds support, durability, and breathability. 
• Latex is a highly durable material, so environmentally conscious consumers won’t have to worry about prematurely sending their bed to a landfill. You should get at least a decade of use out of this bed.

What to Keep in Mind About the Birch Natural

• This mattress does a less-than-average job of isolating motion. As we’ve mentioned, this is a very important factor for couples, particularly if one or both parties are easily disturbed. 
• Conscientiousness comes at a cost — although Birch isn’t the priciest mattress ever, its organic materials do make it slightly pricier than some comparable hybrids.

Other user reviews

The Birch Natural has an average rating of 4.6/5, based on more than 4,000 customer reviews from the company website. Verified buyer Michele L. bought a second Birch after loving the first: “We bought the first one for our vacation home and we slept so well we had to buy another for our main house. I love that it is organic and non-toxic (so hard to find), I love that it is reasonably priced, I love how easy it is to order online, how quickly it is delivered and that it comes in a box!” Some side sleepers found the bed to be too firm.

Birch Natural Specs

Read our full Birch Mattress Review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Organic & Non-Toxic Mattresses for more great options.