Best Mattress for Teenagers (2025)

The Nectar mattress is one of our favorites for folks on a budget, and it’s great for teens, too. This all-foam mattress has a firmer, more supportive feel that will help keep teenage sleeper’s spines aligned, plus a subtle cushioning from squishy memory foam at the surface. It also earned a surprising 5/5 score for temperature regulation, so it’s great if your teen sleeps hot. The best part about this bed is that a twin-size Nectar will run you only $349, and you get a year-long sleep trial for your teen to take the bed for a spin.

Our testers most preferred this mattress on their back, myself included. Support is the name of the game with this bed, as it came in at a slightly-firmer 7/10 on the scale for me, but the foam top comfortably molds into the gap in your lower back. “This is really supportive,” said heavyweight tester Matt Schickling, “and I do feel pressure relief in my lower back (which has been bothering me).”

Physical therapist Dr. Hannah Habeeb also corroborated our results, saying that she would recommend this mattress to back sleepers over side sleepers. And good news if your teen is experiencing growing pains or any other discomfort: “I think this bed would help sleepers with back pain find support and contouring to place the spine in a neutral position,” Dr. Habeeb added.

If your teen is also dealing with overheating, the Nectar should help you out here, too. While most foam beds tend to trap heat because of the dense material, the Nectar mattress is outfitted with a cooling cover to combat this. While I wouldn’t call it cool-to-the-touch, I recorded the surface temperature before and after I lay in bed for seven minutes, and there was barely a 4-degree increase. We usually see numbers closer to 7.1 degrees, so this is very impressive, and means the bed should remain temperature-neutral throughout the night.

Another area the Nectar impressed me is in its edge support. Sitting down on the perimeter, it dipped a bit under my weight, which is to be expected from foam. However, lying down at the edge, I felt very secure. There was only a bit more dipping when I lay on my side, but nothing that made me feel like I’d slip off. This means that teens should be able to spread out and make the most of their small space if they have a twin or twin XL bed.

As a combination sleeper, I usually don’t care for the doughy feel that the Nectar has, as I like to launch myself across the surface of my bed when I change positions. While it isn’t bouncy, I certainly would call it more responsive than your typical all-foam bed. Teens who roll from their stomach onto their back or side may encounter some difficulty from this slow-moving feel, but I wouldn’t write the bed off for this sleeper type entirely (it did earn a 4/5 in this category, which isn’t too shabby). However, if you are looking for some amazing bounce, check out a hybrid like the DreamCloud.

You can read more about this bed in our full Nectar mattress review. 

Hybrid mattresses offer a blend of cushioning comfort and robust support because of their combined use of foam and coils. The DreamCloud hybrid is one such bed, with coils to hold you comfortably aloft and foams to relieve pressure as you sink into the mattress. It also earned a perfect 5/5 rating for response, so if your teen is a restless sleeper, they should be able to toss and turn in this bed without feeling “stuck.” This mattress starts at just $399 for a twin size, too. 

We rated this mattress at a slightly firm 7.5/10 on our scale. Dr. Hannah Habeeb found that this yielded a more supportive and spinal-aligning feel in each sleeping position. “It provides really nice support for the lumbar spine when back and side sleeping,” she said. “On the stomach, there’s enough lift at the hips to keep the lower back perfectly straight.”

This was balanced out by the bed’s pressure-relieving ability, for which it earned a 4/5 score. Our testers noticed this effect most while resting on their back. “I’m feeling a lot of cushioning from the quilted cover and it’s filling in the space of my lower back,” said lightweight tester Riley Otis. “If you are a lightweight combination back-and-side sleeper, I think this would be a really good option for you.”

Switching between these positions (or any) as a combination sleeper will be a breeze on the DreamCloud mattress. Another of our in-house testers gave this bed a 5/5 for response, praising its ease of movement. “I didn’t feel stuck in the mattress or that I was fighting the cover to move around,” she said. “The bed has great bounce and responsiveness so it adequately assisted me when changing positions.”

Our tester was also very impressed by the bed’s edge support, which also had a “bouncy-like” feel that helped when getting in and out of bed. She lay down on her back and side at the very perimeter and felt secure. “I tried to change positions and roll to see if my body was unbalanced, but the edge did a great job remaining intact and not collapsing,” she said. She rated edge support at 4.4/5, meaning teens should be able to sit and lie at the edge without sliding off—which is all important when plugging your phone in before heading to sleep.

Where teen sleepers might encounter the most issues with this bed is if they want to feel comfortably swaddled. While this bed relieves pressure, it won’t “hug” you like traditional memory foam does. If you want a bed like that, you might prefer the Nectar Classic, which still has a supportive feel, but more of that doughiness at the surface—and, surprisingly, a slightly better cooling score.

For more, read our DreamCloud mattress review. 

Some teens may fare better on a firmer mattress, whether it’s a matter of preference or necessity. If your teen is primarily a stomach sleeper or weighs over 230 pounds, they’ll probably love the firm, supportive feel of the Helix Dusk mattress. This well-rounded hybrid performed amazingly well across the board in our tests, earning perfect 5/5 scores for response and cooling. It came in at an 8/10 on our firmness scale, which is decidedly firm. It also retails starting at $749 for a twin mattress.

Our heavyweight tester Caine Wilkes said that this mattress felt “really good.” He felt supported throughout his body and also appreciated the bed’s responsiveness. “I don’t feel more pressure in one spot than another and I feel really well aligned,” he added. He most preferred the bed on his back, a sentiment that was echoed by average-weight tester Sosha Lewis.

“I feel a little tiny hug from the pillow top,” she said, calling it more of a “British hug and not a Southern hug.” She added, “It feels like it is filling in my lower back and nicely lifting my hips and butt.” Both Caine and Sosha’s results led to this bed earning a respectable 4.3/5 for pressure relief, suggesting it has enough cushioning to balance out its firmer feel.

The firmness of this bed also gives it a more responsive feel, as there’s little chance of your body sinking in and feeling remotely stuck. “When I’m switching positions it’s like I’m laying on a gym mat and can easily roll around,” said our in-house tester as she moved around on the surface. This earned the bed its 5/5 response score, which means combination-sleeping teens should enjoy seamless position-switching. 

This mattress also received high marks for cooling. Though our tester noted it didn’t feel cool-to-the-touch, the breathable knit top wasn’t particularly hot either. She recorded the surface temperature before and after lying on it for seven minutes to get a feel for how the bed holds onto heat. The measured increase was less than 3 degrees, which is pretty astounding—it’s less than half of our average, 7.1 degrees. Still, our tester didn’t seem to experience any earth-shattering cooling. “I did notice the mattress getting slightly warmer as I laid there, but it did not get hot,” she said. Regardless, overheating shouldn’t be a problem on the Dusk.

The Helix Dusk’s firmer feel is great for alignment and support, but it may pose some issues for certain sleeper types. If your teen is on the lighter side, they may not be able to sink comfortably into the mattress. This is especially true if they sleep on their side, as they’ll want contouring around their hips and shoulders. For a bed that should work for lightweight and side sleeping teens, check out the Helix Midnight, a softer bed by the brand.

Read our full Helix Dusk review for more information.

If budget is your top priority in buying a mattress for your teen, check out the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex mattress. This line comes in both hybrid and foam versions, but if you’re stretching your dollar, choose the foam. It’s the cheapest bed on our list, starting at $325 for a twin mattress. This bed won’t give you the traditional doughiness and super-sink of a memory foam bed, but rather a firmer, more supportive and responsive feel—it earned a 5/5 for response. 

The CopperFlex came in at a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale, skewing a bit firm. “It’s really firm but good for back sleeping,” said lightweight tester Riley Otis. Matt Schickling, our heavyweight tester, actually thought the bed was a bit too soft for his liking. “But I feel really great alignment throughout my body,” he said.

Though the CopperFlex came in a bit low in the pressure relief department, Dr. Habeeb was able to get some cushioning. “It does contour your lower back to where you feel really supported, especially when sleeping on your back and stomach,” she said. She added that this could “definitely help mitigate pain in the lower back during the night,” if that’s something your teen complains of.

Foam beds aren’t often known for having a springy surface, but since there’s little risk of the firm CopperFlex sinking around your body, it doesn’t hold onto you as you maneuver on top. “It’s super easy to move around,” our in-house tester said as she switched positions on the surface. “It doesn’t trap the body, nor do I feel like I need extra effort.” She heartily recommended the bed for combination sleepers.

Our tester also thought the mattress had great edge support. She was able to sit on the edge with only a slight bit of sinkage, and that was when she forcibly put all her weight on the very perimeter. “Lying down, I don’t feel like I’m going to roll off at all,” she added. “On my back, the hip closer to the edge is sinking a teeny bit, but it’s not concerning at all.” If your teen sleeps with one leg off the bed, they should have no problems doing so on this mattress.

If your teen is a hot sleeper, however, you might want to opt for a bed that performed better in our cooling test. Our tester lay on the surface of the mattress for about seven minutes, and in that timeframe, our temperature gun recorded a 9.3-degree increase. Though our tester didn’t overheat to the point of discomfort, hot sleepers may want to check out the Leesa Original. This all-foam bed scored a 5/5 for cooling.

For more about this bed, read our full Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex mattress review.

Maybe you have the extra cash to spend, or you’re hoping to repurpose this bed after your teen moves out. A luxury option that provides plenty of bang for its buck is the WinkBed mattress, which starts at $849 for a twin size. This hybrid features a sumptuous pillow top and sturdy innerspring unit. It’s available in multiple firmness levels, but its Luxury Firm option is a versatile medium-firm that should accommodate a variety of teenage sleepers. It also scored high for edge support (4.4/5), speaking further to the bed’s durability and the strength of its coil layer.

The Luxury Firm model of the WinkBed came in at a 6.5/10 on our firmness scale, true medium-firm. While this makes it a versatile option, our testers most enjoyed the mattress on their back. “If I owned this bed I would become a back sleeper,” said Sosha Lewis, average-weight tester and dedicated side sleeper. “It is somehow firm with a light touch, and contours well around my lower back, which is a problem area for me.”

Dr. Hannah Habeeb agreed, adding that this balance of support and cushioning should work great for pain relief. “I think people with back pain can enjoy the support system that keeps the spine very straight,” she said. She did add that the Luxury Firm might be a bit too firm for light sleepers who need pressure relief, but luckily, the WinkBed comes in a softer model. There’s even a Plus model for folks who are over 230 pounds.

Regardless of which model works best for you, all should offer the same robust edge support. My colleague Melanie Kassel was very impressed with the edge support when she sat on the side of the bed; the only slipping she encountered was that from her silky pajamas, but the perimeter never collapsed under her weight. Lying down at the edge was an even better story: “If my eyes had been closed, I would not have been able to tell you I was near the edge,” she said. This means teenage sleepers should have full use of the mattress surface, which is great if they have a smaller bed.

Melanie was also impressed by how the bed performed in her cooling test. She used a thermal gun to record the surface temperature of the bed before and after a seven-minute nap on it, and found that the temperature rose about 6.7 degrees, just a little less than our average of 7.1 degrees. Melanie added that she “could see the thermal imaging gun keep decreasing as we aimed it at the bed during the second reading,” which she thought was a further sign of great cooling. “I didn’t feel a ton of iciness at the surface, it stayed neutral all around my body,” she said, rating the overall cooling ability at 4/5.

Melanie thought that as a hybrid, the WinkBed would have a more bouncy feel. “But there’s something about the denseness of the base that muffles the recoil from the springs,” she said. “The plush pillow top also doesn’t assist with movement.” Combination sleepers like myself who want ease of movement on the surface may want to opt for a bouncy bed. I recommend the Helix Dusk, also on this list.

For more, read our full WinkBed mattress review.

If your teenager complains of overheating during the night, they might need an upgrade to a cooling mattress like the Leesa Original. Most all-foam mattresses like the Leesa are notorious for trapping heat in their dense layers, but its breathable construction allows air to keep flowing. It earned a 5/5 score in our cooling test, alongside another perfect score for response and high marks for pressure relief (4.5/5) despite its firmer feel. This mattress retails at around $600 for a twin with frequent discounts.

The Leesa Original mattress came in at an 8/10 on our firmness scale, which is quite firm. However, this firmness is balanced out by contouring pressure relief. Heavyweight tester Caine Wilkes found it more supportive than other foam beds he’d tried. “I am not really sinking into it and it still feels comfortable,” he said. “I don’t feel any pressure points on my side or back.” 

Dr. Hannah Habeeb praised how the bed was able to keep her spine neutral, which could help alleviate any discomfort or growing pains for teens. However, she was hesitant to recommend it to lightweight sleepers because of its firmer feel, adding, “I could see some unnecessary pressure buildup.” However, lightweight tester Riley Otis also loved the bed on her back: “I don’t have any pain or pressure, and I feel very comfortable, cozy and supported,” she said.

Our in-house tester noted that the firmness of this mattress didn’t allow her to sink into the surface. This made it easier to move around, though, which she appreciated. “When changing positions it was very easy, and I didn’t notice any effort needed to lift my body out of the mattress,” she said. If your teen switches between multiple sleeping positions or is generally restless, they won’t be feeling “stuck” in their mattress as they toss and turn.

Though the Leesa Original possesses very few active cooling features (i.e. no gel-infused foam layers), our tester still found it cool-to-the-touch when she rested on the bed for a few minutes. “It was almost a little chilly at first,” she said. “As I lay there, I noticed it did get more comfortable in temperature but never too warm.” Hot sleepers should be more than pleased with these results.

Edge support for the Leesa Original was more of a mixed bag. Though our tester felt secure and comfortable lying on the edge of the bed, she explained that she thought it was because her weight was more evenly distributed. Sitting down at the edge, however, she did notice “moderate sinkage.” She added that the closer she scooted to the edge, the more likely she felt to slide right off. If your teen likes to sit on the edge of their mattress to tie their shoes or scroll on their phone, they might do better on a bed with strong edges like the WinkBed.

Find out more about this mattress in our dedicated Leesa Original review.

Foam mattresses are some of the best for maximizing comfort while balling on a budget. A firmer option like the Bear Original mattress also has less of the pitfalls associated with traditional foam beds: This mattress has a more breathable construction, and a surface that’s easier to move around on without feeling stuck. It earned its highest score in edge support (4.2/5), which speaks to its durability, but also should allow teens to make the full use of available surface area. A twin-size Bear Original also only costs $417.

The Bear Original came in at 7/10 on our firmness scale, which is just a smidge firmer than medium-firm. Dr. Hannah Habeeb found the mattress a little too firm for her tastes, but noted that her spinal alignment was great on her back. “I think people with back pain can appreciate the firmer support that doesn’t allow for much sinkage,” she added.

Backing her up is Kate Meier, our Senior Director of Content. Kate’s owned the Bear Original for multiple years, and was so pleased with how her back felt on the bed that she ordered it a second time and passed her older model down to her son. She credits the mattress with playing a role in alleviating her back pain, and noticed that she was “nowhere near as stiff and in pain in the mornings” after purchasing it.

These results can vary from person-to-person, though, as our heavyweight tester Matt Schickling actually noted quite a bit of sinkage along his bottom half when he lay on his back. “I immediately felt some pressure buildup in my lower back, but it’s dissipating as time goes on and the mattress contours to me,” he said when he first got on the bed. However, after a few more minutes of resting, the pressure felt more evenly distributed. “I do feel pretty well and evenly supported,” he finished.

While it doesn’t have the same bounce of a bed with coils, the Bear Original’s firmness did give it a leg up in the response test. “Because the foam is firmer, I was always right at the surface rather than sucked into the layers,” said my colleague Melanie Kassel as she rolled around on the mattress. “It never ‘held onto’ me or made me feel trapped.” She rated the bed’s response at 4/5, which means that switching positions shouldn’t require any extra effort.

This firmer feel also led the Bear Original to earn a 4.2/5 for edge support. Rather than Melanie’s personal experience, this rating came from our weighted edge support tests, in which we stack weights at the perimeter of the bed to mimic sleepers of different body types sitting at the edge. The edges never dipped more than 3 inches, even at the heaviest weight, which is a sign that they should hold up for any teens who like to use their bed as an extra chair. 

Melanie did find that the perimeter drooped the most while lying on her side at the edge, so she warned side sleepers might feel like they’re slipping in this instance. Teens who sleep on their side may also want something with a touch more give around the hips and shoulders. While it’s a bit more expensive, the Bear Elite Hybrid by the same brand offers a lot more pressure relief—as well as multiple firmness options for your choosing. 

For more about this bed, read our full Bear Original review.

Sleepers over 230 pounds, regardless of age, need a super-sturdy and supportive sleep surface to keep them from sinking in too far. This is why Brooklyn Bedding created the Titan Plus, a mattress designed specifically to combat this sinkage. This durable hybrid has a slightly firm feel that should accommodate not just plus-size teen sleepers, but also those wanting more lift. It earned a 5/5 for edge support and response, and retails starting at under $500 for a twin size. 

We rated the Titan Plus at a 7/10 on our firmness scale, which is actually only slightly firmer than typical medium-firm. Heavyweight tester Matt Schickling tried out this mattress on his back and side, but found it better on his back: “It’s not uncomfortable, but I probably wouldn’t steer side sleepers toward this mattress,” he said. On his back, he was able to achieve plenty of spinal alignment and comfortable contouring. “It feels more pressure-relieving on my back than my side,” Matt said.

On the other hand, Dr. Hannah Habeeb, an average-weight sleeper, actually found pressure relief in both situations. She didn’t feel any pressure on her hip or shoulder while lying on her side, and thought the mattress conformed to her body really well. The mattress also filled in the gap at her lumbar spine for pressure-relieving support on her back. “Although it’s firm, it still has the cushioning feel that we commonly associate with orthopedic beds,” she said. 

My colleague Cait Giddings handled the other performance tests for this mattress and was most impressed by the bed’s response and edge support. She encountered the first while moving around on the surface of the mattress and toggling through each sleeping position. “The soft memory foam layer on top of this mattress is thin and the layers beneath are so bouncy that switching positions requires almost no effort,” she said. “The mattress essentially turns into a springboard when you need to move around.” Restless teens should have no issues tossing and turning on the surface of the Titan Plus.

Cait witnessed virtually no sinkage as she sat and lay down at the edge of the mattress, too. “The general firmness of the bed continues all the way to its perimeter and makes it easy to bounce in and out with zero flagging in support,” she said. “No matter how close I got to the edge of the bed when lying down—even when I dangled off the side to reach my phone on the floor—the bed supported me with no dipping or sagging.” This is not only helpful for teens who may wish to dangle off the side, but it’s a sign of the bed’s durability. If the edges don’t sag, it’s likely the case for the rest of the bed.

While Cait found the mattress to be relatively temperature-neutral during our cooling test, the thermal gun recorded a whopping 11.2-degree increase on the bed’s surface after she took a short nap on it. “It felt fairly crisp when I lay on it and didn’t feel like it warmed beneath me while I was lying on it,” she noted. “The memory foam surface layer must have trapped more heat than I expected.” She added that she wasn’t worried about hot sleepers overheating, but teens looking for a super-cool mattress might prefer something like the Leesa Original.

Read our full Titan Plus mattress review to find out more.