Best Queen-Size Mattresses

Our Expert’s Take

If you’re looking for a queen mattress with a wonderful mix of comfort and support, check out the Helix Midnight. Its sturdy, individually wrapped coils and responsive transition foam give it a bit of a bounce without taking away from its pressure-relieving and contouring qualities, thanks to a layer of proprietary foam. This construction makes it particularly comfy for back and side sleepers, and also helps earn the Midnight a 4/5 support score. The mattress earned 4s and above in all  of our other test categories, making it a well-rounded mattress and an easy pick for our top spot.

Peeling back the layers of the Helix Midnight, the bed starts with the brand’s stretchy Breathe Knit cover (98% polyester and 2% lycra). The brand includes an option to upgrade to a GlacioTex™ Cooling Pillow Top (made with high thermal conductivity fibers) to pull heat away from the body for a cooler feel. The comfort layers include the brand’s Memory Plus Foam for a slow-moving feel and joint pain relief, making it great for conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis. Below this are layers of Helix Responsive Foam, a bouncier foam for body contouring and pressure relief that snaps back quickly to prevent you from sinking too deep into the main support layer. The bed’s main support is comprised of 1,000 individually wrapped coils for support and airflow. As far as overall performance in the sleep lab, testers gave the Helix Midnight solid scores of 4/5 in every performance-related category, which in addition to responsiveness includes support, edge support, cooling, and motion transfer.

What We Love About the Helix Midnight

• The Helix Midnight is an excellent match for lightweight sleepers (under 130 lbs), regardless of preferred sleeping position. The top layer of memory foam is soft enough to provide pressure relief for side sleepers, but not so soft that lightweight stomach sleepers will sink uncomfortably far below the surface. 
• The bed’s cooling rating (4.5/5 by testers), is not purely subjective. Based on the results of our heat gun test, the bed’s surface temperature only rose a humble 3.4 degrees F after a quick nap.
• The bed’s perimeter only dropped off by 2.25″ inches under the weight of our heaviest tester, earning the bed a 4/5 edge support score.
• The Helix Midnight can be upgraded to the Midnight Luxe for several hundred extra dollars. While not cheap, the Helix Midnight Luxe offers zoned lumbar support, a quilted pillow top, and a hypoallergenic cooling cover—truly a luxury sleep experience.

What to Keep in Mind About the Helix Midnight

• Unless you’re lightweight, the Helix Midnight isn’t a great option for stomach sleepers. Our average-weight and heavyweight testers felt the Midnight didn’t provide enough support while they were on their stomachs. For a better option, check out the WinkBeds Plus.
• The Helix Midnight did make some slight squeaks and creaks while we tested it. It’s probably not bad enough to affect most people, but if you’re a very light sleeper it could be a problem.

Other User Reviews

Based on 6,604 reviews from the Helix website, this mattress has an average rating of 4.5/5. Two of the most recent 5-star reviews praise the mattress for helping with back pain and hip pain. Looking at the 1-star reviews, many of them state that the Helix Midnight is either too firm or too soft. Remember, this mattress has a 100-night sleep trial, so if you find the firmness is not to your liking you can always return it.

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

Our Expert’s Take

Nectar has that classic, slow-moving memory foam feel that many sleepers love. The bed features a 3″ gel foam layer on top, which is a tad slow to bounce back after pressure—take note if you like a more responsive bed, and the lack of bounce back earned a middling 3/5 responsiveness score in the mattress lab. However, on a positive note, the memory foam layer’s gel infusion kept the mattress cool. Testers awarded the bed 4.5/5 in the cooling category after Nectar nailed our heat gun test. The bed rose only 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer after our tester’s brief nap—exceptionally solid for an all-foam mattress. Below the gel memory foam is a firmer transition layer, and the bed’s main support comes from a 7″ high-density base foam that provides good lumbar support and durability.

While Nectar does have a traditional medium-firm firm, the top layers feel especially plush. That means you should feel loads of pressure relief on this mattress, and very limited motion transfer across the surface, hence the bed’s near-perfect motion transfer score (4.5/5) from testers. Combined with its above-average edge support (earning a 4/5 edge support score after sinking only 3.5″ under our heaviest tester), we think the bed is an excellent pick for couples. Smaller back and side sleepers should especially love the Nectar memory foam bed. For people who weigh less than 200 lbs, testers think this mattress should allow a nice balance of comfort and support.

What We Love About the Nectar

• We consider the Nectar a great mattress for the money, because despite it being affordably priced (under $1,000 for a queen), it has a durable construction that utilizes high-quality materials.
• The Nectar has a medium-firm feel that works very well for most lightweight sleepers, regardless of preferred sleeping position.
• Highly cautious buyers will appreciate that Nectar has a year-long sleep trial and lifetime warranty, which is unusual among the more humbly priced mattresses like Nectar.

What to Keep in Mind About the Nectar

• Heavyweight people tend to sleep best on a firm mattress that will keep them from sinking too far below the surface. The Nectar is too soft to perform well for these folks—the very thing that makes it good for lightweight people makes it bad for heavyweight people.

Other User Reviews

50,470 customer reviews of the Nectar mattress average up to a rating of 4.7/5 on the company website. There are quite a few rave reviews that praise the Nectar for helping to remedy lower back pain.

To learn more, read our full Nectar memory foam mattress review. Or check out our list of Best Memory Foam Mattresses for more great options.

Our Expert’s Take

The DreamCloud scored a 7.5/10 on our firmness scale, making it not only one of the best mattresses but one of the best firmer mattresses. Back sleepers who like a firmer feel should enjoy the balance of comfort and sturdiness. We also found it offered great spinal alignment in this sleep position, which is why we gave it such a high support score (4/5). The pillow top also adds contouring at the surface of the mattress to better fill in and support the lower back area.

Looking at the bed from a top-down view, the DreamCloud mattress stars with an editor-favorite cover — a breathable blend of cashmere and foam that’s smooth and quilted to give it a pillow-top feel, making it one of the softest, most luxurious sleeping surfaces our testers have ever tried. Next under the cover, there’s a soft memory foam layer for comfort and pressure relief, infused with gel to keep it cool, cool enough to earn a 4/5 cooling score in the mattress lab, to be exact. Below that, a firmer foam layer kept sleepers from sinking in too much, without applying too much force on pressure points, earning the bed an overall support score of 4/5. The main support layer, however, comes in the form of individually wrapped coils, also known as “pocketed” coils, referencing the fabric pockets that house the coils to keep them apart. The coils strong support and good airflow and sit on a thin layer of high-density foam.

What We Love About the DreamCloud

• The DreamCloud has temperature regulating materials, like a cashmere-blend cover and gel-infused memory foam, that help keep the mattress from becoming too warm as you sleep on it. 
• This mattress has good durability—we scored it a 4/5 on our test. Hybrids, like the DreamCloud, tend to hold up better under stress than all-foam mattresses do. If you’re after something that will last you up to 10 years if properly cared for, the DreamCloud is a great option.
• For queen-size shoppers on a budget, the DreamCloud is, well, a dream: the sticker price is around $1,400, but you can often snag the bed for closer to $700-$800 since like most mattress companies, the brand runs frequent deals. Find the best sales on DreamCloud during and around the holidays.

What to Keep in Mind About the DreamCloud

• Although firm mattresses tend to be a good match for heavyweight people, the DreamCloud doesn’t quite fit the bill. When our heavier mattress tester rested on the mattress he did not feel properly supported in any of the three sleeping positions. If DreamCloud’s excellent coverage policies, like the 365-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty, appeal to you, but you don’t think the DreamCloud will work for your heavier frame, we’d suggest looking at the hybrid model of the DreamCloud Premier Rest.
• The DreamCloud scored slightly above average in the sleep lab for motion isolation (3/5) and edge support (3/5). For solo sleepers, that should hardly be an issue, but couples considering a queen-size bed may need a more reinforced edge and limits on motion transfer. A great alternative is the Helix Midnight, which we’ll discuss in this review.

Other User Reviews

The DreamCloud mattress has an average rating of 4.6/5 based on 8,939 reviews on the company website. Customers are happy with the mattress’s durability, the company’s customer service and the delivery process. One verified buyer expressed content with his queen-size purchase: “I bought this after trying a mattress from Amazon that I did not like. I love this mattress, it is more than comfortable, large and fluffy with the right amount of sturdiness. 100% happy with my purchase!”

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

Our Expert’s Take

Our testing team are big fans of the WinkBed mattress, a hybrid mattress with a classic innerspring feel. This bed comes in four different firmness levels: Softer, Luxury-Firm, Firmer, and Plus, and we tested the Luxury-Firm, since the model’s medium-firm feel is the most universally appealing to sleepers. But regardless of your sleeping position or body type, you’ll be able to find a firmness level that suits your needs. What makes the WinkBed an excellent queen mattress is its impressive durability (rated 4.5/5 per our tests) and edge support (5/5). With its strong individually-wrapped coils, this mattress has a lifespan between 7–10 years.

The WinkBed mattress also has excellent cooling features that helped it score solidly in the cooling category (4/5), starting with a breathable cover of Tencel (a natural fiber derived from eucalyptus trees). The bed is topped with a comfy Euro-style pillow top with cooling gel-infused foam layers. The coils are also zoned, or firmer in the middle, for extra lumbar support: Testers felt the bed’s 14″ build warranted a perfect 5/5 overall support score.

What We Love About the WinkBed

• The WinkBed is available in multiple firmness options, including the Plus, which is specifically designed to accommodate heavyweight people. With multiple firmness options, you can select the model that best matches your sleep preferences and body type.
• The WinkBed is quite bouncy, thanks largely to the zoned coils used in its construction. This makes it a good choice for combination sleepers, who move around a lot throughout the night, but also couples, as a bouncy mattress makes having sex more comfortable and one that we would recommend as one of the best mattresses for sex.

What to Keep in Mind About the WinkBed

• Like the Saatva, the WinkBed doesn’t isolate motion all that well. If this is an important factor for you in a hybrid bed, we’d suggest one with a slower-moving feel on its surface.

Other User Reviews

On the company website, the WinkBed has over 8,500 reviews, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5. The vast majority of these reviews rate the mattress 5 stars. Customers have a lot of good things to say about the support that the WinkBed provides.

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

Our Expert’s Take

If you want to feel like royalty on your new queen, try the Nolah Evolution. It’s a luxury mattress specializing in durability and cooling. Its ArcticTex cover is literally cool-to-the-touch, testers said, awarding the bed a perfect 5/5 cooling score. Plus, the comfort layers use foam infused with graphite for thermoregulation. A special heat escape gusset takes the cooling an extra step further. With a 15” height and 8” coils, this is also a bed designed for heavier body types, and conscious consumers can rest assured knowing this bed could last over a decade. We gave the bed a 5/5 durability score based on the robust build and materials.

What We Love About the Nolah Evolution

• Like the Birch, the Nolah Evolution earned a perfect score on our cooling test. The mattress employs many of the temperature regulating technologies used by other companies, such as graphite infusions, breathable coils, and a cooling cover. Where the Nolah Evolution stands out is with the heat escape gusset, which provides a channel specifically designed to help heat leave the mattress. 
• This is a very high-quality, durable mattress. It’s quite expensive, but your money will go a long way, as the Nolah Evolution can easily last for upwards of ten years if properly cared for. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Nolah Evolution

• We found the edges of the Nolah Evolution sagged under our weight a bit as we were testing the mattress. This can be a problem if you sleep towards the perimeter of the mattress, or even rely on the edges to support your weight as you get in and out of bed.

Other User Reviews

Based on 875 reviews from the Nolah website, this mattress has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5. One customer who claims to be a senior says that the mattress helped them sleep very well after having back surgery.

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

Our Expert’s Take

Don’t want to break the bank? The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid offers fantastic comfort and support at an affordable price, thanks to Brooklyn Bedding’s vertically integrated business model, i.e., the brand owns its own factory, and can pass on savings to the customer. This hybrid mattress comes in three firmness levels: soft, medium, and firm. Side and back sleepers should be happy with either the soft or medium mattress, while stomach sleepers should find the most support on the firm bed. Because of its versatile nature, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid works well for combination sleepers.

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature mattress has three comfort layers: a 1.5″ Premium Quilted Top that contours and wicks moisture, followed by 1.5″ responsive foam layer, and a 1″ transition layer to prevent sinking. The comfort layers are sandwiched in between a thin, breathable cover (which can be upgraded to the Cloud Pillow Top, which feels even cooler) and a base of 8″ of individually-encased coils that provide support and airflow. The mattress build stands 12” tall and earned a 4/5 overall support score from testers, and 4/5 cooling score.

What We Love About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• The Signature Hybrid is available in three different firmness options: Soft, Medium, and Firm. Our review concerns the Medium version, but it’s safe to assume that the Soft version will perform best for side sleepers, and the Firm version will work well for stomach sleepers. 
• The Medium version, somewhat to our surprise, did a great job of accommodating our lightweight mattress testers. Typically, lightweight people find the most comfort on a softer mattress, but in this case the Signature Hybrid in Medium delivered all the comfort our testers needed.
• The coils do a good job reinforcing the edge of the bed, preventing you from feeling like you’ll spill over the side. Our testers gave the bed a solid 4/5 edge support score reflecting this.

What to Keep in Mind About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• Unlike the Nectar, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid does not do a good job of isolating motion. Its springy, responsive construction makes it easy to move around on, but it also leads to motion reverberation across the mattress surface. 
• The Signature Hybrid doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of a luxury mattress. It’s able to be priced so affordably because it doesn’t include any of the fancy technology that more expensive, high-end products boast. If you’re after a top-of-the-line sleep experience aided by cooling tech and zoned support, we suggest you take a look at our list of the best luxury mattresses.

Other User Reviews

The Signature Hybrid has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on 10,245 reviews from the company website. Reflecting our testers’ thoughts to a T, one verified buyer wrote the following: “Literally awesome. I have slight back problems and I’m a side/stomach sleeper who likes a soft mattress, and this mattress definitely takes the cake. It’s affordable and feels much more like a 2k+ mattress.”

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

Our Expert’s Take

The Saatva is an innerspring mattress cocooned in comfort layers, which technically makes the bed a “hybrid,” although in the mattress world, you’ll see the terms used interchangeably. Our testers consider Saatva to be one of the most versatile, durable and overall best innerspring mattresses on the market. Made with strong coils and a luxurious pillow-top, this bed feels comfortable and supportive.

The Saatva mattress uses an organic cotton cover for breathability, with hypoallergenic and antimicrobial treatments acting like a shield against allergens and mold. Beneath that, a natural thistle-pulp flame barrier (as opposed to fiberglass, the common alternative) ensures safety. The Euro pillow top, with its comfy foam, feels like sinking into a cloud while providing lumbar support. Below, high-density memory foam offers pressure relief. For sturdy support, it has two sets of steel coils: Lumbar Zone pocketed coils that contour like a gentle hug for your back, and durable 13-gauge tempered steel coils to keep the mattress from sagging.

The Saatva Classic comes in three different firmness levels, so it’s easy to find the right bed for you. Back and side sleepers typically prefer the Luxury Firm model, while stomach sleepers feel more supported on the Firm option. Those needing additional pressure relief should opt for the Plush Soft version. We tested the Luxury Firm version of the Saatva in our Austin, TX mattress lab, and the mattress excelled in nearly every key performance metric, scoring near-perfect scores (4.5/5) in overall support, edge support, and responsiveness.

What We Love About the Saatva

• Unlike many of the mattresses you can order online, the Saatva doesn’t arrive compressed inside a cardboard box. So, you don’t need to deal with the hassle of unrolling your new bed and waiting for it to expand. 
• The Saatva mattress is available in different firmnesses, but if you’re a back sleeper we highly recommend the Luxury Firm model. We tested the Luxury Firm and found it to provide a great mix of support and cushioning while we rested on our backs.

What to Keep in Mind About the Saatva

• The Saatva is a springy hybrid mattress with a lot of bounce, which is good for a lot of things, but can be a problem for couples. While your partner tosses and turns on their side of the bed, the motion reverberates across the surface, which may disturb you on your side of the bed. For a mattress that excels at motion isolation, consider the Nectar instead, or check out our best mattresses for couples.

Other User Reviews

The Saatva mattress has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5, based on 3,275 reviews from the company website. Most users have nothing but positive things to say, praising the buying experience and the quality of the Saatva.

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

Our Expert’s Take

The Bear Star Hybrid is a quality mattress in a box with a lengthy 365-night trial period, a lifetime warranty, and free shipping. It scored a 6.5/10 on the firmness scale, making it a medium-firm bed. The hybrid combination of strong coils and a quality foam support layer, along with a 13″ thickness, makes this mattress durable. This construction is ideal for lightweight and average-weight back and side sleepers. Even heavy back sleepers can benefit from the mattress’s comfort and support.

The mattress is more than just your average bed-in-a-box though, and markets itself as the ultimate recovery station. Our testers enjoyed the soft Celliant cover, which is touted to help with muscle recovery for active people and athletes. Our humble mattress lab can’t test those loftier claims about Celliant, but testers certainly felt that the material kept them cool, giving the bed a 4/5 cooling score. The cover also has extra-soft cooling gel foam for added comfort. For a cozy feel, it has two layers of foam: a copper-infused memory foam that cools and relieves pressure, and a responsive comfort foam that keeps you from feeling stuck. Beneath these, individually wrapped coils offer breathability and strong support, earning the bed 4.5/5 overall support and edge support scores.

What We Love About the Bear Star Hybrid

• Purchase of the Bear Star Hybrid comes with a lifetime warranty. 
• This mattress accommodates combination sleepers in several areas. First, it’s very responsive, which means that you shouldn’t have much trouble switching from one position to another on this mattress. Also, the Star Hybrid supports a wide range of sleeping positions. So, regardless of which  position you occupy you should feel comfortable.

What to Keep in Mind About the Bear Star Hybrid

• The Bear Star Hybrid is another mattress that doesn’t isolate motion well. Couples, especially those consisting of light sleepers, will likely want something that does a better job of this. We suggest you consider the Nectar.

Other User Reviews

The Bear Star Hybrid has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on 3,312 reviews from the company website. A handful of reviewers call the mattress the most comfortable they’ve ever slept on. However, 26 customers rated the mattress 1 star out of 5. One user was unhappy with the Bear Star Hybrid’s edge support.

Read our full Bear Star Hybrid mattress review for more information. Or check out our list of Best Mattresses in a Box for other great options.