The 8 Best Mattresses of 2022

By Corrie Pelc

Everyone has come to realize just how important sleep is. Not only does it allow your body to unwind from the day and recharge itself, but studies now show that proper sleep provides a variety of health benefits, from helping you maintain a healthy weight to lowering your risks for heart attacks and depression.

While there are quite a few factors that play into a person’s ability to sleep soundly each night, one of those is their mattress. Research shows when a person finds the right mattress for them, it has a direct impact on their sleep quality. However, with so many options out there, it's hard to determine what the "right mattress" is without trying them all out.

Here at Hometalk, we want to help narrow down the field with a buyer’s guide of the best mattresses you can buy right now.

How Do I Know What Mattress is Right For Me?

This is a hard question to answer since a mattress that feels great to one person may not feel wonderful to another. A lot of what makes up “comfort” is subjective. However, there are a few things to consider when beginning your mattress shopping:

Mattress Type

In today's market there are three main types of mattresses:

• Innerspring mattresses are what you traditionally think of being inside a mattress. These have small wire coils that give the mattress its "bouncy" feel. The coils can provide firm support for sleepers, and space between coils allows for air circulation, keeping sleepers cool during the night. Many of today’s innerspring mattresses feature individually wrapped coils, which means each coil is housed in a little fabric sleeve. This allows the coils to move and react to pressure individually, helping cut down on residual movement and disturbing your partner’s sleep.
• Foam mattresses are newer to the market and include options like popular memory foam. Foam mattresses can be very supportive yet still soft, as they conform to your body while you’re sleeping. They can also be a great option for relieving pressure on the body while laying down.
• Hybrid mattresses are a combo of foam and innerspring offering the positives of both inner material options.

Some mattresses types (peep our “Best Overall Mattress”) don’t fall into any of the above categories, but instead, have their own patented build that is neither innerspring nor foam.

Mattress Topper

A mattress topper is the material used on top of the mattress that provides added comfort and support. Mattress topper materials can include various types of foams, memory foam gel, merino wool, latex, bamboo, and cotton. Pillow toppers are also popular — this is a mattress topper that looks a bit like a pillow that is attached to the top of the mattress for added fluffiness.

Firmness

The firmness of a mattress is probably the most important — and the hardest — option to figure out when choosing the mattress for you. The right firmness for you depends on quite a few factors, including what position you sleep in, your weight, and if you have any body pains you want to try to eliminate while you sleep. Mattress firmness runs on a scale of 1-10 with the three most common firmnesses being the following:

• Soft is between 1 and 2 on the firmness scale and is best for lightweight sleepers (those weighing 130 pounds or less) and side sleepers.
• Medium-soft is between 3 and 4 on the firmness scale. This is also a good option for lightweight sleepers and side sleepers, but also for combination sleepers (those who rotate through different sleeping positions — side, back, and stomach).
• Medium-firm is between 5 and 7 on the firmness scale. This is a great option for combination and back sleepers, as well as heavy sleepers (those weighing 230 pounds or more). It is also an appropriate firmness for those who supper from back pain.
• Firm mattresses are at the top of

Test Factors We Considered When Picking the Best Mattresses

How did we make our list of the best mattresses? Here are the test factors we used:

• Price: Mattresses come at all different price points, so this is a key factor to consider.
• Mattress Type: Is the mattress made of innerspring, foam, or a combination of the two?
• Firmness: What level of firmness is the mattress?
• Available Sizes: How many sizes is the mattress available in? Standard sizes include twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, and split king.
• Mattress Topper: What type of topper does the mattress come with?
• Mattress Thickness: A mattress’s thickness adds to its comfort, helps determine how easy it will be to get on and off it, and can help determine whether the user’s current bed frame and headboard can accommodate it. Standard mattress thickness is between eight and 12 inches, however, today's mattresses can go as thick as 18 inches.
• Sleep Trial Period: Some mattress manufacturers allow a sleep trial period where the prospective buyer can try the mattress out for a certain number of nights and then return it if it doesn’t work out.
• Warranty: Does the manufacturer stand by its product?

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best mattresses you can buy this year.

Tips to Make Your Mattress Last Longer

Mattresses are certainly not cheap and although all the top picks on our list come with at least a 10-year warranty, you want to ensure it lasts as long as it can and works optimally. Here are some tips to make sure your mattress is a great place to sleep for years to come:

• Use the Right Support — Although it's not always necessary to purchase a new box spring or another type of mattress foundation when switching to a new mattress, you want to make sure the mattress support you do have is correct. Make sure to check the manufacturer's information for your mattress to find out if you need additional support.
• Keep it Protected — Nothing ruins a good night's sleep more than the thought of sleeping on dirt, crumbs, and stains. Keep your mattress spotless by using a waterproof mattress protector.
• Keep it Clean — While a mattress protector certainly helps, you still want to deep clean your mattress at least twice a year to get rid of any body oils, hair, and skin flakes that accumulate over time.
• Rotate! — Rotate your mattress at least every six months 180 degrees, so the foot of the bed now becomes the head of the bed. This helps keep areas of the mattress from getting broken down too quickly.

Do you have a favorite mattress that keeps you comfortable all night long? Tell us about it in the comments below!