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There are plenty of factors that go into getting agood night’s rest,including temperature regulation. If you’ve ever woken up feeling hot and sweaty, no matter how thin yoursheetsare, your mattress may be the issue. Luckily, there are plenty of mattresses on the market that offer cooling effects, but it can be hard to tell which ones are worth investing in and which ones will match your othersleep preferences.To help you out, we’ve rounded up the best cooling mattresses you can buy online, as tested by Strategist editors and writers.
All our reviews are based on atleasta week’s worth of sleep by different types of sleepers, so if you have a preference on firmness, look for the Strategist editor who matches that. If you don’t see something you like here, don’t worry: We’ve reviewed nearly 40 mattresseshere,and we’ve got roundups ofall-foamoptions andfirmmattresses, too. (Note that for ease of comparison, the prices given below are for queen-size mattresses, but all are available in different sizes.)
Whatwe’relookingfor
Material
It’s important to take into account how the mattress is constructed because the type of foam and how it’s layered can factor into temperature regulation and affect how warm or cool you feel on it. The materials will also determine how much support the mattress provides and how comfortable you feel when you lie down at night.
Cooling features
All of the mattresses mentioned in this post have some sort of unique cooling or temperature-regulating feature. Most mattresses on the list feature some sort of cooling foam ormemory foam,but if you’re looking for more options with your temperature regulation, try a mattress with a cooling cover.
Firmness and support
Often, manufacturers rate their mattresses on a firmness scale from 1 to 10, but we’ve seen that the way you sleep will have an impact on the type of mattress you find most comfortable and how you experience its firmness. Side sleepers, for example, need pressure relief on their hips and shoulders along with a mattress that supports the alignment of the spine, shoulders, and pelvis. Back sleepers will do better with a firmer mattress, which helps support the spine, and stomach sleepers often prefer softer mattresses that cradle their body but are not so soft that they sink in.
Best cooling mattress overall
This premium Tuft & Needle mattress features two additional layers of Adaptive Foam compared with the Original’s one. Its two-inch middle layer of Adaptive Foam is infused with a purportedly cooling ceramic gel, and its three-inch top layer of Adaptive Foam is infused with graphite that the brand claims will “pullbody heataway.” When testing it out, Strategist writer Arielle Avila and her boyfriend found it truly cooling:“There were a couple of nights I forgot to turn ourfanon and we didn’t wake up drenched.” As for its firmness, the Mint accommodated both of their preferences — Avila likes something moreplush,while her boyfriend prefers a firm mattress. The Mint was more supportive than their old Zinus mattress, which was great for herboyfriend,who claimed he woke up more refreshed than ever. Avila said she was hesitant about the firmness, but the Mint never felt too firm on her hips orshoulderswhenever she rolled to her side. Instead, she described the feeling as beingcradled,something she also felt when sleeping on her stomach. Avila still has her Tuft & Needle and says it has provided her with very comfortable sleep through twosummers,especially as ahot sleeper,and she never experiencesback pain.
Best (less expensive) cooling mattress
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, this hybrid mattress is a good bet for many types of sleepers searching for a temperature-neutral option. The Ultra Cooling Green Tea Hybrid is 12 inches tall with two inches of cooling gel-infused memory foam, a half-inch of memory foam, and a layer of individually wrapped coils that Zinus says are sorted into seven distinct zones, which means there’s lots of room for airflow. Our sleep writer Amelia Jerden, a back-and-side sleeper, calls this mattress a “true medium” — a little softer and cushier than the mattress-industry standard of medium-firm. “As someone who likes a lot of padding and pressure relief, this slightly soft feel was really comfortable for me,” Jerden says.
Best all-foam cooling mattress
The Nectar Memory-Foam Mattress is an all-foam bed with aquiltedcover on top of layers of “gel-infused”cooling memory foam,support memory foam, and high-density poly foam. In ourguide to the best mattresses,former Strategist senior editor Casey Lewis said the firm mattress “has just the right amount of give, in that it’s comfortable for me to move around on, but I don’t feel anyone (or anything) else moving around.” As for its cooling properties, which Lewis said “sounded a little dubious to me,” they really do work: “My worries about the memory foamoverheatingme never came to fruition… While I still woke up with stress dreams, I never once woke up with sweat-soakedsheets,”she said. When we asked Lewis for an update two years later, she said she still likes that she doesn’t overheat while sleeping. And though she’s now in the market for a biggerbed,she’s going to stick with the Nectar in king size because it has been so comfortable.
Best hybrid cooling mattress
Folks who aren’t sure where to start might try a hybrid mattress, meaning a combination of foam and springs, like Brooklyn Bedding’s best-selling Aurora Luxe.New Yorkdeputy editor Alexis Swerdloffsaysthis mattress, which has three layers of foam topping an eight-inch steel-coil core, feels “luxurious” and “very substantial.”According to the brand,the top layer is constructed with cooling fibers that work with Brooklyn Bedding’s GlacioTex cover to promoteairflowand absorb excessheatfrom the body. Swerdloff says she and her husband both run hot and the mattress’s materials help them sleep cooler than usual. When we asked her for an update after a year, Swerdlofftold us she’s still not having anynight sweats.Note: The Aurora Luxe comes in three firmness levels; Swerdloff recommends going in a firmer direction than you normally might, as she says it “errs on the softer side” (she has a medium-firm).
Best innerspring cooling mattress
Saatva’s Classic innerspring mattress has topped ourextensive best-mattress roundupfor many years.Its spring-heavy design (one level of individually wrapped coils above another layer of recycled-steel coils)allows for better airflow and makes it a solid option for hot sleepers. The Saatva Classic also works well for all sorts of sleeping positions because it’s constructed with a mix of inner springs, memory foam, and a quilted Euro top that’s available in three different firmness levels. Our senior editor Simone Kitchens, a side sleeper who “moves around at night,” says the firmest option gave her a supported feeling and “kept my lower back from collapsing in.”
Best latex cooling mattress
If you want support plus cushioning, the Avocado Green mattress can give you both. Though she’s a back-to-side sleeper who prefers a firmer mattress, our senior writer Liza Corsillo decided to test the brand’s medium, which has an additional two-inch plush Dunlop latex pillow top compared to the firmest option. Corsillo says she’ll always prefer sleeping with the window open (partly because she doesn’t have control over her apartment’s heat) but adds that “hot sleepers should know that the Green mattress is a big improvement over my Casper, which made my night sweats worse.”Avocado mattresses feature organic materials like moisture-wicking wool and latex (made from tree sap), plus pocketed coils, which help to promote air circulation. Corsilloalso appreciates the eco-conscious construction and notes that the Avocado is made without petroleum-based polyurethane foams or chemical adhesives. “I was initially skeptical, but I came to look forward to splaying myself out on the cushy pillow-top layer,” she says.
Best mattress with cooling gel
If you’re not a fan of all-foam mattresses, consider the Purple Mattress. It’s made with a combination of different materials, including several inches of Purple’s proprietary polymer material, a strong but moldable gel-like material that’s been used inmedicalbeds, Dr. Scholl’ssoles,andtoyballs. Former Strategist deputy editor Jason Chen, a side sleeper who prefers a firmer mattress, said in ourbest mattresses shopping guidethat “it was like being cradled rather than smothered, the way I felt on my old foam mattress. With a truly unique construction and anomalous materials, Purple’s mattress is well suited to those whosleep hotand hate foam — and who are game to try something very different.”
Best cooling mattress for athletes
If you’re always moving day and night, Bear’s original, all-foam mattress is made forathletesand active sleepers, with foam layers designed to relieve pressure, keep you cool, andrestore strength.All those benefits are thanks to a mattress cover made of Celliant, a synthetic fiber that’s “designed to direct body heat back into the muscles as restorative infrared heat,” according to some studies. Former senior writer (and devotedrunner) Karen Iorio Adelson tested this mattress with her husband. “It may be totally psychological — my legs did feel fresher and less fatigued than they normally would on days after doingsprintsand thigh-punishingbarreworkouts,”she says in ourguide to the best mattresses.If you’re an athlete or on a rigorousgymschedule, the Bear mattress may be worth the try — but if nothing else, it’s a nice option for stomach or back sleepers who want a touch more support from an all-foam mattress. (And Bear’s 120-night trial allows for hassle-free returns.)
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