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Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
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McKenzie, a Certified Sleep Science Coach and proclaimed mattress expert, has been writing sleep content in the wellness space for over four years. After earning her certification from the Spencer Institute and dedicating hundreds of hours to sleep research, she has extensive knowledge on the topic and how to improve your quality of rest. Having more experience with lying on mattresses than most, McKenzie has reviewed over 150 beds and a variety of different sleep products including pillows, mattress toppers and sheets. McKenzie has also been a guest on multiple radio shows including WGN Chicago as a sleep expert and contributed sleep advice to over 50 different websites.
Expertise Certified Sleep Science Coach, Certified Stress Management Coach, Bachelor of English.
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When it comes to holiday shopping, Amazon truly is Santa’s workshop -- stocked with everything you could dream of, including your next mattress. No need to brave the awkwardness of testing public beds under the fluorescent lights of your local store. With Amazon, you can browse top-notch mattresses from the comfort of home. Big-name brands? They’ve got them -- like Nectar’s plush memory foam options -- and plenty of budget-friendly finds to boot.
Our team of sleep experts has tested the best mattresses Amazon has to offer to meet every sleep style and need. From cloud-like memory foam to cooling designs that banish night sweats, we’ve put our experience testing over 300 beds to work to find the top options. With testers representing different body types, sleeping positions and preferences, we’ve curated a list guaranteed to help you -- and anyone on your gift list -- sleep better this holiday season.
What’s the best mattress to buy on Amazon overall?
If you want a mattress from Amazon made by a trustworthy brand that’s both comfortable and affordable, the Nectar Premier is one of our team’s favorite picks. It’s a crowd-favorite bed perfect for memory foam lovers who want a mattress that’s not too dense but still perfectly cradles their curves. It's available in an all-foam or hybrid construction. The average person will like this bed, though it might be a little too firm for petite sleepers or side sleepers.
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Why we chose the Nectar Premier Hybrid: The best overall mattress on Amazon is the Nectar Premier. It’s a 13-inch thick mattress that’s a memory foam lover’s dream. It’s more responsive than the Nectar Original mattress, meaning it won’t be as dense and slow-moving. There’s no question it still feels like memory foam.
The Nectar Premier is available in an all-foam and hybrid construction. The hybrid version will give you more support and durability in the long run, especially for heavier people. You’ll also get a bit more bounce and airflow thanks to coils, although it sacrifices some motion isolation.
The Nectar Premier is around medium firmness. Any sleeping position can sleep comfortably on it. It’s an excellent choice for couples with different sleeping positions and who need a bed that accommodates both.
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Why we chose the Tuft and Needle Hybrid: A hybrid bed contains foam and steel coils. This typically makes them more durable and more expensive, but not in this case. I think the Tuft and Needle Nod Hybrid is the best mattress to buy on Amazon that has a coil and foam construction.
Tuft and Needle are up there in popularity with Nectar, and the Nod is its Amazon-exclusive bed. The hybrid model is 10 inches thick and has a three-layer construction fit with 6-inch coils and two layers of foam. It’s a safe pick because it’s generally comfortable for any sleeping position or body type and is cheaper than most competitors.
A 10-inch Tuft and Needle Nod Hybrid mattress in a queen size will usually run you around $999, but can sometimes be found on sale for less.
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Why we chose the Awara Premier: Latex mattresses are a hot commodity on Amazon, as a few of our picks are sold out or nearly so. The Awara Premier is the premium version of one of our personal favorites, the Awara 10-inch Hybrid.
This one is 12 inches thick with 8-inch pocketed coils, four inches of latex foam and a natural wool and organic Euro-top. It looks and feels like a fancy mattress but has good value. Mattresses made with natural latex are hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and eco-friendly. Considering this and its strong hybrid construction, it could sell for over $1,650. A queen size goes for just under $1,400 on Amazon.
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Why we chose the Amazon Basics mattress: Amazon couldn’t sell other brands' mattresses without jumping in for a piece of the pie. The result is the most affordable mattress on Amazon with the queen-size 8-inch bed retailing for only $277. It has a pressure-relieving memory foam top layer and is available in multiple firmness options. Although the mattress is topped with memory foam, you'll get more of a neutral foam feel when you lie on it. You're not going to sink very far into the memory foam like Nectar.
You can also choose among multiple height options, but the 10-inch mattress offers a good balance between value and construction. The thicker the Amazon Basics bed, the more you’re going to pay. If you have a low budget and just want a good bed, we think this will be one of your best bets.
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Why we chose the Lucid Memory Foam mattress: The Lucid 10-inch memory foam mattress on Amazon checks boxes for people who like the dense, hugging feel of memory foam and want to pay a minimum price. It’s one of the cheaper picks on our list next to the AmazonBasics mattress.
The primary comfort layer in this all-foam mattress is gel memory foam, which helps regulate temperature better than traditional memory foam. It also has a slow-responding feel that takes a few moments to respond to pressure and bounce back to normal. You get the slow, sinking feeling of memory foam with the Lucid mattress. Memory foam lovers of all sleeping positions can enjoy the Lucid 10-inch Memory Foam bed because it’s available in all firmness levels.
CNET video producer Jon Gomez captures mattress expert Dillon Payne testing the edge support of a mattress.
Aly Lopez/CNETCNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
Firmness: Our team takes turns trying out the mattress and laying on top to determine if it’s soft, firm or somewhere in between. Firmness level is an important factor in choosing the best mattress for you.
Feel: We get hands-on with our mattresses; we squish, squeeze and lay on the beds to get a feel for the materials inside. Memory foam makes a mattress slow-responding and pressure relieving, while coils or latex foam are bouncy.
Durability: We typically analyze construction to get a sense of how durable a mattress is, since most of our beds don’t go through the type of wear and tear in our testing period that occurs over the eight-plus years you’ll be sleeping on it. Hybrid mattresses made with coils are more durable and long-lasting than foam beds.
Body type: Heavier individuals should opt for a hybrid mattress because these types of beds offer more support and durability, especially in the long run.
Sleeping position: We get really physical and flip around the mattresses, testing each sleeping position: side, back, stomach and combination.
Motion isolation: If you sleep with a partner you’ll want to consider this feature. We test motion isolation by placing a cup of water at the end of a bed and bouncing it around to test how well it absorbs motion.
Edge support: We analyze a mattress's materials and physically lay on each edge of the mattress to get a feel for how well it'll keep us feeling sturdy.
Firmness
This is something you should consider when looking for any mattress. Side sleepers usually prefer a softer mattress that provides give and comfort underneath the hips and shoulders. Back and stomach sleepers will like a firmer mattress that provides back support.
Body type
Our best mattresses on Amazon include a few hybrid picks, which are great for heavier sleepers or anyone looking for additional back support.
Customer reviews
One of the most important things you can do when choosing your next bed is read customer reviews. They will give you first-hand experiences of how the bed was delivered and how it feels.
Mattress type
There are several mattress types to choose from. Memory foam and hybrid constructions are the most popular, though latex and innerspring mattresses are also popular. Deciding what type of mattress you want will help narrow down your options and find your next bed faster.
Trial
When it comes to buying a bed online, you should consider the length of time you get to test your mattress "risk-free." It takes around 30 days for your body to become acclimated to a mattress, so some people need a longer trial period.
Warranty
A bed’s warranty partly speaks to its durability and how long a brand is willing to back its product. In our experience, the most quality, long-lasting mattresses come with longer warranty periods.
Yes, Amazon carries several beds from popular name brands and even makes its own mattresses. While you won’t find a full catalog of brands, you can find some good wallet-friendly picks.
We recommend the Nectar Premier Hybrid, along with a handful of other beds the CNET sleep editors have personally tested from Amazon.
You can return most mattresses you buy on Amazon, but every bed has its own trial period. Make sure to read up on return and trial policies before buying a mattress on Amazon.
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