Finding a mattress that works for your own needs can be daunting, but finding one that accommodates both you and your partner can seem near impossible. The best mattresses for couples provide proper edge support, motion isolation and moderate firmness to ensure a restful night’s sleep for you and your bedmate. Our top pick for a couples’ mattress in 2024, Bear’s Elite Hybrid Mattress, offers cooling capabilities, zoned coils for support and lets you choose your desired firmness.
A restful shared slumber isn’t impossible, and with one of the best mattresses for couples, you and ... [+] your bedmate can both wake up happy.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailer
If you’re a couple with different sleeping styles or needs, you might worry that shopping for a mattress might require one, or both, to compromise. Luckily, mattresses today are capable of catering to multiple sleep styles and preferences. Some of the best mattresses for couples also offer customization and enhanced technologies to address specific needs. Ahead, find a list of our top picks for 2024.
In our testing, we found the Bear Elite Hybrid to be the best mattress for couples, offering excellent edge support, motion isolation, ease of movement and cooling. The mattress is available in three different firmnesses (soft, medium, firm) but for couples unsure about which level to choose, we recommend the medium model. It features a balanced feel that can accommodate different sleeping positions and body types. Zoned coils within the mattress help promote spinal alignment and target key areas like the lower back, while coils around the perimeter of the mattress aid in edge support, which in turn makes the mattress feel bigger.
What our editors and the reviews say: “The Bear Elite Hybrid tested well in all the areas that are important to couples. It offers solid support, pressure relief, cooling and motion isolation—and it has a luxury feel,” says senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman. “My husband and I tried two prior [mattresses] to this one with no luck. This one is perfect,” says a reviewer who has the medium model. “We’ve only had it for about two months but no complaints as of now. Very cozy yet firm.” Another adds, “My wife and I both love the support and the firmness. The hybrid dynamic of coils and memory foam makes for a very comfortable bed.”
Some reviewers mention off-gassing during initial unboxing
Feels firmer at first
Nectar’s Premier Copper memory foam mattress has all the features you want in a memory foam bed without a hefty price tag. It’s swathed in copper fiber and has an entire layer of cooling material to help conduct heat away from your body. An extra inch of foam creates a little more density and minimizes motion transfer. Meaning, your partner shouldn’t wake you up during nighttime bathroom runs. Five different layers—three of which are foam—in this mattress create an overall feeling of cushiony support. And it comes with an impressive 365-night trial period. You can read more in our full Nectar Premier Copper Mattress review.
What the reviews say: “This is the best mattress I’ve ever owned,” says one reviewer. “I had back problems and bought this king-size mattress. Now, all of my back aches have gone away. My wife pulled a back muscle and after sleeping the other night, her pain was gone in the morning. I usually don't write reviews and I wasn't asked to write this one, but I wanted to let people know what a magic bed this is.” Another adds, “[The] mattress is comfortable and supportive from the first night. Our 'getting old' joints are less sore and we sleep better.”
Best Cooling Mattress For Couples
A Luxe Mattress With Your Choice Of Cooling Covers
Helix Sleep
Helix Dusk Luxe Mattress (Queen)
Height: 14 inches |Type: Hybrid |Firmness level: Medium (5 to 7 out of 10) |Trial period: 100 nights |Warranty: 15 years
What you’ll love:
Pulls heat away from the body
Ideal for both side and stomach sleepers
Keep in mind:
Pricey compared to other models on this list
Tend to run hot? The Helix Dusk Luxe is specially designed to help prevent sweating while you snooze. Not only does the mattress have built-in cooling features, it also offers up the option to choose between two different cooling covers—a breathable Tencel cover (which maximizes airflow) or GlacioTex Cooling Cover, which pulls heat away from your body. This mattress has a feel that’s not too firm or too soft, making it a good fit for couples who can’t decide on a firmness level.
What the reviews say: “The Helix Dusk Luxe was extremely comfortable right from the start, and hasn't given me any issues,” says a reviewer. “I have bad neck, shoulder and back pain—I often wake up feeling completely stiff, but not with Helix. The cooling effect definitely works too; both my partner and I are furnaces at night but like to wrap up in blankets, and neither of us has woken up sweaty once.”
Best Budget Mattress For Couples
A Highly-Rated Option Under $600 For A Queen
Emma US
Emma Original Mattress (Queen)
Type: Memory foam | Firmness level: Medium | Trial period: 365 nights | Warranty: 10 years
What you’ll love:
Great price point
Three layers of cushioning, spine-aligning support
Excellent motion isolation
Keep in mind:
On the thinner side at 10 inches deep
Our tester says it’s firmer than advertised
The Emma Original Mattress is a budget-friendly, all-foam mattress with great motion isolation and support. It has a few standout features as well. The soft cover unzips, making it completely removable for easy cleaning, and the brand’s proprietary foam is designed for enhanced breathability and temperature regulation. In the support layer, three adaptive zones are engineered for counter pressure to help maintain spinal alignment in any sleep position. All of the foams in the Emma Original are CertiPur-US certified.
What the reviews say: “The mattress is beyond comfortable,” writes one reviewer. “I feel supported no matter what position I sleep in. The mattress also transfers very little vibration, so when my partner turns over in her sleep, I'm none the wiser, unlike my old box spring mattress where you felt every little jerk or movement. This was money well spent.”
With a mix of memory foam and innerspring coils, the DreamCloud Premier mattress offers up the best of both worlds. It contains a total of six layers of coils and various foams, including a cashmere-blend cover over an inch of high-loft memory foam for a luxurious-yet-supportive feel. Stay-put technology helps ensure you won’t wake up when your partner rolls around at night, while the coils are carefully positioned to increase airflow, keeping you cool while you sleep.
What the reviews say: “I'm a side sleeper and I've been sleeping on the DreamCloud mattress for months now. I'm really happy with it. It's the most comfortable mattress I've ever slept on,” a reviewer writes. “It provides good support and pressure relief, I don't wake up with any aches or pains. The mattress is also very quiet, so I don't disturb my partner when I move around.”
Breathable cover promotes more airflow than the average foam mattress
Keep in mind:
Less thick compared to other mattresses on our list
For couples who sleep on their side, a memory foam mattress like the Leesa Original is a great option. Cozy and supportive, it’s made with four different layers of foam; the topmost layers cradle your curves, while the base layers push back against your movements and prevent excess sinkage. Plus, the lack of coils equates to little to no motion transfer—ideal for those who struggle with disturbing their partners when moving around at night.
What the reviews say: “I prefer a firmer mattress and my partner prefers a soft mattress, so I was worried that this might not work for us, especially because he's heavier and I'd read some concerns about memory foam with heavier weights,” explains a reviewer. “Fortunately, this mattress is working out well for us—I liked it right away, as it feels firm but supportive as it fits to my body. For him, it took a few nights for the mattress to feel broken in to his preferred level of softness, but now it's working great for him.”
Best Luxury Mattress For Couples
Customizable Firmness And Heat With The Touch Of A Button
The Sleep Number Climate360 was designed with couples in mind. This mattress has dual controls to allow each of you to customize your sleep experience, from firmness to desired temperature. A big draw is the smart bed’s temperature regulation, delivering cooling and warmth to keep both of you comfortable. Dual firmness adjustability allows each bedmate the ability to set their desired sleep number, ranging from 0 (very soft) to 100 (very firm). Active air technology lets you change the temperature of your mattress from cool to warm by up to 30 degrees. An adjustable smart base also gives the option to raise the head and feet of the bed as needed—a nice perk if one partner snores. There’s even a foot warmer for cool nights or to help those who have poor circulation. This mattress has tiny microsensors built in to track your movement, heart rate and sleep cycles, delivering a Sleep Score to you through the included app. Couples will also appreciate the limited motion transfer, particularly in split mattress sizes.
What our editors say: “I’m a hot sleeper, and the Sleep Number Climate360’s cool temperature mode is no joke,” shared editor McKenzie Dillon. “Inside the bed is a thermoregulator that sucks body heat away from your body, delivering a relieving and comfortable feel. If you’re a cold sleeper, you can turn the temperature up on your side for a toasty, warm-to-the-touch feel.” Dillon also revealed that the motion isolation is top notch. “This bed is practically designed for couples to achieve their best rest. You can barely feel your partner move in the night.”
Best Mattress For Heavy Couples
Targeted Pressure Relief And Supports Up To 1,000 Pounds
You need a mattress that’s right for your body type—and the Helix Plus is inclusive of everyone. This mattress is a hybrid innerspring with a weight capacity of up to 1,000 pounds combined or 500 pounds per side. (By comparison, most mattresses support about 500 pounds overall.) The Helix Plus has specialized features to accommodate larger bodies, including high-density foams, targeted pressure relief and reinforced steel coils from edge to edge for support and motion isolation. An ultra-dense foam layer up top also helps keep you from sinking too far into the surface of the mattress. While the standard knit cover is breathable, you have the option of upgrading to a GlacoTex pillow top for extra padding and cooling technology.
What the reviews say: “My husband is a big and tall dude who had some hip issues with our old foam bed,” shared an owner. “He needed more support but we both loved the softness of a memory foam. This seems to be a great balance between the two. It gives us both great support but still has some softness to it.” Another revealed, “I'm on the bigger side and have had very expensive beds that end up with an indent within months. This one just springs back every day.”
Best Organic Mattress For Couples
A Certified Organic Mattress With Premium Upgrades
Made with organic and responsibly sourced materials
GOTS and Greenguard Gold certified
Keep in mind:
Pricey
Some reviewers say it’s on the firmer side
The Birch Luxe is made entirely with organic and natural materials, but it doesn’t compromise on comfort or support. Organic cotton and wool layers top natural latex for breathability, softness and pressure relief. In the support layer beneath, up to 1,000 individually wrapped coils are reinforced for extra support beneath the hips and along the perimeter. The Birch Luxe has a quilted Euro top for plushness, but the mattress itself is on the firmer side, about a 6 to 7 on Birch’s 10-point firmness scale. It also has all the certifications that eco-minded couples could want, including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Greenguard Gold and Fair Trade, indicating a high level of safety and sustainability.
What the reviews say: “This is the third Birch Mattress in our family. We appreciate the sustainability factors and mostly the comfort,” writes one reviewer. Another says, “I feel peace of mind knowing it’s made from sustainable, nontoxic materials and is chemical-free. I’m chemically sensitive and I’ve had no adverse reaction.”
Medium to medium-firm feel is a great firmness compromise for couples
Keep in mind:
Some reviewers mention slower delivery
Leesa made our list again with the Sapira Hybrid Mattress. In fact, we recommended this mattress in our picks of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers in 2024. The Sapira has an ideal firmness for stomach sleepers, but it’s soft enough to comfortably support those who may find themselves rolling to their side or flipping to their back at some point in the night. That’s thanks to three layers of foam atop a spring coil base, which also helps ensure reasonable motion isolation. The hybrid construction and moisture-wicking cover in the Sapira boost breathability as well.
What the reviews say: “This mattress has been a game changer,” says one reviewer. “I don’t feel my partner get in and out of bed, it’s comfortable for me as a side sleeper and him as a tum sleeper, and we both think it’s improved our sleep.”
This story is regularly updated and was last edited in June 2024 to add new mattress picks to the list, more information to our shopping guide and to expand on frequently asked questions about the best mattresses for couples.
How We Chose The Best Mattresses For Couples
We selected the best mattresses for couples based on research and recommendations from editors who have tried some of these mattresses firsthand.
To start, we looked at reputable mattress brands and narrowed down our list by examining which models are proficient in motion isolation, support and durability (since these mattresses need to adequately support two sleepers).
We also took a look at each bed’s cooling properties as couples tend to generate more body heat.
And for couples who want ample time to test run their mattress, we took trial period into account, too. To round out our list, we read hundreds of customer reviews and only included picks with excellent feedback and over 4-star ratings.
What To Consider In The Best Mattresses For Couples
A mattress is a big investment; you want to do your best to select one that makes you and your partner happy. Consider these factors while you shop.
Mattress Type
Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses are an older style of mattress and feature coils that lend extra edge support. The coils also provide more airflow, which helps keep hot sleepers cooler at night. However, innerspring mattresses have the most motion transfer, so they aren’t the best choice if your partner moves around a lot at night.
Memory foam: Memory foam mattresses contain doughy, cushy layers that mold to your body. The foam provides pressure and back relief, which is ideal for those who suffer from joint pain or sleep on their sides. This type isn’t the best choice for hot sleepers, though, as foam tends to trap heat.
Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses feature a mix of materials. This type is one of the the most popular choices for couples given its best-of-both-worlds features: responsiveness, support and cooling thanks to the coils, and pressure relief and ample contouring due to foam comfort layers.
Latex: Latex mattresses are some of the most supportive and durable types of mattresses, which makes them a great option for couples. All-natural latex beds are also naturally breathable, bouncy and pressure-relieving, however, they do tend to run more pricey than any other type.
Motion Transfer
Some mattresses include special materials and foam to help minimize the feeling of movement in bed. So, if your partner gets up to grab a glass of water in the middle of the night, they won’t disturb you.
Memory foam mattresses typically have better motion isolation than hybrid models. However, if you don’t like the feel of sinking into your bed, a hybrid mattress can still be a good choice. Just make sure you get one with plenty of foam comfort layers and reinforced edges. Innerspring mattresses have the most bounce, so they’re not ideal for minimizing motion transfer.
Support
Delivering sufficient support is a fundamental function of a mattress. Ensuring that your body is fully supported from head to toe keeps aches and pains at bay. But a mattress for couples also needs to be durable enough to properly support the weight of two people, not just one. To find a mattress that’s up to the task, look for premium materials, like high-density, certified foams and sturdy innersprings.
Couples with a high combined weight (around 500 pounds) likely do best with a mattress that’s specifically designed to support more weight, like the Saatva HD. These mattresses are made with reinforced springs and thicker comfort layers to reduce the likelihood of premature sagging and indentations.
Edge Support
Couples who enjoy spreading out and maximizing their sleep space benefit from a mattress that offers great support around the perimeter. The smaller the mattress, the more important edge support becomes. “If you share a queen-sized bed, the mattress perimeter should support your weight without sagging so you don't gravitate to the middle of the bed and crowd one another,” says Stephen Light, CEO of Nolah.
He adds that hybrid mattresses often excel in edge support because of the structure and strength their coils provide. “While all-foam mattresses don't perform as well in this area, some models have reinforced edges with denser foam for more support,” notes Light. Sufficient edge support also makes it easier to get in and out of bed and helps you avoid the sensation that you’re going to slide to the floor if you sit on the side of the bed.
Noise Reduction
Light sleepers in particular should aim to find a quiet mattress to avoid being disrupted by creaking springs or rustling mattress covers every time their partner rolls over. Thanks to their innerspring layers, hybrid mattresses are more likely to start squeaking than their all-foam counterparts, but this shouldn’t be an issue with many modern hybrids. If noise reduction is an important consideration for you, look for a mattress with great motion isolation. The same materials that absorb movement tend to be among the quietest.
Firmness
The right firmness level for you is largely a personal decision: Some people prefer firmer mattresses while other opt for softer surfaces. If you and your partner need to compromise, go for a medium to medium-firm mattress. This middle-of-the-road firmness typically works for most people and various sleeping positions.
If you and your sleeping partner still can’t agree on a firmness level, there’s a solution: a split king mattress. Since these mattresses (which are essentially two twin XL beds pushed together) are completely independent, you can each choose your own firmness level. That being said, you may have to purchase two twin XL beds and make your own “split king,” rather than ordering one as is. Some mattress companies don’t let you choose different firmness levels if you order it as one piece. If you opt to purchase two separate beds, make sure they’re the same height—especially if they’re different models, or from two separate companies.
Cooling
Hot sleepers aren’t the only ones who need a mattress that promotes airflow—couples also tend to generate more body heat, making cooling an important consideration. Mattresses made with innerspring coils and breathable materials like bamboo (rayon or viscose), gel-infused foam and latex are ideal for keeping you cool at night.
Price
Like when shopping for any big ticket item, make sure to keep your budget in mind when shopping for a new mattress. Mattresses for couples can range in price from $200 to well over $2,500, but for a high-quality bed that can stand the test of time, you likely need to spend $1,000 to $2,000 for a queen size. For couples looking for a king-size mattress, expect to pay a bit more.
Body Type
Your body type and that of your partner can influence the best mattress for you. People with larger bodies tend to sink in more, making it important to choose a mattress with added firmness and support. Conversely, those with lower weights may find that firm and even medium-firm mattresses feel too hard. If you and your partner have different body types, it’s worth considering a mattress with customizable firmness on each side to ensure everyone gets their way.
Sleeping Position
Your preferred sleeping position will often dictate the ideal mattress firmness for you. Back sleepers tend to get the most support and comfort out of medium-firm to firm mattresses, while stomach sleepers often prefer medium to medium-firm models. Side sleepers typically feel the most comfortable with soft to medium firmness levels, for more give around the shoulders and hips.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which Mattress Is Best For Couples?
It really comes down to your personal preference, but our top pick for 2024 is the Bear Elite Hybrid, which offers a customizable firmness and excellent edge support. If you both sleep extra hot, the Helix Dusk Luxe is a great cooling mattress for couples. Keep in mind that hybrid mattresses tend to be the most popular choices for couples given their responsiveness and excellent motion isolation.
Which Mattress Is Best For Couples With Different Weights?
Most couples don’t weigh the same, but if two partners have significantly different weights, it’s best to go with a medium-firm to firm mattress that offers ample support. That way, the mattress is sturdy enough to accommodate heavyweight sleepers, but also strikes a balance between soft and firm so that average-weight to lighter weight sleepers are comfortable.
Is Memory Foam Good For Two People?
Yes, memory foam can be an excellent option for couples; it isolates motion beautifully and provides exceptional comfort. Thanks to its dense properties, partners who toss and turn in the night aren’t likely to disturb one another in the same way they would on a classic innerspring or even some hybrid mattresses. In other words, memory foam absorbs movement, keeping you from feeling a ripple effect from your partner’s activity.
How Thick Should A Mattress Be For A Couple?
The average mattress thickness is 10 inches, and you’ll typically want something that’s around or above that height. Taller mattresses have more material underneath, which usually translates to added support and durability. A loftier mattress also has a thicker base for enhanced longevity. You can technically get a thinner mattress and do just fine. However, shorter mattresses are more prone to sagging with time and may not end up being as comfortable as a thicker mattress with more support.
