Best firm mattress
Seventh Classic
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Memorial Day Deal
The best firm mattress for hot sleepers
Brooklyn Beds Aurora Luxe
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The best organic firm mattress
Avocado green rug
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Best firm mattress for back pain
Purple Rejuvenation
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Memorial Day Deal
Best affordable firm mattress
Dreamfoam Dose
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Best firm mattress for heavy sleepers
Helix Plus
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Firm mattresses aren’t for everyone, but if you’re a stomach sleeper, they can be a lifesaver. You may not realize it but the extra firmness helps promote proper spinal alignment. This can help relieve pain and discomfort in your neck, back and hips. Firmness is the criterion, so just because you need a firmer bed doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice pressure relief. The level for you depends on your support needs and personal sleep preferences. Medium-firm mattresses provide some pressure relief, while firm mattresses provide maximum support.
I’ve tested more than 100 different mattresses throughout my career and slept for hours on the job in honor of curating our CNET Best of lists. For our best firm mattress review, we’ve compiled a list of the most comfortable hybrid mattresses, affordable firm beds, memory foam models, and more. Read on to find your ideal mattress match.
Continue below to find your ideal mattress match.
What is the best firm mattress overall?
Getting a feel for the Satava Classic mattress.
Satava Classic is a high-end mattress available in three different firmness levels and two height profiles. Considering that every mattress is made to order, you will definitely get a customized bed tailored to your preferences. It also has an ultra-supportive design, unlike most beds I’ve tested. Inside, the Satava Classic features two coil layers and additional lumbar reinforcement.
Note that all prices quoted are list prices for queen sizes, not including frequent deals that mattress manufacturers offer.
read more: Mattress firmness scale explained
The best firm mattress: video
See CNET Video Maker Owen Poole Review the best firm mattresses.
The best generation mattresses of 2024
Our Decision – The Satava mattress is a premium mattress suitable for a fancy five-star hotel room. Two-thirds of the Satava Classic’s firmness options are at the firm end of the spectrum, giving you the option of buying a hybrid mattress with a medium-firm or solid-firm profile. Looking for even more support? The Satava Classic has two separate coil layers and a lumbar support spinal wire for all the extra reinforcement you could ask for. I also love its warm, airy pillowcases with organic cotton.
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warranty
Lifetime warranty
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Memorial Day Deal
Our Decision – Brooklyn Bedding is known for making quality bedding at affordable prices. Aurora Luxe is no exception. It is a premium mattress with five layers of comfortable foam, pocketed coils and cooling technology. You need to be careful with cooling sleep products because many don’t actually cool you down, but you can rest assured that the CooperFlex foam and Titan Cool Cover keep this mattress physically cool.
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tenacity
Soft: (3) Medium: (5) Middle Generation: (7)
warranty
10 year limited warranty
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Our Decision – Almost as natural as the fruit it’s named after, Avocado Green is a certified organic, eco-friendly mattress. All materials are either recycled or responsibly sourced from organic farms, which adhere to strict regulatory guidelines. Its core, latex-foam comfort material, is perforated, so it also allows for increased airflow and doesn’t retain heat like memory foam. Avocado Green is firm and becomes medium-firm if you add pillow top.
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firmness
7 or medium firm with pillow top (9 or without firm)
warranty
25 year limited warranty
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Our Decision – Nectar is a popular online mattress brand with beds that have a memory foam feel similar to expensive Temper-Pedic mattresses. The best part? The Nectar Bed is a fraction of the cost. After your body warms the foam, the foam gradually conforms to your figure. You will not fall into the sinkhole between the beds. Amrut is fully supportive for firm-bed lovers under the 230-pound range.
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type
Memory foam mattress
warranty
Forever warranty
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Our Decision – When it comes to back pain, support is the name of the game. The Purple Rejuvenate mattress is ultra-supportive with its edge-to-edge zoned coil system that provides targeted support for your lower back.
warranty
10 year warranty
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Our Decision – When you’re looking for the best firm bed with a medium profile, the Winkbed Classic is a quality option that fits the bill. It’s a premium hybrid with a medium-firm model that provides a comfortable, responsive feel like a neutral or blended foam. It’s firm without being overly firm, and each winkbed is put through rigorous simulation to ensure long-lasting durability and support. It’s one of those pillows you’d find in a nice hotel or an expensive Airbnb.
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tenacity
3 firmness level | Soft: Medium-soft or 3 | Luxury Firm: Medium or 5 | Stronger: Middle generation or 7
warranty
Lifetime warranty
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Memorial Day Deal
Our Decision – If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll love the Dreamfoam Dose mattress. Retailing for $240 for the thinnest option, this all-foam bed is affordable and comfortable.
type
Neutral foam mattress
tenacity
Medium to medium generation
warranty
10 year limited warranty
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Our Decision – Sleepers who are overweight and deal with back pain should look for an extra supportive and durable mattress, and the Helix Plus checks those boxes. With thick hybrid construction, a medium-firm profile, and an extra-large pocket coil that can support up to 1,000 pounds, it’s a solid choice that won’t cost an arm and a leg.
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tenacity
Middle Generation: (7)
warranty
15 year limited warranty
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Helix Dawn mattress: The Helix Dawn bed is a very supportive hybrid mattress that can achieve a firm bed just like a plank. Rated around 9 to 10 on the firmness scale, it can be an excellent firm mattress choice for stomach or back sleepers under 230 pounds who want maximum support at an affordable price. I also like its general foamy feel; It is similar to the foam in your favorite comfortable sofa. It is more breathable and more responsive to pressure than memory foam.
Ghostbed Flex Mattress: Rated 6 to 7 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale, the Ghostbed is classified as a medium-firm mattress. It’s made of a latex-like memory foam combination that has a soft, springy feel, but also offers enough support so you don’t feel like you’re sinking into the mattress (and then wake up in pain). It also has two rows of reinforced coils around the edge of the bed that hold the layers up and contribute to excellent edge-to-edge firmness layer support.
read more: The best mattress for side sleepers for 2023
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Video maker Wes Amrit tests the edge support on a mattress
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To test a firm mattress, we use our own instincts and pay attention to how firm the bed feels. Especially compared to other mattresses. We see how the foam responds to our body, how far we move in the bed and how supportive the bed feels in each sleeping position. If a bed presses firmly into our shoulders and hips when we sleep on our sides, that is a good indicator that it is firm.
Read more on how we test mattresses.
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sleeping position
Back and stomach sleepers are the types that usually sleep most comfortably on a firm mattress. Side sleepers usually prefer soft beds that relieve pressure on the hips and shoulders. If you are a side sleeper, you may not want a firm bed.
weight
The lighter you are, the firmer the mattress will feel. People under 150 pounds will likely find a medium-firm bed to be firm. The opposite is true for heavy sleepers; The heavier you are, the softer the bed will feel. If the bed is rated around medium firm and you weigh 245 pounds, it will probably feel closer to medium instead. Keep this in mind when you are shopping for a bed so that you choose the most suitable one.
type of firmness
Not all firm beds are created equal. Beds that are between six and 10 on the firmness scale are considered firm ground. Beds rated around 6 to 8 are considered in the medium-firm range, while 8 to 10 is firm territory. Medium-firm beds provide both pressure relief and support, while firm beds provide maximum support.
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The best firm mattress depends on your personal preferences, body type and sleeping style. We’ve found that some of the best firm mattresses from medium firm to firm include:
- Seventh Classic
- Brooklyn Beds Aurora Luxe
- plank
- Avocado green
- Amrit
- Purple Rejuvenation
- Winkbed
- Dreamfoam Dose
- Helix Plus
It mainly depends on your preferred sleeping position. If you sleep on your back or stomach, a firm mattress does a great job of keeping your neck and spine in proper alignment.
Hotels tend to equip their rooms with beds that fall in the medium to medium-firm range. This way, they can accommodate a wide range of sleeping position options because the bed is neither too firm nor too soft.
Latex foam mattresses are generally the firmest of other foam mattresses, followed by innerspring mattresses. With that being said, there are also plenty of soft latex mattress and inner mattress options on the market. It’s hard to generalize about firm bed mattresses when there are so many different ones on the market.
If you sleep on your back or stomach, a firm mattress can keep your spine and neck in an upright alignment to prevent you from slouching in bed and experiencing back pain. If you are a side sleeper, a firm mattress can push into your body and promote a curved spine.
