As members of the Forbes Vetted sleep team, we’ve put over 100 memory foam mattresses to the test. To determine which memory foam mattresses are truly standout beds, we recruited a panel of testers to put 20 top-rated contenders to the test. The emerged as the overall favorite: Its comfortable feel appealed to the widest variety of sleepers and positions. The quality is also comparable to higher-end beds, like our pick for best luxury, the , but with a more affordable price tag.
During our panel tests, we rated each contender’s performance in pressure relief, motion isolation, comfort in different sleeping positions, edge support and more. After incorporating our personal experience and feedback from our testing panel—which represented a variety of different sleep preferences, heights and body types—we deemed nine of the highest-scoring beds as worthy recommendations for this list.
Why We Named It Best Overall
The Nectar Premier is our favorite memory foam mattress of 2026 because it’s surprisingly cool and easy to move on. Even as someone who isn’t a fan of traditional foam beds, I was impressed by how it supports your weight without that “stuck-in-bed” feeling. This is largely due to a cooling cover that’s significantly more breathable than the (the brand’s entry-level model), plus a responsive transition layer that pushes back against the body when you switch positions.
How It Performed During Testing
During testing, we found that this updated model is soft and marshmallowy, and a bit more responsive to pressure than the previous version. Described by one tester as “dense, doughy and slow-moving,” it offers top-notch motion isolation to help deaden movement across the mattress, receiving a score of 8.5 out of 10 for this criterion.
It’s worth mentioning that our testers found the , our choice for the best luxury memory foam mattress, to be a close runner-up, but we think the Nectar Premier offers a better value.
The 2026 Forbes Vetted Best Product Awards are here: Explore our 150 top-recommended items across categories after extensive research and testing.
Why We Named It Best Luxury
Tempur-Pedic is a well-established brand in the sleep industry, having perfected the comfort of its memory foam technology through years of experience. The entry-level Tempur-Adapt is the most affordable in its Adapt collection, and it’s my favorite from the brand because of its value compared to Tempur-Pedic’s pricier options. It features a host of high-end features, including a cool-to-the-touch cover and layers of the brand’s proprietary Tempur-Material that provides support and adapts to your pressure points for what the brand describes as “personalized comfort.”
How It Performed During Testing
According to mattress and sleep updates writer Alexandra Garrett, who tested this model, “This mattress has everything memory foam fans could need. It’s cool to the touch, squishy and responsive. Overall, it feels very luxurious.” Later, during long-term testing, one hot-sleeping tester notes it slept cooler than her prior mattress, and she was no longer waking up in a sweat.
The Tempur-Adapt also offers great pressure relief for most sleeping positions, with our panel testers rating it an 8.5 out of 10 in this category. “Lying on my side on the Tempur-Adapt is just as comfortable as sleeping on my back,” says Garrett. “It provides a nice touch of pressure relief for my shoulders and hips.” It tested well for motion isolation, as well, which is a great perk for couples who don’t want to be bothered by each other’s movements.
Related: See more details in our Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Mattress review.
Why We Named It Best Soft
The Amerisleep AS5 Mattress is one of the softest beds that our editors and team members have ever tested. With its eco-friendly and breathable memory foam design, it dethroned the , our former top soft pick, because of its ultra-plush profile. It’s made with a foam that the brand calls “BioPur,” a plant-based, fiberglass-free and non-toxic material that our testers say provides excellent pressure relief for a side sleeper’s shoulder and hips.
How It Performed During Testing
“I could gladly sleep an entire night on my side on the Amerisleep AS5,” says Garrett. “My hips and shoulders feel hugged by the bed, which releases any pressure buildup. Overall, I feel very relaxed and comfortable.” Another tester adds, “It’s very contouring to the shape of your body and feels rather plush.”
Like many other memory foam mattresses we’ve reviewed, this model has great motion isolation; our testers scored it an 8 out of 10 for its ability to absorb movement. Many also called out its noticeably cool-to-the-touch feel, with one person saying they could feel its chill through their jeans, and another comparing it to the GlacioTex cover on the editor-favorite . This is one of the bed’s best standout features, as memory foam can retain heat if it isn’t designed with some kind of temperature-regulating component.
Why We Named It Best Budget
The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is a testament to how less can be more; its simple two-layer construction appeals to thousands of customers who can vouch for the comfort it offers at an affordable price. It beat out our prior choice for the best budget memory foam mattress because of its more accommodating firmness profile and a responsive feel that our testers appreciated. It’s also between $50 and $2,000 less expensive than other memory foam mattresses in this guide.
How It Performed During Testing
One tester calls it extremely comfortable and compares it to the feel of a hybrid mattress. “Pure memory foam mattresses typically feel slightly uncomfortable for me, but this [one] has a light bounce to it without providing sinkage from the foam.” It has an open-cell foam design that makes it lighter and airier than a dense memory foam bed like a Nectar or Tempur-Pedic model. And thanks to this construction, our testers found it offers superb ease of movement and rated it an 8 out of 10 in this category.
The mattress is soft and cushy underneath the hips and shoulders for side sleepers and supportive enough to promote spinal alignment in back sleepers; in fact, some testers found it was a touch firmer than its “medium” profile rating. “There is no pressure buildup around my shoulder or hip,” says one tester. “It’s rated a medium but it feels like my joints are cradled without being too soft (I prefer a medium-soft firmness).”
Why We Named It Best Cooling
If heat has you lying awake at night, the GhostBed Luxe may be an ideal mattress for your needs. Several of the mattresses on this list feature cooling tech, but the GhostBed Luxe takes it up a notch with multiple layers of cooling materials that actively work to cool you down while you sleep. It features “Ghost Ice” fabric in the cover for a cool-to-the-touch feel, followed by layers of gel memory foam and cooling fibers for additional temperature regulation.
How It Performed During Testing
While testing the hybrid model of the GhostBed Luxe, its cooling cover—which is also on the GhostBed Luxe memory foam model—stood out compared to other mattresses. “The cover feels cool to the touch and I don’t notice any heat buildup, which is a plus considering memory foam beds can sleep hot,” says Garrett. “I really enjoy this mattress, especially the cooling aspect of the cover,” says another tester.
We found that the hybrid version offers a medium firmness feel that works well for back and side sleepers; the brand says the memory foam version is a bit firmer (medium-firm), making it better for back and combination sleepers needing pressure relief. It’s a bit more responsive than a typical memory foam mattress as well, so you shouldn’t feel stuck in the foam layers.
Why We Named It Best Firm
The Plank Firm mattress is one of the firmest mattresses we’ve ever tested. It’s 9 inches thick, with four memory foam layers and a flippable design. One side of the bed is considered firm, and the other is extra-firm; this allows sleepers to choose the support and firmness level that works best for them. The Plank Firm also features a quilted top and bottom, and if you sleep hot, you can add a cooling cover for about $100 more.
How It Performed During Testing
Despite being an all-foam bed, it offers ample support from edge to edge for stomach sleepers and many back sleepers who prefer a firm feel. We scored it an 8 out of 10 for both sleep postures, and one tester says, “Sleeping on my back feels great. There is a sense of weightlessness when you’re sleeping on this mattress, and a lot of pressure alleviation in the lower back.” And while stomach sleeping, one tester says their hips stayed aligned and they didn’t experience any lower back discomfort.
For couples, this bed has the strongest edge support on our list (9.5 out of 10, based on our testing) and it also offers top-notch motion isolation (8 out of 10). And for heavyweight individuals, we recommend the extra-firm side, since they tend to sink into a mattress more.
Why We Named It Best For Back Pain
Saatva mattresses are known for their ultra-supportive, strong and high-quality materials, and the Contour5 is no different. In the center third of the mattress under the lumbar region sits the brand’s “CoolVent System” with a “Lumbar Zone PCM Matrix”—which are essentially comfortable slits that reinforce the spine and contain phase-change material to help dissipate heat. Thanks to this lumbar support feature and multiple firmness options to choose from, our editors think it’s an optimal choice for the best memory foam mattress for back pain.
How It Performed During Testing
Our testers tried the medium model and found it accommodates multiple sleeping positions: One noted that when lying on their back, they were very comfortable, didn’t experience any misalignment and felt well-supported from their mid to lower body. As for side sleeping, one tester says, “As someone who frequently wakes up with hip and lower back pain, I can see this one supporting me all night.” If you live with back pain and sleep on your back or stomach, the firm model is the most accommodating choice. Side sleepers with back pain should consider the medium model.
We also found that it offers solid motion isolation and good ease of movement; we scored both categories an 8 out of 10.
Related: Read more firsthand insights in our Saatva Contour5 review.
Why We Named It Best For Side Sleepers
The 10.5-inch Layla Memory Foam Mattress, like the Plank, has a flippable design that offers two firmness levels in one. However, the Layla mattress is much more plush and pressure relieving, ideal for side sleepers who need a soft, contouring bed to cradle their hips and shoulders. The memory foam inside this bed is also copper-infused, which is a conductive material that’s designed to draw body heat away from you for a cooler, more comfortable sleep.
How It Performed During Testing
The Layla Memory Foam Mattress received high scores for both side and back sleeping during our testing, earning an 8.5 out of 10 and 9 out of 10, respectively. “I almost fell asleep during testing when I was laying on my side on the Layla Memory Foam,” says Garrett. “It provides a nice amount of pressure relief for my hips and shoulders, and my back stays in a comfortable, neutral alignment the entire time.” Most side sleepers should consider sleeping on the soft side, but the medium-firm side is softer than advertised and better for combination sleepers.
Overall, this bed offers light and airy support, maintaining a “cushiony, cloud-like profile without too much of a quicksand feel,” says one tester, adding, “I found it’s easy to roll around in.” Based on our testing, we also found it did a decent job regulating temperature, but we wouldn’t consider it actively cooling.
Related: For more details about our testing, see our full Layla Mattress review.
Why We Named It Best For Couples
If you co-sleep with a partner, you want a mattress that offers two things: A firmness that suits both your sleeping styles and a bed with enhanced motion isolation so your movements don’t disturb each other’s sleep. The Leesa Original Mattress is a no-frills option that delivers on couples’ needs at a fair price, which is why we named it the best memory foam bed for couples. It’s constructed with three layers, including a responsive comfort layer for ease of movement.
How It Performed During Testing
Most all-foam mattresses have decent edge support, but we found during testing that the Leesa Original was superior in this category; it was rated an 8.5 out of 10. “This mattress has the best edge support out of all the mattresses I tested,” says one of our testers. “The edge feels no different from the center of the mattress.” It also has great motion isolation, which we rated a solid 9 out of 10.
Further, this pick received high scores across the board for different sleeping positions, and our testers agree that it’s one of those Goldilocks-worthy, “just right” beds. Says one tester of its balanced feel, “It doesn't sink down too much and it's not too soft nor too firm.” With these things considered, the Leesa Original took the title of “best memory foam mattress for couples” from our prior pick, the .
Other Memory Foam Mattresses We’ve Tested
While these options didn’t make the cut for our final list, they have features that some sleepers may appreciate.
- Best For Couples: (Forbes Vetted score: 4/5): The Bear Original is a firm memory foam mattress with a dense, lifted feel. While it performed well for back sleeping, earning a score of 7 out of 10 in the category, it didn’t feel as comfortable to side and stomach sleepers. As such, it isn’t as versatile as our top pick, the . For further details, read our Bear Original Mattress review.
- Best Soft: (Forbes Vetted score: 4.25/5): The WinkBeds GravityLux was previously our favorite soft memory foam mattress thanks to its plush pillow top. It also scored above an 8 out of 10 for motion isolation and edge support, two features that are key for couples. However, the (our current winner) feels softer, and edged the WinkBed out in other areas like breathability and eco-friendliness.
- Best Budget: (Forbes Vetted score: 4/5): At $919 for a queen, this is a solid alternative to the , particularly for stomach sleepers. That said, the Tuft & Needle still outperformed the Cocoon Chill in terms of responsiveness and edge support, making it a more well-rounded pick.
- Best For Combination Sleepers: (Forbes Vetted score: 4.5/5): The Casper One is excellent at limiting motion transfer while still being easy to move around on, which makes it a good pick for couples and sleepers who switch between several positions. However, it falls just short of the in pressure relief, scoring a 7 out of 10 in this category compared to Leesa’s 9 out of 10. For an in-depth breakout, read our full Casper One Mattress review.
How We Tested The Best Memory Foam Mattresses
To find the best memory foam mattresses, we put more than 20 contenders through a multi-stage testing process. (Our sleep editors also personally tested over 100 memory foam mattresses throughout the years, so they’re well-versed in the material.) Below, we outline how we evaluate specific features in memory foam mattresses. For further details, read our in-depth breakdown of how we test and score mattresses.
Process
- Expert-led research: Our mattress editors Bridget Chapman and McKenzie Dillon have tested more than 100 memory foam beds over the past several years. They use that expertise to research popular memory foam mattresses from reputable brands, carefully picking contenders for our testing process.
- Panel testing: We used a diverse panel of testers—varying in weight, sleep style and comfort preferences—to make sure our recommendations work for all sorts of sleepers. Our panel tested each mattress during three separate, two-day rounds, comparing each contender side by side.
- Long-term testing: In many cases, we bring the mattresses to our homes for long-term testing, where we sleep on them for at least 30 nights.
Our Panel Testers
We recruited members of the Forbes Vetted team to put our top memory foam contenders to the test.
- Senior sleep and mattress editor Bridget Chapman: A side and back sleeper who tends to overheat at night.
- Sleep and mattress editor McKenzie Dillon: A combination stomach and side sleeper who also runs hot.
- Senior strategy editor Katie Simpson: An extra-hot sleeper who prefers her side and back.
- Sleep and mattress updates writer Alexandra Garrett: A side sleeper with lower back and leg pain.
- Senior content strategist Alex Noonan: A stomach sleeper prone to occasional lower back pain.
- Managing editor Emmy Favilla: A true combination sleeper who often ends up on her side.
- Senior reviews editor Anna Perling: A dedicated back sleeper.
- Home, kids and gifts updates writer Fran Sales: A combination side and back sleeper who overheats at night.
- Editorial assistant Lee Cutlip: A hot sleeper who opts for her side or stomach.
- Content strategy analyst Luke Frangis: A combination stomach and side sleeper who prefers extra-cool sleeping conditions.
- Director of features and special projects Kim Peiffer: A hot-sleeping side sleeper who experiences back and neck pain.
Criteria
- Pressure relief: We lie in each sleeping position (side, back and stomach), and take note at how well the mattress contours to sensitive pressure points in the back, shoulders and hips. All the beds in this guide earned above a 7 out of 10 in this category.
- Support: We measure how much a mattress sinks under weight, both in the center and on the edge of the bed. We also check for a neutral back alignment while lying in the three main sleeping positions. Only mattresses scoring over a 6 out of 10 in this category made our list.
- Motion isolation: We perform a “water glass test” to test for motion isolation. We place a glass of water near the edge of the mattress, and then we roll and jump on the other side, recording how much the water in the glass moves. Every mattress on this list earned over a 7 out of 10 during this test (except the Plank Firm, which scored a 6.8), meaning there were very little movements in the glass.
- Breathability: We look at each layer of the mattress, keeping on eye out for cooling materials that wick away heat and keep you cool. We also send mattresses home with testers for long-term testing and document how well the bed regulates temperature each night. In our initial panel testing, we found every mattress on our list to feel average or cool-to-the-touch.
What To Consider When Shopping For A Memory Foam Mattress
Memory foam beds are excellent for some, but truth be told, they’re not for everyone. First, consider whether the material is the best option for you, then choose a model that caters to your sleep style, body type and comfort preferences.
Who We Recommend Memory Foam To
- Side sleepers, since memory foam cradles joints.
- People with joint pain along the shoulders, hips and back.
- Couples, since memory foam tends to limit motion transfer. This means you can’t feel your partner toss and turn or get in and out of bed.
Who We Don’t Recommend Memory Foam To
- Hot sleepers may get hot in a memory foam mattress since they tend to retain heat. However, if you’re sold on the body-molding feel of foam, many top beds offer cooling features like gel-infused and perforated foams, as well as breathable covers.
- Stomach sleepers may want to consider more supportive mattress types. That said, firm or extra-firm foam models, like the , may provide sufficient support.
- Anyone who feels claustrophobic or “swallowed up” by the sink-in feel of memory foam should look for a mattress type with a bouncier, more responsive feel.
Sleeping Position And Firmness
The firmness and support level you need from a memory foam mattress greatly depends on your sleeping position(s).
- Side sleepers need a soft to medium-firm mattress to get the necessary pressure relief around their hips and shoulders. Memory foam mattresses that are too firm can create pressure points, which may cause shoulder or hip pain, according to Dr. Samantha Parker Lane at Memorial Hermann Health System.
- Back sleepers should look for a medium-firm to firm memory foam mattress to keep their spine in alignment, which is supportive enough to keep the hips raised in healthy alignment with the spine.
- Stomach sleepers require a firmer memory foam bed that minimizes sinkage around the midsection to keep the spine in proper alignment. If their hips dip too far, it can lead to back pain.
- Combination sleepers tend to find their sweet spot with a medium-firm mattress since it accommodates the most sleep positions. However, make sure to consider the position you sleep in the most and let that guide the firmness you choose.
Body Type And Weight
Despite the general recommendations listed above, keep in mind that a mattress’ feel depends on body weight, too. Dr. Kemp notes that body weight can affect how firm, supportive and comfortable a mattress feels.
For example, a medium-firm bed will likely feel softer for someone over 250 pounds and firmer to someone under 150 pounds. Because most memory foam mattresses are softer than innerspring and hybrid options, heavier individuals may need to choose a firmness models or one specifically designed for heavyweight sleepers to get sufficient support. (Our guide to the best mattresses for heavy people contains specific recommendations for sleepers with this body type.)
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve published a large library of sleep and mattress articles, including hundreds of mattress guides that touch on the most popular constructions and materials, including memory foam.
- Author McKenzie Dillon is the Forbes Vetted mattress and sleep editor. She’s tested and reviewed over 100 beds, including dozens of memory foam models, and she uses her knowledge as a certified sleep science coach to determine the ideal mattress for each sleep need and preference.
- Co-author Alexandra Garrett, our mattress and sleep updates writer, has tested more than three dozen beds, including several of the memory foam mattresses featured on this list. We used her testing feedback, as well as the feedback from Dillon and other Forbes Vetted panel testers, throughout this guide.
- Senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman oversees the advice in this guide and our library of sleep content. Like Dillon, she is a certified sleep science coach who tested over 200 mattresses throughout her near decade-long career in journalism.
- We consulted , neurosurgeon at Virginia Spine Institute, and at Memorial Hermann Health System, on what to look for when choosing the best memory foam mattress.
- This guide was last updated in February 2026 by Garrett.