Combined with the solid edge support and the baked-in lumbar-contouring layers that kept him comfortable sleeping on his stomach, there’s also a very generous 25-year warranty to fall back on should you run into troubles down the road. If you’ve been hunting high and low for a bed that combines high quality design with all organic, premium fabrication—mister, you’re looking at it.
The Best Cooling Mattress: Cocoon by Sealy
For hot sleepers who tend to wake up with the sheets and blankets piled around their ankles in the morning, a set of cooling sheets might not be enough to stay comfortable. That old mattress that traps body heat in its upper layers could use an overhaul, too. True to its name, the Cocoon by Sealy Chill Hybrid bills itself as a mattress aimed at curing your overheating woes. It bears some similarities to our favorite mattress, the cooling hybrid Helix, offering adaptive memory foam and innerspring coils that give you a supportive-yet-bouncy feel with less pain on your pressure points. Our testers felt chill as a cucumber dozing off on this bed, but for a cool $200 upgrade, there’s also an “extra chill” hybrid version that promises enhanced cooling technology and an even brisker cover.
One tester called it the “perfect combination between squishy and firm,” noting that it had good edge support and a great foundation of fabric-encased coils for reducing motion transfer. “We used to wake each other up multiple times during the night with our tossing and turning. But this mattress allows us to sleep without being disturbed by the other person’s movement.” As an added bonus for people who like to experiment with their elevation, Sealy also sells a Tempur Pedic-like base for $949 that raises and lowers your head or feet area if you want to relieve pressure on your back.
Another Great Cooling Option: Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress
Nectar’s mission is to create the most comfortable bed possible, and currently offers six variations of its cooling beds to soothe your sticky limbs in humid weather. We took the brand’s premier hybrid mattress for a test drive, a firm-leaning model with seven layers of contouring support that offer pressure relief and stability, topped off with a breathable cover. Our tester noted that the design of the bed is “incredibly intuitive,” enough that she could assemble it all on her own. And though there was some offgassing, any “new mattress” smells dissipated in about two days.
She previously conked out on a Cocoon mattress, and adds that the cooling effects are very similar. Between the two, the only factors that create a little more distance are pricing and extras: In this cooling category, we think the Cocoon offers a little more wiggle room in terms of “extra chilled” add-ons for your mattress, and can be found for a cheaper price than the Nectar when on sale. Still, either are excellent choices if you’re getting nervous about the sweaty summer days just on the horizon.
The Best Soft Choice: Soft WinkBed Mattress
Folks who like quite a bit of extra squish to their mattress do exist (though they may be outnumbered), and the much-hyped WinkBed in its softest variation is one for the job. Combining an extra plushy pillow top, gel-infused foam, and innersprings zoned out to support your body, there’s plenty of cushion here to cradle you to sleep without your limbs completely getting sucked in during the night.
Our tester calls this an immediate “marshmallow effect” and says it’s something he’s been plagued by after sleeping on other DTC mattresses almost exclusively over the last couple years. “Honestly, I have not had that issue with the WinkBed, which has sturdy sides and stays level from end to end,” he says, and describes its plushness as a big plus, not a burden. He adds that he gets a high-end, hotel feel from this bed: “It’s comfortable enough to feel special and, although I’ve only had it a few months, seems hardy enough to stick around for a while.” Plus, if you hate it, there’s a lengthy trial period to tide you over and a lifetime warranty that’ll step in if your mattress turns to mush over time. Which, we think, it probably won’t!
Another Great Soft Option: Awara Hybrid Mattress
Awara’s Hybrid mattress offers a lot of the same advantages of the Casper Wave. Like the Wave, the Awara contains a bottom layer of thick innersprings, which gives it a bit of bounce and substantial supportive. But the top layers are very different from the Wave’s. The Wave employs a lot more tech, like a layer of gel memory foam, to make the mattress feel cooler to the touch and help with pressure relief and back pain. The Awara mattress is, in contrast, much simpler—there is a thick layer of latex foam on top of the springs and a cover made with wool and cotton on top of that. That’s it.
