If you’ve been tossing and turning at night, sleeping on a better mattress can make all the difference. We’ve tested a ton of them, so one should be right for your needs. Thankfully, mattresses are almost always discounted to some degree, so you should never have to pay full price. Black Friday is one of a handful of especially good times to grab one during the year.
There are a couple of choices to make. You’ll need to decide if you want a hybrid or an all-foam mattress. We prefer hybrids, which combine multiple layers of memory foam and hundreds of individually wrapped springs sandwiched in between. We think they offer the best benefits of both older innerspring mattresses and foam. They tend to be more supportive and have more airflow (meaning they don’t get as hot at night). All-foam is what you probably think of when you think of a mattress in a box—just layers and layers of thick memory foam.
All prices below are for queen-sized mattresses. These picks were tested by our Gear team and featured in our Best Mattresses guide.
Our Favorite Mattress
Helix Midnight Luxe Hybrid Mattress
Photograph: HelixAt checkout, enter BFSALE100 for $100 off a $600 order, BFSALE150 for $150 off $1,250, or BFSALE200 for $200 off $1,750
Even after testing more mattresses this year, the Helix Midnight Luxe is still our favorite. It’s plush and comfortable, and designed to prevent back pain—the springs are firmer in areas that need more support. Unfortunately, it’s also super expensive and has gone up in price since last Cyber Week, but if you can afford it, we think you’ll really love it.
Organic Mattress Deals
Avocado Green Organic Hybrid Mattress
Photograph: Melissa Krused/Avocado MattressWIRED senior reviewer Scott Gilbertson said this is the only mattress he and his wife agree on, despite her liking soft mattresses and him liking firm ones. It somehow combines them both and has held up over the past year. There’s also a pillow top option for those who need a super soft mattress.
It’s not just comfortable. This is our favorite eco-friendly mattress, made from organic latex, wool, and cotton. There’s no polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam, or chemical adhesives. The company is also a certified B Corporation that’s purchasing enough offsets to be able to say it operates as a carbon-negative business.
If you’d like an organic mattress for your child, you can save some money by going with this brand instead of Avocado—like the Avocado, it’s made with organic latex, wool, and cotton. Reviewer Scott Gilberston tried this one for his kids, and he said it’s firm but comfortable—his kids said it’s the most comfortable mattress they’ve ever tried. For $125 more, you can choose the double-sided option to extend the life of the mattress if your kids are rough on beds (i.e., they’re constantly jumping on them).
Birch Natural Mattress
Photograph: BirchComes with 2 pillows
This is another organic option and it comes from Helix, the maker of our favorite bed. It has a plush and bouncy feel but isn’t squishy. It’s also good for stomach, side, and even back sleeping, but it doesn’t stay as cool as some other options on this list.
Comes with 2 pillows, a sheet set, and a mattress protector
WIRED writer Louryn Strampe tested both the Birch and this organic Awara mattress. She found this one to be springy and comfortable, especially for solo sleepers, but said it didn’t offer as much support as the Birch. The company plants 10 trees (through trees.org) for every mattress purchased.
Other Hybrid Mattress Deals
DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress
Photograph: DreamCloud SleepComes with 2 pillows, a sheet set, and a mattress protector
This is one of our honorable mentions. Its thick pillow top is almost as nice as our favorite mattress, the Helix Midnight Luxe.
Comes with 2 pillows
The Leesa Hybrid is one of lead mattress reviewer Jeffrey Van Camp’s favorites. It has a silky, textured cover and it’s soft yet firm and pressure-relieving. He said the layers of foam and springs blend together nicely, hugging his body to sleep. Like the Helix, it’s also pricey.
More Foam Mattress Deals
Layla Two-Sided Foam Mattress
Photograph: LaylaComes with 2 Pillows
You might not know if you need a soft or firm mattress. Layla’s mattress is double-sided, so you can spend a few nights on both (medium firm and medium soft) to figure it out. It’s all-foam, so it’s not as comfortable as hybrid mattresses, but we liked it even for stomach sleeping.
Comes with 2 pillows, a sheet set, and a mattress protector
We think this one is great for side-sleepers. Its four layers of dense, conforming foam gently hug you while you snooze, but you don’t sink in too much. It offers a “Forever Warranty.”
Nectar Sleep Foam Mattress
Photograph: NectarThis is not the best deal we’ve ever seen, but it’s not a wash if you are set on sleeping on Purple’s waffley silicone top layer. We loved sleeping on it—it was Jell-O-ey cool and supportive—but it’s one of our honorable mentions because it’s not as comfortable as the hybrid mattress we love. Purple does offer a hybrid, but it’s pricey.
We much prefer Leesa’s Hybrid mentioned above, but this all-foam option is still comfortable, and it’s more affordable. It feels very similar to the original foam Casper, but we like the Leesa more.
