Lightweight and side sleepers are guaranteed the best night’s rest when they choose a soft mattress. These plush beds provide extra cushioning and contouring for pressure relief, allowing for neutral spine alignment while still providing ample support.
But not every soft mattress is the right choice for those needing extra cushioning. With multiple construction styles that promote better sleep for a particular lifestyle or wellness condition, selecting the right one for your needs goes beyond buying a mattress labeled “soft.”
Fortunately, with our guide to the best soft mattresses in 2024, you don’t have to risk the perfect sleep quality for something that is not suited to your needs. With options that suit both budget and lifestyle, Home of Cozy has taken the guesswork out of finding the softest mattress for your sleep needs.
Best Soft Mattress
Brand | Best For | ||
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1 Editor’s Choice |
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Overall | Shop Now |
2 |
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Hybrid | Shop Now |
3 |
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Cooling | Shop Now |
4 |
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Side Sleepers | Shop Now |
5 |
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Couples | Shop Now |
6 |
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Organic | Shop Now |
7 |
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Back or Stomach Sleepers | Shop Now |
8 |
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Value | Shop Now |
1 |
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Editor’s Choice
Best For:
Overall
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2 |
Best For:
Hybrid
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3 |
Best For:
Cooling
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4 |
Best For:
Side Sleepers
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5 |
Best For:
Couples
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6 |
Best For:
Organic
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7 |
Best For:
Back or Stomach Sleepers
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8 |
Best For:
Value
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How To Choose the Best Soft Mattress in 2024
Firmness Level
Just because it’s soft doesn’t mean it has to be too soft. Soft mattresses can range in firmness options from plush to ultra-plush, so it’s important to understand your preferences when it comes to sleeping surface support and comfort.
For example, those needing the mattress to conform closely to their body for pressure relief should opt for a plush soft bed at a 1 or 2 on the firmness scale. However, if lower back pain causes you to sometimes switch sleeping positions, then a medium-soft mattress, or one marked 3 on the firmness scale, may be better for you.
Construction Materials
Your need for softness shouldn’t overshadow the necessity for quality construction and healthy sleep materials. Soft mattresses are generally made with memory foam, latex, or hybrid cores, all of which provide different levels of support and comfort.
If you need extra cushioning, a foam bed can provide the most responsive surface for optimal comfort and back pain relief. Hybrid mattresses combine innerspring support coils with foam comfort layers to provide both plushness, support, and motion isolation, an ideal combo for couples and combination sleepers.
Thickness & Size
Mattress companies produce soft beds in a variety of thicknesses, so you can find one to suit your frame size and desired mattress height. Generally, thinner, soft mattresses are more suitable for lighter body sizes or people who move around less while sleeping. Conversely, thicker mattresses provide extra cushioning that heavier sleepers may need for more profound pressure relief.
Additionally, the size of your mattress should be based on how much room you need to sleep comfortably. Those who spread out or share their bed with a partner might opt for a larger mattress size, Queen, King, or California King, to ensure optimal sleep comfort and space.
Best Soft Mattress Review
Overall Best Soft Mattress: Helix Sunset
- Price Range: $936.30 – $1,748.80
- Mattress Design: Hybrid memory & gel foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 2/3 out of 10
- Trial Period: 100 nights
- Warranty Length: Up to 15 years
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
We’ve tested many Helix mattresses, always finding them to represent the best in quality and design. The Helix Sunset is no exception, with a plush 2/3 firmness level that molds to your body for pressure relief and support while providing motion isolation to ensure couples have an undisturbed sleep experience.
You can tell by the multiple gel and memory foams and encapsulated coil construction that this was a mattress built for comfort. Add in the cooling layers on top and the free pillow set that comes with every purchase, and it’s easy to see why we declared this the overall best soft mattress of 2024.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
It’s hard not to love a balanced plushness and free gifts with purchase, but if you’re looking for something softer, you might look elsewhere. The Sunset is a medium-soft mattress that may be too firm for people seeking an ultra-plush bed.
That said, Helix offers an optional plush pillow top mattress cover that takes it up a notch in softness, making it an excellent way for side sleepers, those who toss and turn, or those with chronic joint pain to get the cushioning they need.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
Ultimately, the Helix Sunset is excellent for a wide range of sleepers looking for that perfect balance of comfort and support. While quality design, cool technology, and a host of certifications and awards make this mattress a standout choice, its seamless integration into any interior design scheme makes it ideal for those wanting to add a bit of luxury to their home.
Best Hybrid: Leesa Legend
- Price Range: $1,999 – $2,999
- Mattress Design: Hybrid memory & transition foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 2/3/4 out of 10
- Trial Period: 100 nights
- Warranty Length: Ten years
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
At Home of Cozy, we have always been partial to a hybrid mattress, but the Leesa Legend takes it to a new level. With its special combination of memory and transition foams plus multiple layers of coils for superior motion isolation, support, and contouring, the Legend is an excellent choice for those needing pressure relief and superior sleeping comfort.
Additionally, we couldn’t get enough of the plush, soft feeling the organic cotton and wool top layer provides. Laying on it felt like entering a cloud, and thanks to its anti-microbial and temperature-regulating properties, we never woke up feeling too hot or like we had just slept in a petri dish.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
The high-quality construction, organic materials, and superior comfort are excellent features for anyone wanting to add luxury to their sleep space. However, these same benefits drive up the cost, making the price tag the only thing we didn’t love about this mattress.
However, with the brand’s generous 100-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty, free shipping options, bonus gifts, and on-site discount codes for new bedding to complete your set, the Legend may actually be more in your budget than you think.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
Despite the price, the Lessa Legend’s hybrid design, natural materials, and unbeatable comfort levels make it perfect for those seeking the highest quality sleep experience without compromising on softness. Whether a side sleeper, couple, or just someone looking for a luxurious mattress upgrade, the Lessa Legend is an excellent and reliable choice for getting quality sleep.
Best Cooling: Brooklyn Aurora Luxe
- Price Range: $1,199 – $2,665
- Mattress Design: Hybrid memory, comfort, and cooling foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 3 out of 10
- Trial Period: 120 nights
- Warranty Length: Ten years
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
Many of us at Home of Cozy are hot sleepers, so no matter the firmness level, we always get excited about the best mattresses to keep us cool at night. With its cooling gel foam, air channels, and ultra-plush comfort layers, we found that the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe excels at dissipating body heat and keeping your temperature regulated throughout the night.
We also loved that the reinforced edge support and pocketed coils didn’t hinder the mattress from contouring to our body shape. As a result, our sleep experience wasn’t compromised by the more durable elements of the mattress, and we were able to get all of the support we needed without sacrificing comfort.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
While it’s still perfect for side sleepers, those who experience chronic or acute back pain from work or athletics may find the 13-inch depth a bit too challenging to maneuver while getting in and out of bed.
However, while it might make buying a new mattress a little more costly than expected, purchasing a lower bed frame to make the mattress easier to access is an all-around win for those who don’t want to sacrifice mobility for optimal cooling features.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
The Brooklyn Aurora Luxe does an outstanding job at balancing durable quality with luxurious design to provide a supportive and cooling mattress without compromising on comfort. With its unique hybrid blend of foam and coils, the Luxe stands out from other mattresses in its class as a reliable choice for those who want to sleep cool, comfortable, and pain-free.
Best For Side Sleepers: Nolah Evolution 15″
- Price Range: $1,499 – $3,198
- Mattress Design: Hybrid high-resilience foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 4/5 out of 10
- Trial Period: 120 nights
- Warranty Length: Lifetime
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
With an innovative combination of contouring foam layers and 8″ coils providing superior support for pressure points the whole night through, the Nolah Evolution 15″ was able to offer quality comfort for our side sleepers without leaving them feeling like they were sinking into a hole.
Overall comfort was pretty high despite its medium firmness of the soft scale, and the additional features of the mattress, such as its cooling layer and plush Euro mattress topper, added an extra layer of luxuriousness that made our side sleepers feel like they were in a 5-star hotel.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
Though this mattress does support side sleepers perfectly, we didn’t find it as versatile for our research team, who were some combination of back, stomach, and side sleepers. For those who fall into this category, the Nolah Evolution 15″ might be too soft to find comfort in all positions.
However, by using a platform base with sturdy wood and steel rails, you could limit the mattress’s amount of give, increasing its versatility and making it a better fit for combination sleepers who primarily sleep on their side.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
At the end of the day, all side sleepers want is a softer, medium-firm mattress with pressure relieving and spinal alignment features that won’t leave them feeling like they’re stuck in the mud. The Nolah Evolution 15″ delivers those features while offering a bundle of additional comfort and cooling elements to give side sleepers restorative, high-quality sleep.
Best For Couples: Bear Elite Hybrid
- Price Range: $1,119 – $3,565
- Mattress Design: Hybrid memory, motion, & support foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 5 out of 10
- Trial Period: 120 nights
- Warranty Length: Lifetime
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
The thick layers of foam and individually encased coils make the Bear Elite Hybrid an ideal choice for couples who want a mattress that provides superior motion isolation and offers comfort and support tailored to their side sleeping needs.
Embedded with hand-quilted cooling technology and gel-infused memory foam, this mattress does more than keep a couple’s bed from shaking when one of them moves; it also guarantees a cooler sleep for both partners. Furthermore, with its reinforced edge support and lifetime warranty, couples can rest easy knowing their mattress will last for decades of quality sleep.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
It’s a good thing this mattress is good for couples cause you’ll definitely need two people to get it set up, especially the queen size or larger. While it’s the same weight as your standard soft memory foam mattress, its broadness and construction style make it more challenging to maneuver, especially in small rooms.
Delivery took longer than expected as well, so don’t get rid of your old mattress too soon, as you might be sleeping it for a little while longer than expected after your purchase. Fortunately, shipping is free via FedEx, so it won’t cost you a ton to wait a few days longer than you would with another type of mattress.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
Quality sleep that reduces joint, hip, and back pain is essential for any couple, and the Bear Elite Hybrid offers just that. With its superior motion isolation capabilities, cooling technology, and top-of-the-line comfort layers, this hybrid mattress promises to keep couples comfortable at night while providing the support they need for restorative sleep.
Best Organic Mattress: Birch Natural + Topper
- Price Range: $1,498.80 – $2,498.80
- Mattress Design: Hybrid latex & wool layers
- Firmness Level: 4/5 out of 10
- Trial Period: 100 nights
- Warranty Length: 25-year
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
The unique combination of wool and latex layers makes this mattress one of the most organic-friendly in its class. With the breathable qualities of wool and the soft, plush organic cotton mattress topper, there’s no worry of toxins escaping the mattress and compromising your health or sleep quality.
We also really loved that the plush topper makes it feel like a softer mattress than it is. This particular benefit is excellent for those looking for the firmest plush feel they can get without losing out on the support and pressure relief a firm mattress offers.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
The Birch Natural mattress did an excellent job at balancing comfort and support, but it did lack a few features we have come to love from latex mattresses. For example, while organic fabrics make it breathable, there’s no cooling gel or air chambers to keep you cool all night.
However, by adding some of Birch’s organic bedding options like pillowcases, sheets, and duvet sets to the order, you can offset the cooling features with enhanced breathability and temperature regulation.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
We picked this soft mattress because we believe that your principles shouldn’t take a back seat to your sleep quality, and with Birch, they obviously don’t have to. With its organic materials, balance of softness and support, and the bonus of enhancing your sleep experience with Birch’s organic bedding options, this mattress is an excellent choice for those who value healthy sleep.
Best For Back & Stomach Sleepers: Helix Moonlight
- Price Range: $936.30 – $1,748.80
- Mattress Design: Hybrid dynamic, responsive, & cooling-gel foams with coils
- Firmness Level: 2/3 out of 10
- Trial Period: 100 nights
- Warranty Length: Up to 15 years
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
This mattress feels soft but is designed with enough support layers to accommodate the needs of side and back sleepers. As a result, you’ll get plenty of cushioning pressure relief for your shoulders and hips, as well as the support needed to keep your spine in alignment while you sleep.
Moreover, the individually pocketed coils reduce motion transfer while the cooling gel layers prevent overheating. So whether you’re asleep alone or with someone else, you’ll stay comfortable and in a deep sleep all night, no matter your preferred sleeping position.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
The plush topper upgrade can make a world of difference in terms of comfort and contouring, but it might detract from the lumbar support back and stomach sleepers get from the firmer mattress layer underneath.
That said, we did find that the optional cooling cover was very good at providing a bit of extra softness for those who need it without detracting from the overall support and feel of the mattress. Plus, it added an extra layer of breathability and temperature regulation for an even more comfortable night’s sleep.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
Back and stomach sleepers have difficulty finding the perfect balance between support and comfort, but the Helix Moonlight mattress makes it easy. With its individually pocketed coils and innovative foam layer technology, this mattress provides the perfect firmness level that caters to their needs, along with the comfort features they need for deep and restorative sleep.
Best Value: Dreamfoam Essential – 14″ Version
- Price Range: $599 – $1,149
- Mattress Design: All-foam
- Firmness Level: 4 out of 10
- Trial Period: 120 nights
- Warranty Length: Ten years
What We Loved About This Soft Mattress
Whether you put it in an RV, kids room, dorm room, or guest bedroom, the Dreamfoam Essential mattress may be the most affordable and comfortable mattress we’ve ever slept on. With its low price tag and high comfort rating, this all-foam mattress uses simple yet effective layers to provide a great night’s sleep on a soft surface.
The top layer of memory foam ensures that your body weight is evenly distributed, while the base density layer provides good spinal support and alignment. And, no matter your body type, the combination of traditional and gel foam is guaranteed to be as durable as it is comfortable.
What We Didn’t Love About This Soft Mattress
Ideally, you would have this mattress in an area where you can run a fan or aircon because it does get a little hotter than other options on this list. However, this results from its all-foam construction and not necessarily its manufacturing quality.
If you don’t run hot or aren’t worried about cooling features as much as getting a good deal of a soft mattress, this is a great option. Just be sure to use organic and breathable bedding so that you don’t interrupt quality sleep with night sweats.
Why We Picked This Soft Mattress
Creating a home with comfortable and affordable furniture isn’t always easy, but the Dreamfoam Essential mattress makes it a whole lot simpler. With its combination of traditional and gel foam, this all-foam mattress offers excellent value for money, making it a perfect choice for those looking for an affordable yet comfortable soft mattress.
Get the Best Soft Mattress for Any Sleep Style
Whether you’re looking for natural materials that promote airflow, plush mattress toppers that relax firmness for a personalized feel, or just a mattress that won’t break the bank without sacrificing your sleep quality, there is a soft mattress to suit your sleep style.
Always remember that finding the best soft mattress for you requires careful consideration of your sleeping style, wellness needs, and what type of comfort you’re looking for. With the right knowledge and research, we have no doubt that you will find the perfect mattress to provide a peaceful night’s sleep.
Be sure to check out our top picks and read our other Home of Cozy buyer’s guides that can help you find the perfect decor for any room in the house.