Mattress guides: firmness, support and fit for your body
No tester can tell you how a mattress will feel on your body. Weight, muscle mass, shoulder width, sleep position and pain all change how a surface supports you. These guides use the research on firmness, pressure distribution and back pain to help you choose the right firmness and type, and explain why a long home trial matters more than any review score.
3D Sleep LabSee a mattress on your body before you buySet your position, weight, pain, slatted base and bedroom. Watch the spine line, the pressure map and a simulated night.Open the lab
Guides
- How to choose a mattress: start medium-firm, then fit it to your bodyTo choose a mattress, start with medium-firm, the firmness best supported by trials and reviews, then go softer if you are light or sleep on your side and firmer if you are heavy or sleep on your back or stomach. Pick materials for temperature and partner movement, check the base, and buy with a home trial of 100 nights or more.8 min read, 10 sources
- Best mattress for back pain: medium-firm, fitted to your bodyFor most people with ongoing low back pain, a medium-firm mattress is the best-supported choice. A double-blind trial of 313 adults found medium-firm beat firm for pain in bed and disability after 90 days, and later reviews agree. Within medium-firm, adjust for your body weight and sleep position, and buy with a long home trial.6 min read, 10 sources
- Best mattress for side sleepers: how to choose firmness for your bodyThe best mattress for side sleepers is usually medium to medium-firm, with a top layer soft enough for the shoulder and hip to sink in while the core keeps the spine level. Lighter people tend to align better on softer beds and heavier people on firmer ones, so match firmness to your weight and hip shape, then confirm it with a long home trial.7 min read, 10 sources