These Cooling Mattresses Can Help Hot Sleepers Rest Easy

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Summer’s here! That means more sunshine, backyard barbecues, and the year’s best opportunities for outdoor adventure. But it can also mean hotter-than-Hades heat and miserable, three-shower-a-day humidity—all of which can make for sticky sleepless nights without the right bedding. The answer? You need the best cooling mattress (and cooling pillows and cooling mattress toppers and other cool bedding accessories, but we digress …) you can buy.

Today’s best cooling mattresses are made with smart, high-tech materials that promote better airflow, dissipate heat, and regulate your skin temperature so you sleep cooler longer. Ideally, you want a model that’s also soft (but not too soft, if you prefer a firmer mattress) while providing ample support to align your neck, spine, and hips for all-night pressure relief. We don’t think that’s asking too much.

Of course, finding the right mattress—whether plush, firm, cooling, memory foam, etc.—for you is hard work. Who has hours to test dozens of mattresses to compare them all? The answer is: We do. We’ve done the hard work for you by researching and comparing the best of the best, so you don’t have to. These are our picks for the best cooling mattresses of 2023. It’s time to sleep cool and carry on.

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RestorePremier Mattress

Purple’s proprietary GelFlex Grid might be our favorite mattress innovation since the adjustable frame. It’s not just a marketing gimmick. We can confirm it’s the real deal. It’s soft yet adaptive, so it works with your body size, weight, and preferred sleep position to deliver serious pressure relief. That makes it very, very comfortable. Not surprisingly, it’s been a consistent favorite among our mattress test panel for years. But because it relies on hundreds of open channels, it’s also amazing at shedding body heat and keeping hot sleepers cool.

The company’s RestorePremier Mattress is among its flagship models with all the “bells and whistles,” so to speak. The design starts with a base layer of individually wrapped innerspring coils (like a traditional mattress), then adds a three-inch GelFlex Grid layer and a buttery soft knit cover. We found this combination to be not only extremely comfortable but very effective at keeping us cool all night long. Plus, the washable, moisture-wicking SoftFlex over adds another degree of breathability. It’s even antimicrobial to boot.

It’s hard to find much, if anything to dislike about this mattress. Those who prefer a very firm sleep surface will want to opt for the Firm option, as the Soft is very soft. It’s also a luxury mattress with a luxury price tag to match. Expect to pay north of $3,000, even when it’s on sale. But Purple does offer a 10-year warranty and a 100-night in-home trial. So there’s that.

Wave Hybrid

Casper’s Wave Hybrid might cost a pretty penny, but if you're looking for the best cooling mattress with maximum pain- and pressure-relieving back support, then you'll want to take a look at this mattress. Five layers are combined on the Wave Hybrid’s medium-firm sleep surface for comfortable yet supportive sleep. Around the waist and lower back area, Casper adds cooling gel pods to help prevent sinking and provide temperature regulation on the spots that need attention the most.

This isn’t the only hybrid cooling mattress in this year’s roundup, but it is our favorite. Our panelists unanimously agreed that the combination of flex coils, multiple layers of foam (each with its own unique comfort and cooling characteristics), and a cozy knit cover is a winner. The medium-firm comfort level is the only one available, but the majority of our panel felt that it was a good middle ground for both plush and firm mattress lovers. This is a solid cooling mattress option for couples. "I've always loved rock-hard mattresses, but my girlfriend likes super-soft. Both of us have been sleeping on this for over two years and absolutely love it!" said one of our testers.

At more than $2,000 for a Queen, this mattress is an investment. But free shipping and free returns are included, along with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. Plus, Casper is a regular favorite among our sleep-savvy panelists, so we confidently recommend the Wave Hybrid to anyone looking for a cooling mattress that’s great for back pain too.

Birch Luxe Natural Mattress

Not only are natural and organic mattresses better for the environment, but they're also better for your quality of sleep. The Birch Luxe Natural Mattress supports temperature regulation thanks to a surface made from organic cotton and a top-layer blend of organic cashmere and wool for luxurious breathability. Under the hood, one thousand individual steel coils cradle your body and limit motion transfer at the foundation.

This is Birch’s flagship mattress and it shows. Our testers found the premium design to be incredibly comfortable, with a surprising amount of “cool” given its all-natural, organic materials. After living with it for three months, one of our most health-conscious test panelists loves “how soft the wool and cashmere blend are. It’s also nice to not have to deal with off-gassing and funky smells when I first set it up, too.”

As with Purple’s premium cooling mattress above, this luxe model comes with a matching price tag. With a regular price well north of $3,000, it ain’t cheap. But it is one of the swankiest mattresses we tested this year. Plus, it comes with free shipping, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 25-year warranty.

Hybrid Mattress

Shopping for the right cooling mattress (with the perfect firmness and the right cooling materials, all at the right price) is hard enough. But finding the best cooling mattress when you’re a couple is enough to test any relationship.

The DreamCloud is designed to be all things to all sleepers. The hybrid construction blends wrapped coils (to maximize airflow) and proprietary gel memory foam (for the perfect balance of comfort and support) with a cooling cashmere-blend (yes, really!) cover. Our sleep-loving testers found this a winning combination that wicks away heat like a champ. After months of testing, one of our "hottest" sleepers noted, “This is the first mattress in a long time where I didn’t wake up every few hours drenched in sweat. I’m keeping this one.”

What’s more: By combining individually wrapped coils with a moisture-absorbent foam layer, this mattress almost completely eliminates motion transfer. For couples who tend to flip and flop in the night, it’s a god-send.

The best part? It’s also one of the most affordable cooling mattresses we tested in the last year. A Queen is available from $799 delivered. Plus, you’ll get free returns, a 365-night in-home trial, and a lifetime warranty.

Aurora Luxe Cooling

Almost any mattress with a soft or medium comfort level can be ideal for side sleepers. But for side sleepers who also run hot, Brooklyn Bedding’s Aurora Luxe Cooling bed-in-a-box is the best cooling mattress. The design combines several smart cooling technologies, including a hybrid construction of innerspring coils and foam layers to maximize airflow and limit heat retention for incredible breathability. It’s topped with cooling infused foam and a proprietary GlacioTex cooling cover.

Unlike the more budget-minded models we tested, this cooling mattress is available in three comfort levels: Soft, Medium, and Firm. The self-professed side-only sleeper on our panel (who also claims to run very hot day and night) confirmed that the Aurora is the real deal. “ I love that the cover is actually cool to the touch. But I really love the Soft firmness. It’s the perfect Goldilocks comfort level for me with a good balance of comfort and support. It’s like sleeping inside a hug.”

With a price tag north of $2,000, this is a premium model for sure, but it’s frequently on sale for closer to $1,600 delivered. That includes a 120-night in-home trial. The only downside? Returns require a $99 removal fee.

Pod 3 Mattress

For those who are serious—like, really serious—about their sleep and recovery, Eight Sleep’s Pod 3 mattress could prove to be the ultimate tool for ensuring you get an optimized rest. The Pod 3 clocks in at a solid medium mattress rating, so most won't feel like it's too plush or too firm, making it ideal for couples. What truly sets this cooling mattress apart is a layer of smart sensors that Eight Sleep calls the "Active Grid." The sensors track everything from sleep patterns to breathing to heart rate, and more.

What hot sleepers (including us) really love about the Pod 3 is the active cooling technology built into each side of the mattress. It consists of long tubes filled with water that lead to a reservoir on the side of the mattress that's called "The Hub." No matter if you're a hot or cold sleeper, these tubes can be set from the Eight Sleep app to a range of 55-110 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you and your partner to get a personalized surface temperature any time of year. This isn’t just a gimmick, either. Our panelists absolutely love this mattress, with some describing it as the coolest (literally) model they’ve ever slept on.

There’s almost nothing we don’t like about this high-tech cooling mattress. But there’s no getting around that it’s a serious investment with an all-in price tag well north of three grand. That’s not including the pretty much required monthly membership fee (yes, really). On the plus side, that entry fee includes free shipping and free returns, plus a 100-night in-home sleep trial. Unfortunately, the included two-year limited warranty ranks at the very bottom of our roundup (although an optional extended warranty is available for a fee).

Hybrid Mattress

The Layla Hybrid uses a mix of support coils and cooling foam for a supportive, temperature-regulating sleeping experience. What makes this mattress unique is that it's dual-sided: One side is firm (about a 7 out of 10, with 10 being the firmest) while the other is plush (4 out of 10), so you can flip this puppy over whenever you need to change things up or get a new feel. These features, plus the Layla Hybrid's adequate edge support and motion-limiting design, make this the best dual-sided cooling mattress we tested in 2023. It’s a great design for guest rooms, too.

One of our pickiest side sleepers loves the comfort level of the Soft side. “This mattress cradles my hips perfectly while managing to align my neck and spine.” He also noted, “The combination of support coils with copper-gel-infused memory foam keep this one nice and breezy, too.”

With a clever design, excellent cooling features, and an all-in sale price of around $1,499 (for a Queen) with free shipping, this is a fantastic buy. Layla also throws in free returns with a 120-night trial and a 10-year warranty—not bad for a midrange cooling mattress.

Premier Copper Mattress

Memory foam is notorious for “running hot,” so you might not think of it when shopping for the best cooling mattress. But today’s models are far more advanced than their predecessors. The best memory foam cooling mattress is Nectar’s Premiere Copper Mattress. It’s made with CertiPUR-US certified foams and two additional inches of support, making it the company’s tallest, most supportive model. It combines a thick gel memory foam layer with a breathable cooling cover interwoven with copper fibers that work together to dissipate trapped heat.

Our testers found this mattress to be surprisingly cool. Not just cool for a memory foam mattress, but legitimately cool, even compared to many of our other top picks. For one of our testers, this was her hands-down favorite of this year's roundup. A former memory foam hater, she admitted that this made her a convert. “The AC in my apartment is terrible, but I still sleep like a baby on this, even in July.” She also noted that both her and her boyfriend were happy with the couples-friendly medium-firm comfort level (the only firmness available).

At under $1,300 delivered for a Queen, the Nectar Premier Copper Mattress is right in the midrange “sweet spot” compared to our other favorite cooling mattresses. It’s pricier than our most affordable picks, but the company does provide free shipping and free returns, plus a one-year in-home trial and a “Forever Warranty,” making this a 100% risk-free buy. You can also upgrade to a hybrid (memory foam and innerspring construction) model for a few hundred dollars more.

Who Is a Cooling Mattress Best for?

Cooling mattresses are designed to absorb and dissipate heat better than traditional alternatives. That makes them the perfect sleep surface for anyone who naturally “runs hot” at night. For most average sleepers (we realize that term is subjective) who tend to run warm or a little hot, a cooling mattress alone might be just the trick to help them sleep more comfortably.

For anyone who sleeps exceptionally hot, however, they may need to invest in cooling bedding (like sheets, pillows, and mattress toppers). Having a strong fan to keep the ambient bedroom temperature more comfortable also goes a long way toward keeping cool.

Do Cooling Mattresses Really Work?

The short answer is: Yes. Up until a few years ago, the term “cooling” was often little more than a buzzword in the world of mattresses and bedding. These days, the best cooling mattresses use premium features like “phase-change materials” (PCM) that rapidly absorb and shed heat that would otherwise be trapped between you and your mattress. Many also incorporate highly breathable, quick-wicking fabric covers to dissipate additional heat and sweat, so you stay cooler and drier throughout the night. If you sleep hot, a good cooling mattress can absolutely help.

What to Look for in the Best Cooling Mattress

Of course, there is no one best cooling mattress. It’s all about what’s best for you. But if you tend to sleep hot, there are a few essential features to look for when shopping for your next model.

Materials

The materials used determine how effective a mattress will be at keeping you cool. In general, hybrid models (mattresses that use a blended construction like, say, innerspring and gel memory foam) are the best mattresses for keeping you cool. Most premium models also add a removable cover that’s designed to stay cool to the touch. Even though these may not actually keep you cooler, they will feel cooler which can make them more comfortable

Firmness

Firmness is arguably the most important feature to consider when shopping for any mattress. Cooling mattresses are no different. Every model is built with a specific firmness or comfort level. While there is no uniform firmness scale, most manufacturers offer mattresses in “plush” (soft), “medium firm,” “firm,” and “extra firm.”

In general, lightweight sleepers (under 250 pounds) and side sleepers tend to prefer softer mattresses with a little more “give.” With a plush mattress, most sleepers describe the experience as more sleeping in the mattress rather than on top of it. They tend to hug and cradle the body

Firmer mattresses, on the other hand, provide more support, so you’ll likely feel as though you’re sleeping on top of them. These are best for sleepers over 250 pounds or anyone who tends to sleep on their back, stomach, or a combination of the two

Trial Period

Finding the right mattress can be challenging, even if you’re shopping in-store where you can test drive them in person. For online buyers, the process is doubly hard as it means you’re typically “buying blind.” Either way, be sure that the mattress (cooling or otherwise) that you’re shopping has a solid trial period. We recommend a minimum 100-night risk-free, in-home trial, although some premium bed makers offer up to a year. The best cooling mattress manufacturers typically offer an in-home trial with free delivery and free returns. But some budget brands only offer free delivery, requiring customers to shell out $100 or more for any return.

How We Selected the Best Cooling Mattresses of 2023

Over the last year, our sleep-obsessed editors and writers dove (literally) into dozens of top-selling cooling mattresses. We personally tested models from industry-leading brands like Tempur-Pedic and Sleep Number alongside alternatives from lesser-known names like Avocado and Nolah. We compared every feature and spec, from overall comfort to durability to price to, of course, how well each model kept us cool and comfortable all night long. The final list above represents our top eight picks for the very best cooling mattresses of 2023.

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