Honorable Mentions
There are a ton of mattresses and related items on the market that claim to have cooling benefits. Here are a few others we tested and liked, but not as much as the options above.
BedJet 3 for $427: WIRED reviewer Christopher Null liked this climate-control device a lot because it allowed him to sleep cool without having to buy a whole new mattress. This device uses a large blower under your bed to blast hot or cool air beneath your covers. If you like your existing mattress but find yourself sleeping hot, this could be just the ticket.
Courtesy of Sealy
Sealy Cocoon Chill Memory Foam Mattress for $919: Its surface is noticeably cool to the touch thanks to its exclusive phase change material, which works wonders at drawing and storing the body’s heat. This all-foam mattress leans firm, making it well-suited for back and stomach sleepers. If you’re a side sleeper looking for more body contouring, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. If you’re a stomach sleeper looking for a firm mattress that’s also cooling, this one will do the trick. There was almost no motion transfer in my testing, allowing my husband and me to get up at different times without disturbing each other. —Nicole Kinning
Casper Snow Hybrid for $2,595: When you come across a mattress with a name that includes “snow,” your expectations for cooling effects are naturally high—and this mattress indeed lives up to that expectation. Structurally, this hybrid bed combines poly foam, memory foam, and pocketed coils, and provides targeted support at the hips, waist, and lower back to alleviate pressure, making it ideal for back and stomach sleepers. I noticed it came out of the box slightly misshapen from its packaging and emitted a faint plasticky scent. After about two days, the mattress was ready to go, the smell gone, and it had settled into its intended neat rectangle shape. —Nicole Kinning
Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid for $2,049: The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid is marketed as firm, and that’s exactly what you should expect. Crafted with patented AirCradle memory foam, the mattress features concentrated cushioning in the center, strategically intended to support your lower back. Since I’m only 5’2,” the middle-back cushioning didn’t hit where it was intended to. Despite its firmness, I didn’t find this mattress particularly exceptional, especially with its cooling properties. Despite incorporating a triple-phase LuxeCool system and cooling gel-infused memory foam, the cooling effect didn’t stand out. —Nicole Kinning
Courtesy of Wayfair
Wayfair Sleep 12-Inch Medium Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress for $500: This bed has four layers of hypoallergenic gel memory foam infused with green tea, using cooling technology and a breathable design to ensure you’re having a super-cool sleep. This medium-plush bed has two top layers of gel-infused memory and comfort foam to help with breathability and cooling, and the top material is a breathable knitted cover to aid in airflow circulation. This mattress had the perfect balance of soft cooling with the memory foam, and the breathable knitted cover also helped with airflow. Most importantly, though, I always slept coolly on this sleeper hit (pun intended).
Wayfair 10.5-Inch Plush Cooling Gel Mattress for $536 (King): This cooling gel hybrid mattress comprises five layers of various memory foams. The memory foam pillow top aims to relieve pressure points and help reduce motion transfer, and it has a breathable knit cover to aid in the cooling effect. The mattress is compatible with an adjustable base and has a 100-night trial and 10-year warranty. Although it doesn’t have as noticeable a cooling effect as some others on this list, it’s a true plush mattress that uses cooling gel technology at an affordable price.
Wayfair Sleep 8-Inch Medium Cooling Gel Memory Foam for $400: This super-cheap medium-firm cooling mattress has eight total inches of memory foam—the top layer of cooling gel, charcoal, and green tea-infused memory foams (to aid in freshness and odor absorption), followed by a soft comfort foam on a durable high-density foam base. The top layer has a breathable, woven jacquard design that helps to keep the sleeper cool and reduces motion transfer. The layers of ultra-cooling gel and green tea-infused memory foams help with the cooling effect and keep any odors at bay. This super-inexpensive mattress delivers well above expectations, but there are better cooling options on our list.
Wayfair Sleep 14-Inch Plush Cooling Gel Hybrid Mattress for $326 (Full): This plush cooling gel mattress features a top plush layer of gel memory foam to relieve pressure and help with airflow, plus the quilted Euro-top knit cover and sides promote continuous airflow around the mattress to keep the sleeper cool. The bed also features classic pocket coils below for structure and support, with layers of memory foams surrounding the coils (this helps with low-motion transfer, too). The mattress is also compatible with an adjustable bed base, has solid edge support, offers a 100-night trial, and has a 10-year warranty. I love a plush mattress, but it may be too plush for someone with a bigger body, since the first super-soft memory foam layer is on top of a coil system.
Wayfair Sleep 13.5-Inch Medium Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress for $550: This 13.5-inch cooling gel memory foam mattress is listed as medium, but I’d definitely consider it super-plush. The top layer has 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam and 4.5 inches of comfort foam, and the bottom layer is 7 inches of high-density base support foam. Like other cooling Wayfair mattresses, the top has a breathable jacquard pattern and is green tea-infused to help with freshness and cooling. The top layers of memory foam are designed to mold to your body and help relieve pains and achy joints. This in-a-box bed also has low-motion transfer, a 100-night trial, and a limited 10-year warranty. If you’re someone who wants a super-plush bed that helps to wick moisture, then I’d recommend this behemoth.
Compare the Best Cooling Mattresses
How Does WIRED Test Cooling Mattresses?
Mattresses are tested for at least a week, but in many cases for longer. I slept on the majority of these mattresses for half a month or more to really get a feel for the product. I tested them at different times of the season and with different types of sheets and bedding. I sat on the edges to test for edge support, jumped, and performed some other methods to test the bounce and motion transfer of the mattress. Perhaps most important for this guide, I was my normal, perpetually warm (and sweaty) self, and gauged more abstract things like my overall comfort at night, and how well I thought air flowed through the mattress, or how much heat was trapped in.
What Should You Look for in a Cooling Mattress?
When shopping for a cooling mattress, here are a few things to consider:
- Composition: Opt for mattress materials designed to promote airflow, which will help prevent heat buildup. Many mattresses are infused with gel or copper, which are designed to dissipate heat and keep you cool. A hybrid mattress combines the best of both worlds by using a coil support system under a foam, latex, or polyfoam comfort top. Hybrid mattresses tend to retain less heat than all-foam mattresses because they have a layer or two of springs to help dissipate heat.
- Cover fabric: Consider mattresses with covers made from moisture-wicking fabrics and phase-change fibers to draw sweat away from the body. Breathable fabrics include bamboo, Tencel lyocell, and synthetic fabrics, which are engineered to help regulate body temperature. Perforated cooling covers further amplify airflow between your body and the fabric. We find quilted tops help too, since they have ridges and valleys that allow air to escape.
- Airflow: With proper airflow, the heat you generate overnight is properly conducted through the mattress. Hybrid mattresses with individual coils help with this, but many mattresses marketed for their cooling benefits have other tricks.
- Firmness: While the debate of soft versus firm mattresses is a personal preference, your choice can play a crucial role in the way your body traps heat. Softer mattresses tend to envelop your body, leading to increased heat retention as your body sinks into the surface. Conversely, firmer mattresses provide better support and allow for more air circulation around your body.
How Did WIRED Select Models to Be Reviewed?
We have tested over 100 mattresses across all of our guides, like Best Organic Mattresses, Best Mattresses for Back Pain, and Best Mattresses You Can Buy Online, as well as for individual review. We talk with each other, discussing which mattress brands in general we’re fans of, and which we aren’t. Some mattresses are provided as review samples by the manufacturers, with the understanding that we don’t guarantee coverage or type of coverage—we aren’t paid for glowing reviews on products we think are just mid. We purchase and expense models we aren’t able to get a sample of.
We try to test a range of mattress types, firmness, and brands to ensure we know what’s out on the market, so we can best give you our honest, unbiased opinion on which mattresses you should spend your money (and one-third of your life sleeping) on.
What Does WIRED Do With Mattresses After Testing?
We keep top picks for longer-term durability testing in our own homes and the homes of other staffers, friends, and family members, while other models are donated locally.
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