Best Firm Mattresses

Mattress Nerd consulted Dr. Max Cohen, DC, CCEP to ensure that this article met our editorial standards

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If you are looking for a new mattress on the firmer side, but find yourself unsure which firmness level or bed is right for you, this guide can help! Firmness is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the best mattress, so you’ll want to do your due diligence. 

If you’re a stomach sleeper, a heavy sleeper, or maybe you suffer from back pain, a firm supportive mattress can be a great option for you. Some people may not even realize they prefer a firmer mattress until they try it. Luckily, all of the options we’ll review in this guide offer a generous trial period for customers to fall in love with their bed if they aren’t so sure upon purchase.

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Best Firm Mattresses of 2023

• Nerd’s Pick – Plank
• Best Firm Mattress for Back Sleepers – Helix Dawn Luxe
• Best Firm Mattress for Couples – Nectar
• Best Cooling Firm Mattress – DreamCloud Original
• Best Firm Innerspring Mattress – WinkBed
• Best Firm Mattress for Heavy People – Titan Firm Hybrid
• Best Firm Memory Foam Mattress – Bear
• Best Firm Hybrid Mattress – Saatva
• Best Firm Luxury Mattress – Nolah Evolution
• Best Firm Mattress for Kids – Stearns & Foster Estate

Watch Our Review

Nerd’s Pick – Plank

Like its name suggests, the Plank mattress by Brooklyn Bedding is one of the firmest mattresses on the market. This is a flippable mattress with a firm side (a 7 on the firmness scale) and an extra firm side (a 9 on the firmness scale). It has foam layers on both sides and a top comfort layer of quilted foam for some cushioning. 

The Plank is minimally conforming, so it’s a great option for stomach sleepers and those who weigh over 230 pounds. In addition, this bed excels at motion isolation and makes no noise while bearing weight, making it a great option for couples. If your posture is a concern, this mattress promises to keep it in check while you sleep. The Plank increases blood flow to all areas of the body while keeping sleepers cool and giving them a customizable sleeping experience. 

Read our full Plank Mattress Review to learn more.

Best Firm Mattress for Back Sleepers – Helix Dawn

Helix has designed several versions of their mattress, one to suit every type of sleeper. Some of the factors they considered include weight, body type and sleeping position, as one mattress does not fit all. Their firmer mattress options include the Helix Twilight and the Helix Dawn. Both offer a layered composition of memory foam and dynamic foam to create the right combination of pressure relief and contouring for the body. Bottom line: They are comfortable, yet solid.

The Helix Dawn Luxe mattress’s combination of foam and pocketed coils give it a firm, supportive feel that’s perfect for larger sleepers. The Dawn is best suited for back and stomach sleepers and conforms well to the body, while the Twilight Luxe is the best mattress for side sleepers and provides excellent pressure-point relief. All Helix mattresses come with free shipping to the United States, a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty. Helix is also one of our top picks for the best bed-in-a-box.

Read our full Helix Dawn Mattress Review for more details. Not interested in the Helix Dawn mattress? Check out our list for best mattress for heavy people to find other great recommendations.

Best Firm Mattress for Couples – Nectar

The Nectar, with a firmness of 6.5/10, just barely qualifies for our list of the best firm mattresses, but we simply had to include it because of how well it performs for couples. Specifically, this mattress scored a perfect 5/5 on our motion isolation test, meaning your partner can be tossing, turning, shifting, and squirming on their side of the bed and you won’t feel much of anything on your side. 

If your two top priorities in shopping for a mattress are firmness and accommodation for couples, then the Nectar should be at the top of your list. Plus, it goes for the relatively affordable price of $1,298 for a Queen (before sales and discounts) and comes with a lifetime warranty.

See our full Nectar Mattress Review for more details. Not interested in the Nectar Mattress? Check out our list of best mattresses for couples guide to see more recommendations.

Best Cooling Firm Mattress: DreamCloud Original

If you are a hot sleeper looking for a firm mattress, the DreamCloud OG is your perfect match. A lot of mattresses claim to have “cooling features” and promise not to trap body heat, but how many of them have cashmere in the cover along with their gel foam and breathable coils? To have as many added features and the proven ability to perform like a cooling mattress, DreamCloud sells at a very reasonable price.

Whether you sleep alone, with a partner or with a pet, this mattress promises you an undisturbed night’s sleep, and DreamCloud does live up to that promise as far as motion transfer goes. The memory foam absorbs most of the movement, so you shouldn’t be shaken around by a restless sleeper.

Plus, some combination sleepers complain that they feel “stuck” in memory foam and find them hard to move around on. But the coils make movement easy. All in all, this mattress is a great value that will keep you comfortable and cool.

Read our full DreamCloud Mattress Review for more information. Not interested in the DreamCloud? Check out our list of best cooling mattresses for other great recommendations.

Best Firm Innerspring Mattress – WinkBed

How firm would you like your mattress? At WinkBeds, you get four firmness options: soft, luxury firm, firmer and plus, with the luxury firm being the most popular. All this support adds up to a mattress that can handle any sleep position. It’s good for side, back and stomach sleepers, as well as combination sleepers, thanks to its hybrid design with both innerspring layers and multiple layers of foam.

Handmade to order in the USA, this luxury mattress also features a natural eucalyptus-derived TENCEL cover (think cooling) and a Euro-pillow top with gel-infused foam (even more cooling). At 14” tall, it’s a plush, sturdy combination of contouring foam and steel coils, making it a long-lasting, durable mattress at a nicer price point than other luxury beds with similar features.

See our WinkBeds mattress reviews for more details. Looking for other great options? Check out our best innerspring mattress guide to find more recommendations.

Best Firm Mattress for Heavy People – Titan Firm Hybrid

Brooklyn Bedding’s Titan Firm Hybrid mattress was designed specifically for heavy people. This hybrid design consists of a gel memory foam top, foam comfort layer, and individually wrapped coils. The mattress provides targeted pressure relief and optimal support for heavy back and side sleepers. 

The Titan Firm Hybrid falls at a firmness level of 7/10, but it may feel slightly softer or firmer depending on your weight. It has good responsiveness, meaning you’re more likely to sleep on top of the mattress than sink deeply into it. This mattress provides excellent temperature regulation with cooling gel memory foam and over a thousand coils for lots of airflow. If you need more cooling, you can purchase an additional cooling panel for the cover. Additionally, the Titan is a great budget-friendly option, especially for a plus-size mattress. 

Check out our full Titan Mattress Review for more information.

Best Firm Memory Foam Mattress – Bear

Made with pain relief and comfort in mind, the Bear Mattress can afford a great night’s sleep for active people. In fact, it was designed for athletes who will benefit from its Celliant cover that promotes healthy blood flow and cooling for faster recovery times. At a more firm level of 7 out of 10, the Bear Original features four foam layers to ease pressure on key areas of the body (hips, back and shoulders).

The graphite gel infused into the first layer of memory foam adds another cooling effect, which also boosts recovery times. In sum, we recommend this mattress for all weights of back sleepers, and lightweight to average-weight side sleepers. It has a bouncier, more responsive feel than classic memory foam, which should also appeal to combination sleepers who change sleep positions through the night.

Read our full Bear Mattress Review for more information. Looking for other options besides the Bear? Check out our best memory foam mattresses to find the mattress for you.

Best Firm Hybrid Mattress – Saatva

The Saatva is a hybrid mattress that comes in three different firmness levels: plush soft, luxury firm and firm. While the luxury firm is their best-seller, if you prefer a mattress with a little extra firmness, the firm option is the better choice. 

The construction starts at the top layer with a thin piece of quilted organic cotton foam to cushion your joints and provide pressure-point relief. Underneath that is a layer of individually wrapped pocket coils designed to conform to your body and reduce motion transfer. Saatva also contains a layer of gel memory foam that supports the spine. Their goal was to make an affordable luxury product with complementary white glove delivery, free removal of your old mattress and excellent customer service.

Read our full Saatva Mattress Review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Saatva mattress, check out our list of the best hybrid mattresses for more great options.

Best Firm Luxury Mattress: Nolah Evolution

With three different firmness options, the Nolah Evolution features a luxurious and tall combination of foam and coil layers that ease pressure on key areas of the body (hips, back, and shoulders). The breathable pocketed coils combined with the gel foam adds another cooling effect, which also boosts recovery times. 

We recommend the firm options of this mattress for back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and heavyweight side sleepers. It has a bouncier, more responsive feel than other Nolah mattresses, which should also appeal to combination sleepers who change sleep positions through the night.

Read our full Nolah Evolution mattress review to learn more. Looking for other options besides the Nolah? Check out our list of best luxury mattresses for more great recommendations.

Best Firm Mattress for Kids – Stearns & Foster Estate

When searching for the best kids’ mattress, it’s important to consider that your child is still changing and growing. The Stearns & Foster Estate mattress, in our opinion, accommodates well. In fact, this mattress should be suitable for side, back, or stomach sleepers. So even if your child changes sleeping positions as they age, they should still feel comfortable and supported. This is primarily due to the support layer with innerspring coils surrounded by polyfoam to improve the edge support.

Read our full Stearns & Foster mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Estate mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses for kids for more great options.

Mattress Buying Guide

When shopping for any type of mattress, there are some factors that should always be top of mind. These attributes are the ones that we look at when testing a mattress in our lab; they give us a sense of the product’s overall quality, and allow us to make thoughtful recommendations based on your specific needs and preferences.

Motion Isolation – One of the most important factors for couples, good motion isolation helps to keep your partner’s movements from disturbing your sleep. For a firm mattress that excels in this field, make sure you look for something with dense foam layers. 

Pressure Relief – Our pressure relief tests measure how well a mattress supports and comforts sensitive areas of your body, such as the hips and shoulders. Firm mattresses tend to do a better job of relieving pressure in heavyweight sleepers and stomach sleepers.

Ease of Movement – If you tend to toss and turn in your sleep, you’ll want a mattress with a high ease-of-movement score, as it will make it much easier for you to switch from your side to back to stomach. Thankfully, firm mattresses usually do a great job of this because they don’t allow you to sink too far below the surface.

Edge Support – Good edge support in a mattress means there’s a strong perimeter, so you can sit or lie on the far edges of the bed without it sagging underneath your weight. Firm mattresses usually excel when it comes to this. 

Temperature Control – If you sleep hot at night, you’ll definitely want a mattress that does a good job of regulating temperature. Something that has good breathability (like a hybrid) or contains cooling materials (like copper infusions or gel foam) will help keep you from overheating as you sleep.

Durability – Finally, durability measures how well a mattress will maintain its structural integrity over the years. If you’re looking to purchase a mattress that will last you up to a decade then high durability is essential.

Mattress Firmness Scale

Firmness is judged differently from person to person based on your comfort level. But for the purpose of internet shopping, there is a scale that all mattress manufacturers use to help guide customers during their purchase. The scale goes from 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely soft and 10 being extremely firm.

1: Extremely Soft These are plush mattresses that you can sink into.

2–3: Soft Slightly more firm than extremely soft, but still have a “sinking” feeling.

4–6: Medium These mattresses are not too soft, but not too hard. Many hybrid mattresses are medium firmness.

7–9: Firm These are less conforming, stiffer mattresses that you don’t sink into.

10: Extremely Firm These are very hard and stiff. There is no sinking or softness.

For a more comprehensive breakdown, head over to our mattress firmness guide.

Understanding Your Ideal Firmness

Mattress firmness can be a difficult thing to communicate to someone who hasn’t tried the mattress. A number of variables play into whether a particular firmness level will provide you with that perfect blend of support and comfort; body type, sleeping position, history of back pain, and personal preference are just a few.

The purpose of this buyer’s guide is to provide you with a better understanding of the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of a firm mattress so you can make a more educated purchase when shopping for an online mattress.

Related: Soft vs. Firm Mattresses

Who Are Firm Mattresses Best For?

It’s no secret that firm beds are not for everyone. However, there are many categories of people who are likely to prefer and/or benefit from a firm mattress:

Sleepers with Back Pain

We often find firm mattresses to be some of the best mattresses for back pain, as they can keep your spine better aligned by supporting the hips and shoulders . The improved spinal alignment that firm mattresses provide can reduce the likelihood of added soreness because of the mattress.

Big & Tall Sleepers

Firm mattresses can also help provide support for those who carry more bodyweight and sink too deeply into soft mattresses. If you’re heavier than average (around 230 lbs) there’s a good chance that a firm mattress will feel perfectly soft to you, while still supporting sensitive areas. Check out our Best Mattresses for Heavy People for more options. 

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers of average or heavy weight tend to do well on a firm mattress. The reason being that if the mattress is too soft, then the front of their hips will sink deep into the mattress, throwing their spine out of alignment and possibly leading to soreness. Lightweight stomach sleepers, however, can likely get by with a medium-firm mattress.

Combination Sleepers

If you find yourself sleeping on your side, stomach, and back throughout the night then you’re a combination sleepers. You’ll need a mattress that does an adequate job of supporting all three sleeping positions, and makes it easy to switch from one position to another. You don’t want to go too firm if you’re a combo sleeper, but something in the medium-firm range (6.5 or 7 out of 10) should do well for you. If you want to learn more, check out our list of the best mattresses for combination sleepers.

Who Are Firm Mattresses Not Best For?

Lightweight Sleepers

If you’re less than 130 lbs and you lie down on a firm mattress, there’s a chance it’ll feel like lying on the floor. That’s because your body does not have enough weight to push you into the surface of the mattress. This is especially the case for lightweight side and back sleepers, who need a decent amount of sinkage around their hips and shoulders to relieve the pressure in those areas. We suggest you hop over to our best plush mattresses page for some great suggestions for lighter folks.

Side Sleepers

As we alluded to above, side sleepers need a mattress with a good amount of give. Of course, there should be some support provided, but it’s very important for the hips and shoulders to be properly cushioned by the bed. If your mattress is too firm, it can push against your shoulder and cause stress on the area. If this is something you’re experiencing as a side sleeper, it could be that your mattress is too firm. 

Take a look at the roundup we put together, which includes recommendations for the best mattress for side sleepers with shoulder pain.

Back Sleepers

Most back sleepers should look for a mattress right in the middle of the firmness scale, either medium-soft or medium firm. That’s because if you sleep on your back, your hips need to sink into the mattress just a little bit⁠—enough to be cushioned but not so much that your spine gets thrown out of alignment. With a firm mattress, you run the risk of resting on top of the mattress rather than slightly in the mattress.

Types of Firm Mattresses 

Innerspring

What is an Innerspring Mattress? Invented in 1871, the innerspring is what most people think of when they think “traditional mattress.” Think of brands like Serta Simmons, and other long-standing brands available in most brick and mortar stores. They are a mattress constructed with a layer of coils as their support and do not have a lot of material on top of those coils, making them very firm options. 

Are innerspring mattresses firm? In short, yes. They tend to be some of the firmest options on the market since they typically do not have a comfort layer overtop the coil base. While there have been many improvements to innerspring mattresses since their creation, they are still not hailed as the most comfortable or pressure-relieving models. Take a look at our best innerspring mattress article for some of our favorites.

Hybrid 

What is a Hybrid Mattress? A hybrid mattress is a fusion of an innerspring base with a comfort layer on top of the coils. This comfort layer could be made of latex, various foams, and other cotton and polyester blends. 

Are hybrid mattresses firm? A hybrid’s firmness can vary depending on the thickness of the comfort layer. Where traditional innerspring mattresses can fall short in motion isolation and relieving pressure, a hybrid can combine the firm base of coils with some additional comfort. Our best hybrid mattresses article has more information.

Foam

What is a foam mattress? While memory foam is possibly the most popular of the mattress foams, there are dozens of polyfoams, gel foams and foam blends that are used to create foam mattresses. They range in layers of different types of foams from the dense base layer to varying comfort top layers. 

Are foam mattresses firm? Depending on the density of the foam used in the layers, foam mattresses can range from very soft to relatively firm. Most of these firmness levels will depend on the sleeper’s weight, and how far they sink into the first layer of foam. Head over to our article on the best foam mattresses if you’re interested.

Latex 

What is a latex mattress? Latex mattresses are constructed from a combination of latex (a rubbery like substance), foams and/or coils, that results in a bouncy, supportive surface. 

Are latex mattresses firm? Latex has a unique feeling if you have never slept on it before. They are a very popular choice for those in search of pressure relief and are much more breathable than some memory foam. They range from soft to very firm and have grown in popularity due to their use of natural materials. See our best latex mattresses for more information.

Popular Mattress Accessories For Firm Beds

Mattress Toppers

There are now more ways than ever to customize your mattress. If you are in need of more support but tend to like a softer surface, consider the addition of a euro or pillow top to your bed. These toppers are made in a variety of materials that give your firm mattress a more plush feel. Our best mattress toppers guide should help you find what you’re looking for. Or, if you’re a side sleeper who feels that your mattress is too firm, our specific best mattress toppers for side sleepers can help add some softness to the equation.

Pillows 

If you are shopping for a firm mattress due to neck, back or hip pain, you may want to consider the addition of a pillow depending on your sleeping position. Pillows come in every shape and size from a wedge pillow to flat and from small to large. There are pillows for every pain concern. This can add some focused support to different areas of the body. Take a peek at our best pillows roundup for suggestions that pertain to every sleeping situation.

FAQ

Recap of the Best Rated Firm Mattresses

Mattress	Award	Mattress Type
Plank	Nerd’s Pick	Hybrid
Helix Dawn Luxe	Best Firm Mattress for Heavy People	Hybrid
Nectar	Best Firm Mattress for Couples	Foam
DreamCloud Original	Best Cooling Firm Mattress	Foam
WinkBeds	Best Firm Innerspring Mattress	Innerspring
Titan Firm Hybrid	Best Firm Mattress for Heavy People	Hybrid
Bear	Best Firm Memory Foam Mattress	Foam
Saatva	Best Firm Hybrid Mattress	Hybrid
Nolah Evolution	Best Firm Luxury Mattress	Foam
Stearns & Foster Estate	Best Firm Mattress for Kids	Hybrid

Dr. Max Cohen is part of our panel of medical expert contributors on the subject of sleep health. They provide important perspectives on the topics we discuss to help make our content as accurate and dependable as possible. They do not personally endorse any products, nor are they associated with any brands featured in our review content.