Best Queen Size Mattresses

Queen mattresses are considered the standard for an adult bed in homes, hotel rooms, and apartments alike. Whether you’ve just moved in with a partner, want extra space for co-sleeping with your pet, or enjoy sprawling out yourself, a queen bed is a great bed size.

That being said, the fact that queen size mattresses are the most popular on the market means that there are thousands to choose from, which can feel overwhelming. In this article, we’ve done much of the heavy legwork for you. Keep reading to learn about the best queen size mattresses available today. We also share details about their construction, price points, pros and cons, and the type of sleeper they’re best suited for.

Disclosure: By clicking on the product links in this article, Mattress Nerd may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Read full disclosure statement.

Best Queen Mattresses of 2020

• Editor’s Pick – Casper
• Best Firm Mattress – Saatva
• Best Value Queen Size Mattress – Nectar
• Best Queen Mattress Under $1000 – Amerisleep AS3
• Best Dual-Sided Mattress – Layla
• Best Hybrid – Helix Midnight 
• Best Luxury Queen Size Mattress – DreamCloud
• Best Queen Memory Foam Mattress – Puffy

Our Editor’s Pick is the Casper Mattress, a bed-in-a-box mixed-foam mattress that’s widely available online and at brick-and-mortar stores like Target. It features comfort layers of polyfoam and memory foam, which together,  create a 12-inch profile that’s pressure-relieving, and conforms closely to the body. As a bonus, the Casper has excellent motion isolation and sleeps cooler than other all-foam models, making it an appealing queen size mattress for couples and individuals who co-sleep with their children or pets.

The Casper is recommended for lightweight and average weight individuals, as heavyweight sleepers may sink too much into its foam layers. The Casper is affordably priced, with a queen clocking in at just over $1,000. Because the Casper is made with high-quality materials, ships free, and comes with a generous warranty and sleep trial, the Casper is not only our Editor’s Pick for a queen size but a high-value pick as well.

Read our Casper Original mattress review to learn more! 

The Saatva is a luxury mattress complete with thick comfort layers and a robust coil-on-coil system that improves the bed’s durability. While this is our pick for best firm queen size mattress, we really do love every firmness level Saatva offers. Every Saatva mattress is constructed with a Euro-top (similar to a pillow top) cover for added comfort, three polyfoam, and memory foam comfort layers, and a thick pocketed coil support core. The thickness of the comfort layers will vary based on the firmness and height profile you choose. See: Best Pillowtop Mattress

What we love about the Saatva is that you can get a distinct feel with all the options available. From the Plush Soft and Luxury Firm, all the way to the Firm option, there’s something for everyone. Any type of sleeper, regardless of weight or sleep position, should be able to find a suitable design based on their body type, sleeping position, any acute back pain or hip pain, and individual preferences. 

Check out our full Saatva Classic mattress review to learn more!

If you are looking for an overall great value mattress, the Nectar is probably the best mattress for the money you can find. This gel memory foam mattress is great for side and back sleepers who tend to get hot at night, due to the gel-infused foams, better materials, and breathable cover. Nectar doesn’t have a lot of bounce to it, and if you are a combination sleeper who moves around a lot in your sleep, you may feel like this mattress makes that a little difficult.

Nectar is also a great option for couples. A lot of people expect memory foam to depress a lot around the edges, which it usually does, but not Nectar. It has reinforced edge support so that you can use the full surface of the mattress without feeling like you’ll fall off. If you are a heavier individual (over 250 pounds) Nectar may not give you the support you need, instead check some mattresses specifically made for big & tall people.

See our full Nectar review to learn more.

The Amerisleep AS3 comes in right over $1000 for a queen mattress, and we think it is the best $1000 you may ever spend! This mattress was constructed to appeal to a wide variety of sleepers, so if you are looking to upgrade to a queen size mattress, or it is just time for a new one this is a great option that is not too geared towards a specific type of sleeper.

This mattress is a true medium-firm and will feel that way to most sleepers of light to average weights. If you are an athlete, or someone who exercises regularly the AS3 excels in aiding muscle recovery at night, making it great also for those with pain concerns. Queen mattresses are a popular option for couples, and this mattress provides motion isolation so you will not feel every movement from your partner throughout the night.

See our full Amerisleep AS3 mattress review to learn more! 

This mattresses claim to fame is the fact that it is two mattresses in one. One side is soft and the other is firm. While we do love this feature, it is worth noting that each side of the mattress performs with the best of them in its respective category. If you love a softer mattress, the soft side of the Layla will give you the hug you love from memory foam with the balanced support layers you need to keep your spine aligned and wake up without aches and pains.

For those who like a firmer mattress, the firm side of the Layal is an excellent option. Since it is a memory foam mattress, it has decent contouring on the firm side but will keep your body very aligned. If you have absolutely no idea what type of firmness you prefer but know you want a great memory foam mattress the Layal gives you the opportunity to decide in your own home.

Read our full Layla mattress review for more info! 

The Helix Midnight is honestly just an all-around great mattress. It has gained popularity due to how well it performs for side sleepers, historically a tricky population to make the perfect mattress for. The Midnight is cooling, supportive, and comforting. This mattress relieves pressure on sensitive pressure points and has the right amount of give and support.

The Midnight is also an excellent choice for couples because it has excellent edge support, and isolates motion fairly well. Since it is a hybrid you will feel some movement due to the natural bounce, but the foam layer on top should keep you both fairly steady.

Read our full Helix Midnight review for more info. 

This medium-firm hybrid mattress gives sleepers the comfort you love in a plush, soft mattress, combined with the necessary support of a firm innerspring mattress. The Dreamcloud is a perfect mattress for someone with pain concerns, as it relieves sensitive pressure points that can cause you to wake up with aches and pains.

The Dreamcloud may be a little too soft for heavy stomach sleepers but should suit most side back and stomach sleepers. One of the great things about buying the Dreamcloud is that you have a full year to try the mattress out and make sure it is the perfect fit for you. Dreamcloud is also a very breathable mattress, meaning it should keep you relatively cool throughout the night.

Read our full Dreamcloud mattress review to learn more. 

The Puffy mattress is an all-foam mattress and has a medium firmness level and offers broad appeal for a variety of body types. If you’re a side sleeper who enjoys plush beds, you’ll enjoy the Puffy for its low-density memory foam, which makes the top layers of the bed feel incredibly plush to the touch.

That being said, the bed isn’t so soft that it throws the spine out of alignment. Beneath the two top layers are transitional and support layers that contribute most to the bed’s overall firmness level and encourage healthy spinal alignment.

We especially love the Puffy queen size for lightweight sleepers and side sleepers. Sleepers who weigh less than average will compress the foam less, so a firm mattress can feel uncomfortably hard. The medium-firm firmness of the Puffy provides just enough support while the extra-soft sleep surface offers light sleepers pressure relief and comfort. This plush top layer and its ability to cradle the hips and shoulders are also why it’s our queen size choice for side sleepers. Keep in mind that if you’re a heavyweight side sleeper, this may not be the best option for you.

See our full Puffy mattress meview to learn more!

Queen Size Mattress Buying Guide

Types of Mattresses

Bigger than a full-size mattress but not as space-consuming as a king-size mattress, the queen size mattress offers much appeal. If you’ve decided on a queen size mattress but aren’t sure where to begin when it comes to shopping for a new bed, we recommend deciding on type before anything else. The type of mattress will influence its availability, price point, and much else associated with the bed. See: Best King Size Mattresses 

Foam

Foam mattresses contain various comfort, transitional, and support core layers and can feature polyfoam, memory foam, and other types of foam in their construction. Generally, all-foam and mixed-foam beds are best known for their conforming and comfort. Memory foam mattresses are a favorite among shoppers for their “sinking sand” feel and pressure relieving capabilities, especially along the hips and shoulders. When considering whether an all-foam bed is right for you, it’s important to note that foam beds tend to trap heat and therefore sleep warmer than other models, like innerspring and hybrids. Foam beds also tend to have more sagging and less durability than these types. 

Latex

A latex mattress is defined as any mattress that contains latex foam in its comfort, transitional, or support layers. As such, a latex bed can be made entirely of natural or synthetic latex or can consist of one latex layer on top of other foam or spring layers. Latex has appealing qualities for shoppers, including natural responsiveness and temperature-regulating properties, and it’s naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and dust-mite resistant. However, latex beds can be pricey, especially those that are made with natural latex. See: Best Latex Mattresses 

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses, or “traditional” mattresses, are likely what you slept on growing up. These mattresses offer excellent temperature neutrality and edge support and typically feature a thin foam layer on top of innerspring coils. These models are affordable and the firm surface can be appealing to sleepers who are primarily on their stomachs or their backs. See: Best Affordable Mattresses 

Hybrid

Hybrid queen size mattresses combine the best of both worlds from all-foam and innerspring beds: they have the comfort and conforming of the top foam layers and the support, durability, breathability, and responsiveness of pocketed coil mattresses. Hybrids are some of the most popular mattresses available on the market today because you can find practically anything you want in a hybrid. They’re made in a variety of sizes, in many thickness profiles, with unique add-ons and features, and come at a variety of price points. In general, however, hybrid mattresses are priced higher than their innerspring mattress and foam mattress alternatives due to both the quality of materials and the complexity of their construction.

Other Factors to Consider 

• Firmness—Firmness refers to how soft or firm a queen size mattress feels on a scale of 1 to 10. If you’re unsure of which firmness level would suit you best, we recommend consulting our firmness guide. Generally speaking, medium-firm beds are best suited for a wide variety of sleeping positions and body types. If you’re a lightweight sleeper or a side sleeper, you’ll enjoy a softer bed. If you’re a heavyweight sleeper, back sleeper, or stomach sleeper, you’ll want a firmer model.
• Feel—Feel and firmness are related to one another, but they’re not exactly the same thing. For example, a bed can have a medium-firm firmness level but still feel soft and cushioning to the touch due to thicker comfort layers. The feel of a bed can also be described as cradling, responsive, and bouncy, to name a few. Feel comes down to preference, and it can be a good idea to test out different beds in a brick-and-mortar store to help you decide on what you do and don’t like. 
• Mattress Type—The style of mattress you choose is one of the greatest factors in determining the mattress’ feel, firmness, durability, edge support, motion isolating ability, and many other important qualities. There’s no right or wrong mattress type, but each type excels in some areas and falls behind in others. It’s important to consider which qualities are most important to you and to aim to select a mattress type that delivers well on your priorities.
• Price—Queen size mattresses range in price from just several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. If you’re investing in a queen size mattress for a new home, we recommend trying to budget as much as you can for the bed. Most mattresses last upwards of seven to eight years, so it’s important to find something that’s going to support your body and provide a good night’s sleep for that duration of time. That being said, if you’re purchasing the queen mattress for short-term living accommodation or simply don’t have extra cash to spend, there are many high-value options at friendly price points available.
• Motion Isolation—Motion isolation is especially important for queen size models as many sleepers upgrading to queen size beds are doing so to make space for a partner, child, or pet. This means that if you wake easily to the movements or noise of someone else in your bed, you’ll want to minimize that noise and movement as much as possible. Look for models that are rated highly in both motion transfer and noise reduction. See Best Mattresses for couples 
• Materials—Above, we reviewed the standard construction for various bed types, but once you’ve chosen the style of mattress you want, it’s important to pay attention to the details of the materials. For example, if you opt for a memory foam queen bed and sleep hot, you’ll want to be on the lookout for open-cell or gel memory foams in the top layer, as a gel memory foam mattress will help mitigate the heat that’s usually trapped by memory foam. Similarly, if you opt for an innerspring queen mattress but prefer a softer surface, make sure the top layer of foam is plusher or thicker than average.
• Bedding and Bed Frame—If this is your first queen size bed after sleeping on a full or twin size mattress, you’ll want to make sure you’re accounting for a bed frame, box spring, or new headboard in your bedding budget. You’ll also need to invest in new queen size bedding, which will include sheets, a comforter or duvet, and sometimes pillows.

Picking the Right Queen Size Mattress

As we’ve mentioned, if you’ve chosen a queen mattress size, trying to find the best new mattress for your home can lead to decisions overwhelm with the sea of choices that are available in today’s market.

Thankfully, the rise in online mattress companies and third-party retailers, like Amazon and Wayfair, has made it easier to browse mattresses and read reviews before you buy. Most mattresses now come with free shipping in the USA, generous warranties, and sleep trial periods. The sleep trials simply mean that if you decide you don’t like the mattress, you can return it free of charge (usually) within the specified period. 

For those who prefer to try before you buy, brick-and-mortar stores are widely available in most towns to test out beds in person. As always, we recommend starting your search with a personal “inventory” of your sleeping position, body type, personal preferences, budget, any areas of acute aches and pains, and other factors that will impact your decision. A simple list can help you narrow down the type and style of mattress you want and lead you in the right direction.

Conclusion 

We hope this article on the best queen size beds brought you one step closer to choosing the best mattress for your home! Upgrading to a queen-size or replacing an existing queen size mattress is an exciting decision. We recommend reviewing our queen size mattress buying guide and, from there, reading through our list of the best queen size mattresses to see if there’s a recommendation that could work well for your needs and shopping budget.

Recap of the Best Rated Queen Mattresses