Saatva vs. Beautyrest Mattress Comparison
The Saatva Classic has a conforming euro pillow top and a two-layered, supportive coil system. It’s considered a luxury mattress and can be customized to your favored firmness option (choose from Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm). The Beautyrest Black is a high-end hybrid mattress made with cushioning foams and a pocketed coil support layer. It’s designed to provide a cool night’s sleep, though you can add extra cooling and comfort upgrades.
Both mattresses are excellent for hot sleepers and combination sleepers. In this mattress comparison, we’ll tell you who each mattress is best for, compare constructions, and offer some coupons.
Comparing the Saatva Mattress & Beautyrest Black Mattress
Differences
- Firmness Level: The Saatva is offered in three firmnesses, while the Black is available only with a medium firmness (which we consider closer to firm). It’s worth noting that the comfort upgrade softens the feel of the Black a bit.
- Materials: While both mattresses feature supportive coil technologies, the Saatva has a 3” pillow top layer, and the Black has four layers (3.5”) of various foams.
- Pricing: Both of these beds are considered high-end, but the Saatva is a better mattress for the money.
- Sleeping Positions: Neither the original Black nor the Saatva are known for great pressure relief, so we refer side sleepers only to the Plush Soft Saatva. Side sleepers could also pay a little extra to add a plush pillow top to the Black. Back and stomach sleepers could go with either mattress, though the firmer Saatva is probably the best for stomach sleepers.
Similarities
- Cooling: The Saatva and Beautyrest Black are both anchored by coil layers that encourage airflow through the core of the mattress. As such, they sleep cooler than all-foam or memory foam mattresses.
- Good for Back Pain: Both beds balance comfort and support really well, making them reliably comfortable mattresses for back pain. Just make sure that you’re choosing the right mattress for your sleeping position.
- Spinal Alignment: We were impressed with how well both beds maintained good sleeping posture (aka, spinal alignment). The Saatva employs a special lumbar support system to help with alignment, and the Black’s high-quality foam and coil construction have a similar effect.
- Edge Support: Both of these mattresses keep you well supported along their edges.
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
Who the Saatva Classic Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- Hot Sleepers: The Saatva Classic has a naturally cool construction that includes a breathable organic cotton cover, a polyfoam topper, pocketed coils, and steel coils.
- Back Sleepers: The foam and coils construction of the Classic make it an ideal mattress for back sleepers, who need a combination of cushioning and spinal support.
- Stomach Sleepers: The Firm version of the Classic provides enough support to keep stomach sleepers hips and shoulders lifted and aligned. For more supportive mattresses, check out the best mattresses for stomach sleepers.
- Seniors: The Classic is a good mattress for back pain, especially lower back pain, and it has excellent edge support, which makes getting in and out of bed easier. Plus, it comes with free white glove delivery, so there’s no setup hassle.
May Not be Best For…
- Memory Foam Fans: A lot of hybrid and innerspring mattresses now incorporate memory foam layers, but the Saatva has a polyfoam pillow top instead.
- Lightweight Side Sleepers: Those who weigh less than 130 lbs probably won’t get the pressure relief they need to sleep comfortably on the Saatva—even the Plush Soft version.
- Couples Concerned About Motion Transfer: The Saatva allows quite a bit of motion to transfer from one side of the mattress to the other, so it’s not ideal for those who are easily disturbed while they sleep.
Read our full Saatva Classic Mattress Review to learn more!
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
Who the Beautyrest Black Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- Back Sleepers: As a medium-firm to firm mattress, the Beautyrest Black does a great job of balancing comfort with enough support to keep back sleepers’ spines aligned.
- Hot Sleepers: The Black has a breathable construction, as well as special cooling technologies like cool-to-the-touch fabric and their special BlackICE™ 4.0 cooling system.
- Combination Sleepers: The buoyant foams and coils in the Black make it easy to change sleeping positions at night, so we consider it a good mattress for combination sleepers.
- Couples: While we weren’t overwhelmed with the Black’s motion isolation scores, it still does a better job of reducing motion isolation than the Saatva.
May Not be Best For…
- Side Sleepers: The Beautyrest Black is a relatively firm mattress, so it doesn’t do the best job of cushioning prominent pressure points like shoulders and hips. Instead, check out the best mattresses for side sleepers.
- Budget Shoppers: The Black is priced like a luxury mattress, with a Queen size costing $2,699 without any upgrades.
- Those With Joint Pain: Since the original Black doesn’t allow for much sinkage into the comfort layers, it may not be comfortable for those with sensitive joints or arthritis.
Read our full Beautyrest Black Mattress Review to learn more!
Deciding Between Saatva & Beautyrest
Firmness / Feel
The Saatva Classic has a balanced feel that keeps you “on top” of the mattress. The same is true for the Beautyrest Black unless you add the plush pillow top comfort upgrade. We gave the original Black a 7.5/10 rating on the 1–10 firmness scale. The Saatva has three firmness levels—3/10 for Plush Soft, 6–6.5/10 for Luxury Firm, and 8/10 for Firm.
Brand Saatva Classic Performance By Sleeping Position:
| Body Type: | BACK SLEEPERS | STOMACH SLEEPERS | SIDE SLEEPERS |
| Lightweight (< 130 lbs): | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Average weight (130 – 230 lbs): | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Brand Beautyrest Black Performance By Sleeping Position:
| Body Type: | BACK SLEEPERS | STOMACH SLEEPERS | SIDE SLEEPERS |
| Lightweight (< 130 lbs): | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Average weight (130 – 230 lbs): | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): | 5 | 4 | 3 |
1 = Very poor, 2 = Not good, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent
Motion Isolation
Neither mattress does a great job of limiting motion transfer, which could be an issue for couples who are light sleepers. Typically, memory foam does the best job of absorbing motion, and coils produce the most bounce. With that in mind, the Beautyrest Black is better for those concerned about motion transfer, thanks to a gel memory foam layer.
Related: Best Mattresses for Couples
Edge Support
Mattresses that keep you stable and secure while sitting or sleeping along the sides are said to have good edge support. This is especially important for folks with mobility issues. Both the Saatva and the Beautyrest have edges that are reinforced with sturdy foam, and we gave them both perfect scores for edge support.
Pressure Relief
We mentioned above that neither of these mattresses is known for their pressure relief, but the Beautyrest Black does a better job in this category than the Saatva. You won’t sink very deeply into either bed, but you will experience less pressure on the Black.
Spine Alignment
We gave both of these beds high scores for spinal alignment. Good sleeping posture looks different for each sleeping position. On your side, it’s a straight line from neck to tailbone. On your back and stomach, it’s lifting your hips in line with your shoulders. For every sleeping position, you want to maintain the natural curves of your neck and spine.
Durability
We expect the Saatva Classic and Beautyrest Black to last you at least eight years, up to a decade, maybe more.
Temperature
Fortunately for hot sleepers, the Saatva and Black are some of the best cooling mattresses. They’re each supported by coil layers that allow lots of air to flow through the mattress. They also both incorporate temperature-regulating extras like breathable and cool-to-the-touch fabrics. The Saatva sleeps a fraction cooler, but both are reliable options for folks who overheat at night.
Saatva Classic Mattress Construction
| Cover | Organic Cotton Cover |
| Comfort Layer | Euro Pillow Top with Memory Foam Lumbar Support (3”) |
| Transitional Layer | Pocketed Coil Transition Layer with Active Wire Lumbar Support |
| Support Layer | Durable Support Coils with Reinforced Foam Edges |
| Mattress Thickness | 11.5″ or 14.5″ |
The Saatva Classic is topped with a plush polyfoam pillow top that varies in depth depending on the firmness level you choose. Directly beneath, a dense layer of memory foam under your hips improves lower back support. Next up, two layers of coils—one individually wrapped for better motion isolation and one made of thicker steel coils—sandwich a wire frame that amps up back support even more. The whole mattress is surrounded by dense edge support foam.
Beautyrest Black Mattress Construction
| Cover | Cool-to-the-Touch Fabric with Plush Comfort Foam (0.5”) |
| Comfort Layer | Medium Comfort Foam (1”) and Energy Foam (1.5”) |
| Transitional Layer | Gel Memory Foam (0.5″) |
| Support Layer | T3 Pocketed Coil® Technology (9.5”) with BeautyEdge® support |
| Mattress Thickness | 13″ |
The Black has a simple polyester and rayon cover that’s enhanced by BlackICE 4.0 technology, which makes the cover cool to the touch. The fabric is quilted with a 0.5” of foam that, paired with another 2.5” of comfort foam directly below, delivers a snuggly feel when you first lie down. An extra 0.5” of gel memory foam keeps you from coming into contact with the pocketed coil support layer.
Sizing & Price Comparisons
| Mattress Size | Saatva Classic | Beautyrest Black |
| Twin | $ | N/A |
| Twin XL | $ | $ |
| Full | $ | $ |
| Queen | $ | $ |
| King | $ | $ |
| Split King | $ | N/A |
| Cal King | $ | $ |
| Split Cal King | $ | N/A |
If you want a lower price on these luxury beds, check out our Saatva mattress coupons and the best mattress deals of 2024.
Shipping and Returns
Saatva
All Saatva mattresses are delivered full size and include free white glove delivery and old mattress removal. They aren’t compressed and rolled like bed-in-a-box mattresses, which reduces the amount of off-gassing after setup.
A 365-night trial period helps you to adjust to the feel of your new mattress before committing for the long haul. Because Saatva only sells direct—not through any third-party retailers—you’ll need to contact them for returns during the sleep trial. Saatva will pick up the used mattress, send you a full refund (minus a $99 transportation fee), and donate the mattress.
Read More: Saatva Return Policy Breakdown
After the trial period ends, your mattress is protected by a Lifetime warranty that covers against manufacturing defects, including body impressions deeper than 1”. You can also opt for the Fairness Replacement Option, which allows you to keep your original Saatva mattress and buy a new one for a percentage of the original price.
Simmons Beautyrest
The Simmons Beautyrest Black mattress is delivered within five to six weeks of placing your order and includes free white glove delivery and old mattress removal. You’re able to schedule a delivery date that works with your schedule. Note that Simmons doesn’t deliver to Alaska or Hawaii at this time.
The Beautyrest Black mattress comes with a 100-night trial period and free returns. If the Black isn’t the right fit, you’ll receive a full refund after the mattress is picked up. The Black is protected by a 10-year warranty that covers manufacturing defects.
More Saatva Mattresses
See: Saatva Mattress Comparison
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
See our full Loom & Leaf mattress review for the full scoop.
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
Check out the Saatva HD mattress review for more details.
More Beautyrest Mattresses
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
Read our full Beautyrest Harmony Lux Hybrid mattress review for the full scoop.
This mattress is no longer available for purchase. To help you find your next mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses available on the market now.
Read our Simmons Beautyrest mattress reviews for more details.
Haven’t decided on your mattress yet? Check out these other comparisons:
| Saatva Comparisons and Reviews | Beautyrest Comparisons and Reviews |
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Our Final Take
The Saatva Classic and Beautyrest Black should both provide a great night’s sleep to the right sleepers—the Saatva is better for seniors, those who want multiple firmness options, and budget-conscious shoppers; the Black is preferred for those who need more pressure relief and motion isolation. Both are great choices for combination sleepers, hot sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers.
