It does not have to be the height of summer for things to get sweaty in bed. And by that, we mean you are too hot while sleeping, nothing else. Heat that’s a little too high, fans and air conditioning that aren’t quite doing the job, a partner who gives off just a little too much body heat, these things and more can all contribute to the problem. There are solutions though, with a cooling mattress being one of the best of them.
Best Mattresses for Overheating: Quick Picks
- Best Mattress Overall: Saatva
- Best Latex Mattress: PlushBeds
- Best Hybrid Mattress: EcoTerra
- Best Gel Memory Foam: eLuxury
Overheating and Sleep
As we just mentioned, there are lots of reasons you might overheat when you sleep, including certain medical conditions over which you might have less control than a heater that’s a little too toasty or an A/C set too low. It should be said that if your bedroom is an ambient temperature, your covers are the right weight and your partner’s not the problem and you still overheat in bed often you may want to talk to your doctor, just in case.
However, whatever the reason you overheat, the result is broken sleep, as you suddenly wake up all nasty and sweaty, and broken sleep leads to not only morning grouchiness but possibly to the more serious side effects of a lack of great sleep decreased concentration, daytime drowsiness and, if not sleeping becomes a regular thing medical experts say that even puts you at greater risk for obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. All this means you really do need to find a solution to the problem, and often the most effective solutions begin with purchasing a cooling mattress.
Also Related: 4 Best Cooling Mattress Toppers On The Market
How to Choose the Best Cooling Mattress for You
When you start shopping for a cooling mattress, you’ll quickly discover that there are a lot to choose from, and as they gain popularity more and more of them are hitting the market. Some are, as you might expect, far better than others (we’ll get to the specifics about them very soon) but whatever choice you eventually make there are some things to keep in mind as you comparison shop.
Here’s a look at some of the most important.
Material
Probably one of the most important buying considerations when shopping for a cooling mattress is the kind of material it’s made from. Many of the mattress choices marketed as cooling are in fact a created using a combination of materials, which can be a very good thing, as it allows them to be cooling and comfortable and supportive, as those latter two features are just as important.
You will hear some people say that latex sleeps cooler than anything else, and while latex does indeed sleep cooler than more traditional mattress materials like polyurethane and or some memory foams, there is a lot of debate about whether latex alone is cool enough, especially with the arrival of a set of hybrid materials known as phase change materials, that work with your own body heat to actively cool you down (again, more about those soon).
To choose the best material for your cooling mattress the best advice we can offer is do your homework and undertake some research. So here’s how each type measures up for heat regulation.
- Springs: Great.
- Latex: Great
- Memory Foam: Fair
- Gel: Great
- Hybrid: Great
Quilted Cover or Not?
There’s no doubt that a quilted cover tends to look better, but in some cases, it impedes the cooling ‘power’ of the mattress itself. Given that almost all of us cover our mattresses with bedding having a quilted top may make very little difference visually, but some feel that it adds to the overall comfort of the mattress itself.
Softness and Sinkage
The more material you have around your body – any material – the hotter you are likely to get. This does mean that softer mattresses, the kind you tend to ‘sink’ into, may be hotter to sleep on. This may have to be balanced with your personal comfort and support needs though, as well as your unique sleep style (we all have one). If a hard mattress leaves you unable to fall asleep at all – or leaves you feeling achy and grumpy in the morning – then it won’t matter how cool it is, as your sleep is still likely to be of poor quality.
Price and Return Policy
A good mattress is rarely cheap, and so price alone should never be your only consideration, as trying to sleep on a bad mattress can not only be difficult on a nightly basis but it can end up being bad for bones, joints and your health in general, as well as your wallet if you have to replace it in a few months because it just isn’t right for you.
And on that point, you might be wisest to look for a cooling mattress that comes with a money back guarantee, or a ‘free trial’ that allows you to try the bed out before your purchase becomes final. Shopping in a showroom – or as is more often the case these days online – can be great, but it’s really not only until you get to sleep on a cooling mattress for at least a few nights you can really begin to determine if it’s the right choice for you.
Also Read: Best Mattress for Sciatica Back and Leg Pain
Best Cooling Mattresses Reviews
So now that you understand why a cooling mattress can be such a life changer (they really can) and understand the basics of what to look for as you shop, what are the very best cooling mattresses out there?
That’s what we set out to find out. Based on both our own field tests, and the experiences and reviews of others who had tried the same options, this is what we came up with.
1. Best Overall (Spring) Mattress: Saatva Classic 14.5″ Innerspring Mattress
Why it’s great: A classic innerspring that is comfortable and cools, what more could you ask for?
In the days of high-tech foam and latex mattresses you may have thought that the classic innerspring mattress had all but disappeared. But they haven’t, they have just evolved to become far better versions of the innerspring mattresses of old, and the Saatva Classic mattress is an excellent example.
The Saatva Classic is what you might call a luxury mattress and it’s an excellent choice for those that like the firm to medium firm support that innersprings best provide. And there’s actually a lot more going on inside a Saatva Classic mattress than a bunch of springs.
Like most modern mattresses it is made up of several different layers and comes in a choice of three firmness levels; luxury firm, which is best for those who change positions a lot in their sleep, firm, for those who prefer a little more give in their mattress and plush soft, which some reviewers said is a great choice for back sleepers.
In terms of comfort, the Saatva Classic is a winner at any of these levels, although we agreed with most buyers that luxury firm worked best for us. But what of cooling? It’s the organic cotton top layer that provides that. Set above a layer of memory foam, that does sometimes ‘run hot’ the naturally cool cotton – nothing high tech, people have been keeping cool with cotton for centuries – lends the sleeper its powers and helps keep you cool and comfortable.
Other things people loved about this mattress included the 180 night trial, the full set up, the fact that it looked so expensive and well- made, the no contact delivery service and the excellent customer service provided by the company, something that many went out of their way to offer extra praise.
Pros: Classic innerspring style mattress is comfortable and supportive, high quality materials create a luxe look, natural cooling courtesy of eco-friendly organic cotton
Cons: One of the more expensive choices on this list, may not be quite as cool as a full latex bed (although that seems to be a matter of opinion)
Click here to see the Saatva Mattress
2. Best Latex Cooling Mattress: Plushbeds’ Natural Bliss
Why it’s great: If you’re looking for an eco-friendly mattress made from organic materials and prefer the feeling of sleeping “on” a rather than “in” the mattress, this California-based latex mattress from PlushBeds is for you.
Remember we said latex was very cooling? Then in theory this mattress should be very cool, because it consists only of three layers of the stuff, topped off with a cotton cover.
In case you didn’t know, there are two kinds of latex used in mattresses: Dunlop and Talalay. Both are latex and both are created from a naturally occurring material, a milky substance produced by the hevea-brasilienis rubber tree. The difference is in the way that liquid is processed, which results in two slightly different latex textures.
The Dunlop process, a much older technique produces a denser, thicker latex, and it’s this latex that makes up the largest layer of the three-layer mix used to create the Plushbeds’ Natural Bliss.
Talalay is a newer process that produces a lighter, springier latex, and it is used in the top two layers. The result is a mattress that offers support and ‘give’, so almost the best of both worlds and suited, the manufacturers say – and reviewers agree – to almost all sleeping styles.
In terms of cooling, the latex itself sleeps very cool and the cotton cover helps magnify the effect. We found it did an excellent job and many others agreed. In addition, it’s very comfortable and very durable, two more big bonuses.
In terms of trials you can take the Plushbeds’ Natural Bliss mattress for a 100 night ‘test drive’ and the price of the mattress – which is offered in three different firmness levels – includes a full set up and delivery service.
Pros: Two types of latex create a supportive, comfortable mattress suited to most people, no problems with bad off gassing smells, something that some latex beds suffer from when new, very cool sleeping, USA-made, three thickness and firmness levels, hypoallergenic.
Cons: Not suitable for anyone allergic to latex, some people find sleeping on latex is a little too bouncy.
Check price for the PlushBeds Natural Bliss here
3. Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress: Eco Terra
Why it’s great: The latex layers offer cooling, but a more traditional coil system offers a familiar sleeping experience.
As the name suggests, a hybrid mattress is one that is made up of several different types of materials and/or construction techniques. In the case of the Eco Terra it is a latex and innerspring coil hybrid.
The idea here is that the Eco Terra offers the best of both worlds – the cool sleeping durability and ‘springiness’ of latex and the more traditional support of an innerspring mattress. It’s offered in both firm and medium firm versions which makes it an excellent choice for those who prefer a mattress that they won’t feel like they are ‘sinking into’.
The mattress makes use of the softer, springier talalay latex, which means there is more ‘give’ than a traditional firm mattress but users report that excessive motion transfer is not too much of a problem, which can be the case for some latex only mattresses.
Eco Terra offer a 90-day trial and the mattress itself is shipped out in a box, so you will need to set it up yourself after allowing it to ‘air’ for about 24 hours.
Pros: Clever latex/innerspring combination offers a comfortable sleeping experience for those who prefer a firm mattress, 15-year warranty, latex top layers do a good job of keeping most people very cool.
Cons: Shorter free trial than some other options, no delivery, you must set up the bed yourself from a box.
View the EcoTerra mattress here
4. Best Gel Memory Foam: eLuxury
Why it’s great: This mattress offers the comforting memory foam sleeping experience without the excessive heat.
We admit it, eLuxury is a strange name for a mattress, but this is a very popular cooling mattress choice for those who like memory foam in general but don’t like the way that some memory foams have a tendency to sleep hot.
The mattress itself is made up of two layers of memory foam. The bottom layer, which is 6 inches thick, is a dense memory foam designed to provide the motion transfer prevention so many people love these mattress types for providing. The top layer is crafted from a gel memory foam that provides excellent cooling and shapes to the body without that ‘swallow’ feeling.
Reviewers praise this mattress for both its superior cooling and comfort. The one downside they often mention is, however, that it is recommended you use a separate mattress topper, which adds both an extra cost and complication into the equation. However, those who opted for the bamboo mattress topper do report that it makes sleeping even cooler.
In terms of a free trial the eLuxury mattress comes with a 120 night free trial and as it is shipped in a box you will need to set it up yourself after the standard ‘airing out’ period, about 24-48 hours.
Pros: The comfort of memory foam with extra cooling, very little motion transfer
Cons: Best used with a mattress topper that adds $200-$250 to the cost, self-set up- no delivery option.
Get the eLuxury cooling mattress here
Cool Sleeping Dos and Don’ts
Choosing the right cooling mattress will do a lot to help you sleep cooler, but even the best cooling mattress won’t help if you make some common mistakes. Here’s a look at some common-sense cool sleeping do’s and don’ts.
- DO make use of cotton bedding. Cotton is naturally cooling, and so opting for cotton bedding over other options like microfiber or (worse still) nylon or polyester is always a good idea for those who sleep hot.
- DO make use of a cooling pillow. There are some great cooling pillow options out there, so if you tend to sleep hot and wake up with damp, messy hair and a sweaty brow a cooling pillow will go a long way to change that.
- DON’T wear very tight nightclothes; loose cotton nightclothes will help you stay cooler.
- DON’T exercise or eat right before bed, as both will raise your body temperature and send you to bed hotter to begin with!
The Bottom Line
Sleeping cooler will change your life in so many small ways that will add up to a big difference, especially in your quality of sleep. All the mattress options on our list do a good job of providing a cooler night’s sleep, but perhaps our favorite option of all is the Saatva Classic.
Of all the options it’s almost the one that is least ‘high tech’, and yet it offers a cool, comfortable sleeping experience for a wide variety of people, looks great without the need to add any extras, is delivered and set up for you and comes with a 120 night trial. While we love all the options we listed here, the one we’d buy for ourselves is the Saatva Classic.