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The Tuft & Needle Original mattress Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The Best Firm Mattresses of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

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Learn more about our product testing
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Editor's Choice Product image of Tuft & Needle Original Mattress
Best Overall

Tuft & Needle Original Mattress

The Tuft & Needle Original is a firm foam mattress that offers a supportive sleep surface we think most people will like. Read More

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Great motion isolation
  • Excellent cooling

Cons

  • Iffy edge support
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Saatva Classic
Best Upgrade

Saatva Classic

The Saatva Classic has three firmness options, great edge support, and feels like a traditional mattress. Read More

Pros

  • Multiple firmness levels
  • Comfortable
  • Great edge support

Cons

  • Returns aren't free
3
Product image of Lucid 10 Inch Medium Gel Memory Foam Mattress
Best Value

Lucid 10 Inch Medium Gel Memory Foam Mattress

The Lucid mattress is a firm bed that doesn't provide great support overnight and is more prone to motion transfer than many other options. Read More

Pros

  • Firm
  • Not as hot as some foam mattresses

Cons

  • Poor motion isolation
  • Feels cheap
4
Product image of WinkBed

WinkBed

The WinkBed hybrid mattress did well in our motion isolation, edge support, and heat diffusion tests, but offers only average pressure relief. Read More

Pros

  • Isolates motion
  • Good edge support
  • Diffuses heat

Cons

  • Average pressure relief
5
Product image of Nolah Evolution 15”

Nolah Evolution 15”

The Nolah Evolution hybrid is a firm and supportive mattress that can provide pressure relief while keeping you cool. Read More

Pros

  • Good cooling
  • Excellent pressure relief
  • Great motion isolation

Cons

  • Too firm for some

Choosing a new mattress is a deeply personal choice, one that’s essential to a good night’s sleep. While some people like the sink-in sensation of soft mattresses, firm mattresses provide better spinal support. A firm mattress is perfect for back and stomach sleepers needing extra support.

The best firm mattresses balance great support and softness for comfort. Finding that combination can be difficult when shopping for a new mattress, so we’ve tested and ranked popular firm beds.

The Tuft & Needle (available at Tuft & Needle) is the best firm mattress we’ve tested. It is surprisingly firm for a foam mattress, and the dual layers of dense foam provide sufficient support for front and back sleepers while having the right amount of sink-in sensation for side sleepers. While the Tuft & Needle is available for a fantastic price, people with a tighter budget may want to consider our value pick, the Lucid (available at Amazon). It provides impressive firmness for an unbeatable price. People looking for a more luxurious experience should consider our upgrade pick, the Saatva Classic Luxury Firm (available at Saatva). We loved the mattress’s firm surface and edge support.

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress in a bedroom.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The Tuft & Needle Original is the best firm mattress you can buy.

Best Overall
Tuft & Needle Original
  • Queen mattress price $995
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Material: Graphite and cooling gel-infused open-cell foam top, foundational support foam base
  • Firmness: Firm
  • Trial length: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10 year limited
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

In addition to being the best foam mattress we have tested, the Tuft & Needle Original is surprisingly firm for all-foam construction, and it’s also our pick for the best firm mattress. Despite the firmness, the Tuft & Needle still has just enough give to cushion pressure points, particularly for side sleepers. Stomach and back sleepers, who are generally more prone to spinal woes, will likely find they can sleep in their preferred position without soreness.

Unusually for a foam mattress, the Tuft & Needle Original offered some of the best cooling performance we have ever seen, along with some pretty impressive motion isolation.

All in all, this is an incredible bed. This mattress balances supportiveness with enough cushioning to provide a suitably firm, comfortable sleeping surface.

Read our full Tuft & Needle Original mattress review.

Read more about the best foam mattresses we tested and reviewed.

Pros

  • Affordable

  • Great motion isolation

  • Excellent cooling

Cons

  • Iffy edge support

A person sitting on the bottom edge of the Saatva Classic mattress.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

With amazing edge support and a great sleep surface sensation, the Saatva Classic more than warrants its price.

Best Upgrade
Saatva Classic
  • Queen mattress price: $1,995
  • Mattress type: Innerspring
  • Mattress material: Quilted pillow top, memory foam lumbar crown layer, Pocket spring layer, base coil layer
  • Firmness: Plush soft, Luxury firm, and Firm
  • Sleep trial length: 365 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Split King, California King, Split California King

The Saatva Classic luxury firm mattress is a delight, allowing owners to sleep comfortably on their stomach and side while supporting the lumbar spine.

Another thing we love about the Classic: it’s available in three firmness levels. We tested the luxury firm, but the Classic also is available in firm and plush. The Classic’s springs are the same regardless of the firmness level. The difference lies in the uppermost level of foam. Denser foams are used in the firm and luxury firm options, while the plush mattress has a less dense foam.

The Classic luxury firm feels like a traditional bed and has great edge support. In our lab testing, the mattress withstood the pressure until our heavyweight bag was nearly halfway off the bed and gravity took hold. The Classic also doesn’t arrive in a box—and because it’s never compressed, you don’t have to worry about off-gassing.

Read our full Saatva Classic review

Pros

  • Multiple firmness levels

  • Comfortable

  • Great edge support

Cons

  • Returns aren't free

A person sitting on the bottom edge of the Lucid mattress.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Lucid is the best-value firm mattress.

Best Value
Lucid
  • Queen mattress price: $350
  • Mattress type: Memory foam
  • Mattress material: Memory foam infused with cooling gel and graphite layer, dense foam base layer
  • Firmness: Firm
  • Sleep trial length: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The remarkably low price of the Lucid may raise some eyebrows, but in the case of this foam mattress, price doesn’t necessarily correlate to quality. The Lucid Mattress didn’t blow us away in our lab tests and has the shortcomings we would expect from such an affordable option—but at less than $350, it’s the best value firm mattress available.

Lucid’s 10-inch gel memory foam mattress in “medium firm” offers little in the way of effective cooling performance or motion isolation and it feels as cheap as it costs. However, the mattress does provide a reasonable degree of firm support, keeps its shape well, and is a good choice for back sleepers.

Read our full Lucid review

Pros

  • Firm

  • Not as hot as some foam mattresses

Cons

  • Poor motion isolation

  • Feels cheap


Other Firm Mattresses We Tested

Product image of WinkBed
WinkBed
  • Queen mattress price: $1,799
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Mattress material: Rayon cover, gel-infused pillow top foam layer, pocket coil layer
  • Firmness: Softer, Luxury firm, Firmer, Plus
  • Trial length: 120 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The WinkBed is an excellent option for people who want a firm mattress that isolates motion, diffuses heat, and offers strong edge support. Unlike many other mid-range mattresses, The WinkBed hybrid also comes in various firmness options—softer, luxury firm, firmer, and plus, the firmest option designed for sleepers who weigh over 250 pounds. This degree of customization makes it an ideal firm choice for anyone, regardless of their preferred sleeping position. Side and stomach sleepers may appreciate the luxury firm configuration for its balance between firmness and softness, while back sleepers will appreciate the firmer option.

Read our full WinkBed review

Pros

  • Isolates motion

  • Good edge support

  • Diffuses heat

Cons

  • Average pressure relief

Product image of Nolah Evolution 15”
Nolah Evolution 15”
  • Queen mattress price: $2,499
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Mattress material: Cotton cover with cooling fabric, Quited topper layer, graphite-infused foam later, supportive foam later, dense transitional foam later, pocket coil layer, base foam layer
  • Firmness: Plus, Luxury-firm, Firm
  • Trial length: 120 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King

If you’re a back sleeper looking for a firm, supportive mattress, look no further than the Nolah Evolution hybrid. Along with impressive cooling, pressure relief, edge support, and motion isolation performance, the Nolah offers one of the firmest sleeping surfaces.

This mattress' surface is perhaps too firm for side and stomach sleepers. When our tester tried sleeping on his side and stomach, he immediately felt uncomfortable—the surface has very little give and isn’t soft enough to cushion those sleeping positions. Fortunately, customers can choose the firmness level when they order the Nolah Evolution.

Read our full Nolah Evolution review

Pros

  • Good cooling

  • Excellent pressure relief

  • Great motion isolation

Cons

  • Too firm for some

Product image of Beautyrest Black
Beautyrest Black
  • Queen mattress price: $2,699
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Mattress material: Anti-microbial cover, cooling foam layer, memory foam layer, pocket coil layer, base foam layer
  • Firmness: Plush pillow top, Medium pillow top, Medium, Firm
  • Sleep trial length: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10 years limited
  • Sizes: Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The Beautyrest Black may not be the best mattress we have tested, but it’s probably the firrnest. The L-class model, in particular, with its ability to relieve pressure and support weight on its edges, is an especially good pick for back sleepers. And if this model's too-firm description makes you feel skittish, Beautyrest Black comes in other softer options.

While the Beautyrest Blacks firmness is ideal for back sleepers, side and front sleepers may want to steer clear. When we tested the mattress, we noticed discomfort on our side. Our shoulders and hips weren’t cushioned enough, and it didn’t feel much different than lying on a hard floor. Stomach sleepers could experience something similar, as their bodies may not sink in enough where needed to keep their spines aligned.

Read our full Beautyrest Black review

How We Test Firm Mattresses

our tester places weights on a barbell on a mattress to test it
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We use a barbell in lab tests to assess how well a mattress does (or doesn't) curve up under pressure.

When testing mattresses at Reviewed, we run every mattress through a series of tests in our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. To determine our top picks, we evaluate each bed on several factors, including comfort, support, motion transfer and bounciness, edge support, and heat retention.

To scientifically assess overall mattress support, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell that loosely represents the human form. When we put the barbell on mattresses, we measure pressure at different points like the shoulders and hips. To objectively measure edge support, we see how far off a bed we can roll a punching bag before it falls.

To determine heat retention, we microwave silicone bead-filled bags and place them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature. If a mattress cannot disperse heat quickly enough, you might be in for a warm sleep experience.

Light sleepers benefit from a mattress that minimizes the movement of a tossing-and-turning partner or pet. We use an accelerometer mobile app on one side of the mattress to measure motion transfer. We then drop a punching bag on the opposite side of the bed. The higher the number, the greater amount of motion the mattress allows to pass through.

Additionally, we consider the moving and unboxing process, the odor that comes with mattresses in a box, and the customer experience, among other things.

What You Should Know About Buying Firm Mattresses

a woman's hands press into the surface of the Casper mattress
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Mattresses are a big investment. Fortunately, most companies offer a trial period so you can be sure the mattress you buy is the right fit for you.

Given how much we spend in bed, the impact that sleep has on our waking hours, and the lifetime of mattresses, choosing a new bed is a critical decision. Many factors should go into that decision; here are a few things to consider.

Firmness and type of sleeper

Firmness scales used by mattress companies may differ, but in general, mattresses range from soft to firm, with medium or luxury firms somewhere in between.

Choosing a firmer bed has some advantages. Firm mattresses provide better support—which is crucial for back and stomach sleepers who need more support for spinal alignment.

The best mattress for side sleepers likely will need more cushioning. A firm mattress may put too much pressure on their hips and shoulders. However, it’s easy to make a firm mattress softer with the help of a mattress topper. Combination sleepers—people who don’t fall into just one sleep category—may want to choose a medium firm mattress, as that firmness works well for different sleepers.

Budget

Your budget is one of the most significant factors in determining your preferred mattress. Mattresses can be pricey, but we recommend investing in a quality mattress, considering the importance of a good night’s sleep.

Even though beds can be expensive, you can still find great value in affordable mattresses. And thanks to the online mattress-in-a-box industry, it’s now easier than ever to find the best mattress for any budget.

Warranty and Exchange Policy

Most bed-in-a-box companies offer a trial period so you can sleep on it. When shopping for a new bed, it’s essential to take a company’s return policy into account. Some companies make it super-easy by retrieving the mattress free of cost, but others require you to coordinate the mattress's return, donation, or disposal to receive a full refund.

Meet the testers

James Aitchison

James Aitchison

Editor

@revieweddotcom

Aside from reviewing ovens and cooktops, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend DIY warrior.

See all of James Aitchison's reviews
Lindsey Vickers

Lindsey Vickers

Senior Staff Writer, Sleep

@lindseyvix

Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.

See all of Lindsey Vickers's reviews
Sara Tabin

Sara Tabin

Sleep Writer

Sara Tabin is a sleep writer at Reviewed.

See all of Sara Tabin's reviews

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