Because the mattress is thicker — it’s 13 inches tall — it will feel firmer if you have a lower body mass index, but I thought it had just the right amount of give. It was comfortable in any sleeping position and isolated motion really well, so I didn’t bounce around, even when my boyfriend moved in the middle of the night.
Rated a 6 to 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, the Ghostbed is classified as medium-firm. It’s made of a combination of latex-like memory foams that have a soft, springy feel, but also provide enough support so you don’t feel like you’re sinking into the mattress (and then waking up in pain). It also has two rows of reinforced coils around the edge of the bed that hold the layers up and contribute to excellent edge-to-edge support.
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Cocoon by Sealy claims that most sleepers prefer a mattress that has ample support, but isn’t too firm — something that I definitely found to be true with me — so in response to that, they made a specialized memory foam that’s designed to provide the perfect fit. The Perfect Fit memory foam, as it’s aptly named, adapted to my body, providing pressure relief and support where I needed it most.
The Helix Plus, rated a 7 to 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale, is designed to offer extra support for heavier sleepers, although it’s an excellent option for sleepers of any size and shape. It’s made of wrapped coils and several layers of memory foam in varying densities, but the real star of the show is a 4-inch layer of high-density foam. This extra foam held up the other layers, providing adequate support, but also adding some cushioning that provided relief for my shoulders and hips.
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Intellibed
CNET Health and Wellness
Out of all of the options on this list, the Ghostbed felt most like a traditional spring mattress, in all of the right ways. Another thing I really liked about this mattress is that it always felt cool to the touch. The quilted cover has cooling fibers that are directly woven in and help disperse body heat.
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Cocoon by Sealy
The Casper Original is a true memory foam mattress constructed of three layers — a base of traditional memory foam, a second layer of specialized zoned memory foam and a top layer of perforated memory foam. That top layer serves two purposes: it expertly conforms to your body and it allows more air to circulate, which meant I felt cool and comfortable all night.
As soon as I settled into the mattress, I could feel the pressure leaving my body. And after a few weeks on it, I was sleeping through the night and waking up free of pain.
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Lindsay Boyers/CNET
But it’s a delicate balance to find a mattress that offers ample support, but also still feels comfortable. While you don’t want to sink into the mattress, you do want to have enough cushion to help alleviate pressure, namely on your shoulders and hips. Fortunately, there are a lot of options out there, and these are the best firm mattresses for the job.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Lindsay Boyers/CNET
The Casper also features Zoned Support — it’s divided into three separate “zones” that have varying levels of firmness. The foam underneath the shoulders and upper body is softer, so it gives much-needed pressure relief in those areas. The foam near your hips, waist and lower back is firmer, to provide the proper support to keep your body and spine aligned, so you don’t sink or sag into the mattress. Basically, you get the best of both worlds. When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t have any lingering aches and pains — something that I had been dealing with with my previous mattress.
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This Perfect Fit memory foam sits on top of another layer of responsive comfort foam that provides a little bit of extra plushness (something many traditional memory foam mattresses are missing) and some extra support so the mattress never sank or sagged. And the stretch-knit cover that encompasses these layers is made of a proprietary material that absorbs and dissipates heat, so I stayed comfortable and the mattress remained cool to the touch.
Firm mattresses are the ideal choice for preventing — or alleviating — pain, especially if you’re a larger person. They generally have extra layers of foam or cushioning that support your body weight and prevent the mattress from sagging, which keeps your spine properly aligned.
The mattress is constructed of layers of innerspring coils with luxury latex foam and cushioning that’s reminiscent of a pillowtop. This provides just enough cushioning to make the mattress comfortable, but not too much that you feel like you’re sinking in and out of alignment. It also has memory foam in the center of the mattress that provides special lumbar support, so your spine stays aligned, especially when you’re sleeping on your side — something that many other firm mattresses fall short on.
