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When it comes to picking the best mattresses, it’s all highly subjective: For some, it means a bed that conforms to its shape around you, while for others, it’s all about keeping the heat down to avoid night sweats. Yet for others, it’s about sturdy, supportive firmness, and if that’s you, you’re in luck—I’m running down the best firm mattresses around. Lie back, prop your head on your extra-firm pillow and let’s get started.
If all these other beds are still too soft, Plank Firm is easily the most solid mattress I’ve ever laid down on. Made from thick, high-density foams that support the back while allowing just enough give to be gentle on your hips and shoulders, it’s definitely not for everyone—but for those in search of a seriously firm sleep, this is the one.
An incredibly firm mattress, this bed is a great option for those who want as little give as humanly possible.
Side sleepers tend to need a mattress that’s soft enough to contour to their hips and shoulders, but if you’re one who likes things on the firmer side, Purdy urges you to consider the Helix Twilight Luxe. Combining firm memory-foam layers with a plush pillow top, it’s solid enough to support you, but soft enough to cushion the joints that need it most. You can also shop confidently with Helix, as they also made our lists for the best memory foam mattresses, best queen mattresses, and best king mattresses, among many others.
This bed from Helix is a sturdy, but comfortable mattress designed with side sleepers in mind.
Built with plus-size, large and tall people in mind, the super-sturdy Titan Plus Luxe combines five different layers to ensure a highly supportive, yet comfortable night’s sleep. (It also made our list for the best mattresses for side sleepers and best hybrid mattresses.) Up to 90 8-inch coils sit atop a layer of high-density base foam, but the bed is also made with Energex transition and Titanflex comfort material, all with a quilted top of gel foam.
This is an extra-sturdy firm mattress, built to support weights up to 1,000 pounds, while still being comfortable.
If you want your mattress to be sent to you, rather than having to go pick it up and haul it home—and who wouldn’t?—opt for a mattress in a box. This bed is Purdy’s pick. It features two different layers of foam atop a layer of coils and a Flex base. “I love that you can choose your firmness level,” she says. “A bonus is that this brand delivers straight to your door so you get quality, support and convenience.”
This option from Brooklyn Bedding is an inexpensive mattress available in three firmness levels and delivered right to your door.
While it doesn’t take firmness to the same extremes as the Plank, the Bear Original is still a seriously solid mattress, made from a combination of high-density foams and cooling gel memory foam, then topped with a quilted Tencel cover to help with breathability. Built to relieve pressure on your shoulders and hips while still keeping your spine aligned, it’s designed to feel like a hybrid, at the price point of foam.
For those looking for more serious firmness, this less expensive option will fit your bill.
For a medium-firm option, Purdy recommends the Leesa Original mattress (which also made our list of the best king mattresses). “This one has great airflow and is the perfect medium-firm mattress!” she says. “I love the foam feel for extra pressure relief.” Composed of a high-density foam base, topped with a layer of memory foam and one of breathable comfort foam, it’s finished off with a soft, breathable knit cover for an extra level of comfort.
This bed from Leesa is a supportive mattress with a little more give than the others on our list.
Those looking for a firmer mattress for their kiddos can feel comfortable about purchasing the Kids Natural from Birch (which is one of the names on our list for the best organic mattresses). Made from natural and certified-organic materials (including natural latex and organic cotton and wool), it’s firm on one side, aimed at 3- to 7-year-olds, but can be flipped over to reveal a softer side for older kids ages 8 to 12.
A flippable, kid-friendly mattress, this bed is free from chemical fire retardants, polyurethane foams and adhesives.
Our pick for the best mattress for back pain was recommended by board-certified family-medicine physician Dr. Laura Purdy, MD, MBA. “This mattress has three zones to support all three sections of your body, so it's the perfect supporting firm mattress,” she says. Incorporating several sections of edge-to-edge coils, a layer of high density GelFlex Grid Plus and a quilted Euro top, it’s custom designed for support and bodily alignment.
This option is a pricey, yet extremely well-designed hybrid mattress dedicated to supporting you in all the right places.
Back and stomach sleepers will benefit from a medium-firm to firm mattress, and according to Purdy, this is a good choice that will work for both. “This is the best combo of foam and coils to give you comfort and support,” she says, referring to its multiple layers that feature coils, charcoal memory foam, high-density gel-infused foam, breathable AirFeel foam and Tencel yarn for a cooler sleeping surface. Bonus: It’s made with sustainable SEQUAL fabric, a material made from up to 10% upcycled marine plastic (from litter found in the ocean).
This is a medium-firm mattress that will suit both back and stomach sleepers with its mix of coils and foam types.
Our bodies change over time, and for many of us, it happens on a near-nightly basis, with various aches and pains mysteriously coming and going. If no bed you’ve tried seems to work all of the time, you should consider a mattress that you can tweak whenever you want. “This mattress is amazing because you can fine tune and adjust to your specific preference,” says Purdy. “There are literally 50 levels of firmness, making it absolutely possible to find your perfect firm preference.” If you’re looking to dress your bed, Saatva also made our list of the best places to buy bedding, best percale sheets, best duvet covers, and the best pillows.
This bed is a Goldilocks mattress that lets you adjust your firmness level until it’s just right.
I made my selections after consulting with our expert sources, and trying out several of the picks on this list in person. I also ensured that every firm mattress I listed here had glowing customer reviews, in terms of support, comfort and longevity.
“If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, you absolutely want to invest in a firm mattress that supports your back and spine,” says Purdy. “Sleeping on your stomach actually can put stress on your spine, which can lead to back and neck pain, so investing in a good-quality firm mattress is key beyond getting a restful night's sleep.”
“If you tend to find yourself with consistent back pain, it's worth it to invest in a firm mattress that provides you with additional support to help provide relief,” Purdy explains. “Lower-back and neck pain can happen if you’re not properly supported—a firm mattress will help keep your spine in a supported, neutral position. If you experience pain in your muscles or joints, a firm or, at least, medium-firm mattress will also improve your overall sleep quality and be the best fit for you.”
All of that said, you also have to go with what you know you can sleep on. Maybe a super-firm mattress will be better for your back in the long run, but that probably won’t be a priority if you’re so uncomfortable that you can’t sleep. Ideally, you want to find a compromise that supports you while still being comfy enough to look forward to getting into bed each night.
“Mattress firmness is a function of the amount and type of material in the top or ‘comfort layer’ of the mattress, which determines how it feels when you lie down on it,” says Byron Golub, vice president of product and merchandising at Saatva. “Your size, weight and sleeping position (front, side or back) can also affect how firm the mattress feels under you.”
“Although memory foam tends to have a reputation of being softer than innerspring and latex mattresses, no one mattress type is inherently softer or firmer than another,” Golub continues. “Mattress firmness has to do with its design and construction. Additionally, every manufacturer uses its own firmness scale (there is no universal scale, unfortunately), so what is considered firm by one person will feel different from a firm mattress by another.”
It really depends on your personal needs: If you wake up feeling fine on a soft mattress, go for it. But if you need more support, then a firm mattress is likely the better way to go. “Humans spend so much of their lifetime sleeping, which makes investing in a good-quality mattress important for your overall health and sleep quality,” says Purdy.
“Because firmness is so subjective, you’ll need to consider your preferred sleep position when choosing the right level for you,” says Golub.
Here are his recommendations:
“If you’re a side sleeper, your mattress needs to be soft enough to cradle your hips and shoulders and promote the correct spinal alignment, taking the pressure off those sensitive joints so your muscles can relax.”
“Back sleepers will do best with a medium-firm mattress, because a mattress that’s too soft will cause your back to sink into the bed too much, while a mattress that’s too firm will not provide adequate lumbar support to the natural curve of your lower back.”
“Stomach sleepers will benefit from a firm mattress that lets your body maintain the best possible spinal alignment while sleeping in the prone position. A mattress that’s too soft will pull your midsection down, exaggerating the curve of your lower back. This is especially true for heavier people.”
“Because hotels cater to people of all sleep preferences, they typically use a mattress in the medium-firmness range to accommodate most sleepers,” says Golub. “Remember that hotels change their mattresses more frequently than the average consumer, so they may seem more firm because of their relative newness.”
Even the best mattresses can sometimes feel harder than you bargained for. Here’s Golub’s advice on making them more comfortable:
“Consider adding a mattress topper [not to be confused with a mattress protector] made of memory foam, latex, or one filled with down or a down alternative to your sleep surface. Toppers are usually between 1- and 3--inches thick and can add a cushioned layer to a mattress that feels too firm. These are especially helpful during the break-in period of a mattress.”
“Change the temperature of your room or your sleep surface. Some mattress types, like memory-foam mattresses, soften in warm temperatures. If your room is too cold, consider adjusting your room temperature or using a heated blanket or flannel sheets to warm it up a bit more.”
“While most mattresses today aren’t designed to be flipped, a small number still are. If yours is one of the few that can be flipped, you may find that one side of the mattress is softer than the other. For example, our Zenhaven Latex Mattress was specifically designed to be flippable and has two different comfort levels: A softer comfort level on one side and a firmer one on the other.”
Again, firmness is subjective, but you definitely need something supportive. “It’s so important to sleep on a mattress that supports your spine and back,” says Purdy. “A mattress that’s too soft will not provide you with enough support and you may experience back pain.”
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