3 Best Foam Mattresses in 2022

There’s a reason foam mattresses are so popular. Affordable, comfortable, and pressure-relieving, foam-based beds can suit the needs of a wide range of sleepers. However, with so many choices out there, it can be hard to separate the great products from the duds.

That’s where we come in. Our top 3 picks? Bear Pro, Tuft & Needle Original, and Layla Sleep. You can see why we chose each model in greater detail below. Finding the best foam mattress for you? It’s never been easier.

Our Top 3 Foam Mattress Picks

Bear Pro	Tuft & Needle Original	Layla Sleep
Optimized for Athletes	Amazing Value	Great for Hot Sleepers
Whether you’re a pro athlete or casual runner, you know the importance of muscle recovery. Bear mattresses are engineered with pressure relief in mind to suit the needs of active individuals.	T&N has a mission: to make buying mattresses not suck. How? By simplifying the online shopping experience and providing quality products at great prices.	Made with cooling copper-infused gel memory foam, Layla mattresses are flippable, with two sides of varying firmness levels. The result is a bed that can suit the needs of a wide range of sleepers.
See it now	See it now	See it now

All About Foam Mattresses

Now that you’ve seen our top picks, let’s get down into the nitty gritty of why these beds may (or may not) be the perfect fit for your bedroom.

Benefits of a Foam Mattress

With so many options available, why settle for foam bedding? While this type of mattress won’t work for everyone, some of its benefits include:

Customized pressure relief

Memory foam is viscoelastic, which basically means it conforms well to the shape of the body and returns to its normal state when you stand up. This property means foam-based bedding can hug the unique curves of your body, providing customized support and cushioning where you need it most.

Soft to the touch

Those who prefer softer sleeping surfaces, like side sleepers, often enjoy the “give” this material has. If you like softer sleeping surfaces, you’ll therefore probably like foam. 

Affordability

While this material was once pretty pricey, it’s now readily available on the market at discounted rates, making it a great option to explore when the budget is tight.

Quietness

You know what’s annoying? Noisy innerspring beds. Foam beds? They’re the quietest options in the sleep industry.

Effective motion isolation

If you share the bed with a light sleeper, you know the struggle of trying to keep still to avoid jostling them. Memory foam’s viscoelastic properties make it great at reducing the amount of motion transferred across the bed. In other words, this material effectively isolates motion, so your movements will be less likely to disturb a companion. Even traditional foam beds still reduce motion transfer effectively, giving them an edge over their innerspring competitors.

Downsides of a Foam Mattress

Foam has a lot to offer. However, it isn’t perfect. Some of the drawbacks include:

Overly soft for some people

Some people love softer sleeping surfaces. Others? Not so much. Those who like to sleep on their backs and stomachs often enjoy firmer places to rest. If you like firmer beds, you’ll have to look for a specially designed foam bed or pass up on one entirely.

Prone to overheating

Regular foam is known for its heat-trapping qualities, which can mean unpleasant night sweats. That’s why it’s important to look for bedding that incorporates cooling technology. Many mattress companies use gel-infused foam to negate the overheating issue and you can always use a temperature regulating system like the BedJet 3, that can keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter

Tends to form permanent indents

Low-density or low-quality foam can easily form indentations. That’s why it pays to invest in bedding made with higher-quality materials.

Unpleasant initial smell

Many people may notice an unpleasant smell when they first unpack memory foam-based mattresses. If your room is well-ventilated, this smell usually goes away anywhere from a few hours up to 72 hours. Some companies combat this smell by incorporating materials like carbon or green tea into their beds.

Usually less edge support

Unless your bed specifically states that it has reinforced perimeters, it’s usually safe to assume that your foam mattress will have poor edge support. This is an important factor to keep in mind if you often sit at the edge of your bed.

What to Look For in a Foam Mattress

If you’re buying a foam mattress, there are certain features that it literally pays to notice. Some of these features include:

Cooling technology

If you can’t sleep when you’re hot, you absolutely must invest in a bed that incorporates cooling technology. Oftentimes, mattress manufacturers introduce gel-infused foam into their bedding to offset the heat-trapping qualities of regular foam. Other materials that may produce a cooler bed include graphite and copper. Open-cell foam and quilted tops are also known to produce a nice cooling effect, as they allow for greater airflow.

Reinforced edge support

Foam and latex beds are known for being soft and adaptive. That usually means that bedding made exclusively of these materials tends to have poor edge support. If you like resting on the edge of your bed, that can be a large drawback. The solution? Check for options that specifically state that they have reinforced perimeters. Manufacturers usually include denser foam along the edges of the mattress to achieve this effect.

CertiPUR-US certifications or other safety seals

Never settle when it comes to your safety; look for certifications that show your bed was made in a safe manner and with safe materials. When it comes to foam, CertiPUR-US is the gold standard. Notably, products with this seal have undergone testing for harmful substances like formaldehyde, ozone depleters, mercury, and lead. GreenGuard Gold and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX are also highly trusted certifications that you may come across.

Decent trial period (if you’re ordering online)

If you’re not trying a bed out at a brick-and-mortar store, you’ll want to make sure you get a decent trial period. This way, you can fully test out how you feel after sleeping on a mattress within the comfort of your own home. Considering it may take your body a few weeks to fully adjust to a new sleeping surface, you’ll want a trial period that at least lasts 30 days.

Want more information about shopping for a mattress online? You can check out our step-by-step guide here.

Warranty

Obviously, you want a long enough warranty to ensure that your investment is protected for years to come. Standard warranties in the industry run from about 10 to 25 years.

You’ll also want to check not just at the length of the warranty, but what the warranty covers. Since foam is prone to indenting, you’ll want to make sure your warranty covers shallower impressions. If not, you’ll be left with a bed with lots of indents for a while.

Final Thoughts: Who WIll a Foam Mattress Suit Best?

While foam beds have a lot to offer, they won’t work well for everyone. Those who prefer firmer beds, for one, might not enjoy the usually soft feel of foam-based bedding. Back and stomach sleepers—since they often need a firmer place to rest to achieve proper spinal alignment—might not enjoy these beds unless they’re specifically designed to be firmer.

So, who will enjoy these mattresses? Bargain hunters, for one, should enjoy the low prices and variety they get when they shop for this type of bedding. Side sleepers, too, should enjoy how much these beds hug their bodies, providing them sleeping surfaces that optimally align their spines. Couples with a light sleeper (or two!) should also enjoy how little motion is transferred when they sleep on these beds.

Who will each of our top 3 picks suit best? Athletes and active individuals should enjoy the thoughtful pressure-relieving design of the Bear Pro. Bargain hunters may find the Tuft & Needle Original to their liking. For hot sleepers, the innovative construction of a Layla may help them sleep a little cooler.