‘I’m a Sex Expert, and Choosing a Mattress Can Make or Break Your Sex Life—Here Are the Best Ones for Intimacy’
You don't notice the importance of a good mattress until you've spent the night (and a painful morning afterward) on a bad one. And while you're spending a good chunk of your life sleeping, it's not the only activity you're doing in bed—yes, we're talking about sex. We often talk about looking for mattresses for side sleepers and back sleepers, but maybe you should also be looking for the best mattress for sex. A good mattress should be able to support you during both sleep and sex, and just like an uncomfortable mattress can disrupt a night of restful sleep, it can also hamper your more active bedroom activities.
- Clare O'Connor, globabl director of editorial content at Bumble
- Dainis Graveris, sexual wellness writer and educator
- Diana Nadim, Diana Nadim is a Clinical Sexologist, Editor, and Certified Sex Educator of Vibrator Guru.
- Isabelle Uren, certified sex expert, writer, and website manager for Bedbible.com
- Rachel Sommer, Rachel Sommer is a clinical sexologist and co-founder of My Sex Toy Guide.
Fortunately, the qualities of an ideal mattress for sleep overlap with those of one for sex, so by picking wisely, you can solve for both. Look for one with a supportive frame, firm but bouncy, and breathable, says Diana Nadim, a clinical sexologist.
Rachel Sommer, also a clinical sexologist, also recommends picking a mattress that relieves pressure points for different sex positions. "Avoid the overly sinking models, and instead, go for mattresses that balance firm and squishy. Most importantly, the mattress should cushion your back, shoulders, elbows, and knees, depending on the specific sex position."
Here are nine expert-approved mattresses to get you in the mood.
Dr. O’Connor recommends a mattress with good overall support and good coil count (above 375 for a queen size), and a firm one at that, in order to support the pelvis and spine during sex or sleep. She says the mattress she specifically uses and enjoys is the Bear Hybrid mattress, which has both copper-gel memory foam and individually-encased coils. It also has a moisture-wicking quilted cover, has edge support, and is GREENGUARD Gold Certified by UL for low emissions.
The Avocado organic mattress is another pick from Dr. O’Connor. If you’re looking for a mattress that’s great for your bedroom activities and the environment, this is it. The mattress is made with 100 percent organic and non-toxic materials. It’s a medium-firm mattress, with organic latex rubber foam and up to 1,414 individually wrapped coils arranged in five ergonomic zones to provide support for your body(ies) all the way to the edges.
Nadim recommends the Casper’s Wave Hybrid Mattress for better sex (and better sleep). It has ergonomic zones with gel pods to support your back and prevent back pain. And overheating won’t be a problem—there’s cooling gel and breathable foam at the top, and thousands of perforations throughout to allow for airflow. It has good support and some bounciness for bedroom fun.
Uren says the Saatva Classic mattress is fantastic for both sleeping and sex. It has five layers—including memory foam, pocketed coils, and a pillow top with an organic cotton cover—which make it responsible, comfortable, breathable, and supportive. You can choose between three firmness levels, and there’s a botanical antimicrobial treatment to keep your mattress fresher for longer.
Saatva is known to to utilize reinforced edge support technology, says Graveris, so you can use every inch of the mattress for your sexual activities. And once you’re done, you don’t have to worry about body pains and aches, thanks to Saatva’s spinal zone technology.
The Helix Dusk mattress is has multiple layers, including a latex-foam hybrid alternative, memory foam, wrapped coils, and a dense foam on the bottom for support. The extra cushioning works for both stomach and back sleepers, or if you and a partner sleep in different positions. Says Graveris, the soft top layer is best for cradling, while its medium firmness and coils give you and your partner enough support and spinal alignment.
The GhostBed Flex mattress is a hybrid with seven layers, such as a quilted, cooling top layer and a Ghost Bounce layer, which is both responsive and contouring. If you want to stay cool during sleep or sex, says Graveris, this mattress’ breathable layers, gel foam, and latex will give you just that. It also has responsive coils that provide adequate support with foam layers that cushion and cradle your pressure points.
Sommer says to look for a mattress that cushions your back, shoulders, elbows, and knees depending on the sex position, and recommends the EcoCloud mattress because it’s very supportive. This eco-friendly mattress has a cover made with organic cotton and New Zealand wool, a Talalay latex layer, individually wrapped innersprings, and extra edge support to prevent any sagging.
The Helix Moonlight Luxe has zoned lumbar support coils to provide the right amount of support under your shoulders (softer feel) vs. your hips (firmer feel), as well as several layer of foam that contour to your body. You can choose between a breathable TENCEL cover or GlacioTex Cooling cover, depending on how hot you run at night. Plus, this “bouncy mattress facilitates easy change of sex positions while providing relief to your pressure points,” says Sommer.
This handcrafted mattress, recommended by Dr. O’Connor, has layers of breathable organic latex and pocketed coils, including extra lumber across the center third of the mattress to accommodate different bodies and positions. It’s medium-firm, has edge support, and has a cover made with GOTS-certified organic cotton with GOTS-certified organic wool sewn underneath.
The Layla hybrid mattress combines copper-infused memory foam and individually wrapped coils to keep your body comfy and cool throughout the night. The copper also helps form an antimicrobial barrier to keep bacteria and odors away. You can flip the mattress using convenient side handles depending on your preference or sleep position—one side has a softer feel, while the other is more firm. And the cover is cooling and removable for easy cleaning.
Responsive and supportive, the Nolah hybrid mattress has seven layers with foam and individually wrapped coils. The organic cotton cover is breathable, and there’s also a cooling quilted euro mattress topper for extra comfort. It has a reinforced edge, and the foam is infused with graphite and has microscopic air bubbles to draw heat out and provide relief on pressure points. You can choose between three firmness options: plush, luxury firm, and firm.
Can your mattress help/hurt your sex life?
No pressure, but "choosing a mattress can make or break your sex life," says Dainis Graveris, a certified sex educator and relationship expert. The best mattress should be comfortable and inviting enough that you want to be doing things besides sleep. "And when you know that you’re going to have another round of sex on your favorite mattress, that’ll definitely give a major boost to your sex life overall," he says.
"Your mattress choice determines how well you enjoy sex," states Sommer. It allows for everything from offering a comfortable space for your joints to enjoy sex for longer, to avoid injuries so you can have sex more regularly, so your choice of mattress is essential to the quality of your sex life," Graveris adds.
What to look for in a good mattress for sex
What type of mattress is better for sex?
Isabelle Uren, a certified sex expert, says to look for a hybrid mattress. "As dreamy and comfortable as memory foam mattresses can be, they might not be the best for having sex on. The foam absorbs any movement, making it difficult to thrust, bounce, and change position. Not to mention, foam isn't very breathable, so you are more likely to get hot and sweaty." On the other hand, spring mattresses are bouncier, but can also be noisier and squeakier, which can be distracting to you and any neighbors.
Nadim also recommends looking for one that isolations motion, so that "the form and energy are absorbed by the mattress and not transferred to other objects in the room."
Is a soft or firm mattress better for sex?
Uren says that, in general, a medium-firm mattress is best for sex, as you won't sink into it or roll around (or off) it. Hillary O'Connor, a pelvic floor physical therapist adds that the feel of the mattress should be firm in order to support the pelvis and spine during sex or sleep.
What kind of edge support should you have for sex?
Another thing to consider, says Uren, is whether the mattress has good edge support, meaning the edges of the bed are sturdy and don't give out underneath you or cause you to fall off, if you're especially adventurous in bed. "The edge of the bed should be just as firm or more firm than the middle of the bed," advises O'Connor. Plus, firm edges give you more room to play with.
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