The best mattresses for cooling are generally cool to the touch, limit heat retention, breath well, and actively pull heat away from the body. Studies show that sleeping cool can help you lose weight as well as improve your overall quality of sleep.
There are a few critical factors we assess when determining the best mattresses for cooling. We’re considering temperature when lying on a mattress, how fast it can cool down after the sleeper gets off, as well as other design factors such as the use of coils (great for cooling) or any specialty material for cooling (ie: copper infusion, graphite infusion, gel infusion, phase change cover, etc.)
Our guide will walk you through the factors that are the most important for good cooling on a mattress, as well as the specific rankings and performance of the best mattresses we’ve tested (from testing over 131+ mattresses to date).
What Makes A Mattress Good For Cooling?
A cooling mattress generally has a material or design strategy that is specifically advantageous for limiting heat retention and keeping the sleeping surface cool.
There are a number of strategies we’ve seen over the years, but here are just a few of the highlights.
Each of these design strategies is aimed at improving cooling performance. While our scoring tests do not give any extra bonus points for these features, they are a contributing factor to each mattresses overall cooling score.
All of the mattresses in this guide received a cooling score of 10 out of 10 in our NapLab cooling test as well as an overall score of 9.72 or higher. With all of that in mind, let’s dive in.
In This Guide
Saatva Classic | Winkbed | Helix Midnight Elite | Zenhaven | Nolah Evolution | Amerisleep AS5 | Bear Elite | Birch | Eight Sleep Pod 3 | Mattresses We Considered | How We Choose
The 8 Best Mattresses for Cooling
#1 Overall PICK
Saatva Classic
9.95
Price: $1,695
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5), Medium (5.5), Firm (8)
Gel Foam Hybrid
Winkbed
9.95
Price: $1,499
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7)
Latex Foam
Zenhaven
9.81
Price: $2,945
Firmness: Flippable—Slightly Firm (7.5) and Medium (5)
Poly Foam Hybrid
Nolah Evolution 15
9.77
Price: $1,749
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium (5.5), or Firm (8)
Gel Foam Hybrid
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid
9.73
Price: $2,199
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5)
Copper Memory Foam Hybrid
Bear Elite Hybrid
9.72
Price: $1,478
Firmness: Soft (4.5), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7.5)
Latex Hybrid
Birch
9.72
Price: $1,699
Firmness: Slightly Firm (7)
Saatva Classic
Best For
- Plush euro-top cover, but still good cooling performance
- Moderate bounce with fast response time
- Ships uncompressed, includes in-home delivery and setup
Quick Specs
- 2 height options—11.5″ or 13.5″ with Euro top
- 365-night trial period
- Lifetime limited warranty
Why It’s Best
The Saatva Classic is a coil-on-coil mattress meaning that it uses two layers of coils, topped with a small amount of comfort foam within a euro-top.
When considering cooling, coils are king in that they generally provide maximum airflow and limited heat retention. The dual coil layers provide this level of increased airflow within both the support layer and comfort layer.
This mattress has a fantastic performance score of 9.95 overall, which ranks it in the top 1% among all coil mattresses as well as the top 1% among all mattress types we’ve tested.
Type: Coil-on-Coil
Firmness: Soft (3.5), Medium (5.5), Firm (8)
Saatva Performance
The performance of the Saatva Classic is on-par with the highest-performing mattresses we’ve tested to date.
It has a coil-on-coil design with a plush Euro cover. The sinkage is deep, but cooling is exceptional and the mattress has an extremely fast material response time.
Edge support is also exceptional, with only 3.0″ of sinkage when sitting right at the edge of the mattress. Because of the coil design, the Saatva Classic has higher levels of bounce—14.67″, which is over 50% more than the average level of bounce (9.67″).
| Factor | Saatva Classic |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.95 |
| Max Temp. | 94.0° F |
| Max Sinkage | 2.40″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 5.86 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.4 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 14.67″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 3.00″ |
| Edge Support – Lying Support | Exceptional |
| Sex Overall | 9.9 |
| Comfort Material | 4.50″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | None |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 0 days |
| Trial | 365 days |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Winkbed Original
Best For
- Excellent cooling with a fast response time
- Contouring euro-top cover
- Great for sleepers of all body types
Quick Specs
- 13.5″ thick with Euro-top
- 120-night trial
- Lifetime limited warranty
Why It’s Best
The WinkBed mattress is a hybrid mattress that uses pocketed coils and a layer of gel-infused foam to provide comfort and support. It has a Euro-top with a 14″ thickness and is available in three different firmness options.
This mattress is great for cooling due in large part to the pocketed coil base and the design of the foam comfort layer. Despite this mattress having 5″ of comfort material and a deep level of sinkage, the Winkbed does not retain heat in the same way as other all-foam or even some hybrid mattresses do.
The Winkbed costs 15% more than the average hybrid mattress. however considering the higher overall score (9.95), it’s a great option for all-around performance.
Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7)
Winkbed Performance
Performance on the Winkbed is tied with the highest ranking mattress we’ve tested to date. Cooling is exceptional, with low levels of motion transfer, a fast material response time, excellent edge support, and exceptional pressure relief.
Total motion transfer levels max out at 5.85 m/s², which is 28% less motion than the average (across all mattresses tested to date).
Considering preferential factors, the Winkbed has a deep level of sinkage and a moderate level of bounce.
On the Soft version of the Winkbed, there was a max sinkage of 3.16″ and the Luxury Firm Winkbed had slightly less (2.38″). Both depths are deeper than the average sinkage level of only 2.21″.
Winkbed – Luxury Firm
Winkbed – Soft
Both of these factors are neither good nor bad, but they do create a more specific feel on the mattress. If you like more sinkage and hug then you’ll love Winkbed. If not, then you probably should choose something different.
| Factor | Winkbed |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.95 |
| Max Temp. | 90.3° F |
| Max Sinkage | 2.38″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 5.85 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.2 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 9.91″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 2.25″ |
| Edge Support – Lying Support | Exceptional |
| Sex Overall | 9.9 |
| Comfort Material | 5.00″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | None |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 0 days |
| Trial | 120 days |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Zenhaven Latex
Best For
- Exceptionally good cooling
- Extremely low levels of motion transfer, despite the low-profile height & latex
- Extremely fast material response time
Quick Specs
- 10″ thick with thin quilted cover
- Lifetime warranty
Our Verdict
The Zenhaven mattress is a 10″ latex foam mattress with a flippable design. One side has a slightly firm feel (Gentle Firm) and a firmness of 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. By comparison, the opposite side has a medium feel (Luxury Firm) and a firmness of 5 out of 10.
This is the highest-performing latex mattress featured in this guide. Latex, generally speaking, has big advantages over other materials when it comes to cooling performance. It is known for its limited heat retention, fast response time, and natural material properties.
Across the board, the performance was simply fantastic. Zenhaven’s 9.81 earned it one of the best scores we’ve seen to date. There is no question, this is an expensive mattress. However, the quality and performance is significantly better than average. If you simply want the best for natural cooling, this is it.
Type: Latex Foam
Firmness: Flippable; Slightly Firm (7.5) and Medium (5)
Zenhaven Performance
Cooling performance is one of the most stand-out features on the Zenhaven. Latex foam, in general, is known for its ability to dissipate heat effectively, as it does not absorb or retain heat like poly or memory foams do.
But more than just the natural tendencies of latex, the Zenhaven has something else going on. It is unusually “airy” (for lack of a better word). This airiness creates a significant outflow of air from the mattress every time you move around or get in and out of bed.
This level of air in and out of the mattress means any heat building up in the core of the mattress is cycled with fresh, cooler air.
In all my years of testing, I don’t recall ever seeing a latex foam with this much airflow.
Beyond the impressive cooling performance, overall performance was exceptionally good across the board.
Motion transfer was exceedingly low, which is especially surprising given the all latex design. Response was instant, as expected.
Edge support, sex, pressure relief, and off-gassing all had strong performances as well.
From top to bottom, there is very little this mattress does wrong. It’s only big con is it’s an expensive mattress. But if you want the absolute best performance and quality, you’re going to have to spend a little more.
| Factor | Zenhaven Performance |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.81 |
| Price | $2,845 |
| Cooling | 10 |
| Max Sinkage | 1.44″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 4.62 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.2 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 8.40″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 3.50″ |
| Mattress Thickness | 10.0″ |
| Sex Overall | 9.6 |
| Comfort Material | 4.0″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | Strong |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 3 days |
| Trial | 365 nights |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Nolah Evolution 15
Best For
- 6″ of comfort material creates exceptional pressure relief for side sleepers
- Excellent cooling performance
- Deep sinkage and hug (2.48″)
Quick Specs
- 15″ thickness + Euro-top
- 120-night trial
- Lifetime limited warranty
Why It’s Best
The Nolah Evolution 15 mattress is a high-profile hybrid mattress that uses a blend of poly foam and pocketed coils for comfort and support.
It comes in three different firmness levels—plush, luxury firm, and firm.
It has a deeper level of sinkage, but also excellent edge support and moderate levels of bounce (8.72″—slightly less than average).
During our tests, the Evolution was a full 1.2 degrees F cooler than the average. The combination of hybrid design, quality foams, cooling fibers in the cover, and breathable side panel gusset all work together to deliver fantastic cooling performance.
It has a performance score of 9.77 overall, ranking it in the top 5% of all mattresses tested to date.
Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4), Medium (5.5), or Firm (8)
Nolah Evolution 15 Performance
Performance on the Nolah Evolution 15 is well-balanced and great for cooling. This mattress has 4″ of comfort material as well as a 2.0″ quilted cover. Traditional Euro-covers can sometimes struggle with heat retention and excessive sinkage.
But that’s not what we saw with the Nolah Evolution. This mattress has exceptional cooling and only a moderate level of sinkage.
In addition, it has a fast material response time and pressure relief is fantastic. This mattress has an overall thickness of 15″, which makes it highly comfortable and suitable for a wide range of sleeper weights and positions.
One consideration that may or may not be important to you is higher levels of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured 38% higher levels of motion transfer than average.
| Factor | Nolah Evolution 15 |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.77 |
| Max Temp. | 88.6° F |
| Max Sinkage | 2.48″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 11.10 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.2 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 8.72″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 3.25″ |
| Edge Support – Lying Support | Exceptional |
| Sex Overall | 9.8 |
| Comfort Material | 6.00″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | Strong |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 3 days |
| Trial | 120 days |
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid
Best For
- Lightweight side sleepers who want a soft feel
- Fantastic cooling performance
- Excellent pressure relief with 5.0″ of comfort material
Quick Specs
- 14″ with phase change cover
- 120-night trial period
- 20-year warranty
Why It’s Best
The Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid is a hybrid mattress with memory foam and pocketed coils. It has a softer feel and would likely be best suited for lightweight side sleepers or moderate-weighted sleepers who prefer a very soft feel.
Despite the softer feel, the AS5 retains a moderate level of sinkage and has fantastic cooling performance.
The AS5 has an overall score of 9.73 and is priced about 40% above average. Although the price is higher, the AS5 is a true luxury memory foam hybrid mattress for side sleepers, offering a 14″ high profile, 5″ comfort material, and excellent pressure relief.
Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Extra Soft (3.5)
Amerisleep Performance
The performance of the Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid is excellent. It has fantastic cooling and a fast response time, despite having a softer feel.
The softness and 15″ mattress thickness also allow for exceptional pressure relief and 5″ of comfort material above the pocketed coils. This is 20% more comfort material than we see on average (comparing all mattresses tested to date).
Motion transfer levels are 20% higher than average, but not yet considered “high levels” of motion transfer. For ultra-sensitive sleepers, this may be a more important factor to you.
The AS5 uses a “Refresh cover”, which closely mimics the feel of a phase change material. Phase change materials are able to help maintain a consistent and cooler feel on the surface of the mattress.
| Factor | Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid Performance |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.73 |
| Price | $2,199 |
| Cooling | 10 |
| Max Sinkage | 2.21″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 9.65 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.2 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 9.71″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 4.25″ |
| Mattress Thickness | 14.0″ |
| Sex Overall | 9.8 |
| Comfort Material | 5.0″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | Strong |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 7 days |
| Trial | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 20 years |
Bear Elite Hybrid
Best For
- Fantastic cooling performance with phase change cover
- 3 firmness options
- 5″ of comfort material
Quick Specs
- 14″ with phase change cover
- 120-night trial period
- Lifetime limited warranty
Why It’s Best
The Bear Elite hybrid mattress is a 14″ tall hybrid with copper-infused memory foam and a pocketed coil base. If you’re looking for a mattress with exceptional cooling and a memory foam feel, the Bear Elite is a great option. The hybrid design and use of copper-infused foam improve the cooling performance.
This mattress is available in three firmness levels, which is one factor that makes it attractive across a wider range of sleepers.
Overall, the Bear Elite mattress has a fantastic performance score of 9.72 and a price that is only 6% above the cost of the average hybrid.
Type: Hybrid
Firmness: Soft (4.5), Medium-Firm (6), Slightly Firm (7.5)
Bear Elite Performance
Performance on the Bear Elite was excellent, with perfect 10 out of 10 scores for excellent cooling, low levels of motion transfer, and very fast response time.
Pressure relief was excellent as well with the 14” profile and three different firmness levels of choose from.
The cooling performance is a big win for the Bear Elite, as this mattress features a phase change cover, which leaves the mattress feeling cool to the touch. When combined with quality foams that resist heat retention and a hybrid design you get fantastic cooling performance.
Bear’s performance across the board is fantastic, especially given the price point.
| Factor | Bear Elite Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.72 |
| Max Temp. | 88.4° F |
| Max Sinkage | 2.14″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 3.74 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.4 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 10.32″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 4.75″ |
| Edge Support – Lying Support | Excellent |
| Sex Overall | 9.8 |
| Comfort Material | 5.00″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | Strong |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 3 days |
| Trial | 120 days |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Birch Hybrid
Best For
- Slightly firm feel (7 out of 10)
- Extremely fast response time
- Low levels of motion transfer, 5.52 m/s²
Considerations
- Higher bounce
- May be too firm for lightweight side sleepers
- 4.5″ of sinkage when seating directly at the edge
Our Verdict
The Birch mattress is a hybrid mattress that is a blend of pocketed coils and Talalay latex. It has a slightly firm feel with moderate sinkage, but the natural latex gives it the distinct feel of a latex.
It has a slightly firmer feel, which makes this mattress a good choice for back or stomach sleepers looking for a natural mattress that sleepers cool.
This mattress only has about an 11″ profile height, which is slightly thinner than the 12″ average mattress height. If you’re looking for a cool natural mattress, the Birch is a great option to consider.
Type: Latex Hybrid
Firmness: Slightly Firm (7)
Birch Performance
Performance on the Birch is fantastic, with perfect 10s for excellent cooling performance, extremely fast response time, and a score of 9.9 for low levels of motion transfer.
Considering cooling performance, Birch has an organic cotton cover with wool liner. The main latex layer is hole-punched, which allows for more air to escape from the mattress as well as improved response time.
The only real struggle for the Birch is edge support, where our tests measured 4.5″ of sinkage when seated directly at the edge. This is only 0.25″ deeper than the average edge support and deeper than I like to see.
| Factor | Birch Performance |
|---|---|
| Overall | 9.72 |
| Price | $1,599 |
| Cooling | 10 |
| Max Sinkage | 2.00″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 5.52 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.2 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 14.91″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 4.50″ |
| Mattress Thickness | 11.0″ |
| Sex Overall | 9.7 |
| Comfort Material | 3.0″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | None |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 0 days |
| Trial | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 25 years |
Honorable Mention
Active Cooling Cover
Eight Sleep Pod 3
Water Cooled Smart Pad
During our tests, the Eight Sleep mattress was disappointing. It’s a pretty standard all foam mattress. However, the Eight Sleep Pod 3 standalone cover was truly exceptional. While it is incredibly expensive, the cooling (and heating) performance it creates is best in class.
The Pod 3 cover can be added to any mattress and will provide a significant improvement in cooling performance. It uses thin flexible tubing within the cover to pump water through the cover, carrying heat away from your body, cooling the mattress.
Mattresses We Considered
When selecting the best mattress for cooling, we’re looking at all performance factors, but most importantly we’re looking at cooling performance. Overall performance, material quality, firmness, and price also come into play here.
Mattresses that did not score a perfect 10 out of 10 for cooling were not featured in this guide.
Overall performance scores under 9.72 were also excluded. Mattresses that scored a perfect 10 for cooling, but did not reach the overall scoring threshold of 9.72 have been listed below.
| Mattress | Score | Reason for Exclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Hybrid | 9.85 | Discontinued |
| Diamond Flurry Lux | 9.84 | Brand is very new to most consumers |
| Winkbed Plus | 9.82 | Plus-sized sleepers only |
| Helix Midnight Elite | 9.81 | Too expensive |
| Purple Hybrid Premier 4 | 9.81 | Discontinued |
| Purple Hybrid Premier 3 | 9.81 | Discontinued |
| Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid | 9.71 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
| Leesa Sapira | 9.69 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
| Nolah Natural | 9.67 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
| Casper Snow | 9.66 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
| Eight Sleep Pod 3 | 9.53 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
| Purple | 9.47 | 10/10 cooling score, but overall score below 9.72 cut-off |
Learn more about the inclusion requirements set in our best mattress selection framework here.
How We Choose The Best
Each “Best of” list is put through a customized performance analysis with specialized consideration given to our objective & data-driven performance tests, mattress type, design, materials, value / price, and more.
We look at 8 primary factors (listed above) as well as preferential factors including bounce and sinkage. From assessing these scores, we are able to give each mattress we test an objective score based on performance, quality, and design.
For our Best Mattress For Cooling list, we based our selections on the best-scoring / highest-performing mattresses that also excelled in cooling performance (score of 10 out of 10).
While this 10/10 standard feels high, it should be.
Of the 163+ mattresses that we’ve tested to date, 21 mattresses have achieved a perfect 10/10 cooling score.
Since we can’t feasibly list all 21 mattresses, we assigned an overall scoring cut-off of 9.72 to make sure that mattresses great for cooling were also great in all other categories as well.
In this way, we are able to truly highlight the cream of the crop when you’re looking for the best cooling mattress.
