Saatva Classic Soft vs. Luxury Firm vs. Firm

In This Comparison
Which Mattress Should You Buy? | Compare the Mattresses | Performance Tests

Which Mattress Should You Buy?

Looking at the Saatva Classic, there are a few different factors to take into consideration here. There are three different versions of the mattress: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. In our firmness tests, these provide the following feels—Soft (4 out of 10), Medium-Firm (6 out of 10), and Firm (8 out of 10).

The three versions offer deep (plush soft version), moderate (luxury firm version), or very minimal (firm version) sinkage based on how firm they are, but all offer a predominantly coil feel. They also all have the option to increase the height of the bottom coil unit by 3″ to achieve an overall profile of up to 14.5″

Slight variation in overall performance of each firmness level is not reason enough to pick one firmness over another. Your ideal firmness should be based on personal comfort preference, sleeping position, and body weight.

So how do you know which is right for you?

The Saatva Classic Soft has the plushest feel with the deepest sinkage, but it won’t be right for every sleeper. The thicker pillow top cover will be beneficial for exclusive side sleepers, but perhaps less ideal for back and stomach sleepers.

The Saatva Classic Luxury Firm has a more balanced feel and is best suited for the vast majority of sleepers. On top of its popular firmness rating, it also has the best overall performance.

The Saatva Classic Firm could be an attractive choice for back sleepers, stomach sleepers, or simply those who like more pushback.

Saatva also makes a specific mattress for heavier bodies called the Saatva HD. The price of the HD is nearly double that of the Saatva Classic, but for heavier sleepers (especially those over 300 pounds) it provides the best performance. You can read the full Saatva HD review here.

Best Mattress by Category

Before we get into the gritty details, let’s honor some specific mattresses first. The mattresses featured below performed exceptionally well when considering each individual category listed.

Best For	Saatva
Overall	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Side Sleepers	Saatva Classic (Soft)
Stomach or Back Sleepers	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Heavy People	Saatva Classic (Firm)
Cooling	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Affordable	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Back Pain	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Sex	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Soft Mattress	Saatva Classic (Soft)
Medium-Firm Mattress	Saatva Classic (Luxury Firm)
Firm Mattress	Saatva Classic (Firm)

We tested each firmness option of the Saatva Classic and they all have extremely similar, incredibly high performance ranging from 9.35 to 9.48. To be clear, all of these Saatva firmness options are well within the top 1% of scores across the 470+ mattresses tested to date.

From a price perspective, all three of these firmness options are the same price for the 11.5″ version. If you jump up to the 14.5″ version (available in each firmness version), the price increases by about $20.

Note: This is strictly an aesthetic change and the thicker version does not provide a thicker comfort layer. The extra thickness is added to the base coils. If you prefer a taller mattress, this can be a good option.

The table below shows the overall performance score of each Saatva mattress. In total, 3 mattresses were tested for this comparison.

Saatva Firmness Comparison

Saatva Mattresses	Score	Mattress Type	Read Review	Check Price
Saatva Classic Firm	9.35	Coil	Read Review	Check Price
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	9.48	Coil	Read Review	Check Price
Saatva Classic Soft	9.35	Coil	Read Review	Check Price

Moving on, let’s talk about specific performance categories. Depending on what factors are most important to you, individual mattresses may rise above others. The table below looks at 10 testing categories and highlights the top-performing mattresses in those particular tests.

Factor	Winner	Score
Best Overall	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	9.48
Best Cooling	Saatva Classic Firm, Saatva Classic Luxury Firm, Saatva Classic Soft	10
Most Sinkage	Saatva Classic Soft	2.36″
Least Sinkage	Saatva Classic Firm	1.57″
Lowest Motion Transfer	Saatva Classic Firm	7.9
Fastest Response Time	Saatva Classic Firm	10
Most Bounce	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	12.53″
Least Bounce	Saatva Classic Soft	11.28″
Best Edge Support	Saatva Classic Firm, Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10
Best for Sex	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10
Best Pressure Relief	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm, Saatva Classic Soft	10
Least Off-Gassing	Saatva Classic Firm, Saatva Classic Luxury Firm, Saatva Classic Soft	10

The Saatva Classic mattress comes in three firmness options, which they call Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. These options range from 4 to 8 on the firmness scale, where 10 is the most firm.

While the basic design and thickness of each material layer is largely the same between models, Saatva explains the difference in feel comes down to a tweaking of the foam densities and the tightness of the quilting in the Euro pillow top.

The Plush Soft option is rated as a distinctly soft feel at a 4 out of 10, whereas the Firm option has a firm feel at an 8 out of 10. The Luxury Firm version is the middle option rated at a 6 out of 10.

Firmness	Rating	Feel
Saatva Classic Soft	4	Soft
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	6	Medium-Firm
Saatva Classic Firm	8	Firm

Not sure which firmness you need? Your ideal mattress firmness depends on two major factors—sleeping position and body weight. With the right firmness, your body and spine will maintain proper alignment when sleeping.

Lightweight sleepers or those who sleep on their side tend to need a softer mattress. By comparison, heavier sleepers or those who sleep on their back or stomach tend to need more support and a firmer feel.

That being said, the vast majority of sleepers and all sleeping positions are best served by the luxury firm version (medium-firm feel).

Below, we have a deep-dive comparison of the 3 firmness options of the Saatva Classic mattress.

Saatva Mattresses

• Saatva Classic Soft
• Saatva Classic Luxury Firm
• Saatva Classic Firm

The table below shows overall scores as well as scores from the individual testing categories.

Factor	Saatva Classic Soft	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	Saatva Classic Firm
Overall Score	9.35	9.48	9.35
Cooling	10	10	10
Motion Transfer	7.6	7.4	7.9
Response	9.1	9.9	10
Edge Support	9.5	10	10
Sex	9.7	10	9.8
Pressure Relief	10	10	9.0
Off-Gassing	10	10	10
Company	8.8	8.8	8.8

This second table shows the data from each test we analyze. We use this data to compare each mattress to others within the brand as well as to compare with over 470+ mattresses we’ve tested to date.

Factor	Saatva Classic Soft	Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	Saatva Classic Firm
Price (Queen)	$1,853	$1,853	$1,853
Cooling	Outstanding	Outstanding	Outstanding
Sinkage – Depth	2.36″	2.03″	1.57″
Sinkage – Feel	Deep	Moderate	Very Minimal
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	10.24 m/s²	10.68 m/s²	9.64 m/s²
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.2 sec.	0.2 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.8 sec.	0.4 sec.	0.3 sec.
Bounce – Height	11.28″	12.53″	11.68″
Bounce – Feel	High	Very High	High
Edge Support – Sitting	2.75″	2.25″	2.50″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Outstanding	Outstanding
Comfort Layer Thickness	8.00″	7.00″	7.50″
Mattress Thickness	12.50″	11.50″	12.00″
Off-Gassing – Smell	None	None	None
Off-Gassing – Days	0 days	0 days	0 days
Trial	365 nights	365 nights	365 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime	Lifetime

First up, when it comes to cooling, the Saatva Classic is exceptional across the board. Every version of the Saatva Classic earned a perfect 10/10 for cooling.

In fact, across the 7 Saatva mattresses we’ve tested to date, all of their models have earned a 9 or a 10 in our tests.

Cooling Test	Score	Baseline	Max. Temp.	Ending Temp.
Saatva Classic Soft	10	79.3°	89.6°	82.3°
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10	75.1°	89.5°	80.1°
Saatva Classic Firm	10	76.8°	89.5°	83.5°

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (after 5 minutes) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

Below, you can watch a video of how the heat dissipates on each mattress during our cooling test. For this test, we lie on the mattress for 15 minutes, get off the mattress, and then take periodic surface-level temperature measurements.

The average cooling score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.6, so the Saatva Classic is substantially better than average in terms of cooling.

When we look at the design of the Classic, these fantastic scores make perfect sense. The majority of its makeup is coils, which are open and allow for the mattress to breathe. Conversely, what little foam is there is low-density poly foam, which resists heat and breathes well.

Overall, any version of the Saatva Classic is going to have outstanding cooling and is a great option if you sleep hot or live in warmer climates.

Next, when it comes to sinkage, we see some of the largest differences between the Saatva Classic models. The three versions differ as expected: the Soft version has the most sinkage while the Firm version has the least, with the Luxury Firm option right in the middle.

Sinkage Test	Sinkage Feel	Sinkage Depth
Saatva Classic Soft	Deep	2.36″
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	Moderate	2.03″
Saatva Classic Firm	Very Minimal	1.57″

The level of sinkage for each mattress is documented in the images below.

The average sinkage depth across all mattresses tested to date is 2.22″.

Back and stomach sleepers usually prefer less sinkage, which better maintains proper alignment of their spine. The Saatva Luxury Firm, while sinking deeper than the Firm version, is still well within the ideal range for stomach, back, and side sleepers.

For sleepers who strongly dislike sinking into the mattress and want more of a floating and buoyant feel, where the body lies more “on” the mattress instead of sinking down “in” the mattress, the Saatva Firm version can be the better choice.

Generally, side sleepers enjoy a deeper level of sinkage, as that typically translates to better pressure relief and contour. If you’re an exclusive side sleeper the Plush Soft version of the Saatva can be the correct choice.

All that being said, the vast majority of sleepers will be best served by the Saatva Luxury Firm version. It’s got a balanced level of sinakge that meets the needs of all sleeping positions and most sleepers.

Are you over 300 lbs.? Heavier sleepers generally need a mattress with a firmer feel to maintain optimal support. The Saatva Classic Firm will be your best bet out of these three options. Additionally, you could consider the Saatva HD, which is specifically designed for plus-sized sleepers. The price of the HD is nearly double that of the Saatva Classic, but for heavier sleepers it provides the best performance. You can read the full Saatva HD review here.

Moving on, motion transfer is the only category in which the Saatva Classic demonstrates below-average performance. Across the board, we see high levels of motion transfer for each firmness option of the Saatva Classic.

Motion Transfer Test	Score	Acc. Range
Saatva Classic Soft	7.6	10.24 m/s²
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	7.4	10.68 m/s²
Saatva Classic Firm	7.9	9.64 m/s²

The level of motion transfer on each mattress is also documented in the videos below.

The average motion transfer score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.2.

There’s no getting around the fact that the Saatva Classic has an overwhelming coil design, but unlike for cooling, this is not beneficial for motion transfer. Without thick foam layers above it, the coils are heavily engaged when bodies shift around or get in and out of bed.

Additionally, the tight top cover has the potential to pull towards sinkage objects, like your partner getting into bed, which further compounds motion transfer.

All this to say, scores in the mid-to-high 7s are not the worst we’ve seen, but they are certainly not ideal for couples who are easily disturbed by movement while sleeping.

Back to more favorable scores, the Saatva Classic models are all incredibly responsive.

Due to variations in firmness and thickness, we see slightly slower measurements for the softer options, but the Saatva Classics earned an average score of 9.7 among them.

Response Test	Score	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
Saatva Classic Soft	9.1	0.3 seconds	0.8 seconds
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	9.9	0.2 seconds	0.4 seconds
Saatva Classic Firm	10	0.2 seconds	0.3 seconds

The level of responsiveness for each mattress is documented in the videos below.

The average response score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.8, which shows the Saatva Classic models are significantly faster to respond than average.

The poly foam and coils are both inherently quick to spring back to shape, especially compared to memory foam, which we’ve seen take as long as 7 seconds to reform back to shape.

The Saatva Classic Soft has the thickest comfort layer and the softest material, which results in a slightly longer time to fully recover. However, the speed at which it mostly recovers is near-instant.

Overall, the Saatva Classic models will not create that “cratering feeling” that makes it difficult to shift positions or makes you feel stuck. All 3 versions are easy to move around on.

Bounce Test	Bounce Feel	Bounce Height
Saatva Classic Soft	High	11.28″
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	Very High	12.53″
Saatva Classic Firm	High	11.68″

The level of bounce for each mattress is documented in the videos below.

The average bounce across all mattresses tested to date is 8.65″, so the Saatva Classic models are undoubtedly higher across the board.

The Saatva Luxury Firm has the highest level of bounce that actually exceeds my ideal range, but not by much. The more a mattress exceeds 12″ of bounce, it starts to feel overly trampoline-like.

However, mattresses with more bounce are better for ease of movement and increase sex performance. The trade-off, as we mentioned earlier, is higher motion transfer.

When it comes to edge support, the Saatva Classic Soft is slightly less robust than the other two options. That said, even this model is better than average.

Edge Support Test	Score	Sitting Sinkage	Lying Support
Saatva Classic Soft	9.5	2.75″	Excellent
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10	2.25″	Outstanding
Saatva Classic Firm	10	2.50″	Outstanding

The level of edge support is documented in the images below.

The average edge support score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.7.

The Saatva Classic includes the thickest coils we’ve measured to date. Using a digital caliper, we found the bottom set of coils on each version to be made of 13-gauge coils. On top of that, there is a 3″ reinforced edge foam to bolster the perimeter of the mattresses.

Where we see differences is largely in the comfort layer, where the soft model allows for greater compression than the others. Even still, the edge of each firmness option of Saatva Classic can be trusted for sitting, lying, and amorous activities.

For our sex test, we calculate scores using a weighted formula that includes bounce, edge support, noise, pressure relief, and cooling. Across these 5 categories, each version of the Saatva Classic earned outstanding scores.

Across the three Saatva Classic models, they earned an average sex score of 9.8. This is exceptional.

Sex Test	Sex Score	Bounce	Edge Support	Noise	Pressure Relief	Cooling
Saatva Classic Soft	9.7	9.5	10	10	10	10
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10	10	10	10	10	10
Saatva Classic Firm	9.8	9.8	10	10	9.0	10

For reference, the average sex score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.2.

Bounce is where many mattresses struggle, but the Saatva Classic model excels. Since bounce is 60% of the formula’s weight, it’s no surprise they achieved such high scores. The slight variance in bounce is the only difference between the scores.

Overall, all firmness options of the Saatva Classic are among the best mattresses for sex.

Next, let’s talk about what is arguably the most important factor in a mattress: pressure relief. The Saatva Classic models range from 9.0 to 10 out of 10 in terms of pressure relief scores.

Pressure Relief Test	Score	Comfort Layer	Support Layer
Saatva Classic Soft	10	8.00″	4.50″
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10	7.00″	4.50″
Saatva Classic Firm	9.0	7.50″	4.50″

The average pressure relief score across all mattresses tested to date is 8.6, which makes even the worst Saatva Classic version better than average.

Regardless of the version, the Saatva Classic has sleepers engaging with the coils more than the average mattress. The variance between models is the amount of comfort material above these two sets of coils and their firmness. Even the thickest layer (4″ of material above the coils) is less than the average (4.41″).

For the Saatva Classic Soft and Luxury Firm options, this coil feel combined with a soft or medium-firm firmness creates 10/10 pressure relief. The Saatva Classic Firm isn’t quite as good at relieving pressure, and I felt a slight level of pressure point buildup in my tests.

The materials included in each mattress are documented in the images below.

The overall thickness of the design is not everything, but typically a balance of comfort material, transition material, and support material is needed to achieve overall pressure relief.

For the Saatva Classic, the Firm option didn’t quite perform as well as the others, but a 9 out of 10 is still better than average.

Provided that you don’t mind the feel of a traditional coil mattress and you choose the correct firmness option for you, the Saatva Classic is an exceptional choice for pressure relief.

Off-gassing is an area that Saatva has a natural advantage over the vast majority of online mattress brands. All Saatva mattresses ship uncompressed. For this reason, any smell that is created during manufacturer is gone by the time the mattress arrives.

Off-Gassing Test	Score	Initial Smell	Smell Duration
Saatva Classic Soft	10	None	0 days
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	10	None	0 days
Saatva Classic Firm	10	None	0 days

The average smell duration across all mattresses tested to date is 7 days, with the worst model taking up to 40 days to dissipate its lingering odors.

If you are particularly sensitive to synthetic odors or simply want to use your mattress right away and not put up with the average 7-day smell, the Saatva Classic is one of your best options.

Finally, let’s discuss Saatva’s company policies that come with purchasing the Saatva Classic and how they stack up to other brands. Generally speaking, they are quite generous.

Saatva offers sleepers a 365-night trial period and a limited lifetime warranty. They do not require a traditional 30-day break-in period before you are able to initiate a return, which is somewhat rare with online mattress brands.

The one less-than-stellar policy is their $99 return fee if you take advantage of their trial period.

Saatva also comes with a few perks that other companies do not have, such as their white-glove delivery service, which will fully set up your new mattress in your room and remove your old one for free.

Check out the table below to see how each mattress compares regarding company policies.

Company	Saatva
Score	8.8
Trial Period	365 nights
Warranty	Lifetime
Shipping	$0
Returns	$99
Country of Origin	USA

To date, we have tested 473+ mattresses from 121 different brands. The average trial length is 185 nights and the average warranty is 13 years, excluding 43% of mattresses that offer lifetime warranties.

Based on these average terms, Saatva is quite consumer-friendly. The one area that lowered their company score from a perfect 10 was the $99 return fee.

Saatva Testing Data

Mattress Name	Overall Score	Cooling Score	Motion Transfer Score	Response Time Score	Edge Support Score	Sex Score	Pressure Relief Score	Off-Gassing Score	Company Score	Type	Thickness	Firmness	Sinkage	Bounce	Trial (days)	Ships To	Price (Queen)	Read Review
Saatva Classic Luxury Firm	9.48	10	7.4	9.9	10	10	10	10	8.8	Coil	11.50"	Soft (4)	2.03"	12.53"	365 nights	USA	$1,853	Review
Saatva Classic Firm	9.35	10	7.9	10	10	9.8	9.0	10	8.8	Coil	12.00"	Medium-Firm (6)	1.57"	11.68"	365 nights	USA	$1,853	Review
Saatva Classic Soft	9.35	10	7.6	9.1	9.5	9.7	10	10	8.8	Coil	12.50"	Firm (8)	2.36"	11.28"	365 nights	USA	$1,853	Review