Best California King Mattresses on Amazon (2023)

Many couples dream of upgrading to a California king mattress. Although queen size is thought of as the classic couple’s mattress, the California king size provides much more space for you and your sleep partner (not to mention your kids and pets) to stretch out. It’s also a great mattress size for taller people.

A product this large deserves a large marketplace, so we’ve compiled a list of the best California king mattresses on Amazon. Compare our top selections and read our buyer’s guide to find out how to choose the best mattress for you.

Our Picks for Best California King Mattress on Amazon

• Best Overall – Zinus Green Tea
• Best Mattress for Heavy People – Classic Brands Cool Gel
• Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers – Olee Sleep
• Best Mattress for Guest Rooms – Linenspa Hybrid

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Buyer’s Guide: California King Mattresses on Amazon

One of the largest mattress sizes, a California king mattress is a variation of a king mattress that adds 4 inches of length and subtracts 4 inches of width. The result is a mattress 6 feet wide and 7 feet long. The extra length is why California king mattresses are recommended for, among others, tall people and couples who want more vertical length than a queen-size provides.

Sometimes California king mattresses are referred to as a West Coast king or Western king mattress.

Take a look at the mattress sizes chart below to see standard mattress size comparisons:

Size	Standard Dimensions
Twin	38″ x 75″
Twin XL	38″ x 80″
Full	54″ x 75″
Queen	60″ x 80″
King	76″ x 80″
California King	72″ x 84″
Split King	(38″ x 80″) x 2
Split California King	(36″ X 84″) x 2

Related: What is a Split King Mattress?

Pros of a California king mattress

• Extra surface area: At 12 inches wider and 4 inches longer than a queen, the California king allows plenty of room for you to spread out. If you sleep with a partner and/or pet(s), this extra space will be beneficial.
• Extra length: Tall people (at least people under 7′ tall) won’t have to hang their feet off the bed on a Cal king mattress.
• Convenient fit: Less square and more rectangular, a California king mattress fits nicely in most bedrooms, leaving room for furniture on either side of the bed.

Cons of a California king mattress

• Expensive: The larger the bed, the more you’ll have to pay. If you’re on a tight budget, a California king may not be for you.
• Harder to shop for: Keep in mind, once you get a new bed you’ll need new sheets, a new bed frame, and potentially other bedding accessories. It’s more difficult to find sizes for a California king, and again, more costly.
• Longer, less square: For those who don’t know the distinction between a king and California king, you may not realize that on a California king you have less width for stretching out. For people sharing the bed, they may desire a king instead.

Related: Pros and Cons of a California King Mattress

How to Find the Best California King Mattress

A lot of factors will come into play as you shop for the best California king mattress for your specific needs. Here’s a list important criteria:

Mattress Type

• Memory foam: Memory foam mattresses hug the body and provide great pressure relief, motion isolation, and responsiveness. But they can trap body heat and sleep hot without cooling technology.
• Innerspring: Traditional mattresses are made with steel coils. These mattresses are bouncier but may not be as durable or provide as much pressure relief or motion isolation as other mattress types.
• Latex: Latex mattresses have a more buoyant feel than memory foam and are naturally cooling. Quality latex tends to be more expensive than other mattress types.
• Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses combine two or more different mattress materials, typically a layer of innerspring coils with multiple layers of foam and/or latex.
• Organic: Organic mattresses are made with natural materials, like organic latex, organic cotton, and organic wool. They are hypoallergenic and manufactured without chemicals.

Sleeping Position

• Side sleepers use the most common sleep position. It can add pressure to the shoulders and hips if you sleep on a mattress without good pressure point relief qualities. Side sleeping on a mattress without spinal alignment qualities can also lead to backaches and neck aches. These sleepers typically benefit from a medium-firm mattress.
• Stomach sleepers are the rarest breed of sleeper, using the least healthy position. Stomach sleepers put more strain on their backs and are more prone to waking with lower back pain. Stomach sleepers should look for firmer mattresses.
• Back sleepers use what’s considered the healthiest sleeping position, but a lot of people don’t find this sleeping position very comfortable. Those who do can enjoy plusher mattresses. But they should look for a mattress with enough support to keep their spine in alignment.
• Combination sleepers toss and turn during the night and alternate between sleeping positions. These sleepers benefit from mattresses with good responsiveness, meaning they adapt quickly to your movements. A mattress that’s not very responsive may make you feel like you’re stuck in bed.

Mattress Performance Factors

• Firmness: California king mattresses come in a variety of firmness levels. Generally, medium-firm mattresses are best for most sleepers, but it mostly depends on your sleeping position and your body size.
• Edge Support: Beds with good edge support, or more support around the perimeter of the bed, can help you spring out of bed in the morning. They can also keep you from feeling like you’re going to roll off the bed if you curl too close to the edge.
• Durability: A mattress with a supportive foundation and quality materials should last up to 10 years or longer.
• Cooling: Many people sleep hot, and a mattress that traps body heat, like memory foam, can make you miserable. But mattress manufacturers have remedied this by adding cooling gels and minerals to memory foam that disperse body heat. Both latex and innerspring mattresses promote airflow and tend to sleep cooler.
• Motion Transfer: Also called motion isolation, motion transfer is the ability for a mattress to isolate a sleeper’s movements. This is especially helpful if you sleep with a partner or pet who changes positions often or gets out of bed a lot at night.
• Pressure Relief: A mattress with good pressure relief offers more give at the shoulders and hips for a more comfortable night’s rest.
• Spine Alignment: Mattresses that keep the spine from falling out of alignment help reduce backaches and neck aches.

Learn more about each of these performance factors by checking our review process, a breakdown of how we rate mattresses that we test in our Mattress Lab.

Accessories for California King Beds

Keep in mind that California king mattresses can be the most challenging to shop for when it comes to purchasing California king sizes sheets, bed frames, and more.

• Foundations — California king mattresses are longer and more narrow than standard kings, so you’ll need a bed frame that accommodates this size mattress. The type of mattress you choose will dictate the best bed frame for your California king mattress, whether it is a platform base, slatted foundation, adjustable base, or box spring.
• Sheets — Because of the size difference, you cannot use standard king sheets with your California king mattress. California kings are considered a specialty size by some, so sheets may be harder to find and more expensive than traditional sheets. Your best bet is to shop for California king sheets online. This applies not only for sheets, but for other accessories for your California king bed, like comforters and blankets.

Related: For more details, check out our comprehensive Mattress Buying Guide.

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Recap: Best California King Mattresses on Amazon

Compare the best California king mattresses below:

Mattress	Best For:	Amazon Customer Rating	Mattress Advisor Score (Out of 10)
Zinus Green Tea	Best Overall	4.4/5	7.8
Classic Brands Cool Gel	Heavy People	4.5/5	N/A
Olee Sleep	Hot Sleepers	4.6/5	N/A
Linenspa Hybrid	Guest Rooms	4.5/5	7.5