If you’ve been in a relationship for more than a week, you’ve surely discovered that compromise is the key to coupling bliss. Where to go for dinner, what movie to watch, where to take a vacation this year — these are all decisions that may require each of you to give a little to ensure that you’ll both be sleeping in the same bed tonight. But your mattress? Do you really want to compromise on something you’ll spend about one-third of your life in? Of course not. (And if you answered yes, it’s time to be a little more selfish.)
Your mattress is one selection where compromise will actually deteriorate your health, decrease your productivity, and could ultimately damage your relationship. And since you’ve made all those other compromises to remain amorous bedfellows, you need to find a mattress that will satisfy the both of you.
Where do I start?
Before you begin shopping for a mattress, each of you should decide what you’re looking for in a mattress. What level of comfort do you prefer? Do you like your mattress to be firm without a lot of give? Maybe you like to feel a little hug from your mattress. Do either of you sleep hot? Make note of what’s a deal breaker versus what’s just “nice to have” for each of you.
It’s likely that you and your sleeping partner differ in size, body type, and/or preferred sleep positions. So, finding a mattress that will satisfy both of you might seem like a major challenge, especially with the hundreds of options available, but it’s not impossible. In fact, we’ve made the process a bit easier by narrowing down those hundreds of options to five of our favorite mattresses for couples.
What makes a mattress the best for couples?
Whatever your preferences, there are certain features that couples should look for in a mattress.
Too eager to see our recommendations? Click here to go directly to our picks for the best mattresses for couples.
Sufficient support
The most important feature of any mattress is the support it provides. No matter your size or the way you like to sleep, the mattress that is best for you will keep your spine properly aligned. Research shows that proper alignment of the spine is the most important factor determining the quality of your sleep. A sagging mattress or one that does not provide enough support for your weight and preferred sleep position will not provide you with the restorative sleep you need to wake up to the best version of yourself.
The most important feature of any mattress is the support it provides.
But what is proper alignment?
- For back sleepers, proper alignment allows for the natural curve of the spine. The mattress should yield to the extra weight of hips and shoulders while supporting the lower back and neck.
- For side sleepers, a fully supportive mattress will keep your spine straight while still accommodating the extra width at the shoulders and the hips.
- For stomach sleepers, a firmer mattress will keep your spine from arching unnaturally, which can cause lower back pain and headaches.
You really won’t know if a mattress is going to offer you the right support until you sleep on it…for at least a few weeks. So while you can research things like support and spinal alignment, you and your sleeping partner might respond differently to different types of mattresses. If you’re unsure, our best recommendation is to choose a mattress that has a generous trial period and hassle-free returns.
Motion isolation
You love your partner dearly, but night after night they toss and turn and sleep right through it. You? You wake up feeling every move all… night… long. That’s probably because your current mattress doesn’t absorb movements; it merely transfers the motion from the other side of the bed to your side, disturbing your sleep. The best mattresses for couples are designed to minimize motion transfer so each of you can sleep soundly regardless of how much activity there is on the other side of the bed. Foam mattresses and mattresses filled with individually wrapped coils are the best bets for motion isolation.
The best mattresses for couples are designed to minimize motion transfer.
Durability
A mattress for two people is going to wear more than one with a single sleeper. As a couple, you may find you spend more time in bed, which means there’s more weight for the mattress to support and more activity to sustain. A mattress that may be durable for one person may not be the best for couples. Couples need mattresses that are able to withstand the additional wear and tear that comes from couples’ activities and sleep habits. A good mattress will retain its original shape and support over its lifetime – about 7 to 10 years.
Sagging in the center will draw both of you into the middle of the mattress and make it difficult to get out of the swale. Poor support will result in back pain, headaches, and stiff necks for both of you. And that’s a good recipe for relationship rifts.
Sex
Yeah, we went there. For most couples, sleeping is not the only activity that happens on your mattress. (And we’re not talking about pillow fights.) So, when you’re shopping for a mattress, you’ll want to consider all the ways you plan to use your mattress. Here are some of the features you should look for when considering the best mattress for sex:
- Mattresses with too much hug will make it difficult to change positions and move around. You may find your amorous activities rather sluggish and less energetic because you are expending so much energy simply trying to change positions.
- Can you say “mother-in-law visits”? Sometimes, you’re not the only ones in the house, and no one else needs to know what you are doing in the bedroom. The best mattresses for couples will absorb motion and vibrations to minimize noise no matter what you are doing in bed.
- Edge support. You’ll want to make sure that the mattress edge doesn’t collapse under the weight of one or both of you. Activity near the edge of a collapsed edge could land both of you on the floor. After that, you’d be inclined to restrict your activity to the center of the bed, limiting your space.
Size
Remember, you’re not sleeping alone anymore. A full-size mattress is simply not big enough for a couple. In fact, sharing a full-size mattress gives each of you about as much space as sleeping in a crib would. Your mattress needs to be big enough for both of you. Right now, you feel certain that you will snuggle and spoon every night, but after 23 years of marriage, I’m here to tell you that you will not. Fact of life. Sorry kids.
Return policy
When buying online, you’ll want the assurance of a generous return policy — after all, you’re making a big investment without ever having touched the item you will be entrusting with your sleep. Industry experts claim it takes your body about 30 days to adjust fully to a new mattress, so a 30-day trial period is a minimum requirement. Many companies offer 100 days or more, which is even better.
5 Best Mattresses for Couples
Shopping for a mattress can be overwhelming, especially when you need to accommodate two people who may not have the same sleeping preferences. Here at Mattress Advisor, we feel your pain, but we’re obsessed with sleep. We’ve done the research for you and have compiled a list of our five favorite mattresses for couples.
Helix takes a different approach to meeting customer needs: Rather than trying to guess what most people want, Helix simply asks. You and your partner can answer a few questions about body types, preferences, and sleeping styles. Then they go to work to build a made-to-order mattress that is perfect for each of you. They also offer a “blended” solution for couples whose preferences can be averaged out to a happy medium that suits both of you.
The Helix mattress uses a combination of two different types of foams and hundreds of small, individually wrapped coils that absorb energy and reduce motion transfer. Their Helix Dynamic Foam incorporates the best features of memory foam and latex without the drawbacks (like allergies and sleeping hot). The magic comes in the layer of polyfoam that can be customized to every sleeper’s preferred firmness, ensuring that you and your other half gets the best sleep possible.
Helix offers a 100-night risk-free trial period, free shipping, and free returns.
$995 FOR QUEEN (BLENDED OPTION)
We love the Leesa mattress for couples because it is specifically designed to suit most sleepers with its Universal Adaptive feel™. The cushiony top layer of Avena® foam allows for maximum airflow and breathability to keep you cool and dry throughout the night. No more sleeping hot and waking up sweaty in damp sheets.
This top layer also provides enough spring to make it easy to move around and change positions. The middle layer of memory foam relieves pressure points while the dense inner core provides the right amount of support for all sleepers no matter how big or small. Whether you sleep on your back, side, or stomach, you and your partner will find just the right combination of softness and firmness. The totally foam construction minimizes motion transfer to near zero ensuring that you and your partner don’t disturb each other… unless you want to.
Leesa offers a 100-night risk-free trial period, free shipping, and free returns.
$940 FOR QUEEN
The Purple® Bed is great couples because it offers enough firm support to keep your back aligned and cradles your hips and shoulders to relieve pressure points. Purple offers the best of both worlds so that most couples will find a pleasing combination of softness and firmness.
Their innovative Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ top layer features a honeycomb design that encourages airflow, allowing you to sleep cool and dry. It is also allergen resistant and non-toxic, so there’s no chemical smell right out of the box. And it offers enough cushion to provide excellent motion isolation, making it an excellent choice for couples, especially if there’s a lot of nocturnal tossing and turning.
Purple offers a offers a 100-night risk-free trial period, free shipping, and free returns.
$999 FOR QUEEN
This mattress offers couples the spring and support of coil-on-coil construction without the motion transfer of lower quality coil mattresses. Individually wrapped coils minimize motion transfer so that your movements don’t bother your partner, ensuring that both of you get a great night’s sleep. A memory foam layer on top of the coils offers superior lumbar support for back sleepers, keeping the spine naturally curved. The plush euro pillow top adds comfort by relieving pressure points and cradling shoulders and hips. Edge support keeps you from rolling off the bed and prevents the edge from collapsing when you both snuggle close to the sides.
Saatva makes it easy to love their mattress by offering three levels of comfort. Couples can choose from Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, or Firm mattresses. Designed to last 10 -15 years, Saatva offers premium quality affordably priced under $1,000.
Saatva offers a offers a 120-night trial period and comes with free set-up and mattress removal. If you decide to retun this mattress, there is a $99 handling fee that you will not get back.
$999 FOR QUEEN
Sleep Number beds are great for couples whose tastes are completely incompatible. Don’t sleep separately alone! Sleep separately together with individualized firmness levels.
DualAir™ adjustability means each sleeper can choose their own firmness level from 1-100 so no one needs to compromise their comfort for the sake of relationship harmony. Dual air chambers can be adjusted with a remote control for firmer or softer support to suit each sleeper’s preferences.
Their C2 model is an affordable option (under $1,000) for people who want customizable comfort but don’t want to bust their budgets on a mattress. A 100-night trial period gives you lots of time to get comfortable with your new mattress, and a 25-year warranty protects your investment against defects.
$900 FOR QUEEN (c2 model)
Buying a mattress for the two of you is a big decision. The quality of your sleep affects every aspect of your life, so it’s worth taking the time to talk with your partner about their sleep preferences and finding a mattress that’s going to meet both of your needs, without breaking the bank.
Drop us a line in the comments below if you still have questions about the best mattresses for couples, or let us know about a mattress that you and your sleeping partner find particularly dreamy.
By clicking on the product links in this article, Mattress Advisor may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Read full disclosure statement.