There’s a strong connection between quality sleep and mental health, and your mattress is one way to ensure you get the sleep you need. But finding the right one depends on several factors, like your body type, preferred sleeping position, and whether or not you share your bed with a partner, pet, or kids.
A king-size mattress can provide ample space, especially for those who share a bed. But it’s also ideal for higher-weight sleepers who need more room to spread out, combo sleepers, or anyone who just likes a lot of space. To help you find the best options, our Handbook Team researched and tested mattresses to bring you our top choices for king-size mattresses.
Best king-size mattress overall: Saatva Classic
We chose the Saatva Classic as the best king-size mattress overall because it provides great support and comes in various firmness levels that cater to all sleeping positions. It’s also made of durable materials like high-quality latex foam and sturdy coils that should allow it to last longer than 10 years, justifying the more expensive king-size price.
Our pick of the best king-size mattresses
- Saatva Classic: Best king-size mattress overall
- The Nectar Memory Foam: Best memory foam king-size mattress
- Helix Midnight Luxe: Best king-size mattress for couples
- Emma Hybrid Comfort: Best firm king-size mattress
- Titan Plus: Best king-size mattress for higher-weight sleepers
- Nolah Evolution: Best king-size mattress for back pain
- Bear Elite Hybrid: Best king-size hybrid mattress
- Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe: Best king-size mattress for side sleepers
- Birch Luxe Natural: Best king-size mattress for stomach sleepers
Our mattress testing experience
Purchase mattress as mystery shoppers.
Set up mattress in testing lab.
Lie on mattress and rank firmness.
Lie on back, side, and stomach to find the best sleeping position.
Place 10-pound ball in mattress center and measure sinkage.
Find biggest pressure points using pressure map reading.
Evaluate cooling capabilities by recording temperature differences.
Drop 10-pound ball onto mattress to measure bounce score.
Test motion isolation.
Test edge support.
Calculate composite “sex” and “family” scores.
The Handbook Team hand-tests every mattress we review. We evaluate brands and models by recording our findings on a 42-question standardized testing form to identify standout features and services, document issues with each product, and describe our personal experience lying on each mattress. For example, we record:
- Firmness score and whether the mattress is best for back, side, or stomach sleepers.
- Starting temperature of the mattress and how much it heats up after two testers lie on the mattress for five minutes.
- How many times a 10-pound ball bounces on the mattress after dropping from a height of two feet in order to arrive at a mattress bounce score.
We paid close attention to specific considerations that sleepers of all ages seek, as identified by respondents in our survey of 600 mattress owners. This included price, features, and the set-up process. We also interviewed real people to better understand the motivations behind shopping for a new mattress as well as the benefits of purchasing one.
According to our survey
According to our survey, about 80 percent of all respondents said their new mattress helps them sleep better, and 65 percent reported improved mental health.
As our testers evaluated each brand and its features, we considered why many people choose a new mattress in the first place. Of our respondents, 42 percent decided to purchase a new mattress for “improved comfort and support for better sleep,” while only seven percent did so for “pain relief and targeted support.” The most common pain respondents wanted relieved was lower back pain.
Despite only 42 percent of respondents prioritizing comfort and support for better sleep when shopping for a new mattress, 68 percent reported they sleep longer on their new mattress and 49 percent and 45 percent, respectively, said their stress and anxiety had improved after switching to their new mattress. Almost all mattress owners we surveyed (95 percent) were at least somewhat satisfied with their new mattress. We consulted sleep experts, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pain specialists to understand what mattresses offer that make an overwhelmingly positive impact.
In order to focus on the mattresses themselves, we structured our test designs to objectively rank each one based on a range of criteria. For example, we tested things like bounce, edge support (the sturdiness of your mattress edge), and cooling capabilities the same way on each mattress and compared the results. That way we can accurately compare each mattress’s score in an unbiased way while also sharing our subjective point of view as mattress testers and experts.
Lastly, we compared warranty lengths, trial periods, and white glove delivery (in-home delivery and setup) options. While most brands offer warranties, not all are comprehensive. And many brands on the market don’t have free white glove delivery. This could be a deal-breaker if you’re nervous to invest in a new mattress because you’re worried the bed won’t get set up properly or offer what you need.
From our tester
“During our research, we realized that the brand’s firmness scale and perceived firmness aren’t always the same. We decided to report how firm we thought the mattress felt so that you can gain a different perspective, but more importantly, feel confident about what you’re purchasing.”
A note on our testing
We acknowledge that every body is different, and what feels comfortable to one person may not feel comfortable to another. Throughout our reviews, we refer to weight categories as light (below 130 pounds), average (130–250 pounds), and heavy (above 250 pounds) to distinguish between body weights.
Typically, lighter sleepers perceive mattresses to feel firmer than they are, and higher-weight sleepers perceive mattresses to feel softer than they are. Keep in mind that most mattresses are designed for the average-weight person.
Why HelpGuide cares about a good night’s sleep
Quality sleep is a key part of mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Sleep helps us reset our bodies, process our emotions, and ease daily stress. Without it, we are at an increased risk of developing anxiety and depression, according to research.
But there are medical conditions that can make sleep difficult. Chronic pain, acid reflux, loud snoring or sleep apnea, and insomnia are issues that can keep you up at night, tossing and turning.
Finding solutions for better sleep can be frustrating, but we’re here to help. The HelpGuide Handbook Team wants to empower you to make the right decision by providing the most honest information about sleep-related products, like mattresses.
Good sleep is essential for physical and mental health because it’s our body’s chance to recharge after the physical and cognitive loads of our day. When we sleep well, we have better relationships and communication with our partners, we can think more clearly, and we’re in a better mood.
Julia Catlin, licensed psychotherapist at Calm Science in Las Vegas.
In order to recommend the best options to fit your needs, we sought to better understand how sleep impacts overall health. We consulted with mental health experts, researchers, and industry leaders in sleep and ergonomics to connect the dots about what really matters in a mattress.
Ultimately, all of our research is directed at taking the stress out of finding the highest-quality products that can support your sleep health—and in turn, your overall mental well-being.
HelpGuide Handbook for king-size mattresses
Here are four things you should know about the best king-size mattresses:
The Saatva Classic is our pick for best king-size mattress because it caters to the widest variety of sleepers.
King-size mattresses are generally more expensive than smaller sizes. Look for promotions and discounts, especially around holidays and shopping events.
King-size mattresses can be good for higher-weight people and couples or families needing more sleeping space.
All of our top mattresses have generous trial periods that let you try out the bed to ensure it’s the right fit.
Compare best king-size mattresses
| Price | $2,495–$2,790 | $1,399–$1,798 | $2,873.80 | $1,649 | $1,499–$1,598 | $2,699–$3,198 | $2,762–$3,920 | $2,665–$2,930 | $3,748.80 |
| Firmness | 7/10 (Luxury Firm model) | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Material | Innerspring-hybrid | Memory foam | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime | 15 years | 10 years | 10 years | Lifetime | Lifetime | 10 years | 25 years |
| Trial period | 365 nights | 365 nights | 100 nights | 365 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 100 nights |
| Best for | Those wanting a bouncy, supportive mattress | Back sleepers and side sleepers who love a soft memory foam feel | Couples who want a balance of comfort and support | Stomach sleepers and heavy sleepers who need a firm mattress | Stomach sleepers and heavy sleepers on a budget | Back sleepers and side sleepers with lumbar pain | Back and side sleepers | Side sleepers, back sleepers, and hot sleepers who enjoy a soft feel | Stomach sleepers, back sleepers, and eco-conscious shoppers |
The best king-size mattresses reviews
Best king-size mattress overall: Saatva Classic
Our final verdict on the Saatva Classic
We believe anyone who prefers the sturdy support of an innerspring mattress will love the Saatva Classic, which we gave high scores in almost every testing category. When lying on its surface, we felt a bit of a lift with light contouring. The coils propped us up and helped keep our spines neutrally aligned while the foam helped provide cushioning comfort.
From our tester
“My spine feels neutral, and I still got some pressure relief from the pillow top. Stomach sleeping also feels very comfortable on this mattress. ”
The springs make the Classic a bouncier mattress, allowing us to roll around and easily change positions on top of it. The mattress’s responsiveness should make it comfortable for combination sleepers who like to switch sleeping positions at night. However, the downside of this bounciness is that it causes motion to ripple across the mattress’s surface. Measuring the Classic’s motion transfer using a steel ball and a seismometer While seismometers are instruments used to test the motion of the ground during an earthquake, we use a similar tool to measure movement across mattresses. showed high vibrations. This means if you sleep with a partner and either one of you is a light sleeper, there’s a chance you might wake each other up if you move around a lot.
Learn more in our in-depth Saatva mattress review.
Best king-size memory foam: The Nectar Memory Foam
Our final verdict on the Nectar Memory Foam
We think the slow-moving memory foam feel of The Nectar Memory Foam mattress will be most comfortable for side sleepers. In fact, when we ran our pressure map test A mat rolled across a mattress that uses color-coded thermal imaging to show how much pressure someone puts on the bed when they lie down on it. , it showed mostly blue on our side, indicating little to no pressure.
From our tester
“The Nectar offers a lot of sinkage and contouring for deep pressure relief. I could even feel my heels sinking into the mattress, which tells you how much sinkage there is.”
As contouring as the Nectar is, it wasn’t so soft that we sank through the mattress lying on our backs. We still received good support, so we think it could also be a comfortable mattress for back and side sleepers. Nectar’s ability to maintain its structure is due to a layer of firmer, denser foam at the bottom of the bed’s construction.
To learn more, read our in-depth Nectar mattress review.
Best king-size mattress for couples: Helix Midnight Luxe
Our final verdict on the Helix Midnight Luxe
We think the extra bells and whistles on this mattress should appeal to couples, especially if they’re back or side sleepers. When testing the Midnight Luxe, the pillow top filled in our lumbar region and gave us the necessary contouring at the shoulders and hips. Plus, the zoned support helped keep the spine neutrally aligned. However, stomach sleepers will likely need a firmer and more supportive mattress like the Birch Luxe Natural, which we review below.
From our tester
“We love Helix Midnight Luxe for couples because it simultaneously cools down two bodies and effectively isolates motion.”
The Midnight Luxe mattress also has great motion isolation The containment of movement on one area of a mattress so it doesn’t impact other areas. . When two of our testers lay on the bed, we measured their movement with a seismometer. The vibrations were low, meaning partners are less likely to wake each other up with tossing and turning.
Best firm king-size mattress: Emma Hybrid Comfort
Our final verdict on the Emma Hybrid Comfort
The considerable firmness of the Emma Hybrid Comfort makes it an ideal king-size bed for back and stomach sleepers, as long as they enjoy a firmer mattress. We also think this mattress is firm and supportive enough for higher-weight sleepers over 250 pounds. The only sleeping position we wouldn’t recommend it for is side sleepers (even heavier ones) since they need softer support at their shoulders and hips.
From our tester
“I really love the high-density transition layer of the Emma Hybrid Comfort. It gave the bed a firmer feel and really kept me ‘on top’ of the mattress.”
Another plus is the Emma Hybrid Comfort’s edge support Edge support is the bed’s strength and stability around the perimeter. . When sitting at the edge of the bed, we didn’t feel it sagging at all, which tells us you can spread out while sleeping on the bed and utilize the entire surface of the mattress.
Best king-size mattress for heavy sleepers: Titan Plus
Our final verdict on the Titan Plus
We think the Titan Plus combination of responsive proprietary TitanFlex foam and tall coils makes it a firm, supportive mattress for back and stomach sleepers. TitanFlex foam is hyper-elastic and made to contour like memory foam but with the responsiveness of latex. When we had a higher-weight colleague test the bed, he experienced an optimal blend of pressure relief and support.
From our tester
“There’s a great mix of soft pressure relief and sturdy support that should appeal to heavier-weight sleepers, who might sink through a softer mattress.”
It’s important to remember most mattresses will generally feel softer to heavy people and firmer to average weight and lighter sleepers. We think average-weight back sleepers and stomach sleepers will also be comfortable on the Titan Plus. Still, they’ll likely experience the mattress as a 7.5 out of 10 on our firmness scale, whereas a heavy sleeper will probably find the firmness closer to 6.5 (medium-firm).
Best king-size mattress for back pain: Nolah Evolution
Our final verdict on the Nolah Evolution
During testing, the Nolah Evolution felt good on our backs, so when we rolled out the pressure map, it was no surprise to see it light up almost entirely blue. This indicates little to no pressure and further clarifies the Evolution as one of the best mattresses for back pain.
From our tester
“I think the Nolah Evolution is a good choice for back sleepers. The coils give me plenty of support and the foams help soothe my back pain.”
We think the Nolah Evolution offers the right amount of support and pressure relief for both back and side sleepers. The coils in the mattress also give it a good deal of bounce, which should allow combination sleepers to easily switch sleeping positions.
Best king-size hybrid mattress: Bear Elite Hybrid
Our final verdict on the Bear Elite Hybrid
While we felt the Bear Elite Hybrid’s medium model was on the softer side, we still felt supported while lying on our backs, with the top layer of memory foam filling in the lumbar region nicely. During side sleeping, we felt the foam contouring to the pressure points at the shoulders and hips.
From our tester
“I like the medium model for both back sleepers and side sleepers. It’s also a responsive and cooling mattress.”
One of the most interesting features of this hybrid mattress is its cover made from Celliant A fabric infused with minerals and trace elements that capture body heat and convert it into infrared energy to improve circulation and stimulate muscle recovery. , which some studies show promotes blood flow and recovery. While we haven’t verified the healing properties of Celliant ourselves, we can say with confidence it helps the mattress sleep cool, as do the bed’s infusions of copper (known for its moisture-wicking properties) and its airflow-promoting coils.
Best king-size mattress for side sleepers: Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe
Our final verdict on the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe
We think the medium version of the Aurora Luxe is an excellent choice for side sleepers. Still, they could be extra comfortable on the soft model, which offers even more contouring and pressure relief. Back sleepers should also get the support they need from the Aurora Luxe’s springs but might want to opt for the medium or firm models.
From our tester
“I really like the Aurora Luxe for side sleepers, but the soft model could be an especially good option for anyone who has joint pain and needs more cushioning.”
Brooklyn Bedding markets the Aurora Luxe as one of their most cooling mattresses, which our testers found true. The coils leave plenty of room for air to flow through the construction, plus the foams have infusions of copper and gel, which help the mattress stay cool.
Best king-size mattress for stomach sleepers: Birch Luxe Natural
Our final verdict on the Birch Luxe Natural
With a score of seven out of 10 on our mattress firmness scale, the Luxe Natural has more of an on-top-of-the-bed feel. While we think this mattress is a stand-out for stomach sleepers, it should also be comfortable for average-weight back sleepers. The latex in the Birch Luxe Natural is a naturally responsive material, so combination sleepers should be able to easily change sleeping positions.
From our tester
“I’m really drawn to the classic latex feel of this bed, which gives it a lot of springiness and support. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, you’ll be comfortable on the Birch. ”
A final benefit of a latex hybrid is its naturally cooling properties. As a result, this organic mattress is an excellent choice for hot sleepers who have difficulty staying cool at night. The only downside to the material is that it doesn’t contour as much as we’d like, so it may not be the best mattress for side sleepers who need deep pressure relief at the shoulders and hips.
Frequently asked questions
The best king-size mattress will vary from person to person, but we prefer the Saatva Classic because of its versatility. It excels in cooling, supportiveness, and responsiveness, and since it comes in three different firmness levels, there’s a model for every sleeping position.
While there’s no health hazard to sleeping on a king-size mattress, they’re generally better for adults and couples since they offer more sleeping space. They can also be a sensible choice for higher-weight or taller sleepers who need more room. Children and those with smaller body types may find a king-size mattress feels too big.
You should also consider the size of your bedroom. If you have a smaller amount of square footage, such as a studio apartment or a dorm room, you may feel a king-size bed takes up too much of your living space.
In addition to the standard king, there’s the RV king (72 by 80 inches) and California king (72 by 84 inches), which is longer in length but narrower in width. There are also several additional sizes that are best for people with larger sleeping spaces: the Wyoming king (84 by 84 inches), Texas king (80 by 96 inches), and the massive Alaskan king (108 by 108 inches).
Lastly, the split king uses two 38-by-80-inch (twin XL) mattresses combined, either in the stitching, through a mattress joiner, or simply by pushing them together. Couples with different sleeping preferences often favor this type of king, as each person can customize their sleeping surface.
A higher-end king-size mattress can run you $1,500–$3,500 before discounts. That said, a few options on this list are cheaper than that, and many of them drop below that price after promotions or discounts.
The dimensions of a typical king mattress are 76 inches by 80 inches. Height varies from brand to brand.
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