5 Best Cooling Mattresses of 2026: Tested and Approved

Exceptional temperature regulation. Memory foam is notorious for heat buildup due to its dense foam construction, but the Nectar Luxe Memory Foam had a standout performance on this measure, thanks to its included cooling top cover. In general, this mattress material often is noted as one hot sleepers should avoid, says Dr. Alyssa Dweck, the chief medical officer of Bonafide Health in New York City, a practicing gynecologist and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. That’s because this material “might limit evaporation and also trap heat, leading to heat-related sleep disruption,” she says, adding that this disruption can specifically affect the population of perimenopausal and menopausal women that she sees in her clinical practice.” But this memory foam mattress is different: It retained only 11 degrees of heat during our testing, which indicates its excellent ability to regulate body temperature. In fact, it outperformed most other memory foam mattresses we’ve tested on this measure.

Above-average motion isolation and edge support. Toni, a 50-year-old tester and light sleeper, said the Nectar Luxe did a good job at dampening motion from a bed partner. During our ripple test, where we place a glass of liquid on one side of the bed while a tester moves around on the other side and notes how much the water ripples, she noted, “As I moved between positions, the water swayed more, but it was still relatively gentle [motion].” She also gave the mattress respectable scores for its edge support. She didn’t need to support her body with her hands for balance when sitting at the edge. Even when she lay right at the edge of this bed, she said she still felt stable. 

Some back sleepers may want more support. Based on her scoring, Toni wasn’t impressed with this bed’s pressure relief abilities when she lay on her back. She gave a below average score in pressure relief for this sleeping position. This position was the only one where she gave a subpar score, as all other tested positions received at least average scores for pressure relief. “I feel a little extra pressure on my lower back,” she said. “There’s a slight gap between the mattress and my lower back, so I feel like I need a little more support there.”. 

Best For Couples: WinkBed GravityLux

Score: 9.3 out of 10

Visit Site

Pros and cons

Pros

• A memory foam bed with stellar cooling 
• Almost-perfect motion isolation
• Superb edge support

Cons

• Unimpressive pressure relief for stomach sleeping
• Weak bounce

Features

• Materials: Memory foam
• Firmness: Medium
• Cooling score: 5 out of 5

Key takeaways from our testing

Outstanding temperature regulation. The WinkBed GravityLux is the second memory foam option on this list that stands out for its cooling ability — and it nabbed a perfect score on this measure. The bed features a TENCEL cover (a type of material known for being eco-friendly, breathable and moisture-wicking) that has a cooling gel infusion to help with temperature regulation. “If you tend to run hot at night (or wake up sweaty), you want to avoid anything that traps heat and moisture,” says Dr. Heather Hirsch, an internal medicine doctor in Rochester, New York, with a focus on women’s health, perimenopause and menopause. This bed retained less than 2 degrees of heat during our cooling gun test. That was one of the best performances of any mattress we’ve ever tested, even outshining the Nectar Luxe Memory Foam on this list. 

Likely won’t disturb light sleepers. Tester Donna noticed little to no movement of the liquid during the ripple test, and gave this bed a near-perfect score for its ability to isolate motion. During the couples’ motion isolation test, she gave this mattress a perfect score, explaining that the motion “did not reverberate through the mattress at all.” She noted: “If I were asleep, I wouldn't have woken up at all.”

In addition to impressive motion isolation, this bed shined in edge support as well. “I feel very secure and stable lying near the edge,” she said. “It’s really easy to stand up. It just feels like getting up from a chair.” 

May not be ideal for some stomach sleepers. While the WinkBed GravityLux earned high scores in both spinal alignment and pressure-relief for back and side sleeping, it fell short on these measures for stomach sleeping during our testing. When positioned on her stomach, Donna said the bed felt “a little too hard and firm” for her to lay on while on her stomach.She said her spine felt aligned, even though her hips didn’t sink into the bed, but that she didn’t feel like her weight was distributed enough. 

Best For Pain Relief: Saatva Rx

Score: 9.4 out of 10

Visit Site

Pros and cons

Pros

• Perfect scores in pressure relief and spinal alignment
• Near top-level edge support for stability
• Breathable cotton blend promotes cooling

Cons

• Midrange motion isolation
• Pricey

Features

• Materials: Hybrid
• Firmness: Supportive plush
• Cooling score: 5 out of 5

Key takeaways from our testing

Cradling support. The Saatva Rx is built for people with back and joint issues, according to Saatva. “There is the perfect amount of plushness and support combined, and I feel extremely comfortable,” said tester Donna while positioned on her back. This mattress received perfect scores in pressure relief and spinal alignment in back and stomach sleeping positions. The side sleeping position also earned the bed above-average scores. If you have arthritis, shoulder pain, or another chronic condition like fibromyalgia, you may also benefit from a mattress like this that cushions and cradles your joints. 

In addition, Donna said she liked this bed’s firm edge support — a feature that may help older adults to get out of bed more safely — and she gave this bed near-perfect scores on this metric. 

Breathable materials. The Saatva Rx is made with breathable materials like organic cotton that promote airflow. This bed also has a cooling pressure relief layer infused with graphite that promotes a cooler experience. These breathable materials may contribute to the bed’s perfect cooling score, as this mattress retained only 11 degrees of heat during testing. More testing highlights? Testers admired the softness of the mattress cover and its quilted texture. For instance, Donna noted the mattress felt “really thick but soft at the same time.” She also said she appreciated the extra lumbar support located in the center-third part of the bed and said the bed’s construction felt “high quality.”

Couples may feel movement. This bed retails for the highest price on this list. But it averaged only midrange scores in our motion isolation tests. During the ripple test, Donna said she noticed the water in the beaker was rocking back and forth while she switched positions. Per our testing, mattress covers that have a more quilted top (like the Saatva RX) may not perform as well in motion isolation because of the more uneven surface.

Best for Combination Sleepers: Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling

Score: 9.5 out of 10

Visit Site

Pros and cons

Pros

• Near-perfect spinal alignment across all tested sleeping positions
• Infused with copper and other cooling materials
• Exceptional bounce

Cons

• Average edge support
• Poor adjustable base compatibility

Features

• Materials: Hybrid
• Firmness: Medium
• Cooling score: 5 out of 5

Key takeaways from our testing

Helps promote spinal alignment. The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling earned almost-perfect scores for spinal alignment in every tested sleeping position, making it a good option for combination sleepers who change positions while sleeping. Bryan, a 62-year-old tester and combination sleeper, said his spine felt well aligned even in a position that he finds less than ideal — the stomach sleeping position. “It feels pretty comfortable for a position I don't like. I feel pretty evenly supported,” he said.

Cool to the touch. This bed earned a stellar score in our cooling gun test, retaining only 7.6 degrees of heat. The inner layers of this mattress are made with a specialized cooling foam that’s infused with copper, and Brooklyn Bedding says this feature helps regulate temperature. Another feature? Our testers — who evaluate mattresses without sheets — also noted that it had an “extremely cooling” cover.

Fair edge support. Bryan said this bed’s edges felt slightly lower than the height of the center of the mattress. “The edge is pretty soft. It looks stable, but when you sit it just collapses under you,” he said. This feature could mean it’s easier to fall out of this bed. So, if you have related concerns about falling, this lack of edge support isn’t ideal. 

How we tested the best cooling mattresses

We started our process of finding the top cooling beds for older adults by researching the market. Which mattress features can help regulate temperature for older adults? Which beds with these features are popular and why? Which companies have the best customer reviews — and are the reviews legitimate? After talking with medical experts, we narrowed our overall list from 50 mattresses to the more than 30 that we tested in our lab.

To identify each bed’s strengths and weaknesses, we used controlled lab tests that measured performance metrics such as cooling abilities, bounce and edge support. So how exactly do we measure cooling? Our lab team uses a cooling gun to measure the temperature difference before and after applying a heating pad to the mattress’s surface. 

We also recruited more than 15 testers ages 45 and older to give us their unbiased feedback. These testers answered questions like: Did the mattresses feel cool to the touch? Did you feel like your body heat increased after lying down? Do the beds help relieve pressure in all sleeping positions? 

Beds that excelled in our tests made our list of the best cooling mattresses. For more details on our process, see our mattress testing methodology.

How to choose the best cooling mattress

According to our conversations with experts, testing results and survey responses, some of the most important factors to consider when looking for the best cooling bed are mattress type, materials and firmness.

Mattress type

If cooling is your priority, consider the type of mattress that may work best. 

In general, memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat. But, as we’ve discussed, some memory foam mattresses contain cooling features such as gels, cooling covers or open-cell foam that may help disperse body heat and regulate temperature. Of the seven mattresses on this list, two are memory foam.

Meanwhile, hybrid mattresses combine coils and foam, which can give a balanced feel with the benefits of both memory foam and spring beds. Hybrids usually have better airflow since they have coils that allow air to flow more freely.

Innerspring beds (made of coil systems and some foam layers) and latex mattresses that have a perforated design also may help you stay cool while you sleep due to their construction. But these types of beds didn’t make our list of the best cooling beds because — even though they may help keep you cool — they don’t tend to balance the other key factors that we assess in testing such as pressure relief and spinal alignment.

Material and construction 

Regardless of their core materials, we’ve confirmed all beds on this list have a stellar cooling performance. 

If you’re interested in beds that are not on our list, consider avoiding non-breathable materials. These materials might include polyester or dense memory foam without cooling specific covers, gels or other infusions, says Dweck. 

Features to look for if you want a cooling mattress include:

• Breathable fabrics like cotton or TENCEL
• Phase-change materials (PCMs) — a type of substance included in a mattress cover — to absorb body heat
• Cooling covers, which can be already stitched onto mattresses or added for an additional cost. 
• Open-cell foam, a type of foam that allows for better airflow in all-foam mattresses
• Any types of foam infused with cooling gel or copper

By the way, if you tend to sleep hot, also consider avoiding nonbreathable materials in your bedding and sleeping attire. 

Hirsch, the menopause expert in Rochester, New York, adds, generally, “Heavy down comforters are great in theory, but often are too insulating. Silk blends that aren’t truly breathable can look luxurious but don’t always regulate temperature well.” 

Firmness level

Firmness is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. These levels are standard across mattress companies and set by the manufacturers. The firmness level can greatly influence how comfortable you feel on a mattress, but it also can affect how well the mattress regulates temperature. 

Soft, plushy mattresses (about a 1 to a 6 on the firmness scale) tend to be better for side sleeping but can cause you to sink into the layers more deeply, which means more contact with the mattress surface. More contact can mean more insulation, which may create heat buildup. 

Meanwhile, a firm mattress (about a 7 and up on the firmness scale) can provide enough support for the spine to maintain a healthy alignment and allow more air to flow around you to keep you from overheating, but some people may find these kinds of mattresses too rigid. 

Mattresses that fall in the middle in terms of firmness (about a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness) may differ in heat regulation depending on how far you sink into a mattress. If you’re a person who has a higher weight, you may sink more into a medium-firm mattress than a sleeper who has a lighter weight.

How can heat impact sleep?

Research suggests older adults tend to sleep best in temperatures between 68 to 77 degrees. Heat can increase your body temperature and disrupt your natural sleep cycle. That disruption could be due to warm air or from sleeping on a non-breathable sleeping surface. 

Your body temperature naturally decreases at night, so if a mattress is preventing this temperature drop, the mattress may keep you from getting quality sleep. 

Because of hormonal factors, women in particular are more prone to overheating, adds Dweck. “Changes in both estrogen and progesterone impact sleep. Estrogen volatility during perimenopause and [its] sharp decline during menopause directly cause hot flashes and night sweats, which are known sleep disruptors.” 

In addition, commonly used medications that are “known to cause night sweats” include aspirin, opioids, pain relievers and steroids as well as those used to manage conditions, like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, according to Cleveland Clinic, which also points to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and hypothyroidism as being associated with night sweats. These nighttime issues may then affect your sleep. 

Many of our focus group participants said poor sleep damages their mood and increases their stress. “It messes up your whole day when you don't sleep,” said one 69-year-old participant. 

These issues can be difficult. So if you have questions or concerns about how a medical condition or medication may be affecting your sleep or everyday life, consider talking with your health care provider. 

Do cooling mattresses cost more than standard mattresses?

Yes, they can. You can learn more about retail prices for the best mattresses on this list in the section on cost below. 

Why the extra expense? Remember that cooling mattresses may contain specialized materials that help regulate temperature, such as PCMs and infusions such as cooling gel or copper.

Some mattresses also have removable cooling or heat-wicking covers, while others have cooling covers that are sewn on as part of the mattress. These covers often come at an additional cost.

And when it comes to latex mattresses that have a perforated design — which may allow for cooler sleep — these beds tend to be pricey because many use natural materials. 

How to stay cool for sleep

A cooling mattress can be a good investment if your budget allows for it. But if a new bed is not in your plans, you have other options, including those related to your bedding and attire (as previously discussed) as well as your bedroom environment. 

For example, you can try buying an effective cooling mattress cover or mattress topper. Or you can try using breathable sheets and lightweight pajamas to prevent overheating.

You also can consider making changes in your bedroom, such as:

• Cracking a window (depending on the season)
• Running a fan
• Lowering your heating temperature during cold months or using air conditioning

“You don’t need your bedroom to be cold, but you need it to be cool enough to allow your body to cool itself,” says Hirsch. 

In addition, the right pillow can encourage a cooler sleeping experience, so consider looking for one that has breathable components. 

Plus, you can follow a sleep routine that involves actions to help cool down, like taking a cold shower before bed. You also can try buying an effective cooling mattress cover or topper. Or you can try using breathable sheets and lightweight pajamas to prevent overheating.

How much do the best cooling mattresses cost?

The best cooling mattresses on our list retail for between $2,265 and $3,399 for a queen for base models, excluding add-ons. You can see the table below for a breakdown. 

FAQs

Do cooling mattresses actually work?

Yes, in general, cooling mattresses can help to regulate surface temperature because of their construction, including features specifically added to support a cooler sleep experience such as cooling covers, gels and infused foams. All mattresses on this list received the highest possible cooling rating in our cooling gun test, but the same cooling results are not guaranteed for everyone since everyone’s body is different. 

What type of mattress is best for cooling?

Through our testing, research and consultation with experts, we’ve found hybrid mattresses tend to perform better for cooling than those that are memory foam. That’s, in part, because hybrids have a coil system that allows more airflow than all-foam mattresses. That said, while memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat in general, those that include newer technologies such as gels or infusions of cooling materials like copper may help you sleep cooler and prevent overheating.

Which materials should hot sleepers avoid?

If you tend to sleep hot and want to take steps to feel cooler, consider avoiding nonbreathable attire and bedding, such as those that contain polyester, nylon or some silk blends. Instead try materials that are considered more breathable like cotton, or that have specialized cooling features built in or available to add (like cooling covers or infused foams and cooling gels). For mattresses and their accessories, you also may want to stay away from dense memory foam if the bed or topper doesn’t have cooling technology. If you’re concerned about overheating, or have more questions about how to stay cool, consider talking with your health care provider. 

Can a cooling mattress topper help?

Yes, buying an effective cooling mattress topper may be helpful if your current mattress doesn’t have cooling features. These mattress toppers can help regulate temperature in addition to providing another layer of cushion and support. 

Questions or feedback? Email us at AARPSmartPicks@aarp.org.