Best Mattresses for World Health Day

Prioritize quality sleep with these top-scoring beds

Taylor Leamey,

AARP

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Published April 06, 2026

The products and services discussed on this page have been independently tested and researched. AARP may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this does not influence our objective reviews. Proceeds earned go toward supporting our mission.

Courtesy of Helix

April 7 marks the 76th annual World Health Day, a day of global health awareness created by the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s an opportunity to not only engage with each year’s theme (this year’s is “Together for Health. Stand with Science”) but also to prioritize your health and find ways to improve your overall well-being.

One of the easiest ways to do that on a daily basis is to ensure you’re getting enough quality sleep. Sleep is vital to our physical and mental health, especially as we age, and it’s considered one of the “three pillars of health” (along with nutrition and physical exercise), according to UC Davis Health.

If you’re sleeping on the wrong mattress, you may be undermining your sleep health without knowing it. And if you’re suddenly not getting quality sleep or you’re starting to wake up with more aches and pains than normal, it may be time to replace your bed with a new one that fits your needs.

We’ve rounded up some of the best mattresses from top brands such as Helix, Nectar and more in honor of World Health Day. Each model was assessed by the AARP Smart Picks team, along with a group of testers ages 50 and older who gave their unbiased, transparent feedback on important factors like each mattress’s spinal alignment, pressure relief and cooling capabilities.

Read on for our top World Health Day mattress picks. (All models tested were queen-size mattresses.) For more information on how we test mattresses, see our mattress testing methodology.

Best Memory Foam Mattress: Nectar Premier Memory Foam

Courtesy of Nectar

Memory foam has a reputation for being too soft and having weak edges. But Nectar’s line of memory foam mattresses are both pressure-relieving and supportive, and this model is no exception. When testing the Nectar Premier Memory Foam, Donna, a 60-year-old combination sleeper, said she felt simultaneously cushioned and lifted, awarding the bed near-perfect scores in pressure relief and spinal alignment in all tested sleeping positions. The mattress also earned a very good score in our edge support test, in which testers reported feeling secure while sitting or lying close to the edge.

For more information, see our Nectar mattress review.

Best Mattress for Neck Pain: Helix Midnight

Courtesy of Helix

The Helix Midnight is the company’s best-selling mattress, and it’s the top pick in our roundup of the best mattresses for neck pain. Tester Allison, a 51-year-old side sleeper, said the bed’s extra layers of foam and medium firmness cushioned and supported her neck well. “It feels very comfortable,” she said. “There’s no pressure on my neck or my hips.” She gave the mattress an above-average score for pressure relief and spinal alignment in all tested sleeping positions.

For more information, see our Helix mattress review.

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers: Saatva Classic

Courtesy of Saatva

The Saatva Classic earned impressive scores for pressure relief and spinal alignment across all tested sleeping positions in our assessments. Tester Sandra, a 76-year-old combination sleeper, gave the mattress glowing remarks. “This feels really comfortable, and I have no pain,” she said. “There’s no pressure on my shoulders or back, and I feel super good on my side.” Indeed, it’s our favorite pick overall in our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers, and it’s well-suited for back and stomach sleepers, too. The bed has thicker foam in the center-third of the mattress to help support your spine and midsection.

For more information, see our Saatva mattress review.

Best Hybrid Mattress: DreamCloud Premier Hybrid

Courtesy of DreamCloud

DreamCloud is known for its hybrid mattresses made from a combination of strong coils and contouring foams. Exhibit A: the Premier Hybrid, a bed with the “best of both worlds” — the satisfactory bounce of a hybrid coupled with the impressive pressure relief of memory foam. “It feels super supportive but also cushiony,” said tester Donna. “It's a nice balance of comfort and support.” She gave the mattress pressure relief scores ranging from very good to excellent for all tested sleeping positions. In our roundup of the best hybrid mattresses, it’s our best pick overall.

For more information, see our DreamCloud mattress review.

Best Cooling Mattress: Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid

Courtesy of Leesa

Of the more than 30 mattresses we’ve tested, the Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid delivered one of the best results in our cooling gun test, which measures how well the mattress dissipates heat. The test uses a heat sensor to measure the change in surface temperature before and after applying a heating pad. One minute after removing the heating pad, the mattress was only 7.9 degrees hotter than its original temperature, resulting in a stellar score. Its cooling features include a soft, breathable cover, as well as ventilated foam and coils for airflow.

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Best Adjustable Bed: Bear Elite Hybrid

Courtesy of Bear

Geared toward athletes and active adults, some of Bear’s mattresses, including the Bear Elite Hybrid, have a cooling design the company says can promote recovery. But our testers loved the Bear Elite Hybrid for how well it conforms to adjustable bases. We tested it on three different bases and found the mattress conformed well to the surface each time. (A mattress that doesn’t conform well to an adjustable base can create gaps between the base and bed, which may increase your chances of falling out of bed). When we adjusted the bed to different positions (like TV or zero-gravity modes), we saw no noticeable gapping or bunching. Ultimately, our testers gave the Bear Elite Hybrid a superb score for adjustable base compatibility.

For more information, see our Bear mattress review.

Best Mattress for Higher-Weight Sleepers: Nolah Evolution Comfort Plus

Courtesy of Nolah

The Nolah Evolution Comfort Plus is a mattress designed for sleepers who weigh 250 pounds or more, though it can support up to 1,000 pounds. Jerry, a 77-year-old higher-weight tester who prefers to sleep on his side, said he felt extra-supported on this bed. “My back and body feels hugged,” he said. “I feel very comfortable. The top is soft, but I’m not sinking in too much.” He awarded the mattress standout scores in both pressure relief and spinal support across all three tested sleeping positions.

Best Firm Mattress: Plank Firm

Courtesy of Plank

One of the picks on our list of the best firm mattresses is the Plank Firm, one of the firmest beds we’ve ever tested. It’s a flippable mattress, with both a firm and an extra-firm side. When Tester Bryan, a 62-year-old higher-weight combination sleeper, tried it, he said both sides relieved pressure. On the firm side, he said, “I felt comfortable and cushioned. I felt a lot better than I was expecting, considering it is a very firm mattress.” He said the extra-firm side was just as comfortable, adding, “The spinal alignment is really good. The space in my lower back is filled in nicely.” Bryan scored both sides of the mattress favorable to stellar ratings for spinal alignment and pressure relief in all tested sleeping positions.

Best Organic Mattress: Birch Luxe

Courtesy of Birch

An offshoot of Helix, Birch makes mattresses with natural wool and organically certified latex. The Birch Luxe is the company’s middle-tier model, and it earned capable to favorable scores in pressure relief across all three tested sleeping positions. Testers loved the bed’s cushioning Euro top. Moreover, in our bounce test, which involves dropping a 15-pound ball on the bed’s surface and measuring how high the ball rebounded, the ball rebounded 25 inches, nabbing a perfect score. A high bounce can make it easier for older adults — especially those with mobility challenges — to change positions or get in and out of bed.

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

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