The 15 Best Cooling Mattresses for Perpetually Sweat-Drenched Sleepers

Picture this: You're exhausted. You crawl into bed, ready to drift off to sleep for a restful eight (or more) hours. But your plans are quickly foiled when you start tossing and turning in a pool of sweat. You’re suddenly making frequent trips to the thermostat to tinker with the AC—all while kicking off the covers and driving your partner insane. Sounds miserable, right? Anyone who suffers from night sweats and hot flashes will recognize this scenario. Yet, if you’re a hot sleeper—and you’ve tried cooling comforters and cooling sheets that never seem to make a difference—you might benefit from investing in a cooling mattress, which uses phase-changing materials that help regulate temperature throughout the night. 

Still, we were skeptical: Can cooling mattresses really make a difference for hot sleepers? (After all, it’s a significant splurge compared to a summer blanket and a tower fan.) So, we had our editors test top brands like Saatva, Casper and TemperPedic—and scoured the web for the absolute best cooling mattresses on the market—to help you decide what’s worth it.

We had our editors test seven top-rated cooling mattresses for at least one month, including memory foam options from TEMPUR-Pedic and Nectar, hybrid mattresses from Casper and Saatva and a latex option from Avocado Green. (We also had them test two budget-friendly options from Amazon.) 

Then, we scoured the web for other cooling mattresses people seemed to be raving about. After hours of sifting through product specs and reviews, we vetted each option based on what cooling materials they used—including gel- or graphite-infused memory foam, latex or wool—how thick they were, what type of sleeper they’re best for (side, back or stomach) and whether they had a 30-plus-day return policy.

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While shopping for a new cooling mattress, you need to take into account the type of mattress you prefer to sleep on (see below) and you should also understand what each cooling mattress feels like in terms of bringing down body heat. For example, one mattress may have a cooling cover—which will feel colder to lie on—while another may have wrapped wire coils within the mattress, which increase airflow for a chilling effect that’s not quite as immediately apparent.

Here are a few specifics to keep in mind:

• Materials: Naturally, you want to make sure your mattress can actually cool you. According to Spinal and orthopedic surgeon Gbolahan Okubadejo, M.D., “Natural, breathable materials allow more airflow, which helps carry heat away from the body. Wool, cotton, latex, or open-cell foams are materials that draw away heat.” Plus, if you’re searching for something that won’t trap heat, keep an eye out for the “gel” buzzword in the description. Things like “gel-infused beads” and “phase-changing gel” can help draw heat away from the body and allow for a cool touch.
• Firmness: Some brands offer a one-size-fits-all firmness level, while others feature a numbered scale or a straightforward soft, medium and firm option. Typically, a medium-soft firmness feel is considered the most universally comfortable option—but remember; firmness is highly subjective (what feels rock solid to you might feel like a fluffy cloud to someone else). 
• Height: While standard mattresses tend to fall between 8 and 14 inches high (according to experts at Amerisleep), you want to make sure you choose a thickness that’ll accommodate your sleeping style. A plush, contoured foam might be best for side sleepers, but a 2021 review suggests that a medium-firm [feel] can help reduce lower back pain. Okubadejo says, “A thicker mattress [can] provide more support, especially for heavyweight people, and can help alleviate pressure point pain on the hips and shoulders…The downside to a denser mattress [is] the thicker they are, the hotter they can feel.”

Cooling mattresses are made with special features (like gel memory foam, latex or gel-infused beads) that are meant to absorb heat from your body, wick away moisture, and deter sweating or high body temperatures. They’re also engineered to increase airflow on the surface of the mattress (more on that below), since having a cooler sleeping environment has been proven to help people fall asleep more quickly and have a more restful slumber.