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If you’re petite or sleep on your side, you’re going to need a soft mattress that cradles you at night. But how can you tell if a mattress is soft or firm just by looking at a picture of it online? Manufacturers typically use a firmness scale of 1 to 10 to give you a general sense of a mattress’ feel, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest mattress.
After years of testing mattresses, we’ve scoured the corners of the sleep realm for the top soft mattress options. We know what it takes for a mattress to be really soft and what materials you should look for if you want to sleep on a cloud. Here are our top picks for the best soft mattresses you can buy.
What’s the best soft mattress?
The GravityLux is a luxury mattress from WinkBeds. It has three firmness options, allowing you to customize the mattress. The soft or medium option is good for people who want a bed with pressure relief. It’s the kind of mattress that could work for anyone. That’s why we think it’s the best soft mattress you can buy.
This soft mattress also has a “progressive support” design for all the layers, which is firm and soft where your body needs it most. The layers are thick, proprietary foam with cooling technology and extra durability.
Best soft mattresses video review
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the best soft mattresses for 2023.
Best soft mattresses of 2023
Mattress price scale:
$ = Budget: $799 and below
$$ = Average: $800 to $1,699
$$$ = Premium: $1,700 and up
These reflect MSRP or list prices. Sales might make a mattress less expensive, but are always changing.
WinkBeds
Type Memory foam mattressFirmness 3 firmness levels | Medium-soft or 3 | Medium or 5 | Medium-firm or 7Trial 120 nightsWarranty Lifetime warranty Price
Like
Multiple firmness levels
Cooling-gel-infused cover
All-foam mattress
Don’t like
Not supportive enough for heavier people
The Winkbeds GravityLux mattress is targeted toward a range of sleepers who want a luxury mattress at a good price. With Winkbeds, you choose your own firmness level when you choose your mattress size so if you prefer, you can be sure to get the softest most comfortable mattress variety available (they offer soft, medium and firm).
Crafted with multiple layers of thick, proprietary foam, this mattress also offers seven layers of support to combine for the perfect soft mattress. From top to bottom, this mattress consists of a tufted cooling-gel-infused cover, then a layer of the company’s patented AirCell memory foam, which relieves pressure, dissipates heat and minimizes motion transfer. Another layer of memory foam comes next, called Progression foam, which varies in its supportiveness and softness depending upon what each region of your body needs. Finally, the Atlas Core foam is at the base of the mattress, adding to its durability.
Price: $$
WinkBeds GravityLux
Puffy Lux
Type Memory foam hybridFirmness 4 or medium to medium-softTrial 101 nightsWarranty Lifetime warranty Price $$$
Like
Ultra-soft, marshmallowy feel
Hybrid mattress is good for any body type
Machine washable cover
Hypoallergenic and made in the US
Don’t like
Expensive
Too soft for back and stomach sleepers
The Puffy Lux Hybrid offers just enough decadent softness with a spritz of firmness and pressure relief sprinkled in. This bed provides a comfy, airy memory foam feel that I find extremely cozy. Puffy describes the Lux Hybrid as their most popular mattress, at 12 inches thick with six full foam layers and pocketed coils.
First, there’s 1.5 inches of gel-infused cooling foam, followed by another 1.5 inches of plush pressure-relieving foam and 2 inches of moisture-resistant foam. At the bottom of this Puffy mattress, there’s a final 7 inches of high-density foam with a coil base to keep things sufficiently supportive and provide edge support.
All the Puffy Lux mattress foams are CertiPUR certified, meaning the mattress brand creates this mattress type without ozone depleters, formaldehyde, toxic flame retardants or other toxic ingredients. Read more in our full Puffy Lux mattress review.
Pros:
Ultra-soft, marshmallowy feel Hybrid mattress is good for any body typeMachine washable coverHypoallergenic and made in the US
Cons:
Expensive Too soft for back and stomach sleepers
Puffy Lux
Brooklyn Bedding
Type Hybrid mattressFirmness 3 firmness levels | Soft: 3 or Medium-soft | Medium: 5 or Medium | Firm: Medium-firm or 7Trial 120 nightsWarranty 10-year limited warranty Price $$$
Like
Cool to the touch
Multiple firmness options
Strong coils make it very durable
Neutral foam feel
Don’t like
Not needed for cool sleepers
Not a budget choice
The soft version of the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Hybrid mattress is a pillowy-soft bed with innovative cooling features that bring the body’s skin temperature down to the ideal 88 degrees recommended for a full peaceful night’s sleep.
The 1.5-inch layer of the company’s proprietary CopperFlex foam contours to the body as you lay on the bed. The second layer of proprietary soft foam called TitanFlex instantly responds whenever your body moves. The third layer is a gel memory foam with additional pressure point relief as well as over 1,000 individually wrapped coils for maximum support and excellent motion transfer. The base consists of even more foam, this time a 0.75-inch layer, making the foam mattress bed more durable with support for the shifting coils.
Price: $$
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe
Helix
Type Latex pillow top mattressFirmness Soft or 1 to 2 Trial 100-night trialWarranty 10-year warranty Price $$$
Like
Extremely soft
Hybrid construction makes it good for any body type
CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified
Don’t like
Pricey
Not enough support for stomach sleepers
Not supportive enough for plus-sized people
Made in the USA, the Helix Sunset Mattress Luxe has a plush feel with a 1-2 rating on the firmness scale, the softest bed possible. It’s the best soft mattress for side sleepers or those who move around a lot during their sleep, as this mattress comprises six distinct layers, starting off with a premium pillow top with a Tencel material for airflow.
The mattress then has a layer of the company’s super soft Memory Plus foam for pressure relief, followed by Helix Dynamic Foam for contouring. After those comes a high-grade ergonomic polyfoam that gives support as well as further contour, while acting as a transition layer to the ones further down. Next are over 1,000 wrapped coils for support as well as spinal alignment. Finally, the base is made of DuraDense foam, another proprietary soft foam mattress material that provides support for the entire mattress above.
Read more in our Helix mattress review.
Helix Sunset Luxe
Casper
Type Hybrid mattressFirmness Medium-soft or 3Trial 100 nightsWarranty 10-year warranty Price $$$
Like
Zoned support design
Super soft but still supportive
Good for people with back pain
Regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be free of harmful chemicals
Don’t like
Expensive
Too soft for stomach sleepers
The Casper Nova Hybrid mattress combines the sumptuous experience of a super soft mattress with proper support. Its cutting-edge ergonomic support system consists of seven zones strategically placed to keep the spine aligned, topped with the softest foam the company uses.
There are two additional layers of soft polyurethane foam, each perforated to promote airflow, followed by the zoned support system, then a base of polyurethane foam on the bottom with supportive springs and a reinforced border for edge support. The foam mattress zoned support provided in each Nova Hybrid actually has two layers, one to reinforce the one above it, which are designed to work together to relax the sleeper’s back muscles and align the spine.
Price: $$$
Casper Nova
Amerisleep
Type Memory foam hybrid mattressFirmness 1-2 or softTrial 100 nightsWarranty 20-year limited warranty Price
Like
Exceptional pressure relief
Bio-Pur foam is mildew, mold and dust mite resistant
CertiPUR-US certified foam meaning it has low emissions
Don’t like
Not supportive enough for stomach sleepers
Expensive
The Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid mattress is the perfect soft mattress for strict side sleepers. It’s about as pressure-relieving as a mattress can get. The 14-inch thick Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid memory foam mattress features an airy, breathable soft feel cover. This is followed by a plant-based foam called Bio-Pur for contouring and pressure relief; this foam also has an open-cell design to promote airflow. Bio-Pur foam is mildew, mold and dust mite resistant as well as CertiPUR-US certified. It also tests low in emissions.
Below that, there’s a foam called Active Flex that adds a smidge more softness, and then a transition layer called HIVE for spinal alignment. Finally, the base is made of Bio-Core to promote durability and keep each component of the mattress together for years to come. Read more in our Amerisleep mattress review.
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid
$450 off any mattress with code: Layla Sleep
Type Flippable hybrid mattressFirmness Firm: 5 or medium | Soft: 3 or medium-softTrial 120 nightsWarranty 10-year limited warranty Price $$
Like
Two firmness levels in flippable design
Airy memory foam feel
Good temperature regulation
Don’t like
Not people who want a bouncy mattress
The Layla mattress is a flippable mattress with two firmnesses in one. One side is around a medium to medium firm, while the other is a medium-soft. Soft bed lovers are going to love the plush side of the Layla mattress. It’s a light and airy memory foam with copper-infused material to help draw heat away from your body.
The original Layla mattress is made with just foam, so it’s going to be better for people who weigh under 230 pounds. If you’re looking for more support, however, the Layla Hybrid mattress is also an option. It has the same flippable design, but it’s made with strong pocketed coils to add more support and durability.
Price: $$
Read our Layla Hybrid review.
Layla Hybrid
Other mattresses we’ve tested
Aside from the soft mattresses listed above, there are over 100 other beds our CNET Sleep editors have tested. The ones chosen here for our best soft mattress list are among the best of the best, but there are several other beds that deserve an honorable mention.
Brooklyn Bedding Signature: Brooklyn Bedding is one of the only online mattress brands that make and manufacture their own beds, so the prices are extremely fair and reasonable. I’d argue the Signature mattress is one of the best values. It comes in three firmness levels, but the soft model is rated around a 3 or medium-soft. It also has a bouncy, neutral-foam feel that I predict most people will find comfortable.
WinkBed mattress: The WinkBed is a luxury-hotel-worthy bed with a strong hybrid construction. It’s made with memory foam, but it has more of a neutral, innerspring mattress feel. Its pillow top gives it a plush feel, while the innersprings make it feel supportive and springy. It also has three different firmness levels.
Leesa Legend mattress: The Leesa Legend is quality-built and perfectly plush bed. It has two different layers of springs, a design only a handful of beds use. This makes it a bit more bouncy than a memory foam mattress, which takes a few moments to react to pressure. It’s rated around a five out of 10 on the scale or a medium, but its light and airy foam feel makes it feel soft and inviting. How we tested the best soft mattresses
How we tested the best soft mattresses
Over our years of testing mattresses, we’ve established tests we use to assess mattresses on key factors.
Firmness and feel
You can think of firmness as how hard or soft a mattress is when you are lying on it. We’ve tested hundreds of mattresses and have an extensive catalog to compare against each new bed we test.
When assessing for feel, we get handsy with the bed. As we press on the bed, we watch what the material does. Does it take a second to bounce back like traditional memory foam, or is it quick and bouncy like latex foam?
Durability
Mattresses don’t last forever, and you want to buy one that lasts. Based on its construction, we hypothesize how well a mattress will stand up to nightly use. Beds that have steel coils as a base will generally last longer than all-foam mattresses.
Motion isolation
Motion isolation is how well a mattress dampens movement across the surface. It’s a big deal for people who sleep with a partner or pet who moves around at night. We jump and bounce around on the mattress for motion isolation and see how much movement is detected. We also place a glass of water on the edge of the bed and roll around and bounce near it. If it doesn’t topple over, a mattress has good motion isolation.
Edge support
A mattress’s edge support is how strong the bed’s perimeter is. We lay and sit on the edge of the mattress and assess how sturdy it feels. If we feel like we will fall off, then a bed doesn’t have good edge support.
Temperature
Hot sleepers need to look for mattresses with cooling technology. Many mattresses claim to have it, but we know the difference between marketing and cooling construction that will actually keep you cool.
Our CNET Sleep editors picked the beds and other products we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Find out more on how we test mattresses.
What to consider when shopping for a soft mattress
Buying a soft mattress is a big decision. There are a lot of options out there, and not every bed out there will be the best choice for you. There are four key factors to remember when browsing: sleeping position, body type, health conditions and your budget.
Sleeping position
How you sleep matters when choosing the firmness of your mattress.
Side sleepers need soft to medium mattresses with plenty of pressure relief to ensure pressure points don’t develop on the shoulders, hips or knees. Think soft memory foam or plush pillow tops that conform to the curves of your body. Back and stomach sleepers need a medium to firm mattress to keep the spine aligned throughout the night. If a mattress is too soft, you’ll wake up with back pain. Combination sleepers have the most flexibility in firmness. However, you should decide based on the position you spend the most time in. Body type
Your weight will determine how much pressure you put on a mattress, which influences how firm you experience it. Plus-size body types will experience mattresses softer than a petite body type who puts less pressure on the bed.
People over 230 pounds require a mattress with lots of support from coils, like hybrid mattresses. People under 230 pounds can choose between foam and hybrid mattresses, though the less you weigh, the more firm it will seem. Health conditions
Your needs are another crucial factor to remember when shopping for a bed. You should choose a firmer mattress if you’re someone with back pain. If you suffer from joint pain, choose a softer bed that will cradle you at night.
If you sleep hot, look for a mattress with cooling technology in the foam or cover. Or you can opt for a naturally breathable bed with latex foam.
Budget
Mattresses aren’t a small purchase; even the most affordable bed will cost a few hundred dollars. The average cost of an online mattress is $850 to $1,200. Establishing your budget will help you filter out mattresses and narrow down your pool of options. There are mattresses for every budget, from under $300 to luxury hotel mattresses that cost over $2,000.
What are the benefits of a soft mattress?
Soft beds are best for side sleepers. If you sleep on your back or stomach, a firm bed helps prevent your back from sagging.
Zooey Liao/CNET
Besides being ultra comfortable to snuggle up in, the best soft mattresses are ideal for side sleepers and petite individuals who seek more pressure relief.
Soft mattresses allow the hips and shoulders to press into the bed’s comfort layers, providing pressure relief to those joints. For side sleepers, a soft mattress will help promote proper spinal alignment because they are more contouring around the shoulders and hips and have more give. The lighter you are, the firmer a bed feels. Petite sleepers under around 150 pounds may want a softer mattress because the average “medium” firmness mattress will feel more like a medium-firm.
Best soft mattress FAQs
Most soft mattresses are made with memory foam, polyurethane foam, or a blend of the two. These two materials are great for pressure relief and they can be manufactured to be ultraplush and soft. Latex hybrid mattresses, on the other hand, tend to be the firmest.
If you strictly sleep on your side, a soft mattress will cradle your curves and give under your hips and shoulders to promote a neutral spinal alignment. However, when you’re sleeping on your back or stomach, a soft mattress allows your spine to sag into the bed. Beds that offer more support have proven to be more beneficial for people with back pain. So, if you want a bed that offers plushness and support, go for a medium firmness level.
Side sleepers tend to benefit from soft mattresses the most because they need a firmness profile that cradles the joints around your hips and shoulders. A firm mattress offers little to no give around the shoulders and joints, which can throw off your spinal alignment and cause back pain. People under 150 pounds also like mattresses on the soft side because they exert less pressure onto a bed, making it feel firmer than what your average-weighted sleeper feels.