9 Best Cooling Mattresses of 2024

Sleeping hot isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s actually unhealthy, since the more you toss and turn at night, especially in a warm room, the worse your sleep quality will be. “Temperature is a big complaint for many people struggling with sleep,” says Christopher Winter, MD, a neurologist and sleep specialist. “It has a big effect on sleep quality—probably more than light does.” More and more research is proving that sleeping in a cold environment (between 65 and 70 degrees to be exact) has lasting benefits on fitness recovery, brain function, and, of course, preventing you from waking up in a puddle of sweat.

A cooling mattress cover can bring in a pleasant breeze without affecting your energy bill too much, but for true comfort, you might want to take a look at the mattress itself. If sleeping on your current mattress is starting to feel like doing a round in a tanning bed, it might be time for an upgrade. That’s where cooling mattresses come in: They absorb and dissipate body heat, helping regulate your natural circadian rhythm and can ultimately lead to better sleep. That’s why we rounded up the best cooling mattresses to help you sleep soundly and sweat-free.

We recommend the Nectar Luxe Hybrid if you’ve been searching for a high-quality cooling mattress at a great value. Cooling fibers in the cover trap body heat, while pressure-relieving memory foam cradles your joints as you sink into sleep.

These best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers will turn down the heat without touching the thermostat.

• Best Cooling Mattress Overall: Nectar Luxe Hybrid
• Best Hybrid Cooling Mattress: DreamCloud Premier Hybrid
• Best Cooling Mattress for Side Sleepers: Helix Midnight Luxe
• Best Cooling Mattress for Back Sleepers: Saatva Classic
• Most High-Tech Cooling Features: Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe
• Best Cooling Mattress for Back Pain: Leesa Sapira Chill
• Best Organic Cooling Mattress: Avocado Green
• Best Cooling Memory Foam Mattress: Tempur-Breeze LuxeBreeze
• Best Cooling Mattress for Couples: Cocoon Chill

DreamCloud

DreamCloud Premier Hybrid

$949

DreamCloud

The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid is our best cooling mattress pick because supportive enough for back and side sleepers, but the bougie cashmere pillow top makes it extra luxurious. The cashmere is plush and supple for those who dig a softer bed, but it also wicks away moisture so you can get true beauty rest.

The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid combines memory foam with innersprings for comfy support, but it’s the top layer that makes it the best cooling hybrid mattress. The cover is made of a swanky cashmere blend that’s naturally breathable and soft, even with your favorite sheets on top. By using cashmere and gel-infused memory foam, the Premier Hybrid is able to handle increased body heat and stay cool while providing a plush sleeping surface.

The foamy top layers of the Premier Hybrid indicate this is a solid choice for light sleepers or couples, according to our testers, because they absorb any middle-of-the-night movement. Testers note that the bed has great motion isolation, so you won’t feel too much movement on the other side. Just keep in mind that this is a firmer mattress, so it’s not one we’d recommend if you suffer from hip or shoulder pain or if you’re looking for something bouncy.

The Helix Midnight Luxe is a medium-firm mattress with firm lumbar zones to support your spine. Side sleeping is one of the most common—and spine protecting—sleep positions, so it’s only right that your mattress is up to par.

We’ve crowned the Helix Midnight Luxe as the best in a few previous categories—it’s a dream for those who want a mattress for back pain or a bed-in-a-box—but it’s also great for side sleepers. Layers of memory foam work in tandem with the steel coil base to provide cushion and support, but it’s the surface that appeals to side sleepers who run hot. The pillow top is Tencel, a sustainable fiber made from wood pulp, and infused with eucalyptus, another cooling material. The extra padding in the pillow top frames the hips and shoulders in a side lying position.

Because memory foam is naturally warm, the steel coils in the foundation help with air flow to offset the layers of foam. It’s a medium-firm mattress, but the Midnight Luxe is probably best for side, stomach, and back sleepers between 130 to 230 pounds. If you sleep with a partner, you’ll probably feel their movement across the bed, but that bounciness could come in handy for other late-night activities.

For more, check out our full Helix Midnight Luxe review.

Back sleepers cover more surface area of a mattress, so the Saatva Classic nixes traditional memory foam in favor of an organic cotton pillow top, which adds cooling comfort to supine sleepers with or without back pain. The cover is antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, so you won’t have to worry about bacteria buildup after any hot, damp nights.

The Saatva Classic’s cushy, breathable, organic cotton pillow top actually had our tester sighing with relief. The bed comes in three firmness levels for customized comfort, and we suggest the Luxury Firm as a good middle ground for couples. Down below, bouncy innersprings in the mattress core prevent warm air from getting trapped inside, adding breathability to the bed.

The Classic is technically a hybrid, so it has a base of springs and coils—but instead of a single coil foundation like most mattresses, it stacks two coil layers on top of each other for better support (we’d especially recommend this one to those with back pain). Regardless of which firmness level you choose, the top layer is slightly more stable in the center third to help support your spine. This mattress has high edge support, so you can sit on the edge of the bed without sinking in too deep, but our tester warns that co-sleepers will feel movement on your partner’s side.

Nectar

Nectar Luxe Hybrid

$1,399

Nectar

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Cool to the touch
• Balance of squishy and responsive
• Cradling memory foam layer
• Great trial period and warranty

Cons

• Too soft for stomach sleepers
• You can feel movement on the other side, but it’s not too bad
• The edge support when sitting down could be better

The Nectar Luxe Hybrid is our top hybrid cooling mattress pick because it has double the cooling fibers in the cover than other Nectar models, making it twice as moisture- and heat-wicking. The cover is also antimicrobial, so if you’re a particularly sweaty sleeper, you don’t have to worry about bacteria and moisture creeping into the fibers.

As our best hybrid cooling mattress pick, the Nectar Luxe Hybrid brings a breath of fresh air to your bedding. That’s because the cooling top cover has heat-absorbing fibers that keep the bed chilled, while spaced-out innerspring coils promote airflow throughout the mattress. Our testers note that after five minutes of laying on it, the surface of the mattress only went up about three degrees when they scanned it with a thermal gun (we consider less than five degrees to be excellently cooling), so it should even support a co-sleeper without overheating.

Firmness is subjective, but our testers rank the Nectar Luxe Hybrid as a softer model. Even so, it’s pretty supportive for combination sleepers. After settling into bed, they found that the mattress delivered little to no pressure buildup on the shoulders, back, and hips, which means it’s a solid choice for back or side sleepers. Stomach sleepers may not find that same level of comfort and support with this soft bed.

The Leesa Sapira Chill promises to maintain a steady temperature, thanks to the high-tech cover. Hot sleepers will appreciate the cooling fibers, but the mattress’s zoned springs, quadruple-stacked memory foam, and customizable firmness will appeal to those with back pain.

If you suffer from back aches, the last thing you want is to be tossing, turning, and overheating. The Leesa Sapira Chill comes with the choice of three firmness levels—Plush, Medium-Firm, and Firm—to tailor to your needs (those with back pain need denser support if they want to improve sleep quality). To ensure a breezy feel, the mattress also has a special cover infused with cooling fibers that hold an optimal bed temperature. Our tester can’t confirm it stayed at an exact temperature all night, but he did say the mattress stays cool to the touch, even in summer.

Those with back pain will really want to take advantage of the multiple firmness options. The bed is zoned, meaning the center third is firmer than the other thirds, but the customizable firmness will benefit those with specific issues. People with hip or shoulder pain might prefer the Soft firmness, those who want to avoid pain should choose the Medium-Firm option, and those over 230 pounds should try the Firm option.

The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress is stacked and infused with phase-change materials, a cooling technology that adapts based on added body heat. If you’re a sleeper that appreciates a cool mattress even before you’ve added cooling sheets, we recommend this one.

To keep the Aurora Luxe feeling cool and fresh, Brooklyn Bedding makes use of phase-change materials, or PCM, in the form of copper and cooling fibers that capture thermal energy and cool it down. The PCM is infused into the mattress’s cover and first layer of foam to adjust the bed’s surface temperature. As you lay on it, the fibers absorb your body heat to prevent the mattress from warming up.

You have the option between three firmness levels—Soft, Medium, and Firm—and another two inches of cooling pillow top as an upgrade option. The mattress has a zoned coil core, but our tester says the only place it needs help is in the motion transfer department. That might not be a dealbreaker for two back sleepers, but if you or a partner is a light or combination sleeper, the movement will probably ripple throughout the mattress.

Awara

Awara Natural Luxury
Hybrid Latex Mattress

$999

Awara

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Firmer support
• Made with organic and sustainable materials
• Compatible on any bed frame
• Long sleep trial and warranty

Cons

• Might be too firm for those who like a softer mattress

The Awara Natural Luxury Hybrid Latex Mattress is one for the eco-conscious: It’s made with organic latex and New Zealand wool, with extra thick coils for maximum support.

If you want to go organic without changing your diet, the Awara Natural Luxury Hybrid is a sustainable dream. It’s GOLS- and FSC-certified, meaning it passes rigorous third-party standards for sustainable materials and farming. The organic wool in the quilted cover comes from New Zealand and feels soft as a kitten, and the cover is also blended with rayon made from bamboo (a renewable resource that requires less energy to produce and transport than other materials). The next layer, an organic latex foam topper, delivers premium support and just enough pressure relief for an instant “aah” when you lie down.

But beneath the latex foam layer is a surprising amount of support: The individually wrapped coils (which help promote airflow and cooling) are thick boys, the complete opposite of the flimsy Slinky you played with as a kid. The result? A bit more firmness and a lot more edge support and motion isolation, making the Awara a winner all-around. Plus, we love the lifetime warranty—a wildly great guarantee, especially considering this mattress is under $1,000.

Tempur-Pedic

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze LuxeBreeze

$5,599

Tempur-Pedic

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Cold memory foam
• Multiple firmness options (Soft and Firm)
• High motion isolation
• Pressure relieving

Cons

• Short sleep trial
• Too soft for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds

The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Breeze LuxeBreeze beats the stuffy memory foam allegations. Thanks to cooling fibers in the cover, it’s 10 degrees cooler than other Tempur-Pedic models.

Memory foam is a material that generally stores warmth, so it’s a big deal for Tempur-Pedic’s Tempur-Breeze LuxeBreeze to hold a cooler temperature than its other mattress models. A swirled blue mattress cover sits on top to absorb body heat as needed. More ventilated foam layers underneath the cover also work to wick heat, while relieving pressure from your back and joints.

Technically, the LuxeBreeze comes in three firmness levels, Soft, Medium, and Firm, but only the Soft and Firm are true memory foam models (Medium is a hybrid). The Soft and Firm iterations are constructed with multiple layers of memory foam and aren’t as bouncy and responsive as the hybrid model, which adds innerspring coils to its foundation.

Cocoon by Sealy

Cocoon Chill Memory Foam

$1,079 $699

Cocoon by Sealy

Pros & Cons

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Pros

• Cooling phase-change materials
• Good motion isolation
• Free memory foam pillows, sheet set, and mattress protector

Cons

• Short sleep trial
• Weak edge support
• Too firm for those with hip pain

If one person in the relationship is a human furnace, the Cocoon Chill mattress will act as a cooling buffer. Phase-change materials in the foams work against body heat, so all you have to worry about is who’s hogging the sheets at night.

The Cocoon Chill is cool enough for more than one person. Similar to the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe, the Cocoon Chill also uses phase-change materials to dispel heat. Our testers verified the mattress’s coolness with a thermal gun and only noted a five-degree increase after laying down on it. Three layers of memory foam underneath the cover contour to your body and offer top-tier motion absorption, so couples shouldn’t feel too much movement from their partner at night. The Chill ventilates the foams, too, to prevent heat from getting trapped inside.

The mattress is about 10 inches tall, which is a little shorter than we’d like for couples because a taller mattress better supports their combined weight and reduces motion transfer. But because the bed is on the firmer side, it should comfortably hold multiple sleepers in different positions without sinking over time. If you’re looking for more support, the Cocoon Chill also comes in a hybrid option.

Those hot, summer nights are almost behind you. Here are the pre-discount prices for each of our cooling mattresses in a queen size.

Buying a mattress is more complicated these days than stepping into a brick-and-mortar store and trying them out first-hand, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Our testing team, consisting of editors, sleep science coaches, and medical professionals, have gotten their hands on over 500 mattresses, handpicking the nine best cooling mattresses that deliver the cool results they promised.

Our testers use a thermal gun to accurately gauge a mattress's heat retention.

Each mattress was first judged based on its materials, quality, motion transfer results, and, of course, temperature. And because no two sleepers are the same, our team also tested how the mattresses supported different sleeping positions and woes, such as back pain. To learn more, dive deeper into our mattress testing methodology.

You might be convinced that you can’t replicate a crisp hotel bed in your own home, but investing in a cooling mattress is the first step to achieving that chilly bliss. But what really makes a mattress cool when you pull back the covers? It’s actually the special fibers, phase-change materials, and spaced-out coils that make all the difference. Some brands infuse naturally cooling materials—like copper, gel, or latex—into the mattress construction, which give traditional foams that push they need to cross into cool territory.

Any brand can claim they have the coolest mattress in town, but breaking down the science and jargon as a shopper can be confusing. Winter notes there are various levels of cooling, but you should take “careful consideration of your bedding to help amplify the effect,” he says. Here’s a mini guide to becoming a cooling mattress expert—no sleep science degree necessary.

An inside look at the layers that make up the Leesa Sapira Chill hybrid mattress.

As cushiony as they are, traditional memory foams have a reputation for trapping heat. If you’re truly tempted by a cooling mattress, a hybrid is your best bet because of the coils that promote airflow. They also often have heat-wicking properties within the foams and mattress cover.

The best cooling mattress is often a hybrid, like the Helix Midnight Luxe. Hybrid mattresses have a layer of coils, which promote airflow more than memory foam mattresses.

Christopher Winter is board-certified in sleep medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is also the owner of the Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine clinic and CNSM Consulting. Winter authored multiple sleep-related books and hosts Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter and Sleeping Around with Dr. Chris Winter.