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Getting a good night’s sleep can be hard when you’re too hot, uncomfortable, unsupported, or in pain. According to a recent Gallup poll, 14% of adults in the United States say they’re too hot most of the time when they sleep or are trying to sleep. Research also shows that in 2022, one-third of all U.S. adults rated their sleep quality as fair or poor. Stress, anxiety, illness, and a host of other factors can make a difference in whether or not you sleep soundly at night, but so can your mattress.
Gel memory foam can provide benefits like better temperature regulation, pressure relief for your joints, and motion isolation. We tested more than 100 mattresses and narrowed down the seven best mattresses containing gel memory foam. Read on to find our top picks.
We found several important factors when testing mattresses that contain gel memory foam, including:
Gel mattresses are highly regarded for gently contouring and cradling your body while you sleep while providing pressure relief.
A firm mattress gives needed support for certain sleeping positions. We looked at how mattresses with gel foam stack up in this area.
Hot sleepers look for a mattress that can provide cooling comfort. Gel memory foam is known for its cooling properties.
A mattress with a trial period of at least 100 nights gives you time to decide if it’s working for you. Some companies offer a full year to try out their mattresses.
Crafted with six layers, the Helix Midnight Luxe is one of the company’s most popular models. The mattress is made of a DuraDense foam layer at the bottom to provide support and stability, a Helix responsive foam layer for stability and cradling comfort, and a copper gel memory foam layer that offers firmness and contours your body. The mattress also has a layer of up to 1,000 individually wrapped coils designed to keep your spine aligned and give additional support. It’s topped off with either a breathable cover or an upgraded cooling pillow top.
With a 5.5 out of 10 for firmness, the mattress is on the softer side of medium. Our testers immediately noticed the cushiony comfort of the mattress due to its pillow top. It not only gave a soft, luxurious feel, but provided the ideal amount of support for lighter-weight and average-weight back and stomach sleepers. Edge support was also a plus for this mattress, scoring 4.5 out of five. Adults with mobility issues may appreciate the stability of the mattress’s edges, which can help with getting in and out of bed. Another perk is this mattress stays cool, garnering a score of five out of five for its cooling properties, likely due in part to the gel memory foam.
The Helix Midnight Luxe didn’t score well in motion isolation, so couples may want to opt for a different mattress. It also likely won’t provide enough support for most higher-weight (more than 250 pounds) back and side sleepers. Surprisingly, this mattress performed well for stomach sleepers across all body types, with the pillow top providing the support needed to keep the hips supported and spine aligned.
Helix mattresses are delivered to you in a box. The website notes to allow up to two hours for the mattress to fully expand. The company offers in-home setup of your new mattress and removal of your old one.
For more information about the brand, check out our in-depth Helix mattress review.
“I’m surprised how comfortable this mattress is while on my stomach. The pillowy top is providing the support I need, which isn’t typical of softer mattresses.”
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The first layer of the Nectar Premier is a breathable cooling cover, followed by gel-infused memory foam. The dynamic response layer is designed to help reduce bounce, while a stability base layer gives the mattress durability. At the bottom, the shift-resistant lower cover keeps the layers of the mattress in place.
Our Reviews Team thought the stability layers worked well. Testers used a seismograph toolⓘ An instrument that responds to movement, typically vibrations or shaking during an earthquake to measure how well the mattress absorbs motion. After dropping a 10-pound ball on the bed’s surface, the seismograph recorded very little motion. This reflects the Nectar Premier’s perfect score in motion isolation—we gave it a five out of five, meaning light sleepers don’t have to be as worried about their partner’s movements disturbing them.
The ability to keep sleepers cool is a sought-after feature of mattresses with gel memory foam. The Nectar Premier mattress didn’t disappoint, earning a 4.5 out of five from our testers. Despite its rating of 5.5 out of 10 for firmness, the mattress still gives many lighter-weight and average-weight sleepers the support they need. “This mattress does keep up with position changes for average-weight individuals, but it still sinks enough to provide resistance,” a tester noted.
While the edge support and overall support could be better, both still scored above average with a three out of 5. The Nectar Premier mattress misses the mark with support for higher-weight back and stomach sleepers, although this mattress could work for higher-weight side sleepers.
Our testers scored this mattress low for bounce, but they say the mattress does provide some responsiveness, making it slow but not impossible to move around. But if not being disturbed by a partner who tosses and turns is the most important thing for you, the Nectar Premier is a good choice.
Your Nectar memory foam mattress will arrive in a box. Once you unbox it, it will expand fully in up to 72 hours. The company offers white-glove delivery for an additional cost.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth Nectar review.
“Ideal for back and side sleepers with a mixture of pressure relief and gentle support.”
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We like this mattress for its organic composition with a moisture barrier designed to keep bacterial growth at bay. The 1-inch latex layer is naturally hypoallergenic to help prevent dirt and dust mites. This layer is also helpful in relieving pressure and providing lower back support, which is why it scored high for pressure relief. The gel-infused memory foam layer is designed to cradle your body in comfort while also keeping you cool. Although our testers rated it above average for cooling, they said the bed warms up while lying in it. Hot sleepers may want to buy a cooling cover if this doesn’t keep them cool.
One of the most interesting things about this mattress is that it offers 50 levels of adjustable firmness through air chambers you can inflate or deflate with the touch of a button. We tested this mattress up to 50 and found that at the highest level, the firmness was around a seven, which is only slightly firmer than medium. While we found this mattress ideal for lighter- and average-weight back and side sleepers and good for higher-weight back sleepers, we don’t think this provides enough support for most stomach sleepers.
In the back positions, our team said their spine stayed neutral, while they got a lot of pressure relief while on their side. This mattress is highly supportive overall and along the perimeter, giving strong edge support.
Saatva offers free white-glove delivery and mattress removal. The brand’s mattresses come in a box and are ready to go once delivered and set up.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth Saatva review. To learn more about this model, read our Saatva Solaire review.
“I’m very impressed overall [with edge support]; reinforced edges do quite a bit, especially with higher firmnesses.”
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The WinkBed mattress offers a four-level support system, starting with the eco-friendly eucalyptus-derived cover designed to help with cooling. Next is a Euro pillow top with gel-infused foam that our testers found provided pressure relief while lying on their back and side. Under this layer are individually wrapped coils for additional back support. While you can select from four different firmness options (softer, luxury firm, firmer, and plus), we tested the brand’s luxury firm model, which we rated 6.5 out of 10 for firmness.
During testing, our team used a pressure map toolⓘ A mat with sensors that detects pressure buildup when someone lies across it to help identify areas of pressure buildup while lying on their backs. The results, above, are almost completely blue, which indicates little/no pressure buildup. While lying on their backs, testers’ spines stayed neutral and the mattress provided good contour. We think this mattress is ideal for back sleepers of all body types. Our testers were also pleased with overall support, including edge support. The mattress focuses on cooling properties with its cover and coil systems, and we found it hit the mark in those areas. The WinkBed mattress scored a 4.5 out of five for cooling.
The mattress didn’t perform as well for bounce and responsiveness, scoring a 3.5 out of five, although this is still above average. Despite this, The WinkBed mattress is a strong choice that can help keep your spine aligned, your pressure points comfortable, and your back supported.
The WinkBed mattress is compressed, boxed, and shipped to your door. It can take up to 72 hours to expand.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth WinkBeds review.
“[It] should have enough support for higher-weight people to feel comfortable … particularly in back and side sleeping.”
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Significantly less expensive than many competitors, this firm memory foam mattress is certified nontoxic and fiberglass-free. The Bear Original contains high-density support foam that stabilizes the mattress at the bottom, a dynamic foam layer designed to provide pressure relief, and a cooling gel memory foam layer designed to keep hot sleepers comfortable with healthy spinal alignment. A breathable quilted cover tops the mattress.
Our testers said the mattress ranks near the top of the firmness scale, giving it an eight out of 10. That stability and lack of significant sinkage is what helps make the Bear Original ideal for stomach sleepers of all sizes. The mattress also earned good marks for motion isolation, with a four out of five, keeping you from being disturbed by your partner’s movements in bed. We also found that this bed has strong edge support, with a four out of five rating, making it a good option if you need extra support getting in and out of bed. Although memory foam is known for retaining heat, we were also impressed with this mattress’s level of cooling (3.5 out of five).
Lighter-weight sleepers may find this mattress too firm for their liking. Also, the mattress only ranked a two out of five for bounce, with little responsive movement, so adults with mobility issues may need something bouncier.
The Bear Original mattress arrives in a box. The company says you should give it 24–48 hours to fully expand.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth Bear review.
“My hips don’t dip and my spine feels neutral on my stomach. I like this level of firmness for all stomach sleepers.”
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Higher-weight sleepers may have difficulty finding a mattress with the firmness and support they need. But the Titan Plus was designed to support up to 1,000 pounds. The mattress has a flex base layer, up to 900 individually encased coils, a Titan Flex memory foam layer to help with pressure relief, and a quilted top with gel foam that helps with cooling. With our testers rating its cooling properties at a 4.5 out of five, the mattress keeps hot sleepers comfortable during the night. It also gives good pressure relief with a 4.5 out of five, which may help prevent and ease pain from key areas, like the shoulders, hips, and lower back.
While this mattress can work for high-weight sleepers in all positions, lighter- and average-weight side sleepers will likely need something softer to cushion pressure points. We do think average-weight back sleepers may like this mattress.
This mattress provides one of the best bounce scores in this review, which is ideal for combination sleepers and people with mobility issues.
The Titan Plus mattress arrives in a box. After you lay it out, the company website says it should decompress completely in 24 hours.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth Titan review.
“I love how supportive this mattress is. My back feels straight and my weight feels evenly distributed.”
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Who may want to avoid it
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling comes with a GlacioTex cooling cover and gel swirl memory foam, both designed to help hot sleepers feel more comfortable. Our team found the cooling highly effective, with one tester noting that it feels “icy” to the touch. When our testers measured the heat buildup after lying on the mattress for five minutes, the temperature increased about 5.9 degrees, which indicates “very good” cooling properties. Anything less than 10 is considered good.
This mattress’s above-average support helps give sleepers good pressure relief. Its level of firmness (7.5 out of 10) makes it ideal for higher-weight back and side sleepers but a poor choice for lighter-weight back and side sleepers. Adults who use the edge of the bed to get in and out or get dressed should appreciate the solid edge support, with a 4.5 out of five rating.
Our testers said the mattress allowed for easy movement, but the motion isolation was lacking, with only a 2.5 out of 5 score.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe Cooling mattress arrives in a box. The company says it can take up to 24 hours to fully expand after being rolled out.
To learn more about the brand, check out our in-depth Brooklyn Bedding review.
“This is by far the coolest mattress I’ve touched.”
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Our Reviews Team has dedicated more than 1,000 hours to researching the mattress industry, consulting at least 10 health care professionals, and testing roughly 40 brands and 130 unique mattress models for quality and comfort. We’ve also interviewed 16 older adults who recently purchased a mattress and surveyed more than 2,700 recent mattress customers to understand their experiences shopping for a new bed.
Each mattress undergoes a rigorous 36-page testing procedure to score its different characteristics, including firmness, support, and other aspects most shoppers consider. We chose the best gel mattresses based on the scores of the relevant criteria, including cooling, pressure relief, firmness, and edge support.
We continuously test new mattresses each month and make sure we give you the most up-to-date information possible. Each mattress goes through a rigorous testing process, and we evaluate them in terms of firmness, support, pressure relief, and other categories important to shoppers. We then choose our top picks based on our scores and share them with our readers.
The below is a list of mattresses currently undergoing testing:
Gel memory foam is just one part of the construction of a mattress. It can help the mattress regulate your body temperature while sleeping and help support pressure relief. When you’re considering a mattress with gel material, here are a few things to look for:
A mattress that is too firm can be just as painful and uncomfortable as a mattress that is too soft. How do you determine the best level of firmness to help you sleep comfortably? First, consider your sleeping position. For stomach sleepers, a firm mattress can prevent your hips from sinking into the mattress and pulling your spine out of alignment, while a back sleeper may want a medium-firm mattress to provide good lower back support with some contour. For a side sleeper, a mattress with a little more give and cushion can keep the shoulders and hips comfortable.
Body type also makes a difference. Lighter-weight sleepers may find a firmer mattress feels too hard, while a higher-weight sleeper may need the support a firmer mattress offers. Many mattresses are in the medium-firm range.
If you have a hard time falling or staying asleep at night because you’re too hot, a gel mattress offers some cooling properties that can help with temperature regulation. One of the first things to look for is whether the mattress is cool to the touch. Some have covers or pillow tops with advanced cooling properties. Next, take advantage of the company’s in-home trial to see how cool the mattress keeps you while you sleep.
Coolness is subjective, so it’s important that you make sure the mattress you get works for your needs.
Different sleeping positions impact the type of mattress you need for pressure relief. For many, the lower back, shoulders, and hips are primary pressure points. Look for a mattress that provides support and comfort in these areas. In addition to relieving pressure, your mattress should also help keep your spine in a neutral, aligned position.
Comfort also factors in. You may be looking for that cradling feel that gel mattresses are known for. Test a mattress you’re considering to find out if you wake up in pain, or if you have the support and comfort that you need. Many mattresses that we review are zoned for focused support and relief.
To combat memory foam’s heat-retaining qualities, gel memory foam mattresses are generally made by adding gel capsules or liquid gel to the foam. This makes the memory foam more effective at dispersing heat and regulating temperature.
According to Drew Miller, vice president of marketing at the Manhattan Beach, California-based Sit ‘n Sleep mattress retailer and the third generation in his family to be involved in the mattress business, gel-infused memory foam is designed to improve comfort and support, regulate temperature, and provide enhanced pressure relief.
On average, gel mattresses should last 10–15 years, which is in line with other types of mattresses. Wear and tear and composition can impact how long a mattress lasts.
Although there is no set time frame, it can take anywhere from 30–90 days to break in a new mattress. A good rule of thumb is to look for a mattress company that gives you at least three months to try it out and see if it works for you.
Pros
Cons
| Mattress type | Hybrid | Hybrid | Air chambers, latex, and foam | Hybrid | Memory foam | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Mattress height in inches | 13.5″ | 13″ 4. | 13″ | 13.5″ | 10″ | 11″ | 13.25″ |
| Cooling | 5 out of 5 | 5 out of 5 | 3 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 3.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 5 out of 5 |
| Our firmness rating | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Firm | Firm | Firm |
| Warranty | 15 years | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | 10 years | 10 years |
If you’re looking for a mattress that contains gel memory foam, you’ll want to make sure it performs effectively in the features it was designed to help with, like cooling and contouring support. The Helix Midnight Luxe is our top pick because it offers efficient cooling and great pressure relief, and it scored high in overall support. But no mattress is one-size-fits-all. That’s why we rounded up our top picks and highlighted each mattress’s performance strengths and weaknesses, so you can find the right one for you.
Our pick for the best gel memory foam mattress is the Helix Midnight Luxe because of its cooling properties and cradling support. When searching for a mattress, look for the features that are most important to you.
Many gel mattresses can help cool and relieve pressure. The key is to find a mattress that best supports your preferred sleep position and body type and provides the firmness you need.
“Most gel mattresses are made from nontoxic materials. However, it’s important to check for certifications like CertiPUR-US, which ensure the foam is made without harmful chemicals and meets safety standards,” said Miller.
Gel mattresses, with the proper firmness level and pressure relief, can help prevent back pain just like any other mattress. Look for a mattress that makes your spine feel aligned and neutral and provides the pressure relief and support you need for your sleeping position and body type.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
