When it comes to shopping for a new mattress, the entire ordeal can slowly transition you into Goldilocks. This one’s too firm, this one’s too soft, but this one is just right.
Because we spend a fair share of our lifetimes sleeping, it’s important to ensure the mattress we catch those ZZZs on is comfortable and with our ideal level of support. Not to mention, sleep is pretty much a science, so it’s just as critical to sort through the myriad of options offered online and wholly understand how to shop for a new mattress without plopping down on one.
With the overwhelming number of choices, Post Wanted is here to cut through the noise. After years of testing mattresses and other bedding items, like weighted blankets and cooling sheets, we pooled together our expertise on how to choose a mattress after knowing what to look for and consulting sleep experts ourselves.
That’s right — consider this your mattress-buying guide.
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One of our top-recommended brands throughout the year is Avocado Green Mattress. While every sleeper is different, the brand serves as one of the best potential solutions to your mattress stresses. With its collection of certified organic mattresses, you’ll love its luxurious feel, ethically sourced nature and supportive sleep quality, without a doubt.
Mattress buying basics
First things first — let’s highlight the different types of mattresses and their unique qualities. After all, this is the step one to selecting which cozy option is right for you.
In your shopping search, you may come across memory foam, innerspring, latex, hybrid and air mattresses, the latter sometimes called airbeds.
Different types of mattresses, explained
Ahead, sleep experts we consulted — including Alanna McGinn, CEO and certified sleep expert at Good Night Sleep Site and David Rubin, director of product testing at TheSleepDoctor.com — share a complete overview below:
- Foam: As a material, memory foam is gentle, pressure-relieving, and cushiony. It works to relieve tension by contouring to the shape of your body, which is especially ideal for back pain and pressure relief. Memory foam mattresses are also known for their deep sinkage, which some find comfortable, but those who prefer a firmer feel might find it a bit suffocating. Memory foam mattresses are a good option for couples considering the minimal transfer of motion they provide. Lastly, memory foam tends to trap heat, so hot sleepers should opt for a gel-infused or cooling memory foam mattress.
- Latex: Latex is a naturally cooling and breathable material, meaning it won’t trap your body heat but will help keep you cool while you sleep. Latex is resistant to body impressions, making it a very durable material as it can hold its original state for quite some time. Latex has good moisture-wicking properties and is naturally hypoallergenic, thus resistant to dust and other allergens. Latex mattresses compress around your body while remaining buoyant, thus preventing you from sinking into it.
- Hybrid: Typical hybrid mattresses are made from both coils and foam. Coils make hybrid mattresses more durable and breathable than those made of all foam. Hybrid mattresses can range in firmness levels but generally have a bouncier feel than memory foam mattresses.
- Innerspring: This traditional bed style offers superior support and a firm, bouncy surface feel. They also sleep cooler than all-foam mattresses, as the coil construction provides good airflow and prevents the entrapment of body heat. However, they generally lack the plushness preferred by some sleepers.
- Air-Filled Mattresses: This type of mattress allows you to control how much air is inside and makes it the most customizable mattress.
How to choose the mattress firmness level right for you
Aside from the type of mattress, you’ll also want to consider their firmness levels. Whether you’re a side sleeper or a back sleeper (or a bit of both), we outlined how to choose a mattress firmness based on your go-to sleep position:
- Side sleepers: This type of sleeper should look for a medium firm mattress made of polyfoam or memory foam, providing above-average contouring to the body and also helping those who wake up with body aches.
- Back and stomach sleepers: This type of sleeper may consider a more firm latex mattress that offers less contouring and more bounce.
- Combination sleepers: This type of sleeper should look for a medium to medium-firm mattress found in hybrid mattresses that combine innerspring support and foam comfort and benefit those who sleep hot.
Should I buy a mattress in-store or online?
However you purchase your mattress is a matter of personal preference, though purchasing online (hey, perhaps within this buying guide) may allow you to better compare prices, types of mattresses and other specifications.
Aside from offering more convenience and, realistically, more options, buying a mattress online can also take less time than frolicking outside the home for a showroom visit. Post Wanted recommends reading reviews and the fine print thoroughly, taking advantage of online resources like this one and understanding return policies before completing your purchase.
What’s more, mattresses are becoming increasingly more popular to order online, where major holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and others typically mean markdowns on top mattress brands. You can even find top options on Amazon. Planning your purchase around key holidays is the best time to buy a mattress.
Why choose an Organic or Natural Mattress?
Organic or Natural Mattresses are typically preferred by shoppers who have an affinity for more sustainable shopping. At times, leaning toward either of these mattresses may be a direct result of wanting to minimize allergen or even chemical exposure.
Organic or Natural Mattresses are commonly made from organic cotton, wool, natural latex or other ethically sourced materials that may be healthier for you, your bedroom and the environment. Traditionally, these types of mattresses can cost a bit more but are worthwhile investments.
Avocado Green Mattress‘ mission is centered on this mission. The brand, which began in 2016, was tired of seeing “greenwashing” all over the place, with other brands touting themselves as “organic” or “better for the environment.” That’s why the brand was born — Hoboken-designed, California-handmade — with domestic and certified organic materials.
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Avocado Green Mattress
Pros:
- Extremely comfortable: a medium firmness was tested and loved by a back sleeper and a side/stomach sleeper
- High-quality, organic materials
- Mattress stays cool
Cons:
- Pricey option
- A slightly chaotic unboxing experience, as our mattress unfurled upside-down (but an easily fixable and temporary con)
The No. 1 mattress from the brand is the namesake Avocado Green Mattress. It features GOLS-certified organic latex, GOTS-certified organic wool and cotton, and up to 1,459 individually wrapped support coils that are all arranged in seven ergonomic zones.
Additionally, its new Box-Top Plush model adds soft FSC-certified Talalay latex. To make it even more impressive, it’s needle-tufted by hand and assembled in Los Angeles with domestic and imported materials. This mattress is void of polyurethane foams or fire retardants, too.
The signature mattress is available in three types: firm (standard), medium (pillow-top) and plush (box-top). The firm is ideal for back and stomach sleepers, while the medium is apt for side, back and combo sleepers. Its newest addition, the plush option, was designed with side sleepers and pressure relief in mind.
With these choices, it’s clear how its unique features appeal to a variety of sleepers.
Avocado Green Mattress is also a certified B Corp and Climate Neutral certified. The brand is proud to donate 1% of revenues to vetted nonprofits through its commitment to 1% For the Planet.
Aside from its bedding catalog being GOTS-certified organic, Avocado Green Mattress’ factories help divert 78% of its waste from the landfill. With more sustainable goodness to be made, its rich history thus far deserves quite the pat on the back.
Avocado Green Mattress review
After more than 10 years sleeping on a valued mattress brand, a member of our Post Wanted staff decided to purchase a new mattress and upgrade to a king-sized bed. The trusted Avocado Green Mattress arrived in less than a week and has been a comfort ever since.
How we tested? We took overall quality, comfortability, support, heat level and customer service into account.
Its motion transfer is quite impressive, too. “When I’m awake and my husband is moving around on the bed, you feel it, but it’s kind of like a gentle sway, almost what I remember a water bed felt like (though I haven’t been on a water bed in decades!)” Jackie Goldstein, VP of commerce, shared while reviewing the mattress for more than one month. “That being said, when I’m sleeping, I have not woken up from movements of the bed. Since it’s a king especially, my husband can toss and turn or climb out of the bed and I don’t wake up (until the creek on our floor near the door gives him away).”
Sleep trial and warranty
To put you at ease, Avocado Green Mattress offers a 100-night sleep trial. Essentially, the whole “love it, or your money back” situation applies here.
During your sleep trial, if your mattress isn’t working for you, all you have to do is contact the brand via its website. From there, a member of Avocado Green Mattress’ sustainability team will reach out and have it donated for a full refund. This serviceable aspect earns the brand a huge checkmark in its favor among the Post Wanted team, as it allows different types of shoppers to remain reassured when ordering online.
As for its warranty, Avocado Green Mattress organizes its long-term care options in a tiered structure, dependent on its mattress models. It offers a 25-year limited warranty on its Green Mattress, Vegan Mattress, Luxury Organic Mattress, Organic Crib Mattress and Luxury Organic Crib Mattress.
Avocado Green Mattress also offer a 10-year limited warranty on the Eco Organic Mattress and the Eco Organic Kids Mattress. There’s even a three-year limited warranty for the Dog Mattress and Dog Pillows.
Is the Avocado Green Mattress right for you?
Post Wanted can confirm that the Avocado Green Mattress is one of the most beloved and respected options you can find on the market. It’s even ideal for more skeptical online mattress shoppers, thanks to its unbeatable customer service, sleep trial and warranty options. Plus, you can sleep better at night (literally) knowing you’re snagging a sustainable option.
Compared to some other organic options, it’s offered at a wonderful value and comes in a versatile array of firmness levels to meet your needs and support preferences. Whether you’re shopping for a teenager or a grandparent, rest assured the prized Avocado Green Mattress — any of the mattresses, in fact — is an extraordinary bang for your buck.
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For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.