Black Friday 2022 is finally here, and if your main objective today is to set yourself up with the best mattress at a bargain price, there's a very good chance you'll be able to find what you're looking for and save a stack of money while you're at it.
If you've done your research and you know exactly what you're after, our guide to the Black Friday mattress deals will be able to point you at all the savings as they happen. However if all you have to go on is the idea of a getting a memory foam mattress, but you're confused by the sheer number of mattress brands and the various types of memory foam mattress on offer, it's all too easy to feel a little overwhelmed by the range of options.
That's where we can help. We know the mattress business inside-out, and so we can confidently help you narrow things down to the three best memory foam mattress options available now. We'll also provide you with the facts on what makes them so good, and also explain some of the things you need to know about memory foam mattresses, including the all-important question of whether they're the right choice for you.
Today's the absolute best time to buy a new mattress and we don't want you to miss out on a top deal, so read on to discover our top picks so that you can grab a bedding deal with plenty of time left over to check out the rest of the Black Friday deals.
The best 3 memory foam mattresses to consider today
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress is the best you can get for the money, and with a Black Friday discount it makes for an even better deal. It's suitable for all sleeping positions and body types, and compared to other mid-range options such as the Purple Original and Casper original, it's really competitively priced. Don't pay any attention to the MSRP; you can almost always get it with at least $200 off, and with around $499 of free bedding included too, and it's always worth checking Nectar coupon codes for other ways to save.
In our Nectar mattress review we found that you won't sink into it too much; rather you get a bit of a body-hug and plenty of pressure relief along your back, shoulders and hips. It's a little firmer than a medium-firm mattress, however some of our heavier testers felt that they could use a bit more support in the long term to stay aligned properly.
While the Nectar isn't specifically a cooling mattress, it features a quilted cooling cover with three inches of gel-infused memory foam underneath, which helps regulate temperature and prevents overheating in the night. Beneath that is two inches of dynamic adjusting foam, which brings some contouring comfort, and then there's seven inches of sturdier foam to provide stability and support.
Unlike some all-foam mattresses, the Nectar Memory Foam mattress has good edge support and hardly any motion transfer, which will be good news for anyone who shares a bed with a restless partner. In fact the only people who are less likely to get on with the Nectar are heavier combination sleepers, who may struggle with movement on its memory foam; for a bed with a bit more bounce, try a hybrid or latex bed instead.
The Nectar comes with a 365-night trial and a lifetime warranty, and it's easy to return your mattress and get a refund if your mattress doesn't live up to expectations. Basically if you want a comfortable and supportive mattress that's great value, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress is the way to go.
Memory foam has a bit of a reputation for getting hot in the night, and it's not entirely undeserved. Various manufacturers have implemented fixes for overheating memory foam, with varying degrees of success, and for our money the Cocoon by Sealy Chill is the best option available now (and Cocoon by Sealy promo codes could help you save when you buy). While it's not an advanced cooling mattress, it features a cool-touch cover and a smart design with plenty of phase change material that dissipates excess body heat.
The Cocoon is a 10-inch tall mattress with a medium-firm feel, and ideal for side, back and stomach sleepers, however we'd note that lightweight side sleepers may find it a little too firm, while heavier sleepers over 250lbs might find it to be too soft and not supportive enough. It's well-rated for pressure relief, so a good choice for anyone experiencing joint pain, or feeling back or hip pain when lying down for extended periods, and it's also well-rated for spinal alignment, which means that it'll look after your posture when you're sleeping in different positions.
All of which adds up to a mattress that's an excellent choice for anyone who gets too hot in the night or experiences joint pain when sleeping on a mattress that's either too firm or too soft. If that's you, the Cocoon by Sealy Chill, with its cooling and contouring sleep surface, may well be the best mattress option for you.
Troubled by back pain? The Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress is a more premium memory foam option, but if you want something that can provide great pressure relief and pain management without the price that you'd have to pay for a specialized mattress from the likes of Tempur-Pedic, it's a fine choice.
Launched in 2015 as an affordable Tempur-Pedic alternative, it's definitely a more expensive mattress option, but it delivers where it counts: in our Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress review, our lead reviewer found that it made a clear improvement to her lower back pain.
The Loom & Leaf is 12 inches deep with a 5lb core of memory foam that delivers a real body hug, backed up with multiple high-density foam layers that'll provide cushioned support for any sleeping position, plus a middle third that's reinforced with a gel-infused lumbar crown for lower back support and ensuring that everything's properly aligned as you sleep. The result is a plush mattress that may be a bit too soft for anyone who prefers a firmer sleep surface; it's also worth noting that the Loom & Leaf won't properly support sleepers who weigh over 300lbs; if that's you, you should instead look at a hybrid option such as the Saatva Classic.
While the Loom & Leaf features some cooling materials – a 2in layer of perforated gel memory foam and a breathable cotton cover – in our tests we found that while it remained comfortably cool for short naps, it has a tendency to retain heat when sleeping at night. If overheating at night is a a problem for you, we'd instead recommend a specialized cooling mattress.
It does feature excellent motion isolation, which will be a plus for anyone with a restless bed partner, while we found that its edge support could be a bit better. On the whole, though, the Loom & Leaf is a must for anyone hoping for pain relief without having to pay Tempur-Pedic prices; it also comes with a year's trial (and is delivered flat with free in-home setup included), however there's a $99 return fee if you ultimately decide it's not right for you.
Memory foam mattresses: what you need to know
Not entirely sure about memory foam mattresses and whether they're the right choice for you? Read on to discover the answers to some of the questions you may have about them.
What is a memory foam mattress?
Memory foam (more correctly known as viscoelastic polyurethane foam) is a synthetic foam developed by NASA in the 1960s to improve the safety of aircraft seats. It's since been used in all manner of consumer products, from slippers to mattresses.
It gets its name from the way the foam can temporarily hold the shape of whatever has been pressing into it, so if you lie on a memory foam mattress and then get up, you'll see the shape of your body imprinted on the foam for a short while. Because continued heat and pressure makes it adapts itself more to your body, memory foam mattresses are popular for their contouring ability and the way they can 'hug' your body to provide pressure relief.
Is a memory foam mattress right for you?
For many people, memory foam mattresses are a great choice. They're really supportive and the pressure relief they provide can help remedy back, neck and shoulder pain, and they're also good at motion isolation, which means that if you share your bed with a restless sleeper you're a lot less likely to be disturbed as they toss and turn during the night.
However they're not perfect, and for some people they're not a good choice. Memory foam has a tendency to trap heat, and if you have a tendency to sleep hot you're likely to wake up sweating if you sleep on memory foam. While many manufacturers employ effective tricks to help regulate body temperature, from infusing foam with cooling gel to putting cuts in the foam to promote airflow, memory foam mattresses can still turn out to be a little too warm for some.
Other people simply can't get on with the feel of memory foam; they tend not to be supportive enough for stomach sleepers, and anyone who changes position a lot in the night may find that they're a bit too restrictive and make it too hard to move about. Heavier sleepers may find they sink to far into the foam and end up with a lot of pressure on their joints, too. And finally there's the issue of off-gassing: the chemical smell that tends to hang around for a day or more after you unpack your new mattress. It does fade eventually, but it can really take the shine off the memory foam experience.
How long do memory foam mattresses last?
Memory foam mattresses can be the most durable bed types, because unlike with hybrid and innerspring mattresses, they contain fewer components (such as springs or coils) that are prone to deterioration. A memory foam mattress should last between six and ten years before it starts losing its shape and responsive qualities, but some can keep going for 15 years or more.
The big determining factor around the longevity of a memory foam mattress is the quality of the materials used; a premium mattress will use more durable foams, and it's likely to feel more comfortable and supportive, with better cooling properties. But whatever mattress you choose, there are a few things you can do to extend its lifespan.
How can you make a memory foam mattress last longer?
Nobody wants to have to replace their mattress every few years, and there are four main things you can do to give your mattress a better chance of a longer life:
- Clean it twice a year: our guide to how to clean a mattress will tell you everything you need to know about keeping it spick and span and free from sweat, smells and assorted nasties that you'd rather not think about.
- Give it a proper foundation: your memory foam mattress, like you, needs to be properly supported. Some mattresses can only be used on specific bases, but for the most part you'll be fine with a solid or slatted base (as long as the slats aren't spaced too far apart).
- Rotate it every three months: unlike traditional sprung mattresses, you don't have to turn a memory foam mattress regularly. However unless your mattress has specific zoned support, you should rotate it every three months or so to spread out wear and tear.
- Use a bed topper: one of the best mattress toppers can make a real difference to the feel of your mattress, and as well as that it'll absorb natural wear and tear that can shorten the lifespan of your mattress.
When's the best time to buy a memory foam mattress?
In short: today! The mattress business is hugely competitive, and as a rule you should never pay full price for a mattress because most brands have sales going on all year.
However if you want the very best price, Black Friday is the time to get it; you could instead hang on for Cyber Monday mattress deals, but you'll probably get the same prices, and you'll likely have to wait longer for your mattress to be delivered.
