Saatva vs Avocado: which luxury mattress is best for your sleep?
It’s Saatva vs Avocado in our luxury mattress head-to-head
The Saatva Classic and the Avocado Green are two extremely popular mattresses that feature highly in our best mattress guide. Both brands are known for handcrafting luxury beds brimming with premium materials, then selling them at more affordable prices than what you’d pay in store. But, as we explain in this Saatva vs Avocado comparison, there are some key differences between the two that can help you narrow down your choice.
Both mattresses are hybrids, but the Saatva uses memory foam while the Avocado is made with latex. The Avocado Green Mattress is one of the best organic mattress options around (learn more in our Avocado Green Mattress review), yet, as we explain in our Saatva Classic mattress review, the Saatva offers more customizability thanks to two different heights and three comfort levels.
In this Saatva vs Avocado mattress comparison, we look at both options in terms of price, design, support, user reviews and more to help you decide which one is right for you.
Saatva vs Avocado: At a glance
Saatva – best for:
- A wider choice of firmness levels
- Fans of hotel luxury beds
- Sleepers seeking good lumbar support
Avocado – best for:
- Hot sleepers - latex is naturally cooling
- Eco-conscious sleepers
- Those who prefer a bouncier mattress
Both Saatva and Avocado offer ways in which to customize their mattresses to help sleepers find the right feel for them. The Saatva, with its coil-on-coil construction and specialized edge support, is a good choice for heavier sleepers who need a supportive and durable bed. The Avocado Green Mattress is a good choice for hot sleepers, as it sleeps cool due to its natural latex layer and breathable organic cotton cover.
These mattresses used to be in similar price brackets, but recent price hikes have driven a wedge between them. At the time of publication, a queen size Saatva Classic is priced $1,770, and a queen size Avocado Green Mattress is priced $1,999. However, you’ll find frequent mattress sales on each model, so it’s worth looking for a discount to reduce the price.
In terms of mattress trials, Saatva and Avocado each offer a 365-night trial, but both aren’t risk-free. Saatva offers a lifetime warranty, while Avocado offers a 25-year warranty. You’ll get free shipping with both, but Saatva also offers free premium delivery to a room of your choice, plus free disposal of your old mattress. Avocado offers these services too but charges a small fee.While Avocado allows you to return your mattress for free, Saatva charges a $99 fee.
Saatva vs Avocado: Side by side
Just need to do a brief comparison? Here's how Saatva vs Avocado stack up against each other across key areas:
Saatva Classic
- MSRP: $912 - $2,396
- Firmness: Soft (3), Luxury Firm (5.5), Firm (8)
- Trial: 365 nights
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Height: 11.5” or 14.5”
- Sizes: Twin to split Cal king
- Standout features: Customizable firmness and height
- Materials: CertiPUR-US certified foam, memory foam, organic cotton, pocketed coils
Avocado Green
- Price: $1,399 - $2,599
- Firmness: Medium firm
- Trial: 365 nights
- Warranty: 25 years
- Height: 11” or 13”
- Sizes: Twin to Cal king
- Standout features: Naturally cooling latex
- Materials: 100% GOLS certified organic latex, organic wool, organic cotton, pocketed coils
Saatva vs Avocado: Price and trials
- A queen Saatva retails for $1,770; a queen Avocado is $1,999
- You'll be able to save on both brands during regular sales
- Saatva and Avocado include a 365-night sleep trial
If you’re looking for this year’s best cheap mattress, you won’t find it at Saatva or Avocado Green. These are luxury beds with handcrafted elements, so be prepared to pay a higher price. That said, they’re both cheaper than what you’d pay for comparable mattresses in store, and that’s a trend across online mattress brands.
It used to be that Avocado was cheaper than Saatva, but that has now changed following some big price hikes. Both mattresses have risen in price, but the Avocado Green Mattress has had the biggest price increase at roughly $200, depending on the size.
A queen size Saatva Classic is priced $1,770, though you can usually save up to $250 on it in the Saatva mattress sale and you might also be able to find discounts via Saatva coupons. A queen size Avocado Green Mattress is priced $1,999, but you can often save up to $200 on it, depending on what discount code the brand is offering that month; our guide to the best Avocado Mattress coupon codes will keep you up to speed.
If you're working with a smaller budget, but you want a luxury feel, consider the DreamCloud hybrid mattress. We often recommend the DreamCloud as an affordable alternative to the Saatva Classic. See how it compares with our Saatva Classic vs DreamCloud showdown.
So the Saatva Classic is the cheaper of the two, but in terms of trial periods these two brands are on an equal level. Saatva and Avocado Green each offer a 365-night trial, giving you an entire year to test your new bed to make sure it really is worth your money. But while Avocado Green offers free returns, Saatva charges a $99 processing fee. It makes up for it by offering a lifetime warranty on the Classic, compared to 25 years on the Avocado Green.
Saatva also offers free white glove delivery, which means free mattress set up in your bedroom of choice, plus disposal of your old mattress if you arrange it with Saatva in advance.
Saatva vs Avocado winner: Saatva. The handmade mattress manufacturer is the cheaper of these two luxury brands and it offers more generous perks in terms of a lifetime warranty and free premium delivery with old mattress removal. Yes, Saatva charges a $99 fee to return or exchange, but we feel this is offset by the year’s trial period (which Avocado Green also offers) and lower price for a handmade hotel luxury mattress.
Saatva vs Avocado: Build and materials
- Saatva offers three firmness levels and two heights
- The Avocado Green comes with a standard or pillow top
- Both beds use quality materials and feature ergonomic zones
The Saatva Classic is made up of five layers, all designed to give a luxury hotel feel to your bedroom. The organic cotton cover is quilted with a little foam for extra comfort. Beneath this, you’ll find the Euro pillow top section of the mattress, which is slightly different depending on which firmness level you’ve chosen. The pillow top also has Lumbar Zone Quilting to give extra support around the lumbar region.
There’s clever Lumbar Zone Active Spinal Wire within the memory foam layer to keep your spine aligned and provide pressure point relief. The pocketed coils are stronger and firmer in the center third of the mattress, where most of your body weight is concentrated.
Unusually, the Saatva has a dual coil design with the base layer also containing coils to help prevent sagging and improve durability over time. All the foams in the Saatva are CertiPUR certified and the cover is treated with Saatva’s own antimicrobial treatment, Guardin, which helps prevent the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.
Organic mattresses generally don’t come cheap, but the Avocado Green is surprisingly well priced. 100% organic certified, the Avocado is Greenguard Gold certified for low emissions, Formaldehyde Free certified and contains OEKO-TEX certified wool.
The Avocado’s organic cotton cover is hand-tufted using GOTS organic certified wool and cotton. Underneath is a comfort layer of GOLS organic certified Dunlop latex, designed to make it easy to change position through the night and provide a bouncy feel to the mattress (find out more about latex in our what is a latex mattress explainer). These layers also do a great job of keeping the mattress cool and comfortable throughout the night. If you go for the pillow top version of the mattress, you’ll also get a two-inch extra layer of Dunlop latex on top of the comfort layer.
Below the latex is the Avocado’s support layer, with individually wrapped innersprings arranged in 5 strategic zones to support the shoulders, back and hips. Like the Saatva, the Avocado uses different gauges of coils to provide support in the areas it’s needed. Whichever mattress you choose though, we’d recommend investing in a good quality mattress protector to preserve the materials and keep your mattress in top condition.
Saatva vs Avocado winner: Saatva. While we love the use of high quality, eco-friendly materials in the Avocado Green Mattress, there’s more custom options available with the Saatva Classic. The fact that you can pick from two heights and three firmness levels is impressive, plus the Saatva boasts a range of premium materials that would cost a lot more from a comparable mattress sold in a store.
Saatva vs Avocado: Support and comfort
- Saatva appeals to all types of sleepers thanks to variable firmness
- Avocado uses latex, a durable and naturally cooling material
- Both of these mattresses are well-suited to heavier sleepers
Saatva’s big selling point is that its mattress comes in three firmness options and two different heights. Whichever version you choose, the mattress provides excellent lumbar support and is particularly good for heavier weight sleepers with its sturdy construction and reinforced edge support. However if you're after a mattress specifically to help with back pain, the all-foam Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress may be a better option. In terms of pain management and pressure relied it's an excellent alternative to a Tempur-Pedic, and while it doesn't always sleep cool it's a comfortable and supportive mattress with minimal motion transfer; see our Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress review for more details.
The softest feel is the Plush Soft, which is designed with some extra padding in the pillow top. It’s a great option for side sleepers as it provides a contouring ‘hug’. Next up is the Luxury Firm, designed to provide a happy medium for most sleeping styles and body types.
The Firm version is ideal for stomach sleepers and those who don’t like to feel as if they’re sinking into a mattress. The Saatva is also an excellent choice for those sharing their bed with a restless partner, as the combination of memory foam and springs does an excellent job of isolating motion.
The presence of organic latex in the Avocado Green means that this is an extremely durable and long-lasting mattress, which could give you up to 20 years of comfortable sleep. Latex is naturally breathable and, combined with the organic wool in this mattress, makes this an excellent choice for hot sleepers who should feel cool throughout the night.
Like the Saatva, the Avocado also has a choice of firmness options. The standard medium firm version is well suited to back sleepers whilst the softer pillow top version will help cradle side sleepers. With the natural bounce of latex both versions are particularly suited to combination sleepers, who will find it easy to change positions throughout the night. Unfortunately, that same bounce also means that the mattress isn’t great for preventing motion transfer.
Saatva vs Avocado winner: It’s a draw, as these mattresses offer such vastly different qualities. If you’re a dedicated back sleeper, the Saatva has excellent lumbar support. But if you’re a hot sleeper suffering from allergies, the Avocado Green Mattress is an excellent choice.
Saatva vs Avocado: User reviews
- The Saatva Classic is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from 40,000 reviews
- The Avocado Green has 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 17,000 reviews
- For either mattress, the negative reviews are few and far between
The Saatva Classic has over 40,000 reviews on the Saatva website, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 as of August 2022. Many reviews focus on how much the mattress has helped with pain, including neck and back pain. Customers were also complimentary about the excellent customer service, including free mattress setup and disposal of their old mattresses.
Of course, no mattress suits everyone. There were some complaints from people who felt they’d chosen the wrong firmness option and a few negative reviews that suggested the mattress had started to sag too quickly. Most complaints however were levied at Saatva’s $99 charge to return a mattress.
Avocado’s Green mattress has over 17,000 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 as of August 2022. Again, many reviews praise the mattress for helping with pain, and some sleepers also loved how cool the mattress kept them: “The firmness keeps me on top of the mattress allowing me to better maintain my body temperature”.
Negative comments are in the minority, but some customers found the latex made the mattress too bouncy and that they didn’t sink into it far enough. There were also some complaints about delivery problems but many of these seem to have occurred during the global pandemic.
Saatva vs Avocado winner: It’s another draw. Saatva and Avocado each have a high number of positive user reviews, as well as a strong overall rating. It’s worth looking through a selection of reviews to see if the feedback addresses your concerns, or if you have any specific questions, you can email or talk to customer services.
Saatva vs Avocado: Which one should you buy?
For dedicated back sleepers, the Saatva Classic offers excellent lumbar support. It’s also a great choice for those sharing a bed with a restless sleeper as it isolates motion well. We also really like the fact that you can customize the mattress so extensively to find an option that works for you.
The Avocado Green Mattress is an excellent choice for combination sleepers, with the bouncy latex making it easy to move about and change position throughout the night. The naturally cooling latex also makes this a fantastic choice for those who sleep hot and the mattress does an excellent job of regulating body temperature. And, although there aren’t as many options, the Avocado also offers the chance for customization.
Both mattresses offer a 365-night trial, meaning there’s plenty of time to decide whether the bed is right for you. Which one you choose will come down to whether you prefer the ‘hug’ of a memory foam hybrid, or the bounce of a natural latex mattress. Either way, you'll be bringing home one of the best mattresses money can buy.
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Jo Plumridge is a freelance writer and photographer with over 20 years of experience writing for a variety of magazines, books and websites. She writes, perhaps unsurprisingly, about photography but also extensively on all things sleep and interior design related, alongside home and tech product reviews. She’s lived in the middle of a nature reserve in Botswana and written a guidebook to New Zealand, but now spends a lot of time trying to photograph the cats she and her husband foster for a local charity - without a doubt the most challenging subjects on earth!