How to choose the best mattress for you: Shopping tips for a quality night's sleep

If you’ve been tossing and turning all night, thinking, "how do I buy a mattress that doesn't leave me limping around with a sore back the next day?" — then listen up. You'll spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a good mattress, so picking the right one involves more than simply hopping onto a sample bed at a store and saying, "yep, that's the one." While that certainly doesn't hurt — in fact, we love the idea of testing it first — there are other things to be aware of when it comes to getting a good night's rest.

Considering you spend a third of your day in bed, your mattress should serve as a relaxation haven. At the very least, it shouldn't exacerbate hip or back pain. A good night's sleep should help you to feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning, not exhausted from your restless evening. We've put together the following mattress buying guide to help you find your Goldilocks mattress, so you can finally get the sleep you deserve.

In addition to a comfy bed, sheets can make or break how comfortable you are while sleeping (or attempting to, at least). Our list of the best bed sheets includes options for hot, cold and neutral sleepers. And, if your pillows don't bounce back anymore, it's probably time to kick them to the curb. We gathered the best pillows for every type of sleeper so you can find the best fit for you.

You need a mattress that supports your spine

You may think looking for a mattress that claims to support side sleepers, belly sleepers or back sleepers is key to finding the perfect fit — but surprisingly, that's not always the case (firmness matters here, but we'll talk about that later). Michael Magnuson, founder and CEO of GoodBed (the company recently teamed up with Dow to develop a standardized lab testing program for the mattress industry), says the mattress you choose should feel like it's custom-made for you. That includes supporting your spine.

When you're lying down, your spine should be in the same alignment as when you're standing up straight. In other words, if you sleep on your back, "there shouldn't be a big gap between you and the mattress," Magnuson says. And if you're a side sleeper, he says you should make sure you're getting "adequate pressure relief," so you're not waking up with shoulder or hip pain, or pins and needles that could indicate you're not getting enough blood flow to that area.

Mattress material matters

There are several common mattress materials, from your traditional innerspring to memory foam. If you share a mattress with someone who's constantly flopping around to get comfortable, memory foam is probably the way to go as you won't feel the bounce as much as you would with an innerspring mattress.

You probably remember those Tempur-Pedic commercials showing the memory foam material conforming to the person's hand as they pressed into the mattress, and then returning to its original form once they removed their hand. Those mattresses change shape based on the heat and pressure applied (i.e. your body) and are designed to keep their shape, unlike innerspring options, which can develop dips over time.

Innerspring mattresses are a child's favorite for their bouncy feel, thanks to their internal springs and coils. The coils also add stability, making them a great choice for those who feel memory foam lacks support. They offer a more traditional feel and better airflow, which may also make them better suited for hot sleepers.

If you can't decide between the two, there are hybrid options that merge coils with layers of memory foam — the best of both worlds, right? With a combination of airflow from the coils to keep you cool at night and the foam to prevent sagging, hybrid models might finally provide you with the sleep you're after.

No luck with foam or spring mattresses? Gel may be the answer for you. (Take a look at the Purple GelFlex Grid mattresses.) Similar to memory foam, gel-infused mattresses quickly adapt to your body shape when you lie down, and the grid pattern prevents the mattress from trapping body heat.

The real question: soft, medium or firm mattress?

Now that you know the different types of mattresses, you're probably wondering (or maybe you already know) how dense you like your mattress to be.

Softer mattresses tend to be more comfortable for side sleepers because they hug our bodies and relieve pressure from our shoulders — on a firm mattress, it feels like my shoulder is digging into the bed because there's less give. But back sleepers may sink into a soft mattress, affecting their spinal alignment, though weight and body shape also play an important role in how well the mattress can provide spinal support, Magnuson says. As a side sleeper, I prefer soft mattresses, but my back-sleeper husband prefers firmer mattresses. Unfortunately for him, I won that battle, but there's a reason we have different preferences.

If you share a bed with someone who prefers a different level of firmness, a medium-soft to medium-firm mattress could be a good middle ground. (Or maybe buy a fancy split bed with adjustable firmness controls.)

Sleep on it

When I say sleep on it, I mean it, literally. OK, maybe don't fall asleep in the store but definitely sink into the mattress for longer than a minute. No one's judging you at a mattress store, so lie down instead of sitting or pushing down on the mattress — you don't sleep sitting up, after all (or do you?). Kevin Meyer, associate technical service and development director at Dow, recommends lying on it for around 10-15 minutes to see if you get too hot or if you start to feel uncomfortable.

Depending on how you typically sleep — on your sides, back or stomach — make sure you're lying in that position when you test out mattresses. If you can't seem to get cozy, it's time to move on to the next option. It's a hard decision to make in a day's time, so don't feel frustrated if you don't leave with your perfect fit that day. This isn't meant to be a "love at first nap" kind of thing. We recommend you give yourself at least a day or two to... erm... sleep on it.

Some companies will actually allow you to give the mattress a test run, which can range from as little as 30 days to a full year. For instance, Purple gives you a 100-day trial run and Serta offers 120 days of testing, while Nectar offers one full year.

You generally have to pay upfront for the mattress but you'll get a full refund if it doesn't meet your sleep expectations. The trial period should be plenty of time to decide if your new mattress is the dream come true you hoped it would be.

How do you know when it's time to replace your mattress?

If you've been sleeping on the same bed for over a decade, it's well past time for an upgrade. The general recommendation is to replace it every seven years, though that timeline can vary based on quality and care.

Even if it hasn't been that long, waking up with more aches and pains or noticing a crater where you usually sleep are clear signs it's time to invest in something new.