Best Flippable & Double-Sided Mattresses

No matter what you’re shopping for, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a two-for-one. While you won’t find many “buy one, get one free” deals for whole mattresses, a flippable mattress is the next best thing.

In a flippable mattress, you can comfortably sleep on either side. This can help extend the lifespan of the mattress by avoiding continuous wear-and-tear on the same sections of the bed.

Some reversible mattresses have a distinct firmness level on each side, offering the benefit of durability while also providing the ability to easily adjust the feel of the bed.

Even though there aren’t as many flippable beds on the market, it can still be hard for shoppers to determine which ones offer the top performance and value. Our list introduces the best flippable mattresses, and the guide explains essential information to help you make an informed choice when shopping for a new mattress.

Looking for more information about top mattresses sold today? Head over to our guide to the best mattress of 2024, which includes flippable and one-sided models. You can also visit our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers if this is your preferred sleep position.

Dive Deeper – In-Depth Mattress Guides

If you’d like to broaden your search for a bed beyond flippable mattresses, take a look at our other recommendations broken down by mattress type.

How to Choose a Flippable Mattress

For your body and your budget, a mattress is an important investment. As a result, choosing the right mattress at the best price can make a world of difference for your wallet and how you feel each day when you wake up.

Flippable mattresses are offered in a few styles and offer some distinct benefits. Understanding the performance of these beds enables you to select the brand and model that will provide you with the best possible return on your investment.

Is a Flippable Mattress More Durable?

A flippable mattress is often more durable than a one-sided mattress, but this isn’t always the case.

One reason that a mattress can deteriorate is because pressure is applied to the same areas night after night. Flipping regularly can prevent these patterns of wear-and-tear. To some extent, a similar effect may be achieved by rotating (but not flipping) a one-sided mattress.

Flippable mattresses do not always mean enhanced durability, though. Ultimately, the longevity of any mattress depends on its materials, and being two-sided can’t compensate for weaker components. In addition, some mattresses with reversible firmness have very thin comfort layers on one side that may be more prone to wearing out.

Of course, durability also depends on how well you care for a mattress, so it’s important to use a proper bed frame, avoid spills and stains, and keep pets with claws off the bed.

One Firmness vs. Dual Firmness

If you want a flippable mattress, you’ll need to think about whether you want dual firmness, which means that each side has a different feel.

Many flippable mattresses, including traditional innersprings, have the same feel on each side, and that can be beneficial from a durability standpoint.

A mattress with reversible firmness, though, offers more flexibility to make sure the mattress feels comfortable to you. This dual-firmness design is most useful for:

• People who aren’t certain of their exact firmness preference and want to have options.
• Children and teenagers whose ideal firmness may change as they grow.
• Mattresses kept in a spare bedroom where guest firmness preference may vary.
• Individuals, including some combination sleepers, who want variety in how their bed feels.

What to Look for in a Mattress

Shopping for a mattress can mean being introduced to a bevy of options, each accompanied by a dizzying list of marketing buzzwords. While this can help you learn about a mattress, it can also be confusing. Rather than get lost in minutiae, consider which of these factors is most important in your decision-making.

• Price: Price is a simple factor: the mattress that you choose has to be a fit for your budget. The good news is that there are great mattress options at many price points, and discounts and promotions are common when you shop online. You can save some money by buying a smaller size like a full mattress, but most sizes under queen tend to be insufficient for those with a co-sleeper.
• Sleeping Position: How you sleep — on your side, back, or stomach — can play an outsized role in finding the best mattress fit. Back and stomach sleepers usually need a firmer bed while side sleepers get more pressure relief from a softer option.
• Mattress Type: If you know that a certain mattress type best suits your needs, you can use that information to focus on a more limited number of options while keeping in mind that certain types are more often available in a flippable form.
• Contouring: Contouring to the body is a vital way that a mattress can offer pressure point relief. By tailoring to the needs of each sleeper, conforming improves spinal alignment. Foam mattresses and hybrids tend to provide the most contouring.
• Quality Materials: In mattress construction, there’s no substitute for high-end materials. Using quality components makes a bed more dependable in terms of its performance and longevity.
• Firmness Level: To sleep well, you need to be comfortable on a mattress, and this depends on finding the right firmness. A dual-firmness flippable mattress can provide two options in one bed and increase the likelihood that you’ll find a firmness feel that works for you.
• Pressure Relief: Some parts of the body are heavier, bonier, and/or broader, creating pressure points. These can be hot spots for pain, and getting adequate cushioning at these areas can bring necessary pressure relief that contributes to both comfort and support.
• Motion Isolation: Anyone who shares a bed can appreciate the value of motion isolation. This characteristic prevents movement on one part of the bed from being felt by, and potentially disturbing, someone on another part of the bed. Memory foam typically offers the highest degree of motion isolation.
• Ease of Movement / Sex: People who want a vibrant sex life benefit from a mattress with plenty of bounce that makes it easier to move on top of the bed. This ease of movement, highest in hybrid and latex beds, is also helpful to combination sleepers and anyone who wants to avoid feeling stuck in a mattress.
• Edge Support: Having strong edge support makes it possible to sleep and sit comfortably on any part of the bed without feeling unstable. Hybrid and latex mattresses tend to provide higher levels of edge support.
• Temperature Regulation: While a bed can be cozy, it shouldn’t feel like a furnace. Waking up in a sweat can be a real problem, especially for people who already tend to run hot. Memory foam tends to retain the most heat and latex beds the least.
• Noise: A loud mattress can range from awkward to annoying to downright disruptive. If you want to engage in intimate activities discreetly or sleep peacefully, look for a quiet bed. Foam and latex mattresses are frequently the quietest and nearly noise-free.

Types of Flippable Mattresses

For both one-sided and flippable mattresses, there are five mattress types that are commonly sold today. These types are determined by the interior construction of the mattress, which allows us to generalize about the performance of beds in each category.

That said, keep in mind that no two mattresses within a category are exactly alike. While we can broadly discuss the features of each type, it still remains crucial to look at the specifics of any individual brand and model.

Hybrid

Definition: There are two required components in a hybrid mattress — an innerspring support core and a sizable comfort system. The comfort system can include foam, latex, micro-coils, and/or fabrics like cotton and wool. Most hybrids have a one-sided design with the innerspring layer at the bottom and comfort layers above it.

Bouncy and Balanced: Hybrids achieve a balanced set of features derived from their two-part construction. Among those features is plenty of bounce to facilitate easy movement on the bed. Flippable hybrids, when available, tend to be taller and provide responsiveness along with pressure relief.

Innerspring

Definition: An innerspring is built almost entirely with a coil-based interior construction. The only supplement to the coils is a cover that may include a very thin layer of cotton, polyester, wool, or polyfoam. Because there are minimal layers besides the coils, most innersprings are flippable.

Low-Cost, Build-It-Yourself Option: While most sleepers find innersprings to lack pressure relief, they can be used to “hack” a customized bed. A flippable innerspring can be used with an economical mattress topper, and as needed, you can flip both the mattress and topper to reduce wear-and-tear. It’s not a solution that will perform as well as going with another mattress type, but it is budget-friendly and workable for some people.

Latex

Definition: All of the internal layers of a latex mattress are made with latex rubber. This material is normally made naturally, and different latex formulations can be employed in various layers to influence the overall feel of the bed. A number of latex mattresses are built to be flippable.

Durable and Responsive: Latex is already a durable material, and that can mean a flippable all-latex mattress has even more longevity. These beds deliver notable bounce while keeping a comfortable level of conforming and pressure relief.

Airbed

Definition: An airbed has an adjustable air chamber for its support core. A built-in pump allows the amount of air to be changed, which then alters the firmness of the bed. The comfort system can be thin or thick and may include foam, latex, and/or textiles like cotton and wool. Airbeds are rarely built to be flippable.

One-Touch Firmness Adjustments: For people who are unsure of their ideal firmness level, an airbed offers even more flexibility than a dual-firmness flippable mattress since changes can be made in real time to suit their needs.

Foam

Definition: An all-foam mattress uses only memory foam, polyfoam, and/or latex foam without any coil-based layers. The ability to arrange foam layers makes these mattresses a popular pick for designing flippable mattresses.

Conforming Comfort: Foam stands out for its ability to cushion pressure points by hugging and contouring to the body. It also tends to be lighter in weight, which in a flippable mattress makes it easier to turn it over from one side to the other.

Last Things to Consider with a Flippable Mattress

While we’ve covered the basics for shopping for a flippable mattress, there are a few remaining issues that are important to touch on before you make a final purchase.

How Often Should I Flip a Flippable Mattress?

The type of flippable mattress that you have will help determine how often it needs to be turned over and/or rotated.

Single Firmness Flippable Mattresses

If your flippable mattress has the same firmness on each side, then flip it every 3-6 months. If you notice patterns of wear arising faster, you can consider flipping it more frequently.

Dual-Firmness Flippable Mattresses

For a mattress with reversible firmness, you can flip it any time that you want to adjust the firmness feel.

If you don’t want to switch the firmness level, then simply rotate the mattress every 3-6 months without flipping it.

Flippable Mattresses Can Be Heavier

Many flippable mattresses weigh more than one-sided mattresses. This is especially true for dual-firmness designs because of the need to have a distinct comfort system on each side.

The downside to a heavier mattress is that it can be more challenging to actually flip. Handles on the cover can help, but even with handles, it normally takes two people to safely flip a mattress over.

Mattress Company Policies

While we’ve discussed the best practice for rotating, flipping, and caring for a mattress, the best bet is to always double check with the manufacturer of the specific mattress that you buy.

Following manufacturer instructions can help you optimize the performance and durability of your bed. In addition, some policies may need to be followed in order to maintain the validity of your warranty.