While we haven’t yet reached the age of jetpacks or flying cars, we live in an era of advanced technology. In recent years, this wave of innovation has come to the mattress industry, spurring the development of smart mattresses that employ a variety of technologies to give sleepers advanced, sleep-enhancing features. We’ll share our top picks for the best smart mattress and tell you what you need to know about these beds of the future.

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Best Mattress Overall

Solaire

8.7 /10

Test Lab Score

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The Saatva Solaire Mattress is our choice for the best overall smart bed. It earns this accolade not because it’s laden with nifty technology but because it’s built with incredible attention-to-detail that optimizes its performance. This airbed offers over excellent pressure relief and 50 firmness settings that you can adjust in real-time.

Credit: Sleep Foundation Test Lab

Price

$3,745

Mattress Type

Airbed

Firmness Options

Soft (3), Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (7) Firm (8)

Trial Period

365 Nights ($99 Return Fee)

At a Glance
  • Who It’s Best for: People of any body weight and sleeping position.
  • Feel: Firmness ranges from soft (3) to firm (8), but it has 50 precise levels. Comfort layers add gentle cradling and pressure relief.
  • What It’s Made of: Euro-top includes latex and gel-infused memory foam, followed by inflatable air chambers.
  • What We Don’t Like: Doesn’t have built-in sensors or technology integrations. Return fee of $99.
Scoring Breakdown

The following ratings show how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights. These scores are determined by how well the mattress supports and relieves pressure for each sleeper type.

Side Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

7.5/10

130-230 lbs

8/10

Above 230 lbs

8/10

Back Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8/10

130-230 lbs

8.5/10

Above 230 lbs

8/10

Stomach Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8/10

130-230 lbs

8/10

Above 230 lbs

8/10

Full Details

The Saatva Solaire is a top-tier smart mattress that combines the deep cushioning of memory foam and latex with an adjustable air chamber core. You can set the mattress to 50 different settings on each side of the bed, using different zones to target specific areas of your body that need pain and pressure relief.

How It Performed

Our team was greatly impressed with the Solaire during hands-on evaluations in our Seattle Test Lab. While side, back, and stomach sleepers differed about which firmness level felt most comfortable, virtually every tester found at least one or two settings that provided the right amount of support for their sleep position and body type.

We also liked how much cushioning the Solaire provided. Many competing airbeds are constructed with thin foam layers to provide a bit of surface-level padding, but the Solaire contains layers of zoned latex and gel-infused memory foam. These materials contour evenly, enhancing the Solaire’s adjustable design.

What It’s Made of

Measuring 12 inches thick, the Solaire begins with a Euro-top containing layers of zoned, natural latex and gel-infused memory foam. The support core features air chambers made of vulcanized rubber and a dense foam encasement along the perimeter to bolster edge support. A breathable organic cotton cover encases the mattress.

The Solaire is expensive, as one should expect from an airbed of this caliber, but Saatva sweetens the deal with free White Glove delivery for customers in the contiguous U.S. You’ll also receive a generous 365-night sleep trial with your purchase, and the mattress is backed by a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects.

Best Luxury Mattress

Bryte Balance Smart Bed

8.3 /10

Test Lab Score

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$3,999 from Bryte

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$3,999 from Bryte

Representing the latest in smart sleep technology, the Bryte Balance features air-filled coils that automatically become softer or firmer in response to your movements. This ensures optimal pressure relief and head-to-toe support in any position. Embedded sensors capture your sleep data during the night, while the Brytewaves feature combines gentle motion and audio tracks to help you fall asleep feeling relaxed.

Best Smart Mattress of 2025 - Best Luxury Mattress - Bryte Balance Smart Bed

Price

$3,999

Mattress Type

Airbed

Firmness Options

Soft (3), Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (7), Firm (8)

Trial Period

100 nights

At a Glance
  • Who It’s Best for: Anyone, but especially couples and those with shoulder, back, or hip pain.
  • Feel: Firmness ranges from soft (3) to firm (8). Can adjust certain areas to reduce pressure. Designed for dual firmness.
  • What It’s Made of: Comfort system contains a plush top foam layer, followed by a denser layer of transitional foam. Support core is individual, self-adjusting air coils and data-tracking sensors.
  • What We Don’t Like: Expensive, even compared to other smart beds. May be an adjustment period.
Scoring Breakdown

The following ratings show how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights. These scores are determined by how well the mattress supports and relieves pressure for each sleeper type.

Side Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

9.5/10

130-230 lbs

9/10

Above 230 lbs

8/10

Back Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

9/10

130-230 lbs

8/10

Above 230 lbs

7/10

Stomach Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

7.5/10

130-230 lbs

7/10

Above 230 lbs

6/10

Full Details

With 20 distinct firmness levels and a range of soft (3) to firm (8), the Bryte Balance Smart Bed should meet the needs of most sleepers regardless of their body type or preferred sleep position. In addition to air chambers, the support core also contains sensors to track your sleep activity and provide daily insights via the Bryte app.

How It Performed

The Bryte Balance was a big hit with most of our testing team, but especially those over 230 pounds who have struggled to find a mattress that provides adequate support. Since the air chambers automatically adjust in response to your movements and position changes, the mattress is also a great fit for combination sleepers – you won’t need to adjust the firmness of your bed every time you switch between your side, back, and stomach.

We found the mattress provides above-average motion isolation and pressure relief. Both qualities can be attributed to the thick foam layers in the comfort system, as well as the auto-adjusting air chamber support core. Our team also tested the bed’s sleep-tracking abilities and found most of the data to be accurate.

What It’s Made of

The Bryte Balance is constructed with two 2-inch foam layers in its comfort system. Unlike traditional memory foam, these materials are somewhat responsive to movement and shouldn’t hug your body too closely. “Air coils” in the support core automatically adjust to accommodate your movements and position changes. The mattress contains up to eight zones for the coils on each side to ensure ideal customization for one or two sleepers.

Sensors used to track your sleep activity are embedded in the support core. You can access daily sleep reports through the Bryte companion app. The mattress also includes BryteWaves, a multi-sensory relaxation feature that combines head-to-toe motion in the mattress with 15 curated audio tracks to help you fall asleep. 

If you want to upgrade, Bryte also offers two mattresses in the Pro series. The softer Balance Pro and firmer Balance Pro Conform build on the flagship design with “independent zone control,” allowing you to adjust different areas of the mattress and target specific areas of your body. These models also have cooling fibers woven into the cover to maintain a comfortable surface temperature and a built-in silent alarm that wakes you up in the morning with gentle vibrations.

Bryte offers free White Glove delivery and setup in a room of your choice, as well as a 100-night sleep trial for the Balance Smart Bed. You’ll also receive a 10-year warranty with your purchase.

Best Value Mattress

iSense Hybrid Premier

8.6 /10

Test Lab Score

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The best value you’ll find in a smart bed is the iSense Hybrid Premier. It has a unique design that includes adjustable air chambers so you can dial up the perfect firmness level for your body. Built-in sensors and a companion app offer detailed data about your sleep and ways to get better rest.

Best Smart Mattress of 2025 - Best Value Mattress - iSense Hybrid Premier

Price

$3,999

Mattress Type

Hybrid

Firmness Options

Soft (3), Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), Medium Firm(6), Firm (7)

Trial Period

180 Night (45-night requirement)

At a Glance
  • Who It’s Best for: Any position or weight, particularly couples and those who wants nightly data about their heart rate, breathing, movement, and sleep quality.
  • Feel: Firmness ranges from soft (3) to firm (7). All have adaptive cushioning from the top layers that lightly cradles your lumbar spine, hips, and shoulders.
  • What It’s Made of: Top layer is gel-infused memory foam. Next layer is 5.5 inches of polyfoam with air chambers. Support core is pocketed coils with an underlying layer of dense polyfoam.
  • What We Don’t Like: Too much conforming for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds.
Scoring Breakdown

The following ratings show how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights. These scores are determined by how well the mattress supports and relieves pressure for each sleeper type.

Side Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8.5/10

130-230 lbs

8.5/10

Above 230 lbs

8/10

Back Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8.5/10

130-230 lbs

8/10

Above 230 lbs

7.5/10

Stomach Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8/10

130-230 lbs

7/10

Above 230 lbs

6.5/10

We performed a meta-analysis on 318 validated customer reviews of the iSense Hybrid Premier. This is what people who bought the mattress had to say:

  • Customizable Comfort: Users love the ability to adjust the Hybrid Premier’s firmness, with many saying customizing the mattress is a quick and painless process.
  • Heat Retention: While most users haven’t commented on the Hybrid Premier’s temperature control, some have said the foam layers can absorb and trap heat. This might be a dealbreaker for hot sleepers.
  • Pressure Relief: Users praise the iSense Hybrid Premier for its pain- and pressure-relieving abilities, touting the adaptive foam and customizable air chambers as very beneficial to their sleep quality
  • Price: The Hybrid Premier is fairly expensive. That said, users seem pleased with the overall value and sleep quality improvement.
  • Customer Service: Buyers have praised iSense’s customer service team for their helpfulness and quick response to issues before and after purchases are made.

Full Details

Built with adjustable air chambers and sleep-tracking sensors, the iSense Hybrid Premier is a leading smart mattress that helps you sleep better on multiple levels. The mattress also carries a sticker price that, while still on the expensive side, falls below many of its main competitors in terms of up-front cost.

How It Performed

Since the Hybrid Premier can be programmed between soft (3) and firm (7) feels, most of our testing team found the mattress comfortable in at least a few settings. Side sleepers up to 230 pounds preferred soft to medium settings, while those over 230 pounds received the support they needed from medium firm and firm settings. Most back and stomach sleepers on our team favored settings that fell between medium and firm.

One thing that sets the Hybrid Premier apart from many other airbeds on the market is its responsive feel. The foam layers and adjustable chambers still prove plenty of cushioning, but you’ll notice a mellow bounce on the surface whenever you get in and out of bed or change positions. This comes from the coil system located beneath the air chambers. Steady airflow through the coils also boosts the Hybrid Premier’s temperature control.

What It’s Made of

The Hybrid Premier’s comfort system contains 2.25 inches of open-cell polyfoam over the foam-encased air cylinders. You’ll notice some contouring from the top layer, but it won’t hug your body as closely as memory foam, and you can adjust each air chamber to target specific areas of your body that are sensitive to pain and pressure buildup. Pocketed coils and sense base foam make up the support core, and high-density foam rails protect the perimeter from sinkage when you sit or sleep along the edges.

iSense offers free delivery to shoppers in the contiguous U.S. Your sleep trial runs for 180 nights, ensuring ample time for testing out the Hybrid Premier and deciding if it’s right for you. Should you decide to keep the mattress, it’s further backed by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Best Temperature Control

Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed

8.4 /10

Test Lab Score

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$9,988 from Tempur-Pedic (queen)

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$9,988 from Tempur-Pedic (queen)

If you want a luxury smart bed that’s loaded with features to enhance your sleep, then the TEMPUR-ActiveBreze Smart Bed is right up your alley. It has anti-snore sensors, dual-sided climate control, and an adjustable base, all of which complement Tempur-Pedic’s renowned memory foam.

Best Smart Mattress of 2025 -  Best Temperature Control - Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed

Price

$9,998

Mattress Type

Hybrid

Firmness Options

Medium (5)

Trial Period

90 nights (30-night requirement)

At a Glance
  • Who It’s Best for: Side and back sleepers under 230 pounds, as well as couples and hot sleepers.
  • Feel: Medium (5) with notable contouring to relieve pressure around joints. Sleeps cool and has extra lumbar support.
  • What It’s Made of: Removable, breathable cover and two layers of high-end TEMPUR memory foams. Ventilated foam layer and a cooling base. Sensors can detect snoring and adjust your position.
  • What We Don’t Like: Expensive. May be too soft for sleepers over 230 pounds.
Scoring Breakdown

The following ratings show how suitable this mattress is for different sleeping positions and sleeper weights. These scores are determined by how well the mattress supports and relieves pressure for each sleeper type.

Side Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

8.5/10

130-230 lbs

9/10

Above 230 lbs

7/10

Back Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

7/10

130-230 lbs

7.5/10

Above 230 lbs

5.5/10

Stomach Sleepers

Under 130 lbs

6/10

130-230 lbs

6.5/10

Above 230 lbs

4.5/10

Full Details

If you’re looking for a mattress with adjustable temperature settings and smart features, the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed checks both boxes. The mattress is also a nice showcase for TEMPUR memory foam, an adaptive proprietary material that excels at pressure relief and motion isolation.

How It Performed

Since the TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze does not contain air chambers, its firmness is fixed at medium (5). As we learned during hands-on tests, this plush feel is best suited to side sleepers up to 230 pounds and back sleepers under 130 pounds. People who use these positions and weigh more – as well as most stomach sleepers – may want to consider a firmer mattress with stronger support.

Temperature control is a defining strength of the TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze. You can adjust the mattress with a range of 30 degrees to make the mattress feel cooler or warmer. If you share your bed with a partner and your temperature preferences differ, both of you can set a specific temperature for your side of the bed without disturbing the other person. We also gave the mattress high marks for motion isolation and pressure relief.

What It’s Made of

In terms of core design, the TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze is a typical hybrid mattress built with two memory foam layers over a pocketed coil support core. A cover woven with cooling fibers encases the mattress and helps reduce heat absorption in the foam layers.

Each purchase comes with the ProSmart Air Base, which uses built-in fans to disperse air at the selected temperature to each side of the bed. Use the Sleeptracker-AI companion app to make temperature adjustments. A lumbar lift can be raised up to 6 inches for extra lower back support, and you can also elevate or lower the base for a wide range of sleep positions – including zero gravity.

Tempur-Pedic offers free White Glove delivery for the TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed and ProSmart Air Base. Couriers will also remove your old mattress at no extra charge upon your request. The sleep trial runs for 90 nights, and the mattress is also backed by a 10-year warranty against workmanship defects.

What Makes a Good Smart Mattress?
  • Intuitive Technology: By definition, smart mattresses have built-in technology, but the features and functions should also be accessible and user-friendly.
  • Adjustable Settings: The best smart mattresses allow you to change the firmness, temperature, and other settings to optimize your sleep surface.
  • Good Value: Expect to pay more for a smart mattress, but the best options should offer solid long-term value and performance.

How We Evaluated & Reviewed

Meta Analysis: Of the 2,000+ mattresses in our product database, roughly 40 qualify as “smart” beds. Based on previous testing and construction analyses, we chose our 10 favorite models for a fresh set of in-depth evaluations in our Seattle Test Lab.

Hands-On Testing: We tested each of the 10 mattresses we selected for our best smart mattress list. Using different tools and technologies, our testing team evaluated these mattresses for temperature control, pressure relief, motion isolation, and other performance metrics. We also tested their smart controls and features to determine if they work as well as advertised.

Field Testing: Next, we sent each of the 10 smart beds home with a member of our testing team to sleep on for roughly two weeks and determine how well the mattress performs over an extended period of time.

User Reviews: We collected data from more than 500 reviews to see how verified smart mattress owners felt about their purchase. This data helped us determine if our team’s findings line up with customers’ experiences.

The Best Deals of the Week

Best Mattress Overall

Solaire

8.7 /10

Test Lab Score

15% off orders of $1,000 or more

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A top smart bed powered by meticulous design and advanced features and functions.

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Best Luxury Mattress

Bryte Balance Smart Bed

8.3 /10

Test Lab Score

$3,999 from Bryte

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A state-of-the-art smart bed that adapts to your body and movements with automatic firmness adjustments.

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Best Smart Mattress of 2025 - Best Luxury Mattress - Bryte Balance Smart Bed

Best Value Mattress

iSense Hybrid Premier

8.6 /10

Test Lab Score

20% off sitewide

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An innovative smart bed with detailed sleep tracking and air chambers for easy firmness adjustments.

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Best Smart Mattress of 2025 - Best Value Mattress - iSense Hybrid Premier

Best Temperature Control

Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed

8.4 /10

Test Lab Score

$9,988 from Tempur-Pedic (queen)

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A luxury smart bed with innovative cooling technologies, an adjustable base, and high-end memory foam.

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Best Smart Mattress of 2025 - Best Temperature Control - Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-ActiveBreeze Smart Bed

What Is a Smart Mattress?

A smart mattress utilizes innovative technology to provide customers with enhanced features and functionality that can’t be found in more traditional mattress designs. In general, they allow for greater personalization and customization through the use of sleep tracking sensors (usually near the head of the bed) and automatic firmness adjustments.

What Features Does a Smart Bed Have?

Not all smart mattresses have the same design. As a newer and rapidly developing mattress category, smart mattresses don’t have a strict definition. However, some of the more common technologies and features in these beds include:

  • Body and Environmental Monitoring: Some smart mattresses use sensors to gather biometric data about your body’s movement, heart rate, breathing, and temperature. It may also monitor temperature, noise, and light in your bedroom.
  • Sleep Tracking: Some smart mattresses can calculate your bedtime, wake-up time, sleep disruptions, and sleeping position. Algorithms use this information to provide feedback about both your sleep quality and quantity, giving you an objective view of how well you’re actually sleeping. Connected sleep apps often provide a sleep score and offer sleep coaching to help you use the data to get better rest.
“The ability to track these metrics may provide insights into sleep quality that may be otherwise unknown. Patterns may reveal relationships to behaviors or choices that may influence sleep. In addition, certain findings may suggest a sleep disorder and may be useful to review with a sleep specialist. If someone is not sleeping well, these insights may facilitate targeted changes that provide relief.”
Dr. Brandon Peters
Dr. Brandon Peters
Sleep Physician, Sleep Psychiatry Expert
  • Mattress Customization: Traditional beds offer little room for customization, but many smart mattresses allow you to modify their feel to better suit your needs. For example, airbeds allow you to change the firmness using an app or a remote. Mattresses with smart temperature control let you adjust how warm or cool your mattress is.
  • Automatic Adjustments: A mattress’s ability to automatically change firmness or temperature during the night based on data from sensors is an increasingly popular feature in smart mattresses.
  • Audio Features: Special audio settings can include integrated sleep sounds like white noise, meditation programs, and connection to a home stereo system. All of these can work to make your bedroom more relaxing and conducive to sleep.
  • Connectivity to Other Apps: Many smart mattresses connect to your home WiFi and integrate with other apps. Connectivity with Amazon Alexa and Google Home are popular features, as they allow you to adjust mattress settings with your voice.

Who Should Buy a Smart Mattress?

Smart Mattress Are Best For

Early Adopters

  • People who like being on the cutting edge of technology, including smart-home integrations, are likely to appreciate the features of a smart mattress.

Sleepers Who Want Adjustable Comfort

  • Hot sleepers are well-suited to smart mattresses with special temperature-control features.
  • If your firmness preferences change, or they differ greatly from your partner’s, then you might want the enhanced firmness flexibility that smart mattresses offer.

Data-Driven People

  • Smart mattresses are a good fit for anyone who wants detailed sleep tracking.

Luxury Shoppers

  • Smart mattresses tend to be more expensive than traditional mattresses and thus tend to appeal to those who don’t mind paying more for added features.

Smart Mattresses Are Less Than Ideal For

People Who Prefer Traditional Mattresses

  • If you prefer the simplicity of a traditional mattress, the features of a smart mattress may not be worth the additional cost.
  • Smart mattresses are still relatively new, and many shoppers prefer to wait until a new technology has been around for a while before trying it.

Budget Shoppers

  • Because they tend to cost more than most other types of mattresses, smart mattresses aren’t a great fit for anyone with a limited budget.

Those Who Like a Large Selection

  • While there are several smart mattresses to choose from, there aren’t nearly as many smart mattresses as there are other mattress types.

How to Choose a Smart Mattress

Mattress marketing can involve a great deal of hype, and that certainly applies to smart mattresses. In some cases, the hype is justified, but at times, it can lead shoppers astray. As you review your options, keep these factors in mind and prioritize the ones that are the most important to you:

Features

Whatever it is that draws you to a smart mattress, make sure it’s included in a meaningful and usable way. If you’re a data-driven person, biometric monitoring and sleep tracking may be most important, or if you’re all about customization, automation, or app connectivity, the presence of those features will be your priority. 

Temperature Regulation

“Research suggests that a cooler temperature leads to deeper sleep,” Dr. Peters says. “Most people should target a bedroom temperature between 60 and 68 degrees to enhance sleep.”

In addition to your sleep environment, many smart mattresses incorporate features to improve temperature regulation, ranging from breathable materials to special functions for adjusting the temperature of the mattress or the bedroom based on your body’s temperature (as detected by in-bed sensors).

Firmness Level

Though firmness preferences are influenced by body weight and sleeping position, they’re ultimately subjective. “Someone who sleeps on their side may prefer a slightly softer mattress firmness, for example,” Dr. Peters says. 

People who want firmness flexibility should look for a smart mattress with features of adjustability and customization. If you share your bed with a partner, look for a mattress that allows for customization on each side of the bed.

Pressure Relief and Contouring

Getting the right support around the lower back and pressure points like the shoulders and hip can make all the difference when trying to wake up pain-free. A quality smart mattress with smart automation and personalization features should accommodate these and other hot spots without excessive sagging.

Contouring lets a mattress cushion the body proportionally, based on how weight and pressure are applied. Effective contouring promotes proper spinal alignment by making sure each part of the body gets the support it needs. Some smart mattresses use memory foam, which is known for conforming, or materials divided into strategic zones for enhanced contouring.

Price

Your budget is a central factor to consider with any mattress purchase, and it can be even more important with smart beds because of their higher price tag. Reflect on how much you can spend and narrow down your options by ruling out those that are too pricey, as some can cost $10,000 or more.

Quality Materials

When looking at a smart mattress, consider all of the layers and materials. While it’s natural to focus on the technology, keep in mind that the whole mattress needs to be well-built if you want a mattress that offers excellent performance and long-term durability.

Edge Support

Stability around the perimeter of the mattress allows you to use the whole surface no matter whether you’re sleeping or sitting on the bed. Foam comfort systems tend to have the worst edge support. But in any mattress design, reinforced edges can strengthen their structural integrity.

Motion Isolation

Sharing a bed doesn’t have to mean waking up when your bed partner tosses and turns. The best way to keep sleeping soundly is to have a mattress with solid motion isolation. Certain mattress components, including memory foam, are known for their ability to keep movement from rippling across the bed.

Ease of Movement

Feeling stuck in the bed can be bothersome, especially if you have mobility concerns. A mattress with more bounce makes movement easier. Beds with latex or coils offer the best bet for permitting smoother movement.

Mattress Warranty and Other Policies

With most smart mattresses, you can try out the bed in your own home with the option to return it if you aren’t happy with it. This is known as a sleep trial, and for online mattresses, it’s normal for the trial to last around 100 nights. Make sure to look at the terms of the sleep trial ahead of time and mark down the end date in your calendar.

A warranty offers longer-term protection against defects in your mattress; however, it doesn’t cover normal wear-and-tear or accidental damage like spills. Some smart mattresses have different warranty terms for the technology components, so take the time to carefully read over the fine print of your mattress warranty.

Shipping and Setup

Some smart mattresses are delivered to your home in a box, which means you’ll be responsible for unpacking and setting up the mattress. In this situation, read through the instructions before you get started to make sure that all of the elements, including the technology components, are properly installed.

Some companies offer White Glove delivery — technicians come to your home and install the mattress — as an alternative to mattress-in-a-box shipping.. Though this may come at an extra cost, it can be appealing if you want stress-free installation and peace of mind that the technology is set up correctly.

What Types of Mattresses Feature Smart Technology?

With their inventive designs and features, smart mattresses are sometimes thought of as an entire category of their own. But they also fit within the broader mattress types defined by their internal construction — hybrid, innerspring, foam, latex, and airbed, for example. Only two are frequently found with smart technology:

Foam

Definition: In a foam bed, there are no coil layers, and all the components are made with foam. The support core is made with dense polyfoam, and the comfort system can include one or more layers of memory foam, latex, and polyfoam.

Highlight: Pressure Relief Enhanced by Technology. Foam beds excel at cushioning pressure points to ease pain and improve spinal alignment. “But foam is notorious for not wicking heat away,” Dr. Peters says. In a smart mattress, however, that can be addressed by features that regulate temperature, such as cooling, gel-infused covers and air-distribution layers.

Airbed

Definition: The support core of an airbed is made of one or more air chambers that can be filled with more or less air to modify the firmness level, which is controlled by an app or remote. The comfort system may include foam, latex, or fabrics like cotton and wool.

Highlight: Personalized Firmness. Airbeds let sleepers customize the feel of the bed by adding or removing air, and the feel can differ on each side, which is ideal for couples with varying sleep preferences. Smart mattress versions make it even easier to adjust the firmness, and some even make automatic adjustments during the night.

Other Smart Products

Smart mattresses aren’t the only smart sleep products available. If you aren’t ready to go all-in on a smart mattress, there are other options to consider:

  • Smart cover: Slipping over the top of the bed, a smart cover includes sensors to gather data for detailed sleep tracking.
  • Temperature control system: Various products exist to help manage the temperature of your bed, including systems that use heated or cooled water or air that’s pumped through a layer under your sheets.
  • Sleep trackers: There are several types of sleep trackers, including wearable devices, smartphone apps, and small devices that sit on your nightstand.
  • Sunrise alarm clock: These alarm clocks are designed to wake you up gradually, slowly getting brighter as you approach the time when you need to start your day.

How We Test: Your Comfort Is Our Science

Our industry-leading product testing team cares deeply about improving your sleep. Having a holistic understanding of a mattress’s role as part of a sleep system is paramount to our testing process. Since a bed’s comfort and feel depend largely on body weight and sleeping position, our testing team represents a wide range of body types, sleep positions, and comfort preferences.

In our Seattle-based Test Lab, we use an objective, hands-on process to evaluate mattresses across performance categories. The following are the key guidelines that inform our performance ratings. Our ultimate goal is to ensure you have all the information you need to make the best purchase decision for you.

Construction analysis: We begin testing each mattress by analyzing its design and making note firmness, height, individual layer composition, and sticker price. This allows us to evaluate qualities like support, durability, and value.

Product testing: Firsthand testing is crucial to our evaluation and ratings system. We use a wide range of tools and technology to test mattresses in six performance categories: motion isolation, pressure relief, temperature control, ease of movement, edge support, and odor potential.

Field testing: In addition to lab-based tests, we base our ratings on feedback from field testers who use the mattresses in their own homes. They spend several weeks collecting data — this gives us insights into how the mattress performs night after night for an extended period.

User testing: We curate feedback verified owners have provided in surveys, sleep stories, and product reviews. This helps us evaluate our initial findings and, if needed, tweak our ratings to reflect real-world experiences.

How We Determine Our Overall Scores

To determine a mattress’s overall score, we assign weighted percentages to performance categories based on how important they are to the individual sleep experience. For instance, areas like pressure relief and temperature control tend to matter more to people than something like off-gassing, and because more people sleep on their side and back than on their stomachs, we weigh those positions more heavily.

Performance Categories

Motion Isolation

This criteria alludes to the amount of motion a mattress absorbs when a sleeper moves on the surface. We use two testers lying side by side to evaluate motion isolation, who each feel for transfer while the other person moves on the mattress.

Temperature Control

To determine how well a mattress regulates temperature, we perform temperature tests and look closely at its materials and construction. Many mattresses are designed with cooling components meant to reduce heat retention.

Pressure Relief

A bed with strong pressure relief excels at preventing pressure from building up in areas like the shoulders and hips. Beds with even contouring and weight distribution are top performers when it comes to pressure relief.

Off-Gassing

A mattress in a box may release unpleasant chemical odors for a short period after you’ve unboxed it. The initial smell may be strong but typically fades within 2 or 3 days.

Ease of Movement

This criteria reflects how easily a sleeper can move across a bed’s surface. Responsive surfaces made of latex typically perform better than foam surfaces, which can inhibit movement.

Edge Support

We perform sit tests along a bed’s perimeter to measure how well the edges push back against weight. Mattresses with strong edge support have minimal sagging when sleepers sit on or lie close to the perimeter.

Dive Deeper – Mattress Guides by Type

If you’d like to narrow down your options for a bed beyond smart mattresses, you can read through our other recommendations sorted by mattress type.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a smart mattress worth the cost?

Whether a smart mattress feels worth it to you depends on what you prioritize. For many shoppers, the added customization of a smart mattress means improving sleep quality enough to justify the expense. For others, a traditional mattress works well, and they don’t require extra features. Anyone who’s curious about their sleep data but can’t justify the cost of a smart mattress may want to pair a traditional mattress with a separate smart sleep device, like a wearable sleep tracker.

How long do smart mattresses last?

In general, mattresses last as long as their components, so if you choose a mattress made from quality materials, you should get five to 10 (potentially up to 15) years out of it. Good quality foam models last six to seven years, while airbeds can last around eight or more. Longevity also depends on the technology used — especially if certain features are no longer supported as upgrades continue, Dr. Peters says — though some components can be repaired if they break.

Still have questions?

Our product experts have extensive experience testing just about every sleep product on the market.

Send an email to [email protected] with your questions and we’ll help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

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