Top Rated and Best Mattress Recommendations - listing of mattresses to investigate/research?

I was hoping there is a listing of top beds to look at for my needs (see below) that I could narrow down my research.

I was going to buy a Rhapsody Breeze @ $4,000 and I am about to do my research before I make the purchase because it’s so expensive and having a bed where I get the best sleep is paramount to me. Having said that, I plan to read the forum guides and articles about what I should be looking for. I’ve had a coiled bed that is 12 years old so all the memory foam mattresses seem amazing to me when I tried them at mattress firm.

Budget: I’ve saved a lot for my bed purchase and will spend up to the ~$7,000 range if the bed is truly worth it. Ideally I’d like to spend as little as possible of course but if I find a $5,000 bed that will give me a 5% better sleep than a $2,000 bed I will buy the $5,000 bed.

Concerns: I’m worried that I will buy a mattress that feels “good” but isn’t the most optimal to get the best sleep possible. Also buying online and not being able to test the mattress then pay return fees if I don’t like it is scary to me.

I believe my needs/wants are:
1- best sleep possible
2- I’m a big guy (6’2" @ 220 lbs) with broad shoulders. Not sure if it matters but I have an athletic body type.
3- I like my environment to be cold when I sleep. Like 66 degrees.
4- I sleep on my sides and sometimes my back. Never stomach.
5- I prefer firm to soft. The salesman at mattress firm had an interesting point in that since I had broad shoulders I want a firm mattress but not super firm so that my spine can push into the mattress some so my spine is neutral.

Really appreciate any help as this process is very overwhelming to me and there are so many options.

I live in Houston, TX and also saw the “houston” thread with all the manufacturers to try.

Hi Destro,

Unfortunately it isn’t possible to put together a list of this type which would have any meaning or relevance for any individual person.

There is no such thing as the “best mattress” or the “best manufacturer”, or even a top 5 or 10 or even 100 (see here and here and here) … only a mattress that is “best for you”. A mattress is too individual a choice and there are too many individual criteria and personal preferences involved for anyone to know which mattress is best for someone else based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) which is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase … a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label and “brand shopping” is among the worst ways to choose a mattress because the name of the manufacturer won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design (see post #5 here and post #12 here).

The mattress shopping tutorial has all the basic information, steps and guidelines you need to to know “how” find “your” best mattress and as you are suggesting this is the best place to start your research.

Post #13 here also has more information about the most important parts of the value of a mattress purchase that can help you make meaningful “value” comparisons between mattresses regardless of the brand.

There is also more in post #2 here about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either locally or online) that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them.

Once you are over about $3000 (queen size mattress only) or the equivalent in other sizes I would make sure that you do some VERY careful value comparisons between mattresses because higher prices may have very little to do with how well you sleep on a mattress or the quality and durability of the materials inside it (see post #2 here and post #2 here).

The Houston list will help you narrow down your choices and you certainly have some good options available in the area.

Phoenix

Thank you Pheonix. I’ve read a lot of your threads and was hoping you’d reply. I also kinda thought you’d say something like this haha. I feel like you’re the sage at the beginning of the story before the young adventurer embarks on his quest. Ok well I’m off to do my research and journey out to test some beds. Wish me luck and thanks for your time and help!

Hi Destro,

Good luck … and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any comments or questions you may have along the way :slight_smile:

Phoenix