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best soft mattresses 2024
Casper

4 Best Soft Mattresses That Feel Like Sleeping On a Cloud

For plush and cuddly sleeping arrangements.

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So, you want a soft mattress? Out of all the editor-awarded mattresses out there, you want the one that coddles you, that makes you feel like you're sleeping on clouds. I get it. Some people care about getting a cheap mattress. Some prioritize cooling capabilities. Some only care about convenience. And, some of y'all with studio apartments still sleep on futons (respect). I get it, all of it. I, and my other Esquire editors, have tested every mattress out there. And today, we're going to tell you the best soft mattresses.

Here at Esquire, we're all about giving everyone the best sleep of their lives. (Even the freaky stomach sleepers who like firm mattresses.) We've reviewed all the bedding essentials you need—like sheets, duvet covers, inserts, and bed frames. No matter what it is you need to upgrade your sleep space, we've tried it—and we've found the best version of it.

So, trust us here. If you're looking for the best of the best soft mattresses and don't want to do the showroom runaround or trial sleep five different models, just buy from this list. These are, hands down, the best soft mattresses out there.

Best Soft Mattress Overall

Bear Elite Hybrid

Elite Hybrid
Pros
  • As soft a mattress as you will find
  • Great price, Bear always has sales
  • Pretty good cooling tech
Cons
  • Supportive, but not the most supportive on this list

Our Entertainment Editor, Brady Langmann, has raved about this mattress as his super-plush dream: "This mattress has that elusive extra-squishiness—the kind that simply doesn't exist in any mattress ever bought by any person I know, ever."

I mean, can we give a better endorsement? If you're looking for the softest mattress you can find, this is the one. This is a bed you really, really sink into. It hugs you.

That said, don't get scared if you've got chronic pain. This is a hybrid mattress, so underneath that quilted cover and all that plush foam, there's regular old coils. The coils are high quality and supportive enough to keep you from sinking down too far. They are what keep this bed from swerving into uncomfortably soft territory.

Trial Period120 Days
Most Luxurious Soft Mattress

Purple RestorePlus

 RestorePlus
Now 92% Off
Pros
  • The Purple grid is the perfect squishy mattress topper
  • Great support, gives you an incredible night's sleep
  • Good cooling
Cons
  • Purple grid takes some getting used to

When Purple launched its new Restore line, the goal was, well, restorative sleep—the most restorative sleep of your life. It's done that better than any brand with a combination of coils, foam, and its proprietary gel grid.

As with all the hybrid models on this list, the coils at the bottom give you support and save you from insane back pain. Purple's foam is pretty standard—cradling enough to relieve your pressure points. The real star here is, surprise, the Purple grid. If you're not a mattress obsessive like me, click into the Purple website and look around. You'll see that lavender rubber grid everywhere, and for good reason.

Purple's grid doesn't do a whole lot, but that's why it's great. Its porous design makes it great for cooling, and it also makes it insanely squishy. It's really something you have to try to understand. When you lie down on this bed, you feel that rubber topper, like every little component of it. At first, it's a bit of a novelty—fun to squish around on. But, on your first night of sleep, you realize it's the best thing to ever happen to mattresses.

Trial Period100 Days
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Best Cooling Soft Mattress

Casper Nova Hybrid

Nova Hybrid
Pros
  • Best cooling tech on this list
  • Pretty good support
  • Casper has the best mattress-in-a-box service
Cons
  • Final sale model, no option for returns

Casper, very intelligently, has a small mattress lineup. There's only six mattresses to cover just about every base, and we love every single one of them. For those that want something plush, The Nova Hybrid is the model for you.

As far as tech though, it's pretty standard. Casper isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's perfecting it. You've got three layers of foam—two perforated AirScape layers, one zoned support layer—and some coils. Add a little edge support, and that's it. The magic is in how the layers work.

Specifically, the top two layers are the stars here. Casper's AirScape foam is some of the best cooling foam out there, because it doesn't really feel like cooling foam. It's dense like your standard memory foam, but it's full of perforations that give you all the airflow you need. You'll sink down into this mattress, but you'll never overheat in it.

Return TimelineN/A, Final Sale Model
Most Supportive Soft Mattress

Saatva Classic - Plush Soft

Classic - Plush Soft
Pros
  • Best in the business trial period
Cons
  • Can trend towards firmer

Next to Casper in our favorite brands list is Saatva. We pitted the two against each other recently. The consensus from that story, is each has its benefits. Saatva's leg up is its classic white glove service, which is far batter than any mattress in a box experience. But, when we're talking about sleeping experience, Saatva's mattresses tend to run a bit firm.

"Why are you showing me this?" You ask. Well, because it's not that firm. It's still a soft mattress. Plus, a little support might be what you need.

There's plenty of squish to the top layers of Saatva's Plush Soft Classic, so you get that feeling of sinking into the bed. But, it only goes so far. After a few inches of sink, the coils keep you nice and supported. You get that coddling sensation, but you don't wake up with aches and pains. It's great for heavyweights, lightweights, and anyone with chronic issues.

Trial Period365 Days
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Our Favorite Soft Mattress Topper

Coop Sleep Goods Retreat Mattress Topper

Retreat Mattress Topper
Pros
  • Chambered build keeps it surprisingly cool
  • Cut memory foam changes a mattress more than regular foam
  • It's just the perfect cloud-like accessory
Cons
  • Well.. it's not a mattress
  • Can only really spot clean it, be careful

We can't talk about all the soft mattresses we've tested and not give a shoutout to Coop's mattress topper. We gave this thing a full endorsement a while back, because it can totally revive an old mattress, or it can add another layer of cloud-like plush to your mattress.

The topper is full of cut memory foam, which stacks on top of itself to really make your mattress feel new again. It's not like placing a different foam slab on top of an old mattress. This drastically changes the feel. If you just want some extra plush—because your mattress is too firm or because it's losing its plushy feedback—this is a great option.

Trial Period100-Night

Why Trust Esquire?

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Because we've become the sleep experts of the internet. What started as our targeted campaign against the endless "Best Sleep I Ever Had" stories turned us into an authority figure. And you know what... we wouldn't trust anyone else. The rest of the internet wants you to sleep on a piece of shit mattress from Amazon for the rest of your life. Not us. We're only recommending the best of the best, because that's what you deserve, reader.

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