The table below features a summary comparison of the five main mattress types and their suitability for sex, based on the performance factors above. All mattress ratings are generated through authentic customer reviews based on experiences with different mattress brands.
Our customer feedback indicates that hybrid mattresses are the best type for sex, followed by innersprings; foam, latex, and airbed mattresses are not as good for sex, say owners. However, each couple should look at all of the performance factors listed above when deciding which mattress is best for them.
What’s Your Ideal Mattress Firmness Level?
Before you can buy a mattress, you need to know the ideal firmness rating for your body type and sleep position. Most mattresses today range from ‘Extra Soft’ to ‘Extra Firm’, or between a 2 to 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. All of the mattress types we outlined above are available in this same range of firmness levels, so it’s simply a matter of finding a brand with a model that suits your firmness needs.
The firmness of a mattress affects how well it supports healthy spinal alignment while you sleep, and consequently how comfortable it feels to sleep on night after night. Since you’ll be using your mattress for sleep in addition to sex, this is an important consideration.
Generally, you can determine your ideal firmness rating based on your body weight and sleep position.
Body Weight and Mattress Firmness
Above, we visualized mattress firmness as having a 1-to-10 scale. Your body weight roughly corresponds to that same scale.
- Heavier individuals (those who weigh over 230 pounds) typically need a firmer mattress, rated a 6 or higher, in order to enjoy adequate support and minimal sagging.
- On the other end of the spectrum, lightweight individuals (who weigh 130 pounds or less) find a softer mattress, rated a 5 or below, to be more comfortable, as these mattresses offer more cushioning for their pressure points.
- Individuals of average weight (between 130 and 230 pounds) often find a mattress right in the middle, around a 5 or 6, to be most comfortable.
Sleep Position and Mattress Firmness
Depending on your sleep position, you may require more or less “give” from your mattress, in order to keep your spine straight while you sleep. For example, side sleepers typically need their hips and shoulders to sink deeper into their mattress to sleep comfortably. Softer mattresses are more suitable for them.
Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, need a much firmer mattress surface, in order to prevent heavier parts of their body, such as their hips and pelvis, from sinking deeper into the mattress surface and pulling their spine out of alignment.
Back sleepers require some give in the pelvis area, but not too much, or they can experience the same issue as stomach sleepers. Mattresses with zoned support systems, such as The WinkBed and Awara Mattress, can be ideal.
The chart below summarizes the preferred firmness ratings for sleepers, based on their sleep position and weight group: