Regardless of how adventurous couples might be, it’s fair to say that the vast majority of sex will take place on the mattress they sleep on at night. That’s why finding a mattress that’s not only great for sleep but also suitable for sex, is essential.
A mattress that’s fit for sex is one that’s responsive; in other words, it has a bouncy surface that responds well to motion. An unresponsive mattress may lead to couples sinking into the bed, which, naturally, can affect the quality of their sex.
Our guide on the best mattresses for sex will include the mattress types and qualities that are best for sex, what to consider when choosing a mattress for sex and the relationship between sex and sleep. We’ve also added in our top picks of the best beds for sex.
The Best Mattresses for Sex: Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Saatva
Saatva
The Saatva provides excellent comfort and support.
Why we Picked It
The Saatva is our best overall mattress for several reasons. Featuring a dual steel coil support system and an organic cotton cover, it provides excellent comfort and support.
In terms of how conducive it is for sex, things just get better. The Saatva offers a superb response; in other words, it has a bouncy surface that responds well to motion. There should be next to no sinking during sex.
The Saatva also offers a high level of durability, the pocketed coils help to keep noise to a minimum, and there’s excellent edge support on offer, too.
The bed comes in two height profiles: 11.5″ “Custom Slim” or 14.5″ “Premier Luxury,” and includes free white glove delivery plus a 120-day home trial.
Keep in Mind
The Saatva may be difficult to move for some people due to its weight. The lifespan may also be shorter than other beds out there.
In a Nutshell
- Three firmness options
- Minimal motion transfer
- Dual Perimeter edge support
Best Value: Allswell Luxe
Allswell Luxe
Impressive conforming and pressure point relief — a bed that’s great for both sex and sleep.
Why we Picked It
Our favorite mattress in terms of value is the Allswell Luxe. It features individually wrapped coils that minimize motion transfer for couples and offers excellent edge support. Did we mention the value for money?
With a polyfoam top layer and a memory foam cover—along with the pocketed coils—the mattress offers a good balance between comfort and support.
There shouldn’t be much noise from the Allswell, and with its impressive conforming and pressure point relief, it’s a bed that’s great for both sex and sleep.
It comes with a sleep trial of 100 nights, is shipped in a box, and offers a warranty of 10 years. It’s fair to say that the value on offer with the Allswell Luxe is outstanding.
Keep in Mind
The Allswell Luxe is offered in one firmness setting, a medium on the scale. More choice here is always better.
In a Nutshell
- Excellent value for money
- Minimal motion transfer
- Offers a cool sleep
Most Luxurious: WinkBeds
WinkBeds
Strong upward force, but with the comfort you need.
Why we Picked It
If you’re looking for the full luxury treatment, then the WinkBed won’t disappoint you.
The hybrid design features a Euro-pillow top (padding stitched on top of the mattress) and five zoned innerspring support. In other words, it should offer both comfort and support in good measure.
For sex specifically, it offers adequate responsiveness, great edge support so you won’t easily fall out, and features excellent motion isolation for couples.
It’ll feel like a bed that has a strong upward force, but with the comfort you need. You can try the WinkBed for 120 nights risk-free, and there’s free delivery available too.
Keep in Mind
It’s a luxury bed, so naturally, the WinkBed range might be too expensive for some. It’s also not the best mattress for minimizing noise during sex.
In a Nutshell
- Great motion isolation
- Minimal motion transfer
- 120-night trial
Best Organic: Birch
Birch
Impressive temperature neutrality, excellent responsiveness and bounce
Why we Picked It
When it comes to organic mattresses, the Birch delivers. It’s an eco-friendly bed (GREENGUARD Certified) constructed from natural materials with pocketed coils for support.
From the perspective of sex, it’s a great mattress due to its impressive temperature neutrality, excellent responsiveness and bounce, and longer than expected durability.
The Birch’s cover is made using organic cotton and is designed to be breathable with a subtle stretch. The latex in the bed adequately cushions pressure points.
It comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping, and a 25-year warranty. It would be tough to find an eco-friendly mattress as suitable for sex as this one.
Keep in Mind
The mattress doesn’t have the best conforming properties, so don’t expect a close “body hug” feel like a memory foam bed.
In a Nutshell
- An eco-friendly mattress
- Great temperature neutrality
- 25-year warranty
How We Chose the Best Mattresses for Sex
We take special care to ensure the beds we choose meet a high standard in a variety of critical areas. From the durability of the mattress to the off-gassing, the very best mattresses will meet and often surpass our standards. We look at the following, and you can learn more about our process here.
- Material Quality
- Durability
- Conforming
- Edge Support
- Temperature Neutrality
- Off-gassing
- Motion Isolation
Special Considerations for Sex
Other than budgetary limits, there are several other points to consider when picking a mattress. Sleepers looking for a suitable bed for sex will need to think about everything from the bounce and responsiveness to the noise and firmness.
Fret not, dear readers. Below, we’ve detailed all of the key considerations you need to keep in mind when searching for the best mattress for the job.
Bounce
A good mattress for sex will be one that has enough bounce to it. What do we mean when we say bounce? We’re talking about how the mattress feels when it’s compressed. A higher level of bounce in a mattress will mean it will rebound, whereas one with less bounce will absorb the compression instead. A bouncy mattress may enhance the natural cadence of sex, making it more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Responsiveness
When we talk about responsiveness, we mean how quickly the mattress responds to movements that people are making. In terms of sex, then, and unresponsive bed may feel like you are sinking into it during the act. A mattress with good response, however, will be able to adjust to the movements, especially if you frequently change positions.
Durability
Leading an active sex life will put significant strain on your mattress over time. The materials inside the mattress will, therefore, need to be of a high-quality to hold up to the sexual activity. A sagging mattress could be the result of inferior quality materials in your bed.
Noise
There are few things worse than being discovered during sex, certainly if you planned to keep things quiet and undisturbed. A squeaky mattress can give the game away, killing the mood and spoiling the night. An ideal mattress will help to keep noise to a minimum so you can keep things private under the sheets.
Firmness
With firmness, you need to look for a mattress that is strong enough for two people. A bed that is too soft will leave you feeling like you’re sinking into it. A mattress that is too firm will be equally uncomfortable. An even balance between the two is a mattress that is both comfortable and supportive, leaving you free to enjoy the act uninhibited.
Temperature Neutrality
Mattresses vary significantly in terms of how well they keep the temperature neutral at night. A hot mattress isn’t the most comfortable during sex, especially when it comes in contact with your skin. Ideally, a mattress will provide a cool sleep allowing you to enjoy sex without overheating.
Edge Support
Sexual activity on a mattress can involve several movements across the whole of the bed, particularly when changing positions. The ideal mattress will have strong edge support around the entire perimeter of the bed so your sex life won’t suffer as a result. Having excellent edge support can also prevent couples from falling out of bed during the act.
The Best Mattress Types for Sex
It’s fair to say that every couple out there is different. Generally though, hybrid and latex mattresses are the best for sex. They provide enough support and comfort, help to reduce motion and noise, and offer a cool environment during and after sex.
With that said, every type of mattress has its own set of pros and cons, so we’ve listed them in the table below for you:
| Type | Pros for sex | Cons for sex |
|---|---|---|
| Memory foam | There should be next to no noise during sexual activity These beds isolate motion well Excellent pressure point relief for sleepers | Can retain heat, which isn’t great during sex Not always the best ease of movement Not all of these beds are bouncy, and thereby they are not the best for sex |
| Latex | These beds are bouncy and very responsive Excellent durability, usually from high-end parts inside the mattress The noise produced should be minimal, which won’t kill the mood They can provide a cool environment during and after sex | They can be heavy and awkward to move They are not the cheapest beds out there Off-gassing could be unpleasant in the first few days of use |
| Innerspring | They offer great responsiveness and bounce The edge support is generally superior in these beds They are easy to move around on | They can be very noisy They are not very durable, and they can sag more quickly than other types of mattress They can have poor motion isolation overall |
| Hybrid | These beds can offer a combination of good support and comfort for sex They are great at isolating motion The pressure relief can be excellent They can provide a cool environment during and after sex | Heat retention is possible even with the cooling technology in them The durability can be poor, certainly if constructed from weaker materials such as low-grade polyfoam They can be cumbersome and difficult to move |
Other Considerations When Choosing a Mattress
While sex is an important consideration to have when choosing a mattress, it isn’t the only one. Shoppers will also need to ensure they pick a mattress that provides a comfortable sleep over a long period that’s specifically suited to them.
An example of this: an innerspring bed may be bouncy enough for sex, but it might not offer great conforming properties. These contouring properties would be essential to help with an individual’s fibromyalgia pain, providing them with a restful night of sleep.
Luckily, there’s often an overlap between these considerations. A mattress that has the right responsiveness and bounce but offers excellent contouring properties is the answer. Most hybrid beds would provide this.
Another example would be a memory foam mattress that offers excellent contouring for back sleepers but offers little bounce for sex. In addition to that, the bed might sleep far too hot for some people. Most latex beds would cover these overlapping qualities, providing bounce for sex, superb contouring properties for the back, and offering a cool sleep at the same time.
A lot, then, depends on the individual. With that said, you should always keep in mind the following variables:
Comfort
You’ll want to think about the comfort provided for both sex and sleeping in general. By that we mean the feel and firmness of the mattress. A firm mattress might be uncomfortable for some sleepers, but just right for others. A good option here might be a hybrid or latex bed that combines support and comfort with enough bounce for sex.
Physical Ailments
Perhaps the most important consideration is a sleeper’s physical ailments. Do you suffer from back pain? Maybe you have fibromyalgia and need the best conforming properties to be found in a bed. Think very carefully about what’s ideal for you first, and then what would be suitable for sex second. After all, as important as sex is, your overall health takes precedence.
Body Type
It’s fair to say that lighter and heavier sleepers have different needs when looking for a mattress. A firmer mattress might be perfect for a heavier sleeper, but painful for a lighter person. Conversely, a softer mattress may not provide enough support for a heavier person but would be perfect for a lighter individual. Those who weigh more than 230 pounds tend to prefer a slightly firmer mattress because it prevents them from sinking too deeply and throwing off spinal alignment. Conversely, lighter sleepers—those who weigh under 130 pounds—will need a softer mattress to better cushion the neck and lower back. It’s always worth thinking about what’s right for you when it comes to body type.
Sex and Sleep
A key question you might have about sex and sleep is: does one affect the other? Further questions might be: what is the relationship between them? Why exactly? There’s a definite yes to the first question. The others we will promptly answer.
First of all, not getting enough sleep can have a significant effect on our sexual drive. Our sexual drive is influenced both by the quality and duration of the rest we achieve.
A healthy night of rest can help us better deal with stress, and that reduction in stress can boost our sexual desire. What’s more, great sex can lead to more restful sleep. The two are, in fact, inextricably linked.
A recent study found that the more a woman slept, the more interested she was in sexual intercourse the next day. In other words: if you’re not getting enough sleep, then your sex life will suffer, and your sex life suffering means so will your sleep.
To add to that is the fact that depression, anxiety, and stress are found more commonly in those who have a poor sex life and inconsistent sleep. Of course, no one wants to introduce these afflictions in their daily life.
While there is a clear connection between difficulty sleeping and sexual function, it’s worth mentioning that the area is still relatively understudied at the time of writing.
Ultimately, the quality and suitability of the mattress you sleep on will affect your sleep, and that will alter your sex life. To prevent this, think carefully about the best type of mattress for you and your needs.
Related Resources
If you’d like to know about the different types of mattresses out there, then you can find more of our comprehensive and independent guides below.
