Do you find yourself tossing and turning night after night all summer long? It might not be your blankets or a faulty fan making you sleep warm — your mattress might very well be the culprit!
Some types of mattresses tend to retain more heat than others. Mattresses that hold in warmth can be wonderfully cozy options in winter, but in summer they can make it tough to beat the heat. If you’re planning on buying a new mattress soon and want to avoid sweaty, sleepless summer nights, be sure to consult our ranking of mattresses from hottest to coolest.
7. Memory Foam
It might be one of the most comfortable materials to sleep on, but memory foam isn’t very breathable. More people report sleeping hot on memory foam compared to any other mattress. The density of the foam traps heat more than other mattress types, so if you struggle with sleeping hot you may want to avoid these mattresses, or at least invest in a powerful air conditioner.
6. Hybrid
Hybrid mattresses consistently rank high in percentage of owners who report sleeping hot as well. The innerspring design at the core of the bed allows for slightly better airflow than a solid memory foam mattress, but the memory foam layer on top ultimately ends up blocking that circulation before it reaches you.
5. Latex
Though latex has many of the same problems as memory foam, the perforated design of latex foam helps encourage a little more airflow than typical memory foam. Latex is also hypoallergenic, so it may make up for what it lacks in cooling ability by keeping the nighttime sniffles at bay.
4. Gel Foam
As complaints over the heat retention of memory foam grew more common, many mattress brands designed a special foam to counteract this problem. Gel foam mattresses either include a layer of gel to absorb heat, or infusions of a special cooling gel within the foam itself. It’s as comfortable as it is effective, with fewer people reporting sleeping hot on gel foam versus memory foam.
3. Air
We don’t mean inflatable mattresses here—air mattresses refer to beds with air-filled chambers that can be adjusted for different levels of support. The breathability of these beds really depends on the thickness and material of the comfort layer on top, but as long as it’s less than 3 inches thick, the heating tendencies of the foam on top shouldn’t be enough to counteract the cooling power of the airflow underneath.
2. Innerspring or Pocket Coil
Innerspring mattresses have plenty of airflow and are great for keeping you cool during the summer. The fabric covering coil or spring mattress frames is usually very breathable, which allows the cool air to keep flowing all night long. These mattresses are a great option for anyone who struggles with sleeping hot!
1. Water
Waterbeds are by far the most cooling mattress type! The liquid-filled chambers of this mattress do an excellent job of absorbing heat and making every summer night a breeze. In fact, these beds often require water heaters in the winter to keep from getting too chilly! These mattresses aren’t all like the waterbeds of the 70s either—chambered, waveless waterbeds let you adjust the support level for different parts of your body, just like an air mattress.
If your bed ranks low on this list, all hope isn’t lost! Try some of these ideas for sleeping cooler, no matter what kind of mattress you have. But if you’re ready for a cool upgrade to start off the warm months, come on by and talk to one of our team members! We have options for every sleeper to make all your summer nights go right.