Best King-Size Mattress for 2024 – CNET

Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe: Many mattresses make embellished claims about their cooling abilities, but the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe effectively works to cool. With multiple cooling enforcements including cooling foam, Titan Cool technology and a cooling cover. With three firmness levels to choose from and a strong hybrid construction, it’s a versatile mattress that works for any sleeping position and body type.

Purple mattress: There aren’t many mattresses out there like the Purple. It’s made with a special gel-like material the brand calls its GelFlex Grid. It’s squishy and firm at the same time, offering a nice balance of support and pressure relief. It has a medium firmness level that suits all sleeping positions.

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Testing a king mattress is similar to how we test most of our mattresses, and we pay attention to a handful of important factors. 

• Firmness: The measure of how firm or soft a mattress feels is an important factor in deciding if a bed is suitable for you or not. Firmness, a lot of the time, indicates how pressure-relieving or supportive a mattress feels. Side sleepers usually like a softer mattress because it offers more give, and thus, more pressure relief around the hips and shoulder areas. Back and stomach sleepers, on the other hand, tend to sleep better on firm beds that keep the spine properly supported. We test firmness by using our judgment and deliberating amongst team members. It’s easier to test firmness when you have 100 different mattresses to compare it to.
• Construction and features: We take a close look at the construction of a mattress, which is a good tell on how it feels and how supportive it is for certain body types. We also consider any extra or special feature a mattress might have to stand out from the rest of the competition. Is it cooling? Does it have a special cover made with Celliant fabric or cashmere? Does it have an extra durable construction? We take all of this into consideration when testing mattresses and delegating best list picks. 
• Performance: This refers to motion isolation, temperature regulation and edge support abilities. How well does a mattress perform when we put it to the test? We test motion isolation by having couples judge how it sleeps, or placing a glass of water at the end of the bed to see how much it shakes when we move. Edge support is tested by laying on the sides, bouncing and checking how sturdy it feels. Personal experience is also how we test temperature, with the help of a thermometer gun. 
• Feel: Feel is a separate topic from firmness. This refers to how a mattress’ materials are perceived. Is it dense and morphy like memory foam, neutral and soft like neutral foam, or supple and bouncy like latex foam? We like to describe the feel as best we can since you’re unable to feel it through your computer screen. 

Read more on how we test mattresses.

When looking for the best mattress, you should take in some key considerations. You should follow the same guidelines when looking for a king-size bed, with the same considerations. 

• Hybrid vs. foam: The more you weigh, the more supportive your mattress should be. Hybrid beds are best for all body types, including those over 230 pounds, while foam beds are typically ideal for people under 230 pounds. 
• Firmness is a key indicator of how accommodating a bed will be. One of the first things to think about while looking for the best king mattress is firmness. Are you a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper? Side sleepers typically need softer mattresses, while back and stomach sleepers benefit from a firmer mattress because having a firm bed will help support the spine, decreasing back pain. Medium beds right in the middle are perfect for combination sleepers. 
• Key features like cooling tech, edge support reinforcements and Celliant covers can help you decide if a bed fits your lifestyle and circumstances. Strong edge support is great for couples who share a mattress, while beds with Celliant covers are perfect for people with active lifestyles. 
• Price matters when looking for a king bed. The bigger the bed the more expensive it is. King beds are often more than $1,000, but there are budget options like Allswell to consider if you’re looking for maximum savings. 

Check out our size guide to compare mattress sizes. If you’re looking to upgrade your whole sleep setup, we have suggestions for sheets, pillows and other sleep essentials. 

Not everyone needs a king-size bed, but it is mighty convenient and comfortable during these situations:

• Couples who want more space than a queen size offers
• Taller people who don’t want to feel cramped (queen beds are about 6.6 feet long)
• Sleepers who share a bed with their kids (king beds are wider than California king beds)

King and California king mattresses are the most popular of the king variety, but a host of beds are technically classified as king. Here’s an overview of the different types of king beds if you’re looking for something a little different.