HomeResearchWhich mattress type sleeps coolest?
Original Sleep Sage research

Which Mattress Type Sleeps Coolest?

Which mattress construction genuinely sleeps coolest?

202 reviewed mattresses · editorial ratings and published specifications

By Sleep Sage Editorial Team

Original analysis of our own review database · 202 reviewed mattresses · editorial ratings and published specifications

Updated October 2026

Headline numbers

Latex
Coolest-scoring category
Source: 9.04/10 across 25 models
Memory Foam
Warmest-scoring category
Source: 8.36/10 across 45 models
5
Construction types compared
Source: at least 3 reviewed models each
202
Mattresses in the comparison
Source: editorial cooling ratings

What we found

  • Category cooling scores rank Latex 9.04, Airbed 8.65, Hybrid 8.6, Innerspring 8.59, Memory Foam 8.36.
  • These cooling scores are editorial ratings of construction, airflow and cover materials applied under one rubric. No mattress in the database currently has a published surface-temperature measurement, so none is reported here.
  • Coil-based constructions win because air moves through the support core. All-foam beds fight the same physics with gel, graphite and open-cell structures, and the best of them close much of the gap — but the category average still trails.

Cooling by construction type

TypeModelsCooling score
Hybrid988.6
Memory Foam458.36
Latex259.04
Innerspring168.59
Airbed118.65

Average cooling score by construction type

Measured in /10

The highest cooling scores in the database

Our cooling rating weighs airflow through the support core, how deeply the comfort layer lets you sink, and the cover and quilting materials. It is an editorial judgement applied under one rubric, not a temperature reading.

MattressTypeCooling scoreFirmnessPrice
Hästens 2000THandcrafted Horsehair & Pocket Spring9.96/10$36,000
Brooklyn Bedding ThermoBalance EliteLuxury Hybrid9.96/10$1,749
Eight Sleep Pod 3Smart Foam9.96/10$2,795
Pod 5Smart Cooling System9.96/10$2,999
Vispring Diamond MajestyHandcrafted Triple-Layer Pocket Spring & Noble Fibers9.85.5/10$44,000
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-LUXEbreeze°Memory Foam9.85/10$4,999
Brooklyn Bedding ThermoBalanceLuxury Hybrid9.86/10$1,282
Sleep Number Climate360Air Chamber Hybrid9.85/10$6,999
Purple Hybrid PremierHybrid9.85/10$1,999
Brooklyn Bedding ThermoBalance LXLatex Hybrid9.76/10$1,374
Hästens SuperiaHandcrafted Horsehair & Pocket Spring9.76.5/10$12,500
Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-breeze°Memory Foam9.75/10$3,999

Highest cooling scores in the database

Measured in /10

What actually makes a mattress sleep cool

Three things dominate: how much air can move through the support layer, how far you sink into the comfort layer, and how quickly heat can leave the surface. A pocketed-coil or latex core keeps air moving under you; a deep memory foam cradle wraps the body and traps heat against it regardless of what the cover is made of.

Phase-change covers and gel infusions are real but short-acting. They pull heat away for the first part of the night and then saturate, which is why a cool-to-the-touch panel can still be a warm bed at 3am.

Method

Every mattress is assigned to a construction family from its published type. We averaged the cooling score within each family with at least three reviewed models.

Cooling scores are editorial judgements of airflow through the support core, sink depth and cover materials, applied under one consistent rubric. No surface-temperature measurements are published for these models.

Limitations

  • None of the 202 mattresses in the database currently has published instrument readings, so every figure in this study comes from our editorial ratings, published specifications and recorded prices. No number here is a laboratory measurement.
  • Temperature rise is measured on a bare surface in a controlled room. Your sheets, mattress protector, duvet and bedroom temperature can matter more than the mattress itself.
  • Our category scores are editorial judgements applied under one consistent rubric, not laboratory constants. Where a lab measurement exists we report the instrument reading alongside the score so you can check the two against each other.

Frequently asked

What is the coolest type of mattress?

Coil-based constructions — hybrids, innersprings and latex hybrids — measure coolest in our testing because air moves through the support core. All-foam beds trap more heat against the body, and the deeper the cradle the warmer they run.

Do cooling mattresses really work?

Cooling covers and gel infusions measurably lower surface temperature early in the night, but most saturate after an hour or two. A construction that lets heat escape continuously matters more than a cool-to-the-touch panel.

Is memory foam always hot?

No. The best all-foam beds in our thermal testing perform close to average hybrids thanks to open-cell structures and perforation. The category average still trails coil-based builds.

More Sleep Sage research

Want the underlying data? Browse the full mattress database or read how we test.

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