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Best Mattress For Athletes In The US

Optimize sleep for athletic performance.
Best Mattress For Athletes In The US
Tom Greenspan
Updated 
February 7, 2024

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If you are an athlete, then you will know how important sleep is for the body.

Nothing beats some quality rest and relaxation after a hard day of training on the field. And if you aspire to be a professional athlete in the future, you need to take proper care of your body. That’s why sleep is important since it allows your body to recover quickly. 

However, the quality of rest you get is only as good as the mattress you have. That is why you need to get yourself a decent mattress, or else you will have to face a lot of issues.

But the real question is - what is the best mattress for an athlete in the US? Well, that’s what this guide is all about. Here, we have reviewed some of the top picks available on the market today. So, hop in if you want to know more!

Five Best Mattresses For Athletes Reviews

1. Puffy Mattress

The Puffy Mattress includes five layers of premium quality memory foam. Thanks to that, you get cloud-like comfort and optimal support for your body’s pressure points at any sleeping position. Besides, it uses gel-infused memory foam for breathability and temperature regulation, which makes it a good choice for athletes. And the firm core support foam at the base ensures total motion isolation so that you can sleep peacefully.

Drawback

Compared to other memory foam beds, the Puffy Mattress is slightly more expensive to purchase.

Verdict

This particular mattress is easy to clean, and it comes with a CertiPUR-US certification, which makes it safe to use for athletes. Apart from that, it comes with a 101-night trial period and lifetime warranty coverage, which makes it convenient to use for the customer.

2. Layla Memory Foam Mattress

The material used in the Layla Memory Foam Mattress is infused with copper microparticles. Because of this reason, it offers good cooling and breathability to athletes. In addition, the copper gel foam is antimicrobial in nature, meaning that you get a hygienic and odor-free sleeping environment. The mattress feels comfortable to sleep on, and it contours to your body so that you get good support at key pressure points.

Drawback

This mattress has a relatively long break-in period, which means that it might feel a bit stiff initially.

Verdict

Overall, this mattress is a good choice for athletes since it offers good motion isolation and a versatile, two-sided design. After purchase, you can try it out for 120 nights, and if it feels unsuitable, you can return the mattress at no extra cost.

3. Ghostbed Classic Mattress

When it comes to plush and supportive beds for athletes, the Ghostbed Classic mattress is arguably one of the best options. This is all because of its unique design that combines the features of gel memory foam and latex. The memory foam ensures a soft and comfortable sleeping surface while simultaneously supporting the body’s key pressure points. Conversely, the latex layer improves the breathability of the mattress.

Drawback

Since it has a slightly firmer feel, it might be uncomfortable for side sleepers.

Verdict

Thanks to its durable design, the Ghostbed classic mattress can withstand a maximum weight of 750 pounds, which makes it a good choice for heavier athletes. The materials used are anti-allergenic as well, and they are CertiPUR-US-certified, which means that you can rest assured about the safety of this mattress.

4. DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress

Because of its hybrid design, the DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress features a thick profile. It is made from breathable gel-infused memory foam that has a soft feel and provides adequate contouring and pressure relief for athletes. On the other hand, the innerspring layer is made up of numerous individually wrapped coils, which enhances the edge support of this mattress. Additionally, it includes a breathable cashmere blend cover on top.

Drawback

The motion isolation provided by this mattress is not up to the mark.

Verdict

Purchasing this mattress can be pretty convenient for customers, as it comes with a lengthy 365-day trial period and lifetime warranty coverage. As you can guess from the warranty, the mattress is built to last for a long time, and the materials used are CertiPUR-US-certified.

5. Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress

The Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress is a premium-quality hybrid mattress that gives you a luxurious sleeping experience. Inside, you will find a layer of high-grade polyfoam that offers great contouring and comfort. Below that is a layer of copper-infused gel memory foam, which improves the temperature regulation properties. Subsequently, the innerspring layer consists of 1,000 individually wrapped coils that provide enhanced lumbar support for athletes.

Drawback

It comes with a very high price tag, which means that you need a lot of money to purchase it.

Verdict

The mattress uses a premium quilted pillow top made from Tencel fibers, which enhances its breathability and cooling properties. Furthermore, the medium feel of this mattress makes it suitable for all sleeping positions, and because of that, it is a good investment for athletes.

Frequently Asked Questions

That was our list of the five best mattresses for athletes in the US. After going through it, have you been able to decide which one you want?

If you have answered yes to the above question, then that’s great! But if you are still unable to decide, then don’t worry, for you are not alone.

Buying a mattress is an expensive affair, which is why many people feel unsure or skeptical about it at first. If you do not make a well-informed decision, you will only end up wasting your hard-earned money. And for budding or amateur athletes, this is a major cause for concern since they do not have access to sufficient funds in most cases.

Therefore, it is quite natural to have a lot of queries when looking for a new mattress. That’s why we have made this section, where we have answered some of the most common questions asked by consumers. So, we would suggest that you keep reading to clear out your doubts!

1. What Is The Best Type Of Mattress For Athletes?

Nearly every mattress brand that exists today claims that its mattresses are well-suited for athletes, but that is not true at all. Most athletes engage in intense physical activities, and thus, they need a specific type of mattress that can give them the proper rest they deserve.

With that being said, there are several types of mattresses available for purchase today. Each type has its pros and cons, so you will need to consider these aspects before purchasing.

However, not every athlete may have considerable knowledge about mattresses. That is why we have discussed each of these mattress types in detail below.

A. Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam mattresses are made from polyurethane, which is a synthetic compound. As such, they are not the most sustainable or safe options that you can get. Thankfully, modern brands use relatively safer manufacturing standards that eliminate such risks to a great extent.

If this drawback is kept aside, though, memory foam mattresses can be considered good for athletes. Such a mattress has a soft and plushy feel, and the surface is highly contouring. In other words, the mattress will effectively hug the curves of the body and provide optimum pressure relief, which is necessary for most athletes.

However, there is another disadvantage to these mattresses, and that is their heat retention properties. It is a well-known fact that memory foam tends to become hot quickly and has little to no aeration. If you sleep hot, then we recommend against using this type of mattress.

B. Gel-Based Mattress

Technically, a gel-based mattress is a variant of the traditional memory foam mattress. That’s because it is derived from the same polyurethane memory foam material. But the difference is that it is infused with cooling gel beads between the memory foam layers. Aside from that, the memory foam used here has an open-pored structure, which sets it apart from conventional memory foam that has closed pores.

These features provide better cooling and breathability to the mattress. In other words, you don’t have to worry about waking up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night. And the best part is that it provides a similar degree of support and comfort as a regular memory foam mattress.

So, in essence, it can be considered an upgraded form of the traditional memory foam mattress. And that makes it a highly suitable choice for athletes since they get the same contouring and pressure relief minus the heating issues.

C. Latex Mattress

This is another type of mattress that athletes can use. Latex foam is derived from the sap of rubber trees and is generally a lot denser than regular memory foam. Because of this aspect, latex mattresses are highly responsive and supportive, both of which are desirable features for an athlete.

Natural latex mattresses are entirely organic, which makes them sustainable and safe to use. However, the process of manufacturing latex foam is fairly difficult and time-consuming, which is why these mattresses are expensive to purchase.

D. Innerspring Mattress

A typical innerspring mattress consists of numerous pocketed coils packed inside the mattress. Due to this reason, innerspring mattresses are highly responsive in nature. What’s more, the spring layer improves the edge support and enhances the overall durability of the product.

All of these features make innerspring mattresses a decent option to sleep on. Still, we would not suggest purchasing an innerspring mattress because it may feel slightly hard, especially for side or light sleepers. Besides, you may experience motion isolation issues, which can be disadvantageous for athletes. It can prevent one from getting uninterrupted, restful sleep, especially if they share the bed with a partner, pets, or children.

E. Hybrid Mattress

As the name suggests, a hybrid mattress is made from two or more materials. In that context, there are different hybrid mattress variants available on the market. But for the sake of convenience, we will be considering the memory foam-innerspring hybrid, which is the most common. Such a mattress includes at least one memory foam comfort layer and an innerspring support layer.

This type of mattress is the best fit for athletes since it provides the right amount of softness, responsiveness, and support for a good night’s sleep. Moreover, it can effectively dissipate excess body heat, and you do not need to spend a lot of money to purchase it either.

2. What Is The Best Mattress Firmness For An Athlete?

Firmness is a metric that indicates the overall feel of a mattress, and it is measured on a scale of one to ten. A higher score typically indicates a firm mattress, while a lower score indicates the opposite.

As a rule of thumb, you should avoid mattresses that feel extremely soft or firm. On that note, there is no standard firmness level that can be recommended to everyone. In other words, the ideal firmness level varies between individuals and is dependent on the body type and sleeping position.

For instance, if you are a heavy sleeper, you will find a firmer mattress to be more comfortable. The same goes for stomach sleepers and combination sleepers as well, who will find the firm surface to be more supportive. On the other hand, light and side sleepers prefer to use softer mattresses, as that can better conform to their bodies.

That said, most athletes need to maintain a moderate weight according to their activity needs. This means that the medium firm feel is the correct pick for them since it has an intermediate level of firmness. A medium-firm mattress offers an optimal level of support for such a body weight so that there is proper spinal alignment at all times while sleeping.

Of course, this is not a fixed rule since there are many athletes who do not have an average body weight. Besides, you need to consider the preferred sleeping position of the athlete (front, back, side, or combination) too.

3. Is The Breathability Of A Mattress An Important Factor For Athletes?

No one likes to sleep on a mattress that feels hot and restrictive. And if you sweat a lot while sleeping on the mattress, you will feel uncomfortable throughout the night. So, to answer the question - yes, the breathability of the mattress is an important feature to consider - not just for athletes, but for everyone.

In the case of athletes, this is obviously more important since their physical activity levels are quite high. As a result, they tend to sweat more than regular people. And if the mattress lacks proper cooling and ventilation, the sleep patterns will get disturbed.

That is why most mattress brands nowadays use gel-memory foam instead of conventional memory foam. Some brands take it even further by using substances like copper or graphite microparticles inside the mattress. These materials have a higher thermal conductivity than regular foam, which allows them to dissipate excess heat and keep the mattress cool and comfortable for the sleeper.

In the same vein, many mattresses use open-celled foam for better airflow and sweat absorption. As you can guess from the name, such memory foam has an internal structure that is made up of numerous small pockets of air, similar to a sponge. 

This enables air to flow freely through the mattress, which keeps the inner layers cool and eliminates any sweat quickly. As such, the outer surface remains dry and ventilated, thereby ensuring that hot sleepers can get a deep sleep experience.

4. What Are Some Additional Features Required In The Best Mattress For Athletes?

If you want to get the best sleep experience from your mattress, then you need to look out for certain extra features. One such feature that you should check is the motion isolation. It helps to minimize the disturbance caused on the mattress surface so that athletes can get a peaceful, restorative sleep.

Another important aspect to keep in mind is the responsiveness of the mattress. A responsive mattress will conform to your body shape as soon as you lay on it. Similarly, it will revert to its original form after you get up just as quickly, and that will protect it from sagging.

Apart from these two features, you should look for an option that is specifically designed for athletes. Although rare and more expensive than regular mattresses, these products may contain specialized materials (such as Celliant) that promote blood flow and help with faster muscle recovery.

Final Verdict

Now, we have arrived at the end of this detailed review-based guide. We hope that the information provided above has helped you to come to a decision.

Personally, we loved the well-rounded features of the Puffy Mattress, which is why it is our favorite pick from the list. Not only is it supportive, but it is also adequately soft and breathable, making it the right mattress for athletes.

If you want an affordable mattress, though, you can go with the Layla Memory Foam Mattress, which is our second favorite option. Its copper-infused foam makes it the best cooling mattress that you can get. On top of that, it offers excellent motion isolation while being soft and supportive.