How to choose the best mattress for sex

The bed, the place where all the magic happens. An uncomfortable mattress can impact your sex life. So, to make things more comfortable for yourself and your partner, we will cover what mattress features you should look out for to improve your sex life and what to avoid.

Trying to balance all of these mattress needs can seem complicated, and it's not uncommon for mattress shoppers to start to feel overwhelmed. To simplify the process, we have mainly focused on the guide and included a few of the best mattresses for sex offers a quick reference for standout options.

Tips on choosing the right mattress for your sex life

Mattresses for couples that work well for sex have specific features a person may want to consider. These include bounciness, noise reduction, firmness, and how easy it is to clean the mattress.

Bounciness

Comfortable, rhythmic movement is supported by a mattress with a good bounce. Rather than absorbing an impact, a responsive mattress will reshape quickly after a person compresses it.

While trying different sex positions, this could make it easier for people to move around. 

To make the most of this, you want to look for a hybrid mattress that combines pocket springs and memory foam. This will give an outstanding balance of support and bounce.

Size 

As it turns out, size DOES matter here. When you want to experiment with different positions or engage in some sexual horseplay, you need a queen or king-sized mattress. If you or your partner are taller than average, you don't want your legs hanging off the bed! It's nice to have that extra room to position your body in different ways without worrying about falling off the edge.

Temperature

Temperature regulation is massive. With exercise comes sweat. Some mattresses retain a lot of heat. We put together a list of the best mattresses for hot sleepers that will help combat this side effect.

Get something that keeps you cool (avoid traditional memory foam). If using memory foam, look for a gel-infused memory foam mattress like Origin as it sleeps 1-2 degrees cooler and draws heat away from the body.

Responsiveness

A mattress that responds quickly to changes in position can make sex more comfortable. 

Mattresses made of foam and memory foam may take longer to respond to changes in position, which may complicate movement or balance during sex. 

Generally, a latex top is more responsive, and a hybrid mattress with memory foam is better than a pure foam mattress in terms of responsiveness.

Noise

Don't buy a mattress that squeaks. A bonnell coil bed is notorious for squeaking over time. Most mattress in a box mattresses uses pocket springs, which are much better in the long run. 

There's nothing worse than a loud bed that lets others hear your activities. When living with roommates, family members or living in a building that has thin walls, you may benefit from getting a mattress that makes no noise with movement.

It is generally quieter to sleep on a foam mattress as opposed to one with springs and coils. We have an article on fixing a squeaky bed, which most often boils down to the bed frame. 

Edge support

The edge support refers to how well it holds up when you compress it near the edge.

A mattress with soft edges that compress under a person's weight at the edge may not be suitable for certain sex positions. Both comfort and safety can be affected by this.

The edges of foam mattresses tend to dip with weight, while hybrid mattresses have edge support.

Firmness

It's vital that your mattress is comfortable to sleep on and to use for sex.

Mattresses that relieve pressure points are ideal for all kinds of sleeping positions and sex. This feature prevents pain in the back, hips, shoulders, knees, and elbows during sex or sleep.

Generally, mattresses fall into the goldilocks zone of medium-firm, but you want to make sure the mattress doesn't sag for the right support. 

Easy cleaning

What is the best mattress for sex? One with a cover!

During sex, lubricants and bodily fluids may be splashed on the mattress. You can keep your mattress cleaner by using a mattress protector that prevents liquids from getting onto the mattress. 

When needed, you can throw the mattress protector in the washing machine.

We all have different preferences when choosing a mattress, but we can agree that a quiet, dry, stain-proof mattress is what we all want!

Memory foam vs hybrid mattresses

All foam/memory foam = less bounce, low motion transfer, high heat retention

Hybrid = more bounce, medium motion transfer, low heat retention

Hybrid mattresses tend to have less bounce back than traditional mattresses, so make sure to get a sense of just how much bounce you and your partner prefer. But traditional mattresses sold in a retail store tend to have a bonnell coil system which will squeak over time. 

Best mattress for sex

In our culture, there is a fairy tale about finding your soul mate who will be compatible with you in every way. People are unique and have unique needs and desires. Two people in a couple may have very different fantasies about what kind of sex they want, so they may also have very different mattress needs.

It doesn't have to be expensive to have a good sex life. We recommend a premium mattress like the Emma Diamond. It’s a temperature-regulated hybrid mattress which we go more into detail here in our Emma Diamond review.