If you sleep on your back or stomach, you'll want a mattress with enough firmness to keep your lumbar supported and your spine straight. Firm mattresses can provide enough support for proper spinal alignment for heavier back and stomach sleepers, while average-sized and lighter back and stomach sleepers tend to want a medium-firm mattress for a good balance between support and pressure relief. Once you've found the right firmness level, other key characteristics include solid edge support, good cooling, and good motion isolation, especially if you sleep with a partner.
We've tested over 40 mattresses, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best firm mattresses (including medium-firm mattresses!) for back and stomach sleepers. Also, check out the best mattresses for a broader look at the mattress market. If you're looking for a plusher mattress, our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers may have what you need. If you're looking for the hugging, contouring feel of memory foam, see the best memory foam mattresses. For tips on finding the right firmness level for your sleeping position and body type, read our mattress firmness guide.
Quick Look
We've recently started testing mattresses. We independently purchase each unit from major retailers, just like you, to keep our reviews free from manufacturer influence. Each mattress goes through the same tests to measure objective data for characteristics like firmness, cooling, and motion isolation, so you can easily compare the results. Since we buy all our mattresses, we can tear them down layer by layer and isolate the mechanical properties of every component: quilted tops, foams, coils, and any special materials.
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Best Firm Mattress
Sleeping (In Development)8.6Cooling8.4Motion Dissipation7.8Edge Support9.1Responsiveness9.8Bounciness LevelHigh (25 cm)Sinking LevelLow (4 cm)Contouring LevelHigh (24 cm)Firmness LevelFirm (60 Pa/mm)See all our test resultsLongevity8.3The best firm mattress we've tested is the Saatva Latex Hybrid. This firm mattress is suitable for average and heavier back and stomach sleepers who like to sleep 'on' versus 'in' their mattress, as you won't sink very deeply into it. Its pocket coil support layer and latex comfort layers give it a highly bouncy and responsive feel, so it pushes back against your movements, making it feel easy to move around in your sleep. It also uses dense, high-quality latex that will resist forming permanent indentations or sagging for longer compared with most mattresses we've tested.
The sides of the support layer are reinforced with firmer pocket coils that don't compress easily, so you can comfortably sleep near the edge without feeling at risk of sliding off. Its great cooling performance makes it a good choice for hot sleepers. It does a good job of staying cool during the first hour you're in bed, but it's especially effective at dissipating heat overnight, making it an appealing option if you often wake up boiling hot in the middle of the night. Its motion isolation isn't the best, but it's still good. You won't feel every little move your partner makes, but you will feel bigger movements, and motion dissipates somewhat slowly. When your partner rolls over, you may feel like you're bouncing around for a moment afterwards.
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Best Medium-Firm Mattress
Sleeping (In Development)8.6Cooling7.8Motion Dissipation7.8Edge Support9.8Responsiveness9.8Bounciness LevelModerate (19 cm)Sinking LevelLow (4 cm)Contouring LevelModerate (28 cm)Firmness LevelMedium-Firm (51 Pa/mm)See all our test resultsLongevity4.3The best medium-firm mattress we've tested is the Bear Elite Hybrid. This somewhat plusher mattress is better-suited for lighter back and stomach sleepers than firmer options. Its upper comfort layers are made of polyfoam, fiber fill, and memory foam, and all are made of fairly low-density, low-quality foam. It likely won't last as long as the Saatva Latex Hybrid without sagging, but it's a cheaper mid-range option. While it's not as springy as the previous pick, it still has a very responsive feel, so you won't feel stuck in place. You don't sink very deeply into it, and it has moderate contouring, so it feels like the upper layers cradle you versus molding around you.
Its fantastic edge support gives you a solid surface to push off from when getting in and out of bed, and it increases the comfortable sleeping space. It has good motion isolation. More motion moves across the mattress compared with the Saatva, but you still won't feel every tiny movement. Motion dissipates a little slowly in the lumbar area, so you may feel the mattress wobble when your partner rolls over, but overall, most movements shouldn't wake you up. Its cooling performance is also good enough for most people. However, hot sleepers may need a mattress that dissipates heat a bit more efficiently.
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Best Medium-Firm Mattress Under $1000
Sleeping (In Development)8.1Cooling7.6Motion Dissipation7.7Edge Support9.9Responsiveness6.9Bounciness LevelModerate (14 cm)Sinking LevelModerate (5 cm)Contouring LevelLow (30 cm)Firmness LevelMedium-Firm (56 Pa/mm)See all our test resultsLongevity5.3The best firm mattress under $1000 that we've tested is the Sealy Posturepedic Plus Mount Auburn. This hybrid mattress has a medium-firm feel that makes it suitable for light and average back and stomach sleepers as well as heavier side sleepers. It's a great option if edge support is important to you, as it has super-sturdy edges that give you a solid surface for getting in and out of bed. While it's not cooling enough for hot sleepers, it does a good job of dissipating heat, so most people won't feel warmer than usual. Its good motion dissipation performance means you're less likely to be disturbed by movements, so you can sleep peacefully with a partner.
This mattress's quilted top includes a layer of memory foam, which gives it a slow-moving feel. This gives it a hugging feel, but might also make you feel constricted. That said, it's moderately bouncy, which helps make it feel easier to move around in your sleep. Unfortunately, it's not a very durable mattress. It only uses lower-density, lower-quality foam, which makes it prone to forming permanent body indentations sooner than models that use more durable materials.
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Best Firm Mattress Under $1000
Sleeping (In Development)7.8Cooling8.0Motion Dissipation8.8Edge Support5.5Responsiveness9.7Bounciness LevelModerate (16 cm)Sinking LevelLow (4 cm)Contouring LevelVery High (22 cm)Firmness LevelFirm (62 Pa/mm)See all our test resultsLongevity6.6The Novaform Legacy is the best firm mattress under $1000 that we've tested. This inexpensive hybrid mattress is firmer than the Sealy, making it a better option for heavier back and stomach sleepers. While it doesn't have the Sealy's strong edge support, it offers a great cooling performance that makes it more suitable for hot sleepers. Its motion dissipation performance is also excellent, so even if you're a light sleeper, you're unlikely to be disturbed by your partner's movements.
Its hybrid design and quilted layer help give it a bouncy, responsive feel that makes moving around in your sleep feel easy. It's also very contouring, which gives it a hugging feel and helps with pressure relief. While it's not as durable as mattresses like the Saatva Latex Hybrid, it's one of the more durable mattresses that we've tested for under $1000, as most of the foam in the mattress is dense enough to be considered good quality. This will help it resist sagging and indentations for longer, although the foam in the quilted top is less durable and may start showing signs of wear sooner.
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Best Firm Mattress For Cooling
Sleeping (In Development)8.6Cooling9.7Motion Dissipation7.7Edge Support7.3Responsiveness9.8Bounciness LevelModerate (14 cm)Sinking LevelLow (3 cm)Contouring LevelVery High (23 cm)Firmness LevelMedium-Firm (51 Pa/mm)See all our test resultsLongevity7.1If cooling is a big priority, consider the Purple Mattress. This all-foam mattress has an unusual grid-shaped comfort layer, providing high contouring and responsiveness. Its 'Medium-Firm' feel makes it best-suited for lighter and average back and stomach sleepers, as well as heavier side sleepers. It does an outstanding job of dissipating heat, making it worth a try if you're a hot sleeper who struggles to find a comfortable mattress. It's worth noting that lighter people will perceive it as much firmer because of the way the Gel-Flex Grid layer behaves. You can also feel the grid when you lie down, so it has a different feel than foam or fiber fill upper layers.
The other layers are made of good-quality (but not high-quality) polyfoam, so while it uses lower-quality materials than the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic, you can expect it to be decently durable. Its motion isolation is good as well, but not outstanding. You'll feel most movements near the source, but motion dissipates quickly, and not much moves across the mattress, making movement less likely to wake you up overall. Unfortunately, edge support is a bit of a weak point. It's not awful, but you can feel at risk of slipping out of bed when sleeping near the edge. The edges compress quite a bit when you sit on the side, making getting in and out of bed more difficult.
Notable Mentions
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Novaform ComfortGrande Plus:
The Novaform ComfortGrande Plus is a medium-firm mattress that you might prefer to the Bear Elite Hybrid if motion isolation is a priority. This all-foam memory foam mattress has a slow-moving feel, and you feel slightly enveloped and hugged by it. Its edge support is a weak point, but its motion isolation is fantastic, so it's a good option if you sleep with a partner and don't mind the feel of memory foam.
See our review -
Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic:
The Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic is worth considering if you want a very firm mattress or if durability is a priority. It has a firmer feel than the Saatva Latex Hybrid and is entirely made of high-quality latex. However, while its motion dissipation and cooling are good, the Saatva performs better.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 25, 2025:
We've added picks for the best options under $1,000: the Novaform Legacy as the 'Best Firm Mattress,' and the Sealy Posturepedic Plus Mount Auburn as the 'Best Medium-Firm.' We've also named the Purple Mattress the 'Best Firm Mattress For Cooling' and moved the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic to the Notable Mentions section.
Oct 23, 2025:
We replaced the Beautyrest Silver BRS900 with the Beautyrest Mattress as the budget pick, since it offers a similar feel and a slightly better performance. We also added the Novaform Legacy as a slightly plusher alternative to the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Organic.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best firm mattresses for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
That said, everyone has different needs and preferences when it comes to mattresses. If none of our picks seem 'just right,' here's a list of all of our reviews of firm and medium-firm mattresses so you can find your best option.