Top 4 Best Mattress For Motion Isolation & Light Sleepers

Finding a mattress effective at limiting motion transfer is critical for couples and light sleepers. Once you fall asleep, the last thing you want is your partner waking you up every time they switch sleeping positions. By getting one of the best mattresses for motion isolation, you’re both more likely to sleep well.

  • Best Mattress For Motion Isolation Video Review

    Swipe to see why these made our list

    Swipe to see why these made our list

  • Why We Chose These Mattresses

    Here at the Slumber Yard, we’ve reviewed dozens of mattress, including some that are great in terms of motion isolation and others that are dreadful in that department. In creating this list, we went back through all of the beds that we’ve tested and hand-picked only those that are the best for light sleepers, couples and folks who need a bed that limits motion transfer.

Compare the Best Mattresses For Motion Isolation & Light Sleepers

Best Memory Foam Mattress For Motion Isolation

Layla
Layla
Why it’s Great
Layla is a memory foam mattress that’s flippable and features a “Soft” and “Firm” side.
Best for
People that like memory foam mattresses
If you want a soft bed
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
All
Type
Memory Foam
Temp
Neutral

This bed is flippable with a soft and firm side. If you want a medium-soft mattress, you’ll like the soft side. If you want a bed somewhere between medium and medium-firm, check out the firm side. A queen size will cost around $850-$900 after discounts.

layla mattress review cover soft and firm side
The Layla mattress is flippable with a Soft side and a Firm side

Why Layla is one of the best mattresses for light sleepers — Besides doing a good job with motion isolation, Layla has a comfortable feel and versatile design that works for a lot of people.

Best Soft Foam Mattress For Light Sleepers

Tuft & Needle Mint
Tuft & Needle Mint
Why it’s Great
The Tuft & Needle Mint is one of the best mattresses you can buy if you’re looking for a soft bed that offers ample pressure relief.
Best for
Shoppers seeking a comfortable, soft foam mattress
Side sleepers who need extra pressure relief
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Soft
Type
Soft Foam
Temp
Neutral

Mint is Tuft & Needle’s premium mattress. The flagship Tuft & Needle mattress is incredibly popular, but it’s only 10” thick, which alienated certain heavier individuals. T&N Mint adds an extra layer and an additional 2” of support.

tuft and needle mint mattress review side sleepers
The Tuft & Needle Mint mattress is ideal for side sleepers

It also happens to be soft, and is therefore mostly ideal for side sleepers. Because it’s an all-foam bed with mostly softer poly foam, it does a good job of limiting motion transfer.

Why we chose Tuft and Needle Mint as a good motion transfer reducing mattress — This is a thicker all-foam mattress and provides more support than the average 10” bed like Layla, but it’s right around the same price. We think you’re getting a great value with this bed.

Best Hybrid Mattress For Motion Isolation

Brentwood Home Oceano
Brentwood Home Oceano
Why it’s Great
Oceano is one of the most popular pillow top mattresses online. It’s soft and fluffy, and yet is highly supportive thanks to the dual layers of coils.
Best for
Side sleepers
If you want a soft and fluffy mattress
People that can’t make their mind up (full-year test period)
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Soft
Type
Pillow Top
Temp
Neutral

The Oceano mattress is one of those beds that you lay on and say “OMG this is comfortable.” It’s possibly too comfortable. You could easily sleep through your alarm clock on this bed.

The mattress uses coils, but they’re individually-wrapped—as opposed to typical interconnected innersprings—which allows the bed to isolate motion much better than you’d expect.

brentwood home oceano mattress review profile image
The Brentwood Oceano mattress is extremely comfortable

Why we chose Brentwood Home — Hybrid beds tend to be decent at motion isolation, but we think Brentwood Home Oceano does a great job. Even light sleepers should still feel rested. Overall, it’s a supremely comfortable bed at a fair price.

Best Natural Latex Mattress

WinkBeds EcoCloud
WinkBeds EcoCloud
Why it’s Great
The EcoCloud is a comfortable latex hybrid mattress that lands near the center of the firmness scale making it a great option for all sleeper and body types.
Best for
If you like a softer latex foam feel
All types of sleepers
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Medium
Type
Latex Foam
Temp
Breathable

If you’re in the market for a natural and organic mattress that’ll isolate movement on your bed, we think WinkBeds’ EcoCloud mattress is a great option. Usually, latex hybrid mattresses like this one are extra bouncy and responsive, but this is one of the softest latex beds we’ve tested.

ecocloud hybrid mattress review winkbeds
The natural latex EcoCloud Mattress

We rated it a medium on the firmness scale, making it suitable for any sleeper type. It also has a supportive coil base, so any body type will also be accommodated on this bed.

Why we picked EcoCloud as one of our top mattress recommendations — It’s made with premium, eco-friendly materials like natural Talalay latex and organic cotton, and it’s one of the best latex mattresses for isolating motion. We also love how accommodating it is for any type of sleeper, regardless of body or sleeper type. The only real downside is that it retails higher than your average online mattress.

Best Mattresses For Reducing Motion Transfer Pricing

You can find cheap mattresses and luxury mattresses online that do a good job of limiting motion transfer. Here are the prices for our top-rated mattresses. Be sure to check the websites for any discounts or promotions.

TwinTwin XLFullQueenKing/California King
Layla$699$799$999$1,099$1,199
T&N Mint$745$845$995$1,195$1,395
Brentwood Home Oceano$999$1,199$1,299$1,499$1,999
WinkBeds EcoCloud$1,299$1,399$1,499$1,799$2,199

What Is Motion Isolation?

The motion isolation of a bed refers to how well it deadens movement, and it’s a measure of how well movement is absorbed by the mattress.

This is important for couples because a mattress with good motion isolation will keep you from bothering your partner when you get up in the middle of the night or move positions. The potential downside to this motion isolation for couples is that mattresses with good motion isolation properties tend to have little bounciness. Some people feel this makes the mattress less suitable for sex.

What Is Motion Transfer?

Motion transfer is the opposite of motion isolation. It is motion energy spreading across a mattress and often leads to a disturbance if more than one person is lying on the mattress. This can be especially troubling for light sleepers, and in some cases, a light sleeper could even disturb themselves when moving in a bed where the motion transfer properties are high.

Couples also need to consider the edge support of the mattress, which can be particularly important in smaller mattresses, as it keeps you feeling supported and safe from rolling off the edge because it gives in easily to pressure. 

Best Materials For Motion Isolation

There are many types of mattresses available. Here is what we’ve determined to be the best mattress materials for motion isolation:

  • Memory foam Memory foam molds to the sleeper’s body to varying degrees, then slowly springs back to shape once you remove the pressure. Memory foam mattresses tend to have good motion isolation properties because they’re so viscous and good at absorbing motion energy.
  • Pocketed coils — Many traditional spring-based mattresses will have some degree of motion transfer, but that can be minimized through the use of pocketed spring coils. This way, the springs move independently from one another as opposed to moving all together as one system. 
  • Polyurethane foam — While it’s not as viscous and slow-responding as memory foam, it’s still a good mattress material for motion isolation. Polyurethane foam, also known as neutral-foam here at the Slumber Yard, absorbs movement while still being responsive to pressure. 
  • Air mattress — Many people recognize these as the sleep number mattresses. This mattress has internal air bladders and electric pumps that fill and drain air from sections of the mattress to adjust it to different levels of firmness. Another feature of the adjustable air mattress is its ability to effectively isolate motion, at least as good as memory foam, and even better in some models.

Common Mattress Materials And Constructions

Below you will find a table illustrating the different types of mattress materials, their weight limits, if they’re good for motion isolation and what kind of person they’re best for. For weight limit, the numbers represent the highest weight you can be before the mattress is unsupportive for you. 

MattressMaterialWeight LimitGood For motion isolation?Best For
All-FoamMemory Foam
Poly Foam
Latex Foam
~250 lbsYesMotion Isolation
Budget Buyers
InnerspringSteel coils or innersprings~800 lbsNoTraditional feel
DurabilityCool

HybridMemory foam, latex, or polyfoam in addition to coils/innersprings. ~800 lbsBetter than innerspring alone.Supportive
Good bounce
Durable
More breathable than all-foam

Material Preferences To Help A Restless Partner

When it comes to motion transfer specifically, all-foam beds are usually the best. Having said that, some hybrid mattresses with pocketed coils or micro-coils do a great job of limiting motion transfer because the coils are individually-wrapped rather than being part of a larger innerspring system. Pocketed coils tend to do a much better job (than innersprings) of localizing pressure relief and support, while also isolating motion.

Therefore, if you see that a bed has coils, don’t run for the hills. If it has pocketed coils, it will still likely be very good in terms of deadening motion.

Creating Minimal Partner Disturbance

Typically motion isolation is something you only worry about (or think of) if you sleep with a partner. Otherwise, why would you care if the bed allows motion transfer?

But what if the partners have a difference of opinion in terms of firmness and feel of the mattress? In this case, we would say there are two potential fixes:

  • Split mattress down the center — First, you could get a bed like Nest Alexander Hybrid or the Helix mattress that allows you to split the bed down the center with one side being firmer and the other, softer.
  • Split king or split California king — In this option, you essentially have a twin-sized mattress on each side.

Few brands are offering split options, but if you search around you can find a few. Some of our top picks for motion isolating mattresses offer a spit option.

Top 6 Mattresses For Reducing Motion Transfer

MattressHighlightsFirmness Levels
Layla MattressBest Memory Foam Mattress For Motion IsolationMedium-soft or medium
T&N MintBest Soft Foam Mattress For Light SleepersMedium-soft to medium
Brentwood Home OceanoBest Hybrid Mattress For Motion IsolationMedium-soft to medium
Brooklyn BoweryBest Budget Bed For Motion IsolationMedium
WinkBeds EcoCloudBest Natural Latex Mattress For Motion IsolationMedium
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a soft or firm mattress?

Usually the softer beds will absorb motion better, so all things being equal, if you’re worried about partner disturbance, a softer bed is better.

How long will my mattress last?

The longevity of your bed depends on the type of mattress you get. An all-foam mattress may last around 7-8 years, while a hybrid or innerspring bed can last around 10 years or more.

Will I get a trial period for my mattress?

If you purchase your bed online, you will receive a risk-free trial period. Depending on the brand, it can range from around 90 days to a full year.

How does shipping work?

You will get free shipping right to your doorstep, and your mattress will show up in a box about the size of a set of golf clubs. Some brands, however, offer free while glove delivery and will also complete the set-up process for you.

How often do online beds offer discount codes?

Often, and we mean very often — not just holidays. Check the Slumber Yard’s Deal Page for all the up-to-date online mattress promotions.

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Why Trust Us

Get the kind of sleep you’ve only dreamed of with some help from our team of mattress experts. We personally test more than 175 of the best sleep solutions from over 60 leading brands on site, so you can be sure you’re getting unbiased reviews, fair comparisons and personalized recommendations.


The Review Team

  • dillon lopez slumber yard

    Dillon Lopez

    Combo Sleeper

  • reynoso

    Jack Reynoso

    Combo Sleeper

  • Tharon

    Tharon Green

    Stomach Sleeper

  • wesley-ott

    Wesley Ott

    Combo Sleeper