Soft mattresses are known for their exceptional pressure relief and cloud-like comfort. If you’re looking for one of the best soft mattresses, thankfully, you have a ton of different soft beds to choose from! With that being said, it can be overwhelming to choose a mattress when you have so many options. With this in mind, we went ahead and made a list compiling the Slumber Yard’s top favorite plush mattresses with soft profiles.
We made sure to consider how each bed on this list will feel for different people and how comfortable each one will be for different sleeper types and body types. Of course, how well you like a mattress is incredibly subjective. We do our best to account for various preferences, but in the end, the typical online bed’s risk-free trial period is everyone’s best friend and part of the reason why online beds tend to be a solid value for the money.
The 8 Best Soft Mattresses
- Best Plush-Firm Mattress :WinkBeds ClassicStarting at $1149 Shop Now
- Softest Memory Foam Mattress :LaylaStarting at $749 Shop Now
- Best Plush Coil Mattress :Nest Bedding Sparrow HybridStarting at $949 Shop Now
- Best Soft Foam Mattress :Nolah Original 10Starting at $699 Shop Now
- Best Ultra-Plush Mattress :Amerisleep AS5Starting at $1949 Shop Now
- Best Plush Mattress for Pressure Relief :Puffy LuxStarting at $1449 Shop Now
- Most Versatile Plush Mattress :Helix MidnightStarting at $799 Shop Now
- Best Plush Hybrid Mattress :Casper Nova HybridStarting at $1195 Shop Now
Summary of the Best Soft Mattresses
Best Plush-Firm Mattress
WinkBed is a thick, durable hybrid mattress that includes a comfortable euro pillow top. In our opinion, it’s one of the best mattresses you can purchase online.
WinkBed is one of the most well-known online mattress brands, and for good reason—they make a couple of really great mattresses. While they offer three firmness options, the “Firmer” model is in the plush firm range, meaning it offers ample support, cushioning, and firmness. It’s perhaps best for stomach and back sleepers, but if you opt for the “Softer” or “Luxe Firm” models, we believe that sleeping on your side should be no issue at all.
WinkBed’s best features
- The WinkBed Classic Mattress comes with a supportive design that makes for an ultra-comfortable and durable mattress for all body types: petite, average, and heavy.
- It has a fluffy pillow top above for plush comfort, making the top of the mattress feel light and airy.
- Pricing is on the higher end, but they regularly offer promotions and coupons to make the hotel-luxury mattress a bit more affordable. After discounts, we think this bed provides a pretty nice value.
Softest Memory Foam Mattress
Layla is a memory foam mattress that’s flippable and features a “Soft” and “Firm” side. This makes it accommodating for a wider range of sleepers.
Layla has a plush memory foam feel that hugs your body and contours around your curves. It’s not dense or firm like Nectar and TempurPedic. Instead, it has a fluffier memory foam feel that’s more airy and cozy. The memory foam is also copper-infused to help draw your body heat away from you, making it one of the best soft memory foam mattresses.
Layla’s best features
- Layla is pretty neat because it’s flippable, so you can try out a Soft side or a Firm side and then decide which is more comfortable for you.
- The Soft side is about a medium soft and is why Layla is one of our favorite plush memory foam mattresses.
- The other side is more like a plush firm, meaning there’s still a cushion, but it’s not exactly a soft mattress. Even so, we think the “Firm” side should accommodate all sleeping styles.
- It doesn’t sleep hot like traditional memory foam beds because of its copper-infused design.
Best Plush Coil Mattress
Nest Alexander Hybrid is a pillow-top mattress that comes in multiple firmness options and is backed by a lifetime warranty.
When we think Nest Sparrow, we think plush. This bed is constructed of both coils for durability and soft foam for comfort, with a soft pillowy feel that you sort of nestle into as you lay down. As a result, the Nest Sparrow accommodates all body types. We love the soft model, but it’s also available in different firmness profiles.
Nest Bedding Sparrow’s best features
- Nest Bedding offers three different firmness levels for this mattress for maximum versatility: Plush, Medium, and Luxury Firm. The Medium level is their most popular, and it’s pretty much a medium-soft mattress.
- The medium option should do a good job of accommodating most body types, but you might want to look into the luxury firm option if you have a particularly big build.
- It provides a very luxurious, plush mattress feel with a thick, fluffy pillow-top for added coziness. The cover even feels like cashmere.
- While Nest Sparrow is not a cheap mattress, it is a good value if you consider construction and its lifetime warranty. For a queen size, the MSRP is about $1,600, but with a coupon code, the price comes down to about $1,300 most of the time.
Best Soft Foam Mattress
The Nolah mattress has three layers and a soft, unique profile that is somewhere between polyfoam and memory foam. It’s built specifically for side sleepers.
Nolah Original 10 is one of the more popular soft mattresses within the online bedding industry. Not everyone is looking for a hefty hybrid mattress, like petite to moderately-weighted sleepers under 230 lbs, for example. If you just want a standard 10” foam bed in a box mattress that’s easy on the wallet, Nolah Original 10 is a great choice. It’s soft, responsive, and all-around a very nice foam bed.
Nolah’s best features
- Nolah offers a comfortable neutral-foam feel with just a hint of memory foam. If you hate the slow responding feel of traditional memory foam, you will not get that with this mattress.
- We rated it around a medium to medium-soft on our firmness scale. Ideally, it’s best suited for side sleepers, but we think lightweight combo sleepers under ~150 lbs will also enjoy it.
- One of the best parts about this mattress is the price. A queen mattress retails for a little over $1,000, but they’re typically running discounts that bring you below $800 or $900 for a queen. It’s around the price of Tuft and Needle Mint, but this bed is slightly thinner.
- We also love how they’ll donate to a charity that helps protect American wildlife every time they sell a mattress.
Best Ultra-Plush Mattress
AS5 is a soft memory foam mattress that offers a great deal of pressure relief and plushness.
Amerisleep offers a range of different mattresses from AS1 to AS5. Their softest mattress is AS5, and we think it’s ideal for strict side sleepers or petite individuals who want an extra soft mattress that’s about as plush as you can get. As a result, we had to include it on our best plush mattress list.
AS5 Mattress’ best features
- It offers a dense memory foam feel with a very soft profile. You take a few moments to sink into the bed, but once you do, it’s extremely conforming and comfortable.
- It’s the only mattress in their lineup with four layers instead of three –– standing at 14” tall. This makes it more durable and supportive than other foam beds.
- We love the machine washable cover of the AS5 from Amerisleep. Most mattress covers aren’t removable or machine washable.
- A queen size will retail around $2,200, but they’re usually running discounts for up to 30% off. If the $2,200 queen size retail price is a little out of your budget, you can also opt for AS4, which is still soft, just a bit more affordable.
Best Plush Mattress for Pressure Relief
Puffy mattresses are among the most popular on the market – they’re up there with names like Casper and Nectar. The Puffy Lux mattress made our list for the best soft mattresses from 2022 for its price, firmness level, and accommodating feel. It’s a four-layer hybrid mattress that has some serious pressure relief. When you lay down on the Puffy Lux, the Cooling Cloud Foam and Plush Dual Cloud Foam comfort layers contour to your body and cradle you while you sleep.
Thanks to its hybrid construction, anyone can sleep on the Puff Lux mattress, regardless of their sleeping position or weight. The bottom line is that it’s just a really good pick for people looking for a really soft and comfortable mattress. We wish the price was a little lower, but if money is not a constraint, it’s a really good option, especially if you are looking for a hybrid mattress. The good news is that Puffy is pretty aggressive with their discounts, so if you time it with big holidays, you can end up saving hundreds of dollars off the price of the bed.
Puffy Lux’s best features
- The Puffy Lux mattress has a machine washable cover.
- All foams of the Puffy Lux are produced using a special Variable Pressure Manufacturing process, which cuts out harmful chemicals. Meaning they are all CertiPUR certified.
- We think the Puffy Lux is a medium-soft to medium firmness on our scale, giving it a nice, soft-to-the-touch sleeping experience.
Most Versatile Plush Mattress
Helix is known for its versatility. You have over ten mattress options rather than just having one mattress option from Helix. It’s worth noting that the Helix Moonlight and Helix Sunset are the softest options they offer. We rate them a true soft on our scale. The Helix Dusk and Helix Midnight fall at a medium on our scale.
All you have to do is take the helpful Helix quiz to narrow down their catalog of mattresses and find your ideal match.
Overall, all of the mattresses from Helix have a neutral foam feel. You get to choose your firmness level, but if you’re looking for a really soft bed, we would suggest the Moonlight or the Sunset mattress. Side sleepers will love either of those mattresses. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper looking for something that has pressure relief but is not too soft, we would suggest the Dusk or Midnight mattress.
Keep in mind that the Helix mattresses aren’t cheap. They are not crazy high either. But they are not what we would consider budget mattresses. That said, they are well-made, durable, and extremely comfortable mattresses that anyone would be happy with.
Helix’s best features
- Helix offers a ton of mattress models. You can use the helpful quiz to determine which mattress model is right for you.
- Helix mattresses are just super well made and high quality.
- The softest models are Helix Moonlight and Sunset. We think side sleepers will love these options.
- Medium firmness models are Helix Midnight and Dusk. These are best suited for stomach and back sleepers who want a soft mattress but an option with enough support to keep their spine aligned.
Best Plush Hybrid Mattress
You know Casper, it’s one of the most well-known mattress brands in the bed-in-a-box game. And for a good reason, we love mattresses from Casper. The Casper Nova mattress takes our spot for the best plush hybrid mattress because it’s plush and comfortable.
It’s got a really solid mattress that has a five-layer construction. It starts with support foam, then a layer of pocketed coils, and is topped with three layers of memory foam for comfort. Casper says that Nova has “cloud-like comfort.” We happen to agree. When we tested it, the only thing that came to mind was that it felt like a cloud with coils underneath. It definitely falls among the plushest mattresses we’ve ever tested.
The Casper Nova mattress is not a budget mattress. There’s no way around that. The queen retails around $2,000, which is not the cheapest mattress out there. But Casper’s quality and durability make it worth the price.
Casper Nova’s best features
- The Nova bed from Casper is soft, cloud-like, responsive, and supportive.
- It’s an airy, fluffy mattress that’s one of the softest we’ve ever tested. We rate it a medium-soft on our firmness scale.
- Casper mattresses are made with open-cell foam that’s perforated to pull in airflow.
- It’s best for side and combo sleepers who are looking for a nice plush mattress. Back and stomach sleepers won’t have issues; they might just need something a little firmer.
What to Consider When Looking for a Soft Mattress
It’s a common misconception in the mattress-buying world that if a bed is soft, it has no support, and therefore if a bed is supportive, it must feel like a tabletop. However, that’s not entirely true. Don’t get us wrong, there is some truth behind the idea, but it’s just not as cut-and-dry as that.
There are, in fact, mattresses out there that provide support while still giving you that soft feel you’re after. So if you’re a soft bed lover with back problems, don’t despair! There’s hope (and a bed) for you.
Soft Vs. Plush
Plush Mattress — In general, we consider a plush mattress to be even softer than a soft mattress. Moreover, we often refer to a bed as soft because it’s soft to the touch, not necessarily because it’s extra pressure relieving. An example is Nectar, which is soft to the touch but is actually more dense in overall firmness. However, a perfect example of a plush mattress is Brentwood Oceano, which has a big fluffy cover that’s ultra-soft. You lay on the bed, and you sort of naturally nestle in because it’s ultra-plush.
Plush-Firm — There is a little confusion as to what a plush firm mattress is. Well, it’s basically a bed that’s on the firmer end of the spectrum but still has some cushioning. It’s not technically a soft mattress, but it does provide some pressure relief. A few beds that come to mind here are Leesa Hybrid and Saatva. These two beds are firmer but have a little give. You can think of a plush firm mattress as basically a medium-firm.
Soft Mattress — Anything that’s below a “medium” is a soft mattress. That said, you can have beds that are still soft that are in the “medium” range. A good example is Casper, which is not technically a soft mattress but feels soft to the touch.
Medium-Soft Mattress — We rate this at anything from a medium soft to a medium. These types of beds are soft overall but still provide some pushback. We have tested dozens of medium-soft mattresses, but Brooklyn Bedding Bowery Hybrid is the first to come to mind. It’s both soft to the touch and a medium soft mattress overall. Still best for people spending the night on their side, but not so soft that you are confined just to one sleep style.
Materials
Given that the foam mattress is one of the most popular style/type of beds, it makes sense that certain people are looking for a soft foam mattress. We do need to set the scene a little. There’s a difference between a medium-soft foam mattress and a truly plush option. If you want a medium-soft mattress, you’re looking at something like Brentwood Oceano, but if you want truly plush, you need something like the Muse mattress’s soft option.
Soft Memory Foam Mattress — We consider this type of bed to be pressure relieving but not so soft that you can’t sleep in various positions. The first soft memory foam mattress to come to mind is the “Firm” side of the Layla Hybrid mattress. It’s still a soft bed, but it’s not plush.
Plush Memory Foam Mattress — The easiest way to discuss a plush memory foam mattress is to focus on Layla Hybrid’s “Soft” side. This is a particularly plush mattress that you melt into. It’s soft and definitely is not for everyone. The only people we think will like the “Soft” side are petite individuals that are specifically looking for maximum pressure relief.
Hybrid — A hybrid mattress is often a good option if you’re looking for something both supportive and soft. The coils in this type of bed will provide you with the support you need to keep proper alignment, while the foam if it’s on top, can still give you a soft feeling layer to lay on.
Some foams are quite supportive, despite lacking the firmness of coils. Different types of foam have different feels and densities, so if you’re shopping for support, don’t be put off by all-foam constructions.
Sleeper Types
The way you sleep, or more specifically, the position you sleep in, plays a pretty big role in determining how soft or firm you’ll want your mattress to be. Consider the following sleep positions to help determine the best mattress for you:
- Back or Stomach Sleeper: You need your bed to provide enough and the right support around your hips and trunk area to maintain proper alignment and keep you from waking up with a sore back. Generally speaking, that means a firm mattress, not really a plush one.
- Side Sleeper: You’ll want a mattress with some give to it because you want pressure relief around your shoulder and such, or you’ll end up feeling crushed into your torso. Nobody wants a tingly, pins-and-needles arm under them when they’re trying to sleep. You shouldn’t feel like there’s space under your stomach, and you should feel as though your whole body is equally supported. You want a straight spine, which means you need to sink in a bit around your shoulders and hips.
- Combo Sleeper: If you switch positions throughout the night, you want to look for a mattress that is supportive but doesn’t necessarily have a firm feel. For example, you might like a bed with a softer, pressure-relieving top layer and support foam or coils underneath.
Body Types
Not everyone will experience the same mattress in the same way. Along with your sleeping position, your body weight has a large effect on how a mattress feels. Depending on how the mattress is made, it can provide more or less support for your body type. Consider how the following body types might affect your mattress experience:
- Heavier Individuals – Heavier weights will compress a mattress, making it feel even softer than it is. If you’re around 230 lb or more, consider a hybrid mattress that includes support layers like innerspring. Also, if the mattress is too soft, it could sink too easily and feel uneven. A very soft foam mattress might not be the best option since it tends to sink with the user’s weight.
- Petite Individuals – For more petite individuals, beds tend to feel more firm. Since you’re less likely to sink into the bed, you’ll only feel the top layers. We recommend choosing medium-soft or soft mattresses so you feel supported without a mattress that’s too rigid. More petite body types may enjoy a soft foam mattress or plush memory foam mattress.
- Couples With Varying Weights – If you’re a couple with different body types and weights, it can be difficult to accommodate both. We recommend compromising with something in the middle. If you do lean one way, we suggest you cater toward the heavier partner. Generally speaking, petite people can feel comfortable on a wider range of mattresses.
Comfort
We have made a few designations for the most comfortable soft mattress, but this is a subjective determination at the end of the day. What you consider to be the most comfortable mattress is likely not the same as ours. We generally regard comfort, at least in the context of this list, to be an ultra-plush mattress that’s still really supportive—a bed that almost everyone lays on and says, “wow, this is comfy.” We want to emphasize that we have several beds on this list that we think you’ll find plenty comfy, even if they aren’t plush mattresses. For example, the plush firm mattress we chose is super comfy.
Our editors consider “plush” to be actually softer than “soft.” It sits at about a 0-4 on our softness/firmness scale. We consider “soft” to be in the 2-5 range. There’s a lot of crossovers.
They are if you sleep on your side. A soft mattress will typically keep a side sleeper’s spine in proper alignment. Though, if you sleep on your back, stomach, or a combination of positions, a more supportive bed would be ideal.
Soft mattresses are known for their comfort and exceptional pressure relief. Soft beds are typically most beneficial for side sleepers, petite individuals, and people looking for extra pressure relief.
People generally like the comfort and pressure relief soft mattresses offer. Whether or not it is good to sleep on depends on your body type and sleeping style. Stomach and back sleepers may find that soft mattresses can cause so back problems. If you’re a side or combo sleeper who favors their side, you’ll like sleeping on a soft mattress.
Firm mattresses are best for back pain and sleepers who require more support, while soft mattresses benefit side sleepers and lighter individuals.
A few of the softest beds include Nolah mattress, Layla mattress, Winkbeds, and Brooklyn Bedding Oceano. We’ve found them to be some of the most cozy and pressure relieving.
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