Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam
Best budget gel mattress
You may be familiar with memory foam and spring mattresses, but manufacturers like to offer as many options as possible. This is where the role of gel mattresses comes in. In fact, your favorite foam or hybrid mattress may already have gel options available. The best gel mattresses offer dampening motion so your sleep won’t be disturbed if a partner or pet gets into the bed, and they can provide more support and pressure relief than traditional mattresses. They also tend to run cooler.
While searching, you will find a gelatinous substance in All foam And Hybrid mattresses, either fully embedded in the foam or divided into separate sections or channels. Because gel provides temperature regulation, it is often found in or near the top layer of a mattress to combat heat retention. Gel foam generally contains either a molded gel, coiled gel, or micro-gel beads, and the gel is often combined with substances that help regulate both heat and cooling further.
Although gel mattresses have some advantages over traditional memory foam mattresses, they are usually more expensive and have a shorter lifespan, usually lasting between five and eight years. The gel foam mattress is also heavier than other mattresses. Additionally, the gel is a synthetic and manufacturers often don’t disclose the exact ingredients. For this reason, it is wise to look for certifications such as CertiPUR-US to ensure that all materials in your mattress are safe.
To help you in your search, we’ve put together our recommendations for the best gel mattresses available today. Prices listed are for queen size mattresses, prior to any sales or discounts.
Read more: How to stop sweating in your sleep
Mattress Price Scale:
$ = Budget – $799 or less
$$ = Medium – $800 to $1699
$$$ = Premium – $1,700 and up
Prices reflect MSRP* Ranked sales may pay a minimum, but it’s always changing.
He writes Hybrid mattresspackages 3 or medium finenesstrial 365 nightsa guarantee 25-year limited warranty price $$
The Oceano is Brentwood Home’s best-selling hybrid mattress. It has a medium soft feel, is comfortable for all sleep positions and has a cooling effect that is popular with hot sleepers.
He writes Hybrid mattresspackages 5 or mediumtrial 100 nightsa guarantee 10-year limited warranty price $$$
Casper’s Wave Hybrid Mattress has a medium texture. With several layers of targeted support, it’s great for the side, back, stomach, or anyone who needs enhanced pressure relief and back support. It’s even endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association for its supportive custom design and ability to promote a properly aligned spine.
He writes Hybrid mattresspackages 6-7 or medium hardtrial 120 nightsa guarantee 10 years warranty price $$
The Bear Pro mattress is a five-ply foam variety. Bear is known for its Celliant fabric, which keeps you cooler at night and promises faster recovery times from sore muscles and sports injuries. This gel foam mattress features a Celliant topper as well as advanced cooling technology using gels, copper foams, and graphite. This makes it ideal for athletes or anyone else who exercises on a regular basis.
He writes Memory foam mattresspackages 3-4 or medium finetrial 100 nightsa guarantee 10-year limited warranty price
The Zinus Green Tea memory foam mattress has a softer feel, and is ideal for hot sleepers, heavier people and all sleep positions. With that said, it does seem to hold up in cold weather, which is a common characteristic of dense memory foam. The 12-inch set includes 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam, 3 inches of comfort foam, and 7 inches of high-density foam core. Together, these three foams promote air circulation, flow, ventilation, and pressure relief. There are four levels of firmness to choose from, though: 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch models.
He writes Hybrid memory foam mattresspackages 5 or mediumtrial 101 nightsa guarantee 25-year limited warranty price $$
If you are a hot sleeper, this may be one of the coolest mattresses you will find. The GhostBed Luxe is made up of seven layers, four of which are meant for cooling in one way or another. Supportive in all the right places while being luxuriously soft on top, the GhostBed Luxe has a medium feel and is great for all types of back, stomach, side, and combination sleepers.
He writes Memory foam mattresspackages 2 levels of firmness – loose hardness: 7 or medium-hard; Firm: 9-10 or firmtrial 360 nightsa guarantee Lifetime guarantee price $$$
The Loom & Leaf mattress from Saatva is 12 inches high with four distinct layers, including a full 5 pounds of pressure-relieving memory foam.
He writes Memory foam hybridpackages 4 or medium to medium finetrial 101 nightsa guarantee Lifetime guarantee price $$$
Another luxurious hybrid mattress consisting of layers of coils, cooling gels and several types of foam, this American-made mattress provides the perfect bed for those who suffer from back pain or who need pressure relief.
He writes Reversible hybrid mattresspackages 2 levels of hardness | Medium: Average or 5 | Company: medium to firm or 8trial 100 nightsa guarantee Lifetime guarantee price $$
Perfect for a range of sleeping positions, the Nest Bedding Robin (formerly FLIP Hybrid) mattress has two sides to offer – the top has a medium feel while the bottom has a firm feel. This unique bed combines visco-gel foam with supportive coils to create ergonomic support for optimal sleep.
Other mattresses we’ve tested
The above mattresses were hand-selected by CNET Sleep editors, and proved to be the best performing gel mattresses out of the more than 100 beds they tested. With that being said, with so much to choose from, there are bound to be a few quality mattresses that are missing the pieces. Here are other mattresses tested by the CNET Sleep team that deserve a mention as some of the best gel foam beds.
Lucid 10″ Gel Memory Foam Mattress: As a wallet-friendly mattress, budget shoppers may really enjoy this option. It’s made of memory foam and has a slow-responsive, sticky feel that’s typical of traditional memory foam. It comes in a wide range of height options and three firmness levels, so most sleepers can find the Lucid Gel that best suits their preferences. However, since it is an all-foam mattress, I do not recommend this for people over 230 lbs. It will not be as firm or supportive as a coil-over hybrid mattress.
DreamCloud mattress: As the name suggests, the DreamCloud is an ultra-plush mattress that feels like a cloud when you sleep on it. I will compare it to a luxury five star hotel mattress. It’s made of gel memory foam, but the pillowcase’s fluffy pillow top makes it more neutral and bouncy. It’s incredibly thick and made with a supportive pocket roll on the bottom, so it’s perfect for all body types. It also has an appropriate hardness level; It’s rated medium or 5 out of 10, making it suitable for all back, side, stomach, and combination sleep positions.
How do we test
CNET Sleep editors selected the beds and other products we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Find out more at How do we test mattresses?.
Frequently asked questions about mattresses
What are the pros and cons of a gel mattress?
Gel mattresses often sleep cooler than regular mattresses because the material does not retain heat as well as traditional memory foam. Gel beds also tend to be more responsive to pressure. It ultimately promotes a cooler, more comfortable sleeping experience. However, because of this, gel foam mattresses are usually more expensive than standard memory foam beds.
Who makes the best gel mattress?
CNET’s sleep editors have chosen the following beds as the best gel mattresses:
- Brentwood Home Oceano
- CasperWave Hybrid
- Bear Pro
- Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam
- GhostBed Luxe
- Loom and Leaf
- Bouffant hybrid
- Robin’s nest bedding
What is the shelf life of gel mattresses?
It depends on whether your gel mattress is made of foam or if it is a hybrid (foam and coil) mattress. A gel foam mattress will last about five to seven years depending on how well you take care of it. However, a hybrid mattress should last about eight to 12 years. You should rotate your bed every six months so that you distribute the pressure evenly and deep clean it annually.