The mattress you have sex on can be the difference between a banging time in bed and a sex session that’s cut short by aches and pains, according to Searah Deysach, a sex educator and owner of pleasure products company Early to Bed. “It’s going to be impossible to relax and enjoy the sexual activity at hand if your mattress is putting you in discomfort or pain,” she says. And “if you are uncomfortable [or in] pain, you probably aren’t experiencing pleasure or able to connect with your partner(s), which are really the whole point of sex.” True! A few fewer rompathons each month may not seem like that big of a deal. But for people who value and prioritize sexual connection, physical touch, and sexual intimacy in their lives, the absence of sex can lead to feelings of isolation, disconnection, and inadequacy, says Deysach. As such, replacing your old mattress with a sex-friendly one can help fill your life with not only more orgasms and quality sleep but more love, too. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best mattresses for sex on the market, organized by category. Shop now; snore and squeal later. “Sex is just as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing, if not more so,” explains Drew O’Bannon, a sex and intimacy expert with Emma Sleep, the manufacturer of the Emma CliMax® Hybrid, a sex mattress created to celebrate real bodies and their intimate moments in bed. “So, if your mind is somewhere else because your back is uncomfortable on the mattress or your body hurts, it’s going to be hard to stay in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing.” Here’s the thing: The mattress you have sex on is also the mattress you sleep on. (Unless of course you have a separate sex room, in which case, kudos!) And the quality of your sleep can also affect your overall life—including your sex life. Shelby Harris, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, clinical associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis, explains that poor sleep can lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and it can also cause issues with mood regulation, mental health, and more: “Poor sleep can also lead to irritability, stress, and anxiety that can lead to conflicts in your relationships that make sexual connection impossible or unappealing,” she says. In other words, you (don’t) snooze and you lose (out on sex). So, when it comes to your mattress, both sex and sleep experts alike say it’s worth investing in a quality choice. “Spend what you can afford within your budget, but don’t skimp out on this luxury, as you are going to be spending a lot of time on it—after all, we spend an average of one-third of our lives asleep,” says Wendy Troxel, Ph.D., a senior behavioral scientist, certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist, and author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep. Other people think bounce interferes with the natural rhythm of sex. People who enjoy super-slow, soulful sex (like those into tantric sex, for example) may prefer investing in a mattress with minimal bounce. If you need to keep it down while you get down, consider investing in a memory foam mattress, which will be soundless. If you live alone or don’t have kids and therefore have a little more flexibility in noise level, you’ll have more options. As they put it, “People of all sizes deserve a comfortable place to sleep and have intimate moments.” So, if you and your bae run warm—or you don’t have air conditioning—you might consider investing in a temperature-regulating or temperature-controlled mattress. “While a heavy, traditional foam mattress can absorb and retain excess heat,” a temperature-regulating mattress is designed to maintain a comfortable body temperature and dissipate body heat while you Zzz, explains O’Bannon. And of course, they do the same while you O! Typically, back and side sleepers do best with medium-firm mattresses, while stomach sleepers do best with firm mattresses, according to Harris. The firmness level recommended is all about what firmness will best protect their back and lumbar spine, she says. Made from a combination of body-hugging foam and resilient springs, this mattress simultaneously supports your neck, back, and crack while also encouraging airflow to keep you from getting too hot. One thing to keep in mind: Casper says that this mattress is medium-firm, but many of the reviews say it’s actually quite soft, which is why we gave it gold for best soft mattress. So, if you’re looking for a mattress that’s a little more firm, you may want to look elsewhere. Made specifically with plus-size sleepers in mind, this foam mattress is also ideal for any couples composed of one or more bigger-bodied lovers. “It’s for couples of all shapes and sizes who do more in bed than just sleep,” they say. Though of course, throuples and quads are more than welcome to enjoy, too. However, the mattress’s ability to hold 1,100 pounds at a time isn’t just noteworthy for heavy pleasure-seekers but for group sex enthusiasts of all sizes. The mattress is firm enough to keep from sagging even when three or more people are humping and pumping in the middle of it. Best, the Perforated Gel-Infused Latex Foam and ThermoGel-treated fabric work together to dispel all the heat your activities may generate. If, for example, you’re bigger-bodied or have group sex, you’d be wise to invest in a mattress like Big Fig Mattress. If, however, you and your boo are lightweight stomach sleepers who enjoy a softer mattress, the Casper Nova Hybrid would be a better option. Once you’ve picked out your mattress, you can pick the best frame. Here, you’ll want to think about noise level, sturdiness, and style. If you or your partner are a rigger or rig-bunny, you’ll probably want to make sure to pick an option with a frame.
