Best Gel Mattress

Memory foam is renowned for its stellar pressure relief and its ability to absorb movement, allowing for uninterrupted sleep with a partner. However, memory foam has a tendency to trap heat, resulting in a dilemma for hot sleepers. To work around this, manufacturers have developed gel-infused memory foam.

Designed to sleep cooler, gel beads or swirls are interspersed throughout the memory foam, where it absorbs heat to prevent it from building up around the sleeper. Every manufacturer makes its gel memory foam a little differently, and some are more successful than others when it comes to effective cooling. As you look for a new gel mattress, do your research so you can be sure you’re getting a mattress that meets your expectations.

We’ll discuss some of the best gel mattresses on the market today and provide advice on how to choose the one right for you.

Expert Tested. Sleeper Approved.

Over the past eight years, our Seattle-based Test Lab has performed hands-on tests on more than 4,000 sleep products — and nearly 2,000 of them are mattresses. 

As product experts, we stay up to date on the latest news in sleep science and product trends. We use this knowledge to fuel our data-backed recommendations. Many of our testers have worked directly with mattress manufacturers and visited actual mattress factories. On occasion, a sleep health expert might stop by to tweak a firmness rating.

When we test a mattress, we collect data across six major performance categories and combine these results with real-world feedback. We use tools and tech to monitor features like heat retention, motion isolation, and pressure mapping. In order to ensure our findings are inclusive of all sleepers, our team consists of people with varying body types and sleep positions.

Mattresses aren’t one-size-fits-all. The perfect bed for you is going to depend on general points like your body weight and sleeping position, as well as unique points like if you have back pain, if you sleep hot at night, or if you just like the feel of latex over memory foam. Our goal at the Test Lab is to help take the guesswork out of your mattress-buying process.

What Is a Gel Mattress?

A gel mattress contains at least one layer of gel-infused memory foam or polyfoam in the comfort system. Generally found in the form of beads or swirls, the gel infusions are intended to help regulate temperature by absorbing heat and pulling it away from the bed’s surface. As a result, gel mattresses often sleep cooler than traditional memory foam models. Gel foam may also feature perforations or an open-cell design to further enhance airflow.

The gel-infused foam layers can be paired with a polyfoam support core or with innerspring coils in the case of a gel hybrid mattress. There may also be other layers in the comfort system.

Gel-infused foam usually supplies conforming pressure relief, but the feel of the mattress also depends on the other layers and the exact firmness and makeup of the gel foam.

How to Choose a Gel Mattress

Buying a gel mattress comes with special considerations. Buyers must decide on not only the composition and placement of the gel foam, but also on the type of mattress.

If you’re thinking about whether you should get a gel mattress, you may find it helps to have an understanding of how gel infusions contribute to the overall feel of the mattress, who is best suited to a gel mattress, and what other factors should be taken into account when buying a bed.

What to Look For in a Mattress

Gel is a proprietary material that differs in its makeup from manufacturer to manufacturer, which sometimes makes it challenging to compare and contrast models. That said, there are several key points that can help you identify the mattress that best fits your needs.

Price
You can expect to pay a little more for a gel mattress compared to a regular foam mattress. However, gel mattresses are available at a wide range of price-points, so most shoppers should be able to find a mattress that fits their budget. All-foam models generally cost less than gel hybrids, and extra features or additional layers may raise the price.

Sleeping Position
Memory foam is best known for relieving pressure points, and gel mattresses are often favored by side sleepers looking to ease pain in the hips and shoulders. Gel foam can also help to reduce tension when sleeping on your back. On the other hand, stomach sleepers may find a gel foam mattress too plush.

Quality Materials
Mattresses made with higher-quality materials can be more expensive, but they usually last longer. And while denser foams tend to hold up better to pressure, they may also trap more heat.

Firmness Level
Although there are exceptions, gel memory foam mattresses are usually medium soft to medium firm. This firmness range is suitable for most sleeper types, particularly side sleepers and back sleepers who weigh less than 230 pounds. Stomach sleepers or those over 230 pounds may prefer a thinner layer of gel foam over firmer layers of polyfoam or latex.

Pressure Relief
Gel foam usually contours quite closely to the sleeper, helping distribute weight and prevent pressure points from forming. In concert with a supportive base, this material can also contribute to proper spinal alignment. People who often wake up with aches and pains may want to consider a mattress with a thicker comfort system.

Motion Isolation
Couples should find that gel memory foam helps absorb movement to reduce nighttime disruptions. However, the base of the mattress also plays a role in motion isolation. Mattresses with polyfoam support cores tend to isolate motion better than those with coils, although hybrids with individually wrapped coils also perform fairly well.

Temperature Regulation
The aim of gel memory foam is to provide the pressure-relieving properties of memory foam  without the heat retention. Different manufacturers accomplish this to different extents. Gel memory foam rarely sleeps as cool as latex or wool, but it may be a good option for hot sleepers who need a cooling mattress and like the feel of memory foam.

Edge Support
Edge support is mostly determined by the support core. Foam mattresses may compress more around the perimeter, while hybrids generally hold up better, especially if they have reinforced edges. When evaluating a mattress for edge support, be aware that mattresses with thicker, plusher comfort systems are likely to sag more around the edges. This may limit usable space and make it more difficult to get in and out of bed.

Contouring
Contouring refers to the ability of a material to wrap around your body. Memory foam contours more closely than polyfoam, and polyfoam usually contours more closely than latex. A certain amount of contouring is necessary to relieve pressure points, but too much contouring may allow excessive sinking that compromises spinal support.

Mattress Type
Gel mattresses typically come in all-foam or hybrid options. All-foam models with polyfoam support cores make little to no noise, and they typically offer strong motion isolation and pressure relief. Hybrid models often have better edge support and temperature neutrality, as well as a more responsive surface. Using pocketed coils in the support core of a hybrid can also cut down on motion transfer.

Off-Gassing
Because it is a type of synthetic polyurethane foam, gel foam may emit off-gassing odors when it is first unboxed. These occur as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air. The scent usually dissipates after a few days, but if you are sensitive to smell, you may want to find a mattress with less off-gassing.

Mattresses made with lower-density foams or those that incorporate space for airflow usually air out faster.

Third-party organizations like CertiPUR-US and Greenguard test mattresses for their emission levels and grant certifications to mattresses that meet their criteria, which can provide some peace of mind.

How Does It Feel to Sleep on a Gel Mattress?

Gel infusions can be added to various types of foam, with the primary intent of making it sleep cooler. This versatile material may therefore appeal to many different sleeper types, especially those with a tendency to overheat or those who live in warmer climates.

Gel memory foam contours more closely and provides a classic hug-like feel. Gel-infused polyfoam varies in firmness, but it is almost always more responsive than memory foam, and it doesn’t tend to conform as closely. Some mattresses also use different formats such as gel pods, ridged cutouts, or a thicker layer in the lumbar section to modify the mattress’ performance.

Whereas many mattresses are made with a single layer of gel foam over a foam or coil base, mattresses may also have a thinner layer of gel foam tucked between other layers of wool, polyfoam, or other materials. All of these designs can alter the feel of the bed.

Dive Deeper – In-Depth Mattress Guides

If you’d like to refine your search for a bed beyond a gel mattress, read through our other guides categorized by mattress type.