You might be familiar with memory foam and box spring mattresses, but manufacturers want to offer as many options as possible. That’s where gel mattresses come in. In fact, your favorite foam or hybrid mattresses might already have gel options available. The best gel mattresses deliver motion dampening so your sleep won’t be disturbed if a partner or pet gets into bed, and they can provide more support and pressure relief than traditional mattresses. They also tend to run cooler. 

While researching, you’ll find gel in all-foam and hybrid mattresses, either fully integrated into the foam or layered into separate sections or channels. Since gel provides temperature regulation, most often it’s found in or near the top layer of a mattress to combat heat retention. Gel foam generally contains either poured gel, swirled gel or gel micro beads, and the gel is often combined with materials that help regulate both heat and cooling even further. 

While gel mattresses have some advantages over traditional memory-foam mattresses, they’re also typically more expensive and have a shorter life span, usually lasting between five and eight years. A gel foam mattress is also heavier than other mattresses. In addition, gel is a synthetic material and manufacturers often don’t disclose the exact ingredients. For this reason, it’s wise to look for certifications like CertiPUR-US to ensure that all the materials in your mattress are safe.

To help you with your search, we’ve rounded up our recommendations for the best gel mattresses available today. Prices listed are for queen-size mattresses, before any sales or discounts.

Read more: How to Stop Sweating in Your Sleep

Other mattresses we’ve tested

The mattresses above were personally hand-picked by our CNET Sleep editors, and proved to be the best performing gel mattresses among the 100-plus beds they’ve tested. With that being said, with so many to choose from, there are bound to be a few quality mattresses that miss the cut. Below are other mattresses tested by the CNET Sleep team that are worth mentioning as some of the best gel foam beds. 

Lucid 10-inch Gel Memory Foam mattress: As an ultra wallet-friendly mattress, budget shoppers may really enjoy this option. It’s made with memory foam and has a slow-responding, viscous feel that’s typical of traditional memory foam. It comes in a large range of height options and three firmness levels, so most sleeping positions can find a Lucid Gel that suits their preferences. However, since it’s an all-foam mattress, I don’t recommend this to people who weigh over 230 pounds. It’s not going to be as durable or supportive as a hybrid mattress that contains coils.

DreamCloud mattress: Like the name implies, the DreamCloud is an ultra luxurious mattress that feels like a cloud when you sleep on it. I’d compare it to a fancy, five-star hotel mattress. It’s made with gel memory foam, but the fluffy pillow top in the cover of the bed makes it feel more neutral and bouncy. It’s incredibly thick and made with supportive pocketed coils in the bottom, so it’s perfect for all body types. It also has an accommodating firmness level; it’s rated around a medium or a 5 out of 10, making it fitting for all sleeping positions from back, side, stomach and combination. 

How we test 

Our CNET Sleep editors picked the beds and other products we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Find out more on how we test mattresses.

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