Best Mattresses for Platform Beds

With its blend of proprietary Memory Plus Foam, Helix Responsive Foam, and individually wrapped coils, the Helix Midnight is my pick for the best overall mattress for platform beds. Helix sells its own platform beds and adjustable bases, so you don’t have to worry about hunting for a compatible option. During testing, the mattress excelled in support, cooling, and motion transfer, where it earned 3.5/5 or above across all three categories.

My fellow mattress tester, Marten, slept on the Helix Midnight mattress in different positions to assess its support. While it performed well across every position, he found it especially comfortable for back sleepers.

“I started on my back and found the mattress to be a perfect match,” said Marten. “The memory foam top layer conformed nicely to my body and let me sink in a bit, but there was plenty of support from the individually wrapped coils below.”

Based on his results, I gave the Midnight a 4/5 in the support category.

The Helix Midnight also showed excellent motion isolation during our tests, earning it a 3.7/5. One of my fellow testers placed a glass of water in the center of the mattress while another moved around on the other side to see how much it would disrupt the water. There wasn’t much movement in the glass, which tells me you’re unlikely to be disturbed by your partner or pet’s movements on the other side of the bed.

One area in which the Midnight really shines is cooling. I gave the Helix Midnight a 4/5 in this category because its breathable cover and airflow-promoting coils work overtime to prevent this mattress from trapping heat. To test this as objectively as possible, our mattress testers used a temperature gun to measure the mattress before using it and again after resting on it for 7 minutes. The Helix Midnight only increased from 70.5 F to 77.5 F, which is exceptional.

Although the Helix Midnight performed well across the board, it’s not the best fit for everyone. Based on our testers’ experience with this bed, stomach sleepers would fare better on a firmer mattress. These sleepers need a mattress that provides enough support around their hips to keep their spines in a healthy position.

Interested in learning more about the Helix Midnight? Read our full Helix Midnight mattress review. If you’re a stomach sleeper who prefers a firmer mattress, check out the Helix Dawn instead.

The WinkBed mattress is my favorite hybrid model for platform beds because of its strong cooling and support. Our testers also loved the zoned support system and medium-firm feel, as well as its cozy Euro top for a bit of added cushion. Its design is firmer in the center and softer around the head and foot, providing a supportive and comfortable sleep surface. I gave the WinkBed a perfect 5/5 for support because, unlike many mattresses that claim zoned support, this one delivers noticeable results.

Cooling also performs well, earning the WinkBed another solid 4/5. When we tested it with a thermal gun, our mattress tester found that the surface temperature increased by 6.4 degrees after lying on it for 7 minutes, which makes it a solid choice for those who want to sleep comfortably without overheating.

Edge support is another strength of the WinkBed, scoring a perfect 5/5 in this category. My fellow mattress tester, Marten, who is 6’7″ and 270 pounds, measured how much the mattress sank when he sat  on its edge and found that it only compressed 3 inches. Many mattresses sag up to 5 inches or more under similar pressure. This sturdy edge support is essential for platform beds, as it allows you and your partner to use the entire surface area without feeling unsteady or rolling off.

“I loved the responsive feel from the WinkBed’s coils, combined with the plush comfort of its pressure-relieving pillow top,” said Marten. “The zoning offered great lumbar support. I think this mattress is a standout choice for those seeking relief from lower back pain.”

However, the WinkBed suffers in motion isolation, which is unsurprising, as hybrid mattresses tend to show weaker performance in this category. Our testers noticed slight motion transfer when one person moved or jumped out of bed. This shouldn’t be an issue for most sleepers, but it might not be ideal for couples and folks sensitive to movement.

If you’re considering this mattress for your platform bed, check out our full WinkBed mattress review to see how it performed in each category. For those seeking a mattress with better motion isolation, you might also want to explore the Helix Dusk Luxe as an alternative.

The DreamCloud is a high-quality hybrid mattress that scored a 4/5 or higher in nearly all our testing categories. It’s also a smidge firmer than the industry standard of medium-firm. When you factor all of these characteristics together, you have a recipe for the best firm mattress for platform beds.

As mentioned, the DreamCloud is a bit firmer than most mattresses we review. Many mattresses are medium-firm, or 6.5/10 on our firmness scale. Meanwhile, the DreamCloud is a 7.5/10 on our scale. After spending a few hours with the DreamCloud, our mattress tester, Marten, found that it provided the best firm support for most back sleepers and stomach sleepers.

Although the DreamCloud had fantastic results for light-to-average-weight back and stomach sleepers, I wouldn’t recommend this mattress to strict side sleepers or folks with sensitive joints, as they likely won’t get the cushioning and pressure-relieving contouring they need from a bed this firm. Because of these drawbacks, I gave the DreamCloud a 4/5 for support overall.

The DreamCloud also excelled in the response category, in which I gave a 4.5/5. Most hybrid mattresses are bouncy and responsive, and the DreamCloud is no different. Thanks to its strong coils, our mattress tester, Marten, could immediately feel the springiness on the surface.

“The responsiveness makes it easy for sleepers to move around on top of the mattress and switch sleeping positions,” said Marten. “Combination sleepers or folks who want a good mattress for sex might benefit from this.”

There’s a lot to praise about the DreamCloud, but it suffers in the edge support category. I still think this mattress will work for most sleepers; however, our mattress tester noted feeling insecure while sitting and lying on the edge of the mattress. 

Using a tape measure to record how far the edges dipped, our tester found 2.5 inches of sinkage. While this number is impressive at first glance, he still noted the sides feeling quite slippery. I gave it a 4/5 for edge support overall, but I don’t recommend this mattress for folks with limited mobility.

Dreaming of the DreamCloud mattress? Read our full DreamCloud mattress review for more information before making your final decision. If you’re looking for a hybrid mattress with stronger edge support, I recommend checking out the WinkBed Plus.

If you’re looking for a cool and comfortable mattress for your platform bed, it doesn’t get much better than the Saatva Classic. I gave this mattress a 4/5 for cooling because of its breathable organic cotton cover and dual layers of coils that help promote airflow. My fellow mattress tester, Marten, took a two-hour nap on the Saatva and stayed comfortable throughout.

“After taking a two-hour nap on top of the mattress, I didn’t feel myself getting overheated,” Marten explained. “When I switched sleeping positions, the surface of the bed felt temperature neutral. The dual set of coils also helped promote airflow, which prevented me from feeling stuffy and sweaty.”

I also gave the Saatva a perfect 5/5 in the support and edge support categories. As a stomach sleeper, it’s difficult to find a mattress that elevates my hips enough to maintain proper spinal alignment. Thanks to the Saatva’s two layers of coils, this wasn’t an issue. I also noticed that I could sit and lie right on the edge of the bed without feeling insecure or rolling off.

Folks worried about getting enough support without a box spring have nothing to fear on this bed. The Saatva offers ample support within its construction and is fully compatible with platform beds and adjustable bases. The brand itself even offers a variety of platform bed frames to suit your needs.

However, couples and pet owners beware: Any bed with two layers of coils is bound to be bouncy, and that’s unfortunately the case for the Saatva Classic. While testing this mattress with one of my colleagues, I could feel their every movement on their side of the bed, especially when they got in and out of bed. I don’t think it would be an issue for most sleepers, but if you or your partner wake easily, I recommend getting something with better motion isolation.

Are you set on the Saatva Classic? Read our full Saatva mattress review to get all the details on this supportive mattress. If you think the Saatva Classic might be too bouncy for you, I recommend checking out the all-foam Saatva Contour5.

As comfortable and easy on the eyes as they are, platform beds can wind up costing a lot of money. But if you opt for the all-foam Nolah, you’ll have an easier time saving up for the additional cost. That’s because a queen size often goes on sale for right around $1,000. In addition to its cost-effectiveness, the Nolah performed well on our edge support, cooling, and motion transfer tests.

The Nolah’s edge support might be the biggest surprise it has up its sleeve. All-foam beds typically collapse near the edges when applying pressure because they lack the extra support from innerspring coils. However, the Nolah surprised our testers with its sturdy perimeter, earning it a 4/5 in the edge support category.

“I was pleasantly surprised that this mattress’s edge-support results were pretty solid,” said Marten, my fellow mattress tester. “The high-density foam layers definitely compressed as I sat near the edge of the mattress, but I never felt like I was going to fall off.”

The Nolah Original also does an excellent job of cooling things down thanks to the breathable cover and the brand’s proprietary AirFoam technology. Unlike traditional memory foam, AirFoam is designed to release heat to help regulate temperature. During the two-hour nap test, none of our testers noted overheating on the Nolah, giving it another surprising win. I rated it a 4/5 for cooling overall.

Like many other memory foam beds that are this soft (6/10 on our firmness scale), the Nolah mattress isolates motion well. We placed a glass of water on one side of the bed and had one of our testers move around on the opposite side. As our tester moved around, we barely noticed the water rippling inside the glass, indicating excellent motion isolation. I gave the bed another 4/5 in this category because our results suggest you won’t have to worry about disturbing your partner or being awakened by them getting in and out of bed in the middle of the night.

Given its reasonable price point, the Nolah Original is an impressive bed, but it’s not perfect. While this soft, all-foam mattress should be a good fit for lightweight sleepers and average-weight back and side sleepers, I don’t recommend it for stomach sleepers and heavy individuals (230 pounds or more). These sleepers will need a firmer mattress to support them and keep their spines healthily aligned.

Need to know more about the Nolah? Read our full Nolah Original mattress review to see how it performed on all our tests. If you’re a heavier sleeper looking for a firm memory foam mattress, check out the Plank Firm.