Saatva mattresses are luxury handcrafted beds made in America, and many of them come in different comfort levels including plush, relaxed firm, luxury firm and firm. If you’re unsure whether to choose a Saatva luxury firm vs firm mattress feel, we have you covered right here with our in-depth guide to these two popular comfort levels.
The Saatva Classic luxury innerspring hybrid is best mattress of 2025 and it comes in plush soft, luxury firm and firm. The difference between each of those feels is significant, so you really need to make sure you’re buying the best Saatva mattress for your body type and sleep needs.
And now is a great time to buy too thanks to some great Saatva mattress sale offers ahead of this year’s Presidents’ Day mattress sales. Here’s how to choose between a Saatva luxury firm vs firm Classic mattress to sleep comfortably night after night.
Saatva luxury firm vs firm mattress: Key differences
The Saatva luxury firm mattress feel is designed to recreate the comfort level of an opulent hotel mattress at home. On a firmness scale of 1-10, where 1 is oozy-marshmallow soft and 10 is like sleeping on a plank of wood, the Saatva luxury firm is rated at a 5-7. That makes it the best choice for most sleepers and body types; it’s an excellent catch-all comfort feel.
We tested a luxury firm feel for our Saatva Classic mattress review and found it to be incredibly comfortable from the first night. All of our testing panel loved the feel of this hybrid mattress, regardless of the position they slept in, although it was much more popular with our stomach and back sleepers. Based on our testing and research, we’d recommend the plush soft for lightweight sleepers (those weighing 150lbs or less) who sleep on their side.
Saatva’s firm mattress feel is rated as an 8 out of 10, making it the hardest Saatva bed you can buy right now. We’d recommend this comfort level mostly for back and stomach sleepers as well as it being a good mattress for heavy people.
When it comes to the Saatva luxury firm vs firm, the firm is the better choice if you need strong support from your mattress. The luxury firm option is the better choice if you want a bed that reduces pressure points and offers slight contouring.
Saatva luxury firm vs firm: Which is best for different body weights?
The Saatva luxury firm feel suits most body types and weights, with the exception of heavier people who weigh over 300lbs. In that instance we would recommend the Saatva firm, as this will deliver the stronger support a heavier body needs to stay on top of the mattress instead of sinking in.
This is important because it will keep your body in a relatively neutral position when you’ll avoid getting a weird curve or bend in your back (which will cause pain down the line).
That isn’t to say plusher mattresses provide less support. In fact, the support delivered by a mattress comes from the dense bottom layers of foam and the spring system. However, that is relative to the weight of the body sleeping on top of it.
The Saatva luxury firm feel is rated a 5-7 on the firmness scale, so people who weigh less than 150lbs may find this too hard if they prefer sleeping on super-soft beds. Otherwise, we’d recommend it as the best choice for people who want an excellent balance of comfort and support.
Saatva luxury firm vs firm: Which is best for different sleep positions?
The position you sleep in also plays a huge part in whether you should choose the Saatva luxury firm vs firm. There are four main sleeping positions – stomach, back, side and combination – and each of them are more comfortable with different comfort levels.
Side sleeping, for example, is infinitely more comfortable on a plush soft or luxury firm mattress because this comfort level will reduce pressure points on the hips, shoulders and knees when you’re side lying.
Back and stomach sleeping positions are better matched to firm comfort levels if you’re a heavier person, while average weight back and stomach sleepers can find ample support and comfort from a luxury firm bed. As a rule though, firm Saatva mattresses are usually a great choice for stomach and back sleepers to keep the spine in healthy alignment.
Saatva luxury firm vs firm mattress: Which is best for back pain?
This isn’t as cut and dried as you’d first think. Several years ago, chiropractors, physical therapists and doctors would routinely recommend firm mattresses as the ideal choice for people dealing with different types of back pain.
These days, luxury firm mattresses are considered the better choice for many types of back pain. Why? Because this comfort level offers some contouring, some pressure relief and a medium-firm feel; the perfect balance of comfort and support. To complicate things further, a plush mattress feel can also be the right choice for back pain if you’re a lighter weight side sleeper.
When choosing between the Saatva luxury firm vs firm, you’ll need to factor in your body weight, the type of back pain you’re dealing with, your sleeping position, and who you share your mattress with (if anyone).
For example, if you’re a heavier person with chronic lower back pain who only sleeps comfortably on their stomach or back, then we’d recommend the Saatva firm mattress comfort level. A firm mattress also distributes your body weight evenly, helping to reduce lower back pain further.
Saatva luxury firm vs firm mattress: Which should you buy?
The Saatva luxury firm and firm mattress comfort levels are available on the best-selling Saatva Classic luxury innerspring hybrid, and the beauty of Saatva is that you’ll get a whole year to trial your new mattress.
If you change your mind during that trial and either want to return your Saatva Classic or exchange it for a different comfort level, you can do so as long as you pay a $99 fee (many leading mattress companies don’t charge a fee). When choosing between the Saatva luxury firm vs firm, we’d recommend the following:
Buy the Saatva Classic luxury firm if you sleep on your side and are an average to lighter body weight with little to no back pain or just general aches and pains. We’d also recommend this comfort level to couples who have different mattress requirements or who don’t know what feel they prefer.
Buy the Saatva Classic firm if you sleep on your stomach or back, or you have a heavier body as this firmness level will keep your spine aligned.
