What is a luxury mattress and how much do they cost?

A woman sits on the foot of the Saatva Classic mattress on a bed frame in a bedroom
(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, luxury mattresses are the ultimate in comfort and quality. These high-end sleep solutions are crafted using premium materials, often with advanced sleep technology and meticulous attention to detail.

For anyone seeking the best mattress for their sleep needs, luxury models aren’t just defined by the materials used in construction, but also how comfortable they are. When choosing your luxury mattress you still need to consider your own sleeping style and comfort preferences to ensure they suit your individual needs, or they won’t be worth the investment.

We are going to walk you through everything you need to know about luxury mattresses, including what they are, the features they typically have and what they cost. And don’t forget, with Presidents' Day mattress sales coming up, you can expect big discounts from many of the top-rated bed brands, so luxury doesn’t need to break the bank. Read on to find out what a luxury mattress really means.

What is a luxury mattress?

When it comes to defining a luxury mattress, it isn’t just about the price tag, but rather it’s quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail. Luxury mattresses typically feature premium materials such as the best memory foam, natural latex, or organic fibers like wool and cotton.

The best luxury mattresses are likely to have an innovative design and exceptional comfort features including temperature regulation, zoned support for pressure relief or pillow-top layers for that plush feel.

However, the hallmark of a luxury mattress is really their exceptional construction. You’ll typically find hand-tufting, reinforced edges and even customizable firmness options. It's all about creating a mattress that can deliver the ultimate in restful and rejuvenating sleep experience whilst providing the perfect amount of support and durability.

Avocado Eco Organic Mattress

(Image credit: Avocado Green)

How much does a luxury mattress cost

The best luxury mattresses aren’t defined by just the cost, but prices can vary significantly (with luxury mattress brands often justifying their higher costs because of the materials they use), ranging anywhere from $665 to over $4,000 for a queen size, depending on sales.

For example, if you want hotel-style luxury at home but you’re on a budget, you can opt for the DreamCloud Hybrid which will cost you just $665 (was $1,664) for a queen, thanks to a permanent 50% off sale from the brand. But, if you do have a large budget you can opt for the Stearns & Foster Reserve, the brand's most luxurious mattress, with a queen setting you back $4,599.

Given the huge range, it’s important to focus on finding a mattress that suits your specific sleep style rather than letting just price guide your decision. That's where our best luxury mattresses guide will come in handy, with our top-rated picks for high-end beds for everything from cooling, to side-sleeping and back pain.

Features of a luxury mattress

While not every luxury mattress will have the same features, here are some things to look out for that will give you a good indication of a high-quality luxury bed.

1. High quality and natural materials

A key indicator of a luxury mattress is the materials used. While cheaper beds will often opt for polyfoams or other cheap, man-made foam, you can expect a luxury bed to incorporate high-density memory foam, durable steel coils and natural latex.

Luxury mattresses are also more likely to use natural materials, which are naturally more durable and breathable than synthetic alternatives. These can include wool for moisture wicking temperature regulation and pressure relief, cotton for breathability and thistle pulp as a natural alternative to fiberglass.

An example of this is the Saatva RX, which is one of the best mattresses for back pain. It features a layer of thistle pulp as a flame retardant and an organic cotton hypoallergenic breathable cover. In our Saatva RX review, we rated it a 4.5/5 for temperature regulation, thanks to the natural and high-quality materials.

Saatva RX materials breakdown

(Image credit: Saatva)

2. Hand-crafted and made to order

One of the things you’ll notice when it comes to luxury mattresses is that they’re typically hand-crafted and made to order (as opposed to the best mattress in a box options, which are made in a factory and boxed to ship).

That does mean that you’ll usually end up waiting longer for delivery, but they are worth the wait. You're getting the added benefit of your bed being made by expert craftspeople who are experienced in the art of making mattresses, and that attention to detail ensures that each mattress meets the exact specifications and the highest standards of quality. The knock on effect of this is that you can often expect your mattress to last longer and be more durable during its lifetime.

Another hallmark of a luxury mattress is hand finishing, which creates a more durable and supportive sleep surface by securing the layers together without adhesives, which is a long, meticulous process done by hand. This process is also combined with premium upholstery and attention to detail, meaning your new bed will look and feel luxurious.

3. Cleverly designed structure

Luxury mattresses are rarely just simple one or two layer constructions. They often feature well thought out, multi-layer designs that work together to provide the very best in comfort and support. While these high-end beds are typically hybrids, since these combine layers of quality comfort foams with the durability and breathability of coils, some of the best memory foam mattresses fall into the luxury category.

Luxury mattresses are created to be the most comfortable bed you’ve ever slept on so that means the design will often be targeted to solve specific sleep issues, whether that be back and joint pain, pressure relief support or even temperature regulation.

A reviewer places her hand on top of the Saatva Classic mattress during a temperature regulation test

(Image credit: Future)

Design features you might expect to see in luxury mattresses include zoned support systems, targeted pressure relief and lumbar support, and cooling comfort layers.

A prime example is our top-rated luxury mattress of 2025, the Saatva Classic, which is also rated as the best hybrid mattress. It features a memory foam lumbar crown and stronger, firmer coils in the centre third of the mattress where most of our weight is. This means it excels in back support and comfort. Read more about these features in our full Saatva Classic mattress review.

4. Mattress certification

All mattresses, whether budget or high-end, have to meet certain specifications for safety, quality and environmental sustainability. These mattress certifications can help to provide you with confidence in the materials and manufacturing processes used. However, you can expect to see more in the way of specialist certifications when it comes to luxury beds.

The most common certification when it comes to luxury mattresses is a CertiPUR-US accreditation, which guarantees that any foam used will be free from harmful chemicals.

The OEKO-TEX Standard 100, meanwhile, ensures that fabrics used are free from toxic substances. Eco-conscious buyers should look for certifications such as GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) which verify that latex or fabrics used within the mattress are organic and sustainably produced.

The Avocado Green mattress, for example, which is rated as the best organic mattress within our luxury bed round up, has a host of certifications that both prove the build and materials are high quality and ethically sourced, as well as proving the production process is both ethical and sustainable. These certifications include GOTS cotton, GOLS latex and FSC-certified Pure Talalay latex, as well as OEKO-TEX, Greenguard Gold, B Corp, and Climate Neutral. We delve further into this mattress in our Avocado Green mattress review.

5. Benefits

Whilst it's normal to see sleep trials, a warranty and free shipping when buying a new mattress, luxury mattresses they usually come with premium benefits that help to enhance the overall buying experience.

These often include longer sleep trials (100 nights or more), extended warranties (sometimes even lifetime warranties) and white glove delivery. The latter benefit means that you'll get your bed hand-delivered and set up in the room of your choice, and you can get your old mattress removed at the same time.

6. Customizable features

Being able to create a bespoke bed to suit you is a large part of what elevates a mattress from average to luxurious, which is why many high-end brands offer customizable options to help you find the perfect match for your sleep preferences.

This may be choosing the firmness of your mattress, the height or even adding a cooling cover or pillow-top for plush comfort. The Helix Midnight Luxe, which takes best mattress for side sleepers spot in our luxury round up offers a GlacioTex cooling cover upgrade for particularly hot sleepers, or an ErgoAlign layer for sleepers with back pain. While these do come at an additional cost, it'll provide tailored comfort designed to help you sleep better. If you think this'll suit your sleep set up, check out our Helix Midnight Luxe review for more information.

Some mattress brands, like Sleep Number, even have beds that allow you to have different firmness level on each side of the bed, making them one of the best mattresses for couples with different preferences.

A woman wearing a grey t shirt and black trousers drops a 10lb weight onto a Helix Midnight Luxe mattress to gauge its motion isolation

(Image credit: Future)

Top luxury mattress deals

Saatva Classic Mattress:

Saatva Classic Mattress: from $1,399 at Saatva
The Saatva Classic tops our best luxury mattress list, offering hotel-style quality in the comfort of your own bedroom. It is an innerspring hybrid that offers superb lumbar support and customizable firmness and height options, making it suitable for all sleeping styles. Our testers rated its outstanding pressure relief and edge support, as well as its good temperature regulation. Saatva does run regular sales but at the moment a queen size is at full MSRP at $2,099, so if you're in no rush it's worth waiting for the Presidents' Day Saatva mattress sale. It also comes with some great perks including a 365-night sleep trial, lifetime warranty and free white glove delivery.

Avocado Green Mattress was from $1,399$1,249 at Avocado

Avocado Green Mattress was from $1,399 $1,249 at Avocado
This mattress is proof that luxury doesn’t have to come at the expense of eco-friendliness. The Avocado Green is our top pick for organic luxury mattresses, and is made from natural materials, including 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool, and GOLS-certified organic latex. During our review of this mattress, we rated its quality, suitability for back and stomach sleepers and breathability. There is currently up to $250 off at Avocado, which brings the cost of queen down to $1,849 (was $1,999). Perks include a 1-year trial and 25-year warranty.

GhostBed Luxe Mattress:was from $2,595$1,298 at GhostBed

GhostBed Luxe Mattress: was from $2,595 $1,298 at GhostBed
The GhostBed Luxe is one of the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers craving a luxurious sleep space. It has a medium feel, and is packed with cooling tech, (including a quilted cover made up of a 0.5" Ghost Ice Fabric Cover, 1" of gel memory foam and cooling fiber) as well as cooling layers. During our GhostBed Luxe mattress review, our tester also found it had amazing pressure relief and outstanding edge support, so you can enjoy the whole surface of the bed. There has been a 50% of sale on at GhostBed for some time now, which means a queen is $1,498 (was $2,995). This mattress also comes with benefits including a 101-night sleep trial, 25 year warranty and free shipping.

Rachael Penn
Contributor

Rachael is a freelance journalist based in South Wales who writes about lifestyle, travel, home and technology. She also reviews a variety of products for various publications including Tom’s Guide, CreativeBloq, IdealHome and Woman&Home. When she’s not writing and reviewing products she can be found walking her Sealyham and West Highland terrier dogs or catching up on some cringe-worthy reality tv.