I didn’t buy my first brand-new mattress until I was in my mid-30s.
Until then, I’d slept on used or super-cheap mattresses, as one does when they are saddled with student debt.
But my husband and I eventually decided it was time to grow up. Our backs simply could no longer bear the springs from a 20-year-old mattress whose origin we couldn’t identify.
Making that decision was the easy part. We still had the challenge of finding a new mattress we’d both love.
He raved about the Tempur-Pedic guest bed at my aunt’s house. I thought it was too hard.
I gushed about the bed at a swanky hotel we splurged on. He thought it was too soft.
And so I turned to Wirecutter.
This was long before I worked here. And the sleep experts (whom I now know personally and trust even more as the very best in the biz) extolled Saatva, a brand I hadn’t even heard of.
As they explained the difference between innerspring and foam, used terms like “cushy” and “Euro top,” and emphasized firmness, I found myself checking off every make-believe box in my head.
Without even trying it out, I hit the purchase button for a Saatva Classic, our pick from the guide to the best innerspring mattress. And what a great decision that turned out to be.
Our pick
Pairing a classic innerspring bounce with a cushy top, this bed is for those who want to nestle in without being engulfed. But it doesn’t have the best motion isolation.
