• Physically cool
• Multiple firmness options
• Neutral foam feel
• Optional pillow top available

• Firm option is not that firm
• Not a budget option

Our take:There is no cooler mattress than the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. It's my top recommendation for hot sleepers because everyone can sleep on it. People looking for extra-firm beds might want to skip this one.

How it sleeps:The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress is one of the most widely appealing beds I’ve reviewed. I’d describe the feel as neutral foam. If you’re like me, who doesn’t love traditional memory foam, don’t let the word foam scare you away from this bed. The Aurora Luxe’s foam layers are extremely responsive and offer the perfect amount of pressure relief. I didn’t sink into the bed like memory foam, although it had plenty of cushion to ensure my pressure points were cradled. You can add a pillow top (for $400 more) if you want even more cushion.

Another huge mark in Aurora Luxe’s favor is the fact that it’s available in three firmness options: Soft (medium-soft or three), Medium (medium or five) and Firm (medium-firm or seven). The only thing is that the firmest level of the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe isn’t all that firm. People who want a bed as firm as the floor should look elsewhere. However, for the average hot sleeper, I don’t think you can beat the quality and cooling capabilities of the Aurora Luxe mattress.

• Dense memory foam feel Nectar is known for
• Zoned support for spinal alignment
• Softer firmness is good for side sleepers

• Not good for back or stomach sleepers
• Expensive
• Probably not supportive enough for heavy people

Our take:Memory foam lovers who sleep hot will like the Nectar Luxe mattress. This all-foam mattress is best for petite to average builds who mostly sleep on their sides. It won’t be the best option for strict back or stomach sleepers.

How it sleeps:The Nectar Luxe mattress is a new bed from Nectar, and it’s quickly becoming a favorite for our team. It still has the dense memory foam feel that you expect from Nectar. It’s not as dense as Tempur-Pedic, though it’s not as light as Layla. The foam will noticeably conform to your body when you lie on it. 

We found the Nectar Luxe to be medium-soft to medium or four on our scale, making it a great choice for hot-side sleepers. The bed is topped off with a cooling cover that is cool. It’s not as cool as the Aurora Luxe, but any cooling properties for hot sleepers are a big deal. One thing I have to mention about this bed is that it’s expensive. $3,214 for a queen is more than many people will want to spend. If you can afford it and are a hot side sleeper, you’ll like the Nectar Luxe mattress.

Runner-up:If you’re heavier but still want a cooling bed for side sleepers, check out theNectar Luxe hybrid. It has the same cooling cover and is only $2,231 for a queen.

• Unique feel
• Good at regulating temperature
• Hybrid design is good for anyone

• One firmness option
• Pretty expensive
• Polarizing feel isn’t for everyone

Our take:There’s nothing quite like the squishy Purple Grid. Many people love it, but some find it a little too out there. Personally, I think the Purple Restore mattress is the best choice for hot back sleepers.

How it sleeps:The first time I laid on a Purple mattress, I thought it was weird. It’s a feeling that you can’t get anywhere else. The Purple Grid perfectly cradled me, and I almost felt buoyant. The Purple Restore mattress offers the perfect blend of pressure relief and support. While we tested the Purple Restore, we found it to be medium-firm, making it a good choice for hot back sleepers. It’s not the firmest bed you can get, though most hot back sleepers will get what they need from this bed.

The Purple Restore mattress doesn’t actively cool, but Purple carefully designs its beds to be superior at regulating temperature. The rubber proprietary grid pulls away heat more effectively than foam. Purple told us that the Purple Restore mattress is two times better at pulling heat away than other beds in the lineup. Our team has found the Purple Restore mattress to be really good at keeping you from heating up at night.

Runner-up:ThePlank Firm Luxe is a super firm bed perfect for back sleepers. If you sleep hot, add the cooling cover; otherwise, it is not a cooling bed.

• Cooling cover
• Quilted foam top
• Good for back and stomach sleepers
• Slight zoned support
• Available in an all-foam or hybrid construction

• Dense foam feel isn’t for everyone
• Too firm for side sleepers

Our take:I can barely believe the price of the CopperFlex Pro mattress from Brooklyn Bedding. With sales, you can get a queen model for under $1,000. Although heavier folks probably want to spend a little more and get the hybrid version.

How it sleeps:Brooklyn Bedding is known for making high-quality mattresses at good prices. The CooperFlex Pro mattress is one of the most affordable cooling beds I’ve seen. Surprisingly, this bed is priced at only $1,065 for a queen. You can get this bed for around $800 if you time it around sales. When it comes to cooling beds, this is pretty unheard of. All that fancy cooling technology tends to drive the price up. The hybrid version is a little more expensive at $1,332, although you can get it for around $1,000 with sales.

The CopperFlex Pro mattress has a dense memory foam feel. You won't sink far into the bed when you lie on it. We slightly noticed the zoned support design when testing. It doesn’t jump out, but it’s a nice addition for people with back pain. The bed is pretty firm; our mattress smasher gave it a 7.9 out of 10. As such, I wouldn’t recommend it for strict side sleepers. Back and stomach sleepers should sleep well as long as they like a firmer bed. 

Runner up:TheCocoon Chill mattress is a little more expensive at $1,079 for a queen, although it’s softer than the CopperFlex at a medium to medium-firm. The Cocoon Chill is a better choice for strict side sleepers.

• Great motion isolation
• Micro-coil construction makes it very supportive
• Cool to the touch cover

• One firmness level
• Expensive

Our take:The superior motion isolation and unique six-layer construction of the Leesa Legend Chill mattress make it my top recommendation for couples who sleep hot. It has a responsive pillow top feel that is universally loved, though you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to get this bed.

How it sleeps:Couples need a bed with good edge support and motion isolation so they have access to all of the sleeping surface and don’t feel their partner moving around at night. The Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid mattress ticks all the boxes. 

It has a zoned support coil design, meaning the center third of the bed is firmer than the head and foot. When we tested it, we rated it a medium on our firmness scale, which makes it a safe choice for most people. Every sleeping position will be comfortable, although couples looking for a firmer bed will want to look elsewhere. 

There is no doubt the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid mattress is a cooling bed; you can feel the cooling cover through a layer of sheets. It’s close to how cooling the Aurora Luxe mattress is, although not quite there. Overall, everyone is going to like the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid bed. It’s classically comfortable and cool.

Runner-up:Couples will also like theBrooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. It's a hefty, widely appealing bed that is great for couples with different sleeping needs.

• Cooling cover
• Dense foam feel
• Hybrid option available
• White glove delivery

• Expensive
• Not everyone likes the dense memory foam feel
• Can be hard to move around on
• Shorter trial period

Our take:Those who want their bed to cradle them in thick, syrupy memory foam layers should consider the Tempur-Pedic Breeze mattress. It’s a dense memory foam bed that has an active cooling cover. Unfortunately, it’s pretty expensive. 

How it sleeps:Tempur-Pedic is one of the most popular mattress brands, known for its dense memory foam feel. The Pro Breeze mattress is one of Tempur-Pedic’s cooling beds. It’s surprisingly cold, easily one of the most cooling beds I’ve tested. Not to mention, I like the graphic look of the cover. 

The dense memory foam feel was immediately apparent when I tested the Pro Breeze. I slowly sank into the bed as the foam layers conformed around me. It’s as dense as it gets with memory foam, so if that’s the feel you’re after, the Tempur-Pedic Pro Breeze mattress is one of the best you can get. You can get the Tempur Pro Breeze in an all-foam or hybrid construction. I recommend that heavier body types opt for the hybrid version so you get enough support over time.

Runner-up: According to Tempur-Pedic, theLuxe Breeze mattress is even cooler than the Pro Breeze. However, it’s $1,000 more expensive. 

• Responsive coils give plenty of support
• Zoned support for back pain
• Cooling features

• Too firm for some side sleepers
• Might be overkill for people under 150 pounds
• Not for people who want a neutral foam feel

Our take:The Casper Snow’s zoned support design and active cooling cover make it the best choice for hot sleepers with back pain. Since it’s firmer, I wouldn’t recommend it for strict side sleepers.

How it sleeps:Casper recently revamped its bedding line to include the Casper Snow Hybrid mattress. Unlike old Casper beds, known for having a neutral foam feel, the Casper Snow Hybrid has a dense memory foam feel that reminds me of Tempur-Pedic. When I first climbed onto this bed, it felt pretty firm, but then I noticed it slowly softened up around me. Our team rated the feel at a medium to medium-firm or 6, which makes it the best for back and stomach sleepers.

The Casper Snow Hybrid bed can handle all body types because it has a supportive coil layer. Uniquely, it has a zoned foam design intended to relieve back pain by providing more support under the back. This bed is one of the coolest Casper has ever made, and I think it’s a great choice for people who want a cooling bed that will relieve their back pain. It’s pretty expensive: $2,495 for a queen.

Runner-up:TheAvocado Green mattress doesn’t actively cool, but its construction provides excellent airflow. The latex foam layer doesn't trap heat like typical foams and is firm enough to support people with back pain.

• Great cooling features
• Comfy pillow top
• Extra supportive design
• Good for back and stomach sleepers

• Expensive
• Too firm for some side sleepers
• People under 150 pounds won’t need the added support

Our take:Heavier, hotter sleepers need an extra supportive bed that won’t heat them up at night. Thanks to the cooling pillow top, the Titan Plus Elite can do both. Although average body types probably don’t need the added support. 

How it sleeps:The Titan Plus Elite mattress has a luxurious pillow top feel that I think just about anyone will like. Pillow tops are a safe bet for people unsure if they like memory foam or aren’t ready to leap into something unique like Purple. This bed falls at around a medium-firm on the scale, meaning it’s good for just about anyone. It might be too firm for some side sleepers. Remember, the more you weigh, the softer a bed will feel. Not by a ton, but it’s something to consider for average and petite body types. Back, stomach and combination sleepers will sleep comfortably on this bed.

Besides the classic pillow-top comfort, the Titan Plus Elite mattress has Titancore encased coils and a layer of micro coils to make sure heavier folks have all the support they need. The reason this bed made this best cooling list is because it has an enhanced cooling cover that’s actually cold. Not to mention, the hybrid construction keeps it airy throughout.

Runner up: TheHelix Plus mattress is another good choice for plus-sized people. It’s not a cooling bed, but you can add the cooling pillow top to help regulate your temperature. That will take the price from $1,499 to $1,873 for a queen.

• Automatically adjusts temperature through the night
• Actually cooling
• Can track your sleep
• Each side of the bed is customizable

• Expensive
• Short trial period of 30 nights

Our take:If you’re happy with the feel and firmness of your bed but need some cooling features, you might like the Eight Sleep Pod. It’s a high-tech option for people looking for an enhancement, not a replacement. That said, it’s an expensive upgrade.

How it sleeps:The Eight Sleep Pod 4 is a cooling mattress cover that does more than just cool. It tracks your sleep and health data and adjusts the temperature at night based on factors like the weather, bedroom environment, sleep stages and more. If you sleep with a partner, it also “learns” the ideal temperature for each side of the bed. It has customizable alarm vibrations, personalized health reports and sleep recommendations to help you get better rest.

The Eight Sleep Pod is a favorite of CNET’s sleep team because it cools extremely well. It’s pretty expensive, at $2,649 for a queen, the same as several mattresses on the list. It’s a neat, high-tech option that does exactly what it says. If you can't find cooling relief, Eight Sleep will do the trick, as it can go as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Runner-up:TheBedJet 3 is a climate comfort system that keeps you cool at night. It’s not exactly the same as the Eight Sleep Pod, though, at only $599, it's a more affordable option for many people.