Highest-Rated Mattresses for Pregnant Women – Ratings for 2023

Buying a mattress while you’re pregnant can be a tricky business because your body is changing rapidly and your needs and preferences might be changing right along with it. Can you find a bed that can adapt to your changing needs and help you sleep comfortably? We think you can, and the following is information that can take you through some of the most important considerations for expectant mothers.

Everyone’s body is unique, and every pregnancy is unique to that body. Women who are older or have pre-existing sleep conditions should take those into account when shopping. You may also consider talking to your doctor about what positions and special needs your particular pregnancy may require and applying what you learn to the following shopping guide.

Many women suffer from insomnia during their pregnancy, and this can be a dangerous condition that should be monitored closely by a doctor. But if you suspect that your mattress is one of the root causes of your restlessness, there are several questions that you may want to ask.

• Is your bed accommodating to your changing shape or are you waking up with pressure points and soreness?
  

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• Are you waking up hot?
  

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• Are you struggling to get in and out of your mattress or move around?

Get More Info: How Pregnancy Affects Sleep

Spine alignment is crucial to a restful night’s sleep and a morning free from uncomfortable pain points. Your mattress needs with regards to your posture might change a bit when you’re pregnant. For example, if you’ve always been a stomach or back sleeper, you've likely had to adjust to sleeping on your side.

Your needs in different positions, especially with a growing belly, tend to vary. Side sleepers need to focus on pressure relief in that position because the curvier edge of your body is bearing more weight and tends to develop uncomfortable pressure build up. This can cause restlessness at night.

Want to know more? Check out our best mattress for side sleepers here.

Those looking for enhanced pressure relief often find it in a deep hugging mattress, but this may not be ideal for pregnant women. Even if you commit to one sleeping position, you are likely to get up to use the bathroom and pulling yourself out of a deeper hug each time could be difficult.

What firmness level you need will depend on what blend of materials is required to support good spine alignment while melting your pressure away with a good amount of comfort. A bed that is too soft may hold your body too deeply inside the mattress and make repositioning more difficult, especially as you try to maneuver while pregnant. A brand that is too firm may cause too much pressure to build up.

Beds in the Medium to Medium-Firm range tend to deliver a good balance of these two mattress characteristics for most bodies, but a lot may depend on your size and sleep position. Remember, however, that firmness is subjective and what is indicated by the manufacturer or a reviewer may not be what you experience, depending on your body size and shape.

Need help? Check out our mattress firmness guide.

Many pregnant women struggle with standing up, especially with an imbalance of weight on the front of their body. A bed with a lower profile may require you to lift yourself up into a standing position, while a bed with a higher loft will allow you to slide off onto the floor.

Thickness is not always indicative of durability, and a 10-inch mattress may last longer than a 15-inch choice. You should consider the materials within when shopping so you can be sure to find a mattress that lasts the length of your pregnancy and beyond.

Hormones fluctuate during pregnancies, and many expectant mothers are highly sensitive to temperature, waking up in a sweat. Though foam does a great job reducing pressure, it can sometimes allow heat to build up, so be sure to look for materials that help heat dissipate or flow through the mattress.

View Our Guide: Best Cooling Mattresses

If you’re getting up and down throughout the night using the restroom or after the baby is born to nurse, you do run the risk of disturbing your partner or vice versa. Foams that absorb vibrations often do an exceptional job at reducing motion transfer, as do coils that are individually wrapped in cloth or foam.

Certain materials can also make noise when you move around on a bed, so you may also want to consider this possibility if you are exceptionally sensitive to noise. Coils that are connected often are the biggest culprits in this category because they squeak when they rub together.

Sturdy edges can increase the overall usable surface area of your bed, which is ideal if you like to spread out without sacrificing support. This is also important for new parents that intend to share their bed with their new baby and need a bit of extra room.

There are many costs incurred during pregnancy and having a baby. While a mattress purchase is an important investment, it’s not necessary to break your budget to support your pregnancy. There are tons of affordable beds available, especially online or with financing, that can help curb costs.

A mattress is a big purchase and like any large investment, there is bound to be a ton of small print and policy that you should evaluate before pulling the trigger on your choice of maternity mattress.

The ability to customize your mattress to your specifications or select two different comfort levels for your mattress adds considerably to the value of your purchase and the longevity of your investment. A mattress matched to your sleep needs both present and future is likely to retain its usefulness and enhance intimacy with your partner if both are getting the rest you require from the same bed.

A dual-sided choice may also be a wise choice if you expect your sleep needs to change considerably post-pregnancy.

Check Out Our Guide: Top Rated Customizable Beds

Fifteen minutes in a mattress store will not tell you as much about your mattress as a few weeks sleeping on it. Many mattress companies want to alleviate concerns about buyer’s remorse by building in policies that allow you to try the mattress out in your home before committing to keeping it. Check the fine print and see what the brand offers in terms of returns and pick-up costs. They may even be able to donate the mattress to a good cause!

Any woman who has been through a pregnancy will tell you that it’s tough enough to get her own body up the stairs, let alone a huge mattress. Consider how the bed will be delivered to your home and who will set it up. See if the brand offers White Glove Delivery, where professionals bring the bed in, unpack it, and place it on your bed frame for a nominal fee. Otherwise, be sure that someone else is home to help you move it when it’s delivered.

For More Info: Tips for Transporting a Bed On Your Own

The warranty can add value to your purchase or sometimes subtract from its overall value. You’ll want to look carefully at the brand’s policy in terms of making claims, paying for repairs, or reviews that will help you see how others have interacted with the company when reporting damage or defects both immediate and over time.

You’ll also want to investigate any limits the policy might have and ways you could inadvertently void its guarantees, such as putting to much weight on the mattress or putting it on an incorrect frame or foundation.

If a brand new mattress purchase isn’t in the cards for you or you want to return to your current mattress at the conclusion of your pregnancy, a mattress topper may fit the bill to change up the comfort to accommodate your maternity. A topper typically constitutes one or several layers of comfort material (usually foam), and many of the top mattress brands have blended their proprietary materials into toppers that can fit on top of whatever mattress you currently own.

Memory foam mattress toppers do not necessarily retain heat as many are incorporated with gels, and these may transform your current sleep space into a deep-hugging paradise. You might look into latex toppers that could be more responsive and temperature neutral. Many latex products offer a more organic choice with all natural materials, which can be an advantage for those with sensitivities to certain chemicals or allergens.

There are many things to keep in mind when purchasing a pillow for your sleep space, too. If you’re like most people, more than one pillow may be required for the sleep position you fancy. For instance, many men and women prefer to sleep with a pillow both under their heads and between their knees. If this is you, you’ll want to consider different pillow heights (lofts) or materials that will work best for what you need.

Ideally, your head should be four inches off the mattress, and the size of your pillow can help you achieve that based both on the weight of your head and the breadth of your shoulders. Side sleepers tend to like higher pillows, while back and stomach sleepers like thinner pillows. Choosing a product with looser materials will often let you adjust the pillow to the loft you need by rearranging the insides.

Visit Our Full Guide: Best Pillows for Side Sleepers

Though it is a larger investment, an adjustable base can transform your sleep space from night to night depending on what you need and what position feels best. A flip of a button or switch could have you on your way to the very best sleep, and many adjustable bases come with preset positions or programmable settings if you find a favorite.

Adjustable beds aren’t the same as they were 20 years ago. More modern constructions make much less noise and feature additional perks and features that are ultra-high tech. For instance, maybe you’d like your bed to charge your phone while you sleep or light your way to the bathroom.

Tons of options and features have truly brought adjustable bases into the 21st century. As an added bonus for cumbersome pregnant bodies, you won’t have to sit up on your own if your bed can do it for you.

When memory foam was invented in the 1970s, there were concerns about the chemicals used in manufacturing, but more modern iterations of the same materials have been regulated so that they contain flame retardants. Certifications from third-party organizations have often tested the foams and found them to be safe for consumer use, and these are always listed on the manufacturer's website if you’d like to investigate further.

Read More: Toxic Materials in Foam Mattresses

Many bed-in-a-box mattresses have a detectable odor when they are first unpacked that usually dissipates after a few hours or a few days. This is usually a result of the packing process that compresses the bed and keeps it vacuum sealed in plastic. Though it is reportedly harmless, those with sensitive noses may look for beds that are not compressed.

If an airbed is your preference, there are options for you, even when you are pregnant due to advances in airbed technology and set up. Lying on your back, you should achieve the same balance and support you’re used to with air mattresses, but newer choices even offer cutouts or holes that can accommodate your growing belly when you’re lying on your stomach, something unheard of in more traditional mattress builds.