A good night’s rest is essential for mental and physical health. If you’re struggling with the quality of your sleep, it may be time to upgrade your mattress. Research shows your sleeping surface can directly impact your sleep, so purchasing a new mattress that’s right for you may help you get a better night’s rest.
When it comes to luxury mattresses, Saatva is one of the most formidable players in the game. The brand’s flagship mattress, the Saatva Classic, stands out for its double layer of coils, which provide a lot of bounce, responsiveness Good responsiveness means the mattress has a bouncier surface that responds to pressure or the sleeper’s movements, making it easier to move around and switch positions. , and support, resulting in an overall traditional innerspring feel. And unlike much of the competition, the Classic isn’t a bed-in-a-box mattress. Instead, someone from the company delivers it to your door unboxed and uncompressed, then sets it up for you free of charge.
Of course, the most important characteristic of any new mattress is how it feels when you sleep on it, which is why our Handbook Team tests mattresses like the Saatva Classic. Read on to learn more about how it performed and what we liked or didn’t like about this mattress.
Note: The Saatva Classic is available in three different firmnesses: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. This review focuses on the Luxury Firm.
Our testing experience
Purchase mattress as mystery shoppers.
Set up mattress in testing lab.
Lie on mattress and rank firmness.
Lie on back, side, and stomach to find the best sleeping position.
Place 10-pound ball in mattress center and measure sinkage.
Find biggest pressure points using pressure map reading.
Evaluate cooling capabilities by recording temperature differences.
Drop 10-pound ball onto mattress to measure bounce score.
Test motion isolation.
Test edge support.
Calculate composite “family” scores.
The Handbook Team hand-tests every mattress we review. We evaluate brands and models by recording our findings on a 42-question standardized testing form to identify standout features and services, document issues with each product, and describe our personal experience lying on each mattress. For example, we record:
- Firmness score and whether the mattress is best for back, side, or stomach sleepers.
- Starting temperature of the mattress and how much it heats up after two testers lie on the mattress for five minutes.
- How many times a 10-pound ball bounces on the mattress after dropping from a height of two feet in order to arrive at a mattress bounce score.
We paid close attention to specific considerations that sleepers of all ages seek, as identified by respondents in our survey of 600 mattress owners. This included price, features, and the set-up process. We also interviewed real people to better understand the motivations behind shopping for a new mattress, as well as the benefits of purchasing one.
According to our survey
According to our survey, about 80 percent of all respondents said their new mattress helps them sleep better, and 65 percent reported improved mental health.
As our testers evaluated each brand and its features, we considered why many people choose a new mattress in the first place. Of our respondents, 42 percent decided to purchase a new mattress for “improved comfort and support for better sleep,” while only seven percent did so for “pain relief and targeted support.” The most common pain respondents wanted relieved was lower back pain.
Despite only 42 percent of respondents prioritizing comfort and support for better sleep when shopping for a new mattress, 68 percent reported they sleep longer on their new mattress and 49 percent and 45 percent, respectively, said their stress and anxiety had improved after switching to their new mattress. Almost all mattress owners we surveyed (95 percent) were at least somewhat satisfied with their new mattress. We consulted sleep experts, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pain specialists to understand what mattresses offer that make an overwhelmingly positive impact.
In order to focus on the mattresses themselves, we structured our test designs to objectively rank each one based on a range of criteria. For example, we tested things like bounce, edge support (the sturdiness of your mattress edge), and cooling capabilities the same way on each mattress and compared the results. That way we can accurately compare each mattress’s score in an unbiased way while also sharing our subjective point of view as mattress testers and experts.
Lastly, we compared warranty lengths, trial periods, and white glove delivery (in-home delivery and setup) options. While most brands offer warranties, not all are comprehensive. And many brands on the market don’t have free white glove delivery. This could be a deal-breaker if you’re nervous to invest in a new mattress because you’re worried the bed won’t get set up properly or offer what you need.
From our tester
“During our research, we realized that the brand’s firmness scale and perceived firmness aren’t always the same. We decided to report how firm we thought the mattress felt so that you can gain a different perspective, but more importantly, feel confident about what you’re purchasing.”
A note on our testing
We acknowledge that every body is different, and what feels comfortable to one person may not feel comfortable to another. Throughout our reviews, we refer to weight categories as light (below 130 pounds), average (130–250 pounds), and heavy (above 250 pounds) to distinguish between body weights.
Typically, lighter-weight sleepers perceive mattresses to feel firmer than they are, and higher-weight sleepers perceive mattresses to feel softer than they are. Keep in mind that most mattresses are designed for the average-weight person.
Saatva Classic mattress highlights
Our final verdict on the Saatva Classic
With a traditional innerspring mattress feel and three different firmness levels, we think there’s a Saatva Classic model for nearly every sleeping position and body type. But it could be an especially great fit for people who prefer their mattress bouncy and highly supportive. If you’re someone who values a cushiony memory foam feel, you may want to seek out something softer that doesn’t contain any springs.
From our tester
“I definitely felt more on top of the mattress than in it. It was very easy to reposition.”
HelpGuide Handbook’s testing methodology and score breakdown
Our testing methodology includes a five-factor score breakdown that our hands-on product testing team uses to rate these products. Here’s how the Saatva Classic mattress fared:
Pressure relief: 4/5
While the Saatva Classic doesn’t contour especially well due to its traditional innerspring feel, its coils and Euro top A kind of pillow top that’s sewn into the cover of the mattress. This style is flush with the edges of the mattress, providing better support than your typical pillow-top mattress while also offering a soft, plushy center. help keep pressure from building up. This tells us that it’s a good mattress for pressure relief. We measure pressure relief using a pressure map, a mat that uses color-coded thermal imaging to show how much pressure someone puts on the bed when lying on it.
Firmness: 7/10
It’s important to note that mattress firmness is entirely subjective, so we tally it based on the opinions of several testers who lie on the bed in our mattress studio. For this Saatva Classic review, we asked our testers to rate the Luxury Firm model on our mattress firmness scale, which ranges from one to 10, with one being the softest and 10 being the firmest.
We rated the Saatva Classic a seven out of 10, putting it in the firm category (for context, the industry standard for medium-firm is 6.5 out of 10). While the Saatva Classic does provide pressure relief, you’re unlikely to get a lot of sinkage While some softer mattresses offer good contouring sinkage, sinkage is also a result of wear and tear. Foam materials especially sink over time, resulting in a sagging feeling, which provides less support. or contouring.
Our testers gave the Plush Soft a four out of 10 and the Firm an eight out of 10 in firmness.
Motion isolation: 2/5
Motion isolation refers to how well a bed prevents a sleeper’s movements from rippling across the surface. If a mattress has poor motion isolation, it has high motion transfer. This means if someone shares their bed with a partner and one is a light sleeper, tossing and turning are likely to wake them up.
We test a mattress’s motion transfer using several different methods. One test simply involves one person lying down while another jumps around on the mattress. The tester then records how much they felt the other person’s movement. Another test involves rolling a 10-pound ball or weight around the surface and measuring its vibrations with a seismometer While seismometers are instruments used to test the motion of the ground during an earthquake, we use a similar tool to measure movement across mattresses. .
After running through this series of tests, we weren’t impressed with the Classic’s motion-isolating abilities. Our testers felt a lot of movement, and when we measured it on our seismometer, there was significant vibration. One of our testers said they were disrupted by their test partner’s bigger movements on the bed.
This is to be expected, as the Classic has two layers of coils and an innerspring feel, which gives it a lot of bounce. While potentially not great for couples, bounciness can help with mobility and comes in handy for combination sleepers People who sleep in multiple positions throughout the night. For example, a person might be a back-and-side sleeper or a stomach-and-back sleeper. who change sleeping positions throughout the night.
Still, if you have a family, share a mattress with a partner, or have kids or pets who like to hop in and out of bed, you may want to consider something with better motion isolation. If you are shopping for kids, consider our roundup of the best mattresses for kids.
Cooling: 4/5
Generally, hybrid and innerspring mattresses tend to be better at cooling than memory foam mattresses because of the space between the coils. This allows more air to flow through the bed’s construction, lowering its temperature. As a material, foam is much denser, reducing air circulation.
Our testers felt cool when lying down on the Saatva Classic, which is no surprise given its construction. But we also tested its temperature with a thermal gun, which uses thermal imaging to measure how quickly the bed’s surface heats up after a person lies on it for five minutes. With two people lying on it, the Classic went from 67.4–74.6 degrees Fahrenheit, rising just over seven degrees. Any increase that’s less than 10 degrees indicates good cooling, so hot sleepers could benefit from this cooling mattress.
Edge support: 5/5
When we say “edge support,” we’re talking about the strength of a bed’s perimeter. A mattress with strong edge support allows you to spread out and utilize the entire surface all the way to the end of the bed—without feeling like you’re going to fall off. This is an especially important consideration for a mattress for couples and families.
We test edge support by sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning down as if to tie our shoes. We also lie near the edge so our bodies are parallel to the perimeter. If we don’t notice any significant sagging, the mattress has strong edge support.
Our team agrees that the Classic’s edge support is exceptional—and it should be since it was designed with edge support in mind. Tiny additional coils and poly foam border the entire bed, giving its edges a sturdy foundation that doesn’t collapse under our weight. That’s why it earned a perfect score.
Saatva mattress firmness and feel
As noted previously, the Saatva Classic Luxury Firm model scored a seven out of 10 on our mattress firmness scale and has a supportive, responsive feel reminiscent of a classic innerspring mattress.
From our tester
“Stomach sleeping feels best on this mattress. It’s very supportive and keeps my hips elevated.”
Saatva mattress performance
Now that we’ve reviewed the series of tests we performed on the Saatva Classic, Let’s discuss how the tests affect our recommendations and who is (and isn’t) an ideal fit for this mattress.
Sleeping position and body weight
Two of the most important deciding factors for anyone purchasing a new mattress are sleeping position and body weight. In general, side sleepers tend to fare best on a softer mattress with a lot of contouring and pressure relief at the shoulders and hips—the areas of the body that take the most pressure. On the other hand, stomach sleepers usually need a firm, supportive mattress. That’s because their hips and midsection tend to press further into the top layers and need a slight lift to prevent the spine from falling out of alignment. Back sleepers usually need something in between.
A person’s weight and body type also affect their sleep. While we recognize there will always be exceptions, the lighter you are, the less support you need. We classify weight using three different categories: lighter-weight sleepers (under 130 pounds), average-weight sleepers (130–250 pounds), and higher-weight sleepers (over 250 pounds). We fully recognize that this is an imperfect system and that weight can be a sensitive subject, but it also allows us to make concrete recommendations.
One final note: Since lighter-weight sleepers don’t require as much support, beds will generally feel slightly firmer to them than they will for average-weight sleepers. On the flip side, higher-weight sleepers might find mattresses softer.
Is Saatva a good mattress for lighter-weight sleepers (under 130 pounds)?
- Lighter-weight back sleepers: As long as they don’t mind a firmer mattress, these types of sleepers should feel comfortable on the Saatva Classic, and their weight should be evenly distributed.
- Lighter-weight side sleepers: The Classic is already going to feel firm to side sleepers, so it will probably feel extra firm to lighter side sleepers. It’s unlikely that they’ll get the pressure relief they need. That said, they could be comfortable with the Plush Soft model.
- Lighter-weight stomach sleepers: They should have no problem getting the support they need to keep their shoulders aligned with their hips.
Is Saatva a good mattress for average-weight sleepers (130–250 pounds)?
- Average-weight back sleepers: This is where the Classic really shines. During testing, we found this mattress provided contouring and support for the lower back and helped us maintain a neutral spine alignment.
- Average-weight side sleepers: Similar to lighter-weight side sleepers, average-weight side sleepers may not get the pressure relief they need. There was moderate pressure when resting on our side, but the Plush Soft model could be a suitable alternative.
- Average-weight stomach sleepers: The Classic’s innerspring feel creates plenty of support for stomach sleepers. They should get a slight lift at the hips—the key to keeping their spine from falling out of alignment. One tester thought this was the most comfortable sleeping position. If stomach sleepers feel like they need more firmness and support, they can always opt for the Firm model.
Is Saatva a good mattress for higher-weight sleepers (over 250 pounds)?
- Higher-weight back sleepers: Even higher-weight back sleepers should still get the support they need on the Classic. They’ll also get a bit more contour than lighter- or average-weight back sleepers.
- Higher-weight side sleepers: They still probably won’t get the contouring they require, so we recommend the Plush Soft instead.
- Higher-weight stomach sleepers: Although average-weight sleepers should be comfortable on the Classic, stomach sleepers over 250 pounds need a lot of extra support. They might be happier on the Firm model, or they could pay extra for the Saatva HD, a mattress designed for higher-weight sleepers.
Saatva mattress pain relief performance
Pressure relief is tied closely to pain relief, meaning you don’t want a mattress that puts more pressure on joints. Using our pressure map during testing, we found the Classic displayed mostly blue, with just a hint of green. These colors indicate low pressure. When one tester was on their side, there was a little bit of yellow and red in the mix, which indicates average pressure relief. Overall, we think the Saatva Classic excels at relieving pressure, especially for a responsive bed with an innerspring feel. That said, you’ll likely get more relief in the upper back and lumbar region than at the shoulders and hips.
If you are someone who experiences chronic pain, lack of quality sleep can actually decrease your pain tolerance. Finding the right mattress can help you sleep better and potentially wake up with a few less aches and pains.
Teresa Denike, a board-certified clinical sleep educator and the founder of Sleep Better NYC
Our overall thoughts about the Saatva Classic
The Saatva Classic often ranks first in our reviews, as it’s versatile and caters to most types of sleepers and body types. Of course, every mattress has pros and cons, and comfort is a subjective experience.
Our favorite things about the Saatva Classic mattress
There aren’t many mattresses with a true innerspring feel on the market, which is why we think Saatva is unique. It’s an ideal fit for anyone who wants support and springiness in their bed. Combination sleepers may find it easy to switch positions at night, while back and stomach sleepers should find the support they need. We also recommend it to hot sleepers who need a mattress that can effectively keep them cool.
Finally, we’d like to call out Saatva’s great delivery service. The free white glove delivery is convenient and allows you to start using your mattress right away. Since Saatva doesn’t compress mattresses into a box, there’s no off-gassing Off-gassing is when a new mattress releases a strong odor for the first few days. The smell is harmless, but it can irritate those sensitive to smells. Memory foam mattresses tend to off-gas the most. period.
Our Saatva Classic mattress complaints
While this isn’t a complaint, we think anyone who prefers the deep contouring of a memory foam mattress should look elsewhere. This also isn’t the most budget-friendly mattress, with prices ranging from $1,295–$2,440. However, shopping sales during holidays like Memorial Day or events such as Black Friday can reduce the price by hundreds of dollars. If you have your eye on the Saatva Classic but need to maintain a budget, try shopping during a sale period.
Frequently asked questions
If you can afford a Saatva Classic mattress, we definitely think it’s worth the money. The free white glove delivery alone is a fantastic value, and because the bed comes with a 365-night home trial, you have plenty of time to decide if it’s the right mattress for you.
Yes, the Saatva Classic is constructed of quality materials, including two layers of sturdy coils and a Euro top (with an organic cotton cover), which make it a good mattress for pressure relief if you sleep on your back or stomach. Pressure relief for side sleepers is less effective. The space between the coils allows good airflow and keeps it cool while sleeping. Plus, the Saatva Classic has excellent edge support, earning a perfect score from our Handbook Team testers.
Innerspring mattresses typically last for more than 10 years. It’s also worth noting that the Saatva Classic comes with a lifetime warranty.
- Jacobson, B. H., Boolani, A., Dunklee, G., Shepardson, A., & Acharya, H. (2010). Effect of prescribed sleep surfaces on back pain and sleep quality in patients diagnosed with low back and shoulder pain. Applied Ergonomics, 42(1), 91–97. Link
- Scott, A.J., Webb, T.L., Martyn-St James, M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60, 101556. Link
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Why is sleep important? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Link