Comfort & Feel

There are three aspects that make up our assessment of comfort and feel. We call these "preference-based characteristics" because no rating here is better or worse – rather, the attributes that are most desirable to you will be determined solely by your personal preferences. We apply the same classification standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.

Softness ( what’s this )

Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is a purely a preference. All mattresses should be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment. Whether a mattress is fluffy and squishy (what mattress companies call soft or plush), or less so (what companies call firm), is purely down to your personal needs and preferences.

The Saatva mattress is available in three comfort levels (from softest to firmest): Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. The company tells us that 80% of their customers choose the Luxury Firm version, so this is the model we tested for this review. We class this mattress as Medium Firm. (See: Saatva comfort comparison)

Each of the three versions comes in two height variations, 11.5” and 14.5”. There’s no difference in comfort between the two heights; it’s purely an aesthetic choice whether you prefer a taller mattress.

Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

Much of the ‘sinking in’ feeling of the Saatva mattress comes from the pillow-top cover, which has deep contours and quilting. When we placed our 16-pound bowling ball atop the mattress, it sunk down quite deeply, more deeply than an average innerspring mattress.

When our 200-pound tester laid on the mattress, however, we noted cushioning depth as closer to average; where compressed, the slope of the mattress to the body was gradual, giving a feeling of floating on top of the mattress more than sinking deeply into it. Overall, we class cushioning depth as medium.

Responsiveness ( what’s this )

Compared to a memory foam mattress, innerspring mattresses are general very responsive. Instead of a slow-responding recovery, the coils spring back into place very quickly. You can see this demonstrated in our video when we toss our bowling ball on the Saatva mattress; it bounces several times before coming to rest. Our tester dropped onto the Saatva bed with a similar result, bouncing three or four times before coming to rest.

This springiness and bounce is characteristic of innerspring mattresses, so if you like that feeling, you’ll probably appreciate the Saatva bed.

Back Support & Pressure Relief

The two things that you should always be sure to get from your mattress are spinal alignment (commonly thought of as "back support") and pressure relief. Unfortunately, no mattress will deliver these two things equally well for all sleepers. In particular, spinal alignment and pressure relief capabilities will vary across sleepers with different weights, body shapes, and sleep positions. To help you determine how this mattress will perform for you, we break down our spinal alignment and pressure relief assessments by sleeper type.

Overall, we thought the Saatva mattress offered very good support, especially for those who sleep primarily on their backs. We were especially curious to explore whether the Saatva’s foam lumbar pad (read about how Saatva intends it to work) made a difference, and we were surprised that it did—our tester could feel the mattress reaching up to support the lower back. In our view, back support would also be good for those lighter than our tester, as well as those slightly heavier. Much heavier individuals (over 250 lbs) might want to opt instead for the Firm version of the Saatva mattress rather than the Luxury Firm model we tested. But overall, we felt back support and spinal alignment in the back position to be very good.

Lying in the stomach position also felt very supported for our 200-lb tester, who noted that his back was not being pushed into an over-arching situation. Those who are lighter and slightly heavier should experience the same, while again, those who are over 250 lbs might want to opt for the Firm version of the mattress so that its stronger springs will push back and support a heavier person.

For side sleeping, our tester felt that his shoulders didn’t sink quite enough into the mattress, forcing the upper spine to curve up a bit. If you are primarily a side sleeper, or if you are lighter than our tester, going for the Plush Soft version of the Saatva mattress should provide a bit more depth for shoulders and hips to sink.

Spinal Alignment

The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.

Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the Saatva mattress:

Back Sleepers:

Our 200-pound tester felt very well supported while on his back, with very good spinal alignment and lumbar support, helped in part by the Saatva mattress’s 3/8” foam lumbar pad. Lighter and slightly heavier people should have a similar experience, while those over about 250 lbs might want to choose the Firm version of the mattress instead.

Side Sleepers:

Spinal alignment for our tester in the side position was good, noting that his shoulders could have sunk in a bit more. As a result, the top part of his spine was forced to curve slightly. While that might not be a major issue for most people, those who sleep primarily on their sides might want to explore other mattresses.

The pocketed coils of the Saatva mattress are primarily responsible for spinal alignment, so lighter people might want to choose the Plush Soft version of the mattress, as their lighter weight might not compress the coils enough on firmer versions.

Stomach Sleepers:

Achieving good spinal alignment for stomach sleepers can often be trickier as the hips can tend to sink down too far with some mattresses, but our tester felt well supported in this position, and his back was not forced to over-arch. Lighter and somewhat heavier individuals should have a similar experience. Overall, we felt that the Saatva mattress is a solid choice for those who spend a lot of sleep time on their stomachs. Again, those over about 250 lbs. might instead choose the Firm version of the Saatva bed to better support hips with stronger coils.

Pressure Relief

Other Characteristics

Beyond the preference-based characteristics of comfort and feel, and the body matching for spinal alignment and pressure relief, a mattress will have a number of other attributes that can make it a better or worse choice for you. We call these "priority-based characteristics" because they are areas in which a mattress can be better or worse, but that will have differing amounts of importance to each sleeper. So, determining how much importance to give to these features will be entirely a matter of your own personal priorities. As always, we apply the same ratings standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.

Motion Isolation ( what’s this )

With a bowling pin standing upright on the Saatva Luxury Firm bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it; the bowling pin wiggled a bit, but never toppled over. However, when our 200-lb. tester dropped his weight onto the bed, the bowling pin did fall.

In general, innerspring mattresses are not the best choice if motion isolation is a top priority. That’s because the bed’s lower-level connected springs distribute compression across the bed. The middle pocketed coils do help somewhat with motion isolation, but not to the degree that a memory foam or latex mattress might provide. If not feeling your partner’s movements on the bed is a high priority, we suggest a closer look at those other mattress types versus innerspring.

Temperature ( what’s this )

If you are a “hot” sleeper, or perhaps a woman who experiences hot flashes, how a mattress affects your body temperature may be a concern. Innerspring mattresses in general do not tend to feel hot; the very nature of the spring construction means there’s lots of airflow between construction materials. Furthermore, with the Saatva mattress, cushioning depth is not overly deep, so you are unlikely to feel smothered or trapped in the quilted top layer.

Edge Support ( what’s this )

If you like to sit on the edge of your mattress, or if you tend to sleep right on the edge of your mattress, you want a model that has good integrity and stability around the edges. To that end, the Saatva mattress is encased in foam all along the edges.

In our tests, which you can see in our video review above, our tester was able to sit very comfortably on the side of the mattress with minimal compression. Laying right along the side of the mattress also felt very stable. Overall we felt that the Saatva bed would be a very good choice if edge support is a priority for you.

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

One of the highlights of the Saatva mattress, for our tester, was ease of movement; it was effortless to change positions or roll from side to side due to the responsiveness of the spring layers.

Green Features ( what’s this )

For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe. 

In the case of the Saatva mattress, we noted some confusion among Goodbed users. While the pillow-top cover does contain some organic cotton, the word “organic” printed on the fabric has led some consumers to believe that the entire mattress is made of organic materials; it is not, nor does the company make any claims that it is.

Similarly, the label of our test mattress included the words “eco-friendly,” and the company also uses this term on their website. While the company does use some plant materials in its foam, it’s still chemically processed. The foam is, however, certified to the Certi-PUR-US standard, which verifies that a material has low VOC off-gassing as well as a lack of chemicals and other substances regulated by the CPSC.

Furthermore, most of the mattress is comprised of steel coils, which won’t off-gas or impart any weird chemical smells. And the company does state that is uses recycled steel for the springs.

Overall, while the Saatva mattress is not made entirely of natural materials, the company does include some organic cotton in the cover, along with some plant-based foam, and recycled steel for the springs. The company includes a page on Saatva's eco-friendly policies.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

If you plan to use your mattress atop an adjustable base, the Saatva is a good choice. In fact, the company even sells its own adjustable base (optional). While we did not specifically test the mattress with an adjustable base, company materials say that using one with the 11.5” version of the mattress is perfectly fine and will not void your warranty. Be aware, however, that the 14.5” version of the Saatva bed should not be used with any adjustable base and doing so will void your warranty.

Price, Value & Longevity

What It Costs

Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.

Foundations are available in two heights, an 8.75” version and a low profile 4.75” version. You can also use the Saatva mattress on top of a platform bed, or in the case of the 11.5” mattress, on an adjustable foundation, including the company's own Lineal Adjustable Foundation.

What You’re Getting

The Saatva is a traditional innerspring mattress that in our view, feels very similar to a high-end mattress you might see in a local store, with some extras. The coil-on-coil construction (1300 coils total in the queen size) gives you the best of both worlds; the support and longevity of interconnected coils, plus the motion isolation and support of the pocketed comfort-layer coils. We also felt that the company’s lumbar support foam was helpful, and its edge support foam was a real standout in comparison to its innerspring peers in this price range. We also judged construction quality and the quality of the pillow top to be excellent. It feels sturdy and substantial.

Lastly, the mattress has a few green touches, including some organic cotton in the cover, recycled steel for the coils, and some plant-based foam.

How Long We Think It Will Last

In general, innerspring mattresses have a good reputation for longevity; steel holds its integrity for a very long time. We feel the Saatva mattress is built to last, with the coil-on-coil construction particularly enhancing longevity.

Overall Value

On the whole, especially if you are shopping for a more traditional innerspring mattress like you’d find in a local mattress store, the Saatva mattress represents good value. In it’s price range, we feel the Saatva bed compares exceptionally well to mattresses you’d find in a store and is a very good value.

Delivery, Returns, & Warranty

Delivery

• Free delivery with in-home setup and removal of old bedding

When we first reviewed the Saatva mattress in our video above, there was a $99 delivery charge. The company has since changed its policy to include free shipping, free in-home setup, and free removal of your old bedding. This is a policy that now matches or exceeds that of the majority of Saatva’s online competitors.

Returns

• 120-day trial period
• Full refund, minus $99 fee for pickup

Saatva offers buyers a 120-day trial period. Should you decide to return the mattress during that period, there is a $99 fee for pickup.

Some context: Many of today’s online mattress brands are memory foam mattresses, which can be highly compressed and packed into a relatively small box that’s easily delivered by a common carrier like UPS. However, the Saatva mattress is a piece of furniture, delivered by movers with a truck. You can see how returning this type of mattress is a more expensive proposition for a company (and ultimately for you). Even so, several of the company’s online competitors so offer free returns. Read more about the policy on the Saatva website.

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 15 years
• Indentation Coverage: 1” and above

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions — the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for mattresses is generally between ¾” and 1.5”. Saatva has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection.

For the first two years of ownership, Saatva will replace your mattress (including shipping) if it falls under warranty coverage. For years three through 15 of the warranty, the company will repair and re-cover your mattress, but customers are required to pay a $99 shipping charge each way ($298 total). See: Saatva warranty fine-print.