OK, be honest: how old is your mattress? If the answer is "I don't know" then . . . uh-oh. If you know it's older than five years, then answer Consumer Reports' four questions for determining whether it's time you buy a new mattress. Even if it's not that old, if your current mattress isn't offering you the right kind of support, you can be sabotaging your sleep. An old or unsupportive mattress can cause all kinds of ill effects, like hurting your back and exacerbating skin or breathing issues. And don't try to "fix" a bad mattress by adding a mattress topper or new pillows; you'll still feel that mattress like the princess and the pea. Once you decide it's time to buy a new mattress, great! You're about to invest in the single most important element of your bed.
Mattress comfort is extremely subjective, so it's impossible to point to any one mattress as the perfect one for everyone. There's a reason it's still a good idea to go to an actual mattress store and lie down on their offerings because only you can know what you like. But given that that's an expensive, old-school way of doing things, you may be looking at a mattress from a direct-to-consumer company like Casper that sends it right to you (and most offer generous trial periods in case it's not your perfect fit). Casper actually does have showrooms in certain cities now, but they're not the only company when it comes to memory foam mattresses in a box.
The Leesa mattress ($949 for a queen) is a POPSUGAR favorite, and if you're on a budget, I can personally recommend the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress ($289 for a queen).
One note: memory foam mattresses tend to retain heat and have a chemical smell, but both can be managed by temperature control in your room, the right sheets (get ready for that next), and by letting your new memory foam mattress air out for 24 hours.
