While many things play a role in how well you sleep, your mattress tops the list. If you have the wrong mattress, it can lead to discomfort, aches, and pains that interfere with your sleep quality and quality of life. But with so many options out there, finding the best mattress can be a chore, especially if you’re shopping online. The handmade Saatva Classic Mattress has a plush pillow top and promises to reduced aches and pains. I knew I had to test it. Read on to see if it lived up to my high standards. It took a couple of weeks to get the mattress because they’re all handmade to order. I didn’t mind waiting for two weeks because, in my opinion, having my mattress made to order was worth the additional time. As soon as the Saatva mattress arrived, I knew it was different from the other online options. For starters, instead of coming in a box that’s dropped off on your doorstep, it was fully expanded, wrapped in plastic, and hand-delivered into my bedroom. The actual delivery process was done in about 15 minutes, and my mattress was ready for a nap right away. Unlike its mattress-in-a-box counterparts, I appreciated that I did not have to wait for the mattress to expand before sleeping on it. I was immediately drawn to the Saatva Classic’s plush, tufted pillow top, and I couldn’t wait to try it. A lot of manufacturers claim that their hybrid mattresses are extra plush or have pillow tops. I could see the difference with the Saatva. When ordering the mattress, there are three firmness options—plush soft, luxury firm (their most popular), and firm. As someone who likes to sink into a mattress, I went with the plush soft option. The pillow top is several inches thick with a firmness rating of 3 out of 10. As soon as I locked the door behind the delivery guys, I ran up to my room to check it out. Right away, I noticed a slightly off-putting smell. The cover is made with organic materials, and the mattress flame retardant is made from natural thistle, so I wasn’t too concerned about it. I opened my windows, and the smell was gone within a couple of hours. When I plopped down on the mattress and sprawled out, my initial reaction was disappointment. Based on the looks of the mattress, I had expected a soft, all-enveloping cloud of plushness to wrap around me, but that was not the case. It felt a lot firmer than I expected, and I didn’t really sink into it. I really wanted something soft and cushiony. But, the general rule of thumb with a new mattress is that you have to give it 30 days before you make a final decision on whether it’s right for you. This adjustment period is so critical that most companies won’t even allow you to initiate a return until the first 30 days are up. So, I slept on the Saatva classic mattress exclusively for a full five weeks to give a proper assessment. The first few nights were just OK. I actually woke up feeling a bit stiff on a couple of mornings, and my disappointment persisted. But after a week on the mattress, I noticed things started to feel a little softer, and my body seemed to relax into it. As the mattress was able to settle in a little, it started to contour around my body, and there were a couple of nights that I got into bed and audibly said, “Wow, this is comfortable.” After several weeks, the aches and pains that I had been experiencing with my old mattress started to go away. After a month, I was fully hooked and all in on the Saatva. It was just as soft and comfortable when I slept on my back as when I slept on my side as if it knew just how to adapt to my varying sleeping positions. Another thing that really stood out was the exceptional edge-to-edge support provided by the foam encasement that’s wrapped around the entire mattress—a feature only found in high-end mattresses. I could roll onto the edge of the bed or sit up with my legs hanging off of it, and the mattress barely gave under my weight and didn’t sag at all. As a really-close-to-the-edge sleeper, this made me feel safe and secure. There was one major downside: motion transfer. While the Saatva Classic does have some memory foam, it’s mostly made of coils. Coils bounce. Every time my boyfriend tossed and turned or got up from the bed, I could feel it. At one point, it was so bouncy that it made me feel like I was on a trampoline. This isn’t really an issue if you sleep alone or have a partner who sleeps soundly through the night, but if you’re sharing the bed with someone who moves around a lot, you’re going to feel it— unless you’re a really deep sleeper. This wasn’t a total deal-breaker for me; the comfort of the Saatva outweighed the lack of motion isolation. While memory foam mattresses are really great at reducing motion transfer, they don’t give the same plush feel that this mattress does. Another thing worth mentioning is that the mattress comes in two thickness options—11.5 inches and 14.5 inches. I chose the 14.5-inch option, which was way thicker than I expected. My adjustable bed frame is high already, so when I added the mattress on top, it was high enough that I had to do a little hop to get on it. For reference, I’m about 5-feet, 6-inches with fairly long legs. The extra thickness also made my sheets pop off the corners on both sides, especially with a tossing and turning partner. This happened every night until I bought a couple of deep-pocket sheet sets. If I could go back in time, I would’ve ordered the shorter mattress. If you have a platform bed frame that’s already pretty low to the ground, the thicker mattress would probably be the perfect height to raise your bed a little. To Saatva’s credit, they have an entire guide on how to choose a mattress height on their website with a note that says the 14.5-inch mattress requires deep-pocket sheets. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read that before ordering.
Can you test the Saatva mattress in stores?
Saatva mattresses are not available in mattresses or furniture stores. There is one Saatva Viewing Room in New York City where you get a feel for their mattresses, sheets, and pillows before ordering.
What sizes does the mattress come in?
The Saatva Classic Mattress comes in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, split king, California king, and split California king. All sizes also come with two thickness options: 11.5 inches and 14.5 inches.
What is the mattress made of?
The Saatva Classic mattress is an innerspring hybrid mattress. Typically, hybrid mattresses aren’t as soft as memory foam mattresses. The mattress’s foundation is made of steel support coils, and on top of the coils are two comfort layers—“Lumbar Zone” technology and high-quality memory foam. These layers are designed to keep your spine aligned, reduce stress and tension in your lower back, and provide pressure relief. The mattress is finished with another layer of individually-wrapped coils and a foam encasement that wraps around the mattress’s perimeter. All of that is topped with a luxury Euro pillow top that’s considerably thicker than a standard pillow top and covered with an organic cotton cover that’s been treated with a plant-based antimicrobial botanical to help prevent bacteria and mildew growth.
Do I need a special base for the Saatva mattress?
The Saatva mattresses work best with platform foundations, including adjustable bases. If you have a slatted base, the slats must be placed less than 4 inches apart. If you get a queen size mattress or larger, you also need to make sure that your base has the proper center support to keep your mattress from sagging.
Is there a trial period for the Saatva mattress?
Saatva offers a 180-day in-home trial that starts the day your mattress is delivered. At any time during the trial period, you can call customer service and request a return. Saatva will send a team to your house to pick up the mattress but will deduct a $99 transportation fee from your total refund for the service. All adjustable bases are final sale. If you purchase one with your mattress, it cannot be returned or exchanged.
Is there a warranty?
Saatva mattresses are made to last for 10 to 15 years with normal usage. A 15-year non-prorated warranty covers them. For the first two years, if your mattress develops any defects, Saatva will replace it with a brand new one for no charge. Between years 3 to 15, Saatva will repair and re-cover your mattress for a $99 transportation cost. The warranty becomes void if you’re using a metal frame or foundation that’s not supported by 5 legs for a queen and 6 legs for a king. There must also be a center support bar for queen and king size beds, or the warranty doesn’t apply to any damage done to the mattress. If Saatva decides that the mattress’s damage is beyond normal wear and tear or falls outside of the scope of a manufacturer’s defect, they may not replace it.
Competition: Saatva Classic vs. Boll and Branch
When it comes to online mattress companies, Boll and Branch is probably the closest in its class. Both mattresses are made to order, encased in an organic cotton cover, and feature white-glove delivery that includes hauling away your old mattress for free. They both have lumbar support technology, a pillow top finish, and excellent edge-to-edge support. One of the most notable differences between the two mattresses is in the construction. Instead of using memory foam like the Saatva, the Boll and Branch mattress has two different types of latex and a wool and poly blend that allows for more airflow. Many people consider latex mattresses the top of the line when it comes to comfort because they form to your body better than memory foam, and they last a really long time. However, you have to pay the price for the added luxury. A queen-size Boll and Branch mattress will cost you $2,500 while the Saatva Classic retails for $1,399. While the Saatva Classic isn’t the plushest mattress out there, it expertly combines comfort and support to give you an excellent night of sleep and a pain-free morning. And with a 180-day in-home trial and a 15-year warranty, it’s a risk-free investment in a better quality of life.
