8.5

Stearns & Foster

Score Breakdown

Performance 8.3Support 10Return Policy 4Pressure Relief 6Features 9

Read more on How we test mattresses

Like

• Premium hybrid mattresses
• Multiple firmness options
• Available with or without a fluffy pillow top
• Suitable for all body types and sleeping positions

Don't like

• Too expensive for budget shoppers

Product details

• Type Hybrid mattress
• Firmness Plush
• Trial 90 nights
• Warranty 10-year warranty

Industry veteran and luxury mattress brand, Stearns & Foster is up there with the likes of Tempur-Pedic and Beautyrest. The brand has had 125 years of experience creating luxury textiles, and became even more of a powerhouse when it merged with the well-known bedding brand Sealy in the early '90s. The brand offers four different collections, each more premium than the last. 

These Stearns & Foster mattress reviews will give a broad overview of its product catalog, which kinds of sleepers I think each bed would be best for, and whether these beds are really worth the money. I've personally tested over 150 beds, and can tell the difference between a good value and an overhyped mattress. 

Stearns and Foster mattresses can be purchased online through the brand directly, or you can use its store locator, which will assist you in finding local retailers that offer the Stearns & Foster mattress you're looking for. 

What types of mattresses does Stearns & Foster offer?

Here's an overview of Stearns & Foster's four mattress collections to get us started.

Estate

This is the entry-level collection from Stears and Foster, featuring the Hurston and Rockwell. While they're the most affordable of the bunch, they still offer the luxury quality you expect from this brand. They're hybrid mattresses that offer superior support for any body type, and each comes in five different firmness options, which will appeal to a wide range of sleeping positions. 

Lux Estate

A step up from the Estate collection, the Lux Estate Cassatt features memory foam designed by the experts at TempurPedic and three pillow tops to add fluffy comfort to your mattress. Its hybrid construction is appealing to all body types, from petite to plus-size, and there are a whopping six different firmness options including the three pillow-top models. 

Lux Estate Hybrid

This collection features a mattress called the Pollock. The major differences between the lower-level Lux Estate Cassatt and the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock is that the Pollock offers a softer firmness option, while the Cassatt comes with three pillow top options which change up the feel of the mattress. The Hybrid Pollock also has an IntelliCoil HD, meaning it has 20% more coils and a microcoil layer for extra reinforcements. That's beneficial for sleepers (especially those over 250 pounds) looking for additional support. 

Reserve

The most premium mattress in the Stearns & Foster catalog is the Reserve Hepburn. I'm going to be honest and say I couldn't tell a huge difference between it and the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock. It has a pillow top option and an IntelliCoil Micro HD layer, as opposed to the standard IntelliCoil Micro layer found in the Hybrid Pollock. It sits in the top of the mattress in between two pieces of foam and has an air vent for more breathability. 

Stearns and Foster mattress feel and firmness 

How firm are Stearn and Foster mattresses?

If there's one thing Stearns & Foster gives you, it's choice -- and lots of it. Maybe even an overwhelming amount. The good thing is, you can find something to fit any sleeping position. Here are the firmness options offered in the brand's catalog:

• Ultra Plush: Offered with the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock and Reserve Hepburn mattresses, the ultra-plush models are around a medium to medium-soft or a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale. 
• Plush: Every Stearns & Foster mattress is offered in this firmness level, and I'd rate it around a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale or a medium. 
• Cushion Firm: Sitting in the middle of medium to medium firm or a 6 on the firmness scale, you can get this firmness with the Estate Hurston or Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock. 
• Firm: I'd rate this around a medium-firm or a 7 on the firmness scale. All beds except the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock offer this firmness profile. 
• Ultra Firm: This is the firmest profile you can get, and it lands around a 9 to 10 on the scale. If you want your bed almost as firm as the ground, opt for the Estate Rockwell or Lux Estate Cassatt. 

What do Stearns and Foster mattresses feel like? 

The exact feel of a Stearns & Foster mattress will differ from model to model. Here's an overview of the different types of mattresses offered by the brand and how they will feel once you snuggle up to them. 

• Pillow top models: If you get your Stearns & Foster mattress with a pillow top, it'll feel like a durable innerspring mattress with thick, plush and supportive pillows on top. You get pressure relief, support and comfort all wrapped up in one. 
• Gel foam: The entry-level Estate Hurston is made with a gel-foam in the comfort layer, and the gel helps to regulate temperature. It's a neutral feel that's more responsive than typical memory foam and it's fairly bouncy. 
• Indulge memory foam: The Estate Rockwell contains the brand's standard Indulge memory foam from the material experts at TempurPedic, but it adds an ample amount of pressure relief to the mattress without making it feel like memory foam. It's much more neutral and responds more quickly to pressure. 
• Indulge memory foam HD: The beds that incorporate the brand's HD memory foam including Lux Estate, Lux Estate Hybrid and Reserve, will give you a slight memory foam feel thanks to how dense it is. However, the other foams and a pillow top especially work to neutralize it so you don't get that "stuck" feeling. 

Stearns & Foster mattress construction 

Here's a simple breakdown of the materials you can find inside each mattress offered by the brand, plus the heights you can choose from. (We've sorted the mattresses into their respective four collections for easy reading.) For each mattress type, note that the height is dependent on the firmness level you choose.

Estate 

The materials inside the Estate Hurston include:

• Premium gel foam
• Premium gel memory foam
• IntelliCoil support layer
• PrecisionEdge and AirVent

The height ranges from 14 inches to 14.5 inches.

The materials inside the Estate Rockwell mattress: 

• Premium gel foam
• Indulge memory foam
• IntelliCoil support layer
• PrecisionEdge and AirVent

The height ranges from 13.5 inches to 15 inches.

Lux Estate 

The materials inside the Lux Estate Cassatt include:

• Premium gel foam
• Indulge memory foam
• IntelliCoil HD
• PrecisionEdge and AirVent

The height ranges from 13.5 inches to 16 inches.

Lux Estate Hybrid

The materials inside the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock include:

• Premium gel memory foam
• Indulge HD memory foam
• Indulge memory foam
• IntelliCoil Micro and AirVent
• IntelliCoil HD
• PrecisionEdge and AirVent

The height ranges from 15 inches to 16 inches.

Reserve 

The materials inside the Reserve Hepburn mattress include:

• Indulge memory foam
• IntelliCoil Micro HD and AirVent
• Indulge HD memory foam
• Premium gel foam
• IntelliCoil HD
• PrecisionEdge and AirVent

The height ranges from 15 inches to 16 inches. 

Edge support

These mattresses are all hybrids and designed with PrecisionEdge, meaning extra reinforcements along the sides of the mattresses to ensure they stay strong, supportive and sturdy. If you're looking for a bed with great edge support because you sleep with a partner or large furry friend, you can't go wrong with any of these mattresses. 

Motion isolation

Unless you buy an innerspring mattress or a hybrid mattress with a thin comfort layer, most beds these days are decent at isolating motion. Hybrid mattresses typically aren't as good as foam beds, but the beds in this catalog perform better than most hybrids (with the exception of the Reserve and Lux Hybrid due to their dual-coil layers). The ones that stood out the most were the pillow top beds because of how great they were at deadening movement across the bed. 

Temperature

None of the mattresses in the Stearns & Foster catalog can be considered cooling beds, but they don't sleep hot either. With the combination of gel foam, coils and air vents, you'll get a temperature neutral sleeping experience. In this case, your body temperature will depend on the pajamas you wear, the temperature of the region you live in and how high you blast your AC or heat. 

Theragun Mini is surprisingly powerful

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Who are these beds best for?

Thanks to the amount of options available with the Stearns & Foster mattresses and the support they offer, they appeal to all sleeping positions and any body type. 

Position

To find the best Stearns & Foster mattress model for you, you should first think about the primary position you sleep in. 

I think side sleepers will like the Ultra plush and plush models the most because they offer the most pressure relief for your hips and shoulders, especially the ultra-plush model. Combination sleepers will probably like the plush model best, also, because it has a middle-of-the-road firmness level that accommodates any position. 

Back and stomach sleepers have several firmness options to pick from: 

• Plush offers a solid balance between supportive and pressure-relieving.
• Cushion firm is a sweet spot between medium and medium-firm for sleepers who want more support than pressure relief. 
• Firm is a medium-firm which suits people who suffer from back pain. It keeps your back in proper alignment with your neck and prevents your lower back from sinking, and there's still some pressure relief being offered.
• Ultra firm is for heavier back and stomach sleepers or those who want maximum support from their mattress. 

Body type

Hybrid mattresses are ideal for any body type, and people under 250 pounds would be comfortable on almost any of the Stearns & Foster mattresses. 

The Reserve and Luxe Estate models might be a little too overkill, however, for people under 150 pounds because of the two coil layers. Petite body types don't need all that extra support, and it may not be the most comfortable. 

Heavier individuals will also be comfortable on any of the mattresses because they all have hybrid constructions and are amply supportive. With that being said, the Luxe Estate model offers two layers of coils that provide even more durability and support if that's what you're looking for. The Reserve model does also, but I honestly don't think it's different enough from the Luxe Estate to be worth the extra $1,000.

Stearns and Foster mattress price comparison 

These beds are premium, luxury mattresses and their prices reflect that. If you're on a budget, there are plenty of other great mattress options that run for under $1,000. The most affordable model is the Estate Hurston and it's still more expensive than your average mattress (especially online), while the Reserve mattress is one of the priciest beds I've come across. 

Stearns and Foster mattresses are some of the most expensive on the market. The company does run big promotions on holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day and Black Friday. In the meantime, many other mattress brands are offering big deals leading up to the upcoming Presidents Day holiday. 

Here are all the bed's prices according to US Mattress. 

You can expect discounts, primarily on the more deluxe models, but you'll still be looking at luxury mattress prices even with promos applied.

Trial, shipping, warranty

Like many mattress brands, you get a few company policy perks if you buy a Stearns and Foster mattress from the brand and other online retailers. Here are the policies offered by Stearns and Foster:

• Free white-glove delivery (the delivery service will set up your mattress in-home for you)
• 90-night risk-free trial
• 10-year warranty on manufacturer defects

The final verdict on Stearns and Foster mattress

Not only are you paying for the high-end Stearns & Foster name, but you're also paying for high-quality designs and materials. The company takes its time on crafting premium beds and it's had almost three decades of experience getting it right. These mattresses won't be for everyone, but if you want to invest in your sleep with a top-of-the-line bed, you should find these mattresses ultra.

How does Stearns and Foster compare to other mattresses? 

Stearns and Foster vs. Tempur-Pedic

Tempur-Pedic is a household name when it comes to mattresses because, like Stearns and Foster, it's an industry veteran with decades of experience making luxury mattresses. The primary difference between Tempur-Pedic and Stearns and Foster is feel. With Tempur-Pedic, you get a dense and slow-responding memory foam feel that slowly morphs around your curves under the weight of your body. 

Stearns and Foster mattresses, on the other hand, will feel more neutral and bouncy, especially its pillow-top models which feel light and airier. 

Keep in mind, though: you're still looking at premium prices with Tempur-Pedic. 

Stearns and Foster vs. Saatva 

Saatva is an online mattress brand that came up along with the likes of Casper, Purple and other direct-to-consumer brands that focus their efforts in online retailing. The Saatva Classic mattress is similar to the pillow-top Stearns and Foster mattresses like the Lux Estate and Lux Estate Hybrid. 

The Saatva Classic has dual-coil layers and a fluffy pillow top made with organic cotton to add a more plush feel, although it features a design for added lumbar support. The biggest difference is that Saatva Classic is more affordable than most of Stearns and Foster's mattresses, excluding the Estate Hurston. 

Stearns and Foster mattress FAQs