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When it comes to choosing the right type of mattress, there’s a whole lot to consider with everything from your climate, sleeping position, pressure relief, and materials affecting how you’ll sleep on a new mattress.
Of course, the right size should be your top choice, and in this case, we’ll be going over the king-size variants. The next thing to consider though is whether a mattress is high-quality, good at offering support for side sleepers, back sleepers or stomach sleepers depending on your sleep style.
In our post below, we’ll be taking a look at a few of the best king size mattresses that come with plenty of qualities which will get you a good night’s sleep, as well as fall under the thousand dollar price tag.
A Bit about King Sizes
After a bit of research, you’ll likely know that there’s a little bit of confusion when it comes to standard king sizes, and proprietary ones too. A typical king size mattress, whether a bed-in-a-box or a standard flatbed, is 76 inches by 80 inches. That said, your king-size will be about 16 inches larger in length than a queen size. You can learn more about King size mattresses in the US and Australian market on Sleepify.
A California King, however, is a little narrower, at 72 inches by 84 inches.
With that out of the way, it’s a good idea to double-check your bed frame’s dimensions as it might be using a proprietary size. Sometimes King and California King bed frames also come with ambiguous size labels, so be sure to take this into consideration too.
Choosing a Mattress Material Type
To make sure you’re getting the best mattress, it’s always good to select a bed that features materials best suited to your sleeping position and climate. In warmer climates and for firmer mattresses, it’s good to choose an innerspring or hybrid mattress with cooling abilities. For softer mattresses, a gel memory foam variant is a good idea, along with a latex mattress for added bounce.
Memory Foam or Polyfoam
Two of the more sought-after mattress materials are the ones built on foam layers. These provide great sinkage, body contouring support and more pressure relief than most other materials. On top of this, if a moving partner often wakes you, these mattresses are the most ideal when it comes to cancelling out motion transfer or movement.
A downside is that these sleep a little warmer if they don’t have cooling gel integrated within them, so waking up a few times a night feeling hot might be a problem.
Hybrid Mattresses
These designs offer the best of both worlds in that they come with a top layer of foam, latex or both that rests atop an innerspring mattress base. That said, a hybrid is your best bet at getting the ultimate blend of pressure support and firmness. There is less motion isolation here, though the top, plush mattress memory-foam layer will keep movement to a minimum.
Choose a hybrid if you’re partial to the firmness and would like extra support as a back or stomach sleeper.
Latex Foam
A material that acts like both memory foam and springs is latex. You’ll find a lot of sinkage here, though latex is still supportive, quite firm and very bouncy, which is excellent when it comes to alleviating back pain. Most mattresses do feature a latex-filled pillow top or inner layer for added bounce, so if this is your preference, a latex mattress might be for you.
Keep in mind latex is the hottest of the mattress materials, so select a bed with plenty of ventilation.
Nectar
Often on sale for below $1,000, the Nectar King is our top choice for a king bed given that it’s a highly ventilated, medium-firm memory foam variant. It provides sleepers with a firmness level of 6.5 which solidly places it in the ‘ideal’ range for all sleeping positions, and the bed’s quad-layers ensure there’s plenty of support here.
Designed with an upper, quilted memory foam cover, gel memory-foam contouring layer, adaptive support foam, and durable base layer, there’s little that compares with the Nectar.
One major perk of this king bed is the memory foam ventilation that has been engineered to make sure all sleepers get the most cooling and refreshing sleep. The mattress features perforated materials which make sure that body heat is dispersed out of the bed and cooler air is drawn in. See how the Nectar mattress holds up against Sleep Number on Sleepify.
Motion isolation is also top-notch, with reviewers stating that they’re able to move freely without any motion waking their partners.
Perks
365-night Trial Period
Supports all Bed Frame Types
Optimal Firmness Level
Forever Warranty
Temple & Webster Plush Luxury
On to a more traditional material type, the Plush Luxury king size mattress from Temple and Webster is the ideal bed for those who’d like the bounce and firmness of springs and a slightly firm supportive feel.
There’s a unique iCoil technology in here that blends memory foam and pocket springs in an attempt to create an excellent core comfort layer, which reviewers tell us works well. There’s also plenty of support and sinkage coming from the spring-foam blend which makes the firm mattress good at relieving weight from pressure points.
Certification from CertiPUR-US also means this king bed is ideal for those in search of guaranteed support. There’s no need to worry about whether the mattress offers ongoing support; it’ll be great for years to come.
In warmer climates, the Plush Luxury will stand out above a foam model, as there’s excellent breathability here, making it the right mattress for tropical climates.
Finally, quality coils prevent sagging and are ideally curated to suit any body type and sleeping position, whether front, back or side.
Perks
CertiPUR Certified
Layers of Foam and Coils
Great Edge Support
10 Year Warranty
Sealy Palladium Mattress
Where luxury seamlessly blends with support and a reasonable price range, the Palladium by Sealy is the ideal king mattress for those who’d like a quality mattress that’s as reliable as possible. Sealy makes use of titanium coils in their Palladium, and that means you’ll never see flattening or sagging here.
These coils are paired with quilted comfort layers that make this mattress type feel like memory foam or a latex blend model. With the medium firmness, there’s plenty of support for all sleeper types, and mattress review comments have made it clear that there’s more than enough sinkage on this mattress.
Although primarily coil springs, you’ll also find pocket springs, latex, foam and spring-free elements in this mattress that works to give a support layer that’s ideal for heavier body weights.
Sealy’s bamboo fibre blended cover also keeps the mattress well-wrapped, keeping it free from tears or rips in time, ideal for those who want a long-term mattress.
Perks
SuperSoft Foam
Medium-firm Support
Anti-microbial Bamboo Cover
10 Year Warranty
Slumberland Chiswick
A second spring mattress, the Chiswick by Slumberland again blends the best of both springs and foam to provide a motion-free, highly-contouring mattress for sleepers who want a foam bed’s sinkage and a spring bed’s support.
Slumberland focuses on excellent edge support in this bed, as well as making sure the firmness option works well for all sleepers by including an ultra-plush pillowtop layer. That said, sleepers, who really like to sleep by the edge of the bed, will have their best sleep on the Chiswick.
The open, ventilated core also works well for warmer cities, so if you’re looking to invest in a mattress that will keep you fresh even on the warmest nights, the Chiswick might come out a winner.
At a price point up to $300 lower than the competition, the Chiswick also stands out as excellent value for money. You’re getting plenty of support, high-quality materials and a Slumberland model that comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Perks
Highest-quality Materials
Blend of Foam and Springs
Medium-firm
Optimal Comfort Layer
10-year Warranty
Slumberland Soho
A second Slumberland, the Soho is our top choice king mattress for anyone more partial to firm mattresses. This is the firmest on our list of king beds, with a ‘very firm’ rating. Although this model might not be for everyone, it is going to be the best bet at relieving back pain in stomach and back sleepers who need an extra bit of support.
This mattress does feature a plush upper layer that makes sure your joints and pressure points will be relieved of any weight, though the supportive springs below are, for lack of a better word, very rigid.
You won’t find any sinkage here beyond what’s required for spinal alignment, so you can rest assured your back, hips, shoulders, and neck are going to be relieved of the pain associated with a foam mattress that dips too far.
On top of the firmness, the breathability on this mattress is ideal, and there’s a tonne of bounce plus more than enough movement isolation to keep partners from waking one another up.
Most reviews on this model have made it clear that this mattress has resulted in them waking up in less pain, more refreshed, and a lot of customers find it easier to get to sleep quickly. The Soho’s firmness might also prevent you from tossing and turning as there’s little sinkage to make you uncomfortable.
Perks
Very Firm Mattress
Ideal Ventilation
Good Upper Foam
Average Motion Isolation
Great Value for Money
10-year Warranty
Choosing the Best King Size Mattress
Although a king bed is on the larger and more expensive end of the standard bed sizes, there’s still a tonne of options out there that fall below the $1,000 price point. Even the on-trend boxed brands like Ecosa, Koala and Noa have sales that often bring their costs down to under $1,000.
If you’re going out on your own to choose a king mattress, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you choose the best model the first time.
A Material for Your Sleep Style
Be sure to look for a material that best supports your sleeping style. If you’re a back sleeper or a stomach sleeper, a firmer model is ideal for you. This is down to the fact that you don’t need as much contouring and ‘softness’ when sleeping front or back. A side sleeper, however, will require a mattress with plenty of sinkage to let the shoulders and hips dip well into the bed.
A Materials for Climate
Always make sure you’re choosing a material that suits your bedroom’s climate. Not only is the outdoor environment important, but if you have a north-facing bedroom that’s quite warm, an unventilated memory foam or latex bed will become a heat sink. Instead of a refreshingly cool mattress, you’ll find yourself sweating and moving a lot to get comfortable.
Our biggest tip is to choose a mattress that touts airflow technology or ventilation, or simply choose a spring or hybrid model that is ventilated by design.
