I slept on two top-rated memory foam mattresses and this is the one side sleepers should buy

We've tested all the best memory foam mattresses you can buy online and two beds are vying for the top spot. The Nectar Premier Memory Foam mattress and the Leesa Original mattress both offer a classic memory foam 'hug' at a mid-range price. Which one takes the win?

Spoilers: the Leesa just edged out the Nectar as one of the best mattresses you can buy. In our Leesa Original mattress review we were impressed with its all-round performance as well as its thick cushioning for side sleepers.

But our Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress review team were full of praise for this luxury-feeling bed — particularly for side sleepers. And with the Black Friday mattress sales nearly here, we're looking at the Leesa Original vs the Nectar Premier Memory Foam to see which is the mattress for you.

Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Specs at a glance

Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Price & trial

• It's roughly $1,000 for a Nectar Premier or Leesa Original queen
• Both come with a 365-night trial and limited lifetime warranty
• Nectar sales are year-round, Leesa offers big discounts on holidays

At Nectar, you can expect to pay $999 for a queen Premier. The Nectar mattress sales run year-round and the offer rarely changes, although you might notice minor deviations in price (it's dropped to $949 before).

The Leesa Original queen has an MSRP of $1,332. But in the year-round Leesa mattress sale, you can expect at least 20% off, dropping it to $1,059. Look out for 30% off as well, which we predict Leesa will bring back for Black Friday.

Mid-range is a competitive price bracket. The Puffy Cloud and the Casper One mattress are both excellent for back sleepers and come in at around that $1,000 mark for a queen. Or you can save with the SweetNight CoolNest, which has a side sleeper feel at a budget price (it's often $399 for a queen at SweetNight.) But while it's one of the best cheap mattresses, it's unlikely to last as long as the Nectar or Leesa.

Both offer a 365-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty; these are great benefits for the price bracket.

Nectar Premier Memory Foam (twin): was $1,954 now $549 at Nectar Sleep

A step-up from Nectar's entry-level Classic mattress, the Premier is an all-foam bed with a luxurious build and a feel that suits side sleepers. A queen is $999 in Nectar's long-running sale and you're unlikely to see a further price drop. That means you can shop now without fear of missing out.

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Leesa Original (twin): was $939 now $699 at Leesa

Leesa's mattress sales change throughout the year, so smart shopping can net you a bigger discount. The basic sale from Leesa is 20% off — this reduces a queen to $1,059 — but you can spot 25% and even 30% off around the major holidays. That can save you over an extra $100.

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Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Design & materials

• Both are all-foam mattresses with a 3-layer internal construction
• Leesa Original is 10" tall and uses GreenFlex BioFoam
• Nectar Premier is 13" tall with 5" of comfort foam

It's going to sound like I'm repeating myself here because the Nectar Premier and Leesa Original have similar designs. That's not an issue — the best mattresses in a box typically stick to a reliable formula — but it does mean you have to pay close attention to see what sets these beds apart.

Both mattresses have a three-layer, all-foam construction. This consists of a thick layer of support foam at the base, a middle layer of transition foam, and a top layer of comfort foam.

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But the Nectar Premier has a taller design (13"), which provides a more luxurious feel. It also features a cooling cover with a slick finish.

Leesa's stand-out feature is its GreenFlex foam. This is designed to offer an eco-alternative to traditional memory foams. And while it's shorter than the Nectar overall (just 10"), the dense 3lb foam does add a touch of luxury.

Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Comfort & support

• Both the Nectar and Leesa suit side sleepers best
• The Leesa Original has more support for back sleepers
• But the Nectar Premier has a more luxurious feel

We put the Leesa Original and the Nectar Premier through our intense lab testing mattress methodology. Our lead tester (in this case, me) also slept on each mattress for at least four weeks at home.

The best mattresses for side sleepers need to contour to the hips and shoulders so you don't wake up numb. Our testing panels agree both mattresses use thick cushioning to deliver excellent pressure relief when lying on your side.

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I'm typically a stomach sleeper and neither mattress excels for this sleep position (try the Plank Firm instead). It's back sleepers who will find the biggest difference between the two beds: our testers had mixed reactions when back sleeping on the Nectar Premier, with some finding it too soft at the lumbar. The Leesa Original, on the other hand, keeps the whole spine lifted, making it the better choice for dedicated back sleepers.

The Leesa Original just about takes the win for edge support as well (4.5 vs 5 in our tests). Both mattresses are strong at the sides when you lie down but the added height and slippery cover makes sitting on the side of the Nectar Premier slightly trickier.

But Nectar pulls ahead when it comes to motion isolation, effectively absorbing movement so you aren't disturbed (we gave it 4, compared to the Leesa's 3.6). Both are good in this area, but the Nectar wins if you're regularly woken up by your partner getting into bed.

Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Temperature regulation

• Neither is a dedicated cooling mattress
• The Nectar Premier is cooler to the touch
• But the Leesa Original is better at losing heat during the night

Memory foam mattresses aren't exactly known for their temperature regulation and admittedly neither of these beds rates among the best cooling mattresses. However, they both do an above average job at preventing heat build-up.

The Nectar Premier Memory Foam mattress features a cover woven with "cooling" fibers and it does feel chilled under the hands. The Leesa Original mattresses uses GreenFlex BioFoam to limit heat build-up.

While the Nectar Premier feels initially cooler, it's the Leesa Original that we found did the best job at dissipating heat during the night (we gave it 3.8 out of 5, compared to the Nectar's 3.5).

For a similarly priced bed with better cooling, we recommend the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid. The best hybrid mattresses tend to beat all-foam alternatives at cooling, and the CopperFlex Pro is among our favorites.

Nectar Premier vs Leesa Original mattress: Should you buy?

Buy the Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress if...

✅ You want a luxury feel: At 13" tall and with thick layers of foam, the Nectar Premier Memory Foam feels akin to the best luxury mattresses, but at a mid-range price.

✅ You share with a restless sleeper: The dense foams of the Nectar Premier eat up movement. So if your partner tosses and turns, it shouldn't wake you up (and vice versa, if they're the fussy one in the relationship).

Buy the Leesa Original Mattress if...

✅ You're a back sleeper: The Leesa Original delivers more support at the lumbar than the Nectar Premier, making it better for back sleepers and combination sleepers.

✅ You sleep warm: While very hot sleepers should look for a dedicated cooling mattress, the Leesa Original has enough temperature control to keep warm sleepers from overheating.

✅ You like a boost when getting in and out of bed: The lower profile and sturdy edges of the Original can help those with limited mobility get in and out of bed. The Nectar is slightly taller (and more slippery), making it a touch weaker at the edges.

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