The Saatva Classic took my sleep from zero to hero, but even I admit this isn’t the right mattress for everybody

The Saatva Classic luxury innerspring hybrid is the best mattress we've tested, scoring 4.8 out of 5 in our seven robust data-led lab tests and value for money analysis. Here it's photographed on a white wooden bed frame in our blue coloured sleep product testing lab — (Image credit: Tom's Guide, Future Plc)

As a professional tester with over five years of scrutinizing beds under my belt, I’m very hard to please when it comes to mattresses. I scoff loudly in the face of any brand who declares they’ve made the best mattress for everyone, because there is no such thing. However, for me, one mattress comes close, and that’s the Saatva Classic.

This luxury innerspring hybrid has been my main mattress squeeze for over a year now, after I tested it for the first time last Fall. I made it my mission to scrutinize this sumptuous beast of a bead from cover to base.

See the Saatva Classic, from $999 at Saatva

I picked over every microscopic loose thread. I bounced on it, dropped cast iron weights all over it, and put it through multiple temperature control tests.

Truth be told, I wanted to find fault in it. But I couldn’t.

One of our mattress testers sleeps on her right side in the center of the Saatva Classic mattress — (Image credit: Future)

The Saatva Classic is the highest scoring mattress we’ve tested. It excels in nearly every key area we test for under our new methodology. It’s comfortable, supportive, breathable, isolates motion well, and it’s fantastic value for money with a lifetime warranty, year’s sleep trial and free White Glove Delivery.

Especially now that a queen Saatva Classic is on sale for $1,739 this holiday season – check out our Saatva Black Friday sale live hub for the latest deals and price drops.

However despite all that, despite how knock-out comfortable the Classic is, there are two groups of people I do not recommend it to: people who weigh over 300lbs, and anyone with chronic pain. Here’s why…

A weight limit of 600lbs

Saatva itself has gone on the record to say that the Saatva Classic is designed to support sleepers who weigh up to 300lbs each, with an overall maximum weight capacity of 600lbs per mattress.

With reports suggesting that the average American man weighs 199lbs and the average American woman weighs 171lbs, the Saatva Classic does cater to the majority of sleepers in this department.

But for how long? Obesity is on the rise in America, with experts predicting that in as little as five years over 30% of Americans will be obese.

Compared to luxury rivals such as the Bear Elite Hybrid and mid-range alternatives like the DreamCloud Classic, Saatva’s flagship mattress does seem a bit tight when it comes to a maximum weight capacity.

a man holding his back in pain — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Good for general aches, but not for chronic pain

My sleep was ruined by hip and lower back pain that became so intense when I laid down, I’d almost jump out of bed instantly. That Saatva changed all that – I slept well on it from the first night and have done ever since.

Even though my hip and lower back pain has hung around some since pregnancy, I still wouldn’t class it as chronic. And since sleeping on the Saatva it’s all-but evaporated anyway (but boy do I feel it if I’m testing a less well made mattress for work).

The Saatva Classic scored a best-in-class 5 out of 5 for pressure relief during our recent round of lab tests, with stellar feedback from every person I asked to lie down on it.

But I would not recommend this bed to you if you said: ‘I have longterm, chronic back and joint pain’. The Saatva Classic, even though it has excellent lower back support thanks to a gel-infused memory foam lumbar crown, just isn’t built for it.

The Saatva RX is. Also a luxury hybrid mattress, the RX has a unique therapeutic support core that constantly responds to your body to reduce deep pressure points. It also boosts circulation, which in turn reduces pain.

Tom's Guide Sleep Writer, Eve Davies, sat on the edge of the Saatva Classic mattress - the winner of the Tom's Guide Best Luxury Mattress award - smiling — (Image credit: Future)

Close to perfect, but not quite

The Saatva Classic is a fantastic mattress. It’s also a bargain considering you’re getting a handcrafted mattress stuffed full of organic, non-toxic and premium materials for $1,739 when on sale. You’d pay way more for a comparable bed in store, that’s for sure.

But for all that, the Saatva is not perfect for everybody. All sleeping positions, yes, and a wide range of body weights (the Classic comes in three firmness levels).

I recommend checking out the Bear Elite Hybrid if you are a chronic overheater dealing with night sweats and hot flashes; the WinkBed if you weigh over 300lbs each; and the Saatva RX if you have chronic pain.

Otherwise, the Saatva Classic is as good as a mattress can get.

Claire is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and the Managing Editor of Sleep at Tom's Guide. She curates our mattress guides and oversees our rigorous mattress testing procedures. Claire has over 16 years' product review experience and is connected to a wealth of globally renowned sleep experts including mattress designers and buyers, neuroscientists, and doctors of sleep medicine. As the Managing Editor of our Sleep and Mattress Team, Claire is responsible for all mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide and is our expert on Saatva, DreamCloud, and Nectar mattresses. Claire is also certified to advise people on how to choose a mattress that suits their needs and budget, as well as helping them to create a nighttime routine and bedroom environment that helps them sleep better.

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