Saatva Classic Mattress review – hotel-quality comfort at home

There's a lot of competition in the direct-to-consumer mattress market, but Saatva have carved out their own space. Where other manufacturers pick a lane and stick to it, Saatva have managed to combine luxury bedding, eco-friendly practices, and great value. All of these qualities are in its flagship mattress, the Saatva Classic.

I've spent more than four years sleeping with my Luxury Firm Saatva Classic. Long story short, it's an incredibly luxurious mattress. I can't wait to climb into this bed at the end of the day, and I expect this hand-made mattress to hold up for many years to come. 

The Saatva Classic should work for most sleepers, as it's available in three comfort levels: Soft Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm. It's designed to cater to front, back, and side sleepers, and it's also available in two depths for custom comfort.

My experience with Saatva put it right at the very top of our ranking of the best mattresses. Here's why I was so impressed. 

Saatva Classic Mattress Specifications

Who will the Saatva Classic mattress suit?

• Everyone: that's the whole point. The Saatva Classic Mattress comes in Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm to suit every style of sleeper. If you sleep on your side and suffer from aches and pains, I might recommend the Plush Soft to relieve pressure: otherwise, it's Luxury Firm, all the way.
• Couples with different sleep styles: you might prefer a softer surface, while your partner appreciates a firmer mattress. You should both sleep comfortably on the Luxury Firm Saatva Classic.
• Hot sleepers: that's one of the best bits about an innerspring mattress. All those stainless steel coils boost breathability as they compress and depress, while the organic cotton cover is naturally cooling.
• Sensitive sleepers: Saatva forgo harsh chemicals in favor of a natural, plant-based flame retardant to protect your mattress.

• Eco-conscious shoppers: the Saatva Classic is made to order in the USA and rarely travels more than 100 miles from a factory to your home in a bid to reduce carbon emissions. Inside the mattress, you'll find organic cotton and recycled steel. However, there's also a fair amount of high-density memory foam, which precludes the Saatva Classic from inclusion in our best organic mattress buying guide. If you're shopping for an organic mattress, you should consider the Saatva Zenhaven Natural Latex Mattress or the Saatva Latex Hybrid, instead.
• Those who like to try before they buy: Saatva offers a 365-night mattress sleep trial. That means you can test your mattress through all four seasons, in heat waves and cold snaps, and monitor its performance over time before you commit to the purchase. If you don't get on with the Saatva Classic Mattress, you can return it for $99 and Saatva will ensure responsible reuse or disposal.
• Those who like to protect their purchase: Saatva offers a lifetime warranty on the Saatva Classic Mattress, which covers body impressions over an inch. If the mattress is deemed defective within the first two years of ownership, Saatva will replace it free of charge. From year three onwards, Saatva will repair and recover your mattress for free, but you'll have to pay the transportation costs of $149 each way. To sweeten the deal, Saatva offer the option to buy a brand new mattress at a fraction of the price you first paid, from 40% to 80% off.

What is the Saatva Classic Mattress like to sleep on?

Comfort

The Luxury Firm is designed to suit every sleeper, just like a luxury hotel bed would. It's a true medium that gives you a touch of softness without that sinking feeling. The built-in Euro-top adds immediate cushion and plushness for a luxury feel that has me quickly drifting off to sleep. 

I typically fall asleep and wake up on my back, but I'll also spend time on my side and occasionally in some contorted 90-degree angle front position. I slept most comfortably on my back and side, though a strict stomach sleeper will likely prefer something firmer, such as the Naturepedic Chorus Mattress. If you want something super soft, try a memory foam model, such as the SweetNight Prime Mattress.

Pressure relief

My expectations were high that this mattress would go easy on my pressure points. Coming from an innerspring that was well past its prime, it took a while for my body to acclimate to the Saatva Classic Mattress. I woke up the first few weeks with neck pain, as my body was effectively relearning what it meant to be in alignment. The pain soon abated, though, and now, I wouldn't want to sleep on anything other than the Saatva Classic.

Breathability

An innerspring design, such as the Saatva Classic, tends to sleep cooler than a memory foam mattress. That's because air can flow through the mattress coils more freely than through foam. I tested the Saatva Classic Mattress in the middle of an Atlanta heatwave, and I can't say I ever felt overheated, though the mattress gets a little warm right under my lower back. Seriously hot sleepers should consider one of the best cooling mattresses, instead: I recommend the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Medium Hybrid Mattress for active cooling.

Motion transfer

Here's one of my very few, very small criticisms of this bed. With any innerspring, some motion transfer is inevitable. It's hugely softened by the pillow-top, but you might notice your partner shifting around or getting in and out of bed. I wouldn't exactly call it disruptive, but there's definitely some motion transfer. A fully foam mattress, such as the Emma Original, would absorb more movement and offer superior motion isolation.

Edge support

The edge support on this bed is really remarkable. It does not sink or dip like other mattresses I've tried. That's because there are high-density foam rails around the perimeter of the bed, so you never feel like you can fall out of bed. This makes it easy to get in and out, and even just sitting on the edge of the bed to put your socks on is surprisingly comfortable. 

Design and construction

The Saatva Classic Mattress is available in two depths, 11.5" and 14". Which one you choose comes down to personal preference: there's no noticeable difference in feel, quality, or price. It's worth noting that the 14" mattress features built-in side handles, which make it easier to move the mattress, though you might need a deeper-pocket fitted sheet from our best bed sheets buying guide.

The built-in 3" Euro pillow top uses pressure-relieving foam for extra comfort and is covered with a breathable GOTS-certified organic cotton outer cover that is coated with a botanical antimicrobial treatment to fend off odors. Below the Euro top, a layer of durable, slow-response memory foam contours and offers support to the hips and spine. 

The dual-coil design uses an upper 14.5-gauge recycled steel system to respond and contour to your body's movements and minimize motion transfer. A memory foam layer with Saatva's Spinal Zone technology for enhanced back support and maximum pressure relief lies in between. In the center third of the mattress where the core of our bodies lay, active wire and a 1/2-inch layer of memory foam create lumbar support. Finally, the second layer of coils and base of the mattress uses individually wrapped tempered steel support coils for maximum durability.

Unboxing the Saatva Classic Mattress

The online ordering system for the Saatva Classic is pretty standard, and if you have any questions about which options to choose, you can choose from a live chat or phone support to answer any questions. At checkout, you'll also be presented with the option to add on pillows, a foundation, and a mattress pad. 

Each mattress is made-to-order, taking an average of 9-21 days from creation to delivery. Mine took eight. Saatva utilizes a network of 19 factories across the country and 150 delivery partners for its White Glove Delivery to reduce carbon emissions and overproduction. This strategy enables Saatva to be within 60 miles of 85%  of households in the continental U.S. For instance, my mattress was made in Rome, Georgia, about 70 miles shy of its final destination: Atlanta. 

Once the mattress was ready, I was called to schedule a delivery date for free White Glove Delivery. The process was swift and I didn't have to lift a finger. They clean up all the packaging and will even remove your old mattress for free, if you tick that option at checkout. As the mattress arrives in its fully expanded condition, there were also no off-gassing odors to even think about. It was one of my easiest delivery mattress experiences to date. 

The Saatva Classic Mattress will work with most bed types. If you're using a traditional metal frame, Saatva suggests adding on their wood-slatted foundation, as box springs are not recommended, which is the option I chose. The mattress is also ideal for platform beds as long as the horizontal slats are spaced less than 4 inches apart and adjustable bases. Queen and larger sizes also need proper center support, otherwise, the warranty could be voided. 

How does the Saatva Classic rate online?

The Saatva Classic mattress pulls in a near perfect 4.8 out of 5 stars across more than 3,000 reviews on the Saatva site. The top reviews praise the quality materials for the value, customer service interactions, and of course, better sleep and chronic pain relief. The most critical complaints are that the soft is not soft enough while the firm was too firm. These sorts of comments are totally subjective, and you won't know where you stand until you try it.  

While the Saatva Classic is exclusively available through Saatva, the company holds a 4.5-star rating for its excellent customer service and product quality on Trust Pilot, Saatva also holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, so you know you're in good hands.

Is the Saatva Classic mattress worth it?

The Saatva Classic Mattress retails for around $2,000 for a Queen, though it's regularly discounted as part of the mattress sales. When you consider that you get a mattress made to order from premium materials, with the perks of free white glove delivery and an extended sleep trial, it's clear that the Saatva Classic Mattress offers incredible value for money. I'd recommend it for front, back, and side sleepers, who run hot or cold, and anyone who wants to try the best mattress money can buy. 

How we test the Saatva Classic Mattress

We put a lot of thought into how we test mattresses. It's more than a matter of sleeping on the job. Our expert testers sleep on mattresses for months, if not years, to assess their thermoregulation throughout the seasons and monitor their performance over time. 

Some of our tests are simpler than others. To describe the comfort levels of a mattress, we just lie down, settle in, and see how we feel. To evaluate the edge support, we sit on the side of the bed and see how far we sink. The further we fall, the poorer the edge support. To measure the weight-bearing capacity of a mattress, we take an ordinary dumbbell, the sort you'd find in any home gym, and place it in the center of the mattress. We measure how far the weight sinks into the mattress, and how quickly the surface springs back into shape once the weight is removed. 

Other tests are slightly stranger. To assess the motion isolation of a mattress, we fill a glass with water, place it on one side of the bed, then toss and turn across the mattress. The more water spills, the worse the motion isolation.

We also consider more practical matters, such as the online order and delivery system, as well as any mattress sleep trials and warranties. We consider all this against the cost of the mattress to help you work out whether it's the right fit for you.