Measuring up at 72 x 84 inches, a California King mattress is exceptionally large and able to offer a lot of space and comfort for the sleeper. Choosing a California King bed is a great choice if you want to enjoy high-quality sleep and really be able to stretch out and roll around with ease, but it’s vital to choose the best California King mattress to go along with your bed frame in order to enjoy the best night’s sleep.
There are a lot of different factors to think about when buying a California King mattress. The materials used to make up the mattress, as well as its firmness, thickness, weight, cover material, and other features are all essential factors to think about. When drawing up this list of the best California King mattresses, we considered all of these factors and looked at a lot of different user and critical California King mattress reviews in order to present you with a wide and varied selection of highly-rated mattress models to consider.
Top 8 California King Mattresses Review 2020
We looked at manufacturers’ sites, as well as going in-depth on all the specifications and details of each mattress we reviewed. Below, you’ll see a comparison table with our favorite California King mattresses in order, with the highest-rated mattress at the top of the table. After that, you’ll be able to find some in-depth reviews of each mattress to learn more about them, followed by a detailed buying guide telling you all you need to look out for when shopping for your next mattress.
Great memory foam mattress made from high quality breathable materials will be loved by all members of your family Patented memory foam material will provide you with a long deep tranquil sleep for many nights Conforming Green Tea Memory Foam comfort and pressure relieving support for a better night’s sleep Designed for the most cool, clean, comfortable sleep imaginable, for the most energetic day possible You deserve to sleep like you—not like everyone else, and this memory foam mattress with ultra-cool phase-change fabric will to proceed. Great set of two premium quality pillows and memory foam mattress will help you to get the most out of your nights Eco-friendly made in USA memory foam mattress will justify the credit of trust which has been proven by thousands of reviews Beautiful Cal King mattress will cradle you in a deluxe cushion of multiple layers of memory foam
Our top-rated California King mattress is the Purple California King Mattress. Measuring up at 9.5 inches in thickness, it isn’t the thickest mattress in the world and is a little on the heavy side too, weighing in at 140 pounds, but its smart construction, high-quality design, and exceptional comfort and support ratings really give it the edge over the competition. One of the fascinating things about this mattress is its hyper-elastic polymer design which actually manages to be both firm and soft all at once. This means that it can provide firmness and support for your body, while also offering that soft, cradling feel you might find in a memory foam mattress. It’s a state-of-the-art design, and you can feel the quality of this mattress shining through each night. It’s the most expensive entry on our list, but the Purple California King Mattress is worth every penny. It offers amazing motion isolation, making it a great option for couples, and it’s perfect for all kinds of sleepers too due to its firm/soft design. It also features a cozy cover made from high-quality materials and is highly breathable, allowing it to stay cool and fresh on even the hottest nights. Purple California King Mattress – Editor's Choice
Next up, the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is another of the best Cal King mattress models you can buy right now, and this one is particularly impressive for those who struggle with backaches or pains when trying to sleep. If you need a lot of support during the night for strong spinal alignment, the Tuft & Needle is an excellent option to choose with its medium rating of firmness and T&N adaptive foam design. There’s a lot to like about this particular mattress, but we do have to mention a couple of little downsides like the fact that some users have complained about it sleeping slightly hot, and others have said it was simply too firm for their needs. These are both subjective issues, however, and the vast majority of user reviews for this mattress are immensely positive, with most people praising the Tuft & Needle for its support, comfort, and quality. Made from the brand’s special adaptive foam, this mattress shapes and contours to your body, offering a cozy, cuddling kind of effect that many sleepers will enjoy. It’s ideal for back sleepers and side sleepers in particular and very durable too, offering strong edge support and stable performance in almost every category. Tuft & Needle Original Mattress – Best California King Mattress for Back Pain
Our Budget Pick for this list of best California King size mattress models is the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress. Available at a very attractive and affordable price, some shoppers might overlook this particular model out of fear of its quality. In actual fact, the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is able to outperform many of the more expensive alternatives out there and is a very well made, great value mattress to consider. Conveniently delivered in a box right to your door and made from a mixture of support, comfort, high density, and memory foams, this mattress has the unique distinction of being infused with green tea extract. This helps to cancel out any odors and helps the mattress stay fresh, clean, hygienic, and comfortable for a very long time. It contours nicely to the body of the sleeper and is ranked as a medium-firm mattress, so will please most people. It does take a little time to expand to its full thickness, however, so you’ll need to leave it a little while when it arrives. Some users have also complained of this mattress sleeping hot, but this will vary from one person to the next. All in all, if you’re on a budget, this is a terrific mattress to choose. Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress – Budget Pick
Coming from one of the best brands in the business, the Layla Sleep Memory Foam Mattress is definitely one of the very best memory foam mattresses you can find in the Cal King size. It comes at a high price, but the quality and comfort of this mattress, as well as the impressive benefits it can provide to the average sleeper, do more than enough to justify the cost. The first thing that stands out about this mattress is its stylish, two-tone design, but that black and white look isn’t just for aesthetics; it symbolizes the “flippable firmness” feature of this particular mattress. The Layla actually has different firmness ratings on each side, letting you flip it over to find the one that works best for you, and this really helps to make it a highly versatile mattress that can work for all kinds of sleeper. Made from top-quality foams and designed to the highest standard, this Cal King mattress brings a lot to the table. It has an excellent cooling effect, thanks in part to the highly breathable cover, and it provides enough comfort and support to please almost anyone. There is a little bit of an odor at first, but this should fade away within a week or two. Layla Sleep Memory Foam Mattress – Best California King Memory Foam Mattress
Most mattresses have a set firmness rating, but the Muse Sleep Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress stands out for the unique fact that it can offer firm, medium, or soft comfort depending on the model you choose. This is a significant advantage of this particular model and helps it appeal to a vast range of sleepers. It also wins our award for the Best Cooling California King Mattress due to its highly impressive cool gel layer and breathable cover. The removable and cleanable Diamond Breeze cover actually works to absorb ambient heat from the air around it, ensuring you always enjoy a cool night’s sleep and never have to worry about getting hot and sticky in the early hours. Many people complain about sleeping hot on memory foam mattresses, but that’s not something you’ll have to worry about with this one. On the downside, the Muse Sleep Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress is one of the more expensive California King mattress models available right now, but if you want that extra sleep quality and have the budget, the price shouldn’t stop you. Like many memory foam mattresses, it lacks a little edge support but offers the ‘made in the USA’ quality and comfort you need. Muse Sleep Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress – Best Cooling California King Mattress
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress – Best California King Mattress Set
- Firmness: Medium-firm
- Layers: Cooling cover + 3 layers of memory foam + base layer
- Cover: Tencel
- Height:11 inches
- Weight: 102 pounds
- Warranty: Lifetime
If you’re looking for a California King mattress set, complete with some of the best California King mattress pillows, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress could be just what you need. This high-quality gel memory foam mattress comes complete with two free pillows. Nectar is generally regarded as one of the top names in the memory foam world, making use of eco-friendly materials and techniques to craft high-quality mattress you can love.
This mattress continues Nectar’s traditions and commitment to quality. Made from medical grade memory foam and transition foam, as well as a base layer of support foam, it offers a lot of comfort and coziness, while also offering a strong layer of medium-firm support for those with backaches or problems.
This mattress works very nicely for side, back, and stomach sleepers, so it’s a very versatile model. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty and an extended 180-night sleep trial, letting you test it out for nearly six months. It does lack a little bounce and resilience, and the edge support could be better, but these are minor flaws in an otherwise impeccable California King mattress.
- Lifetime warranty
- Long sleep trial
- Free pillows
- Eco-friendly construction
- Weak edge support
- Not very bouncy
If you crave that medium firmness, with just the right balance between a soft, contouring feel and solid support, the Brentwood Home Cypress Bamboo Gel Mattress might be the ideal California King mattress for you. At 13 inches, it’s a very thick and heavy-duty mattress that can really add some elegance and style to any bed. It’s made in the USA and features a bamboo rayon cover and CertiPUR-US foams. Made in California with responsibly sourced, high-quality materials, the Brentwood Home Cypress Gel Cal King mattress from Brentwood works well at relieving pressure around the body by distributing your weight evenly and harmoniously, offering just the right amount of support for your spine, head, and limbs. It’s a good match for side and back sleepers in particular, but stomach sleepers might find it a little less comfortable. The cover of this mattress does a fine job of wicking away heat and moisture, helping it stay cool and fresh on those warm summer nights, and the long warranty gives you the peace of mind you need when purchasing such an important item for your home. This Cal King mattress also performs well in motion isolation, making it a good fit for couples. Brentwood Home Cypress Bamboo Gel Mattress – Best Medium-firm California King Mattress
Last but not least, we come to the Live and Sleep Luxury Memory Foam Mattress. Measuring up at 12 inches in thickness and constructed from a mixture of support foam, memory foam, and gel foam for cooling, this California King mattress has a lot of plus points, starting with its relatively low price which helps to make it one of the most affordable options on our list. If you struggle with back pain or sleep on your back, the Live and Sleep Luxury Memory Foam Mattress is definitely one of the best options to consider. It offers great support and firmness for those who need it. Some might even call it a little too firm, but you can always in one of the best pillow top mattress pad for California King to add a little softness if needed. This mattress, like so many memory foam mattresses, struggles a little in terms of edge support and bounce, but it performs very well in most other areas. It’s a comfortable and cozy mattress at a very reasonable price, fully CertiPUR-US certified and even coming with a free queen size pillow as a nice little bonus. Live and Sleep Luxury Memory Foam Mattress – Best California King Mattress for Back Sleepers
Buying Guide
Now that we’ve looked at some of the best Cal King mattress options you might be interested in purchasing. Let’s take a closer look at what you should be looking out for when actually shopping for your next mattress. There are a lot of different factors to think about when purchasing a mattress, and some might be more important to you than others.
Features to consider while choosing California King size mattress
When buying your California King mattress, there are several important factors and features to think about, including everything from firmness to materials.
Firmness
Firmness denotes how soft or firm the mattress is, with many of the most popular mattresses rated as Medium or Medium-firm. Those looking for additional firmness, as seen in the Live and Sleep Luxury Memory Foam Mattress, might want extra support for spinal alignment or back pain relief, whereas those who favor a softer mattress might prefer the comfort it provides. Some Cal King mattresses, like the Layla Sleep Memory Foam Mattress, actually offer different firmness levels that you can adjust at home.
Layering
The layering of a mattress concerns how it is put together. Most mattress will feature at least two, but often three or four layers of material. It’s a wise move to look for a top layer of cooling gel, as seen in the Brentwood Home Cypress Bamboo Gel Mattress, to give that cooling effect many people crave. Other mattresses, like the Purple California King Mattress, feature unique and exclusive materials to offer different levels of comfort and support.
Height
The height or thickness of a mattress denotes how many inches it raises to when fully inflated. The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress, for instance, measures up at 10 inches, whereas the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is a 12-inch mattress. More height doesn’t always mean more comfort or support, but taller mattresses make more of a style statement in a bedroom.
Cover
The cover of the mattress can be made from a variety of materials. This is the part of the mattress in direct contact with your skin, so many people prefer a soft and cozy material here, like the blend seen in the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress. Others will favor covers that focus entirely on cooling, like the ThermoGel-infused cover of the Layla Sleep Memory Foam Mattress.
Prices
Another significant factor to think about when shopping for your next mattress is how much it’s going to cost. Mattresses can vary from as low as a couple of hundred dollars up to $1,000+, so there’s a massive gap between the cheapest and the most expensive one, and it’s important to note that more expensive mattresses aren’t always automatically better than their cheaper counterparts. The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress, for example, is available at a very low price and offers a lot of great value and advantages over some more expensive models. Be sure to work out your budget accordingly and choose a mattress that really works for you in terms of price, as well as comfort.
FAQ
Many different materials can be found in a California King mattress. You might find the likes of adaptable foam, memory foam, base support form, coils, or even something totally unique like the hyper-elastic polymer of the Purple California King Mattress. Each material has its pros and cons, with many people liking the contouring effect of memory foam and others preferring the firmer adaptive foam seen in models like the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress.
This really depends on personal preference. In general, many people want their mattress to sleep cool, so will favor covers that are made from cooling materials or with strong wicking potential. A clear example is a ThermoGel cover seen in the Layla Sleep Memory Foam Mattress. The bamboo rayon cover of the Brentwood Home Cypress Bamboo Gel Mattress is also very effective at offering a strong cooling effect and high breathability. If you’re worried about keeping the cover clean, you can invest in one of the best California King mattress protector options.
For back pain, the most important feature to think about is the firmness of the mattress and the materials it contains. The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress was our top choice for back pain due to its medium-firm rating and supportive adaptive foam, and this is the sort of mattress you’ll need to provide solid spinal alignment and efficient support.
Our Verdict
Overall, the Purple California King Mattress stood out as our favorite California King mattress. The unique hyper-elastic polymer construction of this mattress allows it to offer the soft feel of a memory foam mattress, but with more support and firmness, making it a real winner in every category.
Next up in our list of the best California King mattress models is the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress. Made from high-quality adaptive foam, this mattress is a dream option for those who favor a little extra firmness or need that added layer of support for their back.
Finally, the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress rounds out our top three California King mattresses. Available at a fraction of the price of many of the other models on our list, the Zinus is a big winner in terms of value and affordability. It’s also very comfortable and smells great thanks to the green tea infusion.
