Best California King Mattresses for 2024
A California king mattress can be a great option if you’re extra tall, sleep with dogs at your feet, or just want some extra foot room in general. The main difference between a California king bed and a king bed is that a king is slightly wider, while a California king has a little extra length at the bottom. To be precise, a king bed measures 76 by 80 inches, while a California king bed measures 72 by 84 inches. Whatever your reason, we tested a ton of mattresses to find the best California king mattress to help you sleep comfortably.
My team and I tested over 200 different mattresses, giving us a large pool to choose from when selecting the best California king mattresses. We paid extra attention to couples’ supportive construction, adjustable firmness levels, feel, and overall value when making our selections. No matter what type of mattress you’re looking for—memory foam, innerspring, hybrid, soft, or firm—here are the best California king mattress options we’ve found.
(All prices listed are regular, non-sale prices and reflect the cost of California king mattresses.)
Video: Best California King Mattresses for 2024
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole Check out the best king size mattresses in California for 2024.
What is the best California King mattress?
If you want a comfortable, supportive, and durable bed, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature is one of our go-to recommendations. It has a strong hybrid construction made of foam and over 1,000 coils, multiple firmness levels to choose from, and a neutral foam feel that most people will find comfortable. Plus, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature offers a great value for what you get.
Read more: Best Bedding for Every Type of Sleeper
Best California King Mattresses in 2024
Our opinion – When choosing the best California king mattress overall, I wanted to pick a mattress that would work for singles, couples, all body types, most sleeping positions, and most budgets. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature fits that bill and is more affordable than most of its competitors. Brooklyn Bedding manufactures its own mattresses, cutting out the middleman, which allows it to sell you a mattress for less than other major brands. You can get this quality California king bed for under $1,200 if you buy it during a promotion.
Firmness
Soft: (3) Medium: (5) Medium sized company: (7)
Guarantee
10 year limited warranty
Our opinion – The Layla Hybrid tops our list for the best California king mattress for side sleepers, mainly because this king size bed is easy to flip, with a softer and firmer side to choose from. The soft side is extra plush and pressure relieving, perfect for any side sleeper who wants a soft feel. The firm side isn’t super firm. It’s about a six out of 10 on the firmness scale, which makes it great for most sleeping positions. I also think heavier side sleepers will appreciate the firm side because it feels like a plush mattress with a good balance of support.
Type
reversible hybrid mattress
Firmness
Medium to medium firm: (6)
Guarantee
10 year limited warranty
Our opinion – The Saatva Classic is a supportive mattress that combines contouring latex foam, supportive innerspring coils, and special lumbar technology that makes it great for back and stomach sleepers. The Luxury Firm model of this mattress is a solid medium-firm, and the dual coil construction is a unique feature that makes the Saatva bed incredibly supportive. As such, it is one of the best California king mattress models you can buy.
Read the full reviewGuarantee
Lifetime Warranty
Our opinion – Nectar is a renowned bed-in-a-box brand that helped popularize the movement, along with mattress giants like Casper and Purple. The brand recently launched its hybrid mattress models, taking what people loved about the original Nectar memory foam mattress and making it more durable and supportive.
Type
memory foam mattress
Guarantee
eternal guarantee
Firmness
7 or medium-firm with pillowtop (9 or firm without)
Guarantee
25 year limited warranty
Firmness
Medium sized company: (7)
Guarantee
15 year limited warranty
Our opinion – The larger the mattress size, the more you will have to pay when it comes to buying a new bed. If you are looking for the best California king mattress that fits a budget that is friendlier to your wallet, Allswell is a hybrid bed that offers a good bed for your money. It is made by Walmart, which is known for its price-friendly products, and you can get a California king size mattress for less than $500.
Read the full reviewFirmness
Medium to medium firm: (6)
Guarantee
10 year limited warranty
The editors at CNET Sleep use their extensive mattress testing experience to compile our best-of-breed lists. Together, they’ve tested more than 100 beds and are considered experts in the field. With all the mattresses our editors have tested, some quality beds may not make the cut, but we still think they deserve some recognition.
Tuft & Needle Mattress: If you want a large California king mattress but are more of a budget-conscious shopper, the Tuft & Needle Essential Mattress is a great option. It has only two layers and is a simple bed without any extra bells or whistles. It is a comfortable and compliant bed for almost any sleeping position. It feels like your favorite soft couch, and it is made of a neutral foam that responds to pressure more quickly than memory foam. Tuft & Needle is also one of the most prominent mattress brands online, so their beds are popular for a reason.
Layla mattress: This is the original predecessor to the Layla Hybrid mattress above. It omits the pocketed coil layer found in the hybrid, but it’s a bit cheaper and more affordable. This model is best for those under 230 pounds who like the memory foam feel of the Layla without the added cost of the hybrid design. It’s reversible, so you get a firm side and a soft side. It’s also made with copper-infused memory foam, which helps it sleep cooler than the standard material.
CNET editors choose the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about how we test mattresses.
Contrary to popular belief, California king mattresses are only longer than king mattresses, not wider. While standard king mattresses are 76 inches wide by 80 inches long, California kings are 72 inches wide by 84 inches long. Knowing the difference between the two can help you make more informed choices and avoid unpleasant surprises. Remember, California king mattresses are all about length.
A California king mattress is the best choice if you are a bit taller, for example 6’3″ or taller. With a California king mattress, you can stretch your legs and never have to worry about too many decorative pillows on top. The California king bed frame is also the optimal size if you have a particularly long and narrow or rectangular room. You get all the benefits and grandeur of a luxuriously large and comfortable bed without having to sacrifice a set of nightstands.
The California king mattress and bed frame are best for rooms that are at least 12 feet by 12 feet. If you’re more interested in a wider bed than a longer one (for example, if you have a partner who likes to wobble), a standard king mattress is probably the best type of mattress for you.
A California king bed is worth the money if you have a lot of extra space in your bedroom, are a big, tall person, or want a mattress that offers more room for your furry friends. California king beds are narrower than a standard king, but are longer to provide more leg and foot room.
Many California king mattresses will cost you around $1,200 to $1,600, especially if you’re looking for a premium bed. Luxury California king mattresses have been known to sell for $1,800 or more, but you can also find a budget California king mattress from Allswell for under $500.
If you have pets that sleep on the bottom of your mattress, you’re over 6’4” (or taller), or you just want a little extra legroom, a California king is a good option because it offers more length than your standard king. If you expect your kids to crawl into bed with you, you may want a wider standard king bed that will fit all of your loved ones. It’s worth noting that brands often price their king and California king beds the same, so you usually won’t pay more for one or the other.
