Stearns & Foster Mattress Review | Reasons to Buy/NOT Buy (2023)

Stearns & Foster is an industry staple and luxury mattress brand that’s up there with the likes of Tempur-Pedic and Beautyrest. The brand has 125 years of experience creating luxury textiles and became even more of a powerhouse when it merged with the well-known bedding brand Sealy in the early ’90s. You’ll find quite a few mattress collections here, each better than the first one, which means it is safe to say that there is something for everyone.

This Stearns & Foster mattress review will provide a broad overview of the brand’s product catalog, who I think each bed would be best for, and whether these beds are really worth the money. I’ve personally tested over 150 beds, and I can tell the difference between a good value and an overhyped mattress. 

First impressions of Stearns & Foster mattresses

Here’s an overview of Stearns & Foster’s five mattresses to get us started. We’ll start with their most affordable bed and work our way up.

Stearns & Foster mattresses can be purchased online, or you can use a store locator to find local retailers that offer the mattress you’re looking for.

Studio

The Studio mattress is the latest addition to the Stearns & Foster lineup. It’s the most affordable mattress from the brand, but it still has a really luxurious look. This hybrid mattress features ventilated coils, memory foam layers and a textured cover. It’s available in two firmness profiles: medium and a pillow-top medium that will be slightly softer. 

Estate

From the bold blue sides to the textured cover, the Estate mattress just looks like a high-quality bed. It’s a hybrid mattress that offers superior support for any body type, and it comes in two different firmness options that should appeal to a wide range of sleeping positions. It’s also available in a firm or soft pillow-top profile.

Lux Estate

The Lux Estate mattress features memory foam designed by the experts at TempurPedic. Available in a standard medium firmness, you can also choose between three pillow tops to add fluffy comfort. Its hybrid construction should appeal to all body types, from petite to plus-size. It also has a cooling cover that hot sleepers will favor. 

Lux Hybrid

The Lux Hybrid mattress from Stearns & Foster features TempurPedic memory foam, durable coils and a cooling cover. It also has an IntelliFlex™ Hybrid System that gives it a boost in support. It’s available in soft, medium and firm with no pillow-top options.

Reserve

The most premium mattress in the Stearns & Foster catalog is the Reserve. I’ll be honest: I couldn’t tell a huge difference between the Reserve and the Lux Hybrid. It has a pillow-top option and an IntelliCoil Micro HD layer, as opposed to the standard IntelliCoil Micro layer found in the Hybrid. It sits on the top of the mattress in between two pieces of foam and has an air vent for more breathability. 

Stearns & Foster mattress feel and firmness 

How firm are Stearns & Foster mattresses?

If there’s one thing Stearns & Foster gives you, it’s choice and lots of it. (Arguably, an overwhelming amount.) The good thing is, you can find something to fit any sleeping position. Here are the firmness options offered in the brand’s catalog:

• Studio mattress: Available in medium firmness, which is around medium-firm or 6 or 7 on the firmness scale. The pillow top medium drops it down to around a 5 or medium. 
• Estate mattress: Available in soft (medium-soft or 3), medium (medium-firm or 6-7) and firm (firm or 9). Also available in three pillow top options: pillow top soft (soft to medium-soft or 2), pillow top medium (medium-soft to soft or 4) and pillow top firm (medium-firm to firm or 8).
• Lux Estate mattress: Available in soft (medium-soft or 3), medium (medium to medium-firm or 6) and firm (firm or 9). Also available in three pillow top options: pillow top soft (soft to medium-soft or 2), pillow top medium (medium-soft to medium or 4) and pillow top firm (medium to medium-firm or 8).
• Lux Hybrid mattress: Available in soft (medium-soft or 3), medium (medium to medium-firm or 6) and firm (firm or 9). 
• Reserve mattress: Medium firmness, which translates to around a medium-firm or 7 on the firmness scale. The soft pillow top option is soft to medium-soft or 2, while the firm pillow top is medium-firm or 7.

What do Stearns & Foster mattresses feel like? 

The exact feel of a Stearns & Foster mattress will differ from model to model. If you get your Stearns & Foster mattress with a pillow top, it’ll feel like a durable innerspring mattress with thick, plush, supportive pillows on top. You get pressure relief, support and comfort wrapped up in one. 

The beds that incorporate the brand’s HD memory foam, including Lux Estate, Lux Estate Hybrid and Reserve, will give you a slight memory foam feel thanks to the foam’s density. The other foams, and a pillow top especially, help neutralize it so you don’t get that “stuck” feeling. 

Stearns & Foster mattress construction 

Here’s a simple breakdown of the materials you can find inside each mattress, plus the heights you can choose from. For each mattress type, note that the height is dependent on the firmness level you choose.

Studio

The Studio mattress is the most affordable bed from Stearns & Foster. Although it’s still a premium bed with a hefty construction. 

• This mattress is wrapped in a soft, Tencel® cover that’s knit with Stearns & Foster’s iconic fleur-de-lis.
• Two foam comfort layers make sure you get plenty of pressure relief. 
• A responsive innerspring system that serves as the second support layer of the mattress.
• PrecisionEdge coils go all the way to the edge of the mattress to reinforce the bed’s perimeter. There’s also a unique air vent design that’s supposed to keep heat from building up. 

Estate 

The Estate mattress from Stearns & Foster has a few upgraded additions from the Studio mattress, although you should expect to see some of the same features. 

• The Estate mattress has a Tencel® cover similar to the Studio mattress, but it’s elevated with light blue detailing. 
• Two premium gel foam layers in the Estate mattress give this ultra-supportive bed a little cushion. The pillow top cover cuts through the memory foam feel, which is great for people who want the cushion without the sinking feeling. 
• The Estate collection features an IntelliCoil layer for stability and support. 
• The PrecisionEdge coil layer reinforces the edge of the bed, while the AirVent system promotes airflow. 

Lux Estate 

The Lux Estate mattress takes the luxury of the Estate mattress one step further with an additional memory foam layer. 

• Unlike the Studio bed from Stearns & Foster, the Lux Estate has a cooling cover. 
• Among the three memory foam layers in the Lux Estate mattress is a layer of Tempur-Indulge memory foam that Tempur-Pedic developed for Stearns & Foster.
• You’ll see the same IntelliCoil HD layer that makes sure this premium bed is supportive and durable. 
• PrecisionEdge coil system is the support layer of this bed. The air vents on the side of the mattress to allow airflow.

Lux Hybrid

The materials inside the Lux Estate Hybrid Pollock include:

• The plush pillow top cover looks as good as it feels with a mix of light and medium blues. 
• The memory foam layer of this bed is the Tempur-Indulge memory foam that adds another layer of comfort. 
• The base of the mattress is the IntelliFlex™ Hybrid system of over 500 individually pocketed coils that have a premium layer of comfort foam on top of each coil. 
• The Lux Hybrid mattress also features the AirVent system that Stearns & Foster is known for. 

Reserve 

The Reserve mattress is the most expensive and premium bed from Stearns & Foster. 

• The Reserve mattress is wrapped in a dark blue Tencel® cooling cover. 
• This mattress features three layers of foam for comfort, including the Tempur-Indulge memory foam.
• On top of the base coil system is the IntelliCoil HD layer of densely packed coils. 
• The PrecisionEdge coil system provides excellent edge support and the AirVent system featured on all Stearns & Foster mattresses increases breathability. 

Stearns & Foster mattress performance

Edge support

These mattresses are all hybrids and designed with PrecisionEdge, meaning there are extra reinforcements along the sides of the mattresses to ensure they stay strong, supportive and sturdy. If you’re looking for a bed with great edge support because you sleep with a partner or large furry friend, you can’t go wrong with any of these mattresses. 

Motion isolation

Unless you buy an innerspring mattress or a hybrid mattress with a thin comfort layer, most beds these days are decent at isolating motion. Hybrid mattresses typically aren’t as good as foam beds, but the beds in this catalog perform better than most hybrids (except for the Reserve and Lux Hybrid due to their dual-coil layers). The ones that stood out the most were the pillow-top beds, which were great at deadening movement across the bed. 

Temperature

None of the mattresses in the Stearns & Foster catalog can be considered cooling beds, but they don’t sleep hot, either. With the combination of gel foam, coils and air vents, you’ll get a temperature-neutral sleeping experience. In this case, your body temperature will depend on the pajamas you wear, the temperature where you live and how high you blast your AC or heat. 

Who should sleep on Stearns & Foster mattresses

Thanks to the options Stearns & Foster mattresses offer, they appeal to all sleeping positions and body types. Not only do you have several bed options, but each bed has different firmness options to chose from.

Position

To find the best Stearns & Foster mattress for you, think about your primary sleeping position. 

I think side sleepers will like the softer options because they offer the most pressure relief for your hips and shoulders. The Estate and Lux Hybrid mattresses have soft options. And then Estate, Lux Estate and Reserve mattresses also have soft pillow tops.

Combination sleepers will probably like the medium best because it has a middle-of-the-road firmness level that accommodates any position. Every mattress in the Stearns & Foster catalog has a medium firmness option that would suit combination sleepers.

Back and stomach sleepers have several firmness options to pick from: 

• Soft offers a solid balance between support and pressure relief.
• Medium is a sweet spot between medium and medium-firm for sleepers who want more support than pressure relief. 
• Firm suits people who suffer from back pain. It keeps your back in proper alignment with your neck and prevents your lower back from sinking, and there’s still some pressure relief.

The Estate, Lux Estate pillow top, Lux Hybrid and Reserve pillow top mattresses all have a firm option for back sleepers.

Body type

Hybrid mattresses are ideal for any body type, and people under 250 pounds would be comfortable on almost any Stearns & Foster mattress. 

The Reserve and Lux Estate models might be overkill for people under 150 pounds because of the two coil layers. Petite body types don’t need all that extra support, and it may not be the most comfortable. 

Heavier individuals will be comfortable on any of the mattresses because they all have hybrid constructions and offer ample support. That said, the Lux Estate offers two layers of coils that provide even more durability and support if that’s what you’re looking for. The Reserve model does also, but I don’t think it’s different enough from the Lux Estate to be worth the extra $1,000.

Stearns & Foster mattress price comparison 

These beds are premium, luxury mattresses and their prices reflect that. If you’re on a budget, there are plenty of other great mattress options for under $1,000. The most affordable Stearns & Foster model is the Estate Hurston, and it’s still more expensive than your average mattress (especially online), while the Reserve is one of the priciest beds I’ve come across. 

Stearns & Foster mattresses are some of the most expensive on the market. The company does run big promotions on holidays including Independence Day, Memorial Day and Black Friday.

You can expect discounts, primarily on the more deluxe models, but you’ll still be looking at luxury mattress prices even with promos applied.

Stearns & Foster trial, shipping, warranty

Like many mattress brands, you get a few perks if you buy a Stearns & Foster mattress from the brand or other online retailers:

• Free white-glove delivery (the delivery service will set up your mattress in-home for you)
• 90-night risk-free trial
• 10-year warranty on manufacturer defects

The final verdict on Stearns & Foster mattresses

Not only are you paying for the high-end Stearns & Foster name, but you’re paying for high-quality designs and materials. The company takes its time crafting premium beds, and it’s had years of experience getting it right. These mattresses won’t be for everyone, but if you want to invest in your sleep with a top-of-the-line bed, you should find these mattresses strong contenders.

How does Stearns & Foster compare to other mattresses? 

Stearns & Foster vs. Tempur-Pedic

Tempur-Pedic is a household name because, like Stearns & Foster, it’s an industry veteran with decades of experience making luxury mattresses. The primary difference between Tempur-Pedic and Stearns & Foster is feel. With Tempur-Pedic, you get a dense, slow-responding memory foam feel that slowly morphs around your curves under the weight of your body. 

Stearns & Foster mattresses will feel more neutral and bouncy, especially pillow-top models, which feel lighter and airier. 

Keep in mind: You’re still looking at premium prices with Tempur-Pedic. 

Stearns & Foster vs. Saatva 

Saatva is an online mattress brand that competes with the likes of Casper, Purple and other direct-to-consumer brands that focus their efforts on online retailing. The Saatva Classic mattress is similar to the pillow-top Stearns and Foster mattresses like the Lux Estate and Lux Estate Hybrid. 

The Saatva Classic has dual-coil layers and a fluffy pillow top made with organic cotton to add a more plush feel, although it features a design for added lumbar support. The biggest difference is that the Saatva Classic is more affordable than most of Stearns & Foster’s mattresses, excluding the Estate Hurston.