TOP 5 Best Firm Mattresses in Canada

Tired of your mattresses sagging out too quickly or mattresses feeling too soft for your back? Going for a firm mattress can be an excellent way to get around soft or lumpy mattresses. Choosing the right mattress, though, can be challenging if you don’t know what factors to look for.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 best firm mattresses in Canada and some things to look out for when choosing the right mattress for your home.

Let’s take a look.

A Quick Preview:

1. Best Overall — Novosbed Mattress (Firm)
2. Best For Back Pain — Puffy Mattress
3. Best for Couples — Douglas Original Mattress
4. Best Firm Hybrid Mattress — Logan & Cove Mattress
5. Best for Side Sleepers — Ghostbed Mattress

Our Review of the 5 Best Firm Mattresses in Canada

Best Overall — Novosbed Mattress (Firm)

Highlights:

• Soft memory foam layers provide adequate contouring for good pressure relief.
• Firm transitional layers and base give excellent pressure for healthy spinal alignment.
• The cover is removable, making its take-off and washing easy.

The Novosbed is my best overall firm mattress in Canada due to its firm transitional layers, excellent motion-isolation ability, and removable cover. The Novosbed comes with 2 inches of open-cell memory foam in its top comfort layers, which I found to be soft and responsive. I recorded the Novosbed to have 0.31 inches less sinkage than the Ghostbed and found I slept more ‘on’ the bed than ‘in’ it. This resulted in more pronounced support for my spine.

The Novosbed’s foam layers work excellent for motion isolation, which I recorded to be more isolating than the Ghostbed by 2 inches during my compression tests with a glass of water. In addition, during tests, my partner didn’t notice most motions when I would get in or out of bed or switch sleeping positions. 

The Novosbed also comes with a removable cover, which I found convenient to take off with the zippers attached. It only took a few seconds, and I could pop it in the wash to make the mattress and my sleeping space fresher and cleaner.

Key Decision Factors

Pressure Relief: The Novosbed’s cushioning comfort layer can redistribute your weight while keeping you from sinking in too deeply. I rated it a 9 for pressure relief.

Motion Isolation: The comfort and transitional layers of the Novosbed perform excellently for isolating motion, which I recorded only 2 inches for water to move from my compression tests. This is enough to isolate the most significant motion from a partner and help you sleep more peacefully.

Support: The Novosbed has a good balance of cushioning and support, with an excellent firm feel. I rated its firmness at a 7, high enough to keep the lumbar and hips aligned with the spine.

My Experience

The Novosbed works excellent at melting any tension in my back muscles due to its firm, stable surface. I was comfortable and moderately cradled, without any restriction in movement.

Design and Construction

The Novosbed uses a mix of cushioning and supportive foams to create a stable sleeping surface. Its cover is made of polyester and Tencel fabric, which I felt was cool to the touch and can help you stay temperature neutral. 

Its first layer is 2 inches of open-cell memory foam, which are soft and conforming for adequate sinkage. I felt comfortable and supported on this layer.

The Novosbed’s second layer is 2 inches of high-density memory foam. This layer balances out the top layer, so I was cushioned and didn’t sink too deeply for an overall ‘on’ the bed feel.

The base of the Novosbed is made of 7 inches of high-density polyfoam, which gives the bed its structure. I found the base durable and resistant to pressure, as it felt pretty firm and kept my spine aligned while complementing the softer layers.

Based on Our Review

As indicated by our tests, the Novosbed provides more than enough cushioning and support, so I felt comfortable on my back and stomach. However, while on my side, I did notice some minimal pressure buildup, making this mattress not an ideal option for lightweight side sleepers.

Recommended For:

• Restless partners. The cushioning top layers can isolate most motion, keeping you asleep with fewer disturbances from a restless partner.
• Active couples. The supportive core provides a stable and firm surface, along with responsive foam that reacts quickly to changes in pressure. It’s unrestrictive and allows for freedom of movement for active couples.

Pros:

• Great motion isolation
• Excellent support for the spine
• Good response for unrestricted movement
• Easy-to-remove cover

Cons:

• Too firm for lightweight side sleepers under 130 pounds
• Slightly expensive price tag

Check Current Price on Novosbed.com

Best For Back Pain — Puffy Mattress

Highlights:

• The soft upper layers give an excellent body hug which can redistribute weight for good pressure relief.
• The supportive core keeps the spine neutral and tension-free.
• The cover is easy to remove, making cover washings effortless.

The Puffy is my best mattress for back pain due to its cradling Cooling Cloud foam, supportive core, and convenient-to-remove cover. The Cooling Cloud foam layer is extra soft and cradling, with 0.27 inches more sinkage than the Ghostbed. I found it to be adaptive and conforming during my tests, effectively releasing muscle tension. 

The soft upper layers are firmed up by the supportive core, helping my spine stay aligned and not feel trapped in ‘quicksand,’ as memory foam can sometimes be known for.

Similar to the Novosbed, the Puffy mattress comes with a zippable cover. I could remove it with minimal effort and pop it in the wash to make bedroom cleanliness easier to tackle.

Key Decision Factors

Pressure Relief: The soft Cooling Cloud foam layers offer 2.5 inches of sinkage, which is more than enough to redistribute my weight for a ‘weightless’ feeling. I rated the Puffy a 9 for pressure relief.

Motion Isolation: The Puffy’s soft layers absorb the most significant motion. I recorded most motion was nullified from my compression test up to 2.5 inches, meaning minor tossing and turning shouldn’t wake up a partner.

Support: Graded at a 7 for firmness, the Puffy’s soft memory foam layers are well supported by the firm core below, and I felt comfortable as my spine was held in a neutral position.

My Experience

I found the Puffy to respond quickly to pressure, ensuring I could change positions without too much difficulty. It compressed quite a bit in its upper layers, but I never felt stuck, just pleasantly cradled.

Design and Construction

The Puffy mattress focuses on comfort that may help with back pain through its soft cover and layers. Its cover is made of polyester and lycra, which I tested to have a bit of stretch and good moisture-wicking properties. 

Its top comfort layer consists of 2 inches of Cooling Cloud foam, which are soft and conforming to take pressure off the back and spine. I noticed it compressed quite a bit under my weight, but I was evened out by the layers below.

The 2 inches of Climate Comfort foam below it is a bit firmer, easing into the 6 inches of high-density support foam to deliver adequate support. Despite sinking deeply into the top layers, I felt well-balanced by the supportive layers below.

Based on Our Review

After conducting tests with the Puffy, I found it soft while on my side. In addition, my shoulders and hips were well-cradled in the upper layers without sinking too deeply to cause misalignment.

Recommended For:

• Fans of a classic memory foam feel. The Puffy offers a generous body hug that lets you sink in without feeling like you’re sleeping in ‘quicksand,’ which is excellent if you’re a fan of traditional memory foam.
• Restless partners. The memory foam is slow-adaptive enough to isolate motion, which can benefit restful sleep if you have a partner that tosses and turns.

Pros:

• Easy-to-remove cover
• Excellent motion isolation
• Excellent body-cradling feel for pressure relief
• Good support

Cons:

• Too soft for heavier sleepers over 230 pounds
• Too slow for active couples

Check Current Price on Puffy.ca

Best for Couples — Douglas Original Mattress

Highlights:

• The ecoLight® gel memory foam contours rapidly to the body, relieving tension.
• The Elastex® foam behaves similarly to latex, supporting the lumbar, hips, and spine better.
• Memory foam layers and a durable core help absorb motion while remaining responsive, helping restless couples sleep undisturbed. 

The Douglas Original is my best mattress for couples due to its excellent pressure relief, ability to isolate motion, and quick responsiveness. Its ecoLight® memory foam provides excellent pressure relief, despite having 0.31 inches less sinakge than the GhostBed. I found this layer to provide an excellent, encompassing body hug that helped me feel weightless. 

This ecoLight® material also significantly affects the Douglas Original’s ability to isolate motion. It has less bounce than the GhostBed by 2.45 inches, meaning it can absorb more motion. As a result, I noticed excellent contour while lying down, which ensured my motion didn’t travel much to disturb my partner.

In addition, the Douglas Original has a fair amount of responsiveness. Its ecoLight® and Elastex® layers are responsive, recovering quickly from compressions so you never feel stuck. I found my movement to be unrestricted while shifting positions at night, which may be useful for active couples.

Key Decision Factors

Pressure Relief: The ecoLight® foam was just as responsive as it was contouring, and I felt well-hugged by this layer and the rest of the mattress without feeling restricted. I rated the Douglas Original to have a 9 for pressure relief.

Motion Isolation: The conforming layers in the Douglas Original do an excellent job at isolating motion. I recorded only 2 inches between the glass or water and my compression tests, and my partner stayed asleep during the night in the testing phase, despite my tossing and turning.

Support: The 4 inches of comfort layers in the Douglas Original give an overall feeling of softness, which I rated a 6 on the firmness scale. This is slightly less than the parameters typically indicating a firm mattress. However, the Elastex® layer provides good support to balance the softness.

My Experience

I was most impressed by how soft yet responsive the mattress was. I could sink into the layers and enjoy all the benefits of adaptive memory foam without feeling trapped in quicksand — the comfort layers bounced back from compressions when I shifted positions quickly.

Design and Construction

The Douglas Original uses a straightforward yet robust construction to deliver the best of support for couples. Its cover is made of Infinitex™ fibers, which I noticed help free me from any moisture buildup at night.

Its first layer is 2 inches of ecoLight® gel memory foam, which I found to relieve my pressure while lying down with an excellent body hug, and without too much sinkage.

The layer below is 2 inches of Elastex® foam, which I noticed to have a responsive feel. Despite enjoying a fair amount of contouring that molded my body, I never felt stuck in the layers.

The base is made of 6 inches of supportive high-density foam. I felt well balanced by this layer, as it gives the mattress’s center and edges a good structure.

Based on Our Review

From my tests, I felt incredibly comfortable on my back, side, and stomach, as the Douglas contours and supports. The excellent amount of pressure relief I felt was further enhanced by the lack of motion I felt from my partner, and I rested more peacefully.

Recommended For:

• Restless partners. The Douglas Original’s dense, cradling layers can absorb significant motion, helping light sleepers stay asleep with fewer disturbances from a partner.
• Active couples. The Douglas Original’s ecoLight® layer has a quick response time, ensuring you’re never stuck, which can help with unrestricted movement.

Pros:

• Excellent motion isolation
• Good support
• Excellent pressure relief
• Easy-to-wash cover

Cons:

• Too soft for heavier sleepers over 230 pounds
• Not enough sinkage for sleepers who prefer lots of body hug.

Check Current Price on Douglas.ca

Best Firm Hybrid Mattress — Logan & Cove Mattress

Highlights:

• 6 inches of comfort layers create a deep-penetrating, luxury memory foam feel.
• Pocketed coils allow for a high spring level that helps keep you buoyant.
• Foam and coils keep you contoured and supported for good spinal support.

The Logan & Cove is my best firm hybrid mattress due to its thick comfort layers, ability to relieve pressure, and good bounce. The Logan & Cove has 6 inches of comfort layers, 2 inches thicker than the Puffy, an all-foam mattress. This allows the Logan & Cove to have a higher level of contouring. This also positively impacts its ability to relieve pressure. From my tests, the Logan & Cove had 0.1 inches more sinkage than the Puffy. That makes the Logan & Cove one of the most conforming mattresses, with an excellent sinkage that I found to envelop my body pleasantly.

The Logan & Cove also has a good level of bounce that helps keep you free from feeling ‘stuck’ in its comfort layers. Comparatively, the Logan & Cove has 4.06 inches more bounce than the Douglas, another all-foam mattress. From my test, I noticed the Logan & Cove to have a bouncier feel due to its use of coils, feeling more like a traditional mattress.

Key Decision Factors

Pressure Relief: The Logan & Cove has thick, conforming memory foam layers that slowly adapt to the body. I found this ideal for pressure relief, which I rated around 9.

Motion Isolation: The Logan & Cove has a decent amount of motion isolation, which I measured to be around 3 inches between my compression tests and the glass of water. I noticed minor jostling to be muffled the most, so you and your partner should experience fewer distractions while sleeping.

Support: The Logan & Cove mattress is soft, balancing thick comfort layers with responsive coils. I rated it to feel around 5.5 on the firmness scale, which is slightly softer than I would recommend for support. However, using coils helps even out your weight and improves support and spinal alignment overall.

My Experience

The cradling effect of the Logan & Cove is impressive. I could feel the mattress easily conform around my body for better weight redistribution, cushioning, and pressure relief.

Design and Construction

The design of the Logan & Cove focuses on comfort as well as ease of movement. Its cover is made of Tencel, which feels cool and soft.

Its pillow top consists of 2 inches of a silk blend made to feel soft and improve airflow. Under the pillow top are two layers of gel memory foam about 1.75 inches thick. I noticed these layers to feel cool and cradling, easily compressing under my weight.

The 3 inches of supportive bio foam help transition to the coils underneath. I noticed these layers as evenly responsive and cradling, using the coils for springiness.

Under the coils is one last layer of supportive foam, giving structure and shape to the mattress overall. 

Based on Our Review

From my tests, I found the Logan & Cove offers everything an excellent hybrid mattress needs. It’s soft, extra cradling, and relieved my tension. I was well-cushioned and had moderate ease of movement due to the coils.

Recommended For:

• Sleepers who enjoy a traditional bed feel. The Logan & Cove offers a blend of memory foam softness and responsive coils, ensuring you’re cradled and not feeling ‘stuck.’
• Active couples. The Logan & Cove’s use of coils gives it excellent bounce for easily moving across the bed, which is helpful for couples.

Pros:

• Excellent bounce for ease of movement
• Excellent sinkage for deep pressure relief
• Good cooling effect in the cover
• Good support for keeping the spine straight

Cons:

• Non-removable cover
• Too soft while sitting at the edges

Check Current Price on LoganAndCove.ca

Best for Side Sleepers — Ghostbed Mattress

Highlights:

• The aerated latex layer provides a unique approach to support, keeping the spine aligned.
• The latex and gel memory foam layers help disperse heat, keeping your temperature neutral.
• The supportive core balances out the softer top layers, creating an even and level sleeping surface.

The Ghostbed is my best mattress for side sleepers due to its use of latex, its pressure relief, and its adaptive properties. The Ghostbed’s latex inclusion is not often seen in all-foam mattresses, but the approach works. Latex is known for having supportive properties. While lying down, I didn’t feel it conform as closely to my body as I would have liked, but it was responsive and kept my spine neutral.

The mix of latex and gel memory foam in the Ghostbed ensures a good balance of pressure relief and support. The Ghostbed had 0.27 inches less sinkage than the Puffy, mainly due to its latex layer. I noticed it felt cushioning and spread my weight out. The latex also doubled as a support for the spine, and I noticed minimal tension in my back during my tests.

The bounce inherent in latex also made switching positions easy, making the Ghostbed an adaptive mattress. It responds 0.8 seconds faster to compressions than the Puffy, making it easier for me to move across the width of the bed.

Key Decision Factors

Pressure Relief: The GhostBed’s latex and gel memory foam provides pressure-relieving contouring that I found to be adequately comfortable. From my tests, the GhostBed earned an 8.5 for pressure relief.

Motion Isolation: The GhostBed’s ability to isolate motion is adequate. I recorded 4 inches between the glass and my compression tests, enough to isolate minimal motion from a partner. Overall, I found the Ghostbed worked great at absorbing motion to keep my partner disturbance-free.

Support: Due to a firm base and a responsive latex layer, I gave the GhostBed a firmness of 6.5. I felt my hips and lumbar properly aligned while enjoying a fair amount of cushioning. 

My Experience

I found the GhostBed to be comfortable and supportive, especially on my side. Its latex layer fills in the gaps and cradles nicely, despite not having as much conformity as memory foam.

Design and Construction

The Ghostbed is made to be as cradling as possible for side sleepers, as seen in its design and construction. Its cover is a blend of polyester and viscose, which I noticed to be bouncy with just enough stretch to spring back from compressions instantly.

Its top comfort layer is made of 1.5 inches of aerated latex. Latex is known for its supportive qualities, which I noticed while lying down. It didn’t have the same contour as memory foam but still provided excellent pressure relief.

The second layer under the latex is 2 inches of gel memory foam. This layer provides more conformity and softness, which I felt pleasant to sink into.

The Ghostbed’s base is made of 7.5 inches of highly dense foam, which counters the softness of the comfort layers with structure and support.

Based on Our Review

Drawing from our tests, the GhostBed had excellent pressure relief with its latex layer and extra sinkage from the memory foam layer below it. I was supported and comfortable, and free of tension while on my side.

Recommended For:

• Fans of a firmer feel. Using latex on top of the memory foam gives a more general contouring feeling, so you’re not as wrapped by the mattress, giving you more freedom of movement.
• Active couples. The latex and supportive core are more bouncy than an all-foam mattress, increasing active couples’ ease of movement.

Pros:

• Good bounce for ease of movement
• Excellent firmness for spinal support
• Good pressure relief
• Good cooling ability

Cons:

• Too firm for lightweight sleepers under 130 pounds
• Non-removable cover

Check Current Price on GhostBed.ca

How to Choose the Best Firm Mattress in Canada?

To choose the best firm mattress, there are some essential factors to look for:

• The mattress’s firmness.
• Its support.
• And its price.

Mattress Firmness

Mattress firmness plays a crucial role in choosing the best firm mattress. Too soft of firmness may lead to a misaligned spine, while a too-firm mattress may lead to pressure buildup and discomfort.

According to the Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, the best firmness for your mattress is medium-firm (1). Medium-firm translates to 6-7 on the firmness scale and offers a balance between comfort and support that suits most sleepers. Canadian medium-firm mattresses are typically some of the best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada, due to their mix of cradling and support.

Mattress Support

The support of a mattress is crucial for choosing a top-rated firm mattress, as this determines how well the spine is aligned. A firm and supportive sleep surface can encourage the spine to remain neutral, which may increase overall sleep quality, according to studies done by the BMC (2).

Firmer and more responsive materials, such as latex layers found in the GhostBed, can help the mattress readily respond to pressure. Supportive cores made of high-density materials, such as high-density foam, can also increase the mattress’s resistance to pressure. 

Firmer mattresses, such as Canadian medium-firm mattresses, are well-suited to support your body. Softer mattresses, however, may not provide the support necessary for spinal alignment.

Also Read: The Best RV Mattresses in Canada

The Price of the Mattress

The price of a mattress can factor in when choosing the best firm mattress in Canada, as some mattresses offer more for their price while others offer less. To choose the best luxury mattress in Canada, it’s essential to look at the quality of the materials. For example, densities of at least 4 pounds per cubic inch indicate high-quality memory foam. In addition, the inclusion of expensive materials like latex can justify a high price tag. 

Likewise, mattresses that offer memory foam and durable cores, like the Douglas, are a good option if you are on a budget, as the Douglasis the most cost-effective option on this list. It’s $500 cheaper than the Puffy but still offers good motion isolation and contouring.

Also Read: Best Memory Foam Mattresses in Canada

FAQ:

How do I know what firmness of a mattress is best?

The best firmness of a mattress is subjective, despite studies recommending medium-firm for most sleepers. Before choosing a mattress, ensure it has a free trial period so you can test the firmness yourself to confirm if it is the best. The best firmness will keep your spine aligned and leave you feeling refreshed and tension-free in the morning.

What firmness of mattress do most hotels use?

Hotels typically use medium-firm mattresses, as this is the firmness most universally suited for sleepers, including most weights and sleeping positions.

Conclusion

Choosing the best firm mattress in Canada doesn’t require hours of research and nights of deliberating. In the end, as long as the model chosen is firm enough to prevent sagging over time quickly, and can support your spine, it’s an excellent choice. Most mattresses in a medium-firm firmness are considered firm enough to provide both comfort and support. Mattresses that use high-density foam, latex, or supportive cores are also considered some of the best options for the right firm mattress.

In my opinion, my top-rated firm mattress is the Novosbed. It effectively cradled my body, and its cradling open-cell foam layers kept my back muscles tension-free all night. Its washable cover is also incredibly convenient, providing me with an easy solution to keep my bedroom cleaner. 

Additional Resources

1. Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (2021.) What type of mattress should be chosen to avoid back pain and improve sleep quality? Review of the literature. Retrieved from: https://jorthoptraumatol.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s10195-021-00616-5 
2. BMC Sleep Science and Practice (2022.) Effects of mattress support on sleeping position and low-back pain. Retrieved from: https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-022-00073-x