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Mar 01, 2025

The Best California King Mattresses 2025 - Forbes Vetted

Sometimes known as a western king, a California king mattress offers more legroom than a standard king bed, and to some people’s surprise, a slightly smaller width. In addition to added space for your

Sometimes known as a western king, a California king mattress offers more legroom than a standard king bed, and to some people’s surprise, a slightly smaller width. In addition to added space for your furry friends or big-and-tall partner, the best California king mattresses come with enhanced features and premium designs that make them well worth their investment. Our editors’ best overall choice is the Helix Midnight Elite, the highly-rated brand’s top-tier mattress option with enhanced edge and lumbar support, a cooling cover and a snuggle-worthy pillow top.

The premium Helix Elite Mattress is one of the most premium online beds on the market and our top ... [+] choice for the best California king mattresses.

If you’re interested in another bed that caters to your specific niche, we’ve included seven other California king mattresses that suit a broad range of preferences and budgets. All of our picks have been reviewed by our team of mattress and sleep editors and are highly-rated by everyday shoppers. Gear-up to sleep like royalty with our best California king mattress choices below.

Helix

Type: Hybrid | Firmness: Medium | Delivery: Free shipping (in a box) | Trial: 100 nights | Warranty: Lifetime limited | Split option: No

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The Helix brand is one of our editors’ top-favorites and the Elite is a step above the Helix Midnight Luxe—our choice as the best mattress overall. It’s a luxury hybrid mattress equipped with almost everything a sleeper could want, besides smart features (which is its own other ballgame). Sandwiched in between its 16-inch construction are two layers of coils; one microcoil layer sits near the top for contouring and support while the bottom houses the primary support layer made zoned with pocketed coils that are denser under the lumbar region for spinal reinforcement. It also contains comfortable foam layers that contour around your curves without making you feel like you’re sinking. Finally, its cooling quilted pillow-top gives the bed a light and fluffy feel and boasts a physically cool-to-the-touch GlactioTex cover—an upgrade you have to pay extra for on many competing mattresses.

With a medium firmness level with ample pressure relief and support, we think it accommodates most sleeping positions including side, back and combination. Stomach sleepers may want to consider a firmer option like the Helix Dawn Elite for better spinal lift or a denser option on our list like the Plank Firm.

Nectar

Type: Memory foam | Firmness: Medium-firm (6.5) | Delivery: Free shipping (in a box) | Trial: 1-year | Warranty: Forever | Split option: No

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The Nectar Premier Mattress has that contouring, slow-responding feel you get from popular memory foam mattresses like the Tempur-Pedic (another memory foam mattress mentioned in our roundup), but it retails at a more wallet friendly price. It’s made with layers of gel-infused memory foam for better temperature regulation that the traditional material, which is known for retaining heat, and is fitted with a cooling cover that helps draw body heat away and leaves you feeling more comfortable.

Our editors have tested the Nectar Premier Mattress and say it feels doughy without the feeling that you’re sinking, and has great motion isolating abilities. In other words, if you share your California king mattress with a partner (and/or large pet), you hardly notice a disturbance when they move. Editors also claim that the Nectar Premier is softer than advertised and leans more towards a medium than medium-firm on the firmness spectrum. This makes the bed a better choice for back, side and combination sleepers. However, it may be too soft to give stomach sleepers the alignment they need for good posture and sleep. In that case, we recommend the firmer Nectar Classic Mattress or the Plank Firm on our list. Due to its all-foam construction it’s a better option for sleepers under 250 pounds, but the brand does offer a hybrid version that’s more supportive and durable for heavy body types.

Brooklyn Bedding

Type: Memory foam | Firmness: Firm (8) and extra-firm (10) | Delivery: Free shipping | Trial: 120 nights ($99 return fee) | Warranty: 10 years | Split option: Yes

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Most beds fall somewhere between medium and medium-firm, but the Plank from Brooklyn Bedding stays true to its name with a flippable design that boasts two firm profiles; firm and extra-firm. While the sound of such a hard mattress might be off-putting to some, body types close to 200 pounds, stomach sleepers and back sleepers can find solace in the alignment and comfort that the Plank Firm offers. It has a dense lifted feel that’s one step away from being the ground, with the help of its lightly quilted top that adds just a hint of cushion. You can also opt for the GlacioTex cover, a cooling cover upgrade for an extra $150.

We see the Plank Firm being an optimal choice for stomach sleepers or back sleepers who prefer an ultra-dense, extra-hard feel. Though, it’s more supportive and long-lasting older sister Plank Firm Luxe is a better choice for heavier body types over 250 pounds who prefer a mattress with steel coils.

Nolah

Type: Hybrid | Firmness: Plush (4-5), luxury firm (6-7) and firm (7-8) | Delivery: Free shipping | Trial: 120 nights | Warranty: Limited lifetime | Split option: No

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Nolah as a mattress brand has always catered to side sleepers, and the Nolah Evolution is the top-of-the-line pick for side sleepers who want plushness with all the added upgrades. In addition to a thick and burly pillowy top, the Nolah Evolution 15 features several foam layers including zoned Air Foam, the brand’s own material that’s responsive, airy and more flexible under the shoulders for more pressure relief. In the base is a zoned pocketed coil layer meant to provide targeted support under the spine and softness for your hips and shoulders.

Hot sleepers rejoice—the top cover of the bed is woven with cooling fibers that help wick away moisture and keep your body at a more neutral temperature. With three firmness levels to choose from, most side sleepers with petite to heavy body types can find a profile that properly suits their needs. The plush model is best for most side sleepers, especially those under 150 pounds, while the luxury firm may be a good pick for side sleepers over 250 pounds and side-leaning combination sleepers.

Leesa

Type: Hybrid | Firmness: Plush, medium-firm and firm | Delivery: Free shipping | Trial: 100 nights (free returns) | Warranty: Lifetime limited | Split option: No

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A hybrid mattress is more durable and supportive than a regular all-foam bed, but the Leesa Sapira Chill stands out among competing models for its feature-rich design, versatility and ultra-comfortable feel that our editors enjoy. Senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman currently sleeps on the Leesa Sapira Chill and raves about the plush model’s pressure-relieving feel that accommodates her side sleeping habits.

With up to 1,032 zoned pocketed coils that are reinforced around the edges for a stronger perimeter, five foam layers and fluffy quilted top, this bed’s blend of materials create a balanced feel that’s hard for anyone to dislike. It’s similar to disliking baby animals or a fresh slice of pizza because it’s that cozy. For the cherry on top, this mattress comes with a cooling cover that helps regulate temperature and wick away moisture.

There are three firmness options to pick from, but make sure you choose one that suits your primary sleep posture. We recommend the plush model to side sleepers, medium-firm to back, stomach and combination sleepers and firm to back or stomach sleepers. See more about our best hybrid mattress choice in our Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid review.

Tempur-Pedic

Type: Memory foam | Firmness: Medium | Delivery: Free white glove delivery | Trial: 90 nights ($175 return fee) | Warranty: 10 years | Split option: Yes

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Tempur-Pedic is synonymous with memory foam due to its origination of the famous memory foam material, which was originally developed by NASA to help absorb motion in its rocketship’s seats. The result is a pressure-relieving, slow-moving and contouring foam that does an exceptional job at deadening movement across the mattress, a helpful feature for when you have a partner who constantly tosses and turns.

The Tempur-Adapt Mattress is the entry-level model in its collection, but still features a cooling cover and multiple foam layers with a zoned section for targeted relief and support. It’s available in a medium firmness level, but we think Tempur-Pedic beds are slightly firmer than advertised. This makes it a good option for back, stomach, combination and some side sleepers. Keep in mind that the heavier you are, the softer a mattress feels.

The 90-day sleep trial and 10-year warranty aren’t up to par compared to other brands, but complimentary white glove delivery and optional removal of your existing mattress are nice perks.

Avocado Green Mattress

Type: Hybrid | Firmness: Firm (7); also in medium (6) or plush (4) for an extra fee | Delivery: Free shipping | Trial: 365 nights ($99 return fee) | Warranty: 25 years| Split option: No

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Most mattresses are manufactured with some kind of processed synthetic material, but the Avocado Green Mattress goes the extra mile in being naturally derived, eco-friendly and comfortable. Its main materials are GOLS-certified (organic certification) latex foam, GOTS-certified cotton, New Zealand wool and recycled steel coils.

Latex foam is known for its responsive, sponge-like properties, and in conjunction with the pocketed coils, these materials make the Avocado Green ultra-responsive. This is a plus for combination or “rotisserie” sleepers who switch around often and hate the feeling of being trapped inside of foam layers. The mattress is also good at preventing heat retention and promoting airflow, making it an optimal choice for sleepers who keep warm through the night. There are three firmness options to choose from and the softer the mattress the more money it costs. The plush model offers ample pressure relief and give for side sleepers, while the firmer models should be reserved for back and stomach sleepers. See what our testers have to say about the mattress in our full Avocado Green Mattress review.

Big Fig

Type: Hybrid | Firmness: Medium-firm to firm (7 to 8) | Delivery: Free shipping | Trial: 120 nights (free returns) | Warranty: 20 years| Split option: No

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The brand name Big Fig stands for “bigger figure,” and its collection of beds cater specifically to sleepers with body types around 250 pounds and above. While regular hybrid mattresses do accommodate plus-sizes, the Big Fig is built differently with the capacity to support up to 550 pounds per side (compared to the average mattress that has a 250- to 300-pound capacity per side). Its construction includes up to 1,600 pocketed coils with dense foam rails to boost edge support capabilities, gel-infused foams for comfort and temperature control and a cover treated with the brand’s Thermogel for added cooling relief. With a medium-firm to firm profile, this Big Fig Mattress is ideal for back, stomach and combination sleepers over 250 pounds. However, the brand offers a Big Fig Luxe model with a softer, more plush profile that’s catered toward side sleepers.

The Forbes Vetted mattress and sleep category consists of tenured editors and writers who have created an expansive library of sleep-related content including roundups, individual reviews and product spotlights based on their own testing experience, reputable customer reviews and hours of research on top-rated brands.

We relied on our own testing experience with over 100 different beds and reputable customer reviews to determine the best California king mattresses, and only selected choices from top-rated brands.

While price and brand reputation are certainly important, there are several other factors to consider when searching for the best California king mattress:

It’s crucial to keep your primary sleep posture in mind when you’re selecting a mattress. A bed that’s too soft can lead to a misaligned spine and a bed that’s too firm can aggravate your pressure points. The goal is to find an accommodating firmness level that promotes a neutral spine and healthy sleeping position.

Firmness levels aren’t always a one-size-fits-all solution. According to Dr. William Kemp, Neurosurgeon at Virginia Spine Institute, “The amount of firmness and support play an important role in a good night’s sleep. My recommendation is finding a mattress that provides good support for your legs, spine, and pelvis.” Here’s how we breakdown mattress recommendations by firmness level:

The materials inside of your mattress contribute to its overall feel, which can make or break the way you feel about a bed’s comfort.

Memory foam is ideal for people who love a hugging feel from their mattress that conforms to the shape of their body. The material makes it more difficult to change positions, but it provides a comforting and pressure-relieving feel that many sleepers enjoy. Keep in mind that memory foam can sleep warm, so consider foams infused with graphite, copper or other cooling gels.

Latex foam can be either synthetic or natural. Natural latex is derived from the sap of rubber trees and has hypoallergenic and antimicrobial properties. It’s also breathable, supportive and responsive.

Pocketed coils are the upgraded version of traditional innersprings and are found in many hybrid mattresses. Instead of moving together as one integrated system, pocketed coils move independently from one another, which helps with motion isolation. Kemp suggests, “A hybrid mattress can provide pressure relief and responsiveness for the pain you might be feeling in your back, hips, and legs, and can greatly contribute to a good night’s sleep.”

Your body type influences the way you perceive a mattress’ feel and firmness profile, and should be considered when making a purchase as large as a new bed. The more you weigh the softer a mattress feels (equally, the less you weigh, the firmer it feels). Most firmness levels are displayed from the perspective of individuals between 150 to 250 pounds; If you have a heavy body type over 250 pounds, a mattress that’s rated a 6 out of 10 may feel more like a 4 or 5. According to Kemp, “If you have a heavier body weight, I recommend finding a firm mattress that provides good support for your legs, spine, and hips while still being comfortable and individualized to your body.”

Construction also comes into play for properly accommodating your body’s needs. Hybrid mattresses are more ideal than all-foam models for heavyweight sleepers because they offer more support and durability in the long run.

Compared to standard mattress sizes, a California king is the most costly (but is often priced the same as a king). Price tags vary according to materials, design, added features and brand name. A mid-range California king mattress costs you around $1,200 to $1,500, and split California king mattresses command an even higher price.

A California king mattress measures 72 inches wide x 84 inches long. By contrast, a king mattress is 76 inches wide x 80 inches long. Though you’ll usually pay the same price for either size, each has its benefits and drawbacks.

A California king measures 84 inches long x 72 inches wide. Alternatively, a standard king is a bit shorter (80 inches long) but wider (76 inches wide).

The cost of a California king mattress varies but expect to spend between $1,200 and $1,500 for a mid-range option. Our list features choices under $1,000 as well as higher end models exceeding $3,000.

California king is the longest mattress sizes (among standard sizes) at 84 inches, so it comfortably accommodates sleepers over 6-feet-tall. It’s a viable alternative for people who want more personal space but don’t have a large enough bedroom for a king.