Mattress Firmness Scale: 1 to 10 Chart and Guide

The mattress firmness scale rates how soft or firm a mattress feels from 1 to 10, with 1 the softest and 10 the firmest: soft is 1 to 2, medium-soft 3 to 4, medium 5 to 6, medium-firm 7 to 8, and firm 9 to 10. Your sleeping position and body weight decide which band suits you.

Mattress Firmness Scale Chart

The chart below lists each firmness level with its rating, how it feels, and the sleepers it usually suits.

Firmness ratings are set by each brand, so a 6 from one company can feel slightly different from a 6 from another. Use the number as a starting point, then match it to your sleeping position and body weight in the sections below.

What Each Firmness Level Feels Like

Each step up the scale trades sink for push-back: soft beds cradle you deeply, medium beds balance cushioning and support, and firm beds hold you on the surface. If you are torn between two neighboring levels, the guides to firm vs soft mattresses, firm vs medium mattresses, and soft vs medium mattresses compare them side by side.

Soft (1 to 2)

A soft mattress has the deepest sink and the closest body hug on the scale. Thick, plush comfort layers, often memory foam or a pillow top, let you settle into the bed rather than rest on top of it.

True soft beds are uncommon, and many mattresses sold as soft are closer to medium-soft. The trade-off is sinkage: the deeper you sink, the harder it is to keep your hips level with your shoulders, and thick plush foam tends to hold more body heat than firmer surfaces. Compare the best soft mattresses if you want the plushest feel.

Medium-Soft (3 to 4)

A medium-soft mattress still contours closely, but its comfort layer is thinner and its base sturdier than a soft bed’s, so you sink in without feeling stuck. It is far more common than true soft, and it cushions the shoulders and hips while leaving enough responsiveness to change positions easily.

Medium (5 to 6)

A medium mattress balances cushioning and push-back, with gentle contouring and little excess sink. It is one of the most common firmness levels, and even brands with a small lineup usually offer one.

Because it works for a wide range of body types, medium is a practical choice for guest rooms and the safest starting point if you are unsure of your firmness. Many memory foam and hybrid mattresses fall in this band.

Medium-Firm (7 to 8)

A medium-firm mattress adds a thin layer of cushioning over firm support, so you rest mostly on the surface instead of sinking in. The extra push-back helps keep the hips from dipping below the shoulders, and the top layer keeps the surface from feeling hard. Browse the best medium-firm mattresses for picks in this band.

Firm (9 to 10)

A firm mattress pairs a thin comfort layer with a thick support base, so it barely gives when you lie down. A standard firm (9) is more common than an extra-firm (10), which feels too rigid for most people.

Firm beds tend to compress less over time and sink less when you sit on the edge, but lighter sleepers may feel pressure build at the shoulders and hips. See the best firm mattresses and the best extra-firm mattresses to compare options.

What Firmness Do You Need for Your Sleeping Position?

Side sleepers usually need medium-soft to medium (3 to 6), back and combination sleepers need medium to medium-firm (5 to 8), and stomach sleepers need medium-firm to firm (7 to 10). Position matters most because it decides where your weight presses into the bed.

For picks in each range, see the best mattresses for side sleepers, the best mattresses for back sleepers, the best mattresses for stomach sleepers, and the best mattresses for combination sleepers. The guide to how to choose a mattress covers the factors beyond firmness.

How Does Body Weight Affect Mattress Firmness?

Body weight changes how firm a mattress feels, because firmness ratings assume a sleeper of about 130 to 230 pounds. Lighter people press into the bed less, so it feels firmer than its rating, while heavier people sink further, so it feels softer.

If you weigh under 130 pounds, go one step softer than your position’s range; if you weigh over 230 pounds, go one step firmer. For example, a side sleeper over 230 pounds would shop medium to medium-firm (5 to 8), and a back sleeper under 130 pounds would shop medium-soft to medium (3 to 6). The best mattresses for petite sleepers and the best mattresses for heavier sleepers cover each end of the range.

What Makes a Mattress Feel Firm or Soft?

A mattress feels firm or soft because of three things: its materials, how its layers are built, and, in coil beds, the coil system.

Materials

Memory foam tends to feel softer because it contours slowly and hugs the body. Latex feels more buoyant and pushes back quickly, while innerspring mattresses tend to feel firmer and bouncier. Hybrids pair coils with foam or latex comfort layers for a more balanced feel, and coil-based beds tend to trap less heat than all-foam beds because air moves through the coils. The guide to types of mattresses explains each build.

Layers

A thicker comfort layer creates a plusher feel, while a thinner one lets the firmer support core underneath show through. Some mattresses add a transition layer between the two to smooth out the change in feel.

Coils

In innerspring and hybrid mattresses, thicker, lower-gauge coils feel firmer than thinner, higher-gauge coils, and shorter coils tend to feel firmer than taller ones. Pocketed coils move independently, which adds contouring and limits motion transfer compared with connected coil systems.

What’s the Difference Between Firmness and Support?

Firmness is how soft or hard a mattress feels when you lie on it, while support is how well it holds your hips level with your shoulders so your spine stays closer to neutral. The two are separate: a soft mattress with a dense support core or zoned coils can still be supportive, and a firm mattress can still let heavier areas dip if its core is poorly built.

Choose your firmness for comfort and pressure, then check that the support layers keep you level in your usual position.

How Do Couples Choose a Mattress Firmness?

Couples should look for the band where both partners’ ranges overlap. A medium mattress (5 to 6) covers a side sleeper (3 to 6) and a back or combination sleeper (5 to 8) at once, which is why medium beds show up so often among the best mattresses for couples.

When the ranges do not meet, such as a side sleeper (3 to 6) sharing with a stomach sleeper (7 to 10), a split king lets each partner choose a separate firmness. Split king mattresses cost more and need specific accessories, so also read about the best mattress size for couples. Some mattresses offer a different firmness on each side, and adjustable air beds let each partner change their own setting.

Motion transfer matters too. Memory foam tends to absorb movement better than firm innerspring beds, which can pass motion across the bed, so see the best mattresses for motion isolation if a restless partner wakes you.

How Do You Test Mattress Firmness?

Test firmness by lying on the mattress in your usual sleeping position for at least 10 to 15 minutes, then confirm the feel at home during a sleep trial.

1. Lie in your main sleeping position for 10 to 15 minutes. If you switch positions during the night, try each one.
2. On your side, notice whether your shoulders and hips sink in enough to feel cushioned. On your back or stomach, check whether your hips stay level with your shoulders.
3. Roll over and sit on the edge to see how quickly the surface adjusts and how much it compresses.
4. At home, use the sleep trial, which typically runs from 100 nights to a year, and give your body about 30 days to adjust before deciding.

The guide on how to test a mattress covers each check in more detail, and the best mattresses with a free sleep trial make at-home testing easier.

Bottom Line

The mattress firmness scale runs from 1, the softest, to 10, the firmest, and the right rating for you depends on your sleeping position and body weight. Start with the range for your position, adjust for your weight, and confirm the feel during a sleep trial. If you land in the medium band, the Amerisleep AS3 is rated 5 to 6 out of 10. For the other factors worth weighing, see the mattress buying guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 7 firm or medium-firm?

A 7 is medium-firm on Sleep Junkie’s scale, which places medium-firm at 7 to 8 and reserves firm for 9 to 10. Because each brand sets its own ratings, a 7 from one company can feel a little softer or firmer than a 7 from another, so read the descriptive label as well as the number.

What does universal comfort mean on a mattress?

Universal comfort is a marketing label that usually means a mattress sits around medium to medium-firm, roughly 5 to 8 on the scale. That band covers many back and combination sleepers (5 to 8), but side sleepers (3 to 6) and stomach sleepers (7 to 10) may still need something softer or firmer, because no single firmness suits everyone.

How can you tell if a mattress is too firm or too soft?

A mattress is likely too firm if pressure builds at your shoulders and hips, the surface barely gives when you lie down, or you wake up stiff. It is likely too soft if your hips sink below your shoulders, you feel stuck when you change positions, or getting out of bed takes effort. See what to do when a mattress is too firm.

Do mattresses get softer over time?

Yes, mattresses soften gradually with use, though not dramatically in the first few months. After several years, the comfort layers break down and may develop lumps or sagging, which is the usual sign it is time to replace the bed. A typical mattress lifespan is about 7 to 10 years, depending on the materials.

Can a mattress topper change how firm a bed feels?

Yes, a topper can change the feel of a mattress without replacing it. A plush foam or latex topper softens a bed that feels too firm, and a firmer topper adds some push-back to one that feels too soft. A topper cannot fix sagging, though, so weigh a mattress topper or a new mattress before you buy.

Are soft mattresses bad for you?

A soft mattress is not bad for you if its rating matches your body weight and sleeping position. Plush beds suit many side sleepers (3 to 6) and people under 130 pounds, who press into a mattress less. The bigger problem is a mattress that has worn soft, because sagging layers let your hips drop below your shoulders no matter what firmness the bed started at.