How to make a mattress softer: 6 fixes to try first

Hi, we’re John and Mimi. “My mattress is too firm, can I make it softer?” is one of the questions we hear most, especially in the first few weeks after a new bed arrives. Often the mattress is fine and something else is making it feel hard: it’s still breaking in, the room is cold, or it’s sitting on a very solid surface. Here are the fixes we’d try, starting with the free ones, and how to tell when a softer mattress is the real answer.

The short answer

• If it’s new, give it a few weeks. New foam softens a little with use, and your body is still adjusting from your old bed.
• Keep the room comfortably warm. Memory foam tends to feel softer when it’s warm and firmer when it’s cool.
• Look at what’s underneath. A solid platform or the floor feels firmer than slats or an adjustable base.
• Flip it if it’s two-sided, and on an adjustable base, try raising the head a little.
• A soft topper can help if the mattress is flat and supportive but simply firmer than you like.
• Still too firm after a month? Then a softer mattress usually beats any add-on.

6 ways to make a mattress softer

1. Sleep on it every night for a few weeks. A new mattress often feels firmest at first. The foam softens slightly with use, and if your last bed had a dip, your back and hips learned to sleep in it, so a flat, supportive surface can feel “too firm” for a while. Our break-in guide covers what’s normal and how long it usually takes.
2. Warm the room up a little. Memory foam responds to temperature. A chilly bedroom makes an all-foam bed feel firmer, and a comfortably warm room lets it soften and contour more. This matters most in the first cold nights of the season.
3. Check the surface under it. A solid platform, a sheet of plywood or the floor gives the firmest feel. Slats or an adjustable base let the mattress flex a bit more, so it feels softer. Our listings call for a solid surface, an adjustable base, or slats no more than 2" apart, so stay within that. More in what to put under a memory foam mattress.
4. On an adjustable base, raise the head a little. A slight incline or zero gravity takes pressure off the hips and shoulders and changes how firm the bed feels. Many people on an adjustable base like a touch softer feel than they would on a flat bed anyway. See our zero gravity guide.
5. Flip it, but only if it’s two-sided. Our 12" iSwitch and 12" BioPosture iSwitch have a medium firm side and a medium soft side, so flipping to the medium soft side is a real change. Most foam mattresses are one-sided, and flipping those puts you on the base foam, which isn’t made to sleep on. See how often to rotate or flip a mattress.
6. Add a soft topper to a mattress that’s still in good shape. If the bed is flat and supportive but your shoulders and hips feel pressed, a softer layer on top can take the edge off. It changes the feel on top and doesn’t add support underneath. We don’t sell toppers; our topper vs new mattress guide explains when one makes sense.

Too firm for now, or the wrong mattress? How to tell

Who usually wants a softer mattress?

• Side sleepers, because the shoulders and hips need to sink in a little to keep the spine straight. See best mattress for side sleepers.
• Lighter and petite sleepers, who don’t press as far into the comfort layers, so a mattress feels firmer to them than its label says. See petite and lightweight sleepers guide.
• Combination sleepers who spend most of the night on their side. See best mattress for combination sleepers.

Stomach sleepers and heavier sleepers are usually the opposite and do better a step firmer. Our mattress firmness guide explains the scale.

Our softer mattresses, at today’s prices

If you’ve given it time and checked the base and the bed is still too firm, these are the plush and medium soft models we sell, plus a flippable for people who want both feels:

Prices are today’s prices, read live from our catalog, with free FedEx shipping included. A dash means that model isn’t made in that size.

Every plush and medium soft model is compared in our best soft mattress guide, and every model side by side is on the mattress comparison chart.

What if it’s too soft instead?

A bed that feels too soft is often a base problem: wide slats, a frame with no center support or a worn box spring let the mattress sink. Our how to make a mattress firmer guide has 8 fixes, and how to fix a sagging mattress covers dips.

12" Essentials Plush & Soft Memory Foam Mattress - 12ESS

Our pick when a bed that’s too firm needs replacing: soft and simple, with a thick gel-infused top layer.

• 3.5" gel-infused air foam on top
• 2.5" ridge transition foam, 6" Air Channel base
• Zip-off machine-washable cooling cover

From $429 (Twin XL) · Queen $549 · See sizes & details

12" iSwitch Flippable Two Sided Mattress - Medium Firm/Medium Soft - 12ISWITCH

Not sure how soft to go? Sleep on the medium soft side, and if you want more push-back, flip to the medium firm side.

• Two sides: medium soft and medium firm
• Gel memory foam on both sides
• Zip-off machine-washable cover

From $529 (Twin XL) · Queen $639 · See sizes & details

Questions we hear a lot

Not sure why it feels so firm?

Text John what you’re sleeping on, how long you’ve had it, what’s under it and how you sleep. He’ll tell you honestly whether it just needs time, a change underneath, or a softer mattress. Text or call 818-924-3744, 6 AM to 9 PM Pacific, or take the 60-second mattress quiz.

Written by John & Mimi Venti, MimiJohn. Setup and care details are from our product listings; the other tips are general guidance, not medical advice. Prices are read live from our catalog and update automatically.