Here's the Best Mattress for Having a Threesome

If you're not a college student anymore, you probably need to reevaluate your mattress situation. We know, it's hard to switch off that clawing instinct to just grab the cheapest mattress that doesn't audibly creak when you touch it. And furnishing a home is a laborious nightmare that most people want to end as quickly—and with as little reading of articles like this one as possible.

You know the math: The average person spends a third of his or her life asleep, so your mattress should be the absolute highest quality you can afford. But the average American is apparently having less sex than a few decades ago, which is both curious and depressing, considering all the apps out there specifically designed to help you get yours. So if you're willing to spend more than the minimum on a mattress, is there a particular kind that's better for sex?

It's a surprisingly complicated question, because there are more than a few factors to consider. And before you ask: No, just because you can afford a Tempur-Pedic mattress doesn't mean it's the best one for getting laid.

The Bounce Factor
"If a mattress is difficult to move around on, it can be really distracting and get in the way of having the best sex possible," says Joe Auer, veteran mattress reviewer and owner of two top mattress review sites, Mattress Clarity and Slumber Sage. "Bouncier mattresses that are easy to move around on can really enhance the sexual experience."

Lately, memory foam mattresses have been enjoying some popularity as the old box spring models have fallen out of favor. The thing with memory foam, though—made from a type of elastic first designed for NASA airplane seats—is that usually, it slowly contours around the body when someone lies on it and it takes about five seconds to return to its normal form.

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That makes it comfortable, and it's actually done on purpose to absorb motion so that you don't wake up your partner when going to get a sandwich after you finish. But But Auer points out that this also makes it hard for moving around. "Bouncy is definitely good during sex, because it helps you get into a good rhythm," he says. "Otherwise, the person on the bottom is just lying there, slowly sinking deeper into the foam. It's not as fun."

Instead of memory foam, consider latex. Auer's favorite is Zenhaven, an all-natural latex bed from Saatva that's very bouncy. But if $1,900 for a queen is a little steep, the popular Casper has a latex-like top layer that has a similar effect. Then again, you might have other concerns.

The Noise Factor
Squeaky springs makes for good onomatopoeia, but it can kinda ruin the moment when you're doing the deed—especially if you're concerned about noise spreading to other rooms in your apartment. Apartment-sharers and parents, take note.

"The creaking sound everyone is familiar with when they hear someone in a different room having sex comes from spring mattresses," Auer says. "But that doesn't necessarily mean you need to avoid any mattresses with springs, it just means you want an option with more a more modern approach to them."

The mattresses from WinkBeds or Helix, which have thousands of silent "micro springs" that offer the kind of support and pushback of your old-fashioned mattress. You might also consider Purple, which has a layer of gel that's surprisingly springy without the noise you get when you settle for a sack of cotton-wrapped metal coils, which is more or less what we've been dealing with until the new wave of mattresses began storming the market. It's a sexy time to be alive, guys.

The Mess Factor
We actually don't have any mattress recommendations for particularly messy sex, so if you're worried about stains, you should get a mattress protector. SafeRest and Lucid both have great waterproof protectors that are made from cotton terry and have ten-year warranties that are just begging to be tested with the the most slippery sex imaginable.

The Crowd Control Factor
Two's company, but, well, group sex is a lot of fun. (That's how the saying goes, right?)

"If there are more than two people involved, then you will want to find a mattress with good edge support," Auer says. "This will make sure you can use up the entire surface of the bed. Innerspring mattresses generally have great edge support, so they can be a good option, as long as they fit the other criteria well."

This can be a tough criterion to fill, since a lot of newer brands do their best to keep the entire mattress as soft and pliable as possible—ensuring you'll slip right off the edge if you wind up near the mattress's borders. For positions that have one partner standing, or involve sitting or leaning on the edge of the bed—those can get pretty dicey if you don't have good edge support.

In cases like these, you might want to go for a mattress like the Alexander Signature Hybrid from Nest Bedding or Sapira, a mattress from Leesa that Auer claims has the best edge support he's ever seen, plus it's adequately bouncy and covered in noise-dampening foam to boot. So what happens in the bedroom stays strictly between the two, three or seven of you. No judgment.

Shop around, but know what you're shopping for and know what to ask for. This isn't some advertorial where we pretend there's one single best product to fit all your needs. We literally want you to have eventful sex—but while allowing your neighbors to sleep through it.

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