Best California King Size Mattress (2024): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Are you considering a larger mattress for your sleep needs? A California king mattress is an excellent choice. It’s perfect for sleepers who want the room to stretch out their legs.

However, with so many mattresses on the market, it can be challenging to narrow down the right mattress for you. We’ve compiled our recommendations for the best California king size mattresses to make your shopping experience smoother.

Best California King Size Mattresses

Plenty of customer reviews have praised the AS3 mattress, with many noting that they experienced better sleep within a few nights.

This 12-inch mattress is available as a memory foam or hybrid mattress. The memory foam mattress is the original model that so many have loved, which is why we’re discussing it instead of the newer hybrid version.

Plus, while the two options are fairly close in price, the AS3 hybrid costs $200 more. The memory foam model simply fits into more people’s budgets.

The comfort layer is 3 inches of Bio-Pur® foam, which is Amerisleep’s one-of-a-kind memory foam. During production, Amerisleep replaces select petrochemicals with eco-friendly, plant-based substitutes. The result is a foam that’s more breathable and bouncy than traditional memory foam. Bio-Pur® adapts to your movements within seconds, preventing you from ever feeling “stuck” in bed.

Next is a 2-inch Affinity layer with HIVE® technology. HIVE® technology separates the mattress into five zones for targeted support and pressure relief. It has hundreds of hexagonal cutouts grouped in the head, back, shoulders, hips, and feet areas.

The hexagons under the head, back, and feet are closer together to prevent expansion, remaining firm and supportive under pressure. On the other hand, the hexagons in the shoulder and hip areas are spread out to promote expansion, creating extra cushion when you lie down.

The base layer is 7 inches of Bio-Core®, a supportive material that deters sagging and extends the mattress’s lifespan. It resists compression and indentation so well that Amerisleep offers a warranty 10 years longer than the average mattress warranty (20 years total).

A California king size AS3 is $1699. Every Amerisleep mattress includes a 100-night sleep trial and a generous 20-year warranty. The warranty is prorated during its second half, which means you will pay partial costs to repair or replace your mattress.

Three foam layers make up this 11-inch mattress. Each layer works in tandem with the other two and helps you achieve a better night’s rest. A stretchy polyester-blend fabric encases the mattress, promoting breathability.

The first layer is 2 inches of gel memory foam with zoned support cutouts. The cutouts help airflow through the mattress and remove heat, enhancing the natural chill provided by the foam’s cooling gels. Plus, the cutouts offer more pressure relief in the shoulders and legs, allowing the mattress to contour closer to your body.

Next is a 2-inch layer of Reactiv™ foam, a latex-like material that adds some bounce to the bed. Reactiv™ provides extra support and responsiveness for improved comfort.

At the bottom is a 7-inch layer of Support+ foam, which resists sagging for a more supportive mattress.

A California king size Zoma Mattress is priced at $799. The mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

There are four layers inside this 12-inch mattress. The bed’s medium feel is well-suited for side and combination sleepers.

The top layer is 2 inches of gel memory foam with Triangulex™ technology. The bed has triangular cutouts under the shoulders, head, and legs. These cutouts add contouring for more pressure relief and increase airflow through the mattress.

Underneath the gel foam is 2 inches of Reactiv™ foam, a bouncy material that limits sinkage. Reactiv™ prevents spinal misalignment when you lie down and helps the mattress adapt to your movements, making it easier to get out of bed.

The mattress contains 7-inch-tall pocketed coils. Zoma wraps every coil in a fabric packet to restrict noise and motion transfer. If you plan on sharing a California king mattress with a partner, these features will limit sleep disturbances.

The coils rest on a 1-inch thick foam base, which promotes a durable mattress structure.

A California king size Zoma Hybrid is $1,099, a price which includes a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

The top layer of the 12-inch mattress is 3 inches of breathable Vaya Comfort Foam. It’s adaptable nature and medium feel is designed to accommodate all sleeping styles. Whether you’re a side, back, or even a stomach sleeper, you should rest well thanks to the comfort foam’s blend of bounce and pressure relief.

The base is 9 inches of high-density foam, made to evenly distribute your weight to prevent pressure and pain points from building up. The foam also resists sagging, helping you get the most value out of your bed.

The soft cover blends rayon, spandex, and polyester in a breathable weave.

The Vaya Mattress costs $799 for a California king size. The bed comes with a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty as part of its “Pure Comfort Promise.”

5. Bear Mattress

The original Bear Mattress is designed for athletes who want to reach their peak performance through a good night’s sleep. The mattress’s medium-firm doesn’t prevent it from giving you “a contouring hug,” according to the company website. It’s an excellent choice for back and stomach sleepers looking for comfortable support.

The 10-inch mattress has three foam layers:

• The top layer is 2 inches of graphite-infused memory foam to wick away body heat.
• The middle layer is 2 inches of responsive foam to provide more pressure relief and support.
• The bottom layer is 6 inches of high-density support foam to add durability.

A cover of Celliant® technology surrounds the mattress. Using thermoreactive minerals, Celliant® absorbs your body heat and transforms it into infrared energy. The infrared energy is absorbed by your body to improve your local blood flow.

With the increased blood flow, your body receives more nutrients and oxygen for a speedier recovery. You still receive the full benefits of Celliant® even through the various layers of sleepwear and bedding.

The Bear Mattress is $900 for a California king size bed. You can bundle it for more savings with pillows, a mattress protector, and a foundation with a frame. The mattress includes a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty.

6. Doze Premium Hybrid Mattress

The makers of Doze Beds want to promote a culture that values a good night’s rest and help you “upgrade your sleep game.” To further their cause, they designed the Doze Premium Hybrid Mattress, a bed that doesn’t compromise on comfort or features. The mattress is also stylish, with gold mesh trim that complements its dark color.

The pocketed coil support reduces motion transfer and resists collapse when you lie near or sit on the bed’s edge. Layers of quality memory foam are stacked on top of the hybrid’s coils. No matter your body type, the foam molds itself to you for spine support and pressure relief.

The quilted pillow top and golden mesh serve a purpose beyond looking striking. Made with breathable and durable materials, you can sink into softness while air flows through to carry off unneeded body heat.

A Doze Beds hybrid mattress is $999 for a California king size. It comes with a long 180-night sleep trial and a 10-year limited warranty.

What is a California King Mattress?

A California king mattress is the longest standard bed size. It’s 6 feet wide and 7 feet long, or 72 inches wide and 84 inches long. People who are more than 6 feet tall often sleep best on a California king mattress.

California King Mattress vs. King Mattress

The California king is similar enough to its standard king counterpart that it’s challenging to talk about one without discussing the other. When people talk about both, they sometimes call the California king size, “Western king,” and the regular king mattress is, “Eastern king.”

The Eastern king mattress is 4 inches wider and 4 inches shorter than the California king mattress. It has a slightly larger surface area than the California king—6080 square inches compared to a Cal king’s 6048.

Although bedding and bed frames for both sizes are widely available, a California king’s accessories are often just a little bit harder to come by. They may cost more than a standard king’s accessories, as well.

Are you having trouble deciding which is the best option for you? Our king and California king comparison guide highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Other Bed Sizes

There’s more than just king size mattresses to consider. If you have a bedroom that’s around 10 feet by 10 feet or smaller, another mattress size would probably suit you better. We’ll briefly go over the four other options you might want to consider.

Twin Mattress

Measurements: 38 inches by 75 inches

A twin mattress is an excellent choice for anyone who’s looking to make the most of a small space. It fits well in a child’s room, guest bedroom, or studio apartment.

Twin XL Mattress

Measurements: 38 inches by 80 inches

The 5 extra inches that a twin XL mattress has lets it accommodate people more than 6 feet tall. It’s a wise choice for a child’s first real mattress since the bed’s length offers more space in case of a growth spurt.

Full Mattress

Measurements: 54 inches by 75 inches

A full size mattress has 16 more inches of width than a twin bed. Do you like to stretch out your arms as you fall asleep? A full size bed will let you do that without your arm hanging over the edge.

Queen Mattress

Measurements: 60 inches by 80 inches

If you’re considering a queen size mattress, you’re one of many. It’s the most popular mattress size because it’s well-suited for both solo sleepers and couples.

More Mattress Buying Considerations

Once you’ve decided what the best mattress size is, you have a few other factors to consider before you can choose your perfect mattress. You should also think about what type of mattress you want and what firmness is best for you. And always choose a mattress with a sleep trial and a good warranty, so you have no doubts that what you’re sleeping on is a quality mattress.

Mattress Type

Almost every mattress on the market falls into one of a handful of different types. The four main mattress types are memory foam, latex, innerspring, and hybrid mattresses. Other types exist, such as water beds and air mattresses, but these bed variations are far less common than the main four.

By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each type, you can better choose the best mattress for you.

Memory Foam

Memory foam beds owe a lot of their current popularity to the mattress in a box trend. Memory foam compresses well, allowing it to fit inside a small box and be shipped straight to your front door.

The other reason people love memory foam mattresses is for their pressure point relief. Since the material molds to your body, it prevents the muscle strain that can turn into pain. Couples also enjoy memory foam for its excellent motion isolation, limiting the sleep disturbances that a partner can cause.

It’s well known that traditional memory foam mattresses can retain too much body heat. Most manufacturers address this in production. They might replace petrochemicals to create a more breathable plant-based foam, or they might include a cooling material such as graphite, copper, or charcoal.

Latex

Latex foam is a popular alternative to memory foam. It has a similar conforming feel, although it can feel a little firmer than memory foam does.

Latex is also a more eco-friendly choice than memory foam if you buy natural latex. Manufacturers process rubber tree sap to produce natural latex. Synthetic latex is not a green shopping option since it’s made from a combination of chemical compounds.

Even if you wish to shop green, you might have a moment of pause at the high prices a natural latex mattress can have. Some consumers find the price fair since a latex mattress can last a decade or more, but others may opt for a more affordable mattress.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are a familiar bed option. Many still enjoy sleeping on one even with a wider variety of mattresses to choose from on the market.

An innerspring mattress is an excellent choice for a cooling mattress. Its thin fabric sides and coiled interior let air flow through the bed and dissipate body heat.

However, if you’re a chronic pain sufferer, an innerspring mattress might not be the right bed for you. Customers frequently complain about insufficient pressure relief, particularly as the bed ages and its coils wear out.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are designed to provide the best of an innerspring and foam mattress. The bottom coils provide bouncy, breathable support. And the 2 to 3 inches of foam on top feature the malleability needed for excellent pressure relief.

The drawback of a hybrid mattress is its price tag. Since they’re a blend of high-quality materials, they often cost more than an equivalent foam mattress would.

Firmness Level, Body Weight, and Sleep Position

How do companies decide if a mattress has a soft, medium, or firm feel? They consult the firmness scale, a 1-10 scale that puts 1 as the softest and 10 as the firmest. The right firmness for you depends on your body weight and sleeping position.

The heavier you are, the more your body pushes down on the mattress. People over 230 pounds should look for a firmer mattress to withstand their weight. However, they can still consider a softer mattress if it has extra supportive layers that will prevent sinkage.

Sleepers under 130 pounds need a softer mattress for pressure relief. Their bodies don’t exert enough press to make the average mattress conform to their bodies.

Your sleeping position affects your spine’s placement, which determines the support and pressure relief that you need from your mattress. The wrong firmness can strain your spine, causing back pain and neck pain.

We tend to favor sleeping on our side, back, or stomach. If you’re unsure what position you prefer, try to pay attention to how you fall asleep and wake up.

Side sleepers experience a wide range of health benefits, such as reduced pressure on the heart and clearer airways. However, a mattress for side sleeping must have a soft to medium feel to help them take full advantage of their favorite position. Otherwise, they risk waking up with sore shoulders and stiff hips.

Back sleeping distributes your body weight evenly, which is why it’s one of the best positions to prevent or ease back pain. A mattress for back sleeping should have a medium-firm to firm feel, with a conforming material that can match the spine’s curves.

Stomach sleepers are at the greatest risk for misaligning their spine. When you lie down on your abdomen, your belly’s weight often sinks into the mattress, throwing your spine out of a neutral position. Experts recommend against stomach sleeping, but if it’s the only position you can fall asleep in, you should look for a firm mattress to prevent sinkage.

Sleep Trial and Warranty

We cannot overstate the importance of always choosing a mattress that comes with a sleep trial and a warranty— especially a warranty. Sleep trials give you a way to test a mattress you may have bought sight unseen. And a warranty offers recourse if your mattress develops a defect, preventing you from having to pay for another mattress before you’re ready.

A sleep trial is the length of time you have to try out the mattress at home. Most companies give you between three to four months, although a few offer a full year. You rarely need more than a few months to decide if a mattress is right for you; a sleeper usually takes up to a month to adjust to a new mattress, at most.

If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep after a few weeks on your mattress, you can return it or exchange it for another model. The returned mattress is usually donated to charity to minimize waste. This is why companies will often refuse to accept back a mattress that’s no longer in usable condition.

A warranty explains when a company will pay for repairs or replacements. Common mattress defects covered under warranty include:

• Ripped seams
• Cracked or torn foam
• Coils poking through the mattress
• Sagging beyond an inch or two

You usually need proof of purchase to make a warranty claim, so make sure you archive any important emails and file away any receipts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a bigger bed than a California king?

Yes. Aside from the regular king, which has a slightly bigger surface area than a California king, there are oversized mattress options such as the super king.

A super king has a few other names, such as the Texas king. It measures 80 inches by 98 inches. The largest oversized mattress is the Alaska king, which is a square bed measuring 108 inches (or 9 feet) on all sides.

Can I fit king sheets on a California king mattress?

Though a standard king and a California king mattress share the same perimeters, the corners of a king size bed sheet will not line up with the edges of a California king mattress. This mismatch will keep a sheet from fitting as snugly as it should. Even if you get the sheet on, it may be more likely to slip off than a sheet made for a Cal king bed.

Who are California king mattresses recommended for?

California king mattresses are most recommended for taller people, namely those over 6 feet tall. The extra four inches give them a few more inches of wiggle room than a standard king mattress.

A Cal king is also recommended for couples with bedrooms too narrow for a standard king.

Is a Cal king bed the same as two twin mattresses?

No, nor is a standard king equal to two twin mattresses. It’s two twin XL mattresses that provide the same space as a king bed. There are no standard mattress sizes that, when put together, equal a California king size bed.

What’s the difference between a king and a California king mattress?

The most obvious difference is their width and length. A king is 76 inches by 80 inches, while a California king is 72 inches by 84 inches.

However, a California king mattress may sometimes cost more than a standard king. Its bedding may also carry a higher price than king size bed linen.

Ready to Find Your Perfect California King Mattress?

A California king mattress can help taller sleepers get a good night’s rest. It can also provide couples with the room each partner needs for a good night’s rest. Our list is an excellent starting point for finding your best mattress, but you may choose to look beyond it.

If you do search for a mattress that’s not on our list, you may want to think about the other qualities you want in a mattress aside from its size. The majority of mattress companies offer California king size mattresses, so it’s not the most helpful way to narrow down possibilities. Deciding on your preferred materials, firmness, and price can guide you to your perfect California king size mattress.