Best California King Mattresses for 2022

Lindsey Boyers/CNET

The Layla Hybrid tops our list as the best California king mattress, particularly because this king bed is conveniently flippable, with a softer and firmer side to choose from. The firmer side of the Cal king mattress is said to be better for hot sleepers, heavier people and back and stomach sleepers, while the softer side is better for side sleepers and lighter people (up to 130 pounds). The softer side also has more pressure relief and less motion transfer.

The Layla Hybrid California king bed consists of layers of gel memory foam, support foam, pocketed coils and a center layer of copper-infused foam. The center foam mattress layer is designed to draw heat away from the sleeper’s body to help cool them off while they sleep, while simultaneously adding antimicrobial properties to prevent bacteria buildup in the mattress.

Whether you sleep alone or with a partner, with the Layla Hybrid in the California king size mattress, there will be sufficient space, sleepers will remain cool throughout the night and, depending upon which side is chosen, any size sleeper can enjoy optimal pressure relief and comfort with a firmer mattress side available. Read more in our full Layla Hybrid mattress review. 

The Layla Hybrid California king size bed is available with a 120-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty and free shipping in the contiguous 48 states. 

Casper

Saatva

The Saatva Classic is a supportive mattress with a combination of contouring latex foam, supportive innerspring coils and special lumbar technology that makes it great for side sleepers. As a hybrid, the Luxury Firm model of this mattress is a perfect medium-firm in California king; It’s sturdy enough to prevent sagging all the way to the foot and edges while not being overly firm compared to the all-foam varieties. 

The Saatva Classic hybrid mattress is unique in the direct-to-consumer realm in that it doesn’t arrive in a box (so make sure your doorways and stairs can fit a California king’s dimensions). But that means it can be made to order after you select your preference of firmness level as well as your choice of height: 11.5 inches or 14.5 inches. Based on my own testing, I found the beds range from medium to firm, depending on the firmness level you choose. Finally, the California king bed mattress reaches new levels of coziness with a three-inch Euro pillow top. All of this also works well for larger mattresses like the Cal king.

With your purchase at Saatva, you get a 180-night sleep trial, a 15-year warranty and free delivery with in-room setup and old mattress removal. Read more for our full Saatva mattress review. 

Avocado

Having enjoyed a hands-on test of the Avocado Green mattress, I can say from experience that it’s a joy to sleep on. And on top of being highly comfy, especially for back, stomach and heavy sleepers, this Cal king mattress is also eco-friendly — Avocado’s mattresses are made of organic wool, cotton and latex.

In addition to using organic materials, Avocado sources its wool from its own co-owned Indian wool farm, where more than 200,000 sheep roam freely across 40 organic hectares. If you’d prefer a vegan mattress without wool of any kind, Avocado also makes the same mattress in a vegan variety, which also comes in a California king. The company also grows and processes its own organic Dunlop latex. Each mattress is handcrafted in its California factory, where the company bypasses the use of toxic glues by implementing a traditional hand-tufting technique. And if that’s not enough, their mattresses are all tested to ensure low emissions, guaranteeing that they meet air quality standards.

If you need a firm mattress to support a larger or taller body, the Avocado Green in California king size is a great choice. You can also buy the pillow-topper for $500 which softens up the feel to a medium-firm. It’s an ideal firmer mattress for back and stomach sleepers, as well as those with back pain. A little extra space lengthwise gives the healing body plenty of room to do its thing. 

Avocado’s US-made mattresses come with free shipping, a one-year sleep trial and a 25-year warranty. Read more at our full Avocado mattress review.

Amerisleep

Amerisleep’s AS2 Hybrid mattress features a proprietary memory foam called Bio-Pur, which is highly responsive and quick to recover whenever a sleeper moves, adding some motion isolation. It’s remarkably supportive with a medium-firm density, so it relieves pressure and helps with spinal alignment. For taller folks or couples with back pain, the California king AS2 Hybrid is a wise choice.

The Bio-Pur foam is also well ventilated and breathable compared to more common varieties, leaving sleepers cool throughout the night. And an eight-inch layer of coils and a layer of HIVE technology (hundreds of hexagonal cutouts spread across five zones) allow for ideal support and cushioning right where your body needs them.

The AS2 Hybrid California king mattress is beneficial for all types of sleepers, including folks who move around and change sleeping positions a lot at night. In addition, it’s CNET’s pick for the best mattress for couples, and the California king bed offers extra leg room.

With the AS2 Hybrid, you get free shipping and returns, a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty. Read more in our full Amerisleep mattress review.

Leesa

With a six-layer hybrid design that includes memory foam, recycled springs and a hypoallergenic Merino wool and cotton cover, the Leesa Legend mattress is the company’s most sustainable model. In the California king mattress, it’s beneficial to everyone from taller folks to families, and it works well for all sleeping positions — especially side sleepers. 

Reviews boast that the luxury hybrid Legend Cal king mattress has optimal edge support and minimal motion transfer, while the pressure-relieving memory foam is breathable and responsive. The cover is not only super-soft, but also hypoallergenic and naturally heat-wicking, thanks to the wool and cotton.

The Leesa Legend California king is a cushiony 12 inches thick luxury mattress, making the already brag-worthy contouring foam even more desirable. If you purchase the Legend in California king, you can feel satisfied that you’re buying an eco-friendly product, as this cover is also made partially from a whopping 73 recycled water bottles each (similar to the Casper). And Leesa gives back, too: For every 10 mattresses sold, a bed is donated to a child in need.

These mattresses are made to order, so it may take a bit longer to receive your Leesa Legend for your California king size bed, but it’s worth the buy if you can wait. Read more about this bed in our Leesa Legend mattress review. 

When you purchase a Leesa Legend mattress in California king, you get a generous 100-night trial, a 10-year warranty and free delivery. 

Helix Sleep

As a hybrid of high-density and gel memory foam added to over 1,000 wrapped coils, the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress offers enhanced contouring and pressure relief under a breathable pillow-top cover. Add that to its impressive lumbar support layer, firmer mattress feel, and you have a superb Cal king size bed combo in all sizes, especially the extra-long and accommodating California king. 

This California king bed mattress is above average when it comes to motion transfer and zoning technology, making it ideal for couples. It sits right in the center of the firmness scale, and while it’s an excellent option for side sleepers as advertised, the medium feel and specially zoned support of the Helix Midnight Luxe can actually work well for back, stomach and combination sleepers, too. So if you sleep with a partner, this mattress in California king provides enough room for everyone to compromise on their preferred firmness level and motion isolation. 

The California king Helix Midnight Luxe mattress comes with a lengthy 100-night sleep trial, a 10-year warranty, free shipping and financing if you qualify. Read more in our full Helix mattress review.

Lindsey Boyers/CNET

The Helix Plus is designed to offer a firmer mattress with extra support and comfort for those with larger or taller-than-average bodies, making it an ideal plus-size mattress in the California king size. However, it also makes a great fit for just about all sleepers, regardless of size or sleep position preference. As long as the 7-to-8 firmness level rating doesn’t bother you (it’s a medium to firm feel), this mattress is likely to be a superb match.

Providing excellent pressure relief, the Helix Plus Cal king mattress offers just enough give to maintain support while letting the sleeper get cozy in the contours of the memory foam. This mattress also offers fantastic motion transfer, so you may not even notice your sleeping partner getting in and out of bed.

The California king size of the Helix Plus contains all the extra support, higher density foam and conveniently low motion transfer of the smaller versions, providing a longer mattress and the width of a spacious king. And for any bigger or taller folks who may sleep better with a little more space between them, this size is ideal. 

When you purchase a Helix Plus mattress in California king, you get free shipping, a 100-night sleep trial, a 10-year warranty and possible financing options. Read more in our full Helix mattress review. 

Ghostbed

With its innovative cooling properties, the Ghostbed Flex Hybrid in a California king bed is especially well-suited for taller hot sleepers. Its supportive, individually wrapped coils, blended with gel memory foam, create just the right amount of “bounce” to balance out the soft contouring, while keeping the sleeper nice and cool throughout the night. 

If you’re curious about memory foam but love the feeling of traditional innerspring mattresses, the Ghostbed Flex Hybrid offers a chance to cross over to memory foam while retaining some familiar ground. It works well for all sleeping positions and has a medium firm rating of 7 out of 10. This king bed also has remarkably sturdy edges, so you won’t roll off or sink in too far if you sit up to sip your coffee. 

With seven unique layers, this Cal king size bed mattress begins with a proprietary cooling cover, then features an inch of cooling fiber, two kinds of foam, the aforementioned coils and a layer of high density support. Some of the cooling technology is directly woven into the cover, which also presses into the refreshing gel memory foam layers.

The California king, Ghostbed Flex Hybrid weighs 117 pounds and measures 13 inches high. This is a workable hybrid mattress size if you need to move it around or into another room, easily maneuvered by two people. Available in a California king with split, this mattress also works well for partners who have different sleep preferences. Read more in our GhostBed Flex mattress review. 

Ghostbed offers a 101-night sleep trial, free shipping in the 48 contiguous states and a 20-year warranty. Financing is also available if you qualify. White glove delivery and old mattress removal are available for a fee.

Purple

It will be worth the money for a California king if you have a lot of extra space in your bedroom, are a big and tall individual, or you want a mattress that offers more leg space for your furry friends. California king beds are more narrow than a standard king, but are longer to allow for more leg and foot room. 

Many California king mattresses will cost you around $1,200 to $1,600, especially if you’re looking for a premium bed. Luxury California king mattresses are known to retail for $1,800 or more, but you can also find a budget California king mattress like Allswell for under $500. 

If you have animals that sleep on the bottom of your mattress, are 6 feet, 5 inches (or taller) or you just want the extra leg space, a California king is a good option because it offers more length than your standard king bed. However, if you expect your kiddos to be snuggling up next to you in bed some nights, you might want a wider standard king bed to fit all your loved ones. It’s worth noting that brands often price their king and California king beds the same, so you usually don’t end up paying more for one or the other.