Why You Can Trust CNET Best California King Mattresses for 2023
Get the scoop on how big a California king really is and find out which brand has the best one for your needs.
In this article
Ever since Rihanna sang California King Bed, we've been dreaming of a good night's sleep on a California king size mattress.
Perhaps you're an extra tall individual or you sleep with a partner and you'd both love some extra foot room. If you're ready to take the plunge on a new dream bed and land yourself in the best California king mattress on the market, stay with us. We took a close look at which mattresses work best in the California king size.
Regardless of what mattress type you're looking for -- a memory foam mattress, gel memory foam mattress, innerspring mattress, hybrid mattress, a soft or firm mattress or some other variation that caters to your preferred sleeping style -- here are the best California king mattress options we've found. (All prices listed are the regular, nonsale list price.) Once you pick out the perfect mattress, you'll be able to experience the true comfort of the California King Bed Rihanna couldn't stop singing about.
Prices below reflect the costs of California king size mattresses.
Video: Best California King Mattresses for 2023
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the best California king size mattresses for 2023.
Read more: Best Bed Sheets for Every Type of Sleeper
Mattress Price Scale:
$ = Budget - $799 and below
$$ = Average - $800 to $1,699
$$$ = Premium - $1,700 and up
Reflect MSRP prices* sales might push a mattress to a lower threshold, but they are always changing.
When deciding the best California king mattress overall, I wanted to pick a mattress that was suitable for singles, couples, all body types, most sleeping positions and most budgets. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature fits that bill to a tee, and it's ultracomfortable.
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
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 soft side is extra plush and pressure relieving, perfect for any side sleeper who wants a cushiony feel.
Layla Hybrid
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 back and stomach sleepers. The Luxury Firm model of this mattress is a solid medium-firm and its dual-coil construction is a unique feature that makes the Saatva bed incredibly supportive. As such, it's one of the best California king mattress models you can buy.
Saatva Classic
Nectar is a reputable bed-in-a-box brand that helped popularize the movement along with mattress bigwigs like Casper and Purple. The brand recently came out with its hybrid models, taking what people loved about the original Nectar memory foam mattress and making it more durable and supportive.
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.
Avocado Green
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.
Amerisleep AS2 Hybrid
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.
Helix Plus
If you're not yet familiar with the brand, Purple mattresses use a proprietary Purple Grid instead of memory foam. The Grid is a hyper-elastic polymer that creates a pressure-free, comfy contoured comfort layer region wherever you lie on it -- a decidedly different experience than memory foam.
Purple Hybrid 2
The bigger the mattress size, the more you have to pay when it comes to buying a new bed. If you're in search of the best California king mattress that fits a more wallet-friendly budget, Allswell is a hybrid bed that offers a good bed for your buck. It's made by Walmart, which is known for its price-friendly products, and you can get a California king size mattress for under $500.
The Allswell 10" Bed in a Box Hybrid Mattress, Queen
Other mattresses we've tested
The CNET Sleep editors use their knowledge from their extensive mattress testing experience to curate our bedding best lists. They collectively have rolled around on 100-plus beds and are considered experts on the subject. With all the mattresses our editors have tested, some quality beds aren't able to make the cut, but we still think they deserve some credit.
Tuft and Needle mattress: If you want a large California king mattress, but you're more of a budget-conscious shopper, the Tuft and Needle mattress is a great option. It's only two layers and it's a simple bed without any extra bells and whistles. However, it is a comfortable and accommodating bed for just about any sleeping position. It feels like your favorite soft couch, it's made with a neutral-foam that's quicker to respond to pressure than memory foam is. Tuft and Needle is also one of the most prominent online mattress brands, so their beds are popular for a reason.
Layla mattress: This is the original predecessor to the Layla Hybrid mattress above. It omits the pocketed coil layer found in the hybrid, but it's a little cheaper and more affordable. This model is best for people who weigh under 230 pounds and who like the memory foam feel of Layla without the extra cost of the hybrid design. It's flippable, so you get one firm side and one soft side. It's also made with copper-infused memory foam, making it sleep cooler than the standard material.
How we test
CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read more on how we test mattresses.
The difference between a king vs California king mattress
Contrary to popular belief, California king mattresses are just longer than king mattresses, not wider. While standard king mattresses are 76 inches wide by 80 inches long, California kings are 72 inches wide by 84 inches long. Knowing the difference between the two helps you make better-informed shopping choices, and ensures that there are no unwelcome surprises. Remember, California king mattresses are all about length.
Why you should buy a California king mattress
If you're well on the taller side, say 6'3 and above, a California king mattress is the absolute best mattress choice for you. With a California king size mattress, you can stretch your toes down, or just never stress about too many decorative pillows up top. The California king bed frame also has the optimal dimensions if you have a particularly long and narrow or rectangular-shaped room. You get all the perks and grandeur of a luxuriously large and comfortable bed, without having to sacrifice a set of nightstands.
The California king mattress and bed frame tend to work best in rooms with dimensions of at least 12 feet by 12 feet. If you're more concerned with having a wider bed than a longer one (like if you have a partner who loves to wiggle), a standard king mattress is probably the best mattress type for you.
California king mattress FAQs
Is a California king bed worth it?
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.
How much does a California king bed cost?
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.
Which bed is better, king or California king?
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.