Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud: which memory foam mattress should you buy?

The Plank Firm and Puffy Cloud are two memory foam mattresses that don't feel like traditional memory foams. Instead of the squishy hug you might expect from an all-foam mattress, these beds offer a firmer foam support — but does the Plank Firm or the Puffy Cloud mattress suit your sleep better?

Our testers have had the opportunity to thoroughly test both the Plank Firm and Puffy Cloud, and we rate them among this year's best mattresses. They might not have the classic foam feel, but they do both deliver support for different sleep styles (alongside the top-notch motion isolation we expect from a foam bed.)

So which should you buy? We'll be comparing price, comfort, support and performance of the Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud mattress, to discover which mattress is best for your sleep style.

Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud Mattress: Price & trial

• Both are mid-range mattresses with evergreen sales
• Plank Firm includes a 120-night trial and 10-year warranty
• Puffy offers a 101-night trial and a lifetime warranty

Evergreen mattress sales ensure you can ignore the MSRP (or "Total Value", as Puffy describes it), for both brands, as Plank and Puffy offer continuous discounts. In these sales, the Plank Firm and Puffy Cloud are both mid-range mattresses.

At full MSRP, a queen Plank Firm mattress will set you back $1,332. But Plank is always running a 25% off sale, which means most of the time you can expect to pay $999 for a queen. On special occasions (such as the Presidents' Day mattress sales and Black Friday) Plank boosts its discount to 30% off. This is the best saving we've seen from Plank, so when this deal starts we recommend you take advantage.

Puffy Cloud's evergreen sale offers massive discounts although, again, you should never expect to pay the Total Price. In the sale, a Puffy Cloud queen size will cost you $949, down from a Total Value of $2,299.

Unlike Plank, Puffy rarely changes the sale — or at least, rarely changes the final price. The discount and Total Value might shift, but most of the time you'll be paying the same price in the end.

Both Puffy and Plank go above the 100-night mattress trial period, Puffy with a 101-night trial and Plank with a 120-night trial. That should be plenty of time to try the mattress, and we appreciate the longer testing period for Plank's complex design (more on that below.) However, Puffy has the superior warranty, with a lifetime warranty compared to Plank's industry-average 10 years.

Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud Mattress: Materials & design

• Both mattresses are all-foam models
• Plank Firm is a double-sided mattresses
• Puffy Cloud has three foam layers and a Climate Fiber layer

You'll find both the Plank Firm and the Puffy Cloud in our best memory foam mattress guide, but don't let the basic similarities fool you: these are two very different mattress designs.

The Plank Firm is a double-sided mattress, which is unusual among the best mattresses in a box. That means both sides have a different feel, and you can flip and change depending on your sleep needs. Plank achieves this by using a central layer of dense, firm foam. On one side, this is topped by a thin layer of comfort foam and a quilted cover. On the other, firmer side, the central foam is only topped by the quilted cover.

The Puffy Cloud has a more traditional design for a memory foam mattress. At the base is a firm layer of support foam, followed by layer of transitional pressure relief foam and a layer of cooling comfort foam. Finally, a felted Climate Fiber layer adds breathable cushioning. The Puffy Cloud is finished with a cool touch cover.

Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud Mattress: Comfort & support

• Double-sided Plank Firm is Firm (8 out of 10) and Extra Firm (9)
• Puffy Cloud is medium-firm, we rate it 7 out of 10
• Plank suits back and front sleepers, Puffy back and side sleepers

The Plank Firm and Puffy Cloud are both firm foam mattresses without much of the traditional memory foam feel. There isn't the sinking pressure relief we expect from many all-foam beds, as the denser support offers only minimal contouring.

As a double-sided mattress, you get two firm feels to choose from with the Plank. During our Plank Firm Mattress review we found the added foam and looser quilting of the Firm side gives the mattress more pressure relief, with ample support to the lumbar region. Your hips and lower back don't sink into the mattress, maintaining the neutral alignment that makes this one of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers.

We rated the Firm side an eight of 10 on the firmness scale (with one indicating soft and 10 hard.) Flip to the Extra Firm side and we upped that rating to nine. One of the best firm mattresses we've tested, the flat surface offers immense support from head to toe — something our back sleeping tester with lumbar pain appreciated. Side sleepers should steer clear of the Plank, as a lack of cushioning will result in a numb arm in the morning.

The Puffy Cloud is a crowd-pleasing medium-firm feel — we rated it seven out of 10 on the firmness scale in our Puffy Cloud mattress review. There's some of that pressure relieving 'hug' you might expect from a memory foam mattress, but the dense support beneath prevents too much sink. We recommend this mattress for back sleepers and side sleepers who prefer a firmer feel.

Both mattresses scored highly for motion isolation, meaning they absorb movement to prevent your partner's restless night waking you up. Edge support can be an issue for all-foam mattresses, and our testers found the Puffy Cloud a little weak at the sides. But the Plank Firm excels in this area — you can sit or lie on the sides with no risk of sliding off.

Both mattresses have very little bounce, with the dense, firm foams absorbing movement. If you prefer a more responsive feel, consider one of the best hybrid mattresses. These contain springs as well as foams, for a bouncier feel.

Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud Mattress: Temperature control

• Puffy Cloud has a cooler feel and a cooling cover
• Plank Firm can sleep a little warm
• You can upgrade the Plank Firm with a cooling cover

Our body naturally cools as we get tired in the evenings, which is why it can be hard to stay asleep in a warm bed. The Puffy Cloud mattress impressed us with its temperature regulation, with the cool touch cover and Climate Fiber layer limiting heat build-up.

We were expecting a similar performance from the Plank Firm, as firmer memory foams are typically less likely to trap heat than their softer contouring counterparts. However, the Plank Firm can sleep slightly warm. It shouldn't be an issue for most people, but those who experience night sweats, hot flushes, or struggle with overheating should be aware.

Plank Firm does offer the option to upgrade with a GlacioTex cooling cover. GlacioTex is a breathable material used in many of the best cooling mattresses, so we predict it will help with the heating problem — but it does add around $100 to the price tag.

Plank Firm vs Puffy Cloud Mattress: Which should you buy?

Buy the Plank Firm Mattress if...

✅ You sleep on your stomach: The Plank Firm (particularly the Firm side) is ideal for stomach sleepers, offering a high level of support across the hips. This helps keep the spine from twisting, so you don't wake up with back pain.

✅ You need strong edge support: Memory foam mattresses can suffer from weak edges, but the Plank Firm is sturdy right to the corners. This means you can lie and sit on the sides without the mattress sagging beneath you.

✅ You have changing sleep needs: Double-sided mattresses can seem like a gimmick, but the two sides of the Plank Firm allows you to flip the feel depending on your needs. Useful for occasional bed sharers and reoccurring injuries.

Buy the Puffy Cloud Mattress if...

✅ You sleep hot: A combination of cooling cover and breathable interior layers helps the Puffy Cloud keep temperatures even overnight, so you can sleep cooler.

✅ You sleep on your side: While the Puffy Cloud doesn't have the contouring cushioning we appreciated in our Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review, it does provide pressure relief for side sleepers who like a firmer feel.

✅ You want more pressure relief: Side sleepers and some back sleepers often need softer foams to relieve pressure build-up where the body presses into the mattress. In this area, the medium-firm Puffy Cloud comes out on top.