Saatva Classic vs Contour5: Which luxury mattress should you buy this Black Friday?

The Saatva Classic is one of the most popular luxury mattresses on the market, and the Saatva Contour5 is the brand's newest release. In this guide we'll take a look at both mattresses to determine which might be right for you.

The Classic and Contour5 are premium mattresses, handcrafted in the USA by sleep brand Saatva. Our Tom's Guide review team have tested and slept on both mattresses and awarded them high marks. The Saatva Classic is the number one choice in our best mattress of 2024 guide, earning praise for it's pressure relief and support, as well as the versatile appeal of this luxury hybrid.

While the Classic is the flagship Saatva mattress, the Contour5 is an all-foam newcomer. It features a classic foam 'hug', to provide deep pressure relief and a cozy night's sleep.

Here we're comparing the Saatva Classic and Contour5 Mattress in terms of design, support, and temperature regulation. We'll also explore the price difference between the two, including whether to shop the Black Friday mattress deals for these two beds...

Saatva Classic vs Contour5 Mattress: price & trial

• Both are premium mattresses from luxury brand Saatva
• Classic is cheaper, with an MSRP of $2,095 for a queen
• Contour5 is a luxury foam, with an MSRP of $2,995 for a queen

The Classic and Contour5 are both premium mattresses from Saatva, the brand behind some of the best luxury mattresses. Handcrafted in the US, the Classic has an MSRP of $2,095 for a queen. Slightly unusually, it's the all-foam Contour5 with the higher price tag, as a queen is $2,995. Foam mattresses are typically cheaper than hybrids, but the Contour5 isn't exactly your usual foam bed.

Saatva mattress sales occur semi-frequently and offer a chance to save on both the Classic and the Contour5. The best deal on the Classic is the $400 off sale, which we only see pop up around the major sales days — like the Saatva Black Friday sale. This is the best chance to save big on the Saatva Classic, with a queen just $1,695 (and a twin down to just $995).

It's the 15% off sale that gets you the biggest saving on the Contour5, particularly if you're opting for the larger sizes. However, the $400 deal off is still worth your attention, reducing a queen from $2,995 to $2,595.

As Saatva mattresses, they both come with the same exceptional Saatva benefits. As well as a lifetime warranty, you get a 365-night sleep trial, giving you a full year to test the bed. And each mattress includes free white glove delivery, with delivery, installation, and old mattress removal.

Saatva Classic vs Contour5 Mattress: materials & design

• Saatva Classic is a hybrid innerspring with dual spring layers
• Saatva Contour5 is a luxury memory foam with dense foam core
• Classic is available in 11.5" and 14.5" builds, Contour5 is 12.5" tall

There are plenty of significant differences between the Saatva Classic and Contour5, but let's start with some similarities. Both mattresses are crafted in the US, both are made using eco-friendly materials, and both are fiberglass free.

Now to the differences. The Classic is a hybrid innerspring — with both springs and foams — and it tops our best hybrid mattress guide. It's available in three firmness levels and two heights (11.5" and 14.5"), and the spring-heavy build gives it a more traditional feel.

At the top of the Classic is a cushioned Euro pillow top featuring three inches of quilted foam and an organic cotton cover. Below this is the Lumbar Crown; a zoned layer of high density foam with an Active Spinal Wire for added back support. Next is the first layer of springs, with stronger coils in the central third for enhanced support. A foam railing adds strength to the edges, before the second coil layer creates a stable base.

The Contour5 is an all-foam bed, available in two firmness levels and measuring 12.5" high. It has a smooth knit waterfall cover made with organic cotton, and sitting beneath this is a non-toxic flame barrier. This wraps all the way around the mattress.

Next is the CoolVent two inch foam layer, with cooling phase change material in the lumbar region. This is followed by a gel-infused memory foam for cushioning, then the luxurious body-hugging core consisting of dense 5lb foam. The two-inch layer of transition foam follows, and it's this layer that determines the overall firmness of the mattress. Finally, a support foam base adds stability.

Saatva Classic vs Contour5 Mattress: comfort & support

• Saatva Classic is available in three firmness levels: soft, medium, firm
• Contour5 is available in two firmness levels: medium and firm
• Classic is bouncy and responsive, Contour5 has a body-hugging feel

The Saatva Classic and Contour5 Mattress both appeal to a range of sleep styles because you can pick the feel you want. The Classic has more options, with a Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm feel. But the two Contour5 firmness levels, Medium and Firm, will still suit a lot of people.

Our Saatva Classic Mattress review panel tested the Luxury Firm feel, rating it seven out of 10 on the firmness scale (one indicating very soft, 10 rock hard). This is slightly firmer than Saatva suggests, so keep that in mind when choosing a feel.

When it comes to support and pressure relief, we couldn't stop praising the Classic. It's not a mattress you sink into (although the Plush Soft likely has more contouring), but it evenly distributes weight to relieve the touch points and ease aches. And the enhanced lumbar support keeps the spine comfortable all night.

We found the Classic Luxury Firm comfortable for all sleep positions, but particularly side and back sleeping. Very light side sleepers might prefer the Plush Soft, while stomach sleepers should consider the support of the Firm. It's a buoyant bed, which makes it easier to change positions, and the edge support is excellent. Our only slight complaint is the motion isolation: it's good, but not incredible.

We tested the Medium feel for our Saatva Contour5 Mattress review and, again, we found it slightly firmer than expected. We rated it seven out of 10, or medium-firm. The dense foams give the Contour5 a body-hugging feel and our testing panel found it comfortable from the very first night.

This close memory foam 'hug' ensures excellent pressure relief, as the mattress molds itself to the body. And despite the 'hug', it still has a strong level of support. You don't feel like you're going to sink through the mattress. This balance of support and cushioning ranks it among the best memory foam mattresses.

Our testers enjoyed the Medium Contour5 in all sleep positions, but it's best for back and side sleepers. Front sleepers should consider the Firm feel, for that extra support at the hips. These dense foams also add excellent motion isolation — this is a top pick for bed sharers — but they aren't great at the edges; the support is lacking at the sides.

Saatva Classic vs Contour5 Mattress: temperature control

• Saatva Classic has a spring-heavy build for superb air circulation
• Contour5 is temperature neutral with cooling foams
• Both are good for hot sleepers

It can be hard to sleep when you're feeling warm, which is why temperature control is an important feature in a mattress. The Saatva Classic doesn't feature any of the specific cooling tech, but with two layers of springs, there's plenty o space for air to circulate and cool. Add on a breathable cotton cover, and we found the Classic stayed a neutral temperature all night.

Memory foam mattresses can sleep warm — this was an issue during our Saatva Loom & Leaf Mattress review — but the Contour5 is packed full of cooling tech. Including an area of zoned phase change material, a heat dissipating material found in some of the best cooling mattresses. While we didn't find it actively chilled, the Contour5 did maintain a neutral feel.

Saatva Classic vs Contour5 Mattress: which should you buy?

Buy the Saatva Classic Mattress if...

✅ You prefer a traditional feel: Featuring a dual spring layer and minimal foam, the Saatva Classic has a bouncy finish that makes it easy to change position during the night.

✅ You want strong support from edge-to-edge: The Classic earned five out of five for edge support from our testers, with strong sides that are comfortable to lie and sit on, and they won't collapse when you push down.

✅ You have lower back ache: With lumbar zone quilting, lumbar zone foam, and a spinal wire, the Classic has ample of support at the lower back. And it comes endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.

Buy the Saatva Contour5 Mattress if...

✅ You want a memory foam hug: The Contour5 is all foam, and the dense memory foam layers ooze around the body to hold you in a cozy hug.

✅ You share with a restless partner: Those thick foams also capture and absorb motion incredibly well. A restless partner can be hugely disruptive, but on the Contour5, you shouldn't feel them move.

✅ You want deep pressure relief: The pressure relief is fantastic from the Classic and the Contour5, but the all-foam of the Contour5 takes it to the next level for aching joints.