And spending more for a mattress doesn't necessarily guarantee a better night's sleep. In tests conducted by Consumer Reports, a $5,000 mattress performed about the same as one that cost $540. The difference often comes down to the quality of materials. But industry experts say a well-constructed mattress can be bought for as little as $600. And that's the whole idea behind this new wave of modern mattresses by tech-savvy, direct-to-consumer start-ups. Philip Krim, the co-founder of Casper, says he was inspired by hotel beds. "When you check into a hotel, they don't ask you, do you need medium, firm, plush-firm or plush-soft?" he says. "There's one mattress."

And this new breed of mattress seems tailored made for today's modern guy. They're affordable, well-built, ship quickly and unpack with ease. They fit on a standard boxspring as well as on a platform or slat bed frame. Hell, they even work on the floor. They're plush and comfortable without being over-stuffed or heavy. And they're flexible enough to bend around doorways and staircases, making it ideal for a demographic that moves more (and faster) than their parents. So which one's right for you? Allow us to help.

For Fans of Memory Foam

One of the more well-known of this wave of bedding start-ups, Casper's goal is to present the Goldilocks bed—perfect for anyone, no matter their weight or sleeping position. The core of their 10-inch mattress is a layer of cushioning memory foam engineered to conform to your body with minimal sinkage. Of course, memory foam is beloved for its comfort but bemoaned for quickly overheating. But Casper knew that, so they topped their memory foam with a proprietary breathable open-cell latex foam that not only retains less heat, but also adds a nice, energetic springiness, which makes easy work out of getting up (and getting it on).

From $500 at Casper

For a
Customized Feel

If you appreciate the Sleep Number approach to bedding, Helix offers a personalized design based on your specific desires. They use a simple online survey (developed with some of the world's leading sleep researchers) to build a 3D biomechanical model of your body. That model is used to produce the optimal mattress structure for you. Latex, micro-spring coils and high-density foam is layered in varying order to tailor the feel, bounce and temperature regulation for a variety of different body types and sleeping styles. Support is an important factor in comfort and each Helix mattress is designed to help align your spine, which is associated with improved REM sleep and reduced neck and back pain.

From $600 at Helix Sleep

For a
Cooler Night's Sleep

The highest rated mattress on Amazon, Tuft & Needle's American-made mattress was created by some sleep-deprived Silicon Valley programmers who dissected a $3,300 brandname mattress only to discover about $300 worth of materials. They created their perfect mattress with a customized foam base engineered for comfort, support and temperature regulation. The high-density foam adapts to your body weight for a float-like feeling when you're lying down and offers just the right about of bounce and rebound for "nighttime activities," but not enough to disturb a sleeping partner by getting out of bed. The breathable foam also boasts impressive heat-wicking properties to disperse excess warmth away from the body.

From $350 at Tuft & Needle

For a
Complete Package

Created by mattress industry alums with four decades worth of experience, Yogabed created a bed that aims to disperse weight evenly, reducing stress on the pressure points that cause tossing and turning. The mattress is a layered design consisting of "instant response foam" and a cushioning gel that keeps you comfortable and cool with seven times greater thermal conductivity than traditional memory foam. It also comes with a set of pillows (designed to serve back, side and stomach sleepers) along with a removable Zip-n-Wash cover made from Thermocool high performance fabric. And for a little extra, they even offer custom-fitted sheets.

From $549 at Yogabed