Cocoon Mattress Review

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Chances are, when you think of mattresses, there are a few stand-out brands that immediately come to mind.

For me, it’s definitely Sealy. I’ve had a Sealy mattress from my youth, when I slept on a twin bed, to the current day king size mattress I sleep on now.

But what about the company’s latest model of mattress, available for order only online and designed to compete with other one-mattress-fits-all models?

This Cocoon mattress review feels a little different to others, to be honest; because this mattress is made not by a brand spanking new mattress company (2 or 3 years old) but by a company that’s been around almost 140 years!

In fact, you could almost say that Sealy are one of the reasons why the likes of Casper, Leesa, Endy, Leaf & Loom, and Eve started out: they are one of the traditional mattress companies that seemed to have made mattress selection over-complicated!

The new online companies came along with the express intention to make life a whole lot simpler – with just one or two easily shippable mattresses on offer.

Few people would argue that Sealy “knows mattresses and how people sleep”.

But are they right to enter the shippable mattress-in-a-box market that seems to have been doing pretty well without it?

Sealy being Sealy, they sure didn’t want to miss out; and they had a fair bit of quality and history to bring to the deal.

So their mattress came along in 2016, after a couple of years of research. But is the Sealy bed-in-a-box worth the effort?

In this Cocoon mattress review, we assess whether the mattress lives up to the quality, value, and body-conforming comfort that Sealy have built their name on.

Find out below whether the Sealy name stands the bed-in-a-box test or whether they are better off sticking to what they have traditionally done best…

Pricing & Dimensions

• Twin: Price: $399, Dimensions: 39” x 75” x 10”
• Twin XL: Price: $449, Dimensions: 39” x 80” x 10”
• Full: Price: $649, Dimensions: 54” x 75” x 10”
• Queen: Price: $799, Dimensions: 60” x 80” x 10”
• King: Price: $999, Dimensions: 76” x 80” x 10”
• Cal King: Price: $999, Dimensions: 72” x 84” x 10”

Product Overview

What we liked:

• One Mattress, Two Choices – it’s simple: soft or firm, you pick!
• Solid Company Reputation – Sealy should know mattresses, having been around since 1881!
• Free Shipping & Returns – no hidden delivery fees to inflate the price
• Generous 100-Day Trial Period – more peace of mind when you purchase
• 24/7 Support – great customer service from an industry leader
• Breathability – good heat-dispersing attributes that aid a cool night’s sleep
• Minimal Motion Transfer – more restful sleep for couples
• Made In The USA – something makes us feel more confident when we see this
• Financing Available – makes paying for it easier!

What we didn’t like:

• Inability To Test Before Purchase – it’s sold online and there are no Sealy showrooms stocking it for trailing
• Initial Odor (Off-Gassing) – it does disappear within a day or two of unwrapping, though
• No Flipping – like other mattresses that come in a box, it’s designed to sit one way. You can rotate it 180 degrees but we aren’t 100% sure how it will wear over time.

About the Manufacturer

If you know a bit about mattresses, you probably know a bit about Sealy.

In fact, if you don’t know anything about mattresses, you’ve probably still heard of Sealy. They are practically everywhere.

We already mentioned that they’ve been around since 1881. That’s a heck of a lot of mattresses, knowledge, and expertise to draw on when you enter slightly new ground – as Sealy did, when it started competing with the other beds-in-a-box out there.

Cocoon by Sealy launched in March 2016. By researching for two years before it launched, the company applied the same scientific qualities to the mattress as they have consistently done with the Tempur-pedic range and other Sealy mattresses that many of us have come to know and love.

Despite the majority of their mattresses being sold in conventional brick and mortar stores, the Cocoon is sold exclusively online. The reduced overheads associated with this enable the company to offer the Cocoon at a lower price than other similar quality mattresses in its ranges.

Manufactured in the US, Sealy showrooms are not available to test the Cocoon mattress beforehand. However, in keeping with the style of other beds-in-a-box, the 100-night trial period, free delivery, no-hassle returns and a 10-year limited warranty, provide peace of mind when you buy.

Where the company may have an additional advantage over its competitors is in two areas:

1. The Sealy name that, for many, stands as a quality guarantee
2. The offer of a soft and a firm version of the Cocoon mattress.

“The choice to offer two mattress feels really came down to one simple, but powerful insight: some people prefer the feeling of sleeping “in” their mattress, enveloped and sinking into the surface, while others prefer the feeling of sleeping “on” their mattress, suspended on a more solid surface.”
Cocoon by Sealy Blog

How We Put the Mattress to the Test

Sealy claims that the Cocoon mattress is built for how people sleep, starting with the choice of soft or firm. From there it’s engineered to disperse weight, offer body contouring comfort and a breathability to ensure you sleep soundly.

As you know, at Sleep Scouts we don’t usually take manufacturer claims at face value. We test them – and that’s what we base all of our reviews on.

Using tried and tested methods, we treat every mattress exactly the same – all are tested using the same process.

We believe that two sleepers are better than one and that different body sizes (one a 120lb female, the other a 215lb male) experience mattresses differently. This gives readers the most accurate and all-round perspective possible.

As with all mattress reviews conducted on this site, we reviewed the Cocoon by Sealy mattress with this approach. This helps you make a more-informed decision when it comes to purchasing a mattress that will best suit your personal preferences.

You can read more detail about the tests we conduct here. For the results on the Cocoon by Sealy mattress, keep on reading.

The Basics: An Overview

First Observations: The Unboxing Experience

The box itself is pretty sleek – and unique: black as the night, with crisp white font. It’s simple. We like simple.

Like all ‘order-online’ mattresses, the Cocoon came compressed in a vacuum-sealed bag. Set-up instructions are included in the box; however, at this point, we are pretty much unboxing aficionados, and we could probably do it in our sleep. No, seriously!

Once you break the vacuum sealed plastic, your mattress will immediately and effortlessly begin to take shape. This is where we experienced some off-gassing; however, it’s fair to say that it was less than with some other mattresses we’ve reviewed, and anyway the smell dissipated within a day or two.

What’s in the Box?

Apart from the Cocoon mattress itself, inside the box you’ll find some nice-looking marketing materials (bonus points, and you know we are suckers for that) in addition to the set-up instructions.

These remind you that your bed should be your ‘happy place.’ We couldn’t agree more!! Plus, the ‘MY HAPPY PLACE’ cardstock can easily be framed. Voila! New artwork!

The Materials

You may wonder what goes into a mattress that aims for optimal sleep, body contouring support, and a cool, breathable slumber.

The Cocoon by Sealy is 10-inches in height and consists of four basic components:

• Layer 1: Perfect Fit Memory Foam (2 Inches): a comfort layer of high-quality memory foam that adapts evenly to your body’s own curves and unique sleep position.
• Layer 2: Personalized Comfort Layer (2 Inches): this layer is included only in the ‘soft’ mattress option. It acts as a transition between the layers above and below.
• Layer 3: Base Support System (6 or 8 Inches): this uses Sealy’s own Essential Support Foam, which is highly durable and resistant, providing a strong foundation to support the layers above. In the ‘soft’ option this layer is 6-inches thick and in the ‘firm’ option, an additional 2-inches makes it 8-inches thick.
• Premium Fabric Cover: the stretch-knit fabric is both breathable and durable. Its top stitching accentuates the ‘cushioning’ effect, adding plushness to the feel of the mattress.

How did the key features measure up?

Sealy states that ‘comfort is personal, and that your mattress should be suited to your preferences.’

They are confident that, whether you gravitate towards a soft or firmer feel to your mattress, both offer the right supportive qualities and body-conforming comfort.

For the purpose of this Cocoon review, we looked at the ‘soft’ option. Let’s dive straight in and see how its key features measured up…

Sinkage

The following information and images detail the results of our test using a 25lb kettlebell to measure sinkage on three different parts of the mattress:

• Centre: 3.5” sinkage: this demonstrates the average level of sinkage that would be expected for a mattress claiming medium sink.
• Top Centre: 3.5” sinkage: again, average sinkage, in line with what would be expected for a mattress claiming to be ‘medium sink’.
• Corner: 3.75” sinkage: this mattress shows slightly above average sinkage at the sides; but this in line with other mattresses claiming an overall ‘medium sink’.

Firmness

The Cocoon ‘soft’ option mattress has an overall firmness rating of 5.5.

It certainly does feel plusher and softer than other bed-in-a-box mattresses that we’ve tried. However, it still offers supportive qualities that fall in line with the ‘medium’ sleep spectrum.

The mattress would appear to be suitable for sleepers who weigh under 250lbs or couples with a combined weight of 500lbs or less.

Summary of sleeping positions:

• Back sleeping: this mattress offers enough support for back sleeping, while the softness still provides an appropriate amount of spinal alignment and pressure relief.
• Side sleeping: the plushness and softness of this mattress makes it a great option for side sleeping. You benefit from the subtle hug and contour to your body’s curves, while still feeling supported and aligned.
• Stomach sleeping: a firmer mattress is best for this sleeping position as it helps to properly maintain spinal alignment. We think that the Cocoon by Sealy ‘firm’ option may benefit those individuals who choose to sleep this way. However, this mattress still offers good support …
• Sitting: while there is a sinking feeling when sitting right on the edge, this is common in foam mattresses. Truthfully, we felt a little more supported on this mattress than some of the others we’ve reviewed in the past.

Breathability

Cocoon by Sealy does a pretty good job of sleeping cool, a huge benefit especially given the common tendency of memory foam mattresses to sleep hot.

The breathable cover allows for good airflow and temperature regulation. But it’s worth noting here that we are naturally cool sleepers to begin with (no pun intended!) so this tends not to be a huge issue for us in the first place.

Motion Transfer

Unless you sleep alone, chances are that the topic of motion transfer is going to rank pretty high on your list of priorities with your mattress.

When we looked at the motion transfer with the Cocoon mattress, we could confidently say that motion is minimized and isolated, making it ideal for couples.

Bottom line: no matter what kind of sleeper your partner is, he or she won’t disturb you with their movements (unless of course, they’re a kicker; then you’re on your own.)

Durability

The Cocoon by Sealy may be relatively new to the market but, as already pointed out, the company that stands behind it is anything but. As a giant of the mattress world, its quality testing is second-to-none.

Sealy’s flagship testing center in North Carolina performs proprietary and patented tests to ensure that their mattresses exceed standards and are built to last. Here’s what the company itself says about this:

“The ‘Rollator Surface Fatigue’ and ‘mattress durability impact test’ use 225lbs of force over and over to evaluate how our mattress stand up to wear and tear. The Cocoon by Sealy has been tested on over 100,000 cycles of each-simulating 10 years of use-to ensure our product lives up to our guarantee.”

Given that we’ve only been able to test this mattress for 30 days, and that it has only been on the market for a matter of months, it’s difficult for us to be definitive on how it will wear over time.

What we do know, though, is that Sealy has always used quality materials throughout their mattresses.

Should the mattress fail to stand up to its promises, the company’s generous 10-year warranty should provide peace of mind to anyone not convinced about the Sealy promises.

Edge Support

The edge support on the Cocoon mattress actually fairs a little better than some of the other foam mattresses we’ve reviewed in the past.

True, foam mattresses tend to be structurally weaker than coil or spring options, but the Cocoon provided us with enough support to keep us on the mattress and not on the floor – or feeling like we might end up there.

The Sleep Scouts Standout Feature

A quality mattress offering two firmness levels, supportive qualities, quick bounce back, comfortable contours, and cool sleeping.

The Cocoon by Sealy has practically all the bases covered: the ‘soft’ version that we tested is plush without feeling like you are sinking or drowning in the mattress. Rather, it offers supportive comfortable rebound so you sleep “in” your mattress with the body-hugging qualities to keep you aligned.

Best suited for back or side sleepers, you receive optimal spinal alignment and conforming qualities, coupled with coolness and heat-dispersing qualities.

Don’t worry stomach sleepers: this ‘soft’ version may work for you, but you might also want to consider the ‘firm’ option for a slightly more tailored sleep experience.

If It’s Good Enough for Oprah….

“If there’s anything better than a good night’s sleep, let me know, because I haven’t found it. What I have found is a memory-foam mattress that ships in a remarkably hassle-free box that will actually fit through your door. Open it up and hit the hay.”
– Oprah

“It truly is an honor for a new brand like Cocoon by Sealy to be named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things for 2016. It’s the season for giving, and what better gift than the gift of sleep? We’ve received fantastic reviews from consumers about the ease of delivery and setup, the quality of materials and the importance of ‘feel’ options. We are very proud that Oprah’s experience with our product was also so positive,”

Scott Thompson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tempur Sealy.

Bottom Line: Who Should Buy this Mattress?

It’s worth considering that the same components are evident in the Cocoon by Sealy mattress that put the company on the map in the first place.

It is an ideal choice for any individual or couple who want the peace of mind of going with a proven manufacturer; and who are looking to have a little choice when it comes to ordering a mattress in a box.

In fact, these are the two clear areas where the Cocoon may have an advantage over its bed-in-box competitors.

Whether it’s a softer or firmer feel you are after, it’s your decision to make. The no-hassle purchase process, good returns policy, and 100-day trial period only add to the peace of mind.

Suitable for most body weights up to 250lbs, it provides you with supportive, aligned sleep, body-conforming comfort, and a plush feel (the soft version at least) that is well suited in particular to individuals who prefer to sleep on their sides.

In the end, the Cocoon by Sealy is backed by almost 140 years of industry experience, and that’s not to be sniffed at. It’s affordable price, high-quality materials, and US-based manufacturing should be attractive to most people.

If you are looking for a medium-firm mattress, you would likely be better off trying the firm version, as the soft is pretty plush.

Frequently Asked Questions

Coupons & Discounts

• $75 off any mattress purchase – use code: save75

Resources:

• Warranty information: https://www.cocoonbysealy.com/warranty/
• General product information: https://www.cocoonbysealy.com
• Shipping information: https://www.cocoonbysealy.com/support/

Our Ratings

The following sets of ratings cover our own assessment of the product and the company, and also provide a guideline for key third-party ratings for the product.