Beautyrest Mattress Review

A mattress is a significant investment for most people, and the variety available is staggering. With so many choices, it’s difficult to make up your mind.

Simmons is a venerable name in the mattress industry and one of the oldest mattress manufacturers in the United States. Rather than spread their efforts over dozens of models, they now focus on two lines of Beautyrest mattresses.

In this review, you’ll learn if the Beautyrest mattress is right for you and get a few tips on how to buy the perfect mattress.

A Note on Simmons Bedding Company

In a lot of ways, Simmons is the grandfather of the American mattress industry. Founded in 1870, some sources claim that Simmons mattresses were even used on the Titanic.

Whether you believe all the stories or not, it’s a fact that Simmons holds over 80 patents related to mattresses and is one of the leading developers of mattress technology.

In 1925, Simmons engineers developed a machine that packed coil springs into fabric much faster than anything available at the time. This pocketed coil design formed the basis for the Simmons Beautyrest mattress and marked the start of the product line.

In 1958, they became the first company to sell Queen and King size mattresses. And in 1995, their famous bowling ball commercial helped make Beautyrest the gold standard for spring mattresses.

Picking Out the Right Mattress

It’s tempting to go into a mattress store and start laying on every mattress to feel out the one you want.

However, that strategy won’t serve you all too well. You might end up with a mattress that felt great when you tried it but proves to be inadequate after some use.

Instead, consider these factors:

Sleep Position

Some mattresses fit the way you typically sleep better than others.

If you mostly sleep on your back, you’ll want a firmer mattress. Lying on your back mostly aligns your spine, head, and legs, so you want to maintain that alignment.

But, you don’t have to aim for an ironing board. Your body weight also plays a role in how far you sink, so a mattress with medium firmness might also be a good choice.

If you sleep on your stomach, you’re in a minority, as it’s the least common sleeping position. And you’re not doing yourself any favors. However, the proper mattress can help alleviate some issues that stomach-sleepers often have.

Aim for a medium to firm mattress as a stomach-sleeper. A soft mattress can cause your spine to dip and create back problems with extended use.

Side sleepers, on the other hand, fare best with a very soft mattress. Distributing pressure equally to keep a neutral spine is difficult with your hips and shoulders in the way.

A soft mattress allows everything to fall into place nicely and prevents joint pain.

Body Weight

Your body weight impacts how pressure is distributed from the mattress. Generally, lighter people can get away with a softer mattress because their weight won’t compress it as much.

Mattress firmness standards use a ten-point scale, with one being the softest and ten being the firmest. If you’re 150lbs or below, you’ll probably want a mattress in the 3-5 range. Light side-sleepers can go even lower to a 1 or 2 on the firmness scale.

The industry standard of 5-7 on the firmness scale is designed for the average adult in mind. That’s to say; it’s made for people that weigh between 150 and 200lbs.

People heavier than 200lbs are better off with firmer beds. The firm surface prevents the mattress from sinking too far and creating unnecessary on small areas of the body.

Hefty users (300+ lbs.) might consider a thicker mattress as well to accommodate them better. You can read this article for tips on how to select a mattress if you’re in that weight range.

Material and Type

Another consideration is the material your mattress will be made of.

Innerspring mattresses are by far the most common, but many people don’t like how they feel. If you do buy an innerspring mattress, more springs are generally better.

How soft and comfortable they are also depends mainly on the pillow-top. So, you might consider getting a mattress topper for a little added cushion if you own a firm bed.

Memory foam is also very popular for mattresses; it’s excellent at molding to your body shape and great for people who shift positions frequently while they sleep. Memory foam is very shock absorbent too, so if you sleep with a partner, they won’t be disturbed by your jostling and vice versa.

Latex foam is similar to memory foam but provides better support. Latex mattresses tend to be firmer, especially for heavier people since the foam compresses. However, if you prefer a softer mattress, latex may not be for you.

Lastly, air mattresses aren’t very common but offer a lot of advantages. The firmness can be adjusted dynamically, and often you can control each side’s firmness separately.

They’re perfect for couples that need dramatically different levels of firmness to be comfortable. However, they’re deceptive, and people often misjudge what firmness they need without experience.

Beautyrest Hybrid Review

Beautyrest is Simmons’s flagship brand, and it’s divided into two sub-categories. Beautyrest Hybrid models are the newcomer and have a lower price point, while Beautyrest Black has long been their best-selling line and has pricier models.

The Beautyrest Hybrid is 13.5” thick. That’s considerably thicker than the standard six to nine inches of the average mattress. If you’re wondering about the “Hybrid” in the name, it alludes to the fact that this mattress combines both coils and memory foam in its construction.

The extra space accommodates Simmons’s exclusive Pocketed Coil technology. The high-carbon coils are individually wrapped rather than being connected. This allows each to move independently and prevents motion transfer across the mattress.

It has a firmness rating of 6.5, so it’s appropriate for a majority of adult users. The surface of the mattress features Simmons’s ContourFit design, which stretches as you move for added comfort.

Additionally, it has a system of layers underneath the cover that keep it cool to the touch even with extended use.

It also features three comfort layers. The cover has a 1” gel memory foam pad quilted into it that serves as a topper. Underneath is a 2” layer of gel memory foam, and underneath that is a 1” layer of medium comfort foam.

The resulting 4” of padding before getting to the 9.5” of pocketed coils is plenty to provide a soft comfort to most users. The entire perimeter also has reinforced foam edges.

Simmons only uses CertiPUR-US certified foams in all their products, and that goes for the Hybrid. Furthermore, every mattress comes with a 10-year limited warranty

Pros:

Here’s where the Beautyrest Hybrid stands out:

• It’s excellent at preventing motion transfer. The 1000 Series Pocketed Coils are fantastic at supporting each sleeper individually. The memory foam layer helps prevent motion transfer as well, making this an excellent mattress for people who sleep together.
• The InfiniCool cover actually makes a difference in how hot the mattress gets. People who tend to get warm will appreciate the temperature control that this mattress offers. Memory foam mattresses tend to be a little hotter, but the spring support core helps cool the mattress from within.
• Despite the memory foam layers, you won’t sink too far into the Beautyrest Hybrid. The memory foam provides a decent amount of support, but the springs ultimately serve as a backstop, and even heavy sleepers won’t feel trapped in the bed.
• Side-sleepers will love how well this mattress supports spinal alignment. Average to heavy sleepers are better served by the memory foam top than light sleepers, but the difference isn’t significant.
• It has exceptional edge support. People who like to sleep on or close to the side of the bed will find it provides excellent support. Reinforced with the very firm foam, the edges can sustain a lot of weight without collapsing and making you feel like you might roll out of bed.
• The thickness of the mattress adds substantial height to your bed. The extra height makes it very easy to get on and off the mattress. With an average box spring, your bed will likely be well above knee-height.
• When bought from their official site, the Beautyrest Hybrid comes with a 100-night in-home trial, so you can return it at any point in the first 100 nights for a full refund. And it includes free white-glove delivery anywhere in the US except Alaska and Hawaii.

Cons:

But, there are a few things where it falls short:

• Very light sleepers, under 150lbs, might find it a little uncomfortable when sleeping on their sides. Side sleepers in that weight category might be more comfortable with a softer mattress.
• People who like very firm mattresses, on the other hand, might be put off by the gel memory foam layer.

Bottom Line

The Beautyrest Hybrid makes good on the promise of delivering a hybrid feel between a spring mattress and a foam one. It’s thick, supportive, and has minimal motion transfer. However, there’s only one firmness option for this mattress. While it will be an exceptional fit for most sleepers, not everyone will be happy with it, which is why the 100-night in-home trial is an excellent value.

Beautyrest Black

The Beautyrest Black is the more deluxe of the two with a few built-in and optional extras to increase the comfort for individual sleepers.

The standard version is relatively firm, rating about 7 to 7.5 on the scale. Excellent for heavier sleepers.

The standard Black mattress has a quilted rayon and polyester top layer with the BlackICE 4.0 system. Underneath the cover layer is an inch of gel memory foam followed by a 1.5” transitional foam layer before reaching the T3 Pocketed Coils.

The entire mattress is rimmed with a high-density BeautyEdge layer that provides edge support all around.

The mattress is 13” thick in the standard version, slightly less so than the Hybrid.

For warmer climates, Simmons offers a cooling upgrade for the Beautyrest Black. The upgrade adds a layer of RightTemp memory foam that helps draw away heat and makes the mattress about 20% cooler.

A further Comfort upgrade will add a GelTouch foam plush pillow top to the mattress. The Comfort upgrade is geared towards people who need a softer mattress.

Pros:

As a flagship mattress for such a storied company, the Beautyrest Black has a lot going for it:

• With four comfort layers before reaching the pocketed coils, this mattress is exceptional at preventing motion transfer. Even the most active partner won’t disturb your sleep much in this mattress.
• Back and stomach sleepers of any weight will love the standard version of this mattress, as it provides firm, edge-to-edge support. The Comfort upgrade will make it a little softer for those who like to sleep on their side or prefer a plusher mattress.
• The BlackICE 4.0 cover keeps the mattress very cool throughout the night. If you overheat during the night, or you’re worried about a mattress trapping body heat, this is the one for you.
• You (mostly) get the best of both worlds. All-foam mattresses are getting more popular these days, but not everyone likes them. This offers you a happy middle ground between a bouncy, innerspring build, and a memory foam top layer.

Cons:

• It’s a firm mattress. If you don’t like firm mattresses, you might not be comfortable with this one. You can mitigate some of that with the Comfort upgrade, but side-sleepers under 150lbs might still find it a little pressure at the hip and shoulder.
• The Beautyrest Black is a luxury mattress and carries a price tag to match.

Bottom Line

In short, this mattress is very similar to the Hybrid, but it’s a little better in just about every way. It won’t contour to your body like a full memory foam mattress, but the inner springs have a great bounce and feel. It also comes with all the same warranties, free delivery, and a trial period when ordered from Beautyrest’s official site.

Final Word

Both of these mattresses are an excellent choice for the average sleeper.

Neither is a budget option, and the Black is the more expensive of the two. But they offer great value for the money with a slew of cutting-edge features. And they both have a 100-night free trial, so they’re worth at least testing out.