After struggling through a recent sleep-killing heatwave, I've finally managed to get my hands on the CoolNest Memory Foam Mattress, now $399.99 (was $699.99) at SweetNight in the 4th of July sales. The CoolNest Mattress is designed to add cooling comfort to your sleep set-up — but does it deliver on its promise?
The best mattresses on the market typically have some degree of cooling features, as overheating stops you from falling asleep. The CoolNest takes things up a level. A dedicated cooling model, it uses an airflow-boosting cooling cover and heat-dissipating Phase Change Material (PCM) to guarantee a bed that's 8°F cooler than standard memory foam mattresses.
But as mattresses don't always live up to their hefty promises, I decided to give the SweetNight CoolNest Mattress a try ahead of the 4th of July mattress sales (and another heatwave). While a full review is coming soon, here is my first impression of the SweetNight CoolNest Mattress.
Easy to set up
Like the best mattresses in a box, the CoolNest is shipped compressed, rolled up, and wrapped in plastic. This shipping method means the CoolNest needs to be unboxed, unwrapped, and left to expand.
I unboxed the CoolNest with a fellow mattress tester (unboxing a mattress tends to be a two-person job) and we were pleasantly surprised how easy it was to set up. We had previously unboxed a bulky hybrid mattress, so the all-foam CoolNest was a dream in comparison. There was minimal off-gassing, too.
As for the expansion time, there's little to worry about — it was ready in hours. Fresh from the box it did look slightly squished (especially at the corners) and I worried we'd be waiting a while to test it. Plus, SweetNight writes on their website that it takes its mattresses 72 hours to fully expand.
However, the CoolNest Mattress seemed to plump up to its full size within hours of unboxing, and the brand says their beds are safe to sleep on within 6 hours of opening.
Immediately cool to the touch
Now for what you came for — the CoolNest's cooling properties. Straight from the box I felt the mattress's cover, and the CoolNest was immediately cool to the touch. We unboxed the CoolNest in the same lab as the Plank Firm Luxe, and all I can say is that the Plank's cover felt like a radiator compared to the CoolNest.
It's all well and good for a mattress to feel cool on first touch, but what's the CoolNest like after it's soaked up your body warmth? During our temperature regulation tests, I lay on the CoolNest for 15 minutes. That's ample time for it to warm up but not once did I feel heat building beneath me.
The CoolNest's cooling performance is no surprise, as it uses the heat-dissipating materials found in some of the best cooling mattresses on the market. PCM, for example, is used in the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress (our favorite cooling mattress) and has been proven to lower skin temperature and improve human heat dissipation up to 25.6% (compared to conventional mattresses).
Ideal for side and back sleeping
My fellow mattress tester (Ruth Jones) and I have different sleep needs and sleep in different positions, so we both tried out the CoolNext to compare thoughts.
I'm a side and back sleeper, and I felt the most comfortable on the SweetNight in these positions. While it isn't the plushest or most cushioning mattress (there's no pillow top), it still hugged my pressure points when side sleeping to distribute weight and prevent soreness. I also felt my hips and spine were properly aligned when sleeping on my back, to reduce tension.
Ruth, who is a stomach sleeper through and through, didn't feel comfortable on her front (her hips dipped into the surface). But she loved sleeping on the mattress in the back and side sleeping positions.
My thoughts on the SweetNight CoolNest mattress so far
Overall, my first impression of the SweetNight Cooling Mattress is that of a mattress that outperforms its budget price tag. It provides the temperature regulation of the best luxury mattresses, using state-of-the-art cooling tech to dissipate heat for a refreshing feel.
As for comfort and support, it has the classic body-hugging feel of the best memory foam mattresses, providing great comfort for side sleepers and support for back sleepers — even if stomach sleepers will need something firmer.
