Brooklyn Bedding cooling mattress review

Just over a month into using my new Brooklyn Bedding mattress, I have to admit something that’s, honestly, a bit unbecoming of a wellness editor whose team frequently writes about the importance of a good night’s sleep and proper sleep hygiene.

I’m a big fan of a pharmaceutical sleep aid.

Wait, actually, that’s not relevant here. What is relevant is that I’ve previously put almost no thought into my mattresses. I grabbed a middle-of-the-road IKEA mattress fresh out of college, and a few years ago, I switched to a cheap, albeit fine, memory foam option from Amazon.

A month ago, I finally got my first “big girl mattress,” — and while I can’t 100% guarantee this is connected, I’ve only popped a sleep aid once since then (and it was also something I was testing for a story).

About Brooklyn Bedding

Brooklyn Bedding isn’t actually in Brooklyn, but in Arizona. (It’s named after one of the founder’s daughters — cute!)

The brand was one of the pioneers of the now-ubiquitous “bed-in-a-box” model and offers a wide range of mattresses tailored to different needs. There’s one designed specifically for athletes, another made for plus-sized sleepers, and its most popular option features advanced cooling technology.

As a hot sleeper, that’s the one I got: the Aurora Luxe Cooling.

It has six layers: The first is the GlacioTex cooling cover that removes excess heat, followed by an optional cooling pillow top (which I opted for), and yet another layer designed to draw heat away. At the bottom is foam, a coil core for support, and base foam for durability.

Prices start at $999 for a twin and go up to $2,665 for a California king with a pillow top, with my pillow top queen costing $2,265.

Each mattress is made-to-order, so it took 10 days to ship from the day the order was placed. The brand has a 120-night “comfort trial” that begins upon delivery, and you can return it for just $99 at any point during that period.

The mattresses also come with a limited lifetime warranty that includes free repairs or replacements during the first 10 years, followed by prorated charges for as long as you own the mattress.

Mattress type: Hybrid (foam and coils) | Feel: Medium | Material: Premium smooth top weave with TitanCool technology, CopperFlex foam with TitanCool, TitanFlex foam, VariFlex transition foam, zoned Ascension coils and high-density base foam | Height: 13.25 inches | Number of layers: 6 | Sleep trial: 120 nights with free returns | Free Shipping: Yes | Warranty: 10-year-limited warranty

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Delivery and setup

For a big ‘ol mattress, it came in a pretty compact box that my doorman generously helped bring up to my apartment.

Generally, with new mattresses, the recommendation is that set-up is a two-person job. But, I am a woman, hear me roar, so I unpacked this baby by myself — and it was a full-body workout.

The queen-sized pillow-top weighs 115 pounds, which I couldn’t lift out of the box on my own. Instead, I laid it flat on its side and cut the cardboard away, eventually sliding the plastic-wrapped, curled-up mattress out with a series of little wiggles.

The next step — peeling off the layers of plastic — took a bit longer. The box says to do the final step — the unrolling — on top of your bed frame so it’s already where you want it to end up, but once I’d gotten a critical amount of plastic wrap off, the mattress started inflating and I sort of lost control of the situation.

With all the plastic cut away, it inflated to its full size pretty immediately (and fortunately didn’t have any sort of chemical smell). It took some very inelegant maneuvering to get the mattress onto my bed, facing the right way, but I did ultimately manage it. The whole event probably took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.

How long it was tested

I’ve been sleeping on the mattress for just over a month. Anything new in that sacred space that is the bedroom is an adjustment, so I spent the first few days getting used to my new bed, which felt different under my body but was also much taller than my last mattress, so I needed to fight against the muscle memory involved in flopping down onto my bed.

I liked the pillow top right away since it added that extra layer of cushion. The mattress itself is a bit firmer than I expected. I went with medium firmness, but this feels like a seven on a scale of one to 10. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but worth noting when you’re choosing how soft or firm you want yours.

To its credit, Brooklyn Bedding recommends either soft or medium firmness based on my sleep position (combination of side/stomach) and weight (none of your business), so I probably should have gone with the former. The brand also has showrooms all over the country, including not far from me in Manhattan, so it’s really kind of on me not going to test it out first.

How we tested

Comfortability: As I said, I wish I’d gone for soft instead of medium firmness because I like to sink into the bed a bit more. I think I’m also used to mattresses getting softer over time, but then again, I’ve always had cheap mattresses — this doesn’t feel like it’s going to deteriorate under my weight the same way as my old ones.

That being said, for a slightly firmer mattress, it is comfortable, and I’ve had a really easy time falling asleep (and reading, watching TV, and even working from home a little) on it.

Support: This is super supportive, and so far, I’ve had none of those mornings where you wake up with a weird crick in your neck or pull in your back because something didn’t line up properly during the night.

Heat Level: Anyone who’s lived in a pre-war NYC apartment knows that the radiators are no joke — and aren’t always controllable. I’m already a hot sleeper, so my radiator’s been the bane of my existence, and I frequently get sweaty during the night.

The worst is the late fall and early spring when it’s really not that cold outside, so the heat makes the room extra warm. This mattress arrived during that not-so-sweet spot, and I’ve definitely been less sweaty while using it.

Now the radiator seems to be off for the season, and I’m thrilled at the prospect of blasting the AC, building my little blanket cocoon — and knowing I’ve got layers underneath me that will draw my body heat away.

The final verdict

The cooling feature of this mattress was a big draw for me, and I’m pleased with how well it works. I’ve even woken up a couple times wearing a (really adorable) matching sweatshirt and sweatpants, an outfit I’d have been tearing off in an overheated fit after falling asleep with it on with my last mattress.

I’m also kind of annoyed to discover that more expensive mattresses do actually feel more expensive. I could see it the moment it was on my bed frame and could feel it while running my hands over the surface. It also has a really sturdy quality that makes me feel confident I’ll have it for a long, long time.

I definitely think it’s worth it, but learn from me (that is why you’re reading this review, isn’t it?), visit a showroom if you can, and test out firmness levels before placing your order.

How to pick the best mattress

The Aurora Luxe Cooling is meant for all kinds of sleepers, but the firmness level you pick is based on a few factors.

Brooklyn Bedding recommends choosing soft if you’re predominantly a side sleeper and want more pressure point relief and like being “hugged” by your mattress.

The brand says the medium is your best bet if you sleep in a combination of positions, want a balance between contouring and support, or “prefer the feeling of sleeping above your bed’s top layers.” It’s also the top option for compromising couples.

Finally, firm is recommended for stomach and/or back sleepers, those who require extra lumbar support, and, in my opinion, masochists.

If you click “view details” next to the firmness drop-down menu, it also provides a chart based on your sleep position and weight.

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