Brooklyn Bedding Essential Mattress Review
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This no-frills Brooklyn Bedding mattress offers many of the same features that earned the brand its respected reputation but at a more affordable price point. The medium firm (6) feel works for a wide range of sleeping positions and body types but is especially well-suited to side sleeping.
- Solid support for back and side sleepers over 130 pounds
- Accessible price point for budget shoppers and value seekers
- Not enough cushioning for most people under 130 pounds
- Light sleepers may notice motion transfer
Brooklyn Bedding is an Arizona-based mattress brand that features in-house manufacturing. It was established in 1995, and since 2008, the company has been shipping beds directly to consumers through the mattress-in-a-box model. The majority of Brooklyn Bedding’s models feature hybrid constructions that combine foam comfort layers with a pocketed coil support core.
Our review focuses on the Brooklyn Essential Mattress. We’ll cover its performance in seven key categories before delving into its construction and what our testing team thought after trying it.
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SMART MATCHING
Is the Brooklyn Bedding Essential Right for You?
Use the filters below to see how well the Brooklyn Bedding Essential lines up with your unique needs. We'll also give you a couple other recommendations based on your answers.
TEST LAB RATINGS
How the Brooklyn Bedding Essential Scored
Motion Isolation6.5/10
With more than two inches of polyfoam, this bed aims to absorb surface vibrations, but our tests found that it allows a decent amount of motion transfer despite its foam comfort layer. If you wake easily while co-sleeping, you may want to seek out a model with thicker foam.
When we did our kettlebell test, there was a good amount of motion that transferred to the other side of the bed.
Pressure Relief7.0/10
The two polyfoam layers and coil support core combine to give this bed mid-range pressure relief. Heavier side sleepers and back sleepers will get the most benefit from its blend of pushback and cushioning. Those who need deep pressure relief should look to a bed with memory foam or latex.
Brad Nehring, Product Testing Manager: The foam is fairly thin and not compressive, so it’s not going to give you as much cushioning as a thick, adaptive memory foam.
Temperature Control7.5/10
Lightly conforming foams combined with ventilated pocketed coils in the support core allow air to flow around sleepers, which means less heat buildup. That said, without added thermoregulating materials in the foam or other special features often found in cooling mattresses, the Essential may not have the cool-to-the-touch feel that some hot sleepers seek.
None of the materials in this mattress are body-hugging, so it never gets super warm. It’s a worthy choice for hot sleepers on a budget
Edge Support7.5/10
During our tests, the Essential’s high-density foams were resistant to compression and held their shape well under pressure. Reinforced steel coils around the perimeter also help keep the edges from sagging. But sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds and those with mobility issues may prefer a firmer mattress with a sturdier perimeter.
Logan Foley, Executive Product Director: The perimeter reinforcement certainly helps keep the edges strong, but I did notice some compression when I sat on the edge for a while.
Ease of Movement7.5/10
Our testing team gave the Essential high marks for ease of movement. With responsive coils and resilient polyfoam, the Essential springs back to its original shape quickly. This material combination creates a resilient surface that’s easy to move around on — it’s a good fit for combination sleepers and people who don’t like feeling restricted.
The surface is more responsive than it is restrictive; it’s got an even feel rather than a compressive one. Combination sleepers and people who move around a lot shouldn’t feel stuck.
Durability7.0/10
The Brooklyn Bedding Essential mattress is a hybrid model that features polyfoam (denser than memory foam) and pocketed coils. This combination usually means a longer mattress life. However, its durability score is just slightly above average because the polyfoam layers aren’t very thick (just 2.25 inches combined). Sleepers should still expect around six or seven years of mattress life.
HANDS-ON TESTING
Testing Team Takeaways
To test the Brooklyn Bedding Essential Mattress, we had three people on our testing team take the bed home and test it for one week. Here are their initial observations.
Colin Simpson
Product Research Manager · Side · 190 lbs
Side · 190 lbs
“I think for the price, the Essential is a really versatile mattress. It doesn’t have tons of bells and whistles, but its performance is solid all around.”
Logan Foley
Executive Product Director · Side · 140 lbs
Side · 140 lbs
“Some medium firm mattresses work well for me, but this one just didn’t have enough cushioning. I woke up with some pressure points under my hips and shoulders.”
Brad Nehring
Product Testing Manager · Side · 215 lbs
Side · 215 lbs
“I don’t love the feeling of sinking into a mattress, so the Essential was a win for me. I felt really supported and never got that ‘stuck in bed’ feeling.”
Who it Fits
Fit by Sleep Position and Body Weight
Sizes, dimensions and weights
Side Sleepers
During our tests, the Essential performed best for side sleepers above 130 pounds. These testers liked its mix of lightly conforming polyfoam and responsive coils, saying it gave them very good pressure relief around the shoulders and hips but didn’t let them sink too much.
The Brooklyn Essential’s medium firm (6) feel didn’t have enough cushioning for our testers under 130 pounds. They thought the polyfoam layers and sturdy coils were overly firm and didn’t have enough contouring to combat pressure buildup.
Back Sleepers
The Essential’s hybrid construction makes it a great fit for back sleepers over 130 pounds. This group benefits from the mattress’ balanced feel, which provides plenty of support to the lower back without sacrificing comfort. Our back sleepers under 130 pounds said they prefer a softer model with deeper cushioning.
Stomach Sleepers
Our testing team found that the Essential is moderately comfortable for stomach sleepers over 130 pounds, but it didn’t perform well for testers under 130. Its even sleep surface keeps heavier stomach sleepers situated “on” their mattress and it doesn’t allow their spines to bend. However, that same structured surface proved too firm for our testers under 130.
Construction
Inside the Brooklyn Bedding Essential
Cover
Cotton, polyester
1.5″ Comfort Layer
polyfoam 0.75″ polyfoam
8″ Support Core
pocketed coils 0.25″ polyfoam
Other Brooklyn Bedding Beds You Might Like
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
9.0/109.0/10 · $671 – $1,631
Hybrid · Medium Soft (4), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Hybrid
8.9/108.9/10 · $559 – $1,026
Hybrid · Medium Firm (6)
Brooklyn Bedding Spartan
8.9/108.9/10 · $769 – $1,889
Hybrid · Medium Soft (4), Medium Firm (6), Firm (7)
FAQs
Availability
You can buy the Essential Mattress through the Brooklyn Bedding website and in the company’s brick-and-mortar Arizona showrooms. They’re also sold in select partner stores across the U.S.
Shipping
Mattresses purchased online from Brooklyn Bedding ship for free within the contiguous U.S. Shipping is available to Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada for an additional cost. The mattress is shipped compressed and rolled inside a box.
Additional Services
Brooklyn Bedding doesn’t provide White Glove delivery or in-home setup services.
Sleep Trial
The Brooklyn Essential comes with a 120-night sleep trial with a mandatory 30-night break-in period. The sleep trial only applies to orders in the U.S. and Canada.
Warranty
Brooklyn Bedding offers a lifetime warranty. Repairs and replacements are free during the first 10 years, then owners pay a prorated fee that increases each year after that.
Jeremy is a sleep product tester with a passion for methodology and data collection. He’s spent the last six years at Sleep Foundation testing nearly every mattress, pillow, and sheet on the market, and has gained a holistic understanding of how to get the most accurate and universal results possible. When he’s not working, Jeremy likes to make music, play tennis, and watch old movies.