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Leesa Mattress Review: Expert Tested
An all-foam mattress with gentle cushioning and excellent motion isolation.
Sleep Foundation
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The Sleep Foundation product testing team uses an industry-leading evaluation process paired with real world consumer feedback to come up with objective recommendations so that you can feel confident in your product decisions.
Ranked #2 on our Best Memory Foam Mattresses list
The budget-friendly Leesa Original provides a provides a well-rounded experience that out-performs most all-foam mattresses. This bed performs particularly well with side and back sleepers, and has great motion isolation for couples.
- Excellent motion isolation
- All-foam construction cushions the body without excessive hug
- Affordable price-point
- Perimeter may buckle when bearing weight
- Inadequate support for most sleepers over 230 pounds
Leesa was one of the first big names in the online mattress industry. The company earned acclaim for its first mattress, the Leesa Original, an all-foam offering that is still a core part of the brand’s product line.
The Leesa Original is the most affordable of the company’s mattresses. It is 10 inches tall, and its medium (5) level of firmness appeals to a broad range of sleepers.
To understand how the Leesa Original stacks up to the competition, we brought it into our Test Lab and had our expert team analyze all aspects of its performance.
We’ll cover everything that we found out so that you can make an informed decision about whether the Leesa is the right mattress for you.
SMART MATCHING
Is the Leesa Original Right for You?
Use the filters below to see how well the Leesa Original lines up with your unique needs. We'll also give you a couple other recommendations based on your answers.
TEST LAB RATINGS
How the Leesa Original Scored
Motion Isolation8.0/10
In our testing, the Leesa Mattress earned high marks for motion isolation. The foam layers absorb the vast majority of vibrations, so you barely notice when there’s movement on the other side of the bed. All of our testers thought this would be a good choice for couples.
The top two foam layers work together extremely well to isolate motion. There were only light vibrations from movement elsewhere on the mattress, making this a great option for couples.
Pressure Relief8.0/10
The Leesa Mattress offers solid pressure relief. Its memory foam layer offers essential contouring, but the polyfoam layer above it prevents the hug from feeling overwhelming.
As a result, there’s a pleasant balance between support and cushioning that suits many sleepers. That said, people who want a very firm feel or, conversely, a cloud-like hug may be disappointed with this mattress.
Jeremy Klein, Product Testing Manager: I was happy with the pressure relief on the Leesa Mattress. Its moderate contouring did enough to support my hips and shoulders so that my spine stayed in a neutral position.
Temperature Control7.0/10
The Leesa Mattress sleeps cooler than other memory foam models, though as an all-foam bed, it can still run warm.
Heat retention is most likely to be a problem for people who already tend to sleep hot. It may also be worse for people who weigh over 230 pounds. These sleepers push further down into the foam, trapping heat around the body.
Logan Foley, Executive Product Director: I’m not the hottest sleeper, but I could still feel some warmth building up over time. It’s not excessive, but this might not be the right mattress for people who run hot.
Edge Support6.0/10
In our testing, a lack of edge support on the Leesa was a common complaint from our team members. The foam layers are weakest around the perimeter, which can cause noticeable compression when you’re sitting or lying down close to the edge.
While this didn’t make the mattress feel unstable, it made it harder to take advantage of the full surface of the mattress. Compression around the edges can also make it more difficult to get in and out of bed.
The foam compression is really noticeable when you’re near the perimeter of this mattress. I wouldn’t say that I felt like I was going to roll off the bed, but I prefer a mattress with more reliable edges.
Ease of Movement7.0/10
The Leesa Mattress isn’t exceedingly bouncy, but it also doesn’t feel like quicksand. In our testing, most people found that the ease of movement was perfectly adequate, and they were able to adjust sleeping positions without significant difficulty.
However, the further a person sinks into the bed, the greater the resistance to movement. As a result, it can be much harder for people over 230 pounds to move on the Leesa Mattress.
Jeremy Klein, Product Testing Manager: Despite having a thick memory foam layer, I found it relatively easy to move on top of the Leesa. But it might be a bit trickier for people with a higher body weight who sink further into the foam.
Durability6.5/10
The Leesa Original should last six to seven years, which is about average for a foam mattress. Over time, foam wears down, which may lead to permanent body indentations, uneven areas, and sagging. That said, the Leesa Original uses mostly polyfoam, with only two inches of the less-durable memory foam, so we don’t expect it to wear out early.
Video
Leesa Video Review
Watch the video below to see how the Leesa Mattress performed when put to the test in our lab.
HANDS-ON TESTING
Testing Team Takeaways
To test the Leesa Mattress, we had three people on our testing team each take the bed home with them for one week. Here are their initial observations.
Jeremy Klein
Product Testing Manager · Side sleeper · 160 lbs.
Side sleeper · 160 lbs.
The Leesa Original feels comfortable right off the bat. When lying on my side, I felt moderate contouring of my shoulders and hips, and I woke up without any aches or pains.
Brad Nehring
Product Testing Manager · Back sleeper · 215 lbs.
Back sleeper · 215 lbs.
This mattress didn’t feel hot at all through the night, which was great for me as a warm sleeper. But with a relatively thin comfort system, its cushioning may be lacking for people with a higher body weight.
Logan Foley
Executive Product Director · Side sleeper · 140 lbs.
Side sleeper · 140 lbs.
I agree with Jeremy about the support for side sleeping. On top of that, I thought the motion isolation was great. My only real concern with this mattress was that it felt somewhat unstable around the edges.
Who it Fits
Fit by Sleep Position and Body Weight
Sizes, dimensions and weights
Side Sleepers
A key need for side sleepers is cushioning around the hips and shoulders, and the foam layers of the Leesa Mattress effectively provide that cushioning. In our testing, side sleepers under 230 pounds said that the mattress felt comfortable and encouraged healthy spinal alignment.
By contrast, side sleepers over 230 pounds felt that there was too much cushioning and a lack of firmness. These testers found their hips and shoulders sinking into the mattress, pulling them out of alignment with the rest of the body.
Back Sleepers
Our testing found that the Leesa Original Mattress is only well suited to back sleepers who weigh under 130 pounds. With a lower body weight, these sleepers don’t push as deeply into the foam. That allows them to settle into a posture with their lower back supported and the rest of the spine in a neutral position.
Back sleepers over 130 pounds tended to feel their midsection pressing too far into the top layers, which reduced comfort and support.
Stomach Sleepers
Most of our stomach sleeping testers found the Leesa to be too plush for their sleep needs. With its medium (5) firmness level and moderate contouring, the mattress allows stomach sleepers to nestle too far down into the bed. This can feel suffocating when lying face-down, and it may also cause the abdomen to fall out of line with the hips and upper torso.
Construction
Inside the Leesa Original
Cover
Breathable knit cover
4″ Comfort Layer
GreenFlex biofoam and supportive memory foam
6″ Support Core
Durable support foam
Other Leesa Beds You Might Like
Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid
9.0/109.0/10 · $1,199 – $2,009
Hybrid · Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (7)
Leesa Legend
9.1/109.1/10 · $1,999 – $2,999
Hybrid · Medium Firm (6)
Leesa Oasis Chill Hybrid Mattress
8.4/108.4/10 · $1,259 – $2,039
Hybrid · Medium Soft (4), Medium (5)
Buying It
Warranty, Shipping, and Delivery
365 Night
Sleep Trial
Lifetime
Warranty
Free
Shipping and Returns
$179+
White Glove Delivery
Where Can I Buy Leesa Mattress?
The Leesa Mattress is available to shoppers in all 50 states. Online, it can be purchased from Leesa’s website and on Amazon. The mattress can also be found in many brick-and-mortar stores, including Pottery Barn, West Elm, and various partner mattress showrooms.
Leesa has a separate website for people in Canada, and the product offerings and prices can vary relative to the U.S. site.
Shipping
When purchased directly from Leesa, the mattress ships for free to all 50 states. Shipping policies may be different if you buy the mattress from Amazon.
The Lessa Original Mattress usually arrives within 5 to 14 business days. The mattress is compressed and shipped in a box that gets delivered to your home.
Once you carry the box into your bedroom and open the packaging, the mattress will decompress to reach its full size. You should wait for about an hour before sleeping on the mattress. It can take up to a few days for the mattress to reach its full height and firmness.
Additional Services
Leesa partners with a third-party service provider called LoadUp, which offers mattress installation and removal. LoadUp works nationwide, and you can get more information about the cost of their services in your area during the online checkout process.
If you select White Glove delivery with LoadUp, Leesa will first send the mattress to your house. Then, you’ll coordinate with LoadUp for installation.
Sleep Trial
The Leesa Original comes with a 365-night sleep trial. Leesa asks that you keep the bed for a minimum of 30 nights. If you request a return, Leesa will help coordinate pickup or donation of the mattress.
There is a $100 return fee for customers in Alaska and Hawaii.
Warranty
Leesa provides a lifetime warranty. This warranty covers defects in materials and manufacturing and includes repairing or replacing a defective mattress free of charge for the first 10 years. However, you must pay for any shipping costs related to the warranty claim. Beginning in year 11, you’ll pay a percentage of the original mattress price to have it replaced. This percentage increases each year through year 20.
FAQs
What is the firmness of the Leesa Original?
The Leesa Original mattress has a medium firmness, which is a 5 out of 10 on our firmness scale. In our testing, this firmness level worked best for side sleepers of all body weights, as well as back sleepers weighing under 130 pounds. The Leesa Original was too soft for most stomach sleepers, as well as back sleepers weighing over 130 pounds.
What is the difference between Leesa Original and Tuft & Needle?
The Leesa Original and the Tuft & Needle Original are both all-foam mattresses that excel in pressure relief and come with a 100-night sleep trial. The biggest difference between the two models is price — the Tuft and Needle is more budget-friendly but might not be as long-lasting as a result. The Leesa Original also rates slightly higher than the Tuft and Needle in our testing.
What are common Leesa mattress complaints?
Complaints about Leesa mattresses are usually specific to the mattress model — there don’t seem to be common complaints made about the brand overall. For example, sleepers weighing more than 200 or so pounds tend to complain that the Leesa Original is too soft. The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is a firmer model, yet some sleepers complain that it doesn’t have a very conforming feel.
Ultimately, the best Leesa mattress for a sleeper depends on their unique body and needs.
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.