Shopping for a new mattress on a budget? You could do much worse than choosing a Classic Brands mattress. This budget brand and their wide range of affordable mattresses are available at several different retailers, both online and at physical retail stores.
But does buying cheap mean that you’ll quickly have to buy twice? Not necessarily. In this review, we’ll be covering Classic Brands as a mattress company and taking a look at their most popular mattress; the Cool Gel mattress.
If you’ve been delaying your mattress purchase so you can perform more research, this is the Classic Brands review you’ve been looking for.
Classic Brands Mattress Overview
The Classic Brands Mattress Is Perfect For
The Classic Brands Mattress Isn’t Great For
- Those who must have a memory foam mattress
- Those who sleep warm and struggle with night sweats
- Those of average weight (between 130 to 230 lb)
- Those who like to feel as if they're floating on their bed
- Those who like a firmer mattress
- Budget conscious shoppers
- Those who prefer a bouncy mattress
Buying A Classic Brands Mattress
Classic Brands beds are available in most retail outlets. That includes the usual retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart. You can also buy direct by heading over to their website where you will also find accessories and other related bedding products.
As with most mattresses in this category, you’ll be buying what is known as a “bed in a box”. As the name suggests, these mattresses come pre-rolled and compressed so they can be slid into a compact cardboard box for shipping.
Once your new mattress has been delivered, you will need to install it by removing it from its box and laying it onto a bed frame for a few hours. This will allow it to decompress and find its natural shape and size.
Don’t be surprised if you notice an odor which is referred to as off gassing. This is normal for cheaper memory foam mattresses and should dissipate after a few days.
How Much is a Classic Brands Mattress?
Classic Brand’s USP and what attracts most people to the company is their low and very competitive prices. Mattresses don’t really come much cheaper than this, especially ones that contain cooling measures such as gel infusions.
The queen size Cool Gel mattress runs at around $240 for a queen size which is big enough for most people. If you’re only looking for a twin, you can pick up one of these mattresses for around $170. Great value if you need new beds for children or if you’re replacing your own.
The other mattresses within the Classic Brands range vary in price depending on whether you go for their hybrid or innerspring models, but all are affordable.
What is remarkable is that Classic Brands are willing to offer a 100 night sleep trial and 10 year warranty with this bed. Fantastic service when you consider the price.
Mattress Construction & Quality
The Classic Brands Cool Gel 1.0 is an all-foam mattress that utilizes layers of both memory foam and polyfoam to construct the core of the bed. As the name suggests, superior cooling is the focal point of this mattress and Classic Brands have included several features to make this mattress as cool as possible.
The first thing you’ll notice is the basic yet effective outer cover. It’s made from a four way stretch knit top material (a combination of rayon, spandex and polyester) which has charcoal panels on the sides for added breathability. This stretchy fabric is designed to work in harmony with memory foam to improve body conformity and “huggability”.
Within this cover you’ll find 3 separate foam layers with each performing a specific task, again working in harmony to provide a cool, supportive and comfortable nights sleep.
The top layer is constructed from 2 inches of gel memory foam. This layer is designed to provide the most amount of comfort and contouring for your body as you sleep on it.
This is achieved by allowing your body to sink into the surface a little, allowing the memory foam to hug and cradle your body. This pressure relieving effect is perfect for side and back sleepers who usually struggle with pain in their pressure points (shoulders, hips and knees).
This gel infused layer almost provides most of the cooling capability of this mattress. The gel makes for a surface that is cold to the touch which is going to help dissipate the heat that accumulates throughout the night.
The result is a memory foam mattress that is cooler than most in this price range.
The middle layer is made from a breathable gel-polyfoam material. Referred to as a comfort layer, this 2 inch thick piece of foam supports the layer above and provides additional conformity while being a little firmer. This prevents you from sinking through the mattress which is never desirable.
Think of this layer as a transitional one between the comfortable top layer and the much denser bottom base layer.
The bottom layer is a 6.5 inch thick support layer made from high-density polyurethane foam. This dense base layer stabilizes the bed to maintain an even and stable surface for sleepers and prevents sagging. It is this layer that supports most of your bodyweight, especially if you are on the heavier side.
The mattress cover has a zip but isn’t really designed to be removed. If stains form over time, we would suggest trying to spot clean the mattress with a mild detergent spray and some warm water. You could also use a mattress encasement or protector to prevent stains in the first place.
Mattress Firmness
Many people find ‘medium’ firmness levels to be the most comfortable in a mattress since they accommodate most sleeping positions and bodyweights. This firmness level will also likely provide the right amount of support for most people who fall into this category.
The Classic Brands Cool Gel mattress provides what we refer to as a medium-firm to slightly-firm feel, scoring a 6.5-7.5 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale.
As a medium firm to firm mattress, the overall feel is going to vary depending on your body weight. For lighter people (around 140 lb), the mattress scores a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Those over 150 lb are going to experience a slightly firmer feel, as they will sink through the top layer of memory foam and come into contact with the firmer layer of transition foam underneath.
People in this group will likely score it a firmness level closer to 7 out of 10. That also goes for sleepers closer to 200 lb and especially those over 200 lb. Sleepers in this group are going to compress the memory foam top layer significantly which could lead to a higher firmness rating, likely in the 7.5 range.
Back sleepers will appreciate the support offered by each layer of foam. We found that spinal alignment was maintained throughout the night in this position. Great for those who suffer from back pain or discomfort in the lumbar region.
Stomach sleepers will appreciate the firmness offered by this mattress as it will ensure that your hips remain where they should be. This support will keep your spine neutral and provide a comfortable sleeping surface without any compression to your chest area.
Side sleepers will appreciate the pressure relief provided by the compliant top layer, providing just enough sink to relieve pressure in the usual places.
Combination sleepers should be able to get comfortable on this mattress. It is average in its responsiveness which can make turning over slightly more difficult than some mattresses but once in position, you should feel comfortable.
Heavier sleepers often struggle with this type of mattress as they aren’t designed to support excessive loads. We would suggest that anyone over 250 lb upgrade to a Classic Brands hybrid mattress or one in their innerspring mattress range.
If you are set on this mattress, be sure to make full use of the 100 night sleep trial to assess suitability.
Additional Considerations
Motion Transfer
Like many memory foam mattresses, the Classic Brands Cool Gel has a relatively slow response time. This means that the surface of the mattress won’t respond instantly to changes in your body position.
Its low bounce and low motion transfer rate mean that most people should get a restful night’s sleep even with a fidgety partner.
Edge Support
Edge support is decent for people in the lightweight category. You will find both sitting on and sleeping near to the edge of the bed comfortable with little sinkage.
If you’re in the midweight category, we don’t recommend sitting on the edge of the bed for extended periods of time, but you should be fine when sleeping near to the edge.
Sleep Temperature
We’re big advocates for getting the temperature of your bedroom right. The cooler the better, as you’ll be more likely to benefit from a more restful, deeper sleep.
The Cool Gel mattress works well to prevent sweating and heat build up during the night. This is accentuated by the fact that this mattress doesn’t ‘sink’ as much as many competitors. The result is a cool sleep for all but the warmest of sleepers.
Base Requirements
As with all memory foam mattresses, you should use as solid a bed frame as possible. Wooden slats, a timber platform or an adjustable bed frame are all suitable.
We would stay away from box springs as they may impact your ability to claim on your warranty should you need to.
Classic Brands sell bed frames and bases should you need to buy one.
Warranty
A standard 10 year warranty is provided with every Cool Gel mattress. It doesn’t apply to the cover which only features a 2 year warranty.
As with most mattress warranties, there are several terms and conditions which apply. Provided you take every caution to care for your mattress, you will be able to claim in the event of any defects arising during the warranty period.
Buy from Amazon and you’ll receive a 100 night sleep trial. As most mattresses take 30 days to break in, we suggest making full use of the trial to ensure that this mattress is right for your needs.
If you decide that it isn’t, you’ll be able to return it for a full refund.
Classic Brands Mattress Review: Final Verdict
Classic Brands have been around for a while now and have built a loyal following for good reason. They are not only affordable but they perform well too, offering most people all the mattress they could ever need.
They manufacture and sell hybrids, memory foam, latex and coil spring mattresses all of which have their place depending on what you need from a mattress. We found the Cool Gel to perform as well as any other mattress in this price range which makes it a great alternative to the likes of Zinus mattresses and Lucid Mattresses.
Another benefit of these mattresses is that they let you find out whether you prefer memory foam, latex or steel springs as a sleeping surface before making a larger financial commitment.
So, should you buy a Classic Brands mattress? It’s a big yes from us as well as many thousands of happy customers.
