Asteria Mattresses Overview

Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Summary: Paramount's Asteria Collection

Shared Features in All Models

Natural Cotton

All of the Asteria models are made with at least ten pounds of natural cotton. As a material, cotton is somewhat uncommon in the industry right now and has largely been replaced by other synthetic textiles and foams. However, we think that cotton offers some unique benefits when used in mattress upholstery.

First, it’s highly breathable. Natural cotton is one of the most breathable fibers in use today. There’s a reason that clothing that’s made with cotton is often more breathable than clothing made with synthetic textiles. This breathability can prevent heat and moisture buildup and help keep you cool overnight.

Second, cotton is a substantial comfort material in and of itself. The inclusion of compressed cotton can substantially improve pressure relief and overall comfort. In the case of the Asteria models, the cotton is positioned directly over the coil units and combined with other materials like polyurethane foam and latex to create a balanced blend of pressure relief and support.

Finally, the cotton used in the Asteria Collection is both naturally-derived and upcycled from the denim industry. If natural materials and eco-friendliness are important to you, then you can rest easy on any of the Asteria mattresses.

Functional Tufting

Additionally, all of the Asteria models are built with compression-set tufting.

This is a style of construction seen in higher-end mattresses that compresses the mattress and holds the “tufted” region under tension with strips of strong nylon cord. This effectively binds the mattress together and pre-compresses the natural fibers and upholstery layers to help prevent body impressions and reduce the need for synthetic glues.

This also slightly compresses the coils themselves and holds these under tension. Loading coils in this way can actually allow these to expand and fill in gaps if body impressions do occur over time. In effect, tufting pre-stresses the mattresses and helps ensure uniform wear and improve durability.

Zoning

All of the Asteria models are also built with some amount of zoning. If you’re unfamiliar, zoning is a style of mattress construction wherein particular regions (or zones) of the mattress are reinforced to provide extra support. On the Hera, this zoning is limited to a layer of latex in the center third of the mattress. However, all of the other models are zoned at the level of the underlying pocket springs themselves. These coils are effectively pushed closer together in a “nested” arrangement that provides about 20% more support. This tends to be our preferred method of zoning. We think that it creates noticeable support without being overly stiff or obtrusive. In general, all of these features should allow for a bit more softness at the shoulder or upper body while maintaining a sense of reassuring support at a person’s hips.

The Warranty

We typically don’t mention warranties when talking about the shared features across a collection, but in the case of the Asteria line, the warranty is so impressive that we made an exception. All of the Asteria models come with a 20-year non-prorated warranty. Moreover, in our conversations with Paramount Sleep we learned that the Asteria Collection was subjected to some of the most intense durability testing that we’ve ever encountered. Paramount uses a 380lb weight that’s rolled across the mattress up to 200,000 times. 

This is not only a heavier weight than is typically used in mattress fatigue-testing, it’s also double the industry standard for fatigue-testing cycles. Put another way, most mattresses are only tested for about 100,000 cycles (if they’re tested at all). The way that Paramount tests their products is truly exceptional, and we think it demonstrates their confidence in the quality of their craftsmanship.

How the Asteria Line is Organized

There are seven total models in the Asteria mattress collection. One, the Hera, uses a connected-coil support unit. All of the others use pocket springs with added zoning and a heavy-duty foam perimeter. Additionally this foam perimeter is actually a designed a bit differently than what you might see on other mattresses. In the case of all of the pocket spring models, the coils are actually slightly taller than the foam perimeter. This prevents the foam edge from feeling overly raised or interfering with the support characteristics of the coils themselves.

Within the pocketed-spring group, feel and feature sets diverge via the quilt fibers, latex layers (type, firmness, and thickness), and whether you get memory foam (this is only present on the Artemis Pillow Top).

Below we go model by model, from entry level up, calling out what changes and how each one feels.

Model-by-Model Walkthrough

The Hera Firm

The Hera Firm is the relative “entry-level” in the Asteria collection. However, this model actually has a few unique and notable features that are hard to find in the US mattress market. Most notably, it uses a connected coil. This style of coil unit is totally different than the typical pocket spring used in most mattresses today. Some people think of this as an “old-school” coil unit or might think it’s outdated, but we think it can offer some unique advantages. 

First and foremost, it supports differently than a pocketed coil. Many people actually prefer connected coils as they find these to feel less conforming and more “supportive” than a pocket spring. Second, the coil used in the Hera is very thick and extremely durable. It’s actually a 12.75 gauge coil - this is just about the thickest wire on the market. 

Otherwise, the Hera uses the same high-quality materials as the rest of the Collection, including a latex center zone, high-density foams, and a Tencel stretch-knit cover. We thought that it came in at around a Medium-Firm on our scale, with a slightly shallow sense of overall Cushioning Depth.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 4 (Medium-Firm — i.e., just on the firmer side of Medium)
• Cushioning depth: Slightly shallower than mid-range (a touch more "floating on" vs. "nestling in")
• Memory feel: None (no memory foam)
• Bounce: More than average, with notable deep bounce from the coil unit and added upper bounce from latex
• Edge support: Firm via the foam rail.

The Vari Extra Firm

The Vari Extra Firm, on the other hand, uses a pocket spring system. This is the same 800 coil density, center-zoned pocket spring unit found in all of the other Asteria models. The notable about the Vari model is that it uses layers of recycled insulator pads in the upholstery layers to create an exceptionally firm overall feel.

True to its name, we found the Vari to be an Extra Firm on our scale, with a sense of Very Shallow overall Cushioning Depth. We think that the Vari would probably be best for exclusive stomach or back sleepers.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 2 (Extra Firm)
• Cushioning depth: 2 (Very Shallow — a classic "sleeping on" sensation)
• Memory feel: None
• Bounce: More than average, though a bit less deep-springy than Hera's connected coil
• Edge support: Excellent (see coil-over-rail detail above).

The Artemis Luxury Firm

The Artemis Luxury Firm is built with the same center-zoned coil unit as the Vari, but swaps the firm insulator pads for more conventional plush foam layers. It also adds a bit more latex to the overall construction. This helps balance the softer foams and preserves a sense of surface bounce.

We thought that the Artemis was closer to true Medium on our scale, although we’d put this on the slightly firmer side of Medium. In terms of Cushioning Depth, we also thought that this was a Medium, with a nice balancing of sleeping “in” vs “on” the mattress surface.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 5 (Medium, slightly on the firmer half of medium)
• Cushioning depth: 5/9 (Medium — nice blend of "in" vs. "on")
• Memory feel: None
• Bounce: More than average (latex near the top keeps response crisp)
• Edge support: Outstanding — notably, the coils are set ~¼" higher than the foam rail, so the edge feels secure without dumping you inward.

The Artemis Pillow Top

The Artemis Pillow Top is a softer version of the Artemis and is online-only model. This mattress feels somewhat similar to the Artemis Luxury Firm, but adds a layer of memory foam and convoluted polyurethane foam

In practice, this feels somewhat softer than the Artermis Luxury Firm, although we’d still put the overall Softness at a “Medium.” Similarly, it has a bit more Cushioning Depth - we’d put this at “Slightly Deep” overall.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 5 (Medium), just a hair plusher than the Luxury Firm version
• Cushioning depth: 6–7 (noticeably more "in" the bed)
• Memory feel: Less than average (even among mattresses that include any memory foam)
• Bounce: More than average, slightly muted by the memory layer

The Evia Pillow Top

The Evia Pillow Top uses the same pocket spring as most of the other mattresses in the Asteria collection, and adds a softer quilt foams and a full 1” layer of GOLS-certified organic latex directly under the cover.

In effect, this creates a Medium-Soft feel with a Very Deep sense of overall Cushioning Depth. And because it uses latex, there’s no memory feel here whatsoever.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 6 (Medium-Soft)
• Cushioning depth: 8 (notably deep, "hugged/cradled" feel)
• Memory feel: None
• Bounce: More than average, with a tad more upper bounce thanks to soft latex close to the surface

The Phoebe Firm Pillow Top

The Phoebe Firm Pillow Top again uses the same high-quality, center-zoned pocket spring, but changes the cover. The Phoebe adds an ultra-smooth viscose and cotton damask fabric and a layer of dense New Zealand wool and cashmere. This is a substantial amount of natural fiber that adds pressure relief and temperature regulation to the overall build. Additionally, the Phoebe Firm Pillow Top also uses a full sheet of firm organic latex.

In practice, we thought that the Phoebe Firm Pillow Top was closer to a Medium-Firm on our scale, with a Medium amount of overall Cushioning Depth.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 4 (Medium-Firm)
• Cushioning depth: 5 (balanced between sleeping "in vs. on")
• Memory feel: none
• Bounce: More than average (latex plus pocketed coils keep it lively)
• Edge support: Excellent (same coil/rail detailing)

The Phoebe Plush Pillow Top

The Phoebe Plush Pillow Top uses the same style of damask fabric, but utilizes a much looser quilt pattern that allows for more immediate softness at the surface. The Plush Pillow top also adds more GOLS-certified organic latex. In this case, however, the latex is a softer variety.

We thought that the Phoebe Plush was closer to a Very Soft on our firmness scale. It had slightly less Cushioning Depth than expected, although we’d still describe this as a Slightly Deep to Deep amount of depth.

GoodBed Assessments:

• Softness: 8 (Very Soft - though much closer to 7 than 9)
• Cushioning depth: 6–7 (above average, though not as deep as the softness alone might suggest — the damask cover adds some buoyant resistance)
• Memory feel: None
• Bounce: More than average (plenty of responsive lift from both the latex and the coils)

GoodBed Feel Summary - All Asteria Models

GoodBed Feel Ratings are shown on a 1-9 scale where 5 is a Medium (e.g., 1 = firmest / shallowest, 9 = softest / deepest). None of these assessments are universally better or worse – they can only be better or worse for your personal preferences. 

Our Take on the Asteria Mattress Collection

These are exceptional mattresses made with high-quality materials and an attention to detail that is rare in the mattress industry today. The ability to choose between a connected coil unit and a high-quality pocket spring is also worth mentioning, as connected coils are hard to find and preferred by some sleepers. Finally, the twenty year warranty is outstanding and meets or exceeds nearly every other warranty on the market. The net effect is a line that feels supportive, stable, and quietly plush with a buoyant overall feel. We’d have no hesitation recommending these to anyone that’s looking for a true luxury mattress.

We might also make a special recommendation to particularly hot or sweaty sleepers, as we think the substantial amount of natural fibers used in every build will help keep people cool and comfortable throughout the night. Finally, the Asteria collection spans a wide range of firmnesses. There should be a good fit for back, stomach, and side sleepers alike.

Availability: All seven Asteria models can be purchased online from Bloomingdale's. However, most Bloomingdale's locations will only display about three to four of them, chosen for local popularity.

Asteria Collection Prices

Other Factors

Returns and Exchanges

Bloomingdales offers a 365-day return policy for preference-based returns or exchanges on mattresses.

Note - fees related to returns or re-selection may apply.

Warranty

• 20-year non-prorated
• Body impression: 1.5"

Warranty information for each mattress is included on the mattress "Law Label" at the store, and vary depending on the model. Be sure to talk to your salesperson about warranty terms, and particularly about the body impression warranty, which will tell you how much of a permanent depression may form to be covered under warranty.

The Asteria collection has a 20-year non-prorated warranty for body impressions at or greater than 1.5".