Comparison
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Cover
The five layers of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress are wrapped in soft but tightly stretched cover that includes phase-change fibers that make it feel noticeably cool to the touch. The side panels are nice-feeling (and nice looking in our opinion) faux suede with cording along the lower edge of the mattress.
Comfort & Feel
There are three aspects that make up our assessment of comfort and feel. We call these "preference-based characteristics" because no rating here is better or worse – rather, the attributes that are most desirable to you will be determined solely by your personal preferences. We apply the same classification standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Softness ( what’s this )
Prior to their change to a zoned coil unit in mid-2021, we classified the Brooklyn Aurora mattress as a Medium-Soft mattress. But with its additional firmness in the center 1/3 of the bed, the zoned coil unit has nudged the overall feel of this mattress into what we'd call a Medium. At the same time we felt more of a floating-on-to feeling rather than one of a sinking or cradling feeling. So overall, the Aurora bed was a very interesting soft of hybrid feeling. While the overall effect is not one of sinking deeply, we did note that you can get very deep into the mattress when you walk or push down through it with your hands -- not that you would typically do this on your mattress, but it made for an interesting sensation that's worth noting. Note that there are two other versions of this mattress, a "Firm" version and a "Soft" version. More on that in the Back Support section below.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
| Softness Level (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
5 | Medium |
Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )
As noted earlier, we didn't sink deeply into the Brooklyn mattress except when we really pushed down into it with our hands or feet. If you like to really sink into a mattress, the Soft version of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress is probably a better choice for you.
| Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
5 | Average |
Memory Feel
We look at memory feel -- also called responsiveness -- in two ways. First, we examine how quickly a mattress springs back after being depressed, then we take a look at bounce qualities. Since the Brooklyn Aurora mattress includes very little memory foam (just an inch, and it's three layers down), we were not surprised to find that it had hardly any of that slow-responding melting quality of memory foam. Rather, the Brooklyn Aurora mattress sprung back into position quickly.
| Memory Feel (1=Least, 9=Most) |
2 | Very little |
Bounce
As for bounce, we would expect some springiness due to the layer of pocket springs, and that was indeed the case. While the top layers of foam didn't impart much surface-level bounce, we did feel the bed pushing our tester back into the air when he dropped his weight onto the bed. If you like a mattress with a traditional amount of bounce, the Brooklyn Aurora would be a good choice.
| Bounce (1=Least, 9=Most) |
7 | Plenty of bounce |
Back Support & Pressure Relief
The two things that you should always be sure to get from your mattress are spinal alignment (commonly thought of as "back support") and pressure relief. Unfortunately, no mattress will deliver these two things equally well for all sleepers. In particular, spinal alignment and pressure relief capabilities will vary across sleepers with different weights, body shapes, and sleep positions. To help you determine how this mattress will perform for you, we break down our spinal alignment and pressure relief assessments by sleeper type.
Remember, we tested the Medium version of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress. Overall, we felt that for many individuals, this bed might be too soft to give them support needed to promote the best spinal alignment. We felt that for back and side sleepers lighter in weight than our tester, the Aurora would be sufficient. But for heavier individuals than our tester, and particularly for stomach sleepers, we felt that the Firm version of the bed would likely be a better fit.
Spinal Alignment
The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.
Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress:
| Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Back Sleepers:
Our 200-pound tester felt this mattress to be good for his body weight in terms of lumbar support and maintaining a neutral spine position, but we did feel that anyone even a little heavier would want to go with the Firm version of the mattress, as our tester could sense his hips sinking in just a bit too much, an issue that would exacerbated for a heavier person.
Side Sleepers:
Spinal alignment for our tester in the side position was similar; good for his weight, but he felt he would likely also be good or better on the Firm version of the mattress, and that anyone heavier that our tester would also be better served by the Firm version. On the Medium version, our tester felt his hips sinking in just a little too much. Very light people would likely be just fine on the Medium version.
Stomach Sleepers:
Achieving good spinal alignment for stomach sleepers can often be trickier as the hips can tend to sink down too far with some mattresses, and that was the case with the Medium version of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress. Our 200-lb. tester felt his hips sinking too deeply, creating some over-arching in the back, something that can lead to back pain down the road. Once more, we felt that the Firm version of the bed would likely be a better choice for all but the very lightest individuals who are stomach sleepers.
Pressure Relief ( what's this )
When a mattress pushes back against your body with too much force in a concentrated area, the result can be pain, soreness, loss of circulation, excessive tossing, and other problems. In general, such "pressure points" are of greatest concern for side sleepers, since that's the position in which your body's weight is distributed over the smallest surface area. To find the right mattress for your needs, keep in mind that the pressure-relieving capabilities of any given mattress will vary depending on the sleeper. Factors like your weight and body shape (e.g., broader shoulders and/or hips) will determine how far you sink into the mattress, and the pressure relief offered by that mattress will vary widely at different depths.
Here's how we sized up the pressure relief of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress:
| Weight | Range | Typical Curves | Extra Curvy |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 8 | 8 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 8 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 8 | 8 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 8 | 8 |
Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by the Brooklyn Aurora mattress to be very good. The progressive layering system--where the mattress progresses from soft layers to firmer layers gradually--worked very well, allowing our testers' shoulders and hips to sink into the mattress without "bottoming out" on firmer layers. Overall, we experienced no issues with joint or pressure issues.
However, while pressure relief was very good with the Medium version of the Brooklyn Aurora, we felt spinal alignment and support would be better for most side sleepers with the Firm version.
Other Features
Beyond the preference-based characteristics of comfort and feel, and the body matching for spinal alignment and pressure relief, a mattress will have a number of other attributes that can make it a better or worse choice for you. We call these "priority-based characteristics" because they are areas in which a mattress can be better or worse, but that will have differing amounts of importance to each sleeper. So, determining how much importance to give to these features will be entirely a matter of your own personal priorities. As always, we apply the same ratings standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Motion Isolation ( what’s this )
With a bowling pin standing upright on the Brooklyn Aurora bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it, as well as the whole weight of our 200-lb. tester. The pin wiggled, but did not fall when we dropped our bowling ball. It did fall, however, when our tester dropped his weight on the bed.
In the case of the Brooklyn Aurora, we felt that the bed's tight cover was more responsible for that pin dropping than the layers below. We have sometimes seen this with other beds that have a tightly stretched cover--pressing down pulls the cover from the other side of the bed, creating surface-level disturbances.
In practical use, this would likely only be an issue if you are very easily disturbed by the movements of others, or of you have kids or pets that are in and out of the bed a lot. If motion isolation is a priority, then the Aurora is probably not your best choice.
| Motion Isolation Rating | 7 /10 | Good |
Temperature ( what’s this )
This is an area where the Brooklyn Aurora mattress shines. If you have a known history of sleeping hot, or are dealing with heat regulation issues (hot flashes come to mind), the Aurora has a number of specific features intended to help.
First, this is not a mattress with deeper cushioning, and there's no memory foam on top, so more of your body is exposed to air. Next, pocket springs in general allow for a lot of air flow. Some mattress will place a perimeter of foam around the bed for edge support, but instead, the Aurora uses a firmer gauge of coil spring, allowing for unimpeded air flow.
Several of the foam layers include features to prevent overheating. The topmost Energex layer includes both gel and copper; both are known conductors, and here they're intended to help channel heat away from the both. Lastly, the cover as well as the top foam layer include phase-change material, meaning they feel cool to the touch. We've seen some models include such phase-change treatments where we could not tell much of a difference, but the Brooklyn Aurora feels notably cool to the touch.
| Stays “Cool” Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
Edge Support ( what’s this )
The coil unit on the Brooklyn Aurora mattress includes a perimeter of firmer gauge coils to help with edge support, and in our testing, edge support was very good, particularly while laying right on the edge of the bed. We didn't feel the coil edge support worked quite as well for sitting on the edge of the bed, but for laying prone, it was very good and our tester felt very stable.
If you find yourself being pushed to the very edge of your mattress by kids or pets, the Brooklyn Aurora mattress would be a good choice.
| Edge Support Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )
One of the highlights of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress, for our tester, was ease of movement, which was almost effortless. If you tend to change positions a lot, the Brooklyn bed performed extremely well in our view, despite the bed's average cushioning depth.
| Repositioning Rating | 9 /10 | Excellent |
Green Features ( what’s this )
For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe.
In the case of the Brooklyn Aurora mattress, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials. All of the foams used are certified to the CertiPUR-US standard, which verifies that a material has low VOC off-gassing as well as a lack of chemicals and other substances regulated by the CPSC. This is a certification that's now almost universal among mainstream brands.
Steel coils, by their very nature, do not off-gas, so that is a bonus for those concerned about odors. We gave the mattress an unscientific "sniff test" right out of the box, and while we noticed a faint 'new mattress' smell when we pushed our noses right into the bed, we didn't noticed a smell while sitting on it. This is the type of odor that typically dissipates in a day or two.
| Green Rating | 6 /10 | Okay |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
If you plan to use your mattress atop an adjustable base, the Brooklyn Aurora mattress is a very good choice. In fact, the company even sells its own adjustable base (optional). We tested the Brooklyn bed with a standard adjustable base and found that right away, the mattress conformed nicely.
| Adjustable Base Use Rating | 9 /10 | Excellent |
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does a Brooklyn Aurora Mattress Cost?
Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on all online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.
What Are You Getting?
The Brooklyn Aurora mattress is a 13.5-inch mattress that's a hybrid of several foams (5.5 inches) and pocket spring springs (8 inches). The Aurora stands out for its inclusion of many features intended to help regulate heat. For those with the frustrating issues of sleeping hot, we have not seen many online mattresses with as many features to address this, including copper and gel in the top layer of foam, phase-change treatments and fibers in both the top layer of foam and the mattress cover, gel-infused memory foam, and coil edge support (instead of foam) to ensure that hot air can leave the mattress.
How Long Will the Brooklyn Aurora Mattress Last?
When it comes to estimating the comfort lifespan of a mattress, we tend to use foam density as our best, albeit imperfect, predictor of how long a foam will retain its shape and resiliency. The foams used in the Brooklyn Aurora mattress, however, are proprietary, meaning no other company uses them. For that reason, we are left without a track record by which to take an educated guess at longevity. Steel springs, however, certainly have a long track record for durability. While overall durability is a bit of a question mark, Brooklyn Bedding does offer a solid warranty, which should give consumers peace of mind.
Overall Value
On paper, the Brooklyn Aurora mattress does not appear to be a screaming value compared to its online competitors., or even Brooklyn Bedding's other models. However, for those who suffer with the frustrating issue of tending to sleep hot or overheat in bed, or those that have other heat-regulation issues like hot flashes, there are few competitors in this space with the Aurora's many features intended to combat sleeping hot, and that may ultimately tip the scales in its favor assuming its other performance and priority aspects fit your needs. Keep in mind that overall, we did feel that most people would be better served by the Firm version of the Aurora bed.
| Value Rating | 6 /10 | Pretty good |
Other Factors to Consider
Delivery
- Free delivery to your door
Brooklyn Bedding includes free delivery to your door, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors.
Returns
- 120-day trial period
- Full refund, including return shipping within trial period
Brooklyn Bedding offers buyers a 120-day trial period, and requires that buyers try the mattress at least 30 days before returning it. Returns within the trial period are free, with return shipping included. See: Brooklyn Bedding return policy
Warranty
- Warranty Length: 10 years
- Indentation Coverage: 1” and above
One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions—the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for mattresses is generally between ¾” and 1.5”. Brooklyn Bedding has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection. See: Brooklyn Bedding warranty policy.
