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 )

Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is a purely a preference. All mattresses should be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment. Whether a mattress is fluffy and squishy (what mattress companies call soft or plush), or less so (what companies call firm), is purely down to your personal needs and preferences.

We evaluated both the Cocoon Firm and the Cocoon Soft, and found them to be more similar than the names would suggest. We found the "Firm" to be about a Medium Firm on our scale, while the "Soft" version came it at about a Medium.

Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

This refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress or feel cradled or hugged, versus a feeling of floating on top of the bed. We tried both versions of the Cocoon mattress and felt there was a bigger difference in cushioning depth than softness. with the firm version, we felt a lot more of the 'floating on top' feeling, and with the soft version, more of a medium level of cushioning.

Responsiveness ( what’s this )

Responsiveness refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. When you press your hand into the mattress, for instance, then remove it, does it take several seconds for the mattress to return to flat, or does it recover immediately?

Both versions of the Cocoon mattress have the same 2" of memory foam on top, and it's a particularly slow-responding memory foam. When we pressed down on the bed, it took a full 10 seconds for the mattress to return to shape.

Typically with all-foam beds, there isn't a lot of bounce, but the Cocoon mattress does have a bit (it's personal preference whether you like some bounce in your mattress or not). So the Cocoon by Sealy mattress is pretty interesting--a combination of very slow response but with some bounce as well.

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.

In our evaluations, the Cocoon mattress offered very good back support, but we did find it depended on your predominant sleeping position which version would be better. For most everyone, and on both versions, we felt that back sleepers would be well supported in particular.

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 two versions of the Cocoon mattress:

Cocoon Firm:

Cocoon Soft:

Back Sleepers:

Our tester felt very supported in this position, on both the firm and soft versions of the Cocoon by Sealy mattress. His hips sank into the mattress, creating good spinal alignment, and his lumbar area felt supported. We felt that most people would feel similarly well supported in this position.

Side Sleepers:

When it came to side sleeping, our opinion differed based on the mattress version. with the firm Cocoon mattress, our tester didn't feel that his shoulders sank enough into the mattress, forcing a curve in his spine. But on the soft Cocoon mattress, he felt much better supported in the side-sleeping position.

Stomach Sleepers:

It was the opposite for stomach sleeping. On the firm version of the Cocoon bed, our tester felt his hips well supported, but on the soft version, they sank in too much, creating what we call a "hammocking" effect that can create too much arch in the back, and lead to discomfort or pain down the road. We felt that feeling on the soft version would be exacerbated for individuals heavier than our 200-lb. tester.

Pressure Relief

We found pressure relief for the Cocoon bed to be very good for the Cocoon Soft. For the firm version, however, we felt all but the lightest individuals would not find enough pressure relief from those top 2" of memory foam. Overall, we felt the Soft version would be more appropriate for those who sleep predominantly on their sides.

Other Characteristics

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 Cocoon bed, we dropped a bowling ball on it to gauge how movements on one side of the mattress might be transferred to other areas. The pin barely moved.

In general, foam and memory foam beds are good choices if you are easily disturbed by a partner's movements, and the Cocoon mattress is no exception.

Temperature ( what’s this )

Memory foam has a reputation for heat retention, so this is always something we examine with foam beds. In the case of the Cocoon mattress, we think most people are unlikely to feel hot on the Firm version because you float more on top of the mattress. That means more of your body is exposed to the air.

With the Soft version, you sink in more, so there's more chance of feeling hot, in our view.

If overheating in bed is an issue for you, and you’ve experienced it with other mattresses, other models have features that are specifically intended to address this, and a foam bed likely is not your best choice.

Sealy does have an upgraded cover meant to address this, the $150 optional "Chill" version of the mattress, with a cover that incorporates phase-change fibers. It's supposed to feel cool to the touch. When compared to the regular cover, we did think the Chill cover felt slightly cooler. When we put a sheet on top of both mattresses, however, we noticed very little difference. Overall, we are unsure that the Chill cover offers enough benefit to justify a $150 added expense.

Edge Support ( what’s this )

Foam mattresses aren’t typically very supportive along the very edge of the mattress—important if you like to sit on the edge of the bed, or if you tend to sleep along the edge. The Cocoon bed was no exception. When laying on the side of the bed, our tester felt himself sliding right off, and as the memory foam warmed under his body, the effect was even more pronounced.

If you tend to really use the sides of your mattress, there are better choices.

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

Ease of movement can also be an issue with memory foam especially the type of slow-responding memory foam used in the Cocoon mattress. Our tester felt it did take effort to move from position to position with the Cocoon mattress, but since there is only 2" of memory foam atop the bed, he did not find it overly cumbersome.

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 Cocoon mattress by Sealy, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials. However 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.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

We did not specifically test the Cocoon mattress with an adjustable base. However, the company says that it may be used with one.

Price, Value & Longevity

What It Costs

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 You’re Getting

The Cocoon by Sealy is a 10" memory foam over foam mattress made by a company with a long history in the mattress business. It competes against a number of similar foam mattresses in its price range, but the Cocoon does have a particularly slow-responding memory foam layer on top. So if you really want that slow, melting-into-the-bed feeling of memory foam, the Cocoon does have that characteristic.

How Long We Think It Will 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. In the case of the Cocoon mattress, Sealy has chosen not to disclose the densities used. Based on our experience, we can estimate the top memory foam to be about a 3-lb. density, which is a little low. If we had any concerns about compression, it would be that this top layer could soften prematurely compared to a denser foam. Sealy does warrant body impressions over 1" for a 10 years, however, so that should give some assurance.

Overall Value

Pricing for the queen size Cocoon mattress is $799, a price that’s right in line, or even a little less, compared to other all-foam mattresses sold exclusively online. If its performance and preference features fit your needs, then we think it is a solid value. We have our doubts about the value of the optional "Chill" cover, however, given that we perceived little difference between it and the regular cover on the Cocoon bed.

Delivery, Returns, & Warranty