Comparison
Related Video Reviews
Cover
The three layers of the GhostBed mattress are wrapped in a soft and stretchy cover. If we had to nit-pick, we would say that the quality of the side panels seems not quite up to par with the rest of the materials used in this 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 )
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 classify the GhostBed mattress as a Medium Firm mattress, just to the firmer side of medium. The feeling you get is more of a floating-on-top sensation versus sinking deeply into the mattress.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
| Softness Level (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
4 | Medium Firm |
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. This is definitely more of the latter. Our lying on top of the GhostBed, felt cushioning was a bit shallower than some competing mattresses with deep pillowtops and plush top layers.
If you like that feeling of being more independent of your mattress rather than being snugged in by it, we think you’ll like the GhostBed mattress.
| Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
4 | Shallower than average |
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?
The GhostBed mattress does have a 2” layer of memory foam (the second layer of the mattress), it really does not have that much of that recognizable memory-foam feel, where after compressed, your hand print takes several seconds to disappear (some describe this as a slow, melting into the mattress feeling). The top layer of latex counteracts the effect of the memory foam so what you get is a sort of middle ground, with a little of that memory foam feel, but less than you would get if the memory foam was on the top.
We also tested bounce, and like most foam mattresses, this is not a bouncy bed.
| Memory Feel (1=Least, 9=Most) |
6 | Slow memory feel |
| Bounce (1=Least, 9=Most) |
3 | Not much 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.
In our evaluations, the GhostBed offered very good back support, and we thought it would suit a wide range of people of various sizes and weights in the back sleeping position. Support while side sleeping was also good for our tester.
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 GhostBed Classic mattress:
| Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 8 | 7 | 5 |
Back Sleepers:
While our tester was on his back, he noted that his hips sank just deeply enough to create a perfectly neutral spine, while he felt the GhostBed mattress did a nice job reaching up to support his lumbar curve. We feel that sleepers of a wide weight range would have a similar experience, and we did not have concerns that heavier sleepers might not be supported enough.
Side Sleepers:
Things were less clear when we evaluated side-sleeping. For our 200-lb. tester, side sleeping was good. His hips sank well into the mattress, but he wished his shoulders would have sank a bit more. But for most people of average weight in that 125 to 200 range, we felt back support and spinal alignment would be good. We did question whether lightweight people would compress the foam enough to create good spinal alignment, and at the same time felt those who are much heavier than our tester might sink right through the comfort layers of the bed to rest on the harder foam beneath.
Pressure Relief
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 GhostBed Classic mattress:
| Weight | Range | Typical Curves | Extra Curvy |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 7 | 6 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 7 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 7 | 6 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 6 | 5 |
Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by the GhostBed mattress to be good. Our tester didn’t experience any specific issues, and he didn’t feel that he ‘bottomed out’ or pushed through the mattress’s comfort layers and into the firmer support foam layers. However, we do wonder about heavier or curvier people, whose hips and shoulders could possibly sink through those top layers to the harder support layers of foam. And those who are very light might find this medium-firm bed too firm.
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 GhostBed, we tested motion isolation by pressing down hard on the mattress, as well as with whole weight of our 200-lb. tester.
When we pressed down repeatedly on one side of the bed, the bowling pin really didn't move much, and we suspected the little movement we did notice could be attributed more to the bed frame than to the mattress. When our tester dropped his entire weight onto the GhostBed mattress, the pin barely moved. We only made the pin fall by rolling around right next it.
We felt that the GhostBed bed would be a good choice for couples who don’t want to feel their partner getting in and out of bed.
| Motion Isolation Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
Temperature ( what’s this )
Memory foam has a reputation for heat retention, but in the case of the GhostBed mattress, the memory foam layer is not on top. The memory foam is also infused with gel, which may help conduct heat away from the body since gel is a natural conductor. And because the GhostBed is a firmer bed, your body doesn’t sink so deeply into in, leaving more of your body exposed to air and able to dissipate heat.
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, but for most we don’t expect heat to be a problem with the GhostBed mattress.
| Stays 'Cool' Rating | 5 /10 | Okay |
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. Our tester felt very stable both sitting and laying on the edge of the GhostBed mattress. Edge support might not have been as good as with an innerspring mattress, but for a foam bed, the GhostBed was very good, we felt.
| Edge Support Rating | 7 /10 | Good |
Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )
One of the highlights of the GhostBed mattress, for our tester, was ease of movement, which owing to the high responsiveness and elasticity of the latex layer, was almost effortless. If you tend to change positions a lot, the GhostBed mattress performed extremely well in our view.
| Repositioning Rating | 10 /10 | Exceptional |
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 GhostBed mattress, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials, and the latex is synthetic, not natural.
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 certification is the standard among mainstream brands.
We gave the GhostBed a 'sniff test' after unpacking it, and while it did have some 'new mattress smell,' we felt it was less than most, and would quickly dissipate.
We do appreciate that GhostBed has a page on its environmental policies.
| Green Rating | 5/10 | Okay |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
We did not specifically test the GhostBed mattress with an adjustable base. However, the company sells its own adjustable base that can be used, and using an adjustable base (either GhostBed’s or another brand’s) will not void the warranty. Since the company endorses use of adjustable bases, we assume that compatibility is likely good.
| Adjustable Base Compatibility | 8 /10 | Very good |
Price, Value & Longevity
Now Much Does a GhostBed 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 GhostBed is an 11-inch mattress made of polyurethane foam, synthetic latex foam and gel-infused memory in densities we would describe as higher than average among competing beds in the same price range. Overall, you are getting 3.5" of premium comfort material (the memory foam and the latex).
How Long Will the GhostBed 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 GhostBed mattress, the foams used are above average, and in our experience, higher density foams are less likely to compress, become misshapen or crack. We saw no red flags with regard to how long we think this mattress will last.
Overall Value
Pricing for the GhostBed is right in line, or even a little less, compared to other all-foam mattresses sold exclusively online. Compared to similar mattresses found in a traditional store, we think the GhostBed is an incredible value, and even compared to the online competition, we think it stands apart in terms of value for the money.
| Value Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
