King Koil SmartLife Mattress Overview

Note: This is not a review. This is our plain-English explanation and overview of the King Koil World SmartLife mattress collection.

If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, check out our King Koil SmartLife mattress video.

King Koil SmartLife Air Mattresses: Features

The SmartLife mattress collection from King Koil features a unique, customizable series of air chambers that take the place of a traditional spring support unit.

These air chambers--the company calls them 'cells'--are arranged in 8 rows of 10. Each of those 8 rows is called a 'zone' and each side of the bed can be controlled separately to suit the needs of a couple.

The cells are connected to each other with valves that can be open or closed, allowing air to pass through (or not) to neighboring cells, allowing for customized support in different parts of the mattress. 

It might sound complicated, but don't worry; owners don't need to individually program each cell. Rather, the SmartLife software controls the settings, based on the sleeper's preferred support level.

In addition to setting up a basic level of support, the mattress also responds in real time. For example, if you change positions from your back to your side, the software instructs the mattress to release some air from the chambers in your shoulder area to provide for better pressure relief when sleeping on your side.

The mattress can make this on-the-fly adjustments due to the inclusion of pressure sensors that can pick up on body-position changes and respond accordingly.

As you can see in the illustration below, the air chambers don't fill the entire cavity of the frame. There's foam support at the very top and at the very bottom under your feet, where changes aren't needed in terms of support. The foot of the bed also houses the controller and motor.

Why does King Koil use 80 air cells instead of just a few? There's a great explanation of this, and how the SmartLife mattress compares to other air beds you may have seen in stores, in our SmartLife Collection Overview video.

On top of the air chamber unit, the SmartLife mattresses feature comfort layers of foam and memory foam in various types and amounts, which vary the feel, cushioning, and amount of "memory feel" of each model.

Each of the models is sold in three sizes, Queen, King and California King. All can be used on an adjustable base. You can also opt to have the head of the mattress split in order to independently control the head position for each side of the mattress, handy if one person prefers to raise the head to read or watch TV while the other sleeps.

SmartLife mattresses don't by default include the remote control, but all can be controlled with a free downloadable smartphone app.

Relaxation mode

One of the coolest features (in the opinion of our testers) is the SmartLife mattress's 'relaxation mode.' This is a setting that will inflate and deflate the air chambers in a 'wave' pattern, so you feel a subtle undulation beneath you. It's not a massage or a vibration feature. Our testing found relaxation mode VERY relaxing indeed.

You can manually turn relaxation mode on and off. You can also set it to turn off on a timer. And you can use it as an alarm clock, too, allowing you to wake up gently.

Noise

Another mattress using a motor could potentially be loud enough to be disturbing, so we were eager to test this. Our tester found the SmartLife mattress to be extremely quiet when inflating and deflating the chambers. In fact, he could not hear it hardly at all. He could feel a very slight vibration, but only the most sensitive sleepers would be at all disturbed, in our opinion.

Adjustable base compatibility

The King Koil SmartLife mattresses are all compatible with an adjustable base. King Koil does sell one to match, but other bases will also work. An available option is to order a king-size SmartLife mattress with a split-head configuration. This will allow each partner to individually control the head of their side of the mattress without disturbing their partner.

SmartLife app

The control hub of the SmartLife mattresses is the app (for Android and iOS). You can also opt to buy a wired remote that controls the inflation levels and a few other functions, but the app has more features.

Support control

There are nine levels of inflation to choose from, which can be adjusted for both sides of the mattress separately. Level '9' is the firmest setting with level "1" as the softest. You can also turn on (or off) the automatic pressure-relief adjustments.

Relaxation mode control and timer

You can turn relaxation mode on and off, set a timer for it, and also set it as an alarm, so that relaxation mode will start at a pre-set time (for either side of the mattress).

Sleep tracking

The mattress's pressure sensors are used to capture sleep data, which can be displayed by the day and tracked over time. The app can tell you how much "deep" sleep you are getting, minutes spent asleep or awake, and more.

Softness and Feel

The SmartLife collection began as a series of three models, with an additional two models added in 2022.  All share the same support/air chamber unit. They differ in the comfort layers, including how much memory foam and other foams they have, resulting in differences in softness level and cushioning depth. The two newest models also include some additional cooling features.

Of course, since the pressure of the air chamber support can be adjusted by the sleeper, the feel of any given model will vary based on the specific comfort setting selected. For our ratings below, we set the comfort setting at a medium level of 5. Using a lower setting would result in additional softness and cushioning depth, while using a higher setting would yield slightly less softness and cushioning depth.

Lily Medium 12"

The base models in the SmartLife mattress collection are the Lily and the Ivy. Both have all of the same features, but differ in terms of softness and memory feel. The Lily, in our view, is a true Medium on our softness scale. It uses a quick-responding memory foam that has a latex-life feel. It really has none of that "melting" sensation that we associate with memory foam, but you do get memory foam's pressure relieving qualities.

Cushioning depth -- the degree to which you "sink in" to the mattress -- is shallower than average, so you feel more like you are floating on top of the mattress rather than sinking deeply into it.

Ivy Firm 12"

The Ivy uses a different memory foam than the Lily. It's a high-density, very slow-responding foam, the kind that really takes its time coming back into shape once you depress it. So while the Ivy is a Firm mattress, you sink into it more deeply than you do on the Lily.

Lotus Plush 12"

The SmartLife Lotus is the firmest of all five mattresses on our scale. It's a little firmer than the Ivy, but it has lots of conformance and cushioning from its slow-responding foam. An extra feature is the inclusion of graphite in the comfort foam. Graphite is a known conductor of heat, and here, it's intended to draw heat from the body and help keep you cooler.

Saffron Firm

The Saffron is one of the two newest models in the SmartLife lineup, along with the Lendall. Both add two cooling features. First, the top comfort foam is infused with carbon and gel, both conductors of heat. Both models also feature a cooling cover fabric that meant to keep you cooler while falling asleep.

The Saffron has a couple inches of slow-responding memory foam at the top, so there's a lot of that 'melting into the bed' sensation. King Koil calls this mattress a Firm; we found it to be between a Medium and a Medium Firm on our scale. You do sink deeply into this bed, giving you a "hugged" or "cradled" feeling.

Lendall Plush

The memory foam used on the Lendall is much quicker responding, so it has none of that slow, melting-into-the-bed sensation that you get on the Saffron. At the same time, it's a slightly softer mattress, with a bit more cushioning and conformance as well. We would call it a Medium to Medium Soft on our scale. It shares the same cooling features with the Saffron.

Other Factors to Consider

 

Delivery and Returns

Each of these are dependent on where the mattress is purchased, as each store has its own policy.

 

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 25 years pro-rated
  
• Indentation Coverage: 1” and greater
  

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.

King Koil has chosen to cover indentations on the SmartLife mattresses 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.

This is a pro-rated warranty. During the first 4 years of ownership, any covered defects will be repaired or replaced free of charge. For the 5th year through the 20th year, owners will pay 20% of the cost of repairs plus another 4% for each year of ownership. For years 21-25, owners are on the hook for 84% of the cost of repairs.