Cover
The four layers of the Layla mattress are wrapped in a fairly tightly woven cover that's removable via a zipper. The cover is well marked with "soft" and "firm" so you'll know which side is which. The soft side gets the lighter cover, while the firm side gets the darker fabric.
As a cooling feature, the cover is infused with gel, and we did feel that it felt notably cool to the touch.
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 )
The Layla mattress comes with two sides; the company calls them simply "Soft" and "Firm." The soft side is most popular, and by default the mattress comes set up with the soft side on top. On our scale, we judged the soft side to be a bit softer than what we would call medium. The firm side is quite firm, and we'd call it a true firm.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
| Softness Level (Soft side) (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
6 | Medium Soft |
| Softness Level (Firm side) (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
3 | Firm |
Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )
As you might expect, we found the soft side of the Layla mattress to have deeper than average cushioning depth, and this side may be a good fit if you enjoy more of a hugged or cradled feeling from your mattress. On the firm side, the story was the opposite, with more of a floating-on-top of the mattress feeling.
| Cushioning Depth (Soft side) (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
7 | Deeper than average |
| Cushioning Depth (Firm side) (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
3 | Shallower than average |
Responsiveness ( what’s this )
The copper-infused memory foam is quite slow responding, and it takes some time for it to come back to shape after being compressed. It's worth noting that our look at the original Layla bed in 2017 found the foam to be quick responding. Layla has since substituted a slower responding foam for the top and bottom layers.
| Response Rate (1=Slowest, 9=Fastest) |
6 | Slower responding, no 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.
Overall, we thought the Layla mattress had a good solution for all sleeping positions, depending on whether we were on the soft or firm side. If you have a partner with different preferences and needs than yours, that could be an issue. Generally, we felt that the softer side was an excellent choice for most back and side sleepers, while stomach sleepers would experience better support and spinal alignment from the firmer side of the Layla bed.
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 Layla mattress with the softer side up, noting where we felt the firm side would be a better choice:
| Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 9 | 9 | Choose firm side |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 9 | 9 | Choose firm side |
| Heavier | >250 lb | Choose firm side | Choose firm side | Choose firm side |
Back Sleepers:
Our 200-pound tester felt this mattress to be excellent while on his back, and he felt a wide variety of people would experience similar support. Hips sunk in just enough, and his lumbar area felt well supported. Heavier individuals might find hips sinking too deeply into the mattress, and might be better supported on the firm side of the Layla bed.
Side Sleepers:
Spinal alignment for our tester was also very good when on his side, and again we felt most people would have a similar supportive experience in this position. And once more, heavier individuals may find the firm side to bet a better fit, as hips and shoulders could sink too deeply into the soft side of the mattress.
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 for our tester when trying the soft side of the Layla mattress. When he switched to the firm side, he felt very supported, however. For those who predominately sleep on their stomachs, the firmer side is likely a better fit, with the exception of those who are very light.
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 Layla mattress, with the soft side up:
| Weight | Range | Typical Curves | Extra Curvy |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 9 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 9 | 9 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 9 | 9 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 8 | 8 |
Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by the Layla bed to be excellent on the soft side. Our tester experience no hot spots. When he tried the firm side, however, he quickly noticed pressure in his shoulders and hips. Those that are quite a bit heavier than our 200-lb. tester might "bottom out," sinking through the mattress's 5 inches of comfort material.
Layla Mattress Topper
In our video update of the latest Layla mattress, published in April 2019, we took a look at the new Layla Mattress Topper, an optional accessory that can be used with the Layla mattress, or with any mattress. It's made of a 2" layer of the same copper-infused memory foam used in the Layla mattress, and is wrapped in the same cover fabric.
We tried the mattress topper on both the soft and firm sides of the Layla bed. On the Firm side, we felt the topper basically made the mattress feel like the soft side, so there's little advantage. When used on the soft side, however, the topper gives the mattress quite a lot of extra softness and cushioning. While the soft side of the mattress, on its own, we classify as a Medium Soft, adding the topper made it more of a straight-up Soft. The topper also added deeper cushioning, with more of a hugged/cradled aspect.
Current pricing for the mattress topper is $299 for the queen size. Get more info on the Layla website.
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 Layla 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.
With the bowling ball, the pin wiggled a bit; because the cover on the Layla bed is quite a tight fit, we noticed it pulling just a bit, enough to affect the standing pin. In practical use, this might mean you could feel a partner repositioning a bit, but we did not think it would be an issue for most people.
When our tester dropped his full weight on the bed, however, the pin did not move at all, so we did not think that most people would be bothered by a partner (or kids/pets) getting in and out of bed.
| Motion Isolation Rating | 7 /10 | Good |
Temperature ( what’s this )
For most people, we think the Layla mattress will not feel hot, especially because of the copper infused into the memory foam, and the cooling cover. If sleeping hot is a known issue for you, foam beds in general are likely not the best choice. Rather, something like an innerspring or pocketed coil bed might offer better natural air flow. But overall, we did not think most people would have any trouble on the Layla bed.
| Stays “Cool” Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
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. But the Layla mattress performed very well in this respect. Our tester felt stable both sitting and laying on the edge of the bed.
| Edge Support Rating | 8 /10 | Very good |
Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )
On both the soft and firm sides of the Layla mattress, our tester did not find movement/changing sleeping positions terribly difficult. It was certainly easier on the firm side. On the soft side, it was a little more difficult owing to the slow-responding memory foam. For those with acute mobility issues, the Layla bed (or any memory foam mattress) might not be the best choice, but for most people, we do not think movement will be difficult.
| Repositioning Rating | 7 /10 | Good |
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 Layla mattress, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials; its foams are petroleum-based.
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 foam mattresses.
The company does assert that returned mattresses will be recycled or donated to charity. In fact, should you choose to return your Layla bed, the company will send a charity to your home to pick it up.
| Green Rating | 4 /10 | Okay |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
If you plan to use your mattress atop an adjustable base, the Layla mattress is a very good choice. We tested the Layla bed with a standard adjustable base and found that right away, the mattress conformed nicely.
| Adjustable Base Use Rating | 9 /10 | Very compatible |
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does a Layla 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. Note that Layla officially calls this a 10-inch mattress, while our measurement was 11 inches.
What Are You Getting?
The Layla bed is an 11-inch mattress with a unique copper-infused memory foam on both the top and bottom of the mattress, intended to promote heat dissipation. One side is "Soft" and the other is "Firm" meaning the mattress can be flipped to best suit your needs and preferences. The cover of the Layla bed also has cooling properties, and we found that this did seem effective. With a price that's right in line with competing mattresses, these features to help Layla stand apart.
How Long Will the Layla 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. In the case of the Layla mattress, the memory foam has a density of 3.5-lbs. When we first reviewed the mattress, density was 3 lbs., so this is a recent improvement that should boost expected longevity. The remaining foams are of a standard 1.8-lb. and 2-lb. density. Overall, we expect the Layla bed to hold up about as well as competing mattresses.
Overall Value
On balance, we feel that Layla mattress is a unique product that’s exceptionally supportive for the majority of individuals. The dual-sided mattress also offers options for those who might not be sure what type of bed they prefer, or for those whose needs and preferences change over time.
| Value Rating | 8 /10 | Very good value |
Other Factors to Consider
Delivery
- Free delivery to your door
Layla includes free delivery, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors. Note that orders shipped to Canada, Alaska or Hawaii do incur a delivery charge.
Returns
- 120-day trial period
- Full refund, including free pickup within trial period
Layla offers buyers a 120-day trial period, and suggests that buyers try the mattress at least two weeks before returning it. Returns within the trial period are free, with pickup of the mattress by a charity. Proof of donation is required to process the return. See: Layla return policy
Warranty
- Warranty Length: Lifetime
- 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”. Layla 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.
We do note that the warranty policy states that consumer "may" have to pay a $50 shipping fee associated with warranty repair or replacement, and that this is evaluated on "case by case" basis.
