Comparison
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Cover
The layers of the Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress are wrapped in a nice, stretchy cover. We thought it felt a bit like a heavy sweatshirt material, very soft and cozy. New for 2019-2020, the cover includes phase change material, something we're seeing more and more often. This means that it has been treated with a chemical additive to make it feel cool to the touch. We did think that it felt notably cool when we handled it.
This is the same cover material that's used in the more expensive Blue Max line. The design of the Blue 100CT cover has also been updated, now to a zig-zap pattern seen below.
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.
Serta calls the iComfort Blue 100CT a "gentle firm" mattress. That seemed in line with what we would call a Medium, maybe slightly towards a firmer medium. It was almost a little hard to characterize since the top two memory foam layers are quite soft, but the support coming from below is quite firm. Altogether we'll stick with Medium as our assessment.
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 )
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. Because of the two soft layers of memory foam on top of the mattress, we'd call cushioning slightly deeper than average, with a bit of that "hugged" feeling.
| Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
6 | Slightly deeper 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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress does have almost 3 inches of memory foam, and it is a fairly slow responding foam, so you do get a good bit of that melting-into-the-bed feeling.
Typically with all-foam beds, there isn't a lot of bounce, and the iComfort bed from Serta is no exception. When our tester dropped his weight to the bed, he barely bounced at all.
| Response Rate (1=Slowest, 9=Fastest) |
3 | Slow response, 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.
In our evaluations, the Serta mattress offered very good support especially for back sleepers, and for lighter weight side and stomach sleepers.
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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress:
| Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 9 | 6 | 6 |
Back Sleepers:
Our tester felt very supported in this position, and we felt that most people would feel similarly well supported in this position regardless of weight. Because of the soft layers on top, lighter people will probably experience the Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress as a softer mattress, while it may feel firmer to heavier individuals.
Side Sleepers:
When it came to side sleeping, our tester felt good. His shoulders were able to get into the mattress enough to create good spinal alignment. As his body began to warm the memory foam, he felt himself sinking further in, which for a person of his weight was fine. We questioned, however, what would happen for heavier people, who might sink through the soft memory foam layers to the firmer and less pressure-relieving layers below.
Stomach Sleepers:
For stomach sleeping, our 200 pound tester felt good, but did feel his hips starting to sink just a bit more than he would have liked. When your hips sink too much in the stomach-sleeping position, you can create too much arch in the back which can lead to back pain down the road. We think that for those lighter than our tester, who are occasional stomach sleepers, the Serta iComfort mattress should be fine, but for heavier individuals, it may not be suitable, as hips could sink too low in this position.
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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress:
| Weight | Range | Typical curves | Extra curvy |
| Lighter | <150 | 8 | 8 |
| Average | 150 to 200 | 8 | 8 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 | 7 | 7 |
| Heavier | >250 | 6 | 6 |
Similarly as with side sleeping in general, we found that pressure relief with the Serta mattress is dependent on body weight and curves.
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 Serta iComfort memory foam 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. When our tester dropped his body to the bed, the pin also barely moved.
In general, foam and memory foam beds are good choices if you are easily disturbed by a partner's movements, and the Serta mattress is no exception.
| Motion Isolation Rating | 10 /10 | Exceptional |
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 Serta iComfort mattress, cushioning isn't as deep as with some memory foam beds, so more of your body is exposed to air, meaning there's less chance of overheating.
The top two layers of memory foam are infused with gel, and gel is a known conductor, so the memory foam here is intended to help channel heat from your body. And the mattress's cover is treated with a phase-change material, intended to make it feel cool to the touch. Indeed, it did feel notably cool to us.
If overheating in bed is a major issue for you, and you’ve experienced it with other mattresses, a foam bed in general is likely is not your best choice.
| Stays 'Cool' Rating | 7 /10 | Above average for foam |
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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress does have firmer foam on both sides of the bed, and in our tests, it was quite effective. Our tester felt very stable both while sitting on the edge, and while laying on the edge of the mattress.
| Edge Support Rating | 8 /10 | Very good for foam |
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 Serta mattress. But our tester did not feel hindered in rolling from side to side on the bed.
| Repositioning Rating | 7 /10 | Above average for memory foam |
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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress 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. This certification is not unusual; it's become standard among mainstream mattresses that use foam.
| Green Rating | 3 /10 | Fair |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
We tested the Serta iComfort mattress atop our adjustable bed frame, and had no issues. The foot tended to lift up, but that is very typical for a brand new mattress. Given a break-in period, in our experiences, mattresses will relax and conform to the foot of the bed.
| Adjustable Base Compatibility | 8 /10 | Very good compatibility |
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does a Serta iComfort Blue 100CT 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 Serta iComfort Blue 100CT bed is a 10" memory foam over foam mattress made by a company with a long history in the mattress business. The top two layers of memory foam (2.75" total) are infused with gel to help regulate heat, and the mattress is wrapped in a sturdy and nice-feeling cover that includes phase-change material to feel cool to the touch.
How Long Will the Serta iComfort 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 iComfort Blue 100CT mattress, Serta has chosen not to disclose the densities used. However, the total weight of the queen size version-51 pounds- is very light compared to similarly constructed competing mattresses, which typically weight 20 to 30 pounds more. That tells us that the foams used in the Serta mattress are not as dense as much of the competition. Generally, denser foams should hold up better in the long run.
Overall Value
Pricing for the queen size Serta iComfort Blue 100CT mattress is $1,199, a price that's a little higher than some competing memory-foam-over-foam beds sold from online companies. When compared to what you might find in a mattress store, this Serta bed is comparable, and ultimately that's who may appreciate this mattress most--those who are uncomfortable buying a mattress online without trying it in a store.
However, we are concerned by Serta's trial and refund policy. While a 120-night trial is comparable to the competition, a $200 return fee plus 15% disposal fee is not.
| Value Rating | 6 /10 | Average value |
