Cuddle Mattress Review
Editor’s Note: Cuddle Sleep is no longer in business. For a good alternative, take a look at best mattresses for couples.
Our Verdict: The Cuddle Mattress may be the most audience-specific product on the market. The design is specifically engineered for couples to cuddle, without putting unwanted pressure on their limbs while doing so. If you fit into this category, give Cuddle a try! If you are on the hunt for a traditional mattress, this is probably not the best option for you.
Is the Cuddle Mattress Right for You?
Who Might Like the Cuddle Mattress
- Couples who like to cuddle
- Hot sleepers
Who Might not like the Cuddle Mattress
- People with back problems
- Sleepers wanting a traditional mattress
Cuddle In-Depth Review
The Cuddle mattress company came onto the scene in 2013 with the tagline, “Sleep better. Cuddle longer.”
This company was started on the basis of how difficult it is to snuggle comfortably. Your limbs fall asleep or lose sensation due to a lack of blood flow from the additional weight placed on your wrists or arms, making an uncomfortable experience for all involved. Instead of placing additional material on top of the mattress base, The Cuddle Mattress started thinking “bottom-up” instead of “top-down.”
This thinking resulted in an innovative design using multiple slats. The slats are arranged like books on a shelf, lying flat on a mattress base. Now, imagine you’re lying on top of those slats. When you reach out to cradle your significant other, you can slip your arm down in between two of the slats. Your arm is around your partner without taking all of the weight. You’re close, but not uncomfortable.
My head exploded when I first looked at the design. Cuddle Mattress offers customers, two models, each using different types of foam—the MPU is made with some heat-diffusing gel and the PU with straight foam. Overall, the design is smart in its own way. It’s innovative thinking to solve a specific problem. But does it deliver an overall sleep experience that works for many people? Let’s take a look.
Cuddle Highlights
- The design, obviously. Individual slats that you can shove your limbs into so you are not bearing the weight of a partner.
- Couple-specific. I write a lot of reviews and there are certain features that can be construed as specific to how couples sleep. (Yes, edge support.) However, this mattress company went all-in on thinking about what troubles couples at rest.
- Flippable. Yes, one side is medium. Flip it to get a firmer feel, more like a medium-firm. (Firmness is a relative and depends on your weight and preference.)
Cuddle Mattress by Sleeping Positions
Side sleepers may find this mattress is a decent solution for all of their contouring needs in the shoulder area to rest comfortably on their sides. You can stick your arm inside the mattress slats, so it won’t press your shoulder out of alignment, making this a one of the best mattresses for side sleepers.
Stomach sleepers may find comfort by shoving their feet in between the slats at the bottom of the bed. The main idea behind good sleep is keeping your spine in alignment. The straighter the spine, the more likely you are to wake up without soreness or stiffness. Since it would be nearly impossible to sleep face down on our stomachs, we turn our heads and contort our legs to get comfortable, which isn’t great for our backs. At least, putting your toes between the slats may give you a better line in the spine as you rest.
Back sleepers could eventually struggle most on this mattress. There are too many moving parts to assure that it will support your hips and back with long-term use.
Pros
A truly new idea in the mattress marketplace
Addresses a specific issue for couples.
Can flip the mattress to change the firmness from medium to medium-firm.
Comes with a stretchy top sheet to make it easier to move your limbs between the slats.
Manufactured in the U.S.
Cons
Many moving parts, which hinders durability. (Mattresses need stability to remain durable.)
Your own top sheets may make it difficult to shove your limbs into the slats.
Cuddle Mattress Firmness
Both versions of the Cuddle Mattress can be flipped if you want to adjust the firmness level. One side is medium and the other is a medium-firm feel.
Cuddle Mattress Construction
The Cuddle Mattress is made of slats that are pushed together to form sections of the mattress surface. The company sells the Cuddle Mattress Memory Gel version and the PU version. The memory gel provides a cooling feature, so that model would be the best option for people who sleep hot.
At both ends of the mattresses, there are six of the foam slats. This means the middle portion of the mattress is a solid section, not slatted like the head and foot of the bed. So, no worries, this mattress can still be used for everything else that happens in the bedroom! The slats allow sleepers to slip arms or legs into the mattress, alleviating any pinching and leaving the weight off of the limbs.
As far as the slat construction is concerned, there are three layers.
The first is the comfort layer. It is 2 inches of memory foam to curve around the widest parts of the body—shoulders and hips for side sleepers, booty for back sleepers, and tummy for stomach sleepers. (The cooling gel in the MPU version is within this layer.) Since it’s thicker than the third layer, if you flip the mattress to have this layer is on top, the mattress will have a medium firmness.
The second is the support layer. It is 5 ½ inches of high-density foam for spinal support.
The third layer is 1 inch of memory foam. (This layer is also gel-infused for cooling in the MPU model.) Since it’s thinner if you have this layer is on top, you’ll get a firmer feel.
Cuddle Mattress Sizing and Specs
| MODEL SIZE | DIMENSIONS | WEIGHT | HEIGHT | PRICE |
| Memory Gel MPU Full | 50″ x 84″ | 8.5 inches | $1599 | |
| HQ Foam PU Full | 50″ x 84″ | 8.5 inches | $1249 | |
| Memory Gel MPU Queen | 60″ x 80″ | 8.5 inches | $1749 | |
| HQ Foam PU Queen | 60″ x 80″ | 8.5 inches | $1449 | |
| Memory Gel MPU King | 76″ x 80″ | 8.5 inches | $1949 | |
| HQ Foam PU King | 76″ x 80″ | 8.5 inches | $1599 | |
| Memory Gel MPU Cal King | 72″ x 84″ | 8.5 inches | $1999 | |
| HQ Foam PU Cal King | 72″ x 84″ | 8.5 inches | $1649 |
Cuddle Mattress Buying Experience
Shipping, Delivery and Returns
When I accessed the Cuddle Mattress website to write this review, it showed this warning at the top of the page. FYI.
“Due to high demand and limited production, all orders received by the 20th of each month will be shipped by the end of the following month.”
Now that we’re all informed … Cuddle Mattress will ship for free in the continental U.S. If you’re ordering from anywhere else, you will have to pay shipping fees.
The mattress arrives unassembled. So that means you do have to assemble the mattress yourself, but it’s a simple enough process. You’ll just have to lay the slats down by inserting metal rods into each layer.
The Cuddle Mattress Trial Period
There is a 90-day trial period with your Cuddle Mattress. The company requires you to sleep on the mattress for 60 days before you try to return it. You need time to adjust to any new sleep surface, but this is about a month longer than almost every other company in the business.
Warranty
You get a 25-limited year warranty with this mattress. Cuddle Mattress will decide if it will repair or replace any problematic unit due to faulty materials or craftsmanship. You must be the original purchaser to take advantage of the warranty. You must use a firm, solid foundation for the Cuddle Mattress. If you don’t, you void your warranty. It also covers visible indentations over ¾ of an inch and any flaws in the mattress that causes it to split and crack.
Availability
You can purchase a Cuddle Mattress on the company website or at retail outlets. There was no list or locator app on the website to sort out where the retail locations are.
Cuddle Mattress Rating and Conclusion
I remain impressed that someone thought to cut into a mattress from top to bottom, creating sections that you can put your hands, arms or feet into to create a more comfortable sleep experience for couples. It’s brilliant.
However, the Cuddle Mattress is something of a niche product. That’s not a bad thing, just a specific thing. Couples and some side and back sleepers may get the most out of it, but not everyone will find it comfortable over time.
Also, there are a few moving parts to the mattress itself. That doesn’t bode well for longevity or durability. Keep that in mind while you’re deciding whether to spend over $1,200 for it.
