Alternatives to Tempurpedic: Leesa Mattress Review

leesa foam mattress review When we last shopped for a mattress, it meant hours and hours of research, mainly spent at local mattress stores, department stores like Macy’s, Sears, and others, and a lot of annoying sales people, attempting to convince themselves that yapping your ear off while you were trying to relax was a good strategy. Seriously, people-please just be quiet, and let us lay there in peace. You’ll sell more beds.

Alas, the bed we purchased-a lovely Stearns & Foster luxury firm from a ‘giant’ mattress retailer failed after less than two years. Fast forward to nearly a year and a half later, and we were finally approved for a warranty replacement-or so we thought. As it would turn out, big box mattress stores don’t like honoring competitor’s prices, and although we found the identical replacement at another store for $1,000 less, the retailer insisted we pay the additional costs if we wanted to buy from them.

In the middle of this nightmare of squeaking mattress springs, indentations that sucked one into what felt like a hole to nowhere, and frustrating conversations about what bed we were going to end up with (their refund offer did not cover anything of equivalent value), Leesa Mattress reached out to us to offer a bed for review.

Although the possibility of a new and better bed was alluring, my last experience with a Tempurpedic left us with one opinion of memory foam mattresses: you could not pay me enough to sleep on a Tempurpedic, or anything of similar make.

Leesa’s rep was persistent, however, and finally convinced us that they were worth a try by offering to pick up the mattress and donate it to a local shelter if we didn’t like it.

That’s just the kind of people they are, and part of their corporate culture. We said yes, and for the past two months, we’ve been testing a Leesa mattress in everything from 86 degree humidity, to now 40 degree cold of a Florida winter. Here is our unbiased opinion, and hopefully a little peace of mind for any of you that are thinking about doing that scary thing of buying a mattress online.

Ordering from Leesa is simple. They currently carry only one style of firmness, so it’s just a question of choosing a size, and entering delivery details. Leesa manufactures each bed as they are ordered, so your mattress will generally arrive within one to three weeks, depending on schedules. Tracking information will be emailed to you when it’s ready, so don’t throw away your old mattress immediately.

More peace of mind: when you buy a Leesa mattress, you get 100 nights to try it for free. Another plus in our book, as your body will always take a bit to adjust to anything new.

Our Leesa arrived via UPS in a four foot tall box. Our first thought-they must have sent the wrong size. No, indeed, there was a king size mattress in it, and within about an hour of unboxing, it had reinflated to full size, and what appeared to be a normal height.

According to the company, you’ll achieve full firmness by the next day, and sure enough, our mattress firmed up, released most of the foam smell, and felt quite comfortable by the second night.

Leesa Mattress Construction

The outer fabric is a one-piece, seamless knit of polyester-lycra, and reminded us of a thin, stretchy sweater. We’re not sure how well it would hold up long term to the stretching and pulling of sheets, but it was quite comfortable out of the box. (PS, after two months, it also pilled much less than our previous said Tempurpedic mattress cover.)

The top layer of foam is similar to a perforated egg crate, intended to keep you cool and night, and circulate air flow. We did notice that we felt warmer on the Leesa-a common trait for most foam mattresses. Reduce heat by putting a cotton blanket or mattress protector between your regular sheets and the mattress, to eliminate the issue.

Leesa’s middle layer is where the memory foam exists. By putting it lower in the vertical construction of the bed, you still get the benefits, but without that sinking/stuck sensation that happens with a Tempurpedic.

The third layer is the densest, and most supportive foam in this mattress. Although we couldn’t tell when we unboxed it, their website says that it ‘adds strength, durability, and structure’.

How We Slept

As previously stated, we are firm bed people, and generally steer away from foam mattresses, because they lack the support needed for hips and lower backs. Leesa’s foam, although soft on top, holds up to pressure throughout the night, and although certainly not a ‘firm’ mattress, provided a good deal of comfort for us, reducing pressure points, as well as the number of times we woke up to roll over, or adjust position.

Movement does transfer a bit when you or your partner gets in and out of the bed, but not much more than with a traditional spring mattress, and certainly not enough to disturb your sleep. The edges of the mattress are also firm, and fairly supportive. Our previous Tempurpedic Cloud, by comparison, completely gave way, which meant it was nearly impossible to sit on the edge of the mattress.

The warmth of the mattress was a bit more than we preferred (again, living in Florida), and I’ve since added a cotton quilt below the mattress protector, to keep body heat transfer out of the equation.

Leesa recommends placing the mattress on a foundation or proper base. A foundation is just as important as what you put on it, as it will flex and resist as you put pressure on the top layers of the mattress. Leesa measured, fully ‘inflated’, at approximately 10 inches in height, making a regular profile foundation the best height for our bed frame. No matter what, buy a (new) foundation brand you trust, and from a retailer you can return it to, should there be a problem.

Online Mattress Price Savings

For a king size mattress, Leesa’s cost, including shipping, is currently $990. Add to that your foundation cost of $250, and you’re looking at $1240 for a new set. The mattress also comes with a limited, 10 year warranty, to cover any defects or failures that might occur. As an alternative to a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme or Cloud Supreme Breeze (with basic foundation, $3599-4299), there is tremendous cost savings to be had. Besides, if you decide it’s not for you, and you prefer, say, a Tatami Mat, you can send it back.

Leesa’s Return Policy, from their website:

First, try your Leesa for at least 30 nights. This allows your body ample time to adjust to the feel of a new mattress.

We’re confident you’ll love your Leesa but if you don’t, you have up to 100 nights to let us know. We’ll arrange a free* pickup from your home so you do not have to worry about fitting your Leesa back in the box or return shipping costs. Then we refund your purchase in full.

Please note: Orders placed on Amazon come with a 30 night trial as per Amazon’s return policy. Return Requests for Amazon orders must be submitted within 30 days of delivery.

*Alaska & Hawaii Customers: Shipping is still free, but there will be a $100 fee for returns

Our final words: The Leesa mattress we tested was some of the highest quality we’ve seen, and for the price, it can’t be beat.

There’s nothing wrong with buying from a local retailer. Outlets generally carry floor models, which means you don’t know how it’s been stored/stacked, and it may or may not already have a lot of wear and tear on it.

If you’re buying new, don’t just take the salesperson’s word for what you’re getting. Do your research, and if you’re looking for alternatives to Tempurpedic, or any other mattress brand look up what you’re really getting-in both core components, as well as warranty. Price matching is smart, and it doesn’t take much to figure out how to compare apples to apples in the mattress business. Don’t be afraid to try online mattress buying-you might be surprised with the value and quality you’ll get.