Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress Review: In Depth Report And Review By Industry Pro
My Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress review tested and scored this hybrid coil and foam mattress available only online. Newly launched in late 2022, it is considered a luxury innerspring mattress.
10 Rigorous Objective Data Points
This American made hybrid mattress combines a fairly thick quilted pillow top, 5″ of specialized foam layers, and a pocketed coil suspension which is the supportive element of the mattress
If you order online, a queen costs $1499 with free shipping, a 180 day trial, and a lifetime warranty. You can choose your preferred level of comfort and support be selecting either the “Luxury Plush” or “Luxury Firm” option.
We received a test sample, delivered by FedEx, which was packaged professionally and secured with plenty of wrapping material.
The shipping box was heavy duty enough to fight off dings and dents, and actually, there wasn’t a mark on it.
We opened the container, unrolled and took off the plastic wrapper, and within 2-3 hours the compressed and vacuum packaged mattress measured out at the factory height of 15″.
We reviewed and tested the Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress on both the floor and a solid low profile foundation, but it can used on any surface from adjustable bases, platform beds, and slatted foundations.
How The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress Performed In Tests
Offering solid edge support and a taught but super elastic stretch knit outer fabric covering, The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress makes turning and changing positions easy.
We tested the slightly softer option of the two levels of firmness the company offered, the Luxury Plush and Luxury Firm. The mattress felt soft and inviting without giving a trapped sensation.
There is little bounce, yet the mattress responds and returns quickly to original height, making it easier to turn on. Edge support is pretty amazing, and when lying on your side, it’s pretty good at relieving pressure at hips and shoulders.
At 185 lbs and 6’1″ tall, I put a pretty decent impression on most mattresses, though Elm Sleep states that The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid plush option can handle up to 280 lbs, and above that weight (whether solo or couple), it’s best to opt for the Luxury Firm option.
The difference between the softer and firmer options is created by adding another inch of foam inside the plusher version, which has a 3″ layer of what is called 4 lb. density memory foam, vs. 2″ in the firmer model, along with a slightly thicker piece of support foam at the very bottom of the mattress.
It’s Available In Two Levels Of Firmness, But Which One Is Best For You?
The Luxury Plush option of The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress has a softer feel than its Luxury Firm counterpart, but owners who have slept on both variations don’t experience dramatic differences between the two.
Most plusher options I’ve reviewed when you need to make a choice on the same model of mattress are too soft, however in this case, I’d say stick with The Luxury Firm if you weigh more than 200 pounds, or you and your partner are heavy.
I personally reveled in the Luxury Plush version, with its billowy and lofty feeling initial feel, but I didn’t feel like I sunk so far that I was trapped inside.
Owners who reviewed both options found it easier to turn on than conventional innersprings that were too soft to move around on, or all foam mattresses that simply were not designed for buoyancy and suspension.
The pillow top section has a luxurious and buoyant feel and filled in pocketed areas that a smooth top mattress (a thinner piece of fabric found on a lot of bed in a box options) like between shoulder blades and pelvis (small of your back).
I think the reason for this, along with its more buoyant properties is the use of a better grade of memory foam which doesn’t have a “dead mattress” feel. You’ll experience immersion and a bit of the melting-in sensation you expect with a proper memory foam mattress.
How The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress Performed In My 10 Data Point Test And Review
I tested the Comfort Plush Model in a simulated bedroom environment with solo sleepers and couples (mattress placed on solid deck surface of platform bed and on ground) All of the ratings were based on averages of the subjects who participated, and data for reviews was obtained by evaluating and integrating actual owner reviews into our data.
Overall Comfort– initial feel, level of immersion, initial body contact experience- 10
Support– spine alignment, pain relief, pressure relief in 30 minutes or less- 10
Solo Sleeper– overall impressions with comfort, ease of turning, back and side- 9.5
Couple Experience- sink in middle, snuggling rating, motion transfer- 9.6
Edge Support– as experienced by 190lb test subject- 9.6
Sex– as reported by online reviews and voluntary reporting- 9.5
Bounce, Motion Transfer, And Liveliness–9.5 (excellent motion transfer score)
Cost Value– 1-10 rating based on the quality and value compared to other brands 9.4
Trial Period, Warranty, And General Customer Service Appeal– 10
Shipping And Delivery Experience– ease of delivery, ship time, setup-10
Overall Rating Of The Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid Mattress: 9.7 One word rating: Divine!
I Gave It A 9.7 Rating- I Was Eager To See How It Stacked Up To Othe Luxury Hybrid Models
One of the reasons why The Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid Mattress scored so well in my test is fairly easy to explain. The simpler a mattress is designed, the better the performance, and the longer the mattress will last.
The quilted top is made using a stretch knit fabric that is quilted with a spun, impact resistant fiber and a 1″ layer of high density foam to provide a soft initial feel without that trapped or stuck sensation.
In the plush option, right below the quilted piece, is a 3″ piece of 4 lb. density foam- which makes a difference in durability, pressure relief, support, and comfort.
Most bed in a box manufacturers quietly slip in what is typically the industry standard, 3 lb. density which doesn’t cradle or support as effectively- causing you to drop right through it.
That’s one of the reasons while the Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid has good “float factor”, making it easy to turn on and, for couples, keeps your from ending up in a ball in the center of the mattress.
The craftsmanship on the Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress rivals top of the line retail brands selling for twice as much. I look at details like sewing, tufting, and quilting to get a sense of attention to detail by the brand.
Beneath the 3″ thick layer of memory foam, there is an additional layer of high density foam which is typical of a hybrid foam on coil mattress build but again, the Elm Sleep company chose to use a bit of an upgrade material for this component.
Looking at the Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress edge on at ground level, it’s easy to see how lofty the pillow top section appears.
Below the pillow top piece, a 2″ layer of high density foam provides both motion dampening support and spreads weight laterally across the pocketed coil section below.
This helps reduce pressure at key areas, and also contributes to the useful space around the edge of the mattress which is often otherwise lost since the perimeter of many foam and coil mattresses cause you to slide off, or collapse.
It’s important to provide a shock absorbing material both above and below any pocket coil unit installed in a hybrid mattress to control motion transfer and shock absorption. These foam layers need to be of sufficient density also, so that the pocket coils themselves, even when wrapped in fabric, do not wear or scrape the foam layers.
Essential to any really good mattress design is avoiding the use of foam components that are too soft, or not dense enough to distribute horizontal load.
High density foams, that are graded by the weight of a cubic foot of the materials, are often used in mattresses, and when using them along the edge or the interior of a mattress, should ideally range from 2.8-3.2 lbs/cubic foot.
In many questionable bed in a box recipes, inferior high density foams are often used that are about half the recommended densities I think should be routinely used as part of the “cake recipe”.
I’ve always used a higher density foam, around 33-36 ILD (you can read even more about foam density here) which is tougher and more durable, even though it isn’t fragile and prone to mechanically created damage.
One consideration is the shipping process with many mattresses sold online. If the foam is not of sufficient quality, it can actually crack, stretch, or tear, and will have a much more limited lifespan.
Independently Pocketed Coils Are the Heart And Lungs Of Any Great Hybrid Mattress
One feature of The Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid Mattress is the attention to detail the Elm Sleep design team paid to their pocketed coil unit which is placed inside the mattress. It’s critical that the steel used the coils is firm enough to withstand a lot of weight but still have a tension level that allows for good flex and spring back.
I’ve designed many pocket coil mattresses myself and learned that using 8″ coils, each operating independently much like the keys on a piano to allow for pressure relief in small, controlled areas. Using stiffer coils along the edge allows for better support, and also can be controlled to offer localized hip support and shoulder support as well.
Independent coils also reduce motion transfer for couples, and light sleepers get a much deeper level of restorative REM sleep when sleeping with a partner, than sleeping on all foam mattresses like natural latex or conventional innerspring mattresses.
Stiffer coils along the perimeter of a pocketed coil mattress provide a sturdy edge to eliminate that “sliding off” sensation.
To create the two distinctively different levels of firmness in The Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress, the designers vary the thickness of the memory foam layer, being slightly thicker in the softer plush version.
The difference is subtle, but larger people and couples with combined weights over 475 lbs. should consider the firmer option.
I gave this mattress a 10 out of 10 for overall comfort, specifically because although the pillow top section is thicker and feels loftier than a comparable mattress in the same hybrid category, there is not bottoming out sensation.
It’s excellent for side back sleepers, and for bed bound and disabled people (here are some more options for disabled people spending a lot of time in bed) as well.
How Supportive Is The Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid Mattress
When it comes to pressure and pain relief, for me as a mattress engineer and designer, it all boils down to support. Essentially, that means just how effective a mattress is at doing the following:
- Maintaining proper spine alignment
- Pressure relief at hips and shoulders
- Distributing horizontal load outward
- Fill in void areas and deliver limb support
- Support torso area of body properly
I personally tested sinkage and what I refer to as “lift” on the Elm Sleep 15″ Resort Hybrid Mattress and found it to have very little immersion while lying on my side. Lift is a term I used to describe the sensation of buoyancy, ease of turning, and as close as you can get to a “zero G” or weightless sensation.
Compared to dozens of mattresses I’ve reviewed and tested with the same general configuration, offering a generous amount of quilted pillow top situated above a pretty thick piece of memory foam and other supportive foam layers, I stand by my rating of 10 out of 10!
Review Of Warranty, Trial Period, And Return Policy
Elm Sleep offers the same comprehensive lifetime warranty for all of its mattresses, provided here. It specifically coverages dips and depressions of up to 1″ and offers 100% replacement coverage for 25 years, and 50% of the original cost of the mattress for year 26 and beyond.
This is a pretty generous benefit, based on my own warranties I offered for similar products, and although it may not sound like much of an indentation or impression, an inch is a pretty noticeable dip. We asked our own customers to take a photograph of any depression they observed on our products and to place a long piece of wood trim a cane, or other lightweight object across the mattress from edge to edge.
The depression would be easily seen. With the build and design of the Elm Sleep Resort Hybrid Mattress, it would not be likely to see any depressions over what these days would be considered a long lifespan of 8-10 years (see my page on recommended mattress replacement time).
I’d describe the warranty coverage as effective, and more than fair. If for any reason you want to return a mattress, you can do so after day 31 or ownership, and no later than day 180. This is pretty typical, and you can also receive a full refund within 180 days of ownership, during the “free trial”.
You will receive a full refund, but will not get credit for any sales or coupons beyond the date that you made the purchase. You can read the warranty page more granular detail, but those are the nuts and bolts, and it’s fairly standard for a mattress ordered online.
One thing: if you spill a liquid of any kind on the mattress (meaning you failed to use a mattress protector) you are likely not going to be able to return the product. Also note that if you have not opened the mattress box and unrolled it within 90 days of purchase, the mattress is considered damaged and cannot be returned. Totally fair on that one, also.