Best For
- Fast material response time
- Low levels of bounce and deeper contour
- Good for sleepers on a very tight budget
Considerations
- Struggles with cooling and heat retention
- Poor edge support when seated directly on the edge
- Sex performance is below average—a product of low bounce and weaker edges
Our Verdict
The Classic Brands Cool Gel mattress is a 12″ memory foam mattress made of gel memory foam, poly foam, and a high-density support foam.
It has high contour and lots of hug, despite only measuring minimal sinkage in our tests. To like the feel of this mattress, you’ll need to prefer the feel of traditional memory foam over other more balanced feels.
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has a medium feel with a firmness of 5 out of 10, where 10 is the most firm.
The performance score of 9.24 is certainly lower than average, putting it in the bottom 18% of all mattresses tested to date. That said, this mattress is priced significantly below average, so if you’re on a tight budget, this could be a reasonable option to consider.
Type: Memory Foam
Firmness: Medium (5)
Best For: Side Sleepers, Sleepers Under 250 lbs.
In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs
Performance Tests
At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.
We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Cooling | Good |
| Sinkage | Minimal |
| Motion Transfer | Very Low |
| Response Time | Extremely Fast |
| Bounce | Low |
| Edge Support | Very Good |
| Sex | Very Good |
| Pressure Relief | Very Good |
| Off-Gassing | Excellent |
| Company | Excellent |
How is Classic Brands Cool Gel Different?
The Classic Brands Cool Gel mattress has lower-than-average performance and also a price that is less than average as well.
This combination makes the Cool Gel mattress a good option for sleepers on a tight budget, that aren’t necessarily looking for advanced features or a luxury feel.
Advantages
Besides price, other advantages to the Classic Brands mattress include lower levels of motion transfer and fast material response time.
Neutral Factors
This mattress has less sinkage than average and less bounce as well. Both of these factors are considered “neutral” since their importance is widely reliant on a sleeper’s personal preference.
Disadvantages
The Cool Gel mattress has worse cooling performance than the average and also worse sex performance (due largely to the lower level of bounce and poorer edge support).
Although this mattress is 12″ thick, on par with the average, it has only 3.0″ of comfort material, making it less than ideal for heavier sleepers as well as some back or stomach sleepers.
| Factor | Classic Brands Cool Gel | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 9.24 | 9.51 |
| Price | See Price | $1,223 (Memory Foam only) |
| Cooling | 8.5 | 9.4 |
| Max Sinkage | 1.80″ | 2.17″ |
| Total Motion Transfer | 6.57 m/s² | 8.49 m/s² |
| Response Time | 0.3 sec. | 0.4 sec. |
| Total Bounce | 6.24″ | 9.62″ |
| Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage | 4.75″ | 4.11″ |
| Mattress Thickness | 12.0″ | 12.0″ |
| Sex Overall | 9.2 | 9.6 |
| Comfort Material | 3.0″ | 4.2″ |
| Off-Gassing – Smell | Strong | Strong |
| Off-Gassing – Days | 4 days | 5 days |
| Trial | 100 nights | 163 nights |
| Warranty | 10 years | 26% have lifetime warranties, average of other 74% of mattresses is 14 years |
Cooling Test
Cooling performance on the Classic Brands Cool Gel is good, but also far from great. During our tests, I felt a moderate level of heat retention around my body.
Baseline Temp.
75.7° F
Max Temp.
89.8° F
Ending Temp.
80.7° F
The mattress is 12”, 3 layers, and all foam. The topmost layer is a 3.0” memory foam layer, which is comfortable, but it’s not doing any favors with respect to heat retention.
Max Temp.
Ending Temp
- Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
- Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
- Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes
The mattress doesn’t contain any significant cooling features or materials. This fact, combined with the all-foam design and memory foam on top, creates an environment where heat is more readily retained.
All that said, given the price point, this mattress is far better than I expected it to be.
Generally less expensive mattresses really struggle when it comes to cooling. While the Cool Gel is no miracle worker, it’s hard to complain too much at this price.
Heat Dissipation Over Time
Sinkage Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has a minimal pressure point sinkage. During our tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 1.80”. This is 0.37” less sinkage than the average of 2.17”.
Sinkage Depth
1.80″
Sinkage Feel
Minimal
The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.
The mattress has a classic memory foam feel. There is a high level of body contouring hug with foams that dramatically wrap around the body.
However, because your body doesn’t sink down significantly into the mattress, it retains a certain degree of balance.
That said, the memory foam top layer and all-foam design do make it more difficult to move around on the mattress, especially once it’s fully hugged your body.
Motion Transfer Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has extremely low motion transfer. During our tests, we measured an acceleration range of 6.57 m/s². This is 22.6% less motion transfer than the average of 8.49 m/s².
Max. Acceleration
3.10 m/s²
Min. Acceleration
-3.47 m/s²
Accel. Range
6.57 m/s²
The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.
While the all-foam design and memory foam comfort layer don’t do any favors for cooling, when it comes to motion transfer they really shine. The visco elastic poly foam (aka memory foam) massively absorbs energy, reducing motion transfer.
In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we see the highest motion from 0 to 0.14 seconds.
While there is a minor level of motion from 0.14 to 0.92 seconds, it is extremely minimal. By 0.92 seconds we return to near-zero levels of energy.
Most sleepers should find this level of motion transfer to be more than satisfactory.
Response Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to material responsiveness. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered time of 0.3 and a fully recovered response time of 1.0 seconds.
Mostly Recovered
0.3 sec.
Complete Recovery
1.0 sec.
The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.
The mostly recovered time is 0.10 seconds faster than the average of 0.40 seconds. However, the fully recovered time is 0.15 seconds slower than the average of 0.85 seconds.
For most sleepers, a rapid mostly recovered time is enough that they don’t feel stuck and find the mattress easy to move around on. However, more sensitive sleepers may find the 1.0-second fully recovered time to be a bit too slow.
Bounce Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has a low level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.24”. This is 3.38” less bounce than the average of 9.62”.
Max. Depth
3.96″
Max. Rebound
2.28″
Total Bounce
6.24″
All foam mattresses, especially those that contain memory foam, typically have a lower level of bounce and that’s exactly what we see with the Cool Gel.
Max. Sinkage Depth
Max Bounce Height
The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.
The same material properties of the memory foam top layer that significantly reduced motion transfer are also at play here, leading to a lower level of bounce.
The lower level of bounce does make it harder to move around on the mattress and also inhibits sex performance. If ease of movement and sex are essential to you then you may want to consider a different mattress.
Edge Support Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has good edge support, but it certainly doesn’t rise to the “great” or “excellent” level. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 4.75”. This is 0.64” more sinkage than the average of 4.11”.
Max Sinkage
4.75″
Lying Support
Very Good
Ideally, I want to see 4.0” or sinkage or less. As mattresses have edge sinkage greater than 4.0” it can begin to feel like there is a collapse of material support, and that’s exactly what we experience here.
At 4.75”, compression is not bad by any stretch, but this is an area where we ordinarily see notably less sinkage (on average).
The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.
Sitting, 140 lbs.
Sitting, 200 lbs.
Lying edge support was a similar story. During our tests, I felt reasonably well-supported, but also found the edges to be a bit squishy. For most sleepers, you’ll want to move at least a few inches away from the absolute edge to feel more completely supported.
The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.
Lying on Edge, 140 lbs.
Lying on Edge, 200 lbs.
The Cool Gel lacks any type of reinforced edge support foam. This fact, combined with the 3.0” memory foam comfort layer, creates an environment where lying edge support just isn’t amazing.
Sex Test
The best mattresses for sex have high bounce, good edge support, quiet materials, and good pressure relief and cooling.
These 5 factors make up the NapLab sex performance score.
| Sex Factor | Factor Weight | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bounce | 60% | 9.1 | Low |
| Edge Support | 20% | 9.1 | Very Good |
| Noise | 10% | 10 | Minimal |
| Pressure Relief | 5% | 9.0 | Very Good |
| Cooling | 5% | 8.5 | Good |
For the Classic Brands Cool Gel, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.2.
This score is lower than average and it’s largely due to two main disadvantages—low levels of bounce, and an edge support score of only 9.1.
While low bounce isn’t necessarily a bad thing for sleeping, in terms of sex performance, it’s a real buzz kill. The same can be said for edge support.
In most cases, you can just move away from the edge and feel supported, but for amorous activities, the edge may be a more critical factor for some people.
Pressure Relief Test
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has a good level of pressure relief performance, but it doesn’t quite rise to the “great” or “exceptional” level.
Comfort Layer
3.0″
Support Layer
9.0″
During our tests, pressure relief was pretty good. However, I did experience some slight pressure in my shoulders. The mattress is all foam, 12” thick, and has 3 different layers.
The comfort layer is 3.0” thick and made of viscoelastic poly foam (aka memory foam). This layer is driving the majority of the comfort dynamic and pressure relief.
Ideally, I like to see a comfort layer that is at least 4.0” thick, with thicker almost always creating better performance. Based on all of our tests to date, the average comfort layer is 4.2” thick. So the Cool Gel is a bit south of that.
The Cool Gel does include a 2.0” transitional poly foam layer in the core of the mattress. It’s not at the same quality or comfort level as the top 3.0” memory foam layer is.
Nevertheless, it is having a more positive impact than just 2.0” of support foam would. Overall, pressure relief is quite good, especially for a mattress at this price point.
Off-Gassing Test
Off-gassing on the Classic Brands Cool Gel memory foam mattress is strong right out of the box.
Initial Smell Strength
Strong
Off-Gassing Period
4 days
It took 4 days for the mattress to fully off-gas, which is 1 day less than the 5-day off-gassing average.
Company
The company score takes a look at factors that may influence your experience with the mattress.
Factors include length of the trial period, warranty, shipping / return costs, and country of origin.
| Company Factor | Factor Weight | Score | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial Period | 25% | 9.0 | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 25% | 10 | 10 years |
| Shipping | 25% | 10 | $0 |
| Returns | 25% | 10 | $0 |
| Country of Origin | 0% | Global |
The Classic Brands mattress is sold by Amazon, who handles the free shipping, free returns, and 100 night trial period, generating a company score of 9.8.
In addition, the mattress also has a 10 year warranty.
How firm is Classic Brands Cool Gel?
The Classic Brands Cool Gel mattress has a medium feel with a firmness level of 5 out of 10, where 10 is the most firm.
Support & Sleeping Positions
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has good support. In our tests, I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions. The medium firmness creates enough sinkage and pressure relief to contour around the body.
In looking at the material design, we have an all-foam 12” design with a 7.0” support foam layer and a 2.0” transitional poly foam core. That’s 9.0” of materials that help to transition and support sleeper bodies.
For reference, the average support layer thickness is 7.8”.
The biggest question on whether or not you’ll feel well supported on the Cool Gel is whether or not you like the classic feel of memory foam. With lots of hug and lots of body contouring, memory foam is more of a polarizing feel and isn’t for everyone.
Given the firmness and material construction, I am confident most side sleepers will feel well-supported by the mattress. However, some back and stomach sleepers may find the high degree of body contouring is just too much to feel well supported.
Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.
| Sleeper Weight | Stomach Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Back Sleepers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 150 lbs. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 150-250 lbs. | Maybe | Yes | Maybe |
| 250-300 lbs. | Maybe | Yes | Maybe |
Design
The Classic Brands Cool Gel is a 12″ memory foam mattress with a medium feel, 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale.
Type
Memory Foam
Thickness
12″
Firmness
5
Materials
In total, the Cool Gel memory foam mattress has three primary layers. From top to bottom, the layers include:
- 3.0″ gel memory foam
- 2.0″ poly foam
- 7.0″ support foam
The Law Tag outlines the full breakdown of materials included in this mattress.
- 79% polyurethane foam pad
- 21% viscoelastic polyurethane foam pad
- Made for FoamTex
- Weight 85 pounds 8 oz
- Outer cover = polyester 99%, spandex 1%
- Inner cover = cotton 92%, polyester 8%
- Cover made in China, filled and finished in USA
- Care instructions = “Do not remove or wash cover”
The Cover
The Classic Brands Cool Gel has a thin cover with a knit fabric. The thin top waterfalls over the edge of the mattress and the sides use a more durable reinforced fabric.
The Comfort Layer
The comfort layer contains a top layer of 3.0″ gel memory foam followed by a 2.0″ transitional poly foam.
Although these gel layers are designed for advanced cooling, the cooling performance still struggles.
The Support Layer
The base layer of this mattress is a 7.0″ slab of high-density support foam. This layer supports the comfort foams below and also helps the mattress maintain its shape.
Product Evolution
There are many different versions of the Cool Gel mattress that have evolved over the years. There are varying thicknesses (8″, 12″, 14″) to this mattress, which may give the mattress a different feel or firmness.
We tested the all foam, memory foam, 12″ Cool Gel version, which is the flagship and most popular version.
Be sure to double-check the specifications before moving forward with this particular mattress as there are many options.
Other Mattresses to Consider
Not sure if the Classic Brands Cool Gel is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated foam mattresses for high-performing alternatives you may want to consider.
For Performance
Nest Bedding Quail
9.59 Overall Score
The Nest Bedding Quail is a 10″ foam mattress with comfort poly foam and a support foam base. This mattress is a solid memory foam performer, especially at this price point. This mattress is available in two firmnesses—Medium (5 out of 10) or Lux Firm (8 out of 10).
For Balanced Feel
Leesa Original
9.56 Overall Score
The Leesa Original combines memory foam and poly foam for a balanced feel and medium-firm firmness (6 out of 10 on the firmness scale). If you like memory foam but want a more balanced contour and hug, the Leesa is a great alternative.
For Budget
Siena
9.55 Overall Score
The Siena mattress is the closest price to the Classic Brands Cool Gel, offering a queen mattress for $399. It also offers better performance across the board and higher-quality materials. For better cooling and edge support, the Siena is a good value mattress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Classic Brands Cool Gel mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.
This mattress is available in 6″, 10″, 12″, or 14″ thicknesses. Thicker versions are generally more expensive than thinner versions.
No, this particular mattress does not contain any fiberglass. Although other third-party sources have said some Classic Brands mattresses do contain fiberglass. According to Classic Brands, there is no fiberglass in the mattress.
