Cool Gel Ultimate Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and feel of the mattress. We then take the results of those tests and compare them to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Cool Gel Ultimate	Average
Overall Score	8.07	8.53
Price (Queen)	$510	$1,065 (Memory Foam only)
Cooling – Score	8.0	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.78″	2.23″
Sinkage – Feel	Very Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.2	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	9.11 m/s²	8.77 m/s²
Response Time – Score	7.5	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.6 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.1 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	4.81″	8.77″
Bounce – Feel	Very Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	8.2	8.7
Edge Support – Sitting	4.25″	3.93″
Edge Support – Lying	Good	Good
Sex – Score	6.6	8.2
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	5.25″	4.29″
Mattress Thickness	13.50″	12.19″
Off-Gassing – Score	6.1	8.0
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	14 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.0	8.8
Trial	100 nights	180 nights
Warranty	10 years	41% have lifetime warranties, average of other 59% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Cool Gel Ultimate Different?

The Cool Gel Ultimate is a 13.50″ memory foam mattress with an overall performance level that is well below average, but a price that is also below average.

The result is a cheaper mattress that sacrifices in many areas of performance to hit the low target price.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of the Cool Gel Ultimate, aside from the low price, is its surprisingly good pressure relief. A score of 9 out of 10 for pressure relief is very impressive, especially considering the low price tag (under $500/queen).

It is 13.5″ thick and has a 5.25″ thick comfort layer, which is significantly thicker than the 4.29″ average (among all mattresses tested to date).

Neutral Factors

This mattress has a very deep level of sinkage and very low bounce as well. The result is a mattress that has a more dramatic contour and slower response time. This dynamic could make sensitive sleepers feel a little “stuck”, but the low price could still be attractive to others.

Motion transfer is also a bit of a neutral factor as it has an average score in this category (8.2).

Disadvantages

Given its low price, we can expect a few disadvantages on this mattress. The Cool Gel has higher levels of heat retention than average and worse cooling performance, slower material responsiveness, and weaker edge support as well.

Sex score is well below average, due to its weaker edges and lower levels of bounce.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has good cooling. During our tests, I felt a slight level of heat retention around my body, but it was nothing too extreme.

When we consider the materials and design, this cooling performance is exactly what we’d expect. We have an all-foam design with a 3.0” memory foam comfort layer on top.

All-foam designs simply don’t breathe as well or generate as much airflow as hybrid mattresses. The gel within the top 3.0” memory foam layer is certainly helping to keep heat retention in check, and yet, it’s not a miracle worker.

• 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

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 91.3° F. This is 1.3° warmer than the average of 90.0° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress, the temperature declined by 3.6 degrees from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.2 degrees less cooling than the average 0 to 1 minute decline of 4.8 degrees.

When we consider the combination of objective data, my subjective experiences, and an analysis of the materials, I’m confident in my view that cooling is good.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has very deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.78″. This is 0.55″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.23″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The mattress creates a dramatic body contouring hug and has a more classic memory foam feel. What this means is there is lots of hug, lots of body contour, deeper sinkage, and a slower material recovery speed.

This causes the body to feel more firmly held in place once the foams contour to the shape of your body. This can cause the mattress to feel more difficult to move around on and change positions.

Despite this, some sleepers do enjoy the more dramatic body contouring hug and classic memory foam feel. This feel is neither good nor bad, but it is a specific feel, one you’ll need to prefer in order to enjoy the Cool Gel Ultimate.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has a low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 9.11 m/s². This is 4% more motion transfer than the average of 8.77 m/s².

While motion is slightly more than average, it’s still within the low threshold level. The biggest factors helping to lower motion include the all foam design, 3.0” memory foam layer, classic memory foam feel, and low level of bounce.

These material and feel factors help to mitigate motion and also quickly disperse it.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.2 seconds. Motion declines significantly immediately thereafter.

By 0.41 seconds, we’ve returned to near-zero levels of energy, which is 0.48 seconds shorter than the average motion duration of 0.89 seconds.

While motion transfer is slightly more than average, the motion transfer level is significantly shorter than average.

This shorter duration is the product of the classic memory foam design. As to why the motion intensity was slightly more than average, in my view, it is more likely the result of the taut cover.

The tautness of the cover can pull from one side to the other during a motion-generating event, which creates a motion spike, but one that doesn’t last very long.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has a moderate material response. In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.6 seconds, which is 0.19 seconds slower than the average of 0.41 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.1 seconds, which is 0.09 seconds slower than the average of 1.01 seconds.

The slower-than-average material recovery speed is a product of the 3.0” memory foam top layer.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

This type of memory foam simply takes longer to reform back to its original shape. That slower recovery speed makes this mattress more difficult to move around and change positions.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has a very low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 4.81″. This is 3.96″ less bounce than the average of 8.77″, based on all of our tests to date.

This lower level of bounce is the product of the material design. This is an all foam mattress and also one that uses a 3.0” layer of classic memory foam as the top layer. These materials simply absorb a ton of energy, thereby creating a below average level of bounce.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

The lower bounce is a major reason that motion transfer is lower. However, lower bounce also means worse ease of movement and worse sex performance. So there are pros and cons to consider here.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has good sitting edge support and good lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 4.25″. This is 0.32″ more sitting sinkage than the average of 3.93″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was good in all sleeping positions.

Ultimately, this is a good, but not amazing, level of edge support. The less-than0-great performance is the result of the memory foam contouring to the body, which creates a weakening of support at the edge.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

Notably, this mattress does not utilize any type of reinforced edge support foam. Overall, edge support is good, but it still leaves something to be desired.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has mediocre sex performance. First, let’s talk about what the mattress does well. Noise is the brightest spot, as the all-foam design means noise is kept to a minimum.

In addition, pressure relief earned an excellent score, with cooling and edge support earning good scores.

The problem with the Cool Gel Ultimate, and it’s a big one, is simply the lack of bounce. When it comes to sex, more bounce is almost always better than less.

Cool Gel has a very low level of bounce that we measured at 4.81”. This is considerably lower than the average bounce.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	5.5	Very Low
Edge Support	20%	8.4	Good
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Excellent
Cooling	5%	8.0	Good

The lower bounce means it’s simply more strenuous and tiring to have sex on the mattress. Overall, this mattress earns a below-average score for sex.

The Cool Gel Ultimate has an excellent level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no significant pressure points on my body.

The mattress is equipped with 5.25″ of comfort material, which is 0.96″ more comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.29″, based on all of our tests to date.

On all mattresses we test, we cut the mattress open to examine the material quality. Overall, the material quality looks pretty good, which is a rarity at this price point.

In particular, I’m pleased with the 3.0” memory foam layer. It feels good both on the body and in-hand. The 2.25” transitional poly foam and support foam are both okay foams.

To be fair, neither are amazing, and yet, they are perfectly reasonable and what we expect at this price point. I can’t help but compare the foam quality used here to the foams in Sealy’s new lineup at Costco.

All of those Costco models have significantly worse quality foam by comparison, in my view.

In our objective pressure-mapping tests, we measured a maximum PSI of 0.66. This is well within the 1.0 PSI threshold that I ideally want to see.

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.11	0.37

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.07	0.66

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.07	0.44

When I consider our objective pressure mapping tests, material thickness, material quality, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I’m confident most sleepers will find the pressure relief to be excellent.

The Cool Gel Ultimate had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 14 days. This is 6.8 days longer than the average smell duration of 7.2 days.

CoolGel mattresses come with a 100-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Shipping and returns are both free.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Returns	40%	10	$0
Trial Period	30%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	20%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	10%	10	$0
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Comparing 105+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 175 nights, 75 nights more than CoolGel offers.

The average warranty is 13 years, which is 3 years more than this mattress, and that’s if we exclude the 42% of mattresses that offer lifetime warranties.

The Cool Gel Ultimate is available in a single firmness, 6 out of 10, giving the mattress a medium-firm feel.

This firmness is popular among a wide range of sleepers due to its balance of support and pressure relief.

Support on the Cool Gel Ultimate is good. During our tests, I felt well supported by the mattress in all sleeping positions. The mattress is equipped with an 8.25″ support layer.

This is 0.34″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.91″, based on all of our tests to date.

Support Factor	Data
Comfort Layer	5.25″
Support Layer	8.25″
Firmness	Medium-Firm
Body Contour	Dramatic
Zoned Support	No
Reinforced Edge	No

This mattress is available in a single firmness, which is a medium-firm, 6 out of 10 on our firmness scale. This firmness is appropriate to the needs and preferences of most sleepers.

This mattress does not contain any type of zoned support. Instead, we have a consistent firmness and support dynamic across the entirety of the mattress. Whether or not this mattress feels supportive to you will really come down to two big questions.

First, do you like the feel of classic memory foam? The memory foam creates a dramatic, sharp, and exacting hug that conforms to the precise shape of your body. This feel isn’t great for all sleepers, but many will love this support dynamic.

The second big question is, do you like a very deep level of sinkage?

In our tests, we measured pressure point sinkage depth at 2.78”. This is notably deeper than the average of 2.23”. Deeper sinkage can be beneficial for many side sleepers, but it can be hit or miss for many back and stomach sleepers.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleeper	Side Sleeper	Back Sleeper
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Based on all of my tests to date, an analysis of the materials, and my subjective experiences, I’m confident that most sleepers will find support on the Cool Gel Ultimate to be good.

The Cool Gel Ultimate is a 13.50″ memory foam mattress that comes in a single firmness option—Medium-Firm. This mattress is designed as a budget-friendly memory foam option for sleepers on a tight budget.

According to the manufacturer, this mattress is available in multiple thickness levels—6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, or 14″. We tested the 14″ version, which we found to come in a little under the expected height (13.5″ in our tests).

Thinner versions of the Cool Gel mattress may have different performance than the 14″ version we tested.

Design Factor	Data
Type	Memory Foam
Thickness	13.50″
Cover Type	Thin
Weight	106 lbs.
Has Handles	No
Fiberglass-Free	Yes
Ships in a Box	Yes

The Cool Gel mattress has a thin cover and skips bells and whistles like zoned support, side handles, cooling technology, or reinforced edges, but in exchange, it provides maximum material (13.5″ thick) at a price that is well below the average.

The Cool Gel Ultimate is 13.50″ thick and contains a combination of different material types. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

Layer Type	Thickness	Layer Specs
Memory Foam	3.00″	Not Available
Poly Foam	2.25″	Not Available
Support Foam	8.25″	Not Available

The Cool Gel Ultimate has a thin cover with a quilted texture. There are no handles on the sides of the mattress, but the bottom half of the mattress sides uses a thicker fabric for better durability.

The comfort layer is 5.25″ thick and made of two layers of foam. Directly below the cover is a 3.0″ memory foam (green foam with blue specks).

The brand calls this gel memory foam, which in some cases gel can improve cooling performance. In our tests, we did not find the cooling to be especially great.

Below the gel memory foam is a 2.25″ poly foam (light blue foam). This poly foam layer is a transitional material that works between the memory foam top layer and the support layer below.

Together, this provides 5.25″ of comfort material, which is significantly thicker than the 4.29″ average comfort layer thickness.

The support layer is 8.25″ thick and made of a layer of support foam (white foam). This is pretty standard for all-foam mattresses and is about what I’d expect.

Product Evolution

The Cool Gel Ultimate mattress was previously branded as the Classic Brands Cool Gel. According to a rep from FoamTex USA (the manufacturer of Cool Gel), the Cool Gel brand was “adopted” by FoamTex.

The same rep also stated that FoamTex has put, “…extensive work into improving the quality and affordability of the mattress.”

The exact differences between the original Classic Brands Cool Gel and this new Cool Gel mattress are unclear. From a material design perspective, the mattresses appear very similar. Even so, it’s clear there are different feel and performance differences, most likely resulting from differences in the exact foam formulations.

You can see the layer stack side-by-side of each mattress version below:

In terms of overall score, both mattresses earned similar scores. However, there are a few performance differences.

The newly designed Cool Gel Ultimate has better cooling, better edge support, and better pressure relief. It’s also 22 pounds heavier (in the Queen) size, an increase from 84 pounds up to 106 pounds. That increase in weight indicates a likely increase in foam density, which will help to improve durability.

However, motion transfer is worse, response time is slower, sex is slightly worse (though it wasn’t good on the original mattress either), and the smell duration is longer.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Cool Gel Ultimate is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated mattresses under $500 for budget-friendly alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Cool Gel Ultimate mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.