Glacier Original Mattress 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 that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

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

Factor	Glacier Original	Average
Overall Score	8.95	8.55
Price (Queen)	$799	$1,335 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	8.0	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.17″	2.15″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	10	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	4.93 m/s²	8.74 m/s²
Response Time – Score	8.2	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.4 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.4 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	7.18″	9.37″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.9	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.25″	4.06″
Edge Support – Lying	Outstanding	Good
Sex – Score	7.8	8.4
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.0″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	12″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	9.2	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	3 days	6 days
Company – Score	10	8.6
Trial	365 nights	177 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	26% have lifetime warranties, average of other 74% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Glacier Original Different?

The Glacier Original is a 12″ hybrid mattress with above-average performance and a below-average price—40% less expensive than the average hybrid for a savings of $536 on a queen mattress.

Advantages

Besides the low price, other advantages of the Glacier Original include very low levels of motion transfer, fantastic edge support, and good pressure relief as well.

It off-gasses 50% faster than average and also has a trial and warranty that are both longer than average. For only $799 this is a very high-performing hybrid mattress with well-rounded scores across the board.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has moderate sinkage and low levels of bounce. These factors are a bit more preferential vs. advantages or disadvantages.

Disadvantages

The lower price does mean there are some disadvantages to the Glacier Original. Cooling performance is worse than average and response time is slower as well.

The quilted cover and memory foam top layer seem to be the biggest problems for these categories. These materials also generate low bounce levels, which creates a less-than-ideal sex performance experience.

The Glacier Original has good cooling. During our tests, I felt a slight level of heat retention around my body.

Even so, it was nothing dramatic or at a level that I would describe as “hot”. The mattress is equipped with a cooling cover that initially has a cool-to-the-touch feel. However, after a few minutes of lying in the same spot that coolness disappeared and it felt more in equilibrium with my body.

• 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

Glacier’s higher-end Summit and Apex models both have a higher-performance cooling cover that was notably cooler and remained cooler for longer.

The Glacier Original uses a hybrid design, 1.0” gel memory foam, and of course the cooling cover, all of which help to keep the mattress cooler and enhance breathability.

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 91.6° F. This is 1.9° more than the average of 89.7° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress the temperature declined by 6.0° from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.3° cooler than the average 0 to 1 minute decline.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

While I would have liked to have seen the max temperature at a lower level, it was good to see the heat dissipation curve perform better than average.

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 Glacier Original has moderate sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.17″. This is 0.02″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.15″, based on all of our tests to date.

The mattress creates a balanced level of body contouring hug. Notably, the mattress uses a 1.0” memory layer. This layer helps create more hug and contour.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

However, the 1.0” quilted cover and 2.0” poly foam within the core of the mattress balance out the feel of the memory foam, giving the total mattress a more balanced and even feel.

Overall, the mattress creates a nice level of hug, but it’s not too deep, not enveloping, and not overly dramatic. The type of feel is one that most sleepers will find comfortable.

The Glacier Original has an extremely low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 4.93 m/s². This is 44% less motion transfer than the average of 8.75 m/s².

The combination of high-performance foams, memory foam, and most importantly, a lower-than-average level of bounce, are all helping to reduce motion.

When a mattress has less bounce there is less energy returned to the surface, which means there will be lower motion transfer. That’s exactly what we see with the Glacier Original.

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 0.13 seconds.

We see a rapid decline in motion thereafter with a small secondary spike from 0.43 to 0.57 seconds. By 0.86 seconds we return to near-zero levels of energy.

While I would have liked to have seen the motion duration be shorter, it’s hard to complain too much. The motion intensity is extremely low. As a result, I don’t expect motion transfer will be a problem for most sleepers.

The Glacier Original is a mixed bag for material responsiveness, with a fast mostly recovered response time and a slow fully recovered response time.

In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.4 seconds, which is 0.02 seconds faster than the average of 0.42 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.4 seconds, which is 0.45 seconds slower than the average of 0.95 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

Ultimately, this is a tale of two foams. The poly foams with the mattress are highly responsive and spring back to shape effectively instantly. For this reason, the mostly recovered response time is extremely fast.

However, the 1.0” gel memory foam has a more traditional feel and takes a few moments to fully rebound and recover back to shape. As a result, the full material responsiveness is notably slower than the average.

While a slower material responsiveness can make it more difficult to move around on the mattress in some cases, in this case it’s well managed by the moderate sinkage depth, faster than average mostly recovered response time, and limited 1.0” memory foam layer.

All that to say, I don’t expect responsiveness will be an issue for most sleepers.

The Glacier Original has a low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 7.18″. This is 2.24″ less bounce than the average of 9.42″, based on all of our tests to date.

I was surprised at the low level of bounce on the Glacier. Usually, hybrid mattresses will have a moderate to high level of bounce. However, that’s not what we measured here.

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

The 1.0” gel memory foam layer certainly has the most significant impact on bounce. It has a more traditional feel, is slower to respond, and simply doesn’t return much bounce in the same way that a poly foam will.

In addition, having that layer positioned immediately under the quilted cover further helps to reduce bounce. The lower bounce is greatly beneficial for motion transfer.

However, it’s also the reason for the less-than-great sex performance. All that said, at 7.18” the level of bounce is sufficient to provide for ease of movement on the mattress.

The Glacier Original has excellent sitting edge support and outstanding lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.25″. This is 0.80″ less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.05″, based on all of our tests to date.

Even while sitting directly on the edge I felt fully supported and there was no collapse of materials. It’s a similar story with lying edge support.

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 outstanding in all sleeping positions. The mattress uses two rows of reinforced coils running along the right and left sides of the mattress.

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

These coils feel incredibly robust and supportive. While edge support coils are fairly typical among hybrid mattresses, I was more impressed with the performance of these specific coils.

The level of edge support they provide while lying was fantastic and a clear-cut above many others we’ve tested.

Notably, the Glacier Original does not have reinforced coils along the head or foot of the mattress. While this certainly isn’t ideal, it does help reduce the cost of the mattress.

The Glacier Original has fair sex performance. On the positive side, noise is minimal, pressure relief is excellent, cooling is good, and sitting edge support is excellent.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	7.0	Moderate
Edge Support	20%	9.7	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Excellent
Cooling	5%	8.0	Good

We measured just 3.25” of sitting edge sinkage, which is notably less than the average. That more robust edge support provides an increased sexable surface area and enables a wider array of dances without pants.

The one notable sex weak spot is bounce. We measured just 7.18” of total bounce height, which is considerably less than the average of 9.42”.

That lower bounce simply means less energy is returned during amorous activities, which can make the mattress more strenuous and tiring for couples to have sex on.

The Glacier Original has an excellent level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no significant pressure points.

The mattress was comfortable and I was able to lie in the same positions for extended periods of time. The mattress is equipped with 4.0″ of comfort material consisting of a 1.0” quilted cover, 1.0” gel memory foam layer, and 2.0” poly foam layer within the core.

All of the foam materials look and feel high quality. The Glacier Original has 0.15″ less comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.15″, based on all of our tests to date.

Even so, that didn’t seem to impact the performance. In our pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 0.91. A PSI of 2.0 is considered a high-pressure point.

The Glacier Original’s mapped pressure was impressive. We saw no notable pressure or problem areas in any sleeping position.

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.

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.16	0.91

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.08	0.52

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.09	0.83

The Glacier Original had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 3 days. This is 3.4 days less than the average of 6.4 days.

The mattress smelled a bit like wet paint initially. However, I was pleased that the smell didn’t persist for very long.

The Glacier Original comes with a 365-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Shipping and returns are both free. Overall, this checks all of the boxes we look for in a good company.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	10	365 nights
Warranty	10%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	10	$0
Trust	50%	10	Outstanding
Country of Origin	0%		USA

For reference, the average trial period is 177 nights, so Glacier provides an additional 188 nights to decide if it’s the right pick for you. The lifetime warranty is also longer than the 13-year average.

Considering all mattresses tested to date, only 26% of mattresses offer a lifetime warranty (approximately 1 in every 4 mattresses).

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

Support on the Glacier Original is excellent. During our tests, I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions. The mattress is equipped with an 8.0″ support layer. This is 0.12″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.88″, based on all of our tests to date.

The coils look and feel high quality. Notably, the coil unit isn’t zoned. However, the mattress does include an additional foam layer in the lumbar position and the quilted cover is also reinforced with extra lumbar materials.

This combination helps to create extra support in the middle of the mattress, where most sleepers weigh more. This design feature will help to prevent and reduce sagging.

Often, mattresses within this price range have a coil unit that feels fairly low quality. However, I was very pleased with the coil unit, its feel, and the level of support it provided during our tests.

In particular, the edge support is incredibly impressive. I cannot recall ever testing a mattress in this price range that had this impressive level of edge support.

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.	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 most sleepers will find support on the Glacier Original is excellent.

Design

The Glacier Original is a 12″ hybrid with a medium-firm feel (6 out of 10 on the firmness scale). Within the Glacier collection, the Original is the base-level mattress with the lowest price.

But despite the low price, this mattress still maintains solid performance across the board. In most categories, it is the mattress to beat for a budget hybrid under $800.

Materials

The Glacier Original has a total thickness of 12″. It contains a mix of foam and coils. From top to bottom, the layers include:

• 1.0” quilted cover
• 1.0” gel-infused memory foam
• 2.0” poly foam
• 8.0 pocketed coils

The Cover

The cover of the Glacier Original is a 1.0″ quilted cooling cover. It is cool to the touch with scalloped stitching across the surface of the mattress.

The central part of the mattress also has a thin layer of graphite-infused memory foam. It runs the full width of the mattress, excluding the head and foot of the mattress.

This foam helps to improve cooling and also provides lumbar support.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is a 1.0″ gel-infused memory foam followed by a 2.0″ poly foam. These two foams work together to provide comfort, contour, and transitional support as sleepers engage with deeper layers of the mattress.

The Support Layer

The support layer is an 8.0″ pocketed coil system. Coils located at the edge of the mattress are encased in a blue fabric and reinforced to support more weight.

Centrally-located coils are encased in a thin, white fabric.

As mentioned above, this hybrid has some of the best sitting edge support from any mattress we’ve seen at this price point.

Product Evolution

The Glacier Original was released in 2024. Since it hit the mattress market, the Original has not undergone any notable changes to materials or overall design.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Glacier Original is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated hybrids under $1000 you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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