Polysleep Zephyr Review

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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 value 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	Polysleep Zephyr	Average
Overall Score	8.79	8.56
Price (Queen)	C$2,545	$1,133 (Foam only)
Cooling – Score	8.0	8.7
Sinkage – Depth	2.06″	2.15″
Sinkage – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.8	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	7.59 m/s²	8.80 m/s²
Response Time – Score	10	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.17″	9.50″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	8.9	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	4.00″	4.05″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	7.3	8.4
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	6.0″	4.1″
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	7.9	8.6
Trial	100 nights	176 nights
Warranty	10 years	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 13 years

How is the Polysleep Zephyr Different?

The Polysleep Zephyr has a slightly higher performance score than the average, but is also quite a bit more expensive as well, costing 85% more than the average foam mattress.

Advantages

Looking strictly at performance factors, the Zephyr has lower levels of motion transfer than average, as well as a faster material response time. Edge support is better than average, only measuring 4.0″ when seated.

Neutral Factors

Considering preferential factors, the Zephyr has slightly less sinkage than average, as well as 35% less bounce than average.

Disadvantages

Cooling is a bit worse than average levels. In addition, sex performance is also below average.

Cooling performance on the Polysleep Zephyr was good, but far from great. In our test, I felt a slight to moderate level of heat retention around my body.

While the mattress does contain more advanced cooling foam compared to Polysleep’s less expensive Aura and Origin models, the level of cooling performance was extremely similar to what we subjectively experienced and objectively measured in our tests of the Aura.

• 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 testing data, we recorded a temperature reduction of 3.2° from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.5° warmer than average.

The reduction from minutes 0 to 5 was 5.2°, which is 2.5° warmer than average.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Based on an assessment of the materials, our subjective experience, and the objective data, we found the cooling performance to be somewhat lacking. Those who are more temperature sensitive will likely not be satisfied by the level of cooling performance.

The Polysleep Zephyr has a moderate level of sinkage. In our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.06”. This is 0.09” less sinkage than the average of 2.15”.

The Zephyr creates a dramatic and exacting body-contouring hug. The feel is similar to other high-performance modern memory foams we’ve tested.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The Zephyr was easy to move around on and avoided any type of a stuck feeling. Lastly, pressure relief was exceptionally good. The Zephyr is incredibly comfortable to lie.

The Polysleep Zephyr has a low level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 7.59 m/s².

This is 1.21 m/s² less motion than the average of 8.80 m/s². The all-foam design does a great job of quickly absorbing and dissipating energy.

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

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we recorded the highest motion spikes from 0 to 0.14 seconds.

Motion drops off immediately thereafter and by 0.49 seconds motion returns to near zero levels.

The motion spike is incredibly restrained, while the duration is also extremely low.

While the all-foam design isn’t doing the mattress many favors for cooling, it is absolutely a critical factor in the excellent motion transfer performance. Those who are sensitive to motion will find the performance on the Zephyr to be fantastic. 

The Polysleep Zephyr has an extremely fast response time. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.2 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.3 seconds. This is tied for 1st with the fastest-responding mattresses we’ve tested to date.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The poly foams rebound back to shape effectively instantly. This rapid responsiveness ensures you’ll never feel stuck on the mattress. The foams quickly adapt to changes in movement.

The Polysleep Zephyr has a low level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.17”. This is 3.32” less bounce than the average of 9.50”.

The low level of bounce for some sleepers will feel more jarring. This is especially true if you’ve mostly slept on coil or hybrid mattresses.

While the limited bounce is a major factor in reducing motion transfer (which was exceptionally low), it can be problematic for sex performance (which we discuss below).

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

A low level of bounce can restrain ease of movement. However, the moderate level of sinkage and highly responsive feel help to maintain ease of movement, despite the lack of bounce.

The Polysleep Zephyr has good edge support for both sitting and lying. In fact, lying support was even better. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 4.0”. This is 0.05” less than the average of 4.05”.

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

Ideally, I like to see 4.0” or less and the Zephyr hit that mark. Lying edge support was equally as good. Even when lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported in all sleeping positions.

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

The Zephyr uses an incredibly thick 8.5” edge support foam that encases the entire perimeter of the mattress. This is unusually thick and it is absolutely a major factor in the strong edge support performance that we measured.

Sex performance is fair for the Polysleep Zephyr.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	6.3	Low
Edge Support	20%	8.8	Good
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	10	Outstanding
Cooling	5%	8.0	Good

This mattress has a low level of bounce, which is the factor that hurts the sex score the most, being that it accounts for 60% of the sex score.

Low bounce tends to make it more difficult to get that rhythm many partners are looking for during intimacy.

Edge support is excellent, with minimal noise, and exceptional pressure relief, but these factors alone are not really enough to save the score.

Cooling performance also saw some struggles, which could make those “hot and steamy” nights feel even hotter… and not in the way that you want.

The Polysleep Zephyr has outstanding pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no level of building pressure anywhere on my body. Quite to the contrary, the Zephyr is incredibly comfortable.

It has a balanced level of sinkage with a high body contouring hug. The mattress uses an unusually thick 6.0” comfort layer. This is notably thicker than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.1”.

This extra thick foam layer, in combination with better-than-average quality foams, creates fantastic comfort. Overall, I don’t really have any major complaints here. The experience is excellent. 

Right out of the box, the Polysleep Zephyr has a strong odor. We unboxed the mattress and set it up. The odor smelled a bit like wet paint, which was fairly off-putting, but it didn’t smell for long.

Once unboxed, the mattress took 3 full days to completely off-gas. This is slightly faster than the 6-day average (across all mattresses tested to date).

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	15%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	7.0	$85
Trust	50%	8.0	Good
Country of Origin	0%		Canada

For Polysleep, these individual terms and conditions are fair, but not great in any way.

The company offers a 100-night trial period, which is 43% shorter than the 176-night average. It also comes with a 10-year warranty.

Shipping is free to your door, but if the mattress ends up not working out, returns are C$85.

This mattress is manufactured in and shipped from Canada.

The Polysleep Zephyr has a firmness 5 out of 10 where 10 is the most firm. This gives the mattress a medium feel, suitable for a wide range of sleepers.

A firmness of this level would be just a touch softer than a medium-firm mattress (6 out of 10). Medium-firm mattresses are the most common firmness among the mattresses we’ve tested to date.

The Polysleep Zephyr has excellent support. During our tests, I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions. The mattress checks most of the boxes that I look for.

We have a thick enough support layer at 6.0”, with a more than thick enough comfort layer, also at 6.0” (1.9” thicker than the average of 4.1”).

The total mattress is 12.0” thick, which is just a touch north of the average of 11.9” (based on all of our tests to date).

The general design, in combination with the high-quality foams used, creates ample support in all sleeping positions.

As with pressure relief, I don’t have any major complaints. I expect most sleepers will find the Zephyr to be perfectly supportive.

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

Design

The Polysleep Zephyr mattress is a 12″ mattress designed as a higher-quality option compared to the Polysleep Origin and Polysleep Aura.

The thicker profile and deeper comfort layers are designed to excel in pressure relief, where other thinner mattresses may struggle.

Materials

In total, the 12″ Zephyr mattress has four distinct layers from top to bottom. These layers include:

• 1.0” poly foam
• 2.0” poly foam
• 3.0” poly foam
• 6.0” support foam / 8.5″ edge support foam

The Cover

The cover of the Polysleep Zephyr is thin and breathable. It is made of 74.5% polyester, 10.5% viscose, 7% organic cotton, and 8% spandex infused with what Polysleep calls “Nanobionic technology” (unclear exactly what this material is, it sounds similar to Celliant). The Nanobionic technology, according to Polysleep, “promotes better sleep recovery”.

The 8% spandex gives the cover a nice stretch and elasticity.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer of the Zephyr contains three basic layers. And depending on what portion of the mattress you’re looking at, the layers may be different.

The top layer of the mattress has a 1.0″ open-cell copper poly foam with a density of 2.6 PCF. This is consistent across the entire mattress surface. This layer is also coated with a phase change material called KulKote. This coating helps to improve cooling.

Note: PCF stands for “Pounds Per Cubic Foot”. It is a measure of how much foam is actually in any given foam layer. Higher PCF foams are generally more durable.

The second layer, below the copper foam, is a 2.0″ poly foam along the entire mattress (light yellow foam in the cut-outs below). This foam has a density of 3.0 PCF so slightly denser than the top foam.

The third layer within the comfort layers varies depending on what portion of the Zephyr you’re looking at.

• At the head or foot of the mattress: 3.0″ poly foam, density of 1.8 PCF
• At the midsection of the mattress: 3.0″ poly foam, density of 2.0 PCF

This third layer is designed for pressure relief, as it is less dense than the layers above it. As you lie on this mattress and begin to engage with these deeper layers, the variation in density helps to avoid painful pressure points.

The Support Layer

The primary support layer is a 6″ slab of support foam with a density of 1.5 PCF. This layer spans the majority of the mattress, excluding the outer edges.

Towards the perimeter of the mattress is an 8.5″ thick edge support foam with a denser feel of 2.1 PCF.

This layer is one of the big reasons why edge support is so good on the Zephyr mattress. Whether sitting or lying on the edge, this extra thickness helps to reinforce the mattress and provide better support.

Product Evolution

The Zephyr mattress was originally launched in 2019. In April 2023, the Polysleep Zephyr mattress received an update alongside the release of the Polysleep Aura mattress.

Below are a list of the changes between the 1.0 and 2.0 version of the Polysleep Zephyr.

	Zephyr 1.0 – 2019-2022	Zephyr 2.0 – 2023
Cover	88% Polyester 88%, Spandex 1%, Organic Cotton 11%	74.5% polyester, 10.5% viscose, 7% organic cotton, and 8% spandex
Cooling Cover	None	Kulkote cooling fibers added
Thickness	11.5″	12.0″
Support Layer	1.8 PCF	1.5 PCF

Other foams, fabrics, design aspects, foam densities, and materials appear to be the same between the 1.0 and 2.0 versions.

Polysleep Zephyr vs. Polysleep Aura

Trying to decide between the Polysleep Zephyr and the Polysleep Aura? Check out this side-by-side comparison between the two mattresses.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure that the Polysleep Zephyr is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated Canadian-based mattress alternatives you might want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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