Propel Dual-sided Hybrid Review

2024 Update – The Propel mattress brand has been discontinued. It was not replaced by any new model / brand. Check out our mattress reviews page for a complete current list of mattresses.

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	Propel Soft Side	Firm Side	Average
Overall Score	8.84	8.93	8.63
Price (Queen)	$1,198	$1,198	$1,360 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	9.0	9.0	8.7
Sinkage – Depth	2.43″	1.88″	2.15″
Sinkage – Feel	Deep	Minimal	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	9.6	10	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	5.78 m/s²	4.07 m/s²	8.68 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.1	9.1	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.8 sec.	0.8 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	8.45″	8.35″	9.72″
Bounce – Feel	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	7.5	7.8	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	5.50″	5.00″	4.05″
Edge Support – Lying	Good	Good	Good
Sex – Score	7.9	7.9	8.5
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	9.0	8.8
Comfort Layer Thickness	5.0″	5.0″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	13″	13″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	9.2	9.2	8.4
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	3 days	3 days	6 days
Company – Score	8.9	8.9	8.7
Trial	120 nights	120 nights	169 nights
Warranty	10 years	10 years	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Propel Different?

The Propel Hybrid by Brooklyn Bedding has a few traits that help it stand apart from the competition in the mattress market.

#1. Flippable

This mattress has a flippable design, which allows you to try out a firmer side or a softer side. This could be a nice feature if you’re not exactly sure what works best for you.

#2. Discounts

Brooklyn Bedding offers a large number of really great discounts for certain members of the community. Current discounts include the following groups:

• Military Discount
• First Responders Discount
• Educators Discount
• Students Discount
• Medical Providers Discount

Overall, the cooling performance was very good. The use of a coil-based support system as well as latex-like poly foams really helps to resist heat build-in, whether you’re on the firm or the soft side.

9.0

Cooling – Firm Side

Cooling on the Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid firm side was excellent. Looking at our objective data, it had a maximum temperature of 89.6° F.

This is considerably lower than the average maximum temperature across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 91.2°F.

Heat dissipation was extremely good as well. Within 1 minute after getting off the mattress the surface level temperature had declined to 84.0°, a 5.6° F reduction.

• 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 temperature continued to decrease until the 5-minute mark, where it reached 81.7°F. Speaking subjectively, I found the cooling to be excellent.

Heat Dissipation Over Time (Firm Side)

Time Elapsed	Temperature
1 minute	84.0°
2 minutes	83.6°
3 minutes	82.1°
4 minutes	81.9°
5 minutes	81.7°

There was no heat retention or warm spots on the mattress. The materials seem to have good airflow, don’t retain heat, and the surface is comfortable to lie on.

9.0

Cooling – Soft Side

Cooling on the soft side of the Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid was substantially similar to what we saw and experienced on the firm side.

Looking at the objective data, we saw a maximum temperature of 89.3°F (compared to 89.6° on the firm side).

Heat Dissipation Over Time (Soft Side)

Time Elapsed	Temperature
1 minute	86.7°
2 minutes	85.6°
3 minutes	83.9°
4 minutes	83.3°
5 minutes	82.5°

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

Sinkage – Firm Side

In our pressure point tests, we measured a sinkage of 1.88” on the firm side. This is below the average sinkage that we’ve measured across all mattresses to date, which is 2.14”.

Despite the lower than average sinkage, 1.88” is still enough to create a nice level of contour and good pressure relief for most sleepers. With firmer mattresses, we expect lower sinkage, so it’s not terribly surprising. 

Sinkage – Soft Side

Sinkage on the soft side was deeper than average. In our tests, we measured 2.43” of sinkage in our pressure point compression test. This is 0.29” deeper compared to the average sinkage across all mattresses we’ve tested to date.

However, considering the 4 out of 10 firmness rating, it’s still a fairly restrained level of sinkage. Many soft mattresses can have sinkage around 3.0″ish.

Because sinkage is still moderate, it makes the soft side of the Propel a good fit for a wider variety of body types and sleeping positions.

Motion transfer on both sides of the Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid was also low. It does a good job of absorbing and limiting motion, without making sleepers feel stuck.

10

Motion Transfer – Firm Side

Motion transfer on the Propel Dual-sided Hybrid firm side was extremely low. Our accelerometer tests measured an acceleration range of 4.07 m/s².

This is lower than the average across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 6.06 m/s².

Looking at the motion transfer chart, we see significant acceleration up to 0.7 seconds, with moderate energy up until 1.0 seconds, before it begins to dissipate.

While the total acceleration range is fairly low, it does linger for longer on the mattress than many other mattresses we’ve tested to date. Generally, we hope to see most motion dissipated by 0.5 seconds.

9.6

Motion Transfer – Soft Side

Our accelerometer tests measured more acceleration range on the soft side compared to the firm side of the Propel mattress.

We measured an acceleration range of 5.78 m/s². While it’s more than the firm side, it’s still quite low compared to the broader range of mattresses.

Most sleepers would consider this level to be a low level of motion transfer, and not find it disturbing.

9.1

Response – Firm Side

The response on the firm side was fast. It takes just 0.3 seconds for most of the foams to recover to their original position.

For a 100% recovery, it takes 0.8 seconds. While the complete recovery was a good bit slower, the mostly recovered time is quite fast.

For most sleepers, this type of recovery will be more than sufficient. 

9.1

Response – Soft Side

Response time on the soft side was identical to what we measured on the firm side of Propel’s Dual-sided Hybrid.

It took 0.3 seconds to mostly recovery and a full recovery by 0.8 seconds.

This mattress had moderate levels of bounce. It was enough to be interesting, but not so much that motion transfer levels were high or the bounce was disturbing.

Bounce – Firm Side

Bounce on the firm side was moderate. In our tests, we measured a bounce height of 8.35”.

This is just slightly less than the average bounce across all our tests to date, which is 8.61”.

This level of bounce is on the lower side compared to most hybrid mattresses we’ve tested, but still very much within the moderate range for mattresses in general. 

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

Bounce – Soft Side

In our soft side bounce tests, we measured bounce height to be 8.45”.

This is effectively identical to what we measured on the firm side (8.35”). The moderate level of bounce is suitable for a wide variety of sleepers.

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

Edge support on either side of the mattress is good, but not great. While coil-based mattresses typically have better edge support, the thicker foam layers on the Propel allow more sinkage directly on the edge.

7.8

Edge Support – Firm Side

Specifically, let’s talk about the edge support on the firm side. It is notably not as good at the edges as it is at the center of the mattress and leaves something to be desired, even while lying on the mattress.

While lying directly on the edge I just didn’t feel as well supported. Sitting directly on the edge is a similar story, it’s good, but not great.

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

In our tests, we measured 5” of compression while sitting directly on the edge. This is slightly more than the average sinkage across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 4.84”.

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

7.5

Edge Support – Soft Side

The soft side of the Propel Dual-sided Hybrid is the same basic story as the firm side. The edges just aren’t amazing.

In our sitting test, we measured a compression of 5.5”. This in itself isn’t terrible, but while lying on the mattress I just don’t feel very well supported at the absolute edges.

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

Certainly, when you lie in the middle of the mattress and then move to the edge you can clearly feel the supportive difference.

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

How Does It Compare?

The edge support while sitting and lying isn’t bad, it’s just not as good as what we’ve seen elsewhere.

Brooklyn Bedding’s Titan, Plank, Aurora, and EcoSleep all offered better edge support compared to the Propel. If you utilize the edges of the mattress for sleep or sex, you probably want to opt for one of those instead of Propel. 

To score sex performance we look at a number of different factors that all play a role in quality sex. Three of the most important factors include:

Propel	Sex Bounce	Edge Support	Noise
Firm Side	7.7	7.5	10
Soft Side	7.8	6.9	10

In addition to the factors above, there are a few other things to consider as well, like pressure relief and cooling.

Here’s a look at our sex formula:

Sex Score Formula = (Bounce * 0.6) + (Edge Support * 0.2) + (Noise * 0.1) + (Pressure Relief * 0.05) + (Cooling * 0.05)

We use the following scores, plugged into the formula, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Here is how the Propel flippable hybrid scored for sex:

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Firm Score	Soft Score
Bounce	65%	7.7	7.8
Edge Support	20%	7.5	6.9
Noise	5%	10	10
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	9.0
Cooling	5%	9.0	9.0
	FINAL SCORE	7.9	7.9

Both the firm side and the soft side of the Propel hybrid had pretty comparable scores in each category and the same score overall, 7.9.

The Propel has good levels of bounce, which is arguably one of the most important factor when it comes to good sex.

Edge support is sufficient, but not exactly impressive. It is better on the firm side (score: 9.0) than it is on the soft side (score: 8.8), but the difference between the two isn’t huge.

Although the Propel is a hybrid, since both sides are flanked with foam, I found the noise to be less than typical for most other hybrids.

Pressure relief and cooling were good as well, no complaints there.

Overall, I found pressure relief to be excellent on both sides of the Propel.

9.0

Pressure Relief Test – Firm Side

Even with just 3” of comfort foam, the Propel dual-sided hybrid firm side did a nice job at relieving pressure with a moderate level of contour and hug.

The hybrid design really helps to ensure an even level of pressure relief for sleepers of all weights and all positions.

9.0

Pressure Relief Test – Soft Side

Pressure relief on the Propel Dual-sided Hybrid soft side was excellent. The 4 out of 10 firmness and a moderate level of sinkage lets the mattress create a notable hug and contour around your body.

Regardless of body weight and position, the mattress does an amazing job at relieving pressure and allowing sleepers to feel comfortable, yet well supported.

This is a pretty typical off-gassing period. On average, a 2.4-day off-gassing or smell period is pretty typical for the mattresses we’ve tested to date.

The Propel dual-sided hybrid is manufactured by Brooklyn Bedding and they follow the same company policies as a classic Brooklyn Bedding mattress. This mattress comes with a 120-night trial period, a 10-year warranty, and free shipping and returns.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	8.0	120 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	7.0	$99
Trust	50%	10	Outstanding
Country of Origin	0%		USA

A couple of conditions to remember…

Break-In Period: There is a 30-night break-in period from the time you take home the mattress. During the first 30 days, you cannot initiate a return, giving sufficient time for your body to adjust to the new mattress.

$99 Return Fee: If after the 30-night break-in period, you still want to return the mattress, it will cost you a $99 return fee. This applies to used mattresses as well as mattresses still in their original packaging.

The Propel is a dual-sided hybrid, meaning that it is flippable and offers two different firmness levels—a firm side and a softer side.

The firm side feels like an 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, where 10 is the most firm.

It’s definitely on the firm end of the spectrum, but far from crazy firm. It’s within that 5-7 range that many sleepers would still find comfortable.

The soft side feels more like a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale, where 10 is the most firm.

Having both of these firmness levels within one dual-sided mattress allows this mattress to appeal to a wider range of sleepers. However, it’s pretty unlikely you would find both sides comfortable. Most sleepers will gravitate towards one feel or another.

That said, a flippable mattress can be nice for guest rooms.

Each side of the Propel mattress is designed to appeal to a different range of sleepers.

You can use the charts below to see which side might be the best fit for you.

Firm Side

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

Soft Side

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleeper	Side Sleeper	Back Sleeper
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-225 lbs.	Maybe	Yes	Maybe
225-300 lbs.	No	Maybe	No

Design

The Propel Dual-Sided mattress is a flippable hybrid that provides two different firmness levels within a single mattress. One side has a bit of a firmer feel (7 out of 10) while the other side has a softer feel (4 out of 10).

If you’re not exactly sure what firmness is right for you, this hybrid could be a good pick since it’s a bit of a 2-in-1.

Materials

The materials of the Propel mattress include 5 main layers. Two layers of comfort material for each side (soft or firm) and a central support coil system.

Here’s what the firm side layers looks like:

And here’s what soft side layers look like:

• Latex-like poly foam
• Poly foam
• Pocketed coils
• Support foam
• Latex-like poly foam

The Cover

The cover of the Propel mattress is thin and stretchy with a high-contrast pentagon design.

The design on the cover varies slightly depending on which side is on the top— both are hexagon patterns, but the firm side has some of the hexagons shaded in with a light gray pattern.

The distinction makes it easier to tell the sides apart, besides simply the feel alone.

The Comfort Layer

Thickness: 3.0″ (firm side) or 4.0″ (soft side)

The exact thickness of the comfort layer depends on which side of the mattress that you’re sleeping on.

On the firm side, the comfort layer is 3.0″ thick and made up of two layers of foam:

• 1.0″ Latex-like poly foam
• 2.0″ Support foam

On the soft side, the comfort layer is 4.0″ thick and also made up of two layers of foam:

• 2.0″ Latex-like poly foam
• 2.0″ Poly foam

The Support Layer

Thickness: 8.0″

Regardless of what side of the mattress you’re on, the support layer is the same. In the case of a hybrid, the support is coil-based.

An 8.0″ thick layer of pocketed coils are encased in fabric and move independently of each other to provide customized pressure relief and limited motion transfer.

Product Evolution

The Propel mattress first came out in 2019, but the flippable hybrid model wasn’t launched until 2021.

The flippable concept provides two firmnesses in one and was a pretty big change to the original Propel mattress.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Propel Hybrid is best for your needs? Here are three other mattresses that may be a better fit for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

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