WinkBeds may not be as familiar as some of the industry’s bigwigs, but the brand has assembled a quality mattress catalog with four comfortable models to choose from—a luxury these days when extensive lineups can create choice overload. The WinkBed is the brand’s flagship model, and our team has tested three out of its four options: Softer, Luxury Firm and the Plus. Testing took place over the course of 10 weeks in my home, and also in a group setting among a panel of volunteers who range in size, weight and pain points. Our WinkBeds review focuses on the brand’s most popular option, and reveals our thoughts on important metrics like firmness, feel, pressure relief and support.Our WinkBed review details our thoughts after testing the mattress at home for 10 weeks and having a panel of testers compare it to top-ranking competitors.ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERI tested the WinkBed myself for over two months. Our previous cloudlike bed gave my combo-sleeping husband instant back pain so we then switched to one that was so firm that I had constant pain in my shoulder and hip (I sleep exclusively on my side). Seeking something more comfortable for side sleepers but with enough support for my husband, who flips from his back to his side, led me to the WinkBed, which comes in four firmness levels: soft, luxury firm, firm and plus. WinkBedsForbes VettedForbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.4.8Type: Hybrid | WinkBeds’ firmness rating: 4.5 (soft), 6.5 (luxury firm), 7.5 (firm), plus (8.5) | Trial period: 120 nights | Warranty: Lifetime | Height: 13.5 inchesBest for: Most sleeping positionsCo-sleepersEasily switching from one position to anotherA lifted feel with ample cushionSkip if:You’re seeking an extra-soft, marshmallow-style bedWant to save this story for later?No need to bookmark—get it straight to your inbox.We've sent this story to your inbox.The WinkBed Mattress Construction, Firmness And FeelSupportive Coils Combined With A Billowy Pillow TopThe WinkBed is a thick 13.5-inch hybrid mattress with a quilted Euro pillow top combined with layers of foam for comfort and another layer of supportive pocketed coils. The reinforced edges offer premium edge support, and the hybrid construction increases airflow in comparison to an all-foam bed, preventing overheating. The bare mattress is also quite pleasing to look at with its white-and-blue polka dot perimeter that’s reminiscent of a hair ribbon.Take a look at each layer that makes up the WinkBed Mattress below:Cover: A soft-to-the-touch Tencel cover, designed to offer breathability and a bit of moisture control. Top layer/comfort layer: This mattress offers a multilayered quilted Euro pillow top with 3 inches of gel-infused foam sewn into it. Additional layers of foam beneath the pillow top offer a cushy top-of-the-mattress feel and pressure relief.Support layer: Individually wrapped, 8-inch pocketed recycled-steel spring coils sit beneath the layers of comfort foam, which provide strong support, breathability and that touch of bounce or springiness. There’s also a half-inch reinforced lumbar layer that adds to that support system. Edge support: Extra firmness from the coils is concentrated at the perimeter of the mattress to ensure strong edge support.A closer look at the layers of the WinkBed Mattress.ForbesFirmnessI tested the soft firmness level of the WinkBed, which the brand rates a 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. However, it did not feel like a 4.5 to me, nor to my husband. It felt firmer than that to us both, which makes me believe the brand’s beds might run a little firmer in general. Mattress and sleep deputy editor Bridget Chapman tested the soft model with our panel, most of whom agreed that it skewed firmer. “I think it’s firmer than advertised and more of a medium to medium-firm,” Chapman says.We recommend the WinkBed Mattress in the soft option for side sleepers larger than 150 pounds and any combo sleepers. Anyone sleeping on their stomach or back, and thus in search of a more firm mattress, might appreciate the WinkBed in luxury firm or firm for a touch more support. Lighter-bodied side sleepers should seek out a softer mattress from another brand for greater pressure relief. Heavier sleepers can consider the WinkBed Plus Mattress, which supports sleepers over 250 pounds; the brand rates its firmness level at an 8.5 out of 10.FeelThe top of the mattress is exceedingly soft to the touch. I feel myself sink in and can press my hand into the fluffy top of the bed, but when lying down, I felt a general feeling of lifted support or pushback, even in the soft firmness. The cushioning nicely cradled my pressure points at my hips and shoulders while I slept on my side, and my husband felt supported on his back as well, meaning this mattress works especially well for combo sleepers.The medium model, on the other hand, has more lift and bolster. “It feels really supportive and well-made,” says Chapman. “Its cushiony pillow top offers a nice cloudlike feel, but without too much softness or sinkage. It’s a really balanced feel.”The WinkBed Mattress FeaturesSleep In Comfort From The Center To The EdgeThe WinkBed is heavy and is delivered rolled up in a box, which means you need to think ahead about how to get it into the room it’s destined for in your house. My husband and a neighbor carried the bed up to our second-floor bedroom. It took shape fairly quickly after removing the plastic sheathing. I didn’t notice any odor until I pressed my nose up against the bare mattress. The off-gassing smell lingered for over 12 hours, but did dissipate afterward.It's hard not to immediately notice how soft and billowy the WinkBed's Euro pillow top is.Rose Sala For ForbesThe first thing I noticed was just how soft and billowy the quilted Euro pillow top felt under my hand as I pressed down on the mattress. Pressure Relief The softer WinkBed model offers the best pressure relief for side and back sleepers, which earned an 8.5 out of 10 score among our panelists. “This mattress is excellent for back sleeping. It keeps you supported and cushioned, offering a floating, buoyant experience,” says Chapman after testing the soft model.While sleeping on my side, I don’t feel any pressure at my hips on the WinkBed mattress, and the ache that had built in my shoulder with my previous mattress slowly eased away as I continued to sleep on the WinkBed. Dedicated side sleepers are likely to be very happy with the multiple layers of support and pressure-relieving foam in this hybrid mattress, especially if they weigh over 150 pounds. That said, if you’re a combo sleeper—my husband shifts to his side throughout the night, not just his back—this version of the WinkBed might work, as it runs a bit firmer than other mattresses rated “soft,” or you might go up one level to the luxury firm.CoolingThis mattress feels cool to the touch, and neither me or my husband woke up hot in the first days of testing. This is likely thanks to the hybrid construction of the bed and the less dense layers of foam. I’m not a particularly hot sleeper, but my husband is. He rated this bed neutrally in terms of cooling. He neither woke up hotter, nor cooler in it but would have preferred something with more cooling properties.Motion Transfer During testing, the luxury firm model performed better for this category, which received an 8 out of 10 total from our panelists. To test motion isolation in a group setting, we place a glass of water near the edge of the bed and analyze how much the water moves as we disturb it. “This bed seems to have pretty good motion isolation,” says commerce writer Alexandra Garrett. “I was able to change positions and hop in and out of bed without the water in the glass moving very much at all.”As for the softer version, neither I nor the panel found this to be the case. I’m a light sleeper and jolted awake one night as my husband got up from our WinkBed. During testing, I noted that I could feel when my partner sat down on the bed, got out of it or rolled side to side. I had him repeat the test, with me rolling from side to side and sitting up and getting off of the bed. While not asleep, he also felt these motions. I then had my nine-year-old son complete the same tests, and even his 75-pound weight was noticeable.The WinkBed Mattress is sturdy, but some motion is still sometimes noticeable.Rose Sala For ForbesSupportThis bed excelled during testing in terms of support, even in the soft version. I found the WinkBed a comfortable and supportive bed in large part thanks to its combination of pillow top, zoned foams and innersprings, as well as its thickness. Those individually pocketed coils lift you up even as you sink a smidge into the uppermost foam layers. The WinkBed’s “Lumbar Layer” ensures there is enough support for the middle of your body, and its perimeter support allows you to sleep right along that outer edge of the mattress if you prefer. However, stomach and heavier back sleepers should consider one of the bed’s firmer models (luxury firm or firm). After testing the medium model, mattress and sleep editor McKenzie Dillon said, “The pillow top filled up the empty space in between my shoulders which helped provide ample relief, and the firmness kept my spine in a straight alignment.” Those weighing over 250 pounds can look to the WinkBed Plus, which we’ve also tested. “I feel very supported by the firmness of this bed,” said our 250-pound tester. “There’s very little give with no sinking, which feels great on my back.” The WinkBed uses a Lumbar Layer to add extra support for the middle of the body.Rose Sala For ForbesAs for edge support, the luxury firm model excels in this category and received a 9 out of 10 score from our testing panel. “I think you could sleep near the edge without a problem whether you’re sharing a bed or just prefer to sleep at the perimeter,” says Chapman. Due to the plusher foams and cushy top on the softer model, it was rated just average.Ease Of Movement Thanks to its hybrid construction, the WinkBed offers a bit of bounce, which makes it easier to switch positions and get out of bed. Despite the pillowy top, I never feel stuck in the WinkBed and can roll and move with ease. I often flip from one side to the other during the night and haven’t had a problem doing so on this mattress. Our panel agreed, scoring the soft model an 8 and the luxury firm a 9 out of 10 for ease of movement. “It’s really easy to move around on since it has an ‘on top’ feel. You don’t feel trapped in the mattress at all,” says Chapman about the luxury firm model.About The CompanyFounded by entrepreneur Dan Adler, WinkBeds is an independent direct-to-consumer mattress brand, which is somewhat unusual in an industry more often led by conglomerates. Adler, a former lawyer, remains its CEO. All of its mattresses are made in the U.S., and the company has factories in Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Connecticut.Shipping And Delivery WinkBeds ships its mattresses directly to your door without additional shipping fees in the contiguous U.S.—and fairly quickly. Ground shipping typically delivers your bed about two weeks after you hit the buy button, according to the company. WinkBeds itself does not offer white-glove delivery or removal of your old mattress, but they can arrange the service through a third-party logistics partner. Which I should have done, as these mattresses are heavy: The one I tested weighs 145 pounds and doesn’t include side handles. Typically, without white-glove delivery options—which, frankly, too few bed-in-a-box companies offer—you’re going to receive a mattress dropped at your doorstep or in your driveway. This is difficult for a lot of us and certainly those with mobility issues. My WinkBed arrived on a day of a torrential downpour while my husband was traveling for work. A generous UPS driver wheeled it into my garage on a dolly where it sat until I had enough help to get it up two flights to our bedroom.If I’d opted for the in-home mattress setup and removal that can be purchased for an extra fee ($225, or $150 for either just setup or just removal of your old mattress), the process would have been much easier.Trial Period And Returns WinkBeds offers a 120-night sleep trial, meaning you have that long to decide whether or not it’s the bed of your dreams. If it isn’t, you can return the bed at no charge to you, receiving a full refund. The brand does require that you sleep on the bed for at least 30 days before asking for a return. If you want to try a different WinkBed, the brand charges $49 for an exchange, which it says covers local mattress recycling fees. Customers can use the sleep trial only once, on their first purchase of a WinkBed (and not on subsequent purchases). Warranty The company offers a lifetime warranty on its beds, which is generous in the industry. In order to make use of it, you need to be the original owner of the bed, and the mattress must have suffered a “manufacturing defect or materials failure.” If a defect or failure is found, the company replaces the mattress without charging you any additional fees or shipping costs.WinkBeds describes in detail what constitutes a defect or failure in its mattresses on its site, and it includes “any physical flaw in the mattress due to a manufacturing defect that causes the foam or spring material to evidence degradation, split or crack, despite normal usage and proper handling,” as well as “deterioration causing the mattress to have a visible indentation greater than one and one half inches…that is not associated with an indentation or sag which results from use of an improper or unsupportive foundation or bed base.”Other Mattresses From WinkBedsWinkBeds makes three types of mattresses: the original WinkBed reviewed here, the memory foam GravityLux and a latex hybrid, the EcoCloud Hybrid.WinkBedsThe GravityLux offers seven supportive layers with three layers of proprietary foam for those really craving that sink-in feel. It comes in three firmness levels—soft, medium and firm—and costs the same as the brand’s signature WinkBed tested in this story, so it’s really a matter of personal preference whether you prefer the feeling of memory foam or a hybrid construction with a bit more bounce. The GravityLux is also lighter, making it easier to maneuver at 77 pounds for the queen, versus 135 pounds for the queen WinkBed.WinkBedsFor those shopping for a more natural bed (hold the foam, please), WinkBeds makes the EcoCloud Hybrid, which relies on latex from rubber trees for its support and comfort layers. Like the original WinkBed, it’s a hybrid with a sturdy support layer of recycled steel coils. Four inches of Talalay latex top the pocketed coils, along with an organic cotton and sustainable New Zealand wool cover.Final ThoughtsThis is a well-made, comfortable mattress that accommodates most sleep positions, with excellent edge support that doesn’t overheat you. It has a bit of that sinking-in feeling, just-right bounce and a variety of firmness levels, so you can find the right one for your sleep style. I never felt stuck in the mattress or unable to move. However, the motion isolation did leave something to be desired in the soft version. Every time my husband got up, I felt some movement. Who Will Like The WinkBedThe soft version accommodates side and back sleepers, while those who sleep supine or prefer a firmer feel in general should consider the luxury firm or firm models.Couples should appreciate its strong edge support. That said, consider the luxury firm if it’s important that your bed deadens movement well.It’s very supportive in general with good ease of movement, which makes it suitable for those with pain or mobility issues.Plus-size sleepers over 250 pounds may prefer the more supportive and durable WinkBed Plus.Who May Not Like The WinkBedIf you’re searching for a true soft mattress, consider our list of the best soft mattresses for that marshmallow-fluff feeling.People after a soft mattress with strong motion isolation should consider another choice.Why Trust Forbes VettedRose Sala is a deputy editor at Forbes Vetted and longtime journalist who has reported on myriad subjects, from pets to politics. In recent years, she’s specialized in parenting coverage, shaping our kids mattress coverage. She has closely tested half a dozen beds and have spoken with numerous experts to find out what makes for a good mattress and why. Sala tested the WinkBed Mattress in soft for 10 weeks with her husband in her home. Then, we had a group of 12 in-person panelists test either the WinkBed or WinkBed Plus, and compare it to over 20 of the industry’s most top-rated competitors.We assessed comfort overall but also evaluated delivery and setup, motion isolation, edge support, pressure relief, firmness, cooling and other factors, including any odor during setup. We gave all the testing criteria a score between 1 and 10.