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WinkBed Mattress Review: Tested and Reviewed

WinkBed
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Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners’ links. This content is created independently from TIME’s editorial staff. Learn more about it.

updated: June 13, 2024
edited by Amber Katz

Your mattress has the power to make you or break you. A good one helps ease you into a deep, restful sleep, which in turn improves your mood, your energy levels, and really, your overall health and wellbeing. Meanwhile a mattress that’s too hard, too soft, or just plain uncomfortable will ruin your sleep, wreaking havoc on your ability to function.

After buying a too-hard mattress with a terrible return policy, I was offered the opportunity to test out the highly-rated Winkbed, a popular mattress with a reputation for quality. But would it live up to the hype? Following a 30-night sleep trial, I’m ready to share my findings.

Winkbed mattress specifications

  • Material: Wrapped innerspring coils and gel foam topper
  • Firmness: Comes in four firmness levels: Softer, Luxury Firm, Firmer, and Plus
  • Trial period: 120 days
  • Warranty: Lifetime warranty
  • Shipping method: Ships directly to your door, arrives rolled up in a shrink-wrapped tube within a large box
  • Price range: $1,149 (Twin) to $2,049 (Cal King)
The WinkBed - Full

The WinkBed - Full

Winkbed mattress pros and cons

Pros

The Winkbed arrives tightly rolled inside a large box, delivered to your doorstep. Once you unbox the mattress and remove two layers of plastic wrap, it rapidly expands and reaches its full size within a few minutes.

This process means you don’t have to coordinate with a delivery service — or maneuver an entire mattress into your house by yourself. My mattress arrived within a few days of ordering, and was set up within 30 minutes of arrival.

The mattress itself has many pros as well. It’s quite comfortable, and the eucalyptus-tencel cover feels high-quality. The springs feel firm and sturdy, while the plush foam layers definitely add comfort and cushioning. I ordered the Luxury Firm model, which is a bit firm for my taste as a side sleeper. Perhaps the softer option would have been a better fit for me. However, I added a latex mattress topper, which contributes just enough softness to cushion the joints, making this mattress supremely comfortable overall.

Cons

The con is that the box is over 100 pounds, and you have to set up the mattress on your own, which does take a little bit of elbow grease. If you live in a walk-up apartment, or live in a house in which the bedroom is up a flight of stairs, you may need a helping hand to get the box into the bedroom, and also to remove the rolled mattress from the box and lift it onto the bed frame.

Winkbed mattress price

Winkbed does go on sale but the regular prices are as follows:

  • Twin mattress: $1,149
  • Twin XL: $1,249
  • Full mattress: $1,499
  • Queen mattress: $1,799
  • King mattress: $1,999
  • Cal King: $2,049
The WinkBed - Full

The WinkBed - Full

Winkbed mattress design

The Winkbed is constructed with a base of individually wrapped, pocketed innerspring coils. These provide a great deal of firm yet bouncy support. They’re also organized in multiple support zones. The areas of the bed that are expected to hold the most weight are filled with more supportive coils, while lighter pressure zones hold more lightweight coils. This way, the pressure is always right for every part of your body. And with extra edge support, you can sleep all the way to the edge of the bed without experiencing any sagging.

Atop the innerspring layer is the Euro pillow top layer, constructed from several layers of pressure-relieving, gel-infused quilted foam. The Euro pillow top helps cushion the joints and provide that “cloudlike” sensation we’re all yearning for.

Finally, a eucalyptus-derived tencel cover rests on top of the foam layer. Tencel is known for being moisture-wicking, cooling, and softer than silk. I tend to sleep hot, so I enjoyed the cover’s cooling and moisture-wicking properties.

Winkbed mattress design

Winkbed mattress firmness

I chose the Luxury Firm option because it was listed as the most popular choice, and other reviewers listed it as the most comfortable choice overall. For context, the Winkbed offers four firmness options, starting at Softer—which is the softest option—then going to Luxury Firm, the second-softest option. After that is Firmer, followed by Plus, which is suitable for heavier bodies.

As a side sleeper with back pain, I typically need a fairly plush mattress; however, I require some firm resistance to keep my body supported and in alignment. So, I thought the Softer option may be too soft, and opted for Luxury Firm.

The Luxury Firm option feels fairly firm to me. The Euro foam layers do provide a nice amount of plushness, and I think this level of softness is likely ideal for a back or stomach sleeper, or for heavier or larger bodies. As a petite side sleeper, I require slightly more softness and sinkage than this mattress provides, so I added a latex mattress topper, and this ended up being the perfect combination. With the added topper, the Luxury Firm Winkbed provides me with the perfect level of firm support and plush comfort.

Winkbed mattress support and comfort

The Luxury Firm option provides firm support with a layer of added plushness on top. It’s unlikely you’ll find yourself sinking way down deep on the Luxury Firm Winkbed—the coils respond well to pressure and create solid support and resistance. The mattress is quite comfortable, especially with the added layer of gel infused Euro foam on top. As a side sleeper, I need a ton of plush cushioning, so I added a latex mattress topper for extra comfort.

Winkbed mattress performance

I’ve been sleeping on my Winkbed mattress for the past month, and it has performed well over time; it certainly holds up in terms of firmness and overall comfort. While my previous too-firm mattress caused restless sleep, with the Winkbed, I’ve finally been sleeping through the night. I find the coils provide enough firm resistance to keep your body supported, while the plush layer stays buoyant. This means that even after sleeping on the mattress for several hours, the mattress still feels plush, allowing for a deep and restful night’s sleep.

Winkbed mattress delivery setup and trial

The Winkbed is delivered via USPS, in a large (20 inches x 20 inches x 44 inches) box that weighs 135 pounds. If you live in an apartment building without an elevator, or if you live in a house but want to install the Winkbed on a second or third floor bedroom, you may need help getting the box up the stairs.

The Winkbed arrives rolled inside the cardboard box in a compact cylinder, which we pulled out and placed onto the bed frame. The cylinder is wrapped in a tight layer of plastic wrap, which we removed. After that, the mattress is contained inside a second shrink-wrapped package, but as soon as the initial plastic wrap came off, air started to seep into the shrink wrap and the mattress began to self-inflate at a very quick speed.

The mattress gets more difficult to maneuver once it begins inflating, so it’s best to make sure it’s in position on top of your bed frame before you take off the plastic wrap, and be prepared to work quickly to get the shrinkwrap off. I used a pair of scissors to cut the shrink wrap off, and within less than two minutes the mattress was fully inflated.

When you compare the delivery and setup of the Winkbed versus a standard delivery—which typically includes a delivery person physically bringing the mattress into your house—the Winkbed setup is definitely more labor intensive on the part of the buyer.

However, that labor is balanced by the convenience of receiving your mattress in a box via USPS without having to coordinate the delivery. Because of this, the Winkbed arrives much more quickly than a standard delivery (which might take weeks). So, if you’re up for the physical challenge of lifting and maneuvering a heavy box, then this direct-ship method is fairly convenient.

The other factor to consider with Winkbed’s delivery method is your old mattress. With a typical mattress delivery, removal of the old mattress tends to be included in the delivery of the new one. With the Winkbed, you’ll have to make your own arrangements for getting rid of your old mattress.

Winkbed offers a 120-night risk free trial. The trial starts the day the mattress is delivered, and they ask that you give the mattress at least 30 nights of sleep to test it out. If you’re not satisfied with the mattress at that point, you can return it for a full refund within the first 60 to 120 days, and they will even pick it up for you.

Note that the return option is limited to one Winkbed per household, so by taking advantage of the risk-free return, you’re voiding your option to return any future Winkbeds you may purchase.

The WinkBed - Full

The WinkBed - Full

Is the Winkbed mattress for you? Who is this mattress best for?

The Winkbed is a great option for anyone looking for a comfortable, high-quality, and easy-to install- mattress that won’t break the bank. The Luxury Firm model is a great option for stomach and back sleepers, while the Softer model may be one of the best mattresses for side sleepers. The Plus model is ideal for heavier bodies.

What sets Winkbed mattresses apart from other mattresses?

The Winkbed offers a number of different exciting features, many of which are distinct to the brand. For example, the bed is constructed with a proprietary lumbar layer, which provides targeted support through the middle lumbar region of your body. The Winkbed also delivers a high-quality hybrid mattress design at an affordable price point, with a direct-shipping, self-install delivery method that makes the process easy and simple.

Other mattresses from Winkbed

In addition to the classic flagship Winkbed model, the Winkbed brand also offers two other mattress models.

The Gravity Lux mattress is a premium memory foam bed. The memory foam is constructed from layers of patented aircell memory foam, progression foam, and atlas core foam, all covered by a tencel cover with gel-infused foam.

The Eco Cloud is a hybrid mattress, constructed with a zoned, individually wrapped innerspring support system, which is covered by a four-inch talalay latex comfort layer, followed by an organic cotton and wool cover.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How long does a Winkbed mattress last?

The Winkbed comes with a lifetime warranty, meaning you’re covered for the entire time you own it. However, according to the Better Sleep Council, a mattress has a typical shelf life of about seven years. After that approximate timeframe, you might consider investing in a replacement due to natural sagging and wear-and-tear over time.

Where is the Winkbed made?

All Winkbed mattresses are handmade in the U.S.A., crafted from American-sourced materials. The beds are constructed either in their original Watertown, Wisconsin factory, or in one of their brand new factories located in Texas, Connecticut, and Arizona.

Who owns Winkbeds?

Dan Adler is the founder and CEO of Winkbeds.

How thick is the Winkbed mattress?

The Queen Winkbed is 13.5 inches thick.

Final verdict

This mattress is comfortable, reasonably affordable, and is relatively quick and easy to set up; just grab your pillows and get ready to hit the hay. To achieve the perfect level of softness for my personal sleep style, I added a latex topper to the Luxury Firm winkbed, which created that classic cloud-like sensation.

The WinkBed - Full

The WinkBed - Full

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