The Leesa Original Mattress is one of America's best-selling beds. This memory foam mattress sat at the top of our testing list for months, until we managed to get two shipped out at the same time. The first bed went to Alex, one of our most prolific product testers, while the second went to Lucy, then the Global Editor-in-Chief of Homes & Gardens.
Our two testers started sleeping on the Leesa Original Mattress towards the end of 2022. Lucy loved the bed for its contouring comfort and pressure relief. Alex wasn't so keen. She struggled to get comfortable on such a soft surface and found that the motion isolation left a lot to be desired.
To settle the debate, we needed a third opinion on the Leesa Original Mattress. So, when I flew out to Phoenix, AZ, in search of the world's best mattress, I made sure to sample the Leesa Original Mattress. Unfortunately, I'm with Alex on this one − the edge support is pretty poor, and I doubt this bed could keep me cool at the height of summer.
Leesa Original Mattress review
I made sure to select testers with diverse sleep styles to get the fullest possible picture of the Leesa Original Mattress. Alex flips between her back and stomach, so she needs a mattress with sufficient support to stop her spine from arching. Lucy sleeps on her side, so she appreciates the high sink factor of the Leesa Original Mattress to cushion her neck, shoulders, hips, and knees. Personally, I tend to sleep on my stomach and I like a bed with a little bounce to bear my weight and spring back into shape when I get up in the morning.
Leesa Original Mattress Specifications
Who would the Leesa Original Mattress suit?
- Anyone who appreciates a softer surface: the Leesa Original Mattress claims to support all sleep positions, but Alex found it felt most comfortable when she slept on her side. That way, you can make the most of the contouring comfort without feeling as though you're going to fall through the mattress.
- Anyone who suffers from chronic pain: this memory foam mattress is made to bear your weight and take the pressure off your joints. Alex suffers from recurring hip and pelvic pain, so she appreciates the depth of forgiving support in the Leesa Original Mattress.
- Anyone who needs a new bed, fast: the Leesa Original Mattress is made-to-order and should arrive within 3 to 5 days. Once it's ready, you get the option of white glove delivery and in-room set-up. All you need to do is cut the plastic, stand back, and let the bed begin to grow. The bed should reach its full height within a day or two. You might notice an unpleasant, chemical smell − that's just the mattress off-gassing, and it should dissipate after a few hours.
What's it like to sleep on the Leesa Original Mattress?
Here at H&G, we assess each mattress against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; motion isolation, edge support; and weight bearing capacity. Usually, we take a thematic approach to our reviews, addressing each of these aspects, one by one.
This time, we'll take it tester by tester to show the full range of perspectives on the Leesa Original Mattress. If you see something of yourself in Alex or Lucy, then pay close attention to their comments to discover whether this bed would support your sleep style.
Alex – comfort and support
On a scale of Soft to Firm, Leesa claims that their Original Mattress is a true Medium, and Alex agrees. As soon as she got into bed, she could feel herself sinking into the low-density foam. Such a lot of give in a mattress might feel luxurious, but it's not good for your body in the long-term. Alex found that the soft surface of the Leesa Original Mattress forced her spine to arch, which left her feeling stiff and achy in the morning, though the squishy center of the bed took some pressure off her hips. Alex much prefers the SweetNight Prime Memory Foam Mattress for sturdy support.
Alex − breathability and cooling
Although memory foam is known to trap heat, Alex managed to stay the right side of cool and dry during the testing period. She puts that down to the breathable knit cover, as well as the top layer of foam, which is strategically perforated to dissipate heat and wick moisture. Still, if you're a seriously hot sleeper, I suggest you shop for the best cooling mattress, instead.
Alex – motion isolation
Memory foam is made to absorb motion. The best memory foam mattress offers undisturbed sleep, even if you share a bed with a pet or partner who tosses and turns. Alex had high hopes for the Leesa Original Mattress in the motion isolation test, but she was disappointed. She filled a cup with water and set it in the middle of the mattress before applying pressure around it. The cup moved with the slightest pressure, and water started to spill the closer she came to the cup. This indicates high motion transfer, which makes the bed less comfortable for light sleepers. In practice, Alex got very broken sleep on the Leesa Original Mattress. Every time her husband rolled over in bed, the motion transfer made her bob and bounce on the other side of the mattress. According to Alex, the Emma Original Mattress offers far superior motion isolation.
Meanwhile, Lucy loved the Leesa Original Mattress. I put it down to a difference in sleep style − all the design features that make it harder for people like Alex to get comfortable are made with sleepers like Lucy in mind.
Lucy – comfort and support
Lucy is a side sleeper who needs a plush mattress to cushion her joints and take some pressure off her hips and shoulders. She appreciated the medium feel of the Leesa Original Mattress and found it kept her spine aligned when she slept on her side. In all her time testing the Leesa Original Mattress, she never once woke up with aches or pains.
Lucy – motion isolation
As a light sleeper, Lucy needs a mattress with excellent motion isolation to sleep undisturbed. She acknowledges that the Leesa Original Mattress doesn't perform as well as other beds she's tried, but she still thinks it's better than the average mattress. If you're searching for a bed with a similar look and feel to the Leesa Original Mattress, but better motion isolation, I suggest the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress.
I sampled the Leesa Original Mattress in a mattress showroom in Phoenix, AZ. Across two days, I tested more 40 beds from some of America's best-loved mattress brands. I ranked each mattress I tried, and the Leesa Original Mattress ended up dead last. That's not to say it's an awful bed, but it's the least suitable for my sleep style, and it's not as supportive as Leesa's other offerings.
Emilia − comfort and support
As soon as I lay down on the Leesa Original Mattress, I felt uncomfortable. I felt as though I had sunk all the way through the first comfort layer and I could feel the higher-density foam as a solid layer beneath my body. I flipped between my stomach, my side, and my back, and I still couldn't get comfortable. The Leesa Original Mattress was the first bed I tested in Phoenix and it was only up from there.
Emilia – edge support
Some people will tell you that beds are for sleeping, not for sitting. That's true enough, for the most part, but I like to sit on the side of the bed to apply lotion, tie my shoes, or chat with my roommate after a long day. I found that I couldn't sit comfortably on the Leesa Original Mattress – the edges easily gave way beneath my body weight and I had to grip the ground to stop myself from slipping. If you're looking for a memory foam mattress with excellent edge support, I suggest the Zinus Cooling Green Tea Mattress, instead.
How does the Leesa Original Mattress rate online?
The Leesa Original Mattress boasts a 4.5 average star rating from more than 20,000 verified customer reviews on the Leesa site. Happy customers praise the pressure relief of the mattress, which one reviewer claims is 'saving me money on chiropractor visits'.
There are a smattering of more mixed reviews, most of which share our common concerns: that the Leesa Original Mattress is insufficiently supportive, especially around the edges, and that the motion transfer poses a problem for light sleepers and anyone who shares a bed.
Should I buy the Leesa Original Mattress?
If you're a side sleeper and you prefer a softer surface, then you'll find a lot to like about the Leesa Original Mattress, which is still our top pick for the best mattress for side sleepers. All three of our expert testers agree that this bed does a decent job of bearing your weight and keeping you cool, so it could be a good option for taller, broader sleepers, and anyone who tends to sleep hot.
If you sleep on your back or stomach and you appreciate a firmer surface, I wouldn't recommend the Leesa Original Mattress. You'll find far superior comfort and support in the best firm mattress.
Finally, a word about the price. A Queen-sized Leesa Original goes for $1,332. That's quite a lot of money to spend on a memory foam mattress, so I suggest you shop the mattress sales to get a bit of a discount.
How we test mattresses
We put a lot of thought into how we test mattresses. Our expert testers sleep on beds for months, ideally through several seasons, to monitor their performance over time. We assess each mattress against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; motion isolation; edge support; and weight bearing capacity. I'd expect a memory foam mattress, like this one, to score highly for comfort and motion isolation but much lower for breathability and edge support.
Some of our tests are fairly subjective. The best way to assess the comfort of a mattress is to sleep on it and see how you feel. Other tests are more scientific. For example, we use a system of weights and water glasses to measure the motion isolation of a mattress and assess its suitability for light sleepers. We also consider all the practical aspects of buying a mattress, from sleep trials and mattress warranties to delivery details.
Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to show a range of perspectives on the same mattress. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the product to help you determine value for money.
