Amerisleep Mattress Review: The Secret To Perfect Sleep?

My dad was never the type to give a ton of life-advice.

But one day he shared with me a nugget of wisdom I’ve never forgotten:

“Son, whatever you do, take care of your teeth and back.”

Naturally, in college I bought the cheapest mattress possible. And I wondered why I would wake up with crazy back pain.

It’s a bit alarming when you’re 23 years old and you’re yelling every time you bend down to tie your shoe. Or when you can’t go on a run with your friends because your knee hurts for no good reason.

I finally listened to my dad’s advice and picked up a better mattress. Let’s just say he was right.

So when Amerisleep reached out to me to see if I’d give one of their mattresses a whirl, I could hear my dad’s voice as if it was floating in the air, “take care of your back, son. Don’t be an idiot like when you were in college.”

I’ve been sleeping on Amerisleep’s AS3 mattress for the past two weeks and my verdict is in. Has it truly helped my back and joints as much as they say a great mattress can? Keep reading for my full review.

What Is Amerisleep?

Amerisleep was founded in 2010 with the goal to produce American-made, eco-friendly mattresses at a reasonable price.

While the brand started online, they’ve also opened showrooms in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Oregon.

Forbes called Amerisleep’s stores the “Apple Store of mattresses,” because instead of stuffing a ton of mattresses into a small, dusty space, Amerisleep has made the experience of shopping for a mattress enjoyable. Even a little cool.

Just check out this 360-video of one of their showrooms (at least do it for the fact that you can get a 360-view while in a YouTube video—the future is now).

Something like a mattress seems like a hard sell online. Wouldn’t most people like to try a mattress out before buying it?

Well, Amerisleep has done a pretty good job of making the process as easy and risk-free as possible.

They were the first to introduce the 100-day trial.

And they were the first to offer a 20-year warranty.

Yes.

A 20-year warranty.

So I went ahead and did some online shopping, going through the Amerisleep site to see which mattress would be the right fit for my wife and me.

Amerisleep makes and sells eight mattresses in total: five memory foam mattresses (AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4, AS5) and thee hybrid mattresses (AS2h, AS3h, AS5h). The differences between these mattresses are their firmness—the AS1 is firm and the AS5 is ultra-plush.

The first decision to make when shopping with Amerisleep is memory foam or hybrid. Memory foam beds are great for those who like a cloud-like, cushioning mattress, where hybrids are better for people who like some spring in their bed.

I chose the AS3 memory foam mattress, their most popular option and the middle ground between the firm AS1, and the super-soft AS5.

Fancy stores and impressive promises are one thing. But none of that matters if the mattress isn’t comfortable.

After two weeks of sleeping on it (lots of naps too—for research sake), I’ve come to a decision. Should I keep it? Or should I make use of their top-notch 100-day trial return policy? Let’s dive in.

Amerisleep AS3 Review

Choosing the Right Mattress

The most difficult part of mattress shopping online is knowing which level of firmness to choose.

And with five different levels, from AS1-AS5 (firm to soft), there isn’t a great way to know how soft “soft” really is.

Their top-seller is the AS3, and the second-most popular is their AS2.

I used to be a back sleeper, but apparently I snore like a saw-mill. I’ve had enough midnight punches in the ribs from my wife to start sleeping on my side.

I figured I’d go with the most popular option—the AS3. If it didn’t work out, I could always exchange it with a firmer or softer model.

Shipping and Delivery

So I picked the AS3 and waited patiently for my delivery.

It took five days for my mattress to arrive, and the shipping was free.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amerisleep (@amerisleep) on Jan 13, 2020 at 3:31pm PST

The most impressive part of this whole ordering process is just seeing how they pack the mattress into the relatively small box. I mean, I ordered a queen mattress and it showed up in a four-foot-tall box that I could easily wrap my arms around. Unbelievable.

Materials

Most foam mattresses are made with petroleum-based materials that sag and deform easily and have a dangerous off-gassing period. As far as I’m concerned, nothing—including myself—should release foul-smelling gasses in the bed.

Amerisleep designed a unique plant-based memory foam they use for all of their models called Bio-Pur. This material has the same body-shaping ability as traditional memory-foam, but it’s much more breathable.

The number one complaint when it comes to memory foam is that it traps heat, so the comfort benefits go straight out the window. That’s not the case with Bio-Pur. It has the same ability to cradle your body (and spring back to its original shape when you’re not in bed) but lets the heat run through the mattress and away from your body.

Amerisleep also uses HIVE technology in each of their memory foam mattresses (besides the firm AS1). They include this technology in their mattresses to promote better spinal alignment and prevent pressure points. HIVE is helpful for all sleepers since it maintains a healthy spine, but it’s even more beneficial to sleepers with back pain or those who sleep on their side.

HIVE contains hundreds of hexagonal cutouts arranged in five distinct zones. These cutouts are closer together under your head, midsection, and feet to offer firmer support and keep you lifted in the mattress. Under your shoulders and hips, though, these cutouts are further apart to allow for deep compression and pressure relief—preventing discomfort for side sleepers.

All mattresses are also covered with what’s called Celliant fabric.

Now, it’s hard to explain what Celliant technology is, and I’ll admit that I thought Amerisleep’s description was marketing mumbo-jumbo at first.

But then I spent way too much time trying to figure out exactly what Celliant fabric does. I’ll do my best to dust off my teacher-skills and explain it.

Celliant is made from fibers with a light coating of natural minerals that absorb and reflect heat.

When you lay down on your bed, your body transfers heat into the fabric. The fibers grab that heat and gently reapply it to your body.

Because the fabric is giving you a subtle warming effect, your body temperature lowers as you sleep. It’s also using less energy to maintain your body heat, because it doesn’t need to.

When you wake up, there are three huge benefits.

First, you never feel overheated because your body temperature is lowered.

Second, you used less energy while sleeping so you wake up more refreshed.

And last, the gentle warming effect worked to soothe aches and pains throughout your body. It’s the same form of therapy as a sauna-bath (although a much less intense version).

Comfort

Firmness

As I mentioned earlier, I picked up the middle-of-the-road AS3.

I found the level of firmness to be perfect. I’m a side sleeper, so I need a certain amount of softness to keep my hip from getting sore throughout the night. But I like my mattress to be firm—otherwise, my back feels it big time the next day.

Heat Transfer

I’ve slept on mattresses that felt more like I was sleeping on one of those lizard-rocks that heat up. It’s great if you’re a reptile, but it’s awful for us mammals.

Me and my warm-blooded self prefer a mattress that doesn’t overheat.

In my two weeks of testing, I’ve had no problems overheating. The Bio-Pur foam and the Celliant technology do an excellent job of dispersing body-heat so it doesn’t get trapped and ignite night sweats.

Even though the AS3 has a memory foam feel, it doesn’t have any of the heat issues.

Motion Isolation

You never know how motion isolation is going to be with foam mattresses. It could be great. Or it could be a total disaster.

Thankfully, the AS3 has great motion isolation.

And I get the chance to fulfill one of my life’s dreams.

I get to reenact that scene from those old mattress infomercials. I decided to jump on the bed with a glass of water.

I wasn’t satisfied with normal sleeping conditions. I wanted to do an even more extreme test.

Even walking right next to the glass barely has any effect. Keep in mind that I’m nearly 200 pounds and all that weight is on just my feet. And I’m standing less than a foot away from the water glass.

So the motion isolation is great.

Customer Service

Amerisleep will ship you your mattress for free and you can test it for 100 nights.

If you don’t like it, they’ll come to get it. From there, you can choose an exchange or a total refund.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well then adjust your expectations. Because it actually gets better. Amerisleep also offers a 20-year warranty.

Now, the 20-year warranty isn’t totally simple. It starts with a full 10-year warranty, but if you need to replace your mattress between years 11-20, they’ll give you a prorated deal on a new mattress.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amerisleep (@amerisleep) on Jan 6, 2020 at 4:43pm PST

To me, that speaks to their confidence in their mattress. I’ve had chairs and couches that were comfortable for a few months before they started sagging and became more like medieval torture devices. But knowing that I can return my mattress free of charge is huge. If their mattresses weren’t built well, they wouldn’t be able to offer such a great deal.

My Overall Thoughts on Amerisleep