Certain online mattresses surpass the quality of your standard online bed-in-a-box. Beds with more premium, hand-crafted designs have things like Zoned-support coils, European pillow tops and plant-based fibers in their covers. If you’re looking for this type of product for your next online mattress, one of the best options to consider is the WinkBed mattress.

I’ve been testing this bed for several years now, and since I mainly prefer pillow-top mattresses, I love it. It’s a quality, American-made bed that presents sleepers with a more refined level of comfort. Plus, it’s pretty affordably priced compared to other online beds of its caliber. In this review, I’ll focus on everything you should know about the WinkBed if you’re considering getting it for your next mattress.

Video: WinkBed Mattress Review

Watch me review the WinkBed mattress in this video. 

First impressions of the WinkBed mattress

Once ordered, this bed will eventually arrive at your doorstep stuffed inside of a large cardboard box. To set it up, all you have to do is drag it inside, dump out the contents, rip off the plastic and watch it expand out of all that packaging. Since it’s a hybrid bed that has coils for support, it will likely inflate rather quickly, but we recommend giving it a couple of nights to just sit out on your foundation and get to its true form -- don’t be too quick to judge, even beds need time to recover.

This was definitely the case with our model, as it did look a little sad right out of the box. After a solid night, though, it looked right as rain and ready to be tested. I definitely thought it had a softer style of pillow-top feel. It’s responsive from the coils below but rather plush on top from its various comfort layers. Even though it’s on the firmer side, I thought all sleeper types would be accommodated by it.

WinkBed mattress firmness and feel

What does the WinkBed feel like?

This is a burlier pillow-top mattress with a soft feel. It has a good amount of plush, accommodating cushion on top for side sleepers, but it’s also supportive enough for all sleeper and body types. Frankly speaking, it feels like a luxurious hybrid bed that’s soft and neutral with plenty of responsiveness.

If you’re looking for a more specific type of feel in your next mattress, WinkBed as a brand also offers a premium memory foam bed called the GravityLux, and even a latex hybrid mattress called the EcoCloud. However, if you’re unsure of the type of feel you want in your next bed, and you just want something comfortable, the WinkBed is a safe choice -- it’s accommodating enough to work for just about anyone.

How firm is the WinkBed mattress?

This mattress is available in a few different firmnesses. There are Softer, Luxury Firm, Firmer and Plus models to consider. We have the Luxury Firm and it's around a medium on our firmness scale. This works well for all sleeper types. It provides equal parts support and pressure relief to work for most sleeping preferences. Getting a bed that’s around a medium is often a safe choice if you don’t know how firm or soft you want your bed to be, but you do also have those other models if you’re looking for something more specific.

When it comes to objective firmness, we now have a machine called the Mattress Smasher 9000 that can test the exact firmness level of a mattress based on a precise pressure gauge. It gave The WinkBed a reading of 5.8 out of 10 -- so a tinge firmer than we thought, but still in the same ballpark.

WinkBed mattress construction

This mattress is a premium pillow-top bed that’s roughly 13.5’’ thick. It’s comprised of the following layers:

1. On the bottom, you’ve got a thin layer of base foam to serve as the starting point for the mattress.
2. Then, you’ve got the bed’s main support system of individually wrapped and siloed pocketed coils. These are divided into separate support zones to help keep you back more aligned on the bed at night.
3. Next, you’ve got a couple more responsive transition foams. These act as buffers between the support and comfort layers of the mattress
4. Above that, the bed has a fluffy European pillow top with some gel-infused foams mixed in for additional comfort.
5. On top, the bed is wrapped up in a eucalyptus-derived tencel cover that helps with the overall breathability of the mattress

WinkBed mattress performance

Motion isolation

If your partner is a light sleeper, the last thing you probably want is a bed that reverberates motion. When it comes to how well this mattress deadens cross-mattress movement, we’d say it performs decently. The gel-infused foams in that European pillow tops do mitigate some motion transfer, so I don’t think anyone will be jostled awake on this bed. It might not perform as well as a dense memory foam option in this regard, but it’s still pretty solid for a responsive, pillow-top bed.

Edge-to-edge support

When it comes to edge support, the WinkBed performs very well. The reinforced coils that run along the bed’s perimeter strengthen those edges. When I lie directly on them, I don’t experience any sort of roll-off sensation. Instead, I feel firmly propped up on the sides and definitely don’t feel like I’m going to fall off. This is great news if you sleep with someone who hogs the mattress. You’ll still get plenty of support if you happen to sleep close to the edges of the WinkBed.

Temperature 

While the eucalyptus-derived tencel cover on the bed is designed to provide the bed with some breathability and sleep cooler than others, we wouldn’t consider this to be an active-cooling bed. That said, it shouldn’t excessively warm up on anyone either. It will likely sleep around the temperature-neutral sweet spot for most couples out there. Keep in mind that sleeping temperature usually depends on exterior factors, not so much on the bed itself.

Durability

I’d say WinkBed is a durable mattress, and as a brand, WinkBed puts this notion of reliability to the test. At the manufacturing facility, many of these beds are subjected to 20 years' worth of simulated use with a mattress rollator, after which little to no sagging was found. This just goes to show you how burly and durable these mattresses are, especially after extensive use. The bed’s supportive hybrid design will likely allow it to last most sleepers well past the seven- to 10-year mark, the average lifespan for most mattresses.

Who is the WinkBed mattress best for?

Even though the bed is durable enough to work for just about anyone, it should be ideal for a certain category of sleepers. Here’s who we think will benefit the most from sleeping on this mattress.

Sleeping position

For the model that we have of the WinkBed, the Luxury Firm, we’d recommend it for all sleeper types, but especially combination sleepers who alternate between different sleeping positions throughout the night. Again, if you’re a side sleeper, you’ll probably get more pressure relief from the Softer version. However, if you’re more of a strict back or stomach sleeper, the Plus or Firmer models should work out nicely for those who prefer a more rigid sleeping surface.

Body type

As mentioned, the construction of this bed makes it supportive enough to handle all body types, including heavier people. If you’re more petite or average-sized, you could also get by on the WinkBed, but the level of support could also be overkill for you. In that case, you could save some money by going with an all-foam mattress.

Compared to other premium pillow-top beds in its class, we’d say the WinkBed is offered at a relatively low price. Considering the level of quality that goes into it, it’s nice to see a luxurious option that’s priced reasonably, especially after a discount. Once you apply one to the queen size, you’re looking at paying closer to the $1,500 mark year-round. Again, that’s not half bad for a bed like this.  

Trial, shipping and warranty

WinkBeds backs this bed with a pretty generous policy set. Its beds ship to you for free in a box, and once it’s in your possession, you get a 120-night trial period to try it at home risk-free. If you happen not to like it within that time frame, you can get completely free returns after the first month of testing. On the other hand, if you decide to keep it, you’re backed by a lifetime warranty. Compared to the average policy set for online beds, WinkBeds goes above and beyond.

How does the WinkBed compare to other mattresses? 

The WinkBed vs. Saatva Classic

These are two of our most commonly compared beds. They’re both pillow-top beds that are very similar in regards to construction, firmness & feel. However, there are some major differences between the two. Firstly, the Saatva Classic comes with a slightly better policy set, offering white glove delivery instead of bed-in-a-box shipping, which is what the WinkBed comes with. The WinkBed mattress also comes in a variety of firmnesses, but it technically has an additional “Plus” version designed to support bigger people. The WinkBed also has a slightly softer pillow-top feel compared to the Saatva Classic, and when it comes to price, the WinkBed is the more affordable choice.

The WinkBed vs. Helix Luxe

The Helix Luxe collection is another popular comparison to the WinkBed in terms of quality and feel. They’re both pillow-top mattresses with the same type of cushioning yet supportive pillow-top feel. One main difference between them comes down to firmness. The WinkBed is available in four firmnesses, while Helix Luxe technically comes in seven different firmness varieties. You can also spend up to purchase some add-ons with the Helix Luxe beds, like a cooling cover and a Zoned support feature. However, the Helix Luxe mattresses are more expensive compared to the WinkBed.

The final verdict

Listen, for the money, I’d say the WinkBed is well worth your consideration if you’re looking for a premium pillow-top bed. I think it’s nice that you can pick and choose the firmness level of the bed, and I also like how supportive the bed is by default. Also, if you’re looking for a hand-crafted mattress made right here in the States, the WinkBed should be checking most of your boxes by now.

You might like a WinkBed if:

• You want a supportive hybrid mattress
• You want a softer pillow-top feel
• You like having four firmnesses to choose from
• You want a solid value for a more premium option

You might not like a WinkBed if:

• You're looking for an all-foam mattress
• You prefer the feel of a neutral or latex foam mattress
• You’re on more of a strict budget