Mattress startup Coddle makes double-sided beds so you can choose your firmness level - here's what we thought

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• Coddle's bed-in-a-box mattress features four layers of memory foam, which dampened my wife's movement in the night so she didn't disturb my snoring, and kept me comfortable even when I was on my stomach and side.
• It also comes with a long risk-free trial, is comfortable for a broad range of sleeping styles and body types, and provides great motion isolation and edge support.
• Though it's on the expensive side (currently starting at $550 for a twin on CoddleMe.com), you can try the mattress for "60 mornings," and it comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

One of the new players on the bed-in-a-box scene is Coddle, though founder Sean Pathiratne has nearly three decades of experience in the luxury furniture space. He launched the brand a year ago with a focus on responsive design, starting with an adjustable couch and then moving onto a chair, ottoman, couch topper, pillow, and now, a mattress.

I recently had the opportunity to test Coddle's new memory foam mattress. Here are my experiences with the Queen-sized mattress, which goes for $950.

Read more: The best mattresses you can buy

Design

One of the coolest features of the Coddle mattress is that you can flip it and have a different sleeping experience on either the soft side (made of a coconut-infused, super-plush comfort layer) or the firm side (made of a cool, firm comfort layer), depending on your personal preferences. In between is two layers of dual-core high-density memory foam.

All the layers are CertiPUR-US approved to be without heavy metals, phthalates, formaldehyde, mercury, PBDE flame retardants, and ozone depleters.

The four layers total to an 11-inch-thick mattress covered with a soft, white micro-Tencel fabric made in Belgium. You can unzip the cover to remove and wash it too.

The mattress is available in the six most popular sizes - Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King.

Set-up process

Unlike other online retailers like Casper, Coddle doesn't have a "white glove" option, where someone comes into your home to set up the mattress up and remove your old one.

However, it was easy enough to set up and carry on my own. A Queen-sized mattress weighs 99 pounds when sealed in the box and 78 pounds when unpacked and inflated; Casper's inflated mattress weighs 85 pounds.

The whole process took under 10 minutes. There are instructions, but I didn't find them until I was done. Apparently, I opened the wrong end of the box. However, setting up the mattress is intuitive enough that you don't need directions - just open the box, cut the vacuum seal, and let the mattress expand.

Coddle recommends placing your mattress on a "firm, solid or slatted foundation" of your choice. Since I was in the process of testing several mattresses at once, I simply placed the Coddle on the floor for a consistent experience.

What makes it stand out

You can do all of the right research, but the best way to know if a mattress is right for your sleeping style and body type is to sleep on it so a long risk-free trial period is imperative. Fortunately, Coddle offers a "60 Mornings Trial." If you don't like your mattress, you can return it for free after 60 days.

The Coddle mattress is ever-so-slightly firmer than your average mattress. I'm a side sleeper who occasionally spends time on his stomach. On this mattress, I was more comfortable on my stomach, though sleeping on my side wasn't terrible. I should also point out that I'm heavy - I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 250 pounds. Firm mattresses tend to be ideal for husky individuals as well as back and stomach sleepers, so this was the right pick for me.

I'm also a hot sleeper and didn't have any problems with overheating while testing this mattress, despite sharing it with my wife. Memory foam tends to trap heat, but this was not an issue with the Coddle mattress thanks to the air-flow channels built into the foam.

The Coddle mattress does an exceptional job of isolating motion transfer, which is important when you share a bed and don't want a partner's tossing and turning to wake you up. My wife suffers from insomnia and is quite active throughout the night. Thanks to the motion dampening properties, I didn't even notice her coming and going.

But to objectively test the motion transfer characteristics, I dropped a 20-pound weight from four feet above the bed so that it'd land 12 inches from a can of soda. If the soda can fell over, I'd know the mattress wasn't good at dampening motion transfer. However, in each of my tests, the pop can remained upright, showing me that a significant impact on the mattress is barely felt even a foot away.

A Queen-sized mattress only weighs 78 pounds, which makes it easy for someone like me to pick up, rotate, and flip. The lightweight design is also helpful for general mattress maintenance like changing out sheets, or when the time comes to move or redecorate.

Coddle offers a 10-year limited warranty on the mattress, which covers manufacturing defects, physical flaws, and deterioration of the mattress with a clear indentation of at least one inch. If you experience any of these issues, Coddle will repair or replace your mattress and cover any shipping costs.

Read more: The best mattress toppers you can buy

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Cons to consider

While lying on the mattress, I felt that I was being drawn to the middle. It wasn't to the point where my wife and I were getting closer over the course of the night, but it was noticeable. On the other hand, there is excellent edge support so I never felt like I was going to fall off the mattress.

One of the selling points of the Coddle mattress is that you can get a different sleeping experience on each side due to the two different types of foam. However, I didn't notice a major difference in firmness, motion transfer, edge support, or coolness between the two sides. I'm fine with this because it's a comfortable mattress nonetheless, and the ability to flip the mattress without a change in comfort will increase its lifespan of enjoyable use.

Coddle doesn't have any showrooms so you can't test out the mattress either before buying it, unlike Casper which has stores nationwide and has also partnered with Target stores. Fortunately, the 60-morning trial lets you get some real-life sleeping experience in the comfort of your own home.

The bottom line

Despite these cons, I still greatly enjoyed my experiences with the Coddle mattress. Though it was slightly more firm than I'm used to, it allowed me to sleep how I wanted - on my stomach and side. Despite my hot-sleeping tendencies, the mattress kept me cool too. And when I shared the bed with my wife, it isolated our motions so our movements didn't wake each other up.

• Should you buy it? Based on my experience, it's worth considering the Coddle mattress as you shop around, especially if you're a heavier person who shares a bed with someone else, or tends to sleep hot.
• Which model should you get? Without factoring in the size of your bedroom, if you sleep alone, consider a Twin, Twin XL, or Full mattress. Twin is ideal for smaller people, Twin XL is better for tall individuals, and Full beds accommodate husky folks.

If you share a bed with someone, then go with a Queen, California King, or King. Though my wife and I shared a Queen without issue, we generally prefer a King because we're both bigger and taller than most and have big full-sized body pillows. California King is best for taller couples, though the shape is more square compared to a King.

• What are your alternatives? I've tested several online mattress brands, and my all-time favorite is the Leesa Sapira because of its just-right combination of comfort, motion transfer isolation, coolness, and edge support. However, it's expensive.

If you want something more affordable and sleep on your back or stomach, consider the Allswell mattress, which starts at $245 for a Twin and also tends to be quite firm. For a softer option, you might turn to the new Casper Hybrid, which starts at $545 for a Twin and served my side-sleeping tendencies well while keeping me cool.

Overall, the Coddle mattress is great. And with the 60-morning trial, you can try it in your home, but if you don't like, you can get your money back. There's really no risk here, so I'd definitely I giving it a try.

Pros: 11 inches and four layers of foam, great for a variety of sleeping styles, excellent motion isolation, 60-morning trial period

Cons: Not available to test in showrooms, felt like I was being drawn to the middle of the bed

Buy the Coddle Mattress from Coddle for $550 (Twin) to $1,150 (California King)

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