Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are reviews here for both the Classic Brands 11" and 14". This is for the 14" Cool Gel. For years we slept on a traditional inner spring mattress with memory foam topper for comfort. I found that the memory foam traps heat. So while the topper made the mattress more comfortable, the heat was unbearable. We bought a Sealy memory foam mattress for our guest bedroom. I found it more comfortable than the old inner spring, but a bit too firm and too hot. The Classic Brands Cool Gel Ultimate 14" Plush was the answer. As plush as an inner spring pillow top, but without the eventually troublesome springs that soon cause lumpy mattress syndrome. And, the cool gel works - keeping the mattress from overheating. I e-mailed Classic Brands before the purchase, asking them about foam density. I had read to avoid the low density memory foams as they don't hold up well. Classic responded quickly that they use 2" of 4 lb cool gel memory foam on top on 2" of 4 lb memory foam. The article I read recommended 4 lb foam and that sealed the deal for me. The mattress was made in China and Amazon estimated 1-3 months for delivery. We got it in 3 weeks. When I saw the box sitting on my patio where the delivery man left it, I was horrified. The box was badly damaged and the plastic inner cover was ripped open. These things are tightly compacted and rolled for shipping and once unwrapped expand from a few inches thick to the full 14". Since the inner wrapper was torn, one end of the bed had already begun to expand. With one end still compressed, this thing looked like a giant mushroom. I contacted Classic and they said to inspect the cover and the foam for damage. If the foam was not damaged, we could keep the mattress and they would send a new cover if needed, or we could exchange it for a new one. The cover was smudged and the foam seemed undamaged, so we unwrapped it. Soon, the mattress had expanded to it's full 14". We put it in the living room, under the windows for a day to expand. The chemical/foam smell was strong but dissipated after a day or so. Then we moved it to our bedroom and were able to clean the smudges from the cover. Despite the horrible package/shipping, the bed seemed in good condition. But the best part is sleeping on it. It's the perfect combination of firm-enough support and plush, soft comfort. And the cool gel really does work.. For the first time in a long time, I didn't wake up in the middle of the night overheated. When morning came, I got out of bed without the accustomed aches and pains. And my wife loved it as well from the first night sleeping on it. It comes with 2 cool gel memory foam pillows, which are quite firm compared to the old feather pillows I was used too. By putting an old feather pillow on top of the foam pillow, I got the perfect combination of firm support and plush comfort - just like the mattress, with no overheating. Very impressed with the responsiveness/communication from Classic Brands.