Score Breakdown
Pros and Cons
A recent CNET survey revealed that six in 10 would consider investing in a better sleep setup. To be more specific, 46% of those people would be willing to invest in better mattresses or bedding. It isn't hard to see why when there are several big-name brands that develop and design some of the best and most rewarding mattresses around. One such brand is Brooklyn Bedding. They are a highly versatile, beloved brand who are behind many of our favorite online beds we've ever tested. The classic and comfortable Signature mattress and the active-cooling Aurora bed stand out the most, but there are many options within the main Brooklyn Bedding lineup of mattresses.
Fast-forward to now, and Brooklyn Bedding has several sub-brands, including Plank, Titan, Ecosleep and Dreamfoam. Dreamfoam features a variety of budget-friendly beds to meet different sleeping preferences, with the Essential bed being one of the most versatile options. In this review, I'll cover what you need to know before buying it online.
Video: Dreamfoam Essential mattress review
Watch me review the Dreamfoam Essential mattress in this video review.
First impressions of the Dreamfoam Essential
Our Dreamfoam Essential mattress shipped directly to our office space inside of a larger box. Once it arrived, we quickly dragged it inside and began the unboxing process. We opened the box up, dumped out the contents, tore away all the plastic and the bed began to rapidly unfurl and inflate before our eyes.
Right out of the compressed packaging, it did look slightly misshapen, so we gave it a night to sit out on our foundation and properly expand. In the morning, it was ready to be tested. Upon testing its feel and firmness, I was taken aback -- it was much different than expected.
Dreamfoam Essential mattress firmness and feel
What does the Dreamfoam Essential feel like?
To me, this mattress definitely exhibits a neutral foam feel, which was surprising since it has memory foam on top for comfort. That primary comfort layer of memory foam feels quite responsive and isn't as dense as a more viscous memory foam found on a Tempur-Pedic mattress. This comfort element, combined with the neutral support foam on the bottom, makes the bed feel quite neutral to us.
Getting a neutral foam bed is often a safe choice for the average online mattress shopper. If you don't necessarily know what type of feel you'd prefer your bed to have, this is usually an accommodating way to go. However, the firmness of this particular bed might not be suitable for absolutely everyone.
How firm is the Dreamfoam Essential mattress?
We thought the 10'' profile of the bed skewed much firmer than your average all-foam mattress found online. To us, it sits between a medium-firm and a proper firm on our scale. This type of firm bed profile is most suitable for strict back and stomach sleepers who prefer their bed to be more supportive rather than pressure-relieving.
Keep in mind that there are different height profiles that this bed comes in. The thinner profiles will likely be firmer, while the thicker ones are much softer. If you're a side or combination sleeper looking for a softer model, I'd suggest checking out the 12'' or 14'' versions.
Dreamfoam Essential mattress construction
This is a 10'' thick all-foam mattress with a simple design. It's made up of the following support and comfort layers:
1. On the bottom, you've got around 7.5'' of a dense, polyurethane support foam
2. Then, you have 2.5'' of the brand's Gel Swirl Memory Foam on top, which is basically a responsive memory foam designed to be super breathable.
3. Rounding everything out is a dark gray and blue cover, also designed to provide some breathability to the mattress.
Dreamfoam Essential mattress performance
Motion isolation
Given the bed's all-foam construction and firm profile, I think it absorbs a pretty good amount of motion at night. Since dense memory foam beds usually perform the beds for this category, you might get a superior amount of motion isolation from something like a Nectar mattress. Comparatively, though, the Dreamfoam Essential does deaden cross-mattress movement quite well, and you shouldn't have any issues waking up your partner if they're a light sleeper.
Edge-to-edge support
This bed performs average in terms of supporting you along its perimeter. We'd say its edge support is on par with other simple, two-layer, all-foam mattresses. It would likely have better edge support if a foam border ran along the edges, but even without that, there's no apparent roll-off sensation when sleeping close to the perimeter of this mattress at night -- you can sleep soundly with your beloved bed hog.
Temperature
We'd classify the Dreamfoam Essential as a temperature-neutral sleeping mattress. Given its straightforward, cheaper design, there aren't really any active cooling elements within the mattress to report on here. That said, I don't think this bed will excessively warm up on the average hot sleeper.
Durability
Since this is an all-foam mattress, it should be ideal for supporting average to petite-sized individuals. If you're a heavier person, over the 250-pound mark, you might prefer sleeping on a hybrid mattress that has coils for support. The Dreamfoam Hybrid is a perfect alternative to this bed since it has pocketed coils on the bottom rather than a dense foam. Due to its hybrid design, it should prove to be slightly more durable long-term than the Essential mattress.
Who is the Dreamfoam Essential mattress best for?
Since this is a simple, all-foam mattress that's on the firmer side, it might be best for a specific set of sleeper types. Here's who we think will benefit from sleeping on the Dreamfoam Essential the most.
Sleeping position
Given that the bed sits between a medium-firm and a firm on our firmness scale, it's primarily going to be best for strict back and stomach sleepers. Based on our observations over the years, we've noticed these sleepers tend to favor firm beds that offer plenty of support rather than pressure relief. If you're a side or combination sleeper who also prefers a soft bed, you'll likely enjoy the thicker height profiles of this mattress. You could also find the Dreamfoam Copper to provide lots of cushion for your shoulders and hips.
Body type
While all body types could get by on this mattress, the all-foam design lends itself to be best at supporting medium to petite-sized individuals. If you're a heavier person, we always recommend getting a hybrid bed as opposed to an all-foam one, just because coil support systems are a bit better at providing bigger body types with lots of support over time. Luckily, heavier folks can spend up for the Dreamfoam Hybrid, which basically swaps out the support foam for pocketed coils.
Dreamfoam Essential mattress pricing
| Size | Measurements (inches) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38x75 inches | $449 |
| Twin XL | 38x80 inches | $499 |
| Full | 54x75 inches | $574 |
| Queen | 60x80 inches | $699 |
| King | 76x80 inches | $899 |
| Cal King | 72x84 inches | $899 |
As you can see, this is a very affordable online mattress -- and this pricing is before discount. After you apply one to the queen size, you can usually expect to pay right around $525 for the bed year-round.
Trial, shipping and warranty
The Dreamfoam Essential is backed by some pretty standard policies for the online space. Its beds ship to you in a box for free, 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 return it, but a small transportation fee will be deducted from your refund. On the other hand, if you decide to keep it, you're backed by a 10-year limited warranty.
How does Dreamfoam Essential compare to other mattresses?
Dream Essential vs. Dreamfoam Doze
These are two of the most affordable, all-foam beds that Dreamfoam as a brand currently offers. The Dreamfoam Doze is a much cheaper option, as a queen size usually goes for around $200, regardless of the height profile you choose. While the Essential costs a bit more, it's also available in many sizing variations, particularly of the RV bunk variety. That said, these are both accommodating beds when it comes to feel, firmness and strict budgets.
Dream Essential vs. Dreamfoam Hybrid
This is a pretty easy comparison to make since these beds are completely different design-wise. Regardless of the sizing option you go with, the Dreamfoam Essential is an all-foam mattress, whereas the Dreamfoam Hybrid has support coils on the bottom instead of dense foam. This makes the Dreamfoam Hybrid the more supportive option for heavier people compared to the Essential. When it comes to price, though, the Dreamfoam Essential is the more affordable option.
The final verdict
If you're in the market for a budget-friendly, all-foam bed with a neutral feel that's available in a variety of height profiles and sizing options, I'd definitely consider checking out the Dreamfoam Essential mattress. It's also a perfect option to outfit your RV with for your next camping trip -- 10 out of its 22 sizing variations are RV-specific sizes.
You might like the Dreamfoam Essential mattress if:
- You want an all-foam mattress
- You want a neutral foam feel
- You want a bunch of sizing options for campers
- You want a bed available in different thicknesses
You might not like the Dreamfoam Essential bed if:
- You're looking for a hybrid mattress
- You prefer the feel of a dense memory foam
- You want more of a premium mattress offering
- You're not on a super strict budget
Other mattresses from Nolah
There are many other options to choose from within the Dreamfoam lineup. Aside from the Essential, you can check out the brand's most affordable option, the Dreamfoam Doze, which is available in a few different height profiles – it's one of my favorites, check out my review.
From there, you move up in price toward the hybrid options. The Dreamfoam Copper has coils and copper-infused memory foam to provide ample support and comfort, and the Dreamfoam Hybrid is the more basic and affordable hybrid bed that features a cooling cover.
Dreamfoam also has a more natural, ethically sourced mattress called the Dreamfoam Latex, which features a combination of coils and latex foam to provide sleepers with lots of responsiveness. This is the 2nd most expensive Dreamfoam bed, behind Dreamfoam Copper.