When you think there is nothing left out there to surprise you in terms of beds, along comes another invention that just blows your mind away. First, it was the adjustable bed frames. Then, you had the inflatable remote-control airbeds. After that, it was heating and massage functions integrated inside the mattress. And now, there’s the bed that you can flip over to sleep on a different firmness level.
Features of a Double-Sided Mattress
Naturally, you’ll hear a lot of different opinions on how good or bad double-sided mattresses are. But don’t be fooled: the matter is very subjective, and the correct answer really depends on who you ask.
A two-sided mattress might be a great choice for some people, and the worst idea for others. Here are the most important things to know about this specific category of beds:
- A double-sided mattress will typically have a mirrored-like construction, pretty much like a sandwich. The cover is identical on both the top and the bottom sides. At the center of the mattress, there is a core layer, which is typically made from high-density foam or coils.
- Flippable mattresses are heavier compared to single-sided ones. This is because they include more material in their construction.
- Because they are heavier, they can be quite difficult to flip over by a single person. Heavy flippable mattresses should generally have a mechanism that facilitates this process, such as handles places on the edges, making grabbing much easier.
- Flippable mattresses are of two different kinds: the one that has an identical construction on both sides, starting from the core layer; and others that have different firmness levels on each side. The latter category can also have similar layering, but with materials of different densities. Alternatively, you can opt for double-sided mattresses with different materials on each side.
Understanding the Terminology
In the mattress world, there are many different terms that are used interchangeably, although they mean completely different things. Two of the most common examples are “flipping” and “rotating”.
When you rotate a mattress, you are horizontally moving it at a 180-degree angle, but basically, end up using the very same side. The rotating process means reversing the head and the foot areas, and it’s something that you should do periodically regardless of the type of mattress you own.
Those of you that have an innerspring or a hybrid mattress should consider rotating it twice every year, while latex and foam bed can be rotated just once every 12 months. The only exception to this rotating rule is the airbed, which doesn’t have to be flipped or rotated.
Flipping is a process that literally refers to turning a mattress upside down, just as you would do with a pancake. When you’ve flipped a mattress, you’re sleeping on the opposite surface of the bed.
The other two terms that are often subject to the confusion are “double-sided” and “dual-sided”. Unlike double-sided mattresses, which can and should be flipped, dual-sided beds have different firmness levels both located on the same side of the bed. That means that you and your sleeping partner get to simultaneously sleep on the same side of the bed, but on different firmness levels (Helix is a brand renowned for its dual-sided mattress models).
One-Sided vs. Double Sided Mattress
Back in the day, people would often flip their mattresses and sleep on the other side in order to avoid indentations and overusing the mattress ahead of its time. There is a lot of debate on whether double-sided mattresses are better than single-sided ones, and the choice is really up to the consumer’s preferences.
With every one-sided mattress, construction starts from the core, and the comfort and transition layers are added from the bottom up, in order to better alleviate pressure points, cradle the body, offer support, breathability, and give the user the comfort they’re looking for in a particular sleeping position.
This way, manufacturers are able to create a mattress as tall as 15 inches, all of which are centered on the sleeper’s comfort.
With double-sided mattresses, things are a bit different. Every side of the mattress is naturally thinner because you have padding that starts from the core of the mattress to the surface. Think of this way: to make a double-sided mattress truly as comfortable as a one-sided bed, you would have to put two mattresses on top of each other, meaning that you’d be sleeping on a bed that’s at least 20 inches high.
One could argue that having a double-sided mattress means having a bed that lasts longer compared to its one-sided counterpart. Theoretically speaking, it makes perfect sense to prolong the lifespan of your bed simply by flipping it over.
However, the durability of the bed isn’t just a measure of the fact that you can flip it over: there are many different other factors that come into play and that you have to take into consideration if you’re looking to buy a double-sided mattress that will last for a long time.
Here’s the most important thing to keep in mind: there is no general rule stating that one type of mattress is 100 percent more durable than another. One-sided mattresses are typically rotated a few times per year (which implies switching the head area for the foot area with a 180 degrees horizontal rotation), in order to ensure even wear and sagging.
Even so, the two-sided mattress can also be rotated AND flipped, which should quadruple the chances of expanding the lifespan of the bed. So, here’s the secret: it’s always the quality of the materials that makes the true difference in terms of durability.
Double-Sided Mattress Manufacturers
Even if double-sided mattresses are now a thing, the market offers are still very limited, at least when compared to how many one-sided mattresses you can find. However, the options that are available are pretty solid, ranging from models that have different firmness options on each side of the bed, to mattresses that have the exact same construction on both sides.
In the next paragraphs, we’re going to dive into the most popular double-sided mattress manufacturers and their beds, to give you a glimpse of the options you have at your disposal.
Layla Sleep
The Layla brand is already notorious for its double-sided mattress, mostly because it’s the only bed it’s ever sold, so they’re 100 percent focused on making this product as good as possible. The Layla mattress is a flippable bed with two firmness options, one on each side.
You can opt to place the mattress with the medium-soft side upwards, which is a good idea if you’re a side sleeper. Otherwise, you can opt for the firm side, which offers great back support, and is also quite comfortable for a stomach sleeper.
It’s a mattress made entirely out of foam, but features a copper infusion, to make sure that body heat is toned down a notch. It also features a transition layer made from convoluted memory foam, as the egg-crate shapes allow for more air to flow through the mattress, contributing to its breathability features.
Both the top and the bottom side cover are made with ThermoGel infusion, meaning that this mattress has three elements that help combat one of the major problems of an all-foam mattress: excessive heat retention. The covers are also color-coded, so it’s easy to know which is the softer and which is the firmer side.
Saatva
Saatva is a company launched back in 2011, and in 2016, it introduced the Zenhaven – a double-sided mattress that has a different firmness option on each side of the bed. Their 10-inch mattress is created with an organic cotton cover and wool layer on both sides of the bed, which is extra moisture-wicking and very pleasant to the touch.
The core of the Zenhaven mattress is given by Talalay latex, featuring an open-cell structure that cools the mattress down but also gives it a softer feel. The Zenhaven is a great flippable mattress for people who want a hypoallergenic bed, but also for those who are unsure which firmness level they might be better off sleeping on.
Brooklyn Bedding
Brooklyn Bedding is a notorious name in the bedding industry, being around for about 20 years now. Plank is the name of their double-sided mattress, a product with two firmness options, and an all-foam construction.
The mattress is constructed with several different foam layers, including gel-infused polyfoam, as well as a high-density base to ensure both support and mattress durability. Each side of the bed comes with a quilted top layer, but the thickness depends on the firmness level of each.
The firm side has padding as thick as 1.5 inches, while the extra-firm side measures only 0.75 inches. All the foam layers are conveniently wrapped up in a cover that’s made with polyester, which is slightly breathable. For those who really sleep hot, Plank also offers the possibility of adding a cooling top panel cover, for an additional cost.
Nest Bedding
If you’ve ever visited Nest Bedding’s website in search of a new mattress, you probably came across the Alexander Signature Series flippable mattress. But what a lot of people don’t know is that Nest Bedding actually has another double-sided mattress for sale, which is available exclusively on Amazon.
The FLIP is a mattress that combines memory foam and coils in a double-sided mattress that offers a firm and a medium side. It’s one of the few hybrid flippable mattresses available online, sold in all the standard sizes, from Twin to Cal King.
The Alexander Signature Series double-sided mattress is an all-foam bed that has an organic cotton cover with plush quilting foam, measuring 1.5 inches in thickness and is extremely comfortable. Then follows a two-inch layer made with gel memory foam, for better cooling, plus another two-inch layer of transitional foam.
The core of the mattress is a seven-inch layer made from high-density foam, followed by another 1.5-inch layer of organic cotton cover with plush quilting foam, which is the top layer of the firmer side of the mattress.
Idle Sleep
Here is another brand that’s focused entirely on delivering double-sided mattresses, but which has more than one model available for purchase. Their products differ in terms of construction, so you get to choose the configuration that you feel is best suited for the way you sleep.
There are currently five different Idle Sleep mattresses to choose from:
- The Double-Sided Hybrid, which is a 14-inch tall mattress that combines pocketed coils with different layers of memory foam, all elegantly wrapped-up in a Thermocool fabric that’s meant to provide breathability for the sleeper.
- The Double-Sided Latex Hybrid, which offers foam, Talalay latex, plus a coil support layer, all covered by a latex hybrid outer shell.
- The Idle Air, a flippable mattress with a pillow top layer, and air chamber that allows you to control the firmness of the bed thanks to the remote control that gives you the freedom to inflate and deflate the mattress to your best comfort.
- The Double-Sided All Foam bed, which combines different types of foam and a cover made with smart fiber cross-sections, regulating body temperature.
You may be interested in: IDLE Sleep 14-Inch Latex Hybrid Mattress
Nolah
One of the veterans of the double-sided mattress market is Nolah, which has created the Signature 12, an all-foam flippable mattress with a soft and a firm side. With the soft side up, you will rest on a layer made with AirFoam, great for pressure point relief and comfort.
Then, you have a 1.5-inch layer that’s made with high-resilience memory foam, which has a pleasant bounce to it, almost similar to what latex has to offer. The core of the mattress is a high-density block of foam, measuring seven inches in thickness.
The bottom side of the mattress is a firm layer of AirFoam, which is the comfort layer for sleepers who choose to use the mattress with this side up.
Sleep EZ
If you’re looking for one of the most affordable double-sided mattresses on the market, the Roma Latex is straight-up that alley. The mattress is a comfortable bed made from a layer of Dunlop latex, measuring a total of nine inches in height.
The cover is made from quilted organic cotton, which is naturally hypoallergenic, soft to the touch, and extremely breathable. The cover also contains certifies foam, with low VOC emissions and without all the chemicals that are normally allergy-triggers.
When you use the mattress with the medium side up, you’ll be resting on three inches of medium Dunlop latex, while the firmer has also had Dunlop latex, but in a firmer version.
Double-Sided Mattress Dealers
Even if there is a wide range of manufacturers offering double-sided mattresses available for purchase directly from their websites, some of them have models that are also sold by third-party online retailers and others that don’t have their own stores at all.
US-Mattress
This is one of the most popular mattress stores in the US, with models sold exclusively online. They offer a wide range of double-sided mattress, particularly those created by Serta. But they don’t just stop there. You can also buy two-sided mattresses from brands such as Sealy, Stearns and Foster, Marshall Mattress, or browse through their own signature collection, Naturals by US-Mattress.
Amazon
Known as the world’s largest online retailer of just about any product you can imagine, Amazon doesn’t fall short on double-sided mattress offers. On Amazon, you can expect to find a lot of different flippable beds with either the same firmness levels on both sides or of a different firmness level on each side of the bed.
Even more, you can expect to find some big mattress brand names, some of which have decided to sell their double-sided mattresses exclusively on Amazon, such as the Flip by Nest Bedding.
STL Beds
This is an American company that’s been in the business of bedding items and furniture since 1986. They offer a wide range of mattresses, accessories, bed frames, bedroom furniture, and more. They also offer a range of different two-sided mattresses from brands just as Medicoil, Innergy, and Corsicana Bedding.
This retails currently has 13 different double-sided mattresses in their product offer, and they offer ground shipping throughout the US, free of charge.
Overstock
With more than 50 different flippable mattress options, Overstock is here to provide you with everything from double-sided RV mattresses, to luxurious beds that feature innerspring cores and durability that everyone craves for.
Mattress Firm
Mattress Firm is another mattress retailer that operates both online and offline stores. Their offer currently included three double-sided mattresses:
- The Eclipse Two-Sided mattress, with a mirrored construction that features identical firmness levels on each side, made from different types of foam and measuring eight inches in height.
- The Eclipse Two-Sided mattress is also available in a 10-inch version, with specification almost identical to its eight-inch counterpart.
- The Sleepy’s mattress, an all-foam 10-inch bed that’s wrapped up in a quilted knot cover.
Bedrooms & More
Bedrooms & More is a family-owned store that sells many different bedding items, with a focus on two-sided mattresses only. They have quite a generous offer of dozens of double-sided mattresses for you to choose from, including:
- Natural and organic mattresses, perfect for people who have allergies and want to avoid any potential chemicals that might be used to make a bed. They combine cotton, plant-based fibers, wool, botanical latex, and more natural goodies.
- Latex mattresses, made to be clean and durable, and sources from one of the most sustainable forests in the world.
- Innerspring mattresses, created with premium coils, whether they are pockets or continuous, they are surely designed to fit every budget.
- A wide variety of kid and baby mattresses, perfect for toddlers’ beds and cribs, combining the best materials that can be used to make a natural and organic bed.
Bottom Line
Some of you may think “Ok if a double-sided mattress really is that good, why don’t more manufacturers make them?”
It may be a conspiracy theory, or it may be just common sense, but think of this way: if you buy a mattress with a shorter lifespan, doesn’t that mean that you’ll be back on the market sooner, shopping for another mattress?
Here’s another interesting fact: did you know that most of the large names in the hotel industry use double-sided mattress instead of single-sided beds? Could it be that they’re much more cost-effective?