Saatva Solaire Upper Flex Queen Review

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This Mattress Could Be For You If:

• You would like to be able to adjust your firmness.
• You and your sleep partner have highly different needs and preferences.
• You sleep hot.
• You enjoy the use of an adjustable base.
• You carry a lot of weight and need strong support but don’t want an innerspring product.

One of the main components we focus on in our mattress reviews is sleep partner compatibility. Things like motion transfer and firmness can be hard to get just right. If you and your sleep partner have largely different needs or body types, keep reading to see how Saatva has created the solution with their Solaire mattress.

Quality Products at a Fraction of the Cost

We’ve taken a look at every Saatva mattress available except the brand new Saatva HD, and that’s coming soon! If you want to learn more about what they offer, make sure you check out our other Saatva reviews:

• Saatva Classic Innerspring
• Zenhaven latex mattress
• Loom and Leaf memory foam mattress
• Lineal adjustable base
• Lofton organic sheet set

In my experience, Saatva offers premium quality at a fraction of the cost. They’re able to keep it low through their online-only business model. This cuts out the middleman and al the overhead involved in retail sales. Although you can’t try it out in the store before you buy, you do get a 180 night sleep trial with any mattress purchase, and we’re here to help you get a good idea of what to expect.

Video Review

Don’t want to read the full review? Watch our video review instead.

Solaire Firmness Customization: How’s It Work?

The king and queen models feature two air chambers at the base layer, each with their own remote control. These chambers increase or decrease pressure as they quietly inflate or deflate at the touch of the remote. You have 50 options measured in millimeters of mercury.

It’s very easy to set your firmness. With Saatva’s whiteglove delivery, you’ll receive complete instructions on how to use your mattress, but let’s break it down so you know what to expect:

• When you first open the mattress, you’ll plug it in and push any button to wake up the remote.
• Using one remote at a time, hit the Bedfill button. This will fully inflate the mattress.
• Lying on the mattress, decrease the firmness by pushing the Soft button on the bottom of the remote until you get somewhere between 15-20. This gives you an idea of your range.
• Press and hold the Firm button until you find what you like.
• Once you find something that feels good, press and hold the Memory button to save the setting.
• If you forget what your setting is, you can always press the Memory button to have it displayed. If you press Memory twice, your side of the mattress will fill to your preferred setting.

It’s important to make sure your remote is safe from damage. You don’t really want them dangling on the ground. Since they’re installed at the head of the mattress, I found success keeping mine stuffed in between the two split heads of my queen model.

During the night, there may be minor fluctuations in firmness, but it won’t be more than five to ten points. Furthermore, your unit will automatically adjust to maintain firmness. The comfort layers do an excellent job offering contour, and you really do experience highly consistent comfort at every firmness point. In fact, the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations gives the Solaire lumbar zone technology their seal of approval.

If you’re not quite sure what firmness point will be best for you, here are our suggestions based on your BMI:

• BMI below 19 — 15-26
• BMI between 19 and 25 — 27-38
• BMI between 26 and 31 — 39-50

CHeck price

Comfort and Support

So, what’s it feel like to lie on the Saatva Solaire mattress? The truth is, it depends on how you set the firmness. I personally like a mattress that’s medium to medium plush, and I’ve found my ideal firmness at 23. With 50 firmness settings, you really have a lot of freedom in deciding what’s best for you.

Regardless of firmness, you can count on consistent support. This is largely due to the box baffle design of the air chamber unit and reinforced edge support. Overall, I’m very happy with the firmness options.

 

Quick Word on Lineal Adjustable Base

The split top of the Solaire mattress allows for the use of an adjustable base that can

move each side up and down independently of the other. Saatva now offers their Lineal Adjustable base in Upper Flex Queen and Upper Flex King sizes. So, if you don’t already have a split base, you can order this one with your mattress. You won’t see the Queen as an option, but you can special order it for $2,845.

The split base comes in two equal parts that, when placed side-by-side, accommodate a queen or king mattress. It even offers a head and foot massage feature, and each sleep partner gets its own remote to enjoy all features without involving their partner.

Saatva Solaire Layer Lineup

When you unbox this mattress, you might be a little confused. It looks flat, almost like

it’s missing a layer or not properly decompressing. This is actually the firmness customization feature. Let’s take a look at how it works with a breakdown of the layer lineup.

The Cover

The three-inch cotton pillow top is certified organic. Since it’s not treated with harmful chemicals, it’s less likely to cause irritation. The Saatva Solaire pillow top does an excellent job packing in the cushioning needed for great support and comfort. Cotton is naturally breathable, and I love the aesthetic appeal of the

organic gold damask trim. Guardin® antimicrobial fabric treatment is used to keep your cover in good shape through the years.

Although the cover is really soft and comfy, you still want to use sheets. Your Solaire comes with free white sheets that are split. You can also check out the luxury Lofton organic sheets that I’m using.

Comfort Layers

5-Zone Talalay Latex

Beneath the pillowtop is an inch of OEKO-TEX® certified Talalay latex. I recommend taking a look at our complete latex buying guide to learn all about the many benefits of this material. For our purposes today, though, just know that Talalay is typically a little plusher than Dunlop latex and thus is often used in the comfort layer.

Latex is one of the most durable mattress materials available, and I like that it’s placed in the top layer since this is where most wear and tear occurs. The latex is split up into five strategic zones, and this means it offers slightly different levels of support based on where you carry the most weight. The final result is a buoyant and responsive feel with excellent pressure point relief.

Gel-Infused Memory Foam

Below the latex are two inches of CertiPUR-US certified, gel-infused memory foam to provide contour and spinal support. The gel-infusion works to absorb body heat and keep you sleeping cool, and this works well with the one-inch moisture barrier right below. It protects the internal components to prevent bacterial growth. Not only does this provide a more healthful sleep environment, but it can go a long way in the overall durability of your mattress.

Support Base

Air Chamber & Enclosure

Finally, we arrive at the layer responsible for providing firmness options. The six inch air

chamber unit is enclosed in a multi-directional box baffle design. Much like an air mattress, you’re able to inflate and deflate to meet your specific firmness preference.  The combined unit is 13 inches thick.

Edge Support

Edge support is pretty important. Not only does it keep you properly supported when you sit or lie on the edge, but it works to keep you from falling out when you roll a little too close to the edge at night. You may be inclined to think edge support is compromised if you select a plusher setting, but this is prevented through the use of the Power Edge enclosure. It reinforces support around the perimeter.

Mattress Fully Firm

Mattress Fully Plush

As you can see when I place myself on and around the edge in different positions on both the plush and firm settings, the support remains the same. I would compare the level of edge support you get with the Solaire mattress to a strong innerspring mattress. If you carry a lot of weight or have mobility issues, I recommend Solaire’s degree of edge support.

Solaire Motion Transfer Reduction

Although the base of the Solaire is split, keep in mind the mattress itself is connected. Therefore, it’s subject to motion transfer just like any other mattress on the bottom ⅔. However, there are two primary components that work to reduce motion transfer:

1. Use of memory foam in the comfort layer
2. No innerspring unit

To see how it performs, check out our video review above to watch as I drop a 20 pound medicine ball next to another of equal weight. You can see the resting ball is minimally disturbed. This mattress is made with sleep partners in mind, and the placement of the comfort layers are designed to keep the mattress surface still and capable of supporting restful sleep.

Does It Sleep Cool?

This is the first mattress of this nature I’ve tried out, so I was pretty excited to see how well it was able to keep me sleeping cool. It does have some great features going for it:

• Naturally breathable organic cotton ticking in the cover
• Naturally breathable latex in top comfort layer
• Gel-infused memory foam to draw heat away from your body.

To put it to the test, I lied on my Solaire for a half hour in a controlled temperature and then proceeded to monitor the cooldown process. Based on the results of over 70 mattresses I’ve tested, around 10 minutes is average. The Solaire mattress only took eight minutes to return to room temperature. This was 20 percent faster than average, so I’d say hot sleepers have nothing to worry about.

Durability

If you think you’d like to give the Saatva Solaire a try, let’s take a moment to discuss durability expectations. After all, this is a major purchase, so you want to know if it’s gonna last!

Cover and Comfort Layers

• Guardin® antimicrobial fabric treatment is used to keep your cover in good shape through the years.
• Understanding that the top comfort layer is where most wear and tear takes place, I like that this is where the latex is place. It’s one of the most durable materials in the industry.
• The moisture barrier is designed to protect the internal components and prevent bacterial growth, and this can go a long way in preserving your mattress.

Slight Concern in Memory Foam Layer

I like to be thorough and honest with you guys, and I do have a concern about the memory foam layer. We typically like to see a density in a product of this price of at least three pcf. However, the Solaire’s density, according to customer service, is 1.5-2 pcf. This isn’t what we want to see, but I’m going to give Saatva a pass on this one for two important reasons:

1. The memory foam layer only comprises around 15 percent of the mattress.
2. All materials inside the Saatva mattress are replaceable.

Support Base Durability

When it comes to the air chambers, they are made of vulcanized rubber that’s put through countless tests to verify durability. If you’re thinking the vulcanized layer is just an air mattress at the base layer, understand that the air chambers are of much higher quality, and they’re working with varying levels of comfort layers to help support your weight.

Overall, the quality of this mattress is on par with the price, and, despite the low density in the memory foam, I think the impressive warranty and replacement option offers excellent protection.

Solaire vs. Sleep Number

The Saatva Solaire is very similar to the Sleep Number 360 i8 Smart Bed you may have seen advertised. Let’s take a moment to compare the two and determine which would be the best fit for you:

• Price for a Queen Solaire is $2,845 vs. $3,599 for 360 i8 Smart Bed.
• Solaire remotes are included while 360 i8 Smart Bed charges an extra $39 per remote.
• 360 i8 Smart Bed charges $199 for set-up and mattress removal while Saatva offers this service for free.
• While each product offers a 25 year limited warranty, Saatva includes five years all parts and labor while 360 i8 Smart Bed only offers two.
• 360 i8 Smart Bed doesn’t include the durability-enhancing moisture barrier that Solaire does.
• Saatva allows an additional 20 days on their sleep trial.
• Solaire features an internal air pump as opposed to the outside housing of the 360 i8 Smart Bed.

Reading Between the Lines

Most companies do what they can to shed the best light on their products, but sometimes you have to read between the lines when it comes to statements about the competition. While there are some clear advantages of going with the Solaire over the 360 i8 Smart Bed, there are a few points in Saatva’s comparison that try to paint a different picture than what’s actually the case:

• What Saatva Says: Solaire has 50 firmness settings while 360 i8 Smart Bed only offers 20.
  • Reading Between the Lines: Although there are more firmness settings, Sleep Number chose to adjust theirs in increments of five because, for most people, there is no noticeable difference in comfort for such as small change. They made this decision to make finding your best firmness more easy to understand.

• What Saatva Says: Solaire has two comfort layers while 360 i8 Smart Bed only offers one.
  • Reading Between the Lines: Sleep Number layers tend to include several different materials fused together for ultimate comfort. This makes it easy to change out parts if you need to later rather than having to pull several layers apart.

• What Saatva Says: Sleep Number doesn’t offer 24/7 phone support.
  • Reading Between the Lines– Although phone support isn’t available 24/7, chat support is, so you can always receive assistance.

Maintenance, Protection, Care, and Warranty

Of course, there are things you can do to make your mattress last as long as possible:

• If you spill something on the cover, spot clean with a wet rag.
• Although Saatva offers free white sheets as well as their Lofton line of sheets to work with the upper flex queen and king models, they don’t offer a mattress protector. They recommend you buy their mattress pad to protect the mattress.

Saatva offers a 25 year prorated warranty. During the first five years, they will completely cover costs involved with components and repairs. With normal use, Saatva products are built to last between 10-15 years.

Cost

There’s certainly no shortage of options when it comes to the Solaire mattress, and this is even true when it comes to finding the right size. Standard sizes are available for the regular Solaire mattress. You also have the Upper Flex option if you want the ability to move the heads independently of your sleep partner with an adjustable base. Here’s a breakdown of the cost:

STANDARD

Size	Price
Twin XL	$1,947
Full	$2,695
Queen	$2,845
King	$3,395
Split King	$4,094
California King	$3,395

UPPER FLEX

Size	Price
Queen	$3,398
King	$3,895

Who We Recommend the Saatva Solaire Mattress For

Saatva has come up with a solution that allows each sleep partner to customize their sleep surface, and that can be difficult to achieve. If you don’t have a sleep partner, this could still be a great fit if you’ve had trouble in the past finding a mattress with a firmness you prefer. I think this is a great mattress to consider if you:

• Like firmness options
• Have largely different needs and preferences than your sleep partner
• Sleep hot
• Suffer with pressure points
• Enjoy the use of an adjustable base
• Carry a lot of weight and need strong support but don’t want an innerspring product

Our Final Verdict

We’ve covered a lot of ground, so, to sum it up, is the Saatva Solaire the right mattress for you? For those who have trouble deciding on firmness, I’d definitely say you’re on the right track. If you think the 50 firmness options are just a gimmicky way to get your attention, I’m here to tell you that there is a huge difference between the plush and firm spectrums.

Those who suffer with painful pressure points will really appreciate the five zone Talalay latex and its uplifting support just where you need it. The pressure-relieving comfort offered by the combination of the cushioned pillow top and memory foam takes things even further in terms of allowing proper blood flow.

I really like that the in-rail inflator is hidden, so you don’t have to worry about hiding pumps and hoses. As part of your order, Saatva offers free white glove delivery. Your delivery person will even show you how to use set your firmness and remove your old mattress at no additional cost.

If you’re not quite sure if this is for you, you do get that 25 year prorated warranty, and Saatva also offers a 180 night sleep trial. If you decide during that time it’s just not for you, you can let Saatva know. They’ll come pick up your Solaire mattress and donate it to a veteran’s shelter or offer it to employees. You will be charged $99, which I’d say is a pretty small price to pay to try out a premium product like this.