Zoma Mattress Review

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This Mattress Could be for You If:

• You like a plush sleep surface
• You’re an athlete who weighs 180 pounds or less
• You’d like to enjoy the traditional memory foam feel without excessive heat buildup
• You’re a side and/or back sleeper
• You suffer lumbar pain due to poor contour and support in current mattress
• You have a sleep partner who moves around a lot
• You appreciate a mattress that incorporates zoning for more tailored pressure relief

As a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, I always love trying out sleep products designed specifically with athletes in mind, and that’s exactly what we’re doing today. Backed by years of research, testing, and design, the Zoma Mattress was created and is manufactured right here in the United States to cater to athletic performance and speedy muscle recovery.

So many athletes focus only on diet and exercise. Sleep is the third component that completes the trinity of optimal health and wellness, and Zoma was created to deliver for under $1,000. We’re going to take a close look at how the zoned comfort layer paired with the cooling cover and supportive core can provide a great sleep surface for busy back and side sleepers.

About Zoma

Headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, Zoma self-describes its brand as a “performance-enhancing sleep system” since their mattress, pillow and foundation are all designed with the athlete in mind.

The founders are sleep experts with more than 25 years of experience who also stay fit and active. Their well-rounded knowledge helped them recognize the importance of sleep when it comes to peak performance. This ultimately led to the comprehensive sleep system they offer athletes.

The Link between Sleep and Recovery

To achieve the competitive edge, unlocking the power of sleep is critical. In fact, there are some concepts worth learning that help us understand how sleep is actually among the most important performance-enhancing tools at your disposal:

• Deep sleep is when hormones like GH and IGF-1 are released in larger amounts to aid in muscle growth and recovery. It can be hard to maximize deep sleep on the wrong mattress.
• Rapid eye movement improves muscle memory, proper mental functioning and skill acquisition. Again, it can be hard to remain in REM sleep on the wrong mattress.
• Athletes who get plenty of restful sleep have been shown to experience 60% less injuries and 54% less sickness.

You may not have realized just how strongly restful sleep and athletic recovery are related. Keep reading to learn how Zoma has customized a sleep system with the athlete specifically in mind.

What Does the Zoma Mattress Feel Like?

Before we get into all the nuts and bolts of how the Zoma mattress works, let’s get to what you really want to know… how does it feel?

You definitely get what’s advertised in terms of the traditional memory foam feature of the comfort layer. If you check out the video above, you can visibly see it takes it a couple of seconds to resume its shape when pressure is removed. The Reactiv™ foam, on the other hand, bounces back immediately. Similar to baby bear’s porridge, this balance of sinkiness and responsiveness can be just right for anyone who struggles more than average with pressure points but doesn’t want a mattress that feels like quicksand.

Back Sleeping

I like how the zoned construction of the Triangulex™ foam works with the Reactiv™

transition foam to support my lumbar spine. That added firmness in the center of the mattress is effective in distributing my weight equally. You can see how the memory foam fills in the lumbar curvature for pressure relief, making this a home run for back sleepers unless you have mobility issues.

Standing up from this position requires more effort in the core than side and stomach sleeping. However, if you’re an athlete, you may welcome the added effort, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide if this is a pro or a con!

Side Sleeping

This mattress is most suitable for side sleepers due to its incredible pressure relief and zoning. I most notably appreciate the plushness in the shoulder area, and the transition in and out of bed from this position was pretty easy.

Stomach Sleeping

When it comes to stomach sleeping, Zoma’s not going to be a good fit simply due to its softness. Stomach sleepers typically need something firm and supportive to prevent the hips from sinking out of proper alignment with the shoulders, and that’s just not the Zoma feel.

If you’re a stomach sleeper, these mattresses will be more suitable for your needs. Zoma is also not the best fit for people who weigh more than 180 pounds.

Zoma Mattress Firmness & Contour Testing

To take a look at firmness through a more objective lens, I tested the Zoma mattress with our proprietary firmness and contour testing tool. You can read all about how this method works here, but it ultimately generates a chart that helps us compare firmness and contour to other popular mattresses and decide what body types the sleep surface will be the most compatible with.

• Plusher products are located lower on the list, and you can see Zoma ranks fourth from the bottom.
• The blue and red lines are representative largely of the comfort and transition layers, and you can see the blue line is shorter even than a couple of the firmer products above it. This shows how well the Reactiv™ foam works to counter the sinky Triangulex Foam™ above it.
• The short blue line indicates this mattress could be a great fit for women with hourglass or banana-shaped bodies and men with oval and rectangle-shaped bodies who also prefer a plush sleep surface and/or weigh less than 180 pounds.

Zoma Mattress Layer Lineup

Now that you have an idea how it feels, let’s take a layer-by-layer look at the Zoma mattress. Since the cover is removable, you can easily observe its construction. For a product in this price range, the three-tiered approach is pretty common with a comfort, transition and support layer.

The Cover

The cover is made of a highly-breathable blend of polyester and elastane. This combination creates air channels that promote breathability and elasticity and effectively

wick heat away from the body. I did notice the cover doesn’t fit as tightly as most mattresses I try out, but this doesn’t negatively impact the way it feels.

Comfort Layer

Since the cover is thin, it makes for very direct contact with the two-inch layer of Triangulex Foam™ beneath it. This proprietary material mimics traditional memory foam

in its cushy contour, pressure relief, and slow response. For those of you who enjoy that sinking-in feeling older versions of memory foam commonly offered, this could be a great option. It’s also an awesome feature for people who sleep primarily on their sides as it relieves heavier areas of the body like the hips and shoulders.

The name Triangulex™ wasn’t just a catchy-sounding term to make the mattress sound scientific. The material is actually made up of hundreds of small, triangular-shaped segments that are very purposefully and strategically placed to target common areas of pain and pressure points while simultaneously improving breathability. While the center of the comfort layer is a little firmer to support the lumbar spine and hips, the head, shoulders and knees rest on a softer surface.

Transition Layer

Next up in the lineup is our two-inch layer of transitional Reactiv™ foam. It’s a special Zoma blend that feels almost like latex for a little bit of bounce to aid in mobility. Considering the sinky softness of the Triangulex™ foam above it, this is an excellent balancing feature. It’s designed to work well with the comfort layer in keeping motion transfer minimal despite its bounce.

Support Layer

Finally, the bulk of the Zoma mattress consists of the seven-inch support poly-foam layer. Aside from providing the majority of the stability and foundation, its high-density helps the mattress last. With all three layers combined, the Zoma mattress is 11 inches thick.

Does Zoma Sleep Cool?

We definitely have to take some time to analyze the efforts made to keep this product sleeping cool. By far the biggest complaint with traditional memory foam was hot sleeping. Since the Triangulex™ foam is very comparable to traditional memory foam, does the Zoma mattress sleep hot? Let’s look at the three tactics in place to prevent this.

1. The material blend of the cover creates air channels that promote breathability and effectively wick heat away from the body.
2. As the name implies, the small triangles found throughout the Triangulex™ foam aid in breathability.
3. The comfort layer also contains gel beads that absorb body heat.

When I put the Zoma mattress to the test to see how it measured up against over 75 of the most popular products on the market, I found it was able to cool down a remarkable 50% faster than average.

Considering the memory foam-like material in the comfort layer and the lack of an innerspring unit, this degree of superiority makes the Zoma mattress a prime choice for hot sleepers who want a plush mattress with lots of contours.

Zoma Mattress Performance Testing

Edge Support

Plush mattresses made entirely of foam typically don’t excel in terms of edge support. With that being said, you can see I do sink pretty deeply into the layers, especially when I sit on the corner. However, I am well supported when I disperse my weight lying on the edge.

So, what’s this say for you?

• If you don’t carry much weight and don’t have mobility issues, the lack of edge support isn’t going to pose a huge issue.
• If you have trouble getting in and out of bed and/or carry a lot of weight, I’d recommend a mattress with a strong innerspring unit. This can also be a better fit for sleep partners who tend to sleep near the edge.

Motion Isolation

The great news for sleep partners is that where Zoma lacks in edge support it more than makes up for in motion isolation. Any product featuring traditional memory foam or materials that mimic it typically dominate in motion transfer reduction, and Zoma doesn’t disappoint. You can observe in the video above when I drop a 20-pound medicine ball next to another of equal weight that the resting ball barely moves. This makes the Zoma mattress a great option for sleep partners who don’t weigh much and aren’t bed hogs who tend to send the other person next to the edge.

While the Reactiv™ foam is made to keep the Triangulex™ foam from sinking excessively, it’s also designed to keep motion transfer minimal. Based on my experience using the Zoma mattress for the past two weeks, I’d say the efforts made to keep motion transfer low were excellent. If a stable sleep surface is among your primary buying points, Zoma should make the top of your list.

Zoma Mattress Durability Expectations

You can score a Zoma mattress for under $1,000, so let’s take a moment to talk about durability expectations.

The polyfoam base is high-density, and that means the foundation should hold up. However, it’s in the comfort and transition layers where indents will develop first. I tried to get the densities but was unable to get an answer from customer service other than the top layer is a medium density. In the absence of this information, we can look at the warranty and weight limit.

• Zoma guarantees their products against manufacturing-related issues for 10 years.
• The weight limit is 400 pounds per sleep partner.

This tells me a couple of things. I’d betcha dollars to donuts the density of the memory foam is around three pounds per cubic foot. You typically want at least 3.5 pcf for a product that’ll last up into the eight to 10-year range. However, these products typically cost more than $1,000 and feature higher weight limits.

People who weigh 300 pounds or more are not going to get the level of support they need on the Zoma mattress. I recommend this mattress for people who like a plush sleep surface and weigh less than 180 pounds. If this is you, and your sleep partner also meets these qualifications, you should expect your Zoma mattress to hold up at least five to seven years.

Maintenance, Protection, Care and Warranty

While you can expect around five to seven years of quality use out of your Zoma mattress if you weigh less than 180 pounds, there are some things you can do to maximize durability expectations. Rotating the mattress with the seasons ensures even wear and tear on each side of the mattress. It’s also a good idea to use a mattress protector. You can wash the cover when you follow a few important tips:

• Wash inside-out
• Use cold water
• Wash on the gentle cycle
• Use mild liquid detergent

Cost

Does the Zoma mattress sound like the solution to your nocturnal needs? It comes in all the standard sizes, so let’s take a look at the cost of each:

Size	Price
Twin	$400
Twin XL	$500
Full	$600
Queen	$700
King	$800
California King	$800
Split King	$1,050

Who We Recommend the Zoma Mattress For

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about the Zoma mattress, let’s wrap up by assessing just who this product could be the perfect fit for. The Zoma mattress could be the right sleep solution if you:

• Like a plush mattress
• Weigh 180 pounds or less
• Enjoy the feeling of traditional memory foam but sleep hot
• Are a side and/or back sleeper
• Suffer lumbar pain due to poor contour and support in current mattress
• Have a sleep partner and need a stable sleep surface
• Enjoy zoning that more effectively aligns the spine and balances your weight

Zoma Mattress: Our Final Verdict

To sum things up, was Zoma successful in the creation of a mattress that caters to athletes? I would definitely say so, but with a few conditions. I’ve yet to come across a mattress that works for everyone, and Zoma isn’t really made for:

• Those who carry a lot of weight (If your athletic repertoire is based in bodybuilding, this may not be right for you).
• People who sleep primarily on their stomachs
• Couples where one or both person weighs more than 180 pounds

With all of that being said, I am currently training for a marathon, so I’m putting in 25+ plus miles every week. At 140 pounds and primarily a back and side sleeper, I found the Triangulex™ foam to offer excellent cushion after an exhausting day. Since it’s only two inches thick and balanced with an equal amount of bouncier Reactiv™ foam, I didn’t feel stuck in the mattress, but I definitely picked up on that traditional memory foam feel that’s hard to pin down when trying to counter excessive sinkage.

The personal trainer and fitness instructor in me appreciates the zoning and how it really does aid in recovery by ensuring your body is properly balanced for more restful sleep. It’s during the deepest stages of sleep that our bodies are able to rejuvenate and recover from workouts. Believe it or not, it’s actually while you’re sawing logs that muscles are built, so the right mattress makes all the difference.

It can be hard to find a mattress that offers memory-foam hug and cool sleep, and the ability of your body temperature to drop slightly is another imperative feature of sleep rejuvenation. Overall, Zoma has created a very unique product that could be a perfect fit for both endurance and strength athletes who sleep primarily on their sides and/or backs and weigh less than 180 pounds.

If you think this sounds like the right mattress for you, Zoma lets you try it out for 100 nights. They’ll arrange for a pickup and refund your money if you aren’t satisfied for any reason. Still not sure if you’ve found the one? I’d encourage you to check out our Top Nine Best Mattresses for Athletes. Here, we’ve pinpointed some of the most important features in a mattress for the active individual, so don’t miss out!