GhostBed Luxe mattress review in brief
- Cooler than other memory foam mattresses
- Perhaps too soft for anyone but side sleepers
- Good edge support, minimal motion transfer
The GhostBed Luxe prides itself on being the coolest mattress in the world. That might not be unequivocally proven in scientific testing, and while it’s a declaration that we can’t completely agree with, it’s not too far-fetched claim where memory foam and other foam mattresses are concerned.
How does it compare to the best mattresses on the market? To be clear, this isn’t the coolest mattress we’ve tested, and the hottest of sleepers might feel slight heat retention. However, the mattresses that outperform it in heat retention prevention are hybrid and innerspring ones that are better equipped with materials that promote better airflow. When it comes to purely foam mattresses, the GhostBed Luxe certainly tops the list.
GhostBed Luxe specs
Best for: hot sleepers, side sleepers, back sleepers over 130lbs
Type: mattress in a box
Firmness: medium-plush (5/10)
Materials: Ghost Ice fabric cover, gel memory foam, Ghost Bounce foam, high-density foam core
Depth: 13 inches
Weight: 76-150lbs
Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
In terms of firmness, GhostBed calls it a medium-plush, which is really another way of saying it sits right smack dab in the middle of the firmness scale. That makes it best-suited for side sleepers who need a lot more sink around their shoulders for pressure relief. Although GhostBed also recommends them for back sleepers, the “supportive layers” are so deep at the bottom of the mattress that we wouldn’t recommend this for those under 130lbs as their hips could dip way out of alignment since there’s too deep of a sink.
There’s good edge support here but not because there’s a lot of firmness around the perimeter. On the contrary, there’s plenty of sink – more than enough, in fact, that instead of you slipping off the bed when sitting or laying at the edge, you kind of just sink in and stay in place. Meanwhile, its motion isolation isn’t the most impressive we’ve seen, but there’s definitely more than enough to ensure that the person next to you isn’t shaken awake even when you’re tossing and turning in bed.
Although the GhostBed Luxe isn’t the dreamiest bed we’ve tested, it certainly delivers enough to keep side sleepers and some back sleepers comfortable. But, it’s also hard to recommend it whole-heartedly in terms of the performance you’re getting for the price tag. At least not for most people.
GhostBed Luxe mattress review: price and deals
- GhostBed Luxe’s second most expensive mattress
- The GhostBed Luxe retails for $2,395 for a twin
- Often gets discounted with offers up to 30% off
There are luxury mattresses, and then there’s the GhostBed Luxe. Based on MSRP, it costs about $1,000 more than many luxury mattress from other brands. This is GhostBed’s second priciest offering – the most expensive of which will cost you well over $3,000.
A GhostBed Luxe twin-sized bed has a ticket price of $2,395, and let’s face it, that’s a lot for a bed that doesn’t offer a lot of space for many adults to be comfortable. Meanwhile, a queen will set you back a hefty $2,970. That said, as with many bed brands, you should take those list prices with a pinch of salt.
GhostBed regularly holds a mattress sale that often slashes up to 50% off those steep prices and throws in a couple of free GhostPillows for free. Such discounts knock those price tags down to a more reasonable $1,200 or more, depending on the size you’re getting.
- Twin MSRP: $2,395 (sale price $1,198)
- Twin XL MSRP: $2,595 (sale price $1,298)
- Full MSRP: $2,725 (sale price $1,363)
- Queen MSRP: $2,970 (sale price $1,485)
- King MSRP: $3,270 (sale price $1,635)
- Cal king MSRP: $3,290 (sale price $1,645)
- Split king MSRP: $5,190 (sale price $2,595)
With the 50% off discount listed above, this mattress still sits in the high-end category, but much more reasonable. To compare it with two other luxury beds we rated highly, it’s roughly in line with a Saatva Classic (our favorite mattress), but $400 or so more than a DreamCloud Hybrid).
It’s worth noting though that like most mattress brands, GhostBed also offers deals during the biggest sale events of the year. If you want to see deeper discounts, it’s a good idea to wait until its Black Friday mattress deals roll out, which should be around November.
The GhostBed Luxe comes with a 101-night mattress trial that lets you return it for free, thanks to the brand’s money back guarantee. It’s a lot shorter than Saatva’s and DreamCloud’s 365-night trial, but three months should be more than enough to know if the bed is for you or not.
GhostBed Luxe mattress review: materials
- Top four layers are focused on cooling
- There’s just one layer that provides support for users
- Bottom layer prevents sagging
Though the GhostBed Luxe is purely a foam mattress – one of the best memory foam mattress models we’ve tested, it is made of seven layers, the topmost of which are dedicated to cooling.
The first three layers are a half-an-inch-thick Ghost Ice fabric cover, which stays cool to the touch even during the warmest days, an inch-thick gel memory foam, and a cooling fiber layer below that. Those three layers comprise what GhostBed refers to as its quilted cover, which is essentially the first step in regulating your body temperature to a more comfortable one.
Because this mattress seeks to be the coolest mattress in the world, another cooling solution sits under those layers – the Ghost Ice layer. This boasts GhostBed’s Ghost Ice technology that’s designed to absorb body heat and somehow prevents it from reaching the mattress’ core and keeping it there. We’re not quite sure how exactly it does that, but apparently there’s a phase-change material involved. Anyway, this layer is supposed to prevent the heat your body is emitting from getting trapped in the mattress and sending that heat back to you.
Those layers should take care of keeping you cool. Meanwhile, the two-inch gel memory foam below them is designed to relieve pressure and isolate movements to your side of the bed while the two-inch Ghost Bounce foam underneath that should provide a bit more support. This Ghost Bounce layer apparently adds a bit of bounce to your experience, which limits the sink to a more supportive degree.
Finally, at the bottom is a 7.5-inch high-density foam that acts as a base, supporting all those layers and keeping the whole mattress from sagging overtime. GhostBed puts a lot of faith in this layer that it even throws in a 25-year warranty.
GhostBed Luxe mattress review: firmness and comfort
- We’d rate as a 4/10 in terms of firmness
- Lighter sleepers won’t feel the supportive layer, which is 4.5″ down
- Not best for those who prefer firmer comfort
The GhostBed Luxe only offers one firmness option, which is typical of most bed-in-a-box foam mattresses. Calling it a medium plush, this mattress sits right in the middle of the firmness scale. Or, at least, that’s how GhostBed rates it.
We’ve tested soft mattresses before, and we’d rate this one as more of a four, to be honest. The issue is, there’s a lot of sink here, and the supportive layer is four to four and a half inches down, which means that lightweight back sleepers might not even reach that layer before their lower back dips out of alignment.
Of course, side sleepers who need a lot of sink around their shoulder will welcome that extra plushness and pressure relief. However, during testing, we have found that those over 130lbs are the only back sleepers that will find this mattress comfortable as they’re heavy enough to reach that supportive layer.
During testing, our primary tester (who is under 130lb) found her our hip and lower back area dipped too deep when sleeping on her back, resulting in a sore back the next morning. Another tester, who weighs over 160lb and slept on the bed for a few nights, found it to be a little too soft for their liking, but supportive enough to be comfortable.
We want to mention that GhostBed claims that its Ghost Bounce layer, aka the supportive layer, is supposed to mimic that ‘spring-like’ feel that perhaps hybrid mattresses offer. That is certainly not consistent with our experience.
GhostBed Luxe mattress review: performance
- Cooler than most foam mattresses
- Might be too plush for non-side-sleepers
- Good but not amazing motion isolation
With its queen size as our review unit, we put the GhostBed Luxe through its paces, sleeping on it for about a month and noting how it performs in terms of ease of set up, overall comfort, and, as GhostBed puts a lot of emphasis on it, its cooling prowess. We tested its firmness and level of support, motion isolation, and ability to relieve pressure, even asking a heavier, taller friend who sleeps hotter to sleep on it for several nights to compare experiences. The one thing we cannot completely attest to here is its durability – although we have made notes on its materials and general quality.
Setup
Our score: 4 out of 5
Setting up the GhostBed Luxe is as easy as setting up other beds-in-a-box, though there is that added bonus of it being relatively lighter than others. GhostBed doesn’t advertise the weight, but we have found it to be easier to lift up on our bed frame and lift to remove its several layers of cling wrap – not to mention when we need to move or lift it when changing the sheets. It’s a good thing too, since it doesn’t have any side handles for lifting.
Unpacking it was an easy affair as well. It was wrapped in several layers of cling wrap and then packed in a thick plastic for added protection before placed in its box, and those were easy to remove. It actually took us less than 10 minutes to get it all set up on the mattress frame for off-gassing. This is certainly one of the easiest mattresses we’ve unpacked.
Off-gassing
Score: 5 out of 5
One of the things we appreciate the most about the GhostBed Luxe is how very little smell it emitted after unboxing. In fact, there wasn’t really a strong odor at all, just that faint scent of a new mattress that we smelled only when we laid down on it while it was decompressing.
That isn’t really surprising, however. This mattress is CertiPUR-US certified so it is free of any harmful chemicals that would likely produce such noxious odors. If you’ve unboxed other foam mattresses before, especially cheap ones from Amazon, as we have, you’ll know immediately that the GhostBed Luxe is a clean, chemical-free mattress.
Pressure relief
Score: 4 out of 5
We used a 20-pound kettlebell to test the GhostBed Luxe’s sinkage – as unfortunately and bizarrely enough, our (several) attempts to secure a heavier one were thwarted by Amazon’s own shipping service – but it was heavy enough to validate the amount of sink we’ve experienced when sleeping on it.
This 20-pound kettlebell sank three inches in the middle of the mattress. That’s great news for side sleepers as that certainly takes the pressure off the shoulders as well as the hip bones. Sleeping on our side on this bed was certainly good for our shoulders as we sank enough around that area to minimize the pressure on them.
However, it’s also a lot of sink for sleepers who are used to a firmer mattresses. Some of the heavier back sleepers might eventually get to that supportive layer that’s more or less four inches down. However, that won’t change the fact that this mattress is still going to be a little too plush for them.
Motion transfer
Score: 3.5 out of 5
We’ve done wine glass tests during which we use a water-filled glass to really see just how well a mattress can minimize motion transfer. We do not do this all the time, only when we’re sure that the mattress can handle it.
In the case of the GhostBed Luxe, however, we thought it safe to keep the glass empty. That isn’t to say there isn’t decent motion isolation here. It does a good enough job of perhaps minimizing motion transfer so that when you’re tossing and turning in bed, you’re not jarring your sleepmate awake in the middle of the night. However, there’s also enough motion transfer there that they’ll feel you moving if they are awake.
During our wine glass test, dropping that wine glass at even 25 inches away caused the wine glass to visibly tilt back and forth. Its movements were even wider when we dropped the 20-pound kettlebell about 10 inches away. We dared not to toss the kettlebell four inches away because we didn’t want to risk breaking the glass and dealing with a messy cleanup. However, we’ve also tried jumping in bed about 15 inches away from it, and we have managed to tip it over.
Our own mattress, the DreamCloud Hybrid, has fared much better. As has the Saatva Classic. These are hybrid mattresses, however. When we tested the Avocado Latex mattress, it had the same amount of motion transfer.
Temperature regulation
Score: 4 out of 5
GhostBed has really emphasized on the GhostBed Luxe’s cooling properties, even going as far as to say that it’s the “coolest bed in the world.” The brand even talks about how its founder & CEO is a hot sleeper so he took it upon himself to design “a mattress with cooling features from head to toe.” Naturally, we have high expectations here.
To be fair, this mattress does come with cooling properties – four layers of it, in fact. However, it’s really hard to agree with that “coolest bed in the world” claim. We didn’t really find this bed particularly cooling or noticeably better at temperature regulation than the hybrid mattresses we’ve tested. And, we’re not naturally a hot sleeper. At least, not compared to others.
We also asked our friend – who is a hot sleeper – to also pay close attention to how cool it stays for them. And, they have found this mattress to actually still retain just a little bit of heat.
That said, it’s much better at keeping things cool than other foam mattresses. Forget about sleeping on memory foam; you’ll certainly be sweating all night. So, as far as foam mattresses are concerned, this certainly has grounds for its “coolest bed in the world” claim.
However, it really cannot compare to the luxury hybrid mattresses we’ve tested in terms of temperature regulation. Note that we used the same sheets as we use on our DreamCloud Hybrid mattress for a fairer comparison.
Edge support
Score: 4 out of 5
If you sit at the edge of the GhostBed Luxe, you’ll find that you’ll actually manage to stay in place without putting a lot of effort in propping yourself up. But, that’s not exactly because this bed’s perimeter is firm and has a lot of support.
On the contrary, it has a lot of give and sink. In fact, our 20-pound kettlebell sank about half-an-inch to an inch deeper around the edge than it did in the middle. However, it’s that deeper sink that actually helps keep you in place whether you’re sitting there tying your shoes or actually laying at the edge.
That’s not necessarily good or bad. It might be more of a preference at this point really. If you want a bed with an edge where you can sit and be comfortable, it’s good enough. But, if you want a lot of support and some level of rigidity around the perimeter, you’ll be disappointed. Either way, you won’t slip right off and hit the ground.
Durability
Score: 5 out of 5
While it’ll take a good long while to see just how good a mattress can withstand sagging, the GhostBed Luxe has kept its shape after our month-long testing. That’s a good sign, as some beds do sag a little within a few weeks. We do feel like the materials used are high-quality and that the bed is well-made. The stitching on top and on the sides are clean and neat, and the cover doesn’t feel like it’s a cheap material.
Overall, we think that the GhostBed Luxe should stand up to years of use, as it should considering the price.
GhostBed Luxe mattress review: customer reviews
About 97% of the verified reviewers online on GhostBed’s site have given the GhostBed Luxe a 4.5 or higher rating and positive reviews. Many of them appreciate its cooling properties as well as its easy setup, with at least one person saying that it offers the “benefits of memory foam without the heat.” Others praise it for its softness as well, while a handful have mentioned fast shipping.
That’s certainly different from our own experience, but that’s easily explained. A majority of those reviewers probably prefer a softer mattress or are used to sleeping on foam mattresses – to which the GhostBed Luxe is certainly an upgrade – whereas the two testers prefer medium-firm hybrid mattresses that do better with providing support and airflow.
It’s worth noting that GhostBed has gone through lengths to improve this mattress over the years. The reviews from two or three years ago are vastly different from the recent ones. Most of them complained about how the mattress was too firm, and there weren’t any cooling properties at all. Meanwhile, most of the reviews from recent months have been five out of five.
Should I buy the GhostBed Luxe mattress?
The GhostBed Luxe mattress is a great bed, but it’s a great bed for very specific types of sleepers. Side sleepers will truly appreciate the amount of sink it offers, as that takes the pressure off their shoulders and hips a little, while some heavier back sleepers might enjoy that body-hugging slumber it offers. Foam mattresses users will also appreciate the fact that it has cooling properties other options don’t, allowing for a cooler, dreamier sleep.
During our testing, however, we found that this mattress is on the soft side of firmness and a little more sinkage than is comfortable for the rest of us. In fact, it’s not actually recommended for back sleepers and belly sleepers, as they are better supported with a firmer mattress – note that firm doesn’t mean hard. On top of that, hybrid mattresses have proven to be better at delivering a cooler sleep experience because of their breathable layers.
Because of this, we simply cannot recommend the GhostBed Luxe for most people. Especially not at that price point. If you’re considering it, ask yourself this: am I a hot, side-sleeper who prefers cloud-like body-hugging over firmer support? If the answer is yes, and you have the budget for it, then get it. Otherwise, there are other amazing alternatives you should consider.
First reviewed October 2022
