In short: The Dreamfoam Essential mattress, formerly known as the Dreamfoam Chill Memory Foam, comes in multiple firmness options and is an affordable choice for those looking to prevent or mitigate back pain. We also found it to be quite accommodating for side sleepers.

Is It Right for You?

Dreamfoam Essential is best for:	Dreamfoam Essential may not be best for:
People with back pain Side sleepers Budget shoppers	Hot sleepers Combination sleepers

Review Takeaways

What we love about the Dreamfoam Essential:

• The Dreamfoam Essential is one of the most affordable bed-in-a-box mattresses around. 
• The mattress cover is stain and water resistant, protecting your new mattress from unexpected accidents. 
• The mattress comes in five mattress heights (6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, and 14”), each with a different feel. With firmnesses that range from medium-soft to firm, this bed works for every sleeping position and comfort preference. 
• The Dreamfoam Essential comes in both standard and non-standard mattress sizes. These sizes make the Essential an excellent mattress for campers, bunk beds, dorm rooms, and home use. 

Dreamfoam Essential Test Scores

At Mattress Advisor, we believe in thoroughly vetting every mattress that we review by testing them at our in-house lab. Take a look at how the Dreamfoam Essential performed during our 8-point evaluation and 6-point testing procedure, paying close attention to the categories that are most important to you. 

Learn more about our review process.

Mattress Advisor Test	Score (Out of 10)
Shipping	10
Trial Period	10
Return Policy	9
Warranty	9
Set-Up	9.5
Motion Transfer	8.5
Edge Support	7.5
Pressure Relief	8.75
Spine Alignment	9.5
Responsiveness	7.5
Cooling	7.25
Durability	8
Customer Service	9
Social Impact	3

⭐Total Score for the Dreamfoam Essential mattress: 8.5/10⭐

The Good and the Bad

✅ Pros

• Setting up the mattress is a breeze! It took us just 59 seconds to get it unboxed and it is very easy to handle. 
• This mattress did a wonderful job of keeping our testers’ backs aligned to their natural curves. A high spine alignment score can mean back pain prevention. 
• Side sleepers should find that the mattress sufficiently supports their shoulders and hips, resulting in better pressure relief.

❌ Cons

• Dreamfoam Essential’s cooling abilities didn’t impress us all that much. 
• Combination sleepers need a bed with a high responsiveness score, so that they can move around easily and freely. The Dreamfoam Essential didn’t really deliver in this category.

 Edge Support

When you sit or lie on the edge of your bed, you may notice some sinkage. This sinkage tends to be unpleasant, as it can create the illusion that you are slipping. Or, worst case scenario, you actually are slipping.

When our testers sat on the bed to tie their shoes there was a fair amount of dipping underneath them. As such, the Dreamfoam Essential mattress didn’t score too well on the edge support test. 

Pressure Relief

Take a look at the pressure maps below. They indicate how much support the mattress provided when our testers were on their backs and sides. Blue and green are good, red and yellow are bad.

Based on the pressure maps readings, the Dreamfoam Essential mattress did a very good job of relieving pressure. Very few warm colors appeared as our testers were horizontal. 

Spine Alignment

If you suffer from lower back pain, you should consider investing in a mattress that provides good spine alignment. When your spine is not kept on its natural curve it can result in morning aches that can evolve into more serious back trouble.

The Dreamfoam Essential mattress really impressed us with its back support capability, making this an excellent option for those prone to back pain.

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Firmness Rating

The Dreamfoam Essential mattress comes in five different mattress depths that each have a different firmness level. Here’s a breakdown of each model and how firm it is on a 1-10 firmness scale, with 1 being the softest and 10 the firmest. Fans of firm mattresses should consider the thinner options, and for a soft version you can take a look at the 12” or 14”.

• 6”: Firm (8)
• 8”: Medium-firm (7)
• 10”: Medium-firm (6)
• 12”: Medium (5)
• 14”: Medium-soft (4)

 

Sleeping Position Support

Thanks to the five models having different firmness levels, the Dreamfoam Essential mattress works for every sleep position. The medium-soft mattress (14”) is the best mattress for side sleepers who need ample cushion, the medium and medium-firm versions (8”, 10”, and 12”) for back sleepers and a decent bed for stomach sleepers who prefer a balanced feel, and the firm model for back sleepers who like a firm bed.

Cooling Ability

The Dreamfoam Essential mattress utilizes open-cell foam for breathability and cooling gel infusion to disperse body heat. However, it’s not as cool as most hybrid or innerspring mattresses, so we don’t recommend it for extra-hot sleepers.

Weight Capacity 

According to DreamFoam, the Essential mattress supports up to 350 pounds per side. However, we caution most adults against the 6” and 8” mattresses because neither the comfort layers nor the support layers are thick enough to deliver adequate pressure point relief and support. 

Additionally, plus-size people tend to feel most supported on beds that include innerspring coils rather than all-foam mattresses like the Essential. If you weigh more than 230 pounds, you may experience excess sinkage on the Essential mattress. 

Will Your Foundation Work With It?

The Dreamfoam Essential is designed to work on any foundation that’s in good condition. This includes an adjustable base, slatted frame, box spring, platform bed, or bunkie board.

A Look Inside

The Dreamfoam Essential mattress comes in five models that vary in thickness and firmness. The options include 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, and 14”. The thicker the mattress, the softer it is thanks to more generous foam layers. 

While each of these beds is an all-foam mattress with the same materials used in the top and bottom layer, varying thicknesses and a transition layer in the 12” and 14” beds result in different sleeping experiences. We tested out the 14” version. 

Here’s what’s inside.

Mattress Dimensions and Cost

Size	Dimensions	Price*
Twin	39” x 75” x 6”-14”	$199-399
Twin XL	39” x 80” x 6”-14”	$249-449
Full	54” x 75” x 6”-14”	$299-499
Queen	60” x 80” x 6”-14”	$349-549
King	76” x 80” x 6”-14”	$449-699
Cal King	72” x 84” x 6”-14”	$449-699

*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. Click below to see the best price for the Dreamfoam Essential mattress.

In addition to standard bedroom sizes, the Dreamfoam Essential is available in several RV sizes. For more information, see our roundup of best RV mattresses.

Unboxing Video

We were able to get this mattress unboxed and set-up in 59 seconds—probably a record for us! Not to mention, there was little to no off-gassing. Unboxing this one was truly a breeze.

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Dreamfoam Company Info

First time buying an online mattress? Dreamfoam makes it easy—here’s what you can expect. 

Policy	Details
Delivery	Free delivery; arrives compressed in a box
Trial Period	120-night sleep trial
Warranty	10-year warranty
Return Policy	Full refund
Financing	Available through Affirm

Free Shipping

The Dreamfoam Essential mattress is available for customers living in the USA and Canada, but free shipping only applies to addresses in the lower 48 states. Shipping time is between 10-15 days*, and you don’t need to sign for the package. 

*COVID-19 may impact shipping times, so check with Dreamfoam for a current delivery estimate.  

Trial Period

From the day you receive your new mattress, you have 120 nights to figure out if it’s the perfect fit. If it isn’t, you can return the mattress for a full return after 30 nights. Dreamfoam asks that you wait 30 nights to ensure that you’ve given the mattress a chance—it can take weeks for the foam to fully break in and for your body to adjust to the new bed. 

For a budget-friendly mattress, this sleep trial is quite generous. The typical bed-in-a-box mattress company offers a 100-night trial, even when the bed is more expensive than the Dreamfoam Essential. 

Warranty Coverage

Dreamfoam mattresses come with an industry-standard 10-year warranty that covers defects in workmanship or materials. What constitutes a defect? It’s any damage that isn’t expected from normal wear-and-tear and that isn’t caused by poor support or other user damage. A common example of a defect is an indentation of 1” or greater. 

Dreamfoam Service Team

If you have any questions about the Dreamfoam Essential mattress or the buying process, Dreamfoam’s customer service department can help. They’re open Mon–Fri from 7am–7pm MST Sat–Sun from 9am–5pm. Simply:

• Use the live chat feature at dreamfoambedding.com
• Email support@brooklynbedding.com
• Call 1-888-210-8751

We’ve had great experiences using Dreamfoam’s live chat feature and find this to be the best way to receive immediate help. 

Returning a Dreamfoam Mattress

After the 30-day waiting period, you can return the Dreamfoam Essential mattress for a full refund. To qualify for a return, the mattress needs to be in good condition so that a local charity can bring it to someone in need. Contact Dreamfoam to initiate a return, and once the bed has been successfully donated, you’ll receive a refund on your original form of payment in 3-4 business days. 

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Is the Dreamfoam Essential the Right Choice?

The largest selling point is probably the low price despite the high quality and impressive scores in categories like spine alignment, pressure relief, and motion transfer. If any of these factors appeal to you then you may have found your perfect mattress!

Still, if cooling or responsiveness are important to you then you may want to consider alternatives. Check out our GhostBed Luxe mattress review for a good cooling option, and our Casper mattress review for a great bed for combination sleepers.

Mattress Comparisons

The Dreamfoam Essential vs Other Dreamfoam Mattresses

Dreamfoam crafts four affordable mattresses. Here’s how the Dreamfoam Essential stacks up. 

Dreamfoam Essential vs Dreamfoam Latex Mattress

The biggest difference is that the Dreamfoam Latex has a layer of latex and the Essential a layer of memory foam. The latex layer makes the Dreamfoam Latex more durable, supportive, and easier to move around on. The memory foam layer in the Essential creates a pressure-relieving, hugging sensation.

The Essential mattress comes in five thicknesses that range from firm to medium-soft while the Dreamfoam Latex comes in two thicknesses and three firmness options—soft, medium, and firm. See our full Dreamfoam Latex mattress review for more information.

Dreamfoam Essential vs Dreamfoam Cool Mattress

The Dreamfoam Cool is a 3-layer memory foam mattress that comes in an all-foam or hybrid version, both with a medium firmness level. The Essential is also a memory foam mattress, but it comes in five different thicknesses whose firmness levels range from firm to medium-soft. These beds have similar price points. If you’re interested, take a look at our full Dreamfoam Cool mattress review.

Dreamfoam Essential vs Dreamfoam Copper Mattress

Both the Dreamfoam Essential and Dreamfoam Copper mattresses are memory foam beds, but the Copper is a luxury bed and the Essential the most affordable Dreamfoam mattress. The Essential comes in five different thicknesses that range from 6” to 14” that go from firm to medium-soft. The Dreamfoam Copper comes in a medium firmness 13” model or firm 12” version. Find out more by reading our Dreamfoam Copper mattress review.

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Other Brooklyn Bedding Products

Dreamfoam mattresses are a Brooklyn Bedding product; take a look at what else they have to offer.

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