In a nutshell: The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is an excellent option for budget shoppers. It has a conforming memory foam feel that cushions pressure points and minimizes motion transfer. It comes with a 100-night trial period and free returns, so there’s zero risk in seeing if it’s right for you. 

Is the Zinus Right For You?

Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam is best for:	Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam may not be best for:
People on a budget Side sleepers Memory foam lovers People with back pain or body aches	Innerspring mattress fans Hot sleepers Heavy people

The Best Of

Why we love it:

• Customized Comfort: The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is offered in four thickness levels—8”, 10”, 12”, and 14”. The thicker you choose, the more plush the mattress.
• Excellent Pressure Relief: Thanks to generous memory foam layers, the Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress melts pressure away from problem areas like the hips and shoulders. This makes it a good bed for side sleepers. 
• Incredible Price: Zinus offers some of the most budget-friendly mattresses on the market, with the Cooling Gel starting as low as $198 for the 8” twin.
• Risk-Free Trial Period: There’s zero risk in trying this mattress in the comfort of your bedroom thanks to Zinus’s 100-night sleep trial and free returns.

Lab Performance

We put the Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress to the test at the Mattress Advisor lab. Check out our score breakdown to learn how it performed in each of our tests.

Learn more about our Review Process.

Mattress Advisor Test	Score (Out of 10)
Shipping	8
Trial Period	9
Return Policy	7.5
Warranty	9
Set-Up	8
Motion Transfer	8.75
Edge Support	3
Pressure Relief	8.75
Spine Alignment	8
Responsiveness	7
Cooling	7
Durability	7
Customer Service	8
Social Impact	2

⭐Total Score for the Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress⭐

Pros/Cons and Highlights

✅ Pros

• Supports Proper Alignment: The Zinus Green Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress supported super straight spines in our mattress testers, which is good news for people with back pain. 
• Great Motion Isolation: Zinus’s all-foam construction minimizes motion transfer, so you’re not as likely to be woken up when your partner moves around at night. 
• Pressure Relief: Contouring memory foam dissipates pressure from problem areas. This property is especially important for side sleepers and people with joint pain. 
• Good Sleep Trial: You have 100 nights to try out the Cooling Gel mattress, risk-free. 

❌ Cons

• Little Social Involvement: Zinus doesn’t have a social mission on their website, nor do they appear to be very involved when it comes to donations or volunteering. 
• Noticeable Off-Gassing: You’ll probably notice a mild scent when you unbox the mattress, but don’t worry. This is totally normal and will go away within a few days. 
• Soft Edges: This mattress didn’t do well in our edge support evaluation, so you may not feel properly supported if you lie or sit along the bed’s edges. 

Motion Transfer

You don’t want your mattress jiggling around with every move your partner makes. Some mattresses do a better job than others at absorbing motion rather than spreading it across the surface. 

To determine how well a bed minimizes motion transfer, we conduct two tests. In our first test, dubbed the wine test, we fill a wine glass with red wine, balance it on the mattress, and see how steady it stays when one of our sleep subjects moves around. Check out the wine test video below—the wine glass and the liquid within stayed pretty steady.

In our second motion test, we have our sleep experts lie on different sides of the mattress. They then take turns moving around, with each rating how much movement they felt on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the least (that’s a good thing). Our experts felt very little movement. 

The Zinus earned a combined motion transfer score of 8.75/10. This is the type of performance we like to see in mattresses that we recommend for couples.  

Edge Support

For some people, a sturdy edge is important. This is the case for those who share the bed and need extra space to spread out and for people who like to sit on the edges when they get ready in the morning. 

Our mattress experts conduct two tests to evaluate a mattress’s edge support. In the first they lie along the side to see how secure they feel. In the next, they sit on the edges while putting on their shoes. 

The Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress didn’t perform well in either of our tests, earning a combined edge support score of 3/10. These are some of the least supportive edges that our mattress experts have felt in the Mattress Advisor lab. If you like to snuggle or sit along the mattress perimeter, this may not be the right mattress for you.

Pressure Relief

Side sleepers and people with joint pain usually feel the most comfortable on a mattress with excellent pressure-relieving properties. These beds cushion pressure points and problem areas, limiting built-up pressure and pain.

We use a pressure-mapping film to determine exactly how much pressure there is at problem areas like the shoulders and hips. When our subjects lie on the film, we can see whether pressure is evenly distributed or if it builds up in certain areas. What we want to see are cool colors, like greens and blues, with very few warm colors, like yellows and reds. Reds show us areas of extremely high pressure that are likely to cause pain and discomfort over time.

Take a look at the pressure mapping results below. We saw zero traces of red on our sleep subjects’ pressure map results. This is great for side sleepers, elderly folks, and athletes who need to recover at night.

Mattress Firmness

The Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress’s firmness level varies based on the mattress height. It ranges from a medium-soft to a medium-firm mattress. Here’s how firm each model is based on a 1-10 firmness scale with 10 being ultra-firm. 

• 8”: Medium-firm (6/10)
• 10”: Medium-firm (5.5/10)
• 12”: Medium (5/10)
• 14”: Medium-soft (4/10)

Sleeping Position Support

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress works for side, back, and stomach sleepers. Keep in mind that the four different models have different feels, with the thicker mattresses being softer than the thinner models. 

The thicker 12” and 14” models have a plush feel that offers the pressure relief needed by side sleepers, while the 10” medium-firm offers the balanced feel that most stomach and back sleepers prefer. 

Cooling Factors

The Zinus Cooling Gel mattress scored a 7/10 in our cooling evaluation, which tells us that it’s not the best fit for most hot sleepers. While Zinus includes cooling gel in their comfort layer, it does not fully eliminate body heat buildup over the night thanks to limited airflow. However, the average sleeper is unlikely to find the Zinus mattress overly hot.

Related: Best Mattresses for Hot Sleepers

Weight Support

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress 10”, 12”, and 14” models are best for people who weigh less than 230 pounds. Heavier people are likely to sink in too far and experience insufficient support. This can cause body pain over time. 

The 8” model is not thick enough for most adults, no matter their weight. It’s best for teens, college students, and guest bedrooms.  

Foundation and Bed Frame Compatibility

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress will do fine on any firm, flat foundation. This includes slatted platform bases, box springs, bunkie boards, slatted foundations, and even the floor. As a general rule, the more supportive your foundation, the better.

Mattress Composition 

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is made from three types of CertiPUR-US certified foams. The thickness of each foam varies based on the mattress height, and the thicker mattress models have two layers of high-density foam. 

Prices and Sizes

Size	Dimensions	Weight	Price*
Twin	39” x 75” x 8”/10”/12”/14”	26.5–37.7 lbs.	$198-$254
Full	54” x 75” x 8”/10”/12”/14”	35.9– 60.0 lbs.	$254-$430
Queen	60” x 80” x 8”/10”/12”/14”	42.3–70.2 lbs.	$289-$484
King	76” x 80” x 8”/10”/12”/14”	53.1–88.5 lbs.	$350-$577
Cal King	72” x 84” x 8”/10”/12”/14”	75.4–88.3 lbs.	$511-$581

*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. Click below to see the best price for the Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress.

Setting Up the Zinus

It only took us about a minute and a half to unbox the Zinus Cooling Gel mattress. This mattress was super light and had a very minimal smell. However, it was pretty flat when we opened it. It took a couple of hours to take its full shape. In fact, Zinus acknowledges it can take their mattresses a full week to completely decompress.

Shopping with Zinus

Buying a new mattress online is a new experience for many folks. Here’s a detailed overview of what you can expect when you buy your next mattress from Zinus.com.   

Policy	Details
Delivery	Free delivery; compressed and rolled in a box
Trial Period	100 days
Warranty	10-year limited warranty
Return Policy	Free returns
Financing	Available through Affirm

Is Shipping Free?

Zinus ships for free within the continental United States. Most orders are received in 5-12 business days.* Your new mattress will arrive compressed in a box on your doorstep. You don’t need to be home to sign for the bed. 

*Check with Zinus for current delivery times as this may differ due to COVID-19. 

The Sleep Trial

You can sleep on the Zinus Cooling Gel mattress risk-free for 100 nights. If, during this sleep trial period, you decide you want to return your Zinus mattress, just contact customer support to start the return process and receive your full refund. 

Warranty Breakdown

The Cooling Gel mattress comes with the Zinus 10-year limited warranty that covers issues caused by faulty workmanship or defective materials. This warranty only covers indentations once they’ve exceeded 1.5” compared to the common 1”, so it’s not as generous as the average bed-in-a-box mattress warranty.  

Contacting Zinus

Zinus is one of the only mattress companies that we’ve found with 24/7 customer care. You can use the live chat feature at Zinus.com, give them a call at 1-800-613-1225, or use the online form to receive an email response. 

By using the live chat feature on Zinus’s website, we’ve always received immediate help. Our only qualm is that the representatives don’t tend to know much more about the mattresses than what’s available on the website. 

Returning the Mattress

You can return your new Zinus mattress anytime during the 100-night sleep trial. Reach out to Zinus customer service to get started on your refund. You will need to donate your mattress to a local charity and provide proof of the donation to them via email. After they receive proof of the donation, you should see a refund in 2-5 business days.   

Is it Right For You?

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is one of the best mattresses that you’ll find for less than $500 for a queen-size bed. It does an excellent job cushioning pressure points, and its multiple thicknesses and firmness levels makes it a good bed for every sleeping position. It also supports healthy spine alignment while limiting motion transfer,

While the Zinus Cooling Gel mattress brings incredible bang-for-the-buck, it doesn’t compete with our top performing memory foam mattresses. Mattresses like the Casper and Layla may cost more than twice that of the Zinus, but they performed better in nearly every category, such as responsiveness, edge support, and social impact. 

More specifically, the Zinus mattress doesn’t offer the level of support that heavier people need. If you weigh more than 230 pounds but want an all-foam bed, we recommend the Loom & Leaf. And if you sleep hot, an innerspring or hybrid mattress is likely to be a better fit. Check out the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora for a cooler sleeping experience.   

How Does it Compare

The Zinus vs Other All-Foam Beds

The Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is one of the more affordable mattresses around, even compared to other bed-in-a-box mattress brands. If you’re looking for a quality foam mattress at a budget-friendly price, this bed is an excellent choice. 

Another perk with the Cooling Gel mattress is that it comes in four mattress heights that range in firmness from medium-soft to medium-firm. This variation in feel allows you to choose the option that best suits your personal needs and preferences. Most all-foam beds only come in one firmness. 

The Zinus vs Other Zinus Mattresses

Zinus crafts a large suite of memory foam and memory foam hybrid beds. The Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress is one of Zinus’s most popular mattresses thanks to its all-foam construction, plush feel, and competitive price. Here’s how it compares to the other popular Zinus beds.

Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress vs Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

Both of these beds are affordable all-foam mattresses with similar firmnesses and multiple mattress heights. The Cooling Gel did a better job at cushioning pressure points in our in-house lab while the Green Tea mattress had much sturdier edges and was more responsive. 

Learn more about the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress. 

Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress vs Pressure Relief Gel Memory Foam iCoil 

The biggest difference between these beds is that the Cooling Gel is an all-foam mattress and the Pressure Relief Gel Memory Foam iCoil is a hybrid bed. The Zinus hybrid mattress is slightly firmer than the Cooling Gel mattress and has a bouncier feel. While the all-foam Cooling Gel better cushions pressure points, the iCoil sleeps cooler and is better for heavy people. 

Check out our Zinus Hybrid mattress review. 

FAQs

Q: How do I know which mattress height to choose? 

A: How firm do you prefer your mattresses to be? The lower thickness levels are slightly firmer; the higher thickness levels are plush and soft.  

Q: How long can I keep the Zinus in its box? 

A: It’s best to take your Zinus mattress out of the box immediately. But if you have to wait, be sure to remove it from the box within a week of delivery.

Q: Should I rotate my Zinus mattress?

A: Yes, we recommend rotating your new mattress 180° every six months. Just don’t flip it over; it has a distinct top and bottom. 

Q: Can I find the Zinus Cooling Gel Memory Foam mattress at local retailers?

A: No, Zinus only sells their mattresses on their website and on Amazon. By cutting out expensive showroom costs, Zinus sells their beds at affordable prices.