Achy Back? Our Testers Say This Mattress Offers Immediate Pressure Relief

May 27, 2023

While mattresses don’t always make it onto the lists of non-toxic must-haves, they really should. If your mattress isn’t a comfortable sanctuary of spinal support, you’ll likely start to notice under-eye shadows, breakouts, and a sallow skin tone as a lack of beauty rest (which is very much a real thing). Sleeping on any old synthetic mattress can mean breathing in carcinogenic chemicals such as petroleum, flame retardants, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds can cause cancer1, infertility2, and brain development disorders. In short, if you’re a fan of Mother Nature and glowing skin3, nontoxic mattresses should be on your radar. In our WinkBeds EcoCloud review, we’ll share everything you need to know about this particular eco-friendly design.

Our team has researched sustainable mattress certifications extensively, and we’ve found that many aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. This certification only speaks to the foam inside the mattress, not the entire product. If you’ve read any sleep-related content on our site, you’ll know the CertiPUR-US certification is the bare minimum of safety standards. After researching the top mattress labels and consulting environmental experts, we discovered the true gold standards are the GOTS and GOLS labels, which signify that the brand uses at least 95% certified organic textiles and latex. Mattresses with these qualifications also have a comprehensive list of banned toxic substances and are crafted with the environment in mind.

On our continual quest for the perfect sustainable mattress, we tested the WinkBeds EcoCloud mattress. We’re big fans of the original WinkBeds design (in fact, our Deputy Commerce Editor sleeps on it every night and one of our writers put it to the test for a full year). The only con of the original WinkBeds, though, is that it’s not very sustainable. Our full review of the WinkBeds EcoCloud walks you through the nitty gritties of the mattress’ luxury design and sustainable materials, so you can decide whether this mattress is a good fit for you.

The WinkBed EcoCloud at a glance:

Winkbeds EcoCloud

Who should try it:

Those who value sustainability and desire a softer sleep surface could fall in love with the EcoCloud’s cloud-like design. Side sleepers, stomach sleepers, and those who run hot will also benefit from the medium-soft firmness, which provides pressure relief and maximum airflow to regulate your temperature while you sleep. The EcoCloud has also been recognized by our team as one of the best mattresses for tall people and for joint pain and arthritis. This mattress is one to try if you want to feel good about the non-toxic materials inside your mattress.

Who should skip:

Strict back sleepers should opt for another mattress, especially if they’re worried about motion transfer or edge support. The pillow-top plushness can be a deterrent for those who prefer the buoyant feel of latex.

Pros

• Supportive hybrid design
• Natural latex & organic cotton
• Cooling

Cons:

• Only one firmness option
• No removable cover

WinkBeds is an online company offering luxury hybrid mattresses at an affordable price. The mattresses are handmade in the United States. Though the brand is most known for its innovative hybrid mattresses that layer contouring of specialty foams with supportive innerspring that are comfortable for side, back, and stomach sleepers, WinkBeds also makes bed frames and high-quality mattress protectors, 100% fine-combed cotton sheet sets, and adjustable pillows.

While the hybrid mattress family holds the previously mentioned Certi-PUR certifications, only the brand’s latest model, the EcoCloud, is truly eco-conscious. It has a 100% all-natural latex and innerspring hybrid design, with a handful of feel-good certifications such as Global Organic Textile Standard, OEKO-TEX, and Rainforest Alliance. We love to see these here at mindbodygreen.

WinkBeds ships its mattresses compressed and rolled in a box, and in record time. The company promises shipping within three to five business days. When testing the EcoCloud, our team was shocked by how quickly it expanded; we felt like we could sit on it right away. That said, it’s always helpful to give your mattress a few hours to really settle into its full form before sleeping on it.

Shipping is free and the brand offers a 120-night sleep trial. If you’re not loving your EcoCloud after the first 30 nights of the trial, the brand will pick it up for free. And, if you do keep it, WinkBeds has a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. One other benefit worth noting: if for any reason you decide you want to exchange your bed after the 120-night trial, WinkBeds will give you 50% off a new mattress. So if you want to swap to a mattress with more firmness, you’ll have that choice.

The WinkBeds EcoCloud is the sustainable sibling of the brand’s best-selling WinkBed Original mattress. And, yes, we said sibling, not twin. They’re both hybrid designs, combining the functionality of foam and spring mattresses. In the case of the WinkBeds EcoCloud, the hybrid combo provides superior support of coils with pressure relief from four inches of Talalay latex, which has been renowned as the gold standard of latex. Designed to eliminate pressure on the joints and the back, the mattress has multiple zones to provide targeted weight distribution for an adaptive and curve-conforming response. All wrapped up in soft New Zealand wool, a silky soft organic cotton cover, and absolutely no chemicals, sprays, or synthetic materials, the EcoCloud gets an A for sustainability, much unlike its synthetic sister.

The breakdown of the original WinkBeds and the EcoCloud is also slightly different. There’s still a coil base in the EcoCloud, but the original WinkBeds design has a gel foam layer and signature plush pillow top (which our Deputy Editor says feels like a cloud). The EcoCloud, on the other hand, does not have the same plush pillow top—or even a gel layer. It ditches synthetic materials, such as poly foams, for an eco-friendly latex foam sourced from the sap of rubber trees. Typically, this changes the feel of a mattress to be more buoyant.

The base of the EcoCloud hybrid is made from individually wrapped, recycled steel coils. They’re strategically placed to relieve pressure under your hips and shoulders while staying supportive under your lower back. Talalay is a fluffier type of latex foam, which makes this mattress a bit softer than other latex options. Still, it’s very durable and supportive. Like the coils below, the latex layer is targeted to provide firmer support for your low back and lumbar area, with softer support in your shoulders and hips.

This hybrid pick pairs a breathable Talalay latex and a cooling organic cotton cover. The cover maximizes airflow and wicks away moisture to keep your body cool all night long. It’s also worth noting that the innerspring also helps promote airflow in the mattress, and latex is naturally a cooler material than memory foam. Beyond brag-worthy breathability, this mattress also keeps support in mind. The combination of base foam layers and pocketed coils work to relieve pain throughout your whole body.

Sustainable materials

We love this mattress’ sustainable materials, like Talalay latex, organic cotton, and all-natural sheep wool. What’s more, these materials also make for a super cooling, comfortable and soft mattress. Other latex foams and synthetic materials can often trap heat and feel super buoyant, but WinkBeds’ luxurious model cradles your pressure points and lets you sink into its crisp surface.

Pressure relief design

This mattress is highly recommended for side sleepers who love a soft firmness and could benefit from pressure relief. The innersprings prevent the mattress from feeling too soft, because there’s still a bit of bounce. Still, the mattress does a fair job of absorbing movement, and (as you’ll learn below) can return to its typical shape after weight is removed.

Side: Yes

WinkBeds specifically recommends the EcoCloud mattress for side sleepers because of its softer feel. Side sleepers benefit from a less-firm mattress with pressure relief—and one that will help allow them to easily roll from one side to the other throughout the night. This soft design will feel great for many side sleepers because of the way it cradles the body.

Stomach: Mostly yes

Some stomach sleepers may enjoy the soft, cloud-like cradling that this mattress offers. The cushioning around pressure points is great, especially for those on the heavier side who will sink deeper into the foam or for those who like a very cloud-like sleep surface. In fact, we’ve previously called it out on our list of best cloud mattresses.

Back: Not recommended

Back sleepers will find this mattress too soft. We wouldn’t recommend a medium-soft mattress for back sleepers because a lack of support won’t promote proper spinal alignment. We also worry a back sleeper would feel like it’s lacking support over time.

Motion Transfer: 2/5

Our motion transfer test measures how well this mattress isolates movement by observing what happens to a jar of green juice while our tester walks toward it. If you share a bed with a partner or a pet, motion transfer can make a huge difference in your sleep quality. If you have a partner that’s on a different sleep schedule or tosses and turns in their sleep, this can in turn disrupt your sleep. A mattress with good motion isolation can make it so you don’t feel a thing.

When we tested the motion transfer on the EcoCloud mattress, there was some movement in the green juice jar. Small movements weren’t super noticeable, but you would definitely be able to feel a partner moving in bed. If you’re a light sleeper who tends to get in bed first (or stay in bed longer), you might want something with a higher motion transfer rating, such as the Saatva Latex Hybrid.

Responsiveness: 5/5

Our team’s Bounce-Back test evaluates how responsive a mattress is and how well it will hold up over time. To test this, we dropped a dumbbell onto the mattress and watched how much it bounces. This gives an idea of how easy it’ll be to switch positions throughout the night. Once the dumbbells settled we observe how quickly it returns to its original shape.

When the dumbbell dropped on the EcoCloud, there wasn’t a ton of bounce. The mattress really absorbed the movement, proving exactly just how soft the four-inch layer of Talalay latex layer really is. The bounce in this mattress primarily comes from its innerspring layer instead of the latex foam, which is different from other hybrid models we’ve tried. This means the mattress actually has solid bounce-back. When we removed the weight, the mattress returned to its original shape fairly quickly. A mattress that takes too long to return back to its original shape will sag faster and start to lose its support over time. Our team thinks this mattress would hold up well, even with nightly use.

Pressure relief: 4/5

To test pressure relief, we examine how well the mattress cradles a weight that’s been dropped onto the bed. Next, we have our testers lie in different sleeping positions on the mattress. This mattress offers a nice, cradling pressure relief, especially when lying on your side. Our testers evaluated how the mattress felt around their hips, shoulders, and other pressure points. We found a softer design like this does not offer a ton of pressure relief for back sleepers, but excels in other positions.

Edge support: 2/5

If you share a bed with a partner or you like to starfish out, edge support is an especially important factor when considering which mattress to buy. We tested this mattress’ edge support by having our testers lie down on the edge of the EcoCloud in three sleep positions to see whether they felt supported or not. The brand notes that the steel coils around the perimeter of the bed help enhance edge support. However, the latex foam is a much thinner layer—and the overall softness of this mattress means the edges don’t actually feel that firm. We’d actually consider this just okay edge support, or even slightly below average.