The Cocoon Chill, Sealy's mattress in a box, is great budget mattress for hot sleepers

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

After buying a new home, my husband and I wanted to furnish our new space efficiently and inexpensively. For me, that meant going on the hunt for the best cheap mattress I could find. Sealy has long been a well-known player in the best mattress space. However, it only got in on the rising popularity of the mattress-in-a-box movement a few years ago when it launched Cocoon by Sealy. 

So far, Cocoon has just two mattress options: the Chill Memory Foam mattress, which is an all-memory foam option, and the Chill Hybrid, which includes a layer of responsive coils. I tested out a Queen-sized Chill Memory Foam mattress, which currently runs $699 and is the more affordable of the two.

I found that the medium-firm memory foam was incredibly comfortable and offered good support and contouring without much sinkage. The cooling cover delivered on its chill name and dissipated heat well throughout the night, making it one of the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers like me. However, the edge support left much to be desired, and while the motion isolation was a major step up from my previous traditional coil mattress, it wasn't perfect.

Despite these cons, after four months of sleeping on the Chill Memory Foam, I find that I sleep soundly and wake up feeling refreshed.

Construction

The Cocoon Chill Memory Foam mattress is 10 inches high and includes four main parts, from top to bottom: a cooling cover, adaptive memory foam layer, responsive comfort foam layer, and a thick essential support base layer. 

The memory foam comfort layers contour the mattress to your individual sleeping position needs, while the durable support layers are engineered to relieve pressure and help the mattress last longer. The cooling cover uses a proprietary phase change material (PCM) to absorb and dissipate heat throughout the night, which is helpful since memory foam mattresses are often known for trapping heat. The company puts the mattress firmness at a six out of 10 on the website. 

Additionally, the foam used in the Cocoon Chill is CertiPUR-US certified, which means it's free of harmful chemicals, such as VOCs and ozone-depleting materials.  

Setup

My Cocoon Chill Memory Foam mattress arrived in a slender black box that measured 15 inches by 15 inches by 44 inches and easily fit in my small apartment. I also received Cocoon's platform at the same time, which came in a taller slender box. If you already have a bed frame or box spring you like, you don't have to pair the mattress with Cocoon's platform. I set the simple platform up first and then turned my attention to the mattress. The set-up process was incredibly easy and virtually dummy-proof. The Queen mattress I tested weighs 65 pounds, so it was helpful to have my partner help me pull it out. But with the two of us, it was very easy.

All we had to do was tip the box onto the floor, slide out the mattress, unroll it onto the platform, and watch as it magically went from compressed and totally flat to a 10-inch thick, cushy mattress. This took about one minute. While the instructions noted it could take up to an hour to decompress fully, I noticed no real change between one minute after unboxing and one hour after unboxing. The mattress also comes with a cute square sign that says, "My Happy Place" — just in case you want to throw your new mattress on Instagram.

There was an unboxing odor, so I left it in my bedroom with the windows open for several hours. You'll definitely want to give yourself about a day for the strongest odors to dissipate before you go to sleep, so unbox it in the morning if possible.   

Our review of the Cocoon Chill Memory Foam Mattress

My previous mattress was a traditional spring mattress that was quite firm, and I tend to sleep very hot. Given that the Cocoon Chill Memory Foam mattress is memory foam and rated medium-firm by the company, I had some initial misgivings about whether I would find the mattress comfortable. However, the website noted that the Chill Memory Foam was best for side sleepers, which I am, and the cooling cover intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try.    

I've slept on this mattress for four months now, and, as it turns out, I find the firmness level incredibly comfortable. It's very supportive and doesn't sink much. In the morning, there is no indent where my partner or I have been sleeping. However, it's not too stiff either. It expertly cradles my body and offers just the right amount of contour and support to relieve pressure and leave me feeling refreshed and well-rested in the morning. I found the six out of 10 firmness score to be quite accurate, so if you're someone who really likes a firm mattress or likes to feel like they're sinking into a soft cloud, this may not be ideal for you.  

Additionally, my partner moves around a lot throughout the night. With my old spring mattress, this was a major issue since his movements would wake me up multiple times throughout the night. The difference in motion isolation between the Cocoon Chill and a spring mattress is night and day. However, while I don't feel any minor movements or rolls, I can still feel if he does a particularly large flop. This was further proved when I tested the motion transfer by placing a tall soda can in the middle of the bed and dropping a heavy book about a foot away from the can. When I dropped the book from a few inches, the can didn't budge, but when I dropped it from several feet above, it did tip over. Still, I feel very little movement while sleeping and can now sleep soundly through the night. 

As a hot sleeper, I have been very impressed with the cooling cover. It is cool to the touch, and despite all the layers of foam in the mattress, I don't get too hot during the night.

Cocoon offers a 10-year limited warranty that covers product defects. If you aren't completely satisfied after the 100-night trial, the company will refund you, arrange a pick-up, and donate the mattress to a local agency.  

Cons to consider

The edge support on the Cocoon Chill Memory Foam mattress leaves a lot to be desired. Neither my partner nor I have had issues with the edge support while sleeping, but when I sit on the edge of the mattress to put on socks and shoes, it does sink a couple of inches. 

Additionally, the corner support is so bad that it's nearly impossible to sit on the corner, as it compresses so much that you almost slide off.

What are your alternatives?

However, for those seeking more support, who don't want all memory foam, or who want to up the cooling factor, Cocoon also offers a Chill Hybrid version ($899 for a Queen) that includes a responsive coil layer and a reinforced steel perimeter. 

Our mattress expert recommends the Nectar as the best memory foam mattress for back pain. It's roughly the same price as the Cocoon Chill and comes with a yearlong home trial and lifetime warranty. The motion isolation is better. Though it lacks the Chill's cooling cover, it stays almost as cool. Read our full Nectar Mattress review.

If you're looking for other mattresses, especially those for specific needs, check out our guides to the best mattress, the best cheap mattress, the best cooling mattress for hot sleepers, the best mattress for side sleepers, the best hybrid mattress, and the best mattress for back pain. 

The bottom line

The Cocoon Chill Memory Foam is one of the best value mattress options. It falls just outside the $500 threshold for consideration as one of the best cheap mattresses in our guide, but if you can swing a little more, you'll be extremely satisfied. The cooling cover works well to dissipate heat for hot sleepers who still want the memory foam feel. The medium-firm support lends itself to side and stomach sleepers and lightly contours to your body without too much sinkage. 

The motion isolation is a huge step up from a traditional spring mattress, but you will still feel large movements. The biggest downside is the lack of edge and corner support. If you're on the heavier side or like to sit on the edge of your bed, this could be a dealbreaker.

Cocoon offers a 100-night trial and a simple return process, making it easy to test the bed before committing.