An Honest Review of Brooklyn Bedding's Fully Customizable Mattress

When I moved out of my parents' house, I took my childhood mattress with me. It was the same mattress I'd used since before I can even remember, and honestly, I didn't hate it. It was just old. Very old. Like, I truly couldn't tell you who made it or where it came from. So, after reading an article about when to replace a mattress, it became pretty clear that its expiration date had come and gone, and it was time for me to make a change. And I couldn't be happier that I did.

I'd been eyeing Brooklyn Bedding's Signature Hybrid for a while, and before I bit the bullet, the brand came out with a completely customizable mattress — literally Build-A-Bear for beds. Keep reading for all the details of the Brooklyn Custom and my honest review after sleeping on it for 50 days.

​(While I did receive the Brooklyn Bedding Custom Mattress in exchange for an honest review, all of the following thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own and are not influenced by Brooklyn Bedding​, in any way.)

After deciding on a queen, king, or California king, there are three key personalizations to select. First, you'll pick your firmness. Select from soft, medium, or hard using the site's helpful guide, inserted below, which is based on sleep position and body weight. After checking out the guide, I went with medium firmness.

Next comes the comfort layer. You can choose from latex, titanflex, or memory foam. Naturally derived from tree sap, latex foam is known for its pressure-point relief, responsiveness to movement, breathability, and resilience. Brooklyn Bedding described it as a "sleep-on-top feel" and recommends it for people with skin sensitivities or for those who are seeking an environmentally friendly option. Titanflex is designed to mold to the body like memory foam while boasting the higher responsiveness and pressure-point relief of latex. Lastly, the luxe memory foam is slow to respond, has a cool gel infusion for recovery and support, and is great for individuals who are also looking for pressure-point relief and better circulation. For reference, I selected the latex comfort layer.

The final decision to make is your preferred top fabric. This is what you'll feel the most since it's closest to the skin. There are three choices: organic cotton, luxury cooling, and recovery. The cotton is sustainably sourced, extremely breathable, and hypoallergenic. It's soft and free of toxic dyes and harmful chemicals. The cooling top fabric is ideal for hot sleepers since it's uniquely woven to draw heat away from the body. Lastly, the recovery top layer uses infrared rays to transform the body's heat into waves of energy, promoting fast recovery. Note that the cotton top layer is included in the price, while the other two options are an additional $100. I went with the recovery top fabric. Let's be real — it sounded way too cool to pass up.

Regardless of your choices, every custom mattress has a coil layer — an 8-inch core of up to 1,032 individually encased coils for support where you need it most. If you sleep with someone else, these coils also decrease motion transfer between the two of you. And on the subject of sharing a bed, you have the option to customize each side based on you and your partner's likings. This split feature is offered for kings and California kings only.

In regard to delivery, the mattress shows up in a rectangular box and should be removed from its packaging within three weeks. Once you unwrap the mattress, allow it to sit between three and five hours before laying on it. Keep in mind that it typically takes 30 to 45 nights for your mattress to fully break in, and if you don't like it after a month or so, every Brooklyn Bedding mattress comes with a 120-night trial so you can switch it out. There is also a 10-year warranty for those who love it and keep it.

I'm obsessed with my new mattress; it's proof that spending a little more really pays off. The best part, of course, is the customization. I was able to create the exact product I wanted, which was pretty remarkable, and the product I received really aligned with my highest expectations. It's a perfect medium-firmness mattress.

I also really like how thick the mattress is. It lifts me a little higher off the ground, and I can just tell I'm sleeping on a top-quality product every time I climb into bed. It's the ideal combination of sturdy and plush.

In terms of delivery, the mattress arrived very quickly and was super easy to unbox and unwrap. I had a friend help get it onto my bed frame since the mattress is pretty heavy, but we were able to get it fully unboxed, unwrapped, and placed on the bed in under 10 minutes. I really couldn't have asked for a smoother process. Once the mattress was all set up, I surprisingly didn't need to wait any time for it to break in, but the experience may be different for everyone.

Check out the mattress in my space:

This mattress is 100% worth the price. That said, it's certainly pricier than other mattresses. It ranges from $1,749 for the least expensive queen to $2,299 for the most decked-out California king. The product is currently on sale, ranging from $1,311.75 to $1,724.25, so you should definitely hop on that deal while it's still available.

On the website, I found the benefits of the recovery top to be a bit confusing at first, but all was well once a representative from the brand further explained: "When sleeping, the recovery top takes the body heat and transforms the heat into restorative energy instead of keeping the heat locked into the mattress." I don't entirely understand the science behind this, but I am very much into the concept.

I would 10/10 recommend purchasing this custom mattress. I didn't realize how much of a game-changer a good mattress is until I owned this one. I wish you could experience it first hand but trust me when I say that it's so comfortable. One warning: You'll never want to get out of bed.

‌(Update: It's been one year with this mattress and I can wholeheartedly tell you it's the best mattress I've ever slept on. And that's including five-star hotel beds. It's perfect because it's customized for me, but honestly, every single person who has slept on it (or sat on it) is in awe. This is not me being dramatic. Even friends and family who don't really care about this type of stuff have said something. It's tough to put into words what makes it so great, but it must just be the exactly right combination of comfort and support. I don't have enough good things to say. There is no question it's worth the price.)‌