Lull mattress review
We've been conducting tests and gathering data for this Lull mattress review for well over a year now. We expect to see this review live after a few months, but as Lull grew more popular, new data kept pouring in.
So, to make the ratings more reliable we postponed publishing the review until we have a bigger data sample, which means more reliable ratings.
Bottom line is - the ratings of the Lull are fruit of over 5,500 work-hours spent testing, reviewing data for our statistical model. Let's get right to it...
200,000 testing cycles of the Lull mattress
What's different about the Lull?
Lull is yet another mattress-in-a-box brand, but with a twist. While most similar mattresses aspire to find that sweet spot between comfort and support that will work for most people, Lull took it one step further.
It's not just about the comfort vs. support but they made a special effort to achieve better breathability of the foam and a "cooling effect".
In the review of the Lull mattress you'll see below, we'll take it apart and put it back together until we have a full picture about it. What are its advantages and downsides? Who is it for and it's not for?
What this means for you?
If you are in the market for a new mattress, this review should make it perfectly clear if Lull is right for you...based on your body type, sleep habits and budget.
Lull mattress review part 1 - construction and foam layers
Layer 1 - 1.5 inches of cooling gel foam
First, you have the top layer that's meant to increase breathability and provide better cooling properties compared to similar mattresses. This layer is 1.5 inches thick and made of memory foam. The foam is gel-infused to be "cooler" and distribute the weight of the sleeper in a way that relieves pressure points at the hips and shoulders.
In on our experience, a finish layer like this does make a substantial difference when it comes to pressure relief for most people of average built, except for outliers like bodybuilders or heavy people.
Why is this important?
The difference here comes down to the distance between the body axis and the furthermost points (like hips and shoulders).
So, unless you belong to one of the two groups of people mentioned above, the Lull is likely to provide a good balance between support and comfort. That's probably the reason behind the fact that Lull has a user satisfaction rating of 95%.
Layer 2 - support / transition
One more layer of foam with the same thickness as the cooling foam but somewhat denser. It's meant to be a transition between the cooling layer and the core (bottom layer).
Layer 3 - core
7 inches of extra dense foam of the core are there as the main supportive element. The foam used is strong, much denser than either of the two layers we mentioned above and works with them to balance out the lower density of the cooling and the transitional layer.
The three layers together "work" together to offer proper "sinkage" for the joints and align the spine. Based on what we've seen, Lull has done a very good job balancing the 3 layers.
Bottom line
The three layers together "work" together to offer proper "sinkage" for the joints and align the spine. Based on what we've seen, Lull has done a very good job balancing the 3 layers.
On a firmness scale of 1 to 100, we'd say that the Lull is around 65-75.
Lull mattress review part 2 - quality of the foam
If you've done your homework researching mattresses, you probably know that judging the quality of the foam is tricky.
Things got especially complicated with the growing trendy of shady outsourcing practices. We're not saying that outsourcing is a bad thing per se or that you can judge the quality of the foam based on where it comes from.
We're saying not to take any claims about "high quality foam" at face value...simply because anyone can make them.
What to look for instead?
Look for things that are backed up and proven, like:
Warranty
So, let us analyze and review the Lull mattress from that precise "angle".
The trial
Let's separate two things here - the trial period of hundred nights and the 10 years of warranty.
The trial is just means for the potential buyer to protect themselves from ending up with a mattress they don't like. In the modern, online-mattress-shopping market, a company wouldn't get very far without offering a trial period during.
During this period, you can sleep-test the Lull mattress and simply return it if you don't like it.
It's a big plus but not something that separates the Lull from similar brands.
The warranty
We've said it before and we'll say it again, the foam quality comes down to the warranty. There's simply no way for the company to offer a 5 or 10 year testing-backed (this is an important one and we'll get back to it in minute) warranty while using sub-par foam for their mattresses. The math simply doesn't add up.
That's why we're stressing the 10 year warranty of the Lull. There's no foam expert that can tell you more about the foam quality that the warranty terms.
Independent testing - beyond the warranty
One of the advice we always give to people buying a mattress online is to go with a brand of mattresses that's backed up by independent testing. Lull is one of those brands.
What does this mean exactly?
It means that the mattress is tested in by a 3-rd party lab in conditions designed to mimic the use within the warranty period.
Why is this important?
Lull is big player and a stable company. We see them remaining one for decades to come so the following scenario doesn't refer to the company but other sub-par mattress sellers.
But, imagine this scenario - you get a mattress based on the warranty terms and you see an issue with it halfway into the warranty period. What if the company is not there anymore?
In this scenario you would have bought a mattress based on numbers on a paper.
That's why the testing of the Lull mattresses makes all the difference
Lull machine-tests their mattresses and reviews the results based on 200,000 cycles of compression and movement.
Why 200,000?
Because this is approximate to 10 years of regular use. In other words, after testing a mattress like this you end up with a product that feels like a 10-year old mattress. The mattress is then laser-measured to see what kind of change the "abuse" caused.
There's no better way to pinpoint any structural issues and make sure that the warranty is not just numbers on a piece of paper.
We respect them for the practice.
Safety is still a big factor when choosing memory foam. That's why we avoid even reviewing mattresses that are not CertiPUR-US® Certified.
Lull is not only certified for safety from any fumes or potentially harming agents by the CertiPUR-US label but it's also a certified member of the Sustainable Furnishing Council and Mattress Recycling Council.
There are mattresses out there with some of these certificates, but you rarely see a brand certified with all the 3 safety and environmental labels.
Safety is still a big factor when choosing memory foam. That's why we avoid even reviewing mattresses that are not CertiPUR-US® Certified.
Lull is not only certified for safety from any fumes or potentially harming agents by the CertiPUR-US label but it's also a certified member of the Sustainable Furnishing Council and Mattress Recycling Council.
There are mattresses out there with some of these certificates, but you rarely see a brand certified with all the 3 safety and environmental labels.
Bottom line
Pushback vs. Hug balance rating of the Lull is one of the best we've seen in all-foam mattresses at 96/100 with the "scales" slightly tipped in the favor of "Hug."
That puts it in the Top 3 % of mattresses we ever tested.
"Pushback" (bounce) vs. "Hug" (contouring)
We've seen this quality category "break" the ratings of some otherwise outstanding mattresses.
First things first - let's explain what this rating is.
It's kind of self-explanatory but let's take a moment to precisely define it.
We defined "pushback" as an aspect of support. Mattresses with solid pushback will not allow you to sink in and will make it easy to move without feeling trapped. It's more than just about the firmness - it's about how well the thickness and the density of the foam is combined.
It's critical for all-foam mattresses like Lull.
You could say that "hug" is the opposite of the pushback. It's a way to describe how well the mattress contours to the body of sleepers with different body types.
The balance
Our rating algorithm does not include hug and pushback as separate quality categories, but the balance between the two...which is, for most people, all that really matters.
Better edge sturdiness than a vast majority of all-foam mattresses
Again, the importance of this rating is higher in all-foam mattresses because if the balance is off here you'll end up with a mattress that feels like you're sleeping on bouncy inflatable bed or you'll find yourself sinking too much, feeling "trapped" and difficult to move.
Pushback vs. Hug balance rating of the Lull is one of the best we've seen in all-foam mattresses at 96/100 with the "scales" slightly tipped in the favor of "Hug."
That puts it in the Top 3 % of mattresses we ever tested.
Motion transfer & edge sturdiness
As we said above, Lull is not a firm mattress but one that's finely balanced between firmness, comfort, pushback and hug.
That also means that it has a somewhat higher motion transfer than firmer mattresses and a it's a bit less supportive around the edges (much like most all-foam mattresses are).
However, the ratings in the edge support and motion transfer category are on the higher end among the all-foam mattresses.
Our conclusion about motion transfer of the Lull mattress
We've said it many times and we'll say it again, we feel that "motion transfer" is an overrated quality aspect. That's why we have an adjustment coefficient for the category and this rating has less impact on the Overall rating then quality aspects we feel are more important.
We've all witnessed the frenzy of ads of demonstrating the quality of the mattress by jumping on one side or throwing a bowling bowl while keeping, say, a glass of vine on the other unspilled.
These test look amazing, but what do they prove?
We've introduced the adjustment coefficient to tweak our rating formula because, at one point, we saw mattresses that are obviously inferior getting a higher score because they had low motion transfer. We see it more as an indicator of other quality aspects than a rating that's meaningful on its own.
With all that said, the rating we got to in this Lull mattress review is 92/100 for motion transfer - we've seen similar satisfaction rates in our analysis of owner reviews.
Somewhat sturdier edges than similar mattresses
We don't expect the edges of all-foam mattresses like Lull to be close to innesprings or hybrids. It's physics 101. No matter how you combine the layers or how thick you make them, the foam cannot hold an edge like a steel coil.
The ratings of the Lull in this category (86/100) put it in the top 5 % of mattresses (of its type) we ever tested or reviewed. It's due do the very dense and unyielding core.
Off-gassing of the foam and initial odor
This category is somewhat subjective because it comes down to the perception of the user. With that said, we do have extensive experience with reviewing similar mattresses.
During the period of testing and putting together this Lull mattress review and analysis, we have seen no red lights or deal-breakers.
There was a slight odor on-arrival (the kind you'd expect from any new mattress of this type) but it was fleeting. The odor did not resemble any of the smells we've seen over the decades that would indicate a presence of harmful chemical. It was more of a new mattress smell than anything else.
This comes as no surprse since we know how rigorous CentriPur is with their certification. Our rating in this category is 96/100.
Note: This rating is provided for reference and it's included in the Overall safety rating above. This means that it contributes to the overall rating in-directly, not on its own.
Heat dispersion test of the Lull
When we mentioned factors like motion isolation not getting equal "treatment" as some of the more important ones, we had quality aspects like temperature regulation in mind.
With the cooling being one of the selling points, the results we've seen here are nothing to write home about and we deem them as average.
Our notes based on Thermal imaging are that the average time for the Lull to return to room temperature after an average person laying on it for 25 minutes in a room of 70 Degrees F is about 15 minutes. As we said, these results are nothing to write home about but are not a deal-breaker either (for most people).
Higher heat retention is to be expected from mattresses like Lull compared to innerspring. This means that Lull might not be the choice for you if you are an outlier and an especially hot sleeper or have hot flashes. For an average person, we don't see it as a significant issue, but the ratings do reflect the results as well the incidence of complaints we've seen in reviews of users - 84/100.
Sizes & surface compatibility review of the Lull mattress
Without spring getting in the way, Lull makes for a "malleable" mattress that adjusts to any surface easily.
Ratings in this category are less about the versatility of being used with different fixed bed bases (like slated bars or flat boards) and more about the flexibility and easy of use with adjustable bed bases.
Lull outperformed 94% of similar mattresses here, "molding" to the base and moving with it with ease. We rate it at 97/100 here - there are very few beds we know of that adjust better and they cost 2 or 3 times as much as the Lull.
Value for money
Lull is not a cheap mattress but this category ratings is not about price but about the balance between value it offers, how it compares to similar mattresses (both online and at retail stores).
The value rating of the Lull (94/100) puts in the top 7%, meaning that if you do find it to be a right fit for you in the warranty period and decide to keep it, you will have saved a nice amount.
Available sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King & California King.
Protection & cooling
In spite of the 10-years warranty, you can always use some somrt of protective mattress topper or pad to increase the lifespan of your mattress.
When we say "lifespan" we're not necessrily refering to the absolute lifespan but prolonging the period during which the Lull has that familiar "new mattress" feel. Adding a topper can also adjust the firmness to your liking (if you like the Lull but find it too firm or soft).
For some recommendations, you can see our fluid guide one mattress toppers here - https://thesleepstudies.com/best-mattress-toppers-and-pads/
Cooling it down
Lull comes with its own cooling layer but, as we reported above, the breathability can't really be compared to different mattress types (latex, innerspring, hybrids).
To add a touch of cooling, you can pair the lull with a cooling mattress pad - https://thesleepstudies.com/best-cooling-mattress-pads/
Lull mattress complaints
Most of the Lull mattress complaints we've seen when analyzing the review of existing owners are from people who found it to be either too soft or too warm. The high user satisfaction ratings on the Lull are mostly (in our opinion) due to the fact that Lull works for most people and the reviews are coming from people who understood what kind of mattress it is.
The second factor here is the customer service (especially the trial) and Lull policy about posting each review (even the complaints). They go as far as to promise a full refund to people who bough their mattress, wrote reviews or a complaint that wasn't posted on their website.
User satisfaction: 94 / 100
FAQs
In the section below, we'll address some of the frequently asked questions about the Lull in a concise way.
How long does it take to air out?
We'd say that the smell goes away in about a week. After a day of noticeable odor, it significantly decrease within 2 days. It's fair to say that it completely airs out within a week.
Is there a chance to receive a used mattress?
This is a common question and with the 100-night trial in mind, it's reasonable to ask it.
The answer is, "No." Lull either recycles or donates the returned mattresses.
The return process
Since the Lull mattress arrives vacuum-sealed in a small box (compared to the size of the set-up mattress) there's no way to get it back into the box (which also means that yoy don't have to keep the box and can return the mattress without it).
If you decide to return it
The good new is that if you purchase it from Lull directly of from Amazon, there is no hassle, packing or shipping you'll need to do. You just set it aside and somebody will pick the mattress up as is.
The difference here is that if get it directly from the company, you can contact them to arrange the return while mattresses ordered through Amazon are returned by raising a request from your Amazon account.
Where is Lull mattress made?
Lull is manufactured in the U.S. and China. There is no difference in quality standards between manufacturing locations.
Where is it shipped from?
Lull is shipped from one of their US locations.
Does the price listed include a frame?
No, the price you'll see listed on their website or on Amazon is for the mattress only.
If you order from the company directly, your mattress will be with you within 1-4 work days.
Shipping and box size
Since there are no springs, the Lull mattress is vacuum-sealed with all the air from the foam "squeezed out. That makes the box small enough to easily fit the narrowest of doorways.
The height of the box will depend on your chosen size while the width and depth are approximately 2 x 2 ft.
Summary and updates
We typically update our guides on quarterly basis, which is also the case with this one.
That doesn't mean that we update the ratings of each airbed – our statistical model is based on gathering data and if we don't have enough of new information for a specific bed, this update might happen once every 6 months or yearly.
What this means for this guide is the ratings of the more popular beds, like the Classic raised or EZ, are updated every six months, while the less popular models "wait" until we share enough new info for an update to make sense.
If you have any dilemmas, questions or any thoughts at all about the information we presented, please do share them in the comment section at the end of this page.
The article Lull mattress review was first published on www.thesleepstudies.com
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